Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/558086
21 Sport maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 19 AUGUST 2015 MOTORSPORTS FORMULA 1 ASMK's 2015 Annual General Meeting this Friday ASSOCIATION Sport Muturi u Karozzi will hold the 2015 An- nual General Meeting on Friday 21st of August. Thanks to the Maltese Council for Sport the meeting will be held at the Sports Complex in Hal Kirkop . During the General Meeting the mem- bers present will be presented an account of what happened during the 2014/2015 season including the submission and approval to the Financial report prepared by the Association Auditor includ- ing the process to elect the ASMK Officers and Sections Committee members. For this 2015 AGM edition the Association received 28 nomina- tions, three new Statute amend- ments including a reform in the running of the Executive Council. The Association members will be presented with a new project con- sisting of the purchase of a pro- fessional timing equipment to be use during cars and motorcycles events. If this system is approved the ASMK will be doing a great leap in the timing control during the events and training sessions against the clock. Also the ASMK Officials will be confirmed following the Fri- day meeting. Mr Frans Deguara will again occupy the office of ASMK President for the next two years. Along with him Secretary- General is to be Mr. Johann Pace and Mr Edgar Xuereb as ASMK Treasurer. Mr John Cassar is ex- pected to occupy the Post of As- sistant Secretary and Mr Emanuel Camilleri is expected to take the post of Assistant Treasurer. Mr Johnny Micallef is nominated for the post of Vice-President. The nominees for the Autocross committee are Mr Frans De- guara for President, Johann Pace for Secretary, Edgar Xuereb for Treasurer and Andrew Pisani and Johnny Micallef are nominated as Autocross representatives. The Nominations for the Moto- cross are as follows:- John Cassar is nominated for President and Representative, Edward Ciantar for Secretary and Clayton Camill- eri as Representative. For the Enduro bikers Eddie Bonello is nominated for Presi- dent and Representative and James Zahra is nominated for Secretary and Representative too. In the Trials the nomination for President and Representa- tive is submitted by Emmanuel Camilleri and John Bonello is nominated as Trials Secretary and Representative. The Administration and Mem- bers of the Association would like to thank Mr Francis Azzop- ardi for services rendered to AS- MK during the past thirty years of useful service. In the last few years he has occupied the post of Chief Marshal and Assist- ant Secretary of ASMK. Mr Az- zopardi experienced the difficult early years of the Association in the 80's which despite the ef- forts made by the committee of the time under the leadership of founder Noel Farrugia, today we still enjoy the sport and contin- ued progress during these past 30 years. Mr Azzopardi is expected to continue giving his service to the association with a differ- ence as an Honorary Member of ASMK. The Acknowledgements contin- ue also to Mr Leli Pisani a Mem- ber of Autocross for many years. Mr. Pisani served as an Autocross Representative and will continue to deliver his services as Flag Marshal. He is expected to be ap- pointed an Honorary Member of ASMK too. Thanks also to Mr. Gordon Johnson who occupied the post of Assistant Treasurer in the last year. Meanwhile, the Association is currently busy preparing to start the first motorsport events which are expected to start some time earlier than usual. On Saturday 5th September 2015 ASMK will be organizing an Autocross En- durance Race lasting One Hour driving on the Autocross track. Stops are allowed for refuelling and driver change. This race is in its second year where this event will also be scrutineered and registered in the Malta Records. Last year's Record Holder is Mr Emanuel Muscat who covered 92 laps on his Opel Corsa during the Timed Hour. Another special ASMK event is in racing the Autocross cars on a temporary built track in Gozo over a weekend. Again this will be held on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th September 2015. Further in- formation can be found on the ASMK website:- www.asmk.org. mt or the Facebook pages named ASMK Malta or Association Sport Motorcycles and Cars. One can also contact us by email:- in- fo@asmk.org.mt McLaren-Honda braced for Spa struggle MCLARENHONDA is bracing itself for further engine-related penalties and struggles at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, even though it remains confident of progress over the second half of the season. Honda will introduce a new specification power unit for the Spa-Francorchamps event, which will in turn lead to grid drops for drivers Fernando Alonso and Jen- son Button. Although the track layout – fea- turing two high-speed sectors – is likely to expose current weak- nesses, the renewed partnership hopes important lessons will be learned. "As we planned, Honda has updated our combustion char- acteristics to further improve our power units for Spa and the second half of the season," said Honda motorsport chief Yasuhisa Arai. "This weekend's free practices will be important to test the pair- ing of the power units to the cars. "The Belgian race, however, will surely be a difficult one for the team and drivers, with expected grid penalties and a long and un- forgiving power circuit. "Nevertheless, McLaren-Hon- da's focus is to improve race by race. We know we can learn a lot from the circuit for immedi- ate future, and hope that we can come out of the weekend with some positives." McLaren Racing Director Eric Boullier says the team will have to wait until the Singapore Grand Prix, which follows the high- speed Spa and Monza races, to guage progress. "Spa is a truly spectacular cir- cuit – arguably the best on the calendar for many – but, given the unique power and downforce package required, the track won't play to our strengths," added Boullier. "Therefore, of course, we must be measured in our optimism, and we will need to wait for Sin- gapore and beyond before we can see the fruits of our labours re- f lected on track." The ASMK administration