Formula One elects new leader today

Ari Vatanen hopes his pledge to clean up a sport hit by Formula One's crippling scandals is enough to beat favorite Jean Todt in today's vote to decide the new head of motor racing's governing body.

The two men are the only candidates up for election in Paris to replace Max Mosley, and Todt has backing from the influential and outgoing FIA president. Todt, a 63-year-old Frenchman, is a former Ferrari team principal who revived the fortunes of the flagging Italian team and worked on FIA's World Motor Sport Council.

Vatanen is a former world rally and Paris-Dakar champion from Finland who once raced under Todt in the 1980s.

"My role is to offer an alternative to the way things are done," Vatanen said in a recent interview where he pledged to repair the sport's image. "We must put our house into order."

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher firmly back Todt, who cites "affordability and competition, innovation and excellence" as the cornerstones of his campaign.

Todt's style of leadership will be similar to Mosley's and offer continuity. He will likely keep most of the current senior FIA officials in their positions.

Todt declined an interview, but Schumacher praised his "leadership, loyalty, commitment and knowledge."

Vatanen, 57, has the support of three-time champion Jackie Stewart and vows to introduce a code of ethics to F1's governing body if he wins -- a clear attempt to prove his intention to clean up motor racing's premier event.

Mosley's long and recently troubled reign ends amid the dark backdrop of another scandal: Renault bosses were recently found guilty of ordering Nelson Piquet. Jr. to crash his car during a race. Vatanen promises such skullduggery would end.

Loeb denied license: Five-time rally world champion Sebastien Loeb of France won't compete in the last Formula One race of the season after motor racing's governing body refused to grant him a super license.

Loeb had signed a deal with the Toro Rosso team to drive at Abu Dhabi on Nov. 1.

JR Motorsports changes chiefs: JR Motorsports said Thursday that it has "mutually agreed" to release Brian Campe from his duties as crew chief of the No. 5 team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

Tony Eury Jr. will serve as the team's crew chief this weekend for the Kroger On Track For The Cure 250 (3 p.m. Saturday, ESPN2) at Memphis Motorsports Park.

Eury Jr. is a veteran mechanic and crew chief in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide series. Eury's father, Tony Eury Sr., is crew chief on the No. 88 team at JR Motorsports.

Richard Boswell, a developmental driver in JRM's Late Model program, will drive the No. 5 Chevrolet this weekend in his Nationwide debut.

From team news release

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