The good news today is that The Sports Network (TSN) will broadcast all Formula One races and qualifying sessions live this year, starting a week from Sunday with the Grand Prix of Australia.

The bad news is that a couple of familiar faces and voices will be missing from the broadcasts.

For years, TSN's F1 coverage has featured a 30-minute pre-race show hosted by Vic Rauter that included expert commentary and analysis from Gerald Donaldson, a Canadian journalist and author of some two-dozen books on Formula One.

Rauter would introduce the race and talk about the circuit, the point standings and so on and then conduct a telephone interview direct from the paddock with Donaldson, who would fill viewers in on the latest news, gossip and controversies.

After the race, they'd do a review before wrapping things up.

For 2009, TSN has contracted with the BBC for race coverage, replacing ITV. Whether it's costing TSN more moolah to carry the BBC program, or the Beeb's pre-race show is part of the race package, isn't clear.

When asked for confirmation, a spokesperson replied simply: "TSN will not produce its own Formula One pre-race coverage this year."

Which is a shame. Rauter has long been recognized as TSN's auto racing "voice" and he's done an excellent job. And Donaldson, so far as I know, is the only Canadian journalist who travels to all of the F1 races and for that reason it was a pleasure to hear him reporting "from the scene."

Disclosure: The Star employed Donaldson to report on F1 races when Jacques Villeneuve was driving but concluded the arrangement after Villeneuve retired and there was no longer any "Canadian content" in the series.

I felt badly about that because I always thought Donaldson, as well as being home-grown, brought a unique perspective to motor racing reporting because of his intimate knowledge of the sport and his personal friendship with most of the drivers and powers-that-be.

But, as they say, all things must pass. All we can hope for is that whatever it is that TSN makes available to us, pre-race, from the BBC or wherever is as informative and entertaining as the "Vic and Gerry" show has been.

DEATH OF A SPRINT CAR ICON

Back when the Indy Racing League used to start its season each spring in Phoenix, my friends and I would fly out for the weekend and always do three things: go to Phoenix International Raceway for the Indy cars, have at least one feast at Stuart Anderson's Black Angus Steakhouse and head over to Manzanita Speedway to watch the sprint cars race on Friday and Saturday nights.

I think I speak for all of us when I say if we could only do one of those three things, it would be the run to Manzanita. Sprint cars on dirt are mind-blowing at the best of times but particularly so at a legendary speedway like "Manzy."

Which explains my shock the other morning when I went to a popular racing website and learned that the track's been sold and will be closed down forever as of April 11.

It is to weep.

Built originally as a dog track, Manzanita became a quarter-mile and then a half-mile dirt speedway starting in 1951. Ever since, it's featured midget and sprint car races and just reading the list of names of drivers who've plied their trade there can bring a tear to your eye:

Jimmy Bryan, Parnelli Jones, Jim Hurtubise, Don Branson, A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Roger McCluskey, Sheldon Kinser, Gary Bettenhausen, Larry Dixon, Tracy Hines, Dave Darland, Corey Kruseman, Richard (the Gas Man) Griffin, Gary (Preacher) Patterson, Brad Noffsinger, Rip Williams and J.J. Yeley, to name just a few.

Let me tell you about "Manzy."

There's a junkyard beyond the backstretch wall and it's often been said that the speedway had the fastest safety crew in the world because if a driver went over the wall out there they had to get to him before the dogs did.

And it must be acknowledged that "Manzy" isn't located in the most refined part of Phoenix either. They say the reason the city has never insisted that the motors be muffled is because the noise covers up the sound of the gunshots.

All kidding aside, it was delightful to go to Manzanita at any time but particularly when the California Racing Association (CRA) sprint cars were there because the CRA pit steward was a woman in her 80s named Evelyn Pratt.

You read that correctly: Evelyn Pratt ran that paddock with an iron fist and she was in her mid-80s. You could sit in the front grandstand and hear her voice coming over the infield PA system sounding exactly like your grandmother.

But there was an edge to that voice: "Sammy Swindell, we're going in one minute and if you're not in line we're GOIN' WITHOUT YOU!"

And she meant it.

The man who was the long-time announcer at that track and who will undoubtedly call the last race is named Windy McDonald (no relation, but . . . ) and if I sit real still and try really hard, I can hear his distinctive voice say:

"I-i-i-i-i-i-I-I-IT'S SHOW-TIME!"

And as the cars fired up and got in line for the pace lap, he'd say:

"Here they come, ladies and gentlemen . . out of the fourth turn . . . here come the sprint cars . . . ON PARADE!"

He'd say that and I'd get shivers up and down my spine.

There's only one Manzanita and when it's gone, it'll be over.