ALBANY, New York (Reuters) – A New York State judge on Friday upheld an upstate community’s ban on gas drilling, marking the second victory in the space of a week for opponents of the controversial drilling method known as fracking.

The authority vested in towns and cities in New York to regulate use of their land extends to prohibitions on drilling, acting state Supreme Court Justice Donald Cerio ruled on Friday, dismissing arguments by a landowner who has already sold leases on almost 400 acres.

“Municipalities are not preempted…from enacting local zoning ordinances which may prohibit oil, gas and solution drilling or mining,” Cerio wrote. “The state maintains control over the ‘how’ of (drilling) procedures while the municipalities maintain control over the ‘where.’”

Jennifer Huntington, a dairy farmer, argued the town of Middlefield’s ban is preempted by a state law designed to create a uniform regulatory scheme for the oil and gas industry. But Cerio disagreed, holding that nothing in the legislative history of the law and its numerous amendments suggests state lawmakers intended to stop towns from barring heavy industry.

Middlefield is about 70 miles west of Albany.

Cerio’s ruling is similar to a decision released Tuesday that dismissed a bid by gas company Anschutz Exploration Corp. to overturn a drilling ban in the Ithaca suburb of Dryden.

In that decision, Supreme Court Justice Phillip Rumsey held state law was crafted to regulate industry in such a way that “protects the rights of all persons.”

SUZUKA, Japan, Oct 10 (Reuters) – Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi lived up to his home billing with a spectacular wheel-banging charge to seventh place in the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.

It was the best performance by a Japanese driver at Suzuka since Takuma Sato finished fourth for BAR Honda in 2004 and one that gave the crowd plenty to cheer after the recent exit of Japanese teams.

Some 3,000 fans in “Kamui Kobayashi Corner”, a sold-out grandstand section between turns two and three, were treated to a stunning late surge but the driver himself played down his performance.

“Basically, we scored points,” he told a throng of Japanese media in the paddock, also noting the eighth-place finish of team mate Nick Heidfeld.

“It was very difficult due to our starting position, but such a result at the Japan Grand Prix is good.”

“I`m very pleased for the Japanese fans who watched an exciting race,” said Kobayashi, Toyota’s reserve driver last year, after showing all his fighting spirit to climb from 14th on the grid.

“It was really something to come back here and race for the first time in seven years in front of my home crowd.” The rookie’s six points caught the attention of the media and drew praise from his team.

SUZUKA, Japan, Oct 10 (Reuters) – Suzuka hopes to continue hosting the Japanese Grand Prix beyond 2011, even if the country’s involvement in Formula One is on the wane.

“It’s under discussion, but we would like to continue,” Itaru Yamada, motorsports managing director of the Honda-owned Mobilityland company, told Reuters.

Mobilityland’s contract with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone ends in 2011 and the number of fans turning out has declined from 150,000 in 2006 to an expected 100,000 later on Sunday.

The Toyota, Honda and Honda-backed Super Aguri teams have all departed in the wake of the global financial crisis and tyre supplier Bridgestone is leaving at the end of the current campaign.

There are just two Japanese drivers on the starting grid, the points scoring Kamui Kobayashi at Sauber and Sakon Yamamoto whose financial backing is perhaps more evident than his talent at Hispania.

“It’s been a tough environment for two years. The ‘Lehman Shock’ has affected fans and teams,” Yamada said, referring to the 2008 collapse of U.S. bank Lehman Brothers that brought the global financial system to its knees.

“Despite the economic conditions, our ultimate aim is to increase the number of spectators … to return to 150,000.”

SUZUKA, Japan, Oct 10 (Reuters) – Suzuka hopes to continue hosting the Japanese Grand Prix beyond 2011, even if the country’s involvement in Formula One is on the wane.

“It’s under discussion, but we would like to continue,” Itaru Yamada, motorsports managing director of the Honda-owned Mobilityland company, told Reuters.

Mobilityland’s contract with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone ends in 2011 and the number of fans turning out has declined from 150,000 in 2006 to an expected 100,000 later on Sunday.

The Toyota, Honda and Honda-backed Super Aguri teams have all departed in the wake of the global financial crisis and tyre supplier Bridgestone is leaving at the end of the current campaign.

There are just two Japanese drivers on the starting grid, the points scoring Kamui Kobayashi at Sauber and Sakon Yamamoto whose financial backing is perhaps more evident than his talent at Hispania.

“It’s been a tough environment for two years. The ‘Lehman Shock’ has affected fans and teams,” Yamada said, referring to the 2008 collapse of U.S. bank Lehman Brothers that brought the global financial system to its knees.

“Despite the economic conditions, our ultimate aim is to increase the number of spectators … to return to 150,000.”

SUZUKA, Japan (Reuters) – Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi has gone from race-day spectator in Japan to his country’s rising son of Formula One in the space of a year.

Kobayashi was the Toyota team’s reserve at Suzuka last year behind Italian Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock, making a fleeting appearance in Friday practice when the latter was laid low with sickness.

He went on to replace Germany’s Glock, who was hurt in qualifying for that Japanese race, for the last two rounds and secured sixth place in the Abu Dhabi finale before Toyota pulled out of the sport and left him seeking a drive.

“That Saturday (at Suzuka) I couldn’t take Timo’s car but this year in Suzuka is different,” the 24-year-old told Reuters after heavy rain washed out practice and qualifying.

Kobayashi has picked up 21 points this season and started the campaign as the only Japanese driver in Formula One.

He has since been joined by Sakon Yamamoto at struggling Hispania, a team who have yet to come close to finishing near the points.

“It’s my first time back to Japan to race but there’s no pressure. I will just do my race,” said Paris-based Kobayashi. “Taking points constantly is my goal.”

SUZUKA, Japan, Oct 9 (Reuters) – Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi has gone from race-day spectator in Japan to his country’s rising son of Formula One in the space of a year.

Kobayashi was the Toyota team’s reserve at Suzuka last year behind Italian Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock, making a fleeting appearance in Friday practice when the latter was laid low with sickness.

He went on to replace Germany’s Glock, who was hurt in qualifying for that Japanese race, for the last two rounds and secured sixth place in the Abu Dhabi finale before Toyota pulled out of the sport and left him seeking a drive.

“That Saturday (at Suzuka) I couldn’t take Timo’s car but this year in Suzuka is different,” the 24-year-old told Reuters after heavy rain washed out practice and qualifying.

Kobayashi has picked up 21 points this season and started the campaign as the only Japanese driver in Formula One.

He has since been joined by Sakon Yamamoto at struggling Hispania, a team who have yet to come close to finishing near the points.

“It’s my first time back to Japan to race but there’s no pressure. I will just do my race,” said Paris-based Kobayashi. “Taking points constantly is my goal.”

SUZUKA, Japan, Oct 9 (Reuters) – Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi has gone from race-day spectator in Japan to his country’s rising son of Formula One in the space of a year.

Kobayashi was the Toyota team’s reserve at Suzuka last year behind Italian Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock, making a fleeting appearance in Friday practice when the latter was laid low with sickness.

He went on to replace Germany’s Glock, who was hurt in qualifying for that Japanese race, for the last two rounds and secured sixth place in the Abu Dhabi finale before Toyota pulled out of the sport and left him seeking a drive.

“That Saturday (at Suzuka) I couldn’t take Timo’s car but this year in Suzuka is different,” the 24-year-old told Reuters after heavy rain washed out practice and qualifying.

Kobayashi has picked up 21 points this season and started the campaign as the only Japanese driver in Formula One.

He has since been joined by Sakon Yamamoto at struggling Hispania, a team who have yet to come close to finishing near the points.

“It’s my first time back to Japan to race but there’s no pressure. I will just do my race,” said Paris-based Kobayashi. “Taking points constantly is my goal.”

SUZUKA, Japan (Reuters) – Bridgestone motorsport boss Hiroshi Yasukawa enjoyed a trip down memory lane on Friday as Formula One’s official tyre supplier prepared for a home farewell after 14 seasons on the starting grid.

Recalling how he watched the first motorcycle race at the Honda-owned Suzuka circuit as a schoolboy in 1962, and then in later years came to rub shoulders with some of motor racing greatest champions, Yasukawa will clearly miss Formula One.

“In 1976 and 1977 we supplied our tyres twice to Formula One in Fuji and at that time our dream was that one day we would come into Formula One,” he said after Japanese Grand Prix practice.

“Always I had a dream that one day I wanted to join Formula One. Then in 1997 we started and in 1998 we got the world champion with Mercedes Benz McLaren and at that time we had very good competitors.

“Now (we are) just by ourselves and very unfortunately we are going to stop at the end of this season.”

For the last three seasons, since rivals Michelin departed, Bridgestone have started every race knowing that their products will both win and lose — sweeping every podium and bringing up the rear in equal measure.

They have won 171 races and 10 respective driver and constructor championships.

SUZUKA, Japan, Oct 8 (Reuters) – Bridgestone motorsport boss Hiroshi Yasukawa enjoyed a trip down memory lane on Friday as Formula One’s official tyre supplier prepared for a home farewell after 14 seasons on the starting grid.

Recalling how he watched the first motorcycle race at the Honda-owned Suzuka circuit as a schoolboy in 1962, and then in later years came to rub shoulders with some of motor racing greatest champions, Yasukawa will clearly miss Formula One.

“In 1976 and 1977 we supplied our tyres twice to Formula One in Fuji and at that time our dream was that one day we would come into Formula One,” he said after Japanese Grand Prix practice.

“Always I had a dream that one day I wanted to join Formula One. Then in 1997 we started and in 1998 we got the world champion with Mercedes Benz McLaren and at that time we had very good competitors.

“Now (we are) just by ourselves and very unfortunately we are going to stop at the end of this season.”

For the last three seasons, since rivals Michelin departed, Bridgestone have started every race knowing that their products will both win and lose — sweeping every podium and bringing up the rear in equal measure.

They have won 171 races and 10 respective driver and constructor championships.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Thailand’s finance minister said he has not seen foreign investors leaving the country despite recent political unrest, but acknowledged it would be natural for them to reconsider their investment destination or delay their plans.

But Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij stressed that Thailand was committed to making efforts to win back investor confidence.

Korn, who expects firm economic growth in the first quarter, also told Reuters in an interview on Friday that he would be “very surprised” if Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy expands in the April-June quarter from the previous three months.

“I don’t see investors leaving Thailand, but I think at the margin definitely investors may try to either go elsewhere or delay their investment decisions in Thailand. That’s natural and to be expected,” Korn said.

Korn added that optimistic forecasts for foreign direct investment into Thailand would need to be reviewed. Even before the latest violence, the Board of Investment forecast that foreign investment pledges this year could fall 15 percent.

“We need to get our house in order first before we expect our friends to trust us again, he said.

Life in Bangkok inched back to normal on Friday as the authorities cleaned up the capital after riots and arson attacks by anti-government protesters whose movement was put down by troops after a two-month rally.