The annual Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place this weekend, July 3-5. You might not have booked your airfare to England yet, but fortunately you can use your friend the Internet to take a good look at what has become one of the foremost celebrations of automotive culture.
The Brits don't have a tradition of burnouts in the parking lot, so instead they do hillclimbs. And the Goodwood Festival of Speed is essentially a 1.16-mile hillclimb in someone's front yard, only this someone is the Earl of March and his estate at Goodwood becomes a stage for fast cars, famous people, and everything that's good about a life with automobiles.You can get a glimpse of the Goodwood Festival of Speed with what the event principals refer to as The Movie.
Ahead of tonight's announcement of the nominees for the first NASCAR Hall of Fame induction class, NASCAR has revealed that Glen Wood and Richard Childress are among the group. Wood was a pioneer of the modern-day pit stop, and Childress shares the record of 11 owner championships in NASCAR's three national series. Lee Petty, the first driver to win three Sprint Cup championships, and Cale Yarborough, the first to win three consecutive championships, have also been announced as nominees.
The 25 names were determined by a 21-member committee that includes NASCAR officials and owners of the major speedways. The list not only includes drivers, but owners and promoters who helped build the sport as well.
The hall is tentatively scheduled to open May 11, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the first class of five inductees will be honored there when it opens.
Ken Squier will be hosting the special on Speed TV at 8 p.m., and fans will have a chance to cast their vote after the show on NASCAR's official site.
A judge ordered a temporary injunction that will allow Jeremy Mayfield to race this weekend at Daytona. Mayfield was suspended indefinitely after failing a random drug test.
The injunction was ordered after the judge determined there "the likelihood of a false positive was substantial." according to an AP report.
Mayfield owns his own team, but may not have enough funding to run at this weekend's Coca Cola 400 at Daytona.
Last month NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield was suspended for failing a random drug test prior to the race at Darlington. At the time, NASCAR wasn't specific about exactly which drugs were found in Mayfield's system, but the driver was placed on indefinite leave.
Today, an AP report says that NASCAR confirmed that Mayfield tested positive for methamphetamines after a court hearing on his suspension. "We will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jeremy Mayfield did violate the NASCAR substance abuse policy and tested positive for methamphetamines," spokesman Ramsey Poston said.
Mayfield's attorney is arguing that the positive test was the result of a mixture of Adderall for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Claritin-D for allergies. According to the report, that explanation has been repeatedly debunked by NASCAR's program administrator.
Tony George will no longer serve as president and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and his family's biz. This follows last month's report that George had been ousted from his position at an annual meeting, which his family wholeheartedly denied.
CFO Jeffrey Belskus is the new CEO of IMS Corp., and the current vice president and chief legal counsel W. Curtis Brighton is the new president and CEO of Hulman & Co. (the company that purchased the IMS back in 1945). The changes will take effect July 1.
Tony will remain on the Board of Directors for all the companies, and will now focus on his ownership of the Vision Racing IndyCar Series team.
The turbocharged Hyundai Genesis Coupe may be the base model in the lineup, but from day one it's been the model tuners have been dying to get their hands on. MODE racing is one of those tuners and its been building a time attack Genesis coupe for a couple months now. So far, most of the modifications are relatively mild (reprogrammed ECU, exhaust, intake), but on its latest dyno run their coupe managed to crank out 250-horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. Not bad for a base coupe.
This car could sell on looks alone, but it has a notable racing history thrown in for good measure. According to RM Auctions, this Corvette was owned by Georges Filipenetti, a Swiss racing enthusiast who brought the car to LeMans in 1968. It went on to race at LeMans for the next five straight years - a record that remains unbroken by a single chassis. The car was recently added to the roster at RM's Pebble Beach weekend auction in August.
After last year's success of the Lotus Challenge Series, the program will be expanded to ten western U.S. events for 2010 that begin this January. Lotus will again be the title sponsor for the series.
Started by Lotus owner Jim Navarro, the series is basically just a place for Lotus owners to get together and bond over their vehicles. Eight races were held in its first year, with six in Cali and two at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump, Nevada - where the Lotus Driving School resides.
"The Lotus Challenge Series is a very well run organization that's expanding through providing Lotus owners a fun, safe and positive environment in which to enjoy their Lotus vehicles and improve their driving skills," said Lotus director of operations Arnie Johnson.
It's comprised of several classes that include both the Elise and Exige street cars and the track-only racers like the Exige Cup Car 255 and 2-Eleven. The Lotus Challenge Series kicks off January 23 just outside of Rosamond, CA at Willow Springs Raceway.
Mercedes-Benz has officially announced a U.S.-based version of its AMG Driving Academy. Originally developed at AMG's Alfalterbach home base in Germany, the school is designed to teach driving enthusiasts how to get the most out of AMG's ridiculously powerful cars.
The U.S. version will be held at three different venues:Lime Rock Park, Palm Beach International Raceway and Laguna Seca Raceway. There are two levels, an entry-level Stage I program that lasts one day ($1,895) and a more advanced two-day Stage II program for experienced drivers ($3,495). There's also a special Stage I program at Laguna Seca that will include a drive of the upcoming SLS coupe ($2,295).
Just before last year's SEMA show, Ford gave us an early look at the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor, a dedicated desert race truck that will go on sale in August. It was an impressive piece, far more extreme that we ever expected.
Once the production model was finalized, the SVT group decided it needed to do a little more durability testing, so it built a slightly more extreme version of the Raptor and entered it into the Baja 1000. "Born in Baja" is a feature-length film that traces the Raptor R race truck from concept to competitor.
We saw it last night at the official Hollywood premiere and, much like the truck itself, we were surprised how well it turned out. There's a great mix of behind the scenes background along with plenty of actual race footage. And yes, there's plenty of love given to Ford and the F-150, but it's not so over the top that you can't enjoy the rest of the action.
A shortened television version will air on the SPEED channel Sunday, July 12, at 4 p.m. EST with additional dates to be added later.
In what can only be considered a win for the Formula One Teams Association in its contentious stand-off with F1's governing body, the FIA president Max Mosley has agreed to not run for a fifth term this fall.
It was Mosley who pushed budget caps for the 2010 season, which were wildly unpopular with established teams such as Ferrari, Toyota, McLaren and Renault. There will apparently be no spending cap for next season, although the sport's commercial boss, Bernie Ecclestone has said that he expects costs will be brought in line with spending levels from the early-90s in two years. No specific details of the agreement have been released.
Eight teams, including most of the biggest, most competitive, threatened to start a rival series, taking the big-name drivers and big budgets with them.The teams have agreed to stay in Formula One reportedly to 2012 to get the deal done.
Remember that Jesse James hydrogen speed record we told you about last week? Well, it turns out it wasn't quite as legitimate as we were told. Louise Ann Noeth, known as "Landspeed Louise" for her years of coverage of the dry lakes scene, sent out a release today detailing several problems with James' "record".
"The claim is without merit since the activities were conducted without benefit of any motorsports sanctioning authority. The vehicle was neither inspected, nor certified and all the timing personnel were on the James TV payroll," she noted.
"World speed records require two runs over a one-mile course within one hour. James was 5,148 feet short -- being timed one-way for a total of 132 feet; he made only three or four passes over an eight to ten-hour period. Any world record holder will tell you it's quite a technical feat to hold speed for a full mile."
So whether you agree with Landspeed Louise or not, she knows her stuff. At the very least, it's reason enough to question the record, that is, if anybody really cares about Jesse James anymore.
The Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) is so fed up with the FIA that it has decided to form its own championship. In a statement issued today, FOTA said it has always done its best for the sport, but has been largely ignored.
"It has become clear however, that the teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 World Championship.
These teams therefore have no alternative other than to commence the preparation for a new Championship which reflects the values of its participants and partners. This series will have transparent governance, one set of regulations, encourage more entrants and listen to the wishes of the fans, including offering lower prices for spectators worldwide, partners and other important stakeholders.
The major drivers, stars, brands, sponsors, promoters and companies historically associated with the highest level of motorsport will all feature in this new series."
Look, we're sure we all know what it feels like to drive over the edge of a 300-foot cliff. But what does it look like?
Well, thanks to Jari-Matti Latvala's little stunt show earlier this year at the Rally de Portugal, now you know. It looks like a film student's experimental class-project/magnum opus.
Latvala scores bonus points in our book for:
1. Not dying. 2. Making sure to get the Ford blue oval in front of the camera during the crash (gotta be mindful of the who pays the bills!). 3. A fine bit of understatement in the post-crash interview: "I did not expect that it will jump."
Also, if you watch closely, we're pretty sure you'll briefly see the eyes of Satan in the footage.
Mustangs and Challengers in the Nationwide Series next year? That's what Fox Sports is reporting. According to Lee Spencer, when the Car of Tomorrow debuts in NASCAR's second-tier series next year, it will include the Dodge and Ford pony car designs.
"Ten-fold better than a Cup car," a NASCAR official said of the designs, which must be submitted for approval by June 26 according to the NASCAR Rule Book.
Spencer also noted a conspicuous absence of talk about the Camaro, a possible consequence of GM's financial condition. Toyota is also stuck without a coupe, so it will most likely continue with its Camry sedan.
Clearly, the move is designed to bring back fans who grew bored with the cookie cutter designs of today's Sprint Cup cars, but the "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" mantra may not have the draw even with the new designs.
A Chevrolet Corvette won the GT1 class at the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans, as the No. 63 Corvette Racing C6.R scored the team's sixth class victory in the French endurance classic. The question is, will this be the last victory for Corvette at Le Mans?
The No. 63 Corvette Racing C6.R of Antonio Garcia. Jan Magnussen and Johnny O'Connell prevailed when the no. 62 Corvette Racing entry broke down with gearbox issues while leading the class with just two hours to go. The No. 63 car faced its own issues as Jan Magnussen fell ill with food poisoning during the night and was unable to continue. The No. 73 Luc Alphand Adventures Corvette C6.R finished second.
In truth there was never any doubt that a Corvette would win the woefully undersubscribed class, which has fallen far from the days when the Aston Martin DBR9, Ferrari 550 and Saleen S7 all battled Corvette. This has been the last year for the current GT1 rules.
Pratt & Miller Engineering has prepared a Corvette for competition in the GT2 class next year, where it would match up with the Ferrari F430 and Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, but the GM bankruptcy has made the future of the program problematic. Next year will be the 50th anniversary of the Corvette's first appearance at Le Mans, when the Briggs Cunningham entry won its class and finished eighth overall, a breakthrough in respectability for America's sports car. No other Corvette finished so well at Le Mans until the factory-sponsored Corvette Racing entry did the job in 2001.
The win was Corvette Racing's 16th podium finish at Le Mans since 2000. It was the fourth Le Mans class win for O'Connell and Magnussen, and the second consecutive Le Mans GT1 victory for Garcia. O'Connell became the first American driver to win four class titles in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Tired of trying to figure out how the Porsche and the Piech families fit together? Did you always want to know who designed the original 911? Is it Porsche, or Por-sha? Why does the Cayenne exist?
All those answers and more are now available on this lovely DVD titled "The Porsche Way". At over two hours in length, it's a virtual feature film on the history of the German sportscar company.
"This is the first time that a car maker is presented so exhaustively on a DVD", according to Dieter Landenberger, the Director of the Porsche Archives. And if we know the Germans, it will be exhaustively detailed indeed.
Peugeot beat Audi to pole position for the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Saturday, June 13. Both teams had spent much of the qualifying sessions working on race setups, but with ten minutes to go in the second session, Stephane Sarrazin took his no. 8 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP onto the circuit with orders to grab pole position away from Allan McNish in the no. 1 Audi R15 TDI.
Sarrazin threaded his way through slower cars on the 8.5-mile track to record a lap in 3:22.888, just 0.8 seconds quicker than McNish, for an average speed of 149.8 mph. This is the third consecutive pole at Le Mans for the Peugeot, while Audi has won the race overall eight of the last nine years. Both the diesel-powered sports cars are slightly slower around the track this year because of new regulations to make the gasoline-powered cars more competitive. The no. 7 Lola Aston-Martin was the quickest of these with a lap of 3:27.704.
Caspar Elgaard drove a Porsche Spyder RS to the pole in the LMP2 class in 3:37.720. The no. 63 Chevrolet Corvette C.6R of Jan Magnussen took the pole in the LM GT1 category with a best lap of 3.54.230, while the Porsche GT3 RSR of Flying Lizard Racing's Jorg Bergmeister took the pole for the GT2 category with a 4:03.202.
Audi's narrow victory over Peugeot in last year's race has revived interest in the endurance contest after a decade of dominance by Audi (and Bentley, its subsidiary), and enthusiasm has also been aroused by access through the Internet. Audi offers coverage through its own site (http://www.audir15tdi.com/) as well as sites on Facebook (fb.audir15tdi.com), Twitter (tw.audir15tdi.com), and YouTube (yt.audir15tdi).
Sources in Japan have unearthed a few new details on the production version of the upcoming Lexus LF-A supercar. Yeah, you know the car that seems to only exist on autoshow stands and the Nurburgring?
Well, it's back on again and should make yet another auto show appearance in its finalized form at this year's Tokyo auto show in October. The attached rendering is based on both the recent Nurburgring prototype and additional details from an inside source at Holiday Auto, a prominent Japanese car magazine.
Our own insider also adds that of the 500 units destined for production, 350 of them will be left-hand drive. All LF-As will get 6-piston calipers with carbon ceramic brake rotors, titanium mufflers, run flat Bridgestone tires and a six-speed automatic sequential gearbox.
Since when have Tom Wolfe (Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test) and NASCAR had anything in common? Oh, since about 1964, when Wolfe left the safety of the NY intellectual community to go interview Junior Johnson in rural North Carolina. One of the early giants of NASCAR, Johnson got his start at the North Wilkesboro Speedway (back when it was a powerslide-friendly dirt track) after honing his car control and guts running moonshine for his daddy's whiskey still. Notably, he won the 1960 Daytona 500.
Wolfe sold the story, "The Last American Hero is Junior Johnson. Yes!" to Esquire for $800. It was published in the March 1965 issue and it went a long way toward legitimizing NASCAR as a mainstream sport in the U.S. The story even inspired a movie about Johnson's life -- The Last American Hero (1973). Video clips after the jump.
Now Esquire has named the story to its all-time "7 Greatest Stories" list and you can read the story in its entirety. If you can get through all the ruminations on coonhounds and moonshine, there's some interesting reflection here on Detroit's involvement in stock-car racing. Plus, Wolfe has a way of describing stock cars with 427cid V8s that's as vivid and loving as anything you'll read in a carmag.
Excerpt: After the war there was a great deal of stout-burgher talk about people who lived in hovels and bought big-yacht cars to park out front. This was one of the symbols of a new, spendthrift age. But there was a great deal of unconscious resentment buried in the talk. It was resentment against (a) the fact that the good old boy had his money at all and (b) the fact that the car symbolized freedom, a slightly wild, careening emancipation from the old social order. Stock-car racing got started about this time, right after the war, and it was immediately regarded as some kind of manifestation of the animal irresponsibility of the lower orders. It had a truly terrible reputation. It was -- well, it looked rowdy or something.
Three weeks ago, Inside Line attended the introduction of the Nissan Nismo 370Z at Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond, CA. The event was to be a half-day of track driving in the new Z. We started the day with some sunrise powerslides in the car - the only example in the country -- for our photographers.
By mid-day, after four journalists had rotated through the car, its differential expired in an anticlimactic failure which quickly landed it on jack stands for a rear-end swap with a Sport Package Z, which uses the same viscous limited-slip differential.
Normally, this wouldn't be such a big deal - parts break, cars fail -- but this time it feels like news.
Some 60 years after Aston Martin won the 1959 24 hours of Le Mans, the company is once again headed to the famous French endurance race, although this time Carroll Shelby won't be with them.
After winning the GT1 sports car class at Le Mans the past two years, Aston Martin has entered the LMP1 class this year, competing against the two favorites for overall victory, the Audi R15 TDI and the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP. While the German and French cars are powered by specially constructed, 650-hp diesel engines, Aston Martin's rebodied Lola coupe features a 650-hp version of the Aston Martin DB9's 5.9-liter V12. The car is being fielded by Prodrive, the racing company established by David Richards, who is one of the principals in the Kuwaiti-backed company that now owns Aston Martin.
Richards notes that the two-car team's chances in the 24-hour classic are slim, but he is also encouraged by the new rules, which he reckons narrows the performance gap between diesel- and gas-powered cars to about seven percent this year, half the performance disparity that existed in 2008.
Aston Martin famously won the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans with its DBR1 sports car driven by Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori. Shelby recently recalled his adventures that year:
At first glance, you might mistake this high-def video for reality, but it is in fact just another trailer showing off the sweet graphics in the next DiRT rally game. The game expands to 100 events in 9 countries, with 50 real drivers (like Travis Pastrana, Ken Block and Tanner Faust) piloting the rally machines. All the while, you're accompanied by a soundtrack with over 40 well-known bands.
The DiRT series is part of the deceased Colin McRae's video game series that started all the way back in 2000 with Colin McRae Rally.
We previewed Ken Block's latest gymkhana video last week, and now he's finally posted the finished cut. So what do you think? How does it measure up to his last effort?
Take a night lap (or several) around the Nordschleife with the Tischner E46 BMW M3 in the 2009 Nurburgring 24 Hour Race.
Or, after the jump, go for some daytime laps with Subaru's factory drivers in a current-gen STI. You even get to watch them shifting in these clips. Or just experience what it's like to be standing at Dottinger Hohe at night with your hand-held camera pointed at the straightaway as really fast cars go by.
A source has told Inside Line news that the latest version of the Lexus LF-A production car is now capable of hitting 220mph. Toyota engineers has previously expressed disappointment with the top speed of the earlier LF-A prototypes.
Changes to the car's aerodynamics and a few engine upgrades were largely responsible for the increased speeds. The same source also said that the final production car is expected to arrive at the Tokyo auto show in October with a price tag between $220,000 and $250,000.
So Abt's Audi R8 LMS didn't win the GT3 class at the 2009 ADAC Nurburgring 24 Hour Race. So what? It's still an R8, which means it looks cool not winning an endurance race or sitting in our driveway. And as the race version of the R8 5.2 FSI V10 we might never see in the U.S., the R8 LMS is certainly the coolest R8 to date.
More videos of the R8 LMS after the jump, including Audi's moody promotional video released last year but re-posted here for your re-viewing satisfaction.
If you didn't find a way to watch German TV over the holiday weekend, there's now plenty of footage of the 2009 ADAC Nurburgring 24 Hour Race for online consumption. Here's an extra long video of the Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 RSR that won the Nurburgring 24. The 911 started on pole, and was driven by Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, Marc Lieb and Marcel Tiemann.
One of the four Abt Sportsline-built Audi R8 LMS cars took second at the Nurburgring 24. It was driven by Christian Abt, Jean-Francois Hemroulle, Pierre Kaffer and Lucas Luhr. More details on the finishers can be found here.
Interestingly, Berhard and Dumas, both former Porsche Spyder RS shoes, announced today that they will team up with Alexandre Premat to drive Audi R15 TDI number 3 at Le Mans.
Two more videos after the jump. One shows the Manthey Porsche on the Nordschleife at night, since this is after all a 24-hour race. The other shows the start of the race.
Ken Block is a rally car driver, skateboarder, snowboarder and - let's not forget -- shrewd business man. The current Subaru Rally Team USA driver and co-founder of DC shoes, last year turned a day of sliding his gymkhana car around a California airbase into one of the most popular automotive internet videos of all time .
How do you top that? You go bigger of course. Higher production values. Better location. And, naturally, a new, faster and more powerful car. And if you're Ken Block you make the whole thing an informercial to promote DC's latest clothing collection - like we said, he's shrewd.
If you're in to the whole Formula One thing, you might be interested to know that the Williams team has been suspended by the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA).
Seems as though FOTA was none too happy that Williams formally submitted its entry for next year's season, you know, the one with all the crazy rule changes. Williams says it understands FOTA's concerns, but the team is contractually obligated to participate in Formula One until 2012. In other words, sorry FOTA but we have money to make.
We not big on the Fiesta Movement, but Pikes Peak is another story. This summer, the Olsberg Motor Sport Evolution team from Sweden will campaign two Ford Fiestas in the annual "Race to the Clouds." The two Fiestas will be driven by Andreas Eriksson and rally legend Marcus Gronholm.
Although based on the road-going Fiesta, the cars will run in the Unlimited class which allows extensive modifications. Both will use all-wheel drive and have engines capable of producing more than 800 horsepower. The suspension setups were designed with help from Ohlins and Ford of Europe's Team RS engineers who are responsible for Ford's WRC cars.
"We are excited to be bringing the car to Pike's Peak and to be able to see what it can do in such a unique competition," said Eriksson. "It's a legendary event, and we've already been there to take a look at the challenge we will face. I'm convinced we'll be a top contender to break the 10-minute mark and give the Fiesta a proper racing debut in the U.S."
Congratulations to Team Eyesore for taking home the win at the 24 Hours of Lemons over the weekend. The pretty-in-pink Miata held together well after some mid-race repairs and went on to scorch of the field of equally hideous crapboxes.
A late yellow made fuel mileage a moot point, so when the green flag waved again Helio Castroneves left the field in the dust to the win the 2009 Indianapolis 500. The victory capped a storybook month in which Castroneves was cleared of federal tax evasion charges that could have landed him in prison.
Danica Patrick took home the best Indianapolis 500 finish of her career with a strong third place showing just behind Dan Wheldon.
This is the Toyota Camry Hybrid pace car that will lead the field around Charlotte Motor Speedway for this weekend's Coca-Cola 600. It will mark the first time that a hybrid vehicle has paced an entire race according to Toyota.
If you're particularly taken with the car's lovely paint scheme, keep in mind that Toyota is giving the car away in a contest sponsored by Coca-Cola. The company is placing a single golden can in a specially-marked 12-pack of Coke. Find it and the car is yours.
Practice begins on Thursday, May 21, for the most important motorsports event of the year. No, not the Indianapolis 500. Not the Grand Prix of Monaco. And not the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Of course I'm talking instead about the ADAC Nurburgring 24 Hour Race. This will be the 37th running of this endurance race on the 14.2-mile Nurburgring Nordschleife, and 220 cars take the green flag. If your German language skills are up to speed, you can even follow along on the event's Web site, which features plenty of video clips: http://adac.24h-rennen.de.
The Nurburgring 24 has become the leading motorsports test of production cars, and all the car companies build specially tuned hot rods, and that includes Aston Martin and Lexus as well as the usual suspects from Germany.
This year Audi is making a big effort with its recently developed Audi R8 LMS, a GT3-class version of its midengine sports car. The car has been built and developed by Abt Sportsline and four examples are entered. It's the 100th anniversary of the Audi nameplate, so the guys from Ingolstadt are pretty serious about winning this thing.
There will be a motorcade around the circuit on Wednesday, May 20, and practice begins on Thursday, May 21. The race begins on Saturday, May 23, at 4 p.m. local time. If you can get access to Germany's DSF broadcast network, you'll find the 14 hours of coverage worth watching. These guys will be catching some serious air. -Michael Jordan, Executive Editor
On Monday, the full field of drivers competing in the 2009 Indianapolis 500 appeared in Herald Square in New York City in front of Macy's. Though times are tough for motorsports, Indy car racing appears to be back on the promotional offensive.
The appearance promoted a special exhibit at Macy's by Izod apparel, which has become the title sponsor of the Indy Racing League. The display is titled, "In Pursuit of FAST: 100 Years of Indy Racing, Fashion and Design." It tells the story of a century of American racing through the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500. Vintage cars and memorabilia from the IMS museum are part of the display, as well as artwork, graphic designs and artwork. It also includes the 1963 Lotus 29-Ford that Jimmy Clark drove to second place at the 1963 Indy 500 and a supercharged, front-wheel-drive Miller from the 1928 race. The exhibit will run from May 14 - June 3, 2009.
The drivers formed up in the street in front of Macy's and were accompanied by both the Indy 500's famous Borg-Warner trophy and the Marmon Wasp that Ray Harroun drove to win the first Indy 500 in 1911 -- one of the few times that the Marmon has been outside the IMS museum.
The broadcast of the 2009 Indianapolis 500 begins at 12 p.m. on Sunday, May 24. -Michael Jordan, Executive Editor
Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.
What do you get when you cross 34 years of higher education, 10 college degrees and six serious car geeks with a $500 racecar? A pink Miata with Cadillac fins and a nasty turbocharged attitude, of course.
This is Eyesore Racing's entry into this weekend's 24 Hours of LeMons event in Reno, Nevada. You might remember these guys and gals. Their pimp-themed Honda CRX handily won the People's Choice award at last year's LeMons event at Altamont Motorsports Park.
This marks the second appearance for their new car, previously known as the FrankenMiata. Its first run, an impressive 4th overall at the Arse-Freeze-Apalooza last December at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, California, surprised everyone but Team Eyesore.
Since then, the Miata (we use the term loosely) has seen a full, ahem, refresh. That is, the degree-laden fools who build and drive this flaming pink pile slathered it in the sissy hue and gussied it up with some Cadillac fins and taillights. Why? Because they can. And because they like to win. And a Pink Cadillac and Elvis theme seems almost as brilliant as pimps and hos throttling a beat CRX.
In the same Maranello, Italy, auction that included the last production Ferrari F430, a much, much, much more valuable car, a 1957 Ferrari 250 TR, went for 9,020,000 Euros. Recession... what recession? This is apparently a new world record for most expensive car sold at auction.
Of course, there's more to this 250 Testa Rossa than the obvious fact that it's a really old car and an incredibly beautiful one at that (thanks, Scaglietti). Like most of the 22 Ferrari 250 TRs built in 1957 and 1958, this one, chassis number 0714TR, had an active racing career in its prime. Notably, it finished in the 1958 1000km Buenos Aires endurance race, though it didn't win -- that honor went to 250 0704TR.
After yesterday's pace car clunker fest, we're proud to present some of the 500's more prestigious pace cars. These cars actually did their production namesakes some good, or at least looked great trying.
This year it's the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS, a solid, almost inevitable choice. Such decisions haven't always been so clear cut. During much of the 70s and 80s, the choices were slim. But they had to slap stickers on something, so you had some dodgy representatives like the Oldsmobile Calias and Cadillac Eldorado.
So what do you think? Which car deserves the title "Worst Indy Pace Car Ever"?
Ferrari made it official today. If the new two-tier Formula 1 rules system stays, Ferrari goes.
According to a statement released today, "The Board considers that if this is the regulatory framework for Formula 1 in the future, then the reasons underlying Ferrari's uninterrupted participation in the World Championship over the last 60 years - the only constructor to have taken part ever since its inception in 1950 - would come to a close."
Sounds like the FIA might want to reconsider those new rules.
It's May. That means its Indy 500 month. And that means Danica Patrick is on a media blitz. In the above video the high speed hottie is shooting a cover for Shape magazine. It's good. But the Sports Illustrated swimsuit videos (which we've provided for comparison after the jump) are better.
That's the word from the NASCAR pits in Darlington this weekend as Jeremy Mayfield failed a random drug test that was part of tougher policies instituted by NASCAR this year.
NASCAR have not said which banned substance they found in Mayfield's sample, but he's been suspensed indefinitley for now. In an official statement, Mayfield said he thinks that a mixture of perscription drugs and over-the-counter drugs was to blame.
F1 star Kimi Raikkonen walked out of a Ferrari dealer on Thursday to find a parking ticket on his Ferrari 612, and the video cameras were there to capture the drama. Only there was none. The Ferrari factory driver climbed into his high dollar ride without a word and drove off.
And so the question is, which would you rather: Kimi's 612 or that awesome old school California?
According to CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell Nascar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the most marketable sports figure in the world today despite his lack of winning. That's right, the sports number one son has won just twice in his last 110 races, but he keeps signing lucrative endorsement deals.
And the reason is simple. If you sponsor Dale Jr. you sell more product.
Just ask Pepsi. Since the soda giant put its AMP energy drink on Dale's car last year, sales are going at 200 mph.
Rovell says, "Last year, sales of AMP Energy drink grew 127.5 percent in top NASCAR markets. And growth almost hit 100 percent in the grocery channel alone.
This year, with AMP still on Earnhardt's car, the brand saw a 2.6 percent share jump in the first quarter, with volume up over 30 percent.
AMP Energy has jumped from sixth to fourth in the category - only behind Monster, Red Bull and Rockstar.
So despite Earnhardt's lackluster win percentage, Pepsi announced the next step this week. Starting this summer, Amp Energy will have an Earnhardt-themed drink called Tradin' Paint."
Personally we prefer Rowdy Busch. Like Dale's daddy, he actually wins.
Practice for the Indy 500 began this week and traditional Pole Day qualifying takes place on Saturday, May 9. This is the second year after the Champ Car series was absorbed into the Indy Racing League, so the sharp end of the field is surprisingly strong considering the economic climate.
After persistent rain this week, Marco Andretti has been quick in the Andretti Green Racing version of the IRL standard-issue Dallara-Honda, perhaps because he is as wild and aggressive as both his father and grandfather were at the same age. "It's definitely a good start," said Andretti, who has finished second and third in three 500 Mile Race starts. "It definitely shows that we have the speed. On our own we're still not quite sure. We got a lot of tows today, which is a good thing, but a lot of times we don't know where we truly stack up."
Meanwhile Helio Castroneves has been fast in his Penske Racing entry, and has something to prove in the wake of his acquittal on federal tax evasion charges. Tony Kanaan, Castroneves' former roommate when they were newly arrived in America as young drivers from Brazil, also has a little something to prove, as he is letting his hair grow out until he wins another IRL race, a consequence of a bet he made with 2008 Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti before the Long Beach IRL event.
So far, the competition looks promising for the 93th running of the Indianapolis 500, which takes place on Sunday, May 24th. As of Thursday, six different teams have been represented in the top ten, notably Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, Panther Racing and Target Chip Ganassi Racing. So far some 32 combinations of car and driver have seen on the track and speeds of 225 mph have been recorded. It seems like another typical Indy, with A.J.Foyt, Jr. running his car for A.J. Foyt IV and promotions like the "Body by Milk" marketing campaign featuring Danica Patrick.
Its inventory often reflects every gearhead's dream garage, so when Fantasy Junction posted an ad for this immaculately restored AMC Javelin Trans-Am car we couldn't resist giving it a little airtime.
Piloted by Peter Revson in '68 and 69', this Javelin includes a long list of documentation and even an original team jacket. Asking price: $345,000.
Yeah, well it's all kosher now as Millen and Co. have managed to squeeze a proper Hyundai V6 under the hood. It makes 480-horsepower and 570 pound-feet at the wheels according to Millen which should be more than enough power to get those rear wheels spinning at Road Atlanta for the second round of the Formula Drift series.
If you haven't already heard, there's a little road rally going on called the Gumball 3000. It pits attention-starved D-list celebrities against wanna-be D-list celebrities in a "race" across the country.
Strangely, despite endless weeks of promotion, a largely predetermined route, and exotic cars wrapped to look like LeMans prototypes, some of the competitors were actually caught speeding through the Southwestern desert according to Autoblog.
Thankfully, not all Gumballers are so blissfully unaware of their fame. These guys fully intend to "obey the laws" so as not to attract any undue attention. What could go wrong?
The all-new $86,255 BMW X5 M may have 555-horsepower, but it's not the most powerful X5 BMW has ever built.
When the X5 first came out, BMW wanted to prove that it was more than your average SUV underneath the skin. So it wedged a 6.0-liter V12 from one of its LeMans prototypes into an X5. It produced 750-horsepower and made the X5 sound like no other SUV you've ever heard.
Say what you will about NASCAR, but all those last minute yellows for "debris on the track" do make for close finishes. This weekend's race at the infamous Talledega tri-oval was another close one that came down to a last lap duel between leader Carl Edwards and draftee Brad Keselowski. It was NASCAR at its best and most dramatic.
You might remember the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor R from earlier this week. It completed its second race of the season in the Best in the Desert series, but it's first dose of competition was the Baja 1000.
What does it take to tackle one of the world's toughest off-road races? Ford made a little movie to show how it's done. Here's the trailer.
This is an occasional series on vehicles that don't get the credit they deserve. Whether it's poor advertising, no advertising or the simple fact that it's hard to appreciate them until you're behind the wheel, these vehicles often fly under the radar of many enthusiasts.
Not very had to figure out why this vehicle doesn't get much attention. The ML is the Mercedes-Benz you buy for your wife. It was born of the SUV boom of the late '90s and is your basic family truckster dressed in Mercedes leather and chrome.
When it receives the AMG treatment, however, it becomes something else entirely. It gets a more muscular stance, bitchin' wheels, a tasteful body kit and of course, the big honking 6.2-liter V8 up front.
Such upgrades aren't always a recipe for success, but in the ML63 they work. Whatever domestication it had before is wiped away by the burbling exhaust, instant torque and tight suspension. It rips corners and pops off full-throttle upshifts that snap your head back.
It'll hit 60 mph in less than 5 seconds and pull low 13s in the quarter-mile. In other words, it can hang with all those fancy new American muscle cars hitting the streets these days.
All that and this ML is still big enough and comfortable enough to drive the kids to school everyday. If we could afford to drop $90K on an SUV, the ML63 AMG would be high on our list.
Okay guys, this is the debate you've all been waiting for: the age-old battle of which race engine type is the best, the engineered-in-a-barn (not really) NASCAR OHV V8, or the engineered-in-a-test tube (not really) Formula One DOHC V8. If nothing else, this is certainly good a good excuse for downing more than just a few cold brewskis. Ah yes, bench-racing at its best...
And if you need some data to back up your respective position, then Jack Kane, who published just such an article for Race Engine Technology Magazine, is here to help. Better put on your engineering beanie though, as this stuff gets pretty technical.
There aren't many real speed shops left anymore. Thanks to the internet, ordering parts has become a simple click and ship proposition for most people. Every once in awhile, though, you actually want to hold something in your hand before deciding to lay out the cash for it.
Now there's a new website that will help you find the nearest parts store that has what you're looking for. It's called www.findfastpartsfast.com and it's sponsored by the Performance Warehouse Association (PWA).
Obviously the results are only going to give you shops that deal with the PWA, but we tried it a few times and it seemed to deliver usable results. Check it out the next time you need some speed parts, trust us, these shops need the help.
On Wednesday IL incorrectly reported that Rhys Millen's Red Bull sponsored Hyundai Genesis Coupe drift car is powered by a stroked 4.0-liter version of Hyundai's 3.8-liter Lambda V6. A Nissan VQ-based 4.0-liter V6 actually powers the car.
Millen told Inside Line last week that a "4.0-liter V6" powers the car and he was being truthful. However, subsequent discussions centering around specific choices to use the Hyundai V6 rather the the Hyundai 2.0-liter turbo engine were curiously misleading and led to the error. We regret the mistake.
Millen points out that he was under contract to complete the car by the first Formula D event (April 11) and using the Hyundai engine with so little development time was not an option. The program was only approved in mid January and the car was built entirely in nine weeks.
"The Hyundai engine should be ready by the second or third event of the season," Millen says.
Drifting is a unique sport which allows competition cars to use virtually any powertrain so the car was not in violation of the Formula D rules at last weekend's opening event on the streets of Long Beach, California.
If you've ever been to the Pebble Beach Concours in August, you already know that it can be a stuffy affair. Lots of perfect cars, perfect teeth and perfectly plump bank accounts. It's also perfectly boring for the most part.
In an attempt to bring a little less sophistication to the party, the folks behind the now infamous 24 Hours of LeMons have come up with their own late summer get together on the Monterey Peninsula.
It's appropriately called the Concours d'LeMons and founder Jay Lamm calls it a celebration of, "the oddball, mundane, and truly awful of the automotive world, Concours d'LeMons '09 honors aesthetic and technological underachievement through traditional categories such as Lowest-Quality American Car, Leakiest Brit Pile, and Crappiest Car from a Communist Country."
The 2009 Formula Drift season opened in Long Beach over the weekend. Ryan Tuerck, 23, took first place in his Gardella Racing Solstice coupe. He was joined on the podium by second-place finisher Samuel Hubinette (Dodge Viper) and third-place Tanner Foust (Scion tC).
With the New York Auto Show behind us, the weekend about to begin and our appetite for tire smoke and Segway bashing at its height, we offer this video of Subaru USA rally driver Ken Block doing some epic goofing off in a race-prepped WRX. What follows is a series of outtakes and bloopers that were cut from the eventual video short that lit-up the internet last fall.
Remember when your driving school instructor told you to steer into a skid? No? Well, that's the protocol when a car begins to slide sideways or, as in this video dug up by Autoblog, when you get pushed by a fellow British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) driver. Watch and learn.
Why muck up your GranTurismo daily driver when you can have a dedicated track car like the GranTurismo MC? Designed to compete in the GT4 European Cup class, the GranTurismo MC uses the same 4.7-liter V8 as the production GranTurismo S. Revised engine mapping bumps output to 450-horsepower while the chassis has been stiffened and race-grade brakes installed. A full roll cage and racing slicks are also part of the package.
And the cost? A mere 135,000 Euros. Just call Maserati Corse and they'll arrange pickup of the money. We're sure you'll get a car eventually.
#NYIAS This is it, the most powerful SUV BMW has ever built. Actually, the 2010 BMW X6 M is officially called a Sport Activity Coupe, but we know better than to fall for that nomenclature.
We also know that it has a ton of motor thanks to a more powerful version of the twin turbo 4.4-liter V8 offered in the standard X6. Does 555-horsepower interest you? Check out our full story for the rest of the specs on this rival to the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S.
Maybe you heard that Steve Saleen has a new company called SMS Supercars. He started it after he was more or less booted out of his old company. Soon after his departure, the new owners issued a statement saying they were not responsible for honoring the warranty on Saleen vehicles.
Given the complex ownership structure of the "new" Saleen, vehicle owners were pretty much out of luck if they were hoping to start a fight over their sudden lack of coverage. Thankfully, and quite shockingly, Steve Saleen has stepped into the fray to resolve the situation.
From here on out, SMS Supercars will honor the warranty on any Saleen vehicle purchased before February 2, 2009. "This unusual step in uncertain times is a measure to assure that my past and future customers, as well as Saleen and Ford dealers around the United States, continue to have faith in products bearing my name", said Mr. Saleen.
Everything you need to know about sports car racing you can find on iTunes.
Truth in 24, the feature-length documentary about Audi's effort at 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans, is now available for free download from iTunes. It can be played on Mac, PC, iPhone, iPod or a widescreen television equipped with Apple TV. An HD version will be available next week.
Sponsored by Audi and produced by NFL films, Truth in 24 is the best portrayal of racing on film since Steve McQueen's Le Mans (1971). It gives the annual sports car race a human face, yet respects the speed and technology that make the spectacle so compelling. It's a movie about cars, not just racing.
Audi has triumphed at the classic French endurance race every year but once since 2000. Until last year it did so largely without competition, and it's been easy to wonder whether the company has simply turned the event into an elaborate marketing exercise. With Truth in 24, we can see that Audi has instead managed to revive the culture of sports car racing, giving it a relevance that Formula 1 and NASCAR so conspicuously lack.
A race is kind of like a physics test, a high-speed evaluation of automotive machinery. But the best thing about sports car racing is, there isn't just one right answer.
The 12 Hours of Sebring provide a worthwhile reminder, as a surprising number of different exam booklets were submitted for the 57th running of the annual, twelve-hour endurance race in Florida. This road-racing event is part of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), one of the few racing championships that is about cars, not just money. In comparison, Formula 1 and NASCAR look like one-make spec-car series, where the only way to tell the cars apart is by color and sponsorship decals.
The Audi R15 TDI earned the gold medal in this particular physics test by narrowly winning the race by just 22.279 seconds over the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP with which it had rubbed fenders for virtually the entire 12 hours. But the Acura ARX-02a, BMW M3 GT2, and Lola B09/86-Mazda MZR-R also came up with some interesting answers.
Produced by NFL Films, "Truth in 24" is a full-length documentary that focuses on Audi's efforts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It's been shown at various venues throughout the country, but tomorrow marks the first time it will be shown on national television, ESPN no less (8pm EDT).
With deliveries of the 2010 Ford Mustang scheduled to begin any day now, Roush Performance decided it would be a good time to unveil its latest tuning kits for the revamped pony car.
As usual, there are various stages of tune available. The Stage 1 kit is nothing more than an appearance package, while the Stage 2 kit adds a retuned suspension to the bodywork of the Stage 1 kit.
The car you see here is the top-dog 427R. It's force fed by a "Roushcharger" that bumps horsepower to 435 and torque to 400 pound-feet. All models ride on 18-inch wheels and Cooper Zeon tires with 20-inch wheels available as an option.
It looks like the Brabham Racing BT92. The name might sound familiar, but Jack Brabham had nothing to do with it. This modified version of the E92 M3 was built by Michael Trick and an overqualified team of engineers. It's a nearly race-spec car with 494-horsepower on tap and a curb weight of 3,142 pounds.
Contributor Matt Davis took it for a spin to find out if it's worth the price. It's not, of course, but it's still fun to see what can be done with a big budget and one of the best sportscars in the world as a starting point.
Toyota announced today that will continue to participate in Formula 1 and NASCAR despite expected losses for the first time in decades this year.
According to the official release, "(Toyota) regards motor sports as an ideal medium for conveying the anticipation and excitement associated with automobiles."
Why bother discussing GT-R vs. ZR1 lap times with your buddies when you can brag about your own personal best lap time?
Because it's expensive you say?
Well, yes it is, but for those who can afford a trip to the AMG Driving Academy, it will be well worth the expense.
At least that's what our Director of Vehicle Testing Dan Edmunds says. He spent the better part of three days mastering Schwedenkreuz, Aremberg, Adenauer-Forst in an SL63 AMG. In the end, he was able to pull off a lap of 8:48.9, fast enough to secure bragging rights at track-side bench racing sessions for some time to come.
You sort of expect an auction house named Bonham and Butterfields to be "delighted to offer for auction nothing less than one of the most charismatic Grand Prix racing cars ever built."
All delightfulness aside, this is a well-preserved racecar with a rich history. Powered by a rear-mounted 3.0-liter supercharged V12 and driven by the likes of Hans Stuck, "chassis 19" as it's known competed in the last pre-war season of grand prix racing, finishing sixth at the final race at Reims.
Bonhams says it expects bids in the $8M range when it goes to auction at the Quail Lodge on Aug. 14th.
What's not to love about a 600-horsepower 1973 Ford Falcon GT coupe? That's the question actor Eric Bana will attempt to answer in his new documentary film Love the Beast.
The Ford Falcon GT coupe in question is Bana's own, a car he's owned and lived with for 25 years. After a much-needed restoration, he decides to enter it into the Targa Tasmania Rally, one of Australia's most dangerous races.
And the end? It's not pretty, but probably still worth watching.
The Audi AG mothership delivered its first ready-to-race, 500-hp R8 LMS racer to Audi Sport Italia Tuesday.
The new customer sport program -- not too dissimilar to what Porsche has had for years -- has lined up five other teams to run the R8 LMS in various European championships in the GT3 class. In addition to Audi Sport Italia the roster includes heavy hitters such as ORECA, Abt Sportsline and Team Rosberg. Audi says no official "factory" effort will be mounted.
The R8 LMS will first see action in the ADAC GT Masters race in Germany on April 13th. That will be the first of more than 40 races the R8s will contest during the 2009 season. And Audi has developed a special endurance version of the R8 LMS for 24 hour racing at the Nurburgring.
The V-10-powered R8 LMS was designed and is being built by Audi subsidiary quattro GmbH in a factory in Heilbronn-Biberach, Germany. The V-10 engines come from the Audi factory in Gyor, Hungary.
Follow the jump for a full photo gallery of the R8 LMS.
It's been rumored for weeks and now it's official. Honda has announced the sale of its Honda Racing Formula 1 (HRF1) team to Ross Brawn, the former team principal.
Hopefully this means Honda will be able to redirect some resources into more important projects, like a revived NSX program and better looking Acuras.
Looks like Earnhardt Sr. finally got the Ferrari he always wanted.
Actually, the Ferrari 599XX is a real racecar, but instead of pro like Dale at the wheel, Ferrari will offer it to owners as a factory-built track car.
It features a 700-horsepower version of the standard 599 engine along with a revised suspension, slick tires and new bodywork that adds up to 617 pounds of downforce at 124mph. No pricing was mentioned, naturally. -- Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor, Inside Line
Ferrari will use the 2009 Geneva Auto Show to unveil two new variations of its 599 GTB. The first is called the 599 Handling GT Evoluzione (HGTE), an upgrade package that's expected to add larger wheels and tires, retuned suspension components and a revised exhaust.
Also on display for the first time will be the 599XX, a developmental version of the 599 that blends the company's latest technology with customer input. The program is similar to the FXX program that used modified Ferrari Enzos.
No surprise here, the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro will serve as the pace car for the 2009 Indianapolis 500 in May. The announcement was made by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at a press conference that included past winners Johnny Rutherford, Al Unser Jr. and Eddie Cheever Jr.
Like so many pace cars before it, this 2010 Camaro sports a hideous paint job that only a collector could love. In fact, other than the paint scheme and roof-mounted light bar, there are no changes to this Camaro SS.
As Josh noted in his story, the Genesis more than holds its own against the higher-rated Infiniti. It's not until after 6,000rpm where the Infiniti starts to show any considerable advantage. And if you're keeping score, this G37 performed better than the last one we tested, so don't think for a second that the Hyundai was up against a weaker-than-normal Infiniti.
About two weeks ago, Hennessey Performance released information and test results for its modified 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Dubbed the ZR700, the 705-horsepower beast ripped off a 10.9-second quarter mile on stock tires. Not bad.
Now Hennessey has released more video of its ZR700 in action. This time it was in the hands of former GM driver John Heinricy as he lapped the MSR road course in Houston. He hits a cool 145mph on the back straight. Not bad.
Ah, to be a rich car junkie with no kids. Such is the life of one Mr. Jay Leno. You may have heard of him?
Now that his Tonight Show gig is winding down, he has even more time to play with cars. In this case, it's the frighteningly ugly Deronda sports car, a V8-powered assemblage of carbon fiber and aluminum that puts the kitsch in kit car.
Well, SVT spokesman Patrick Hespen didn't appreciate the connection. "SVT was never on hiatus, or shutdown. SVT developed the 2005-06 Ford GT and the 07-09 Shelby GT500. Both of these vehicles were fully engineered by SVT. Granted, they were not specifically badged as SVT vehicles, but they were responsible for their development," Hespen told Inside Line.
He went on to say that "SVT's health is not in question," and the vehicles that it produces are all profitable vehicles.
You may know the Pagani Zonda as that peculiar-looking supercar with the odd tailpipes. Well, now there's an "R" version that's even less useful and of course way more expensive.
A small group of journalists recently had an opportunity to stand around a cold paddock at Monza and look at the Zonda R. Then it headed out for some hot laps without them.
Thankfully, someone from Bestmotoring (or was it Evo?) took some video and posted it for all to see and hear. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the Pagani Zonda R after the jump.
Larry Miller, a prominent Utah car dealer and collector, died yesterday at the age of 64. Although he was well known as the longtime owner of the Utah Jazz, car enthusiasts know him as the man behind Miller Motorsports Park west of Salt Lake City.
There, the multimillionaire spared no expense building the race track of his dreams that also happens to include an on-site museum for his extensive collection of vintage Fords. There's even an impressive "Hall of Champions" event facility overlooking the track that pays homage to the greatest racing legends of all time. As car enthusiasts go, Larry was about as serious as it gets.
This is the new Chevrolet Corvette GT1 Championship Edition. It sort of looks like the Corvette C6.R racecar thanks to some fancy stripes and lettering. It has specially embroidered seats and an "owner installed" windshield banner too. Need we say more?
Hot on the heels of Hyundai's Super Bowl drift commercial comes the official Rhys Millen drift racecar based on the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe. Millen will campaign the specially prepared, 550-hp Genesis coupe in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Formula Drift Professional Drifting Championship and select Redline Time Attack series events.
We like watching motorcycle stunts as much as the next guy. Riders like Robbie Maddison and Travis Pastrana make Evel Knievel's stuff look quaint.
Of course, there's the downside that rarely makes it to ESPN. You know the part where they land funny and don't get right up and wave to the crowd. Jeremy Lusk, a 24-year old freestyle rider died last night in a Costa Rica hospital after sustaining head injuries in a competition crash.
Lusk was a member of the Metal Mulisha, a group of riders that helped to put freestyle motocross on the mainstream map.
The new Sports Illustated Swimsuit issue is out, and so is the majority of racing babe Danica Patrick. What else to you need to know? More pics and video here.
With the 51st running of the Daytona 500 less than a week away, the gray and yellow 2010 Chevrolet Camaro pace car was on full display at the Florida track. It is, of course, an SS model with the 426 hp 6.2-liter V8.
With sponsorship money getting tight and manufacturer support looking more questionable by the week, NASCAR needs to do something drastic to maintain its popularity.
Here's one idea: Have the domestics switch to Camaros, Challengers and Mustangs instead of their current crop of "sedans".
Everyone knows that stock cars have drifted away from their production roots, so why not make them a little bit more like real cars?
Nissan put a dual-clutch transmission in the R35 GT-R to make it shift faster than a traditional manual gearbox. It works, most of the time, but it will never do what this R32 GT-R with a five-speed manual did during a hard launch down the dragstrip at California Speedway.
John Force is never at a loss for words and he proved it tonight at the Barrett-Jackson auction. They gave him the microphone to say a few words about the Ford Mustang FR500 Cobra Jet factory drag car and he took the opportunity to say a few thousand words. It was all for charity though so nobody was about to stop Mr. Force from running his mouth to get the bids going. In the end, $375,000 took this Mustang home, roughly $305,000 over the sticker price.
The 2009 Formula One season kicks off in a scant 73 days. Already teams are showing their new racers, complete with slick tires and tiny rear wings. To tide you over until the season begins on March 29th with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, we've grabbed two videos, one from a perennial F1 front-runner and one from a, let's say, less successful entrant. We're not telling you which is which.
Toyota released this video of the construction of one of its TF109. Turns out, building one takes only a minute which could explain certain aspects of the car's performance.
Ferrari one-ups Toyota in the video battle, with a helmet-cam shot of 2008 driver's championship bridesmaid Felipe Massa putting the new F60 through its paces.
You may have seen Rhys Millen's attempt to do a backflip in a trophy truck on New Year's Eve. You didn't? Well let us spoil it for you then. He flipped all right, but the landing didn't go so well and he ended up on his roof. It was a pretty good try, certainly better than his earlier practice runs that resulted in a broken back for Mr. Millen.
The big truck jump may have sucked up all the attention, but for our money, Robbie Maddison's motorcycle jump, also done in Las Vegas on New Year's Eve, was a far better stunt.
He not only launched himself to the top of the nearly 100 foot tall Arc de Triomphe replica at the Paris hotel, he turned right around and jumped right back off, freefalling nearly 50 feet before landing on another specially prepared ramp. Now that, gentlemen, is a stunt. Video after the jump.
Even Formula 1 fans will see the shame in this recent development. Maybe. Foxsports.com is reporting that a deal has been struck to merge Petty Enterprises, one of the most famous and longest running teams in NASCAR, with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. And by merger we mean swallowed up completely.
Mark this as just one more victim of the worldwide financial crisis, as Land Rover has announced the cancellation of their G4 Challenge. Instead, Land Rover plans to focus more on new product launches.
"Given the severity of the global economic downturn and trading conditions, we need to make some tough decisions and that means prioritizing our budgets on new product launches. We are disappointed for the competitors who have shown so much commitment and put tremendous effort into succeeding as representatives of their nation. We have and will continue to take swift and decisive actions for the benefit of the business; unfortunately that means the Land Rover G4 Challenge has to come to an early close," said Phil Popham, Managing Director Land Rover.
This is not a surprise, given everything that's going on these days. Roger Penske, who leads the Detroit Grand Prix event (scheduled for Sept. 4-6) as chairman of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, informed the Indy Racing League and American Le Mans Series that the event will not be held in 2009.
"Obviously, it's something we're disappointed in, but as good businessmen we've got to make a call," Penske told AutoWeek. "We have the assets to continue on, but there's no reason at this point to have an event that wouldn't be first-class.
"This is a real economic time of distress for everyone and we couldn't sit here and count on a lot of things happening that we know weren't going to happen, especially knowing we live in such a distressed area with unemployment and all the other things going on. We had to make the decision."
Okay, why six wheels? What's the advantage to this type of setup?
According to Ferruccio Covini, the creator, the vehicle is protected if one of the front wheels is deflated, has extra braking capacity thanks to four individual brake units up front plus two in the back, less chance of aquaplaning, increased grip and a more comfortable ride. Um... okay.
The car reportedly will be powered by a 4.2L Audi V8, putting out around 380 horsepower, with power sent to the rear wheels. Gotta wonder if they ever considered AWD?
Covini says he actually thought about this concept 30 years ago, and a prototype showed up at the Geneva Auto Show back in 2004. So it's been a long haul for Covini to get this to market.
For those who think this idea is off the wall, remember that there is some history with 6-wheeled race cars, such as the Elf Tyrell F1 racer that Jody Schecter raced (here).
Here's an interesting link which speaks to the sudden Subaru withdrawal from the WRC. There is an interview (that's been translated) with a representative from FHI regarding this matter. From what's stated, this move came very quickly and with great surprise.
A little over a week ago Honda announced that they were dropping their F1 team (Audi and Honda drop racing teams), and now they have announced that they are also pulling out of AMA road racing with their bikes (here). With the bikes there is a sub-plot in that there are a lot of bike teams upset with the new AMA road-racing governing body (Daytona Motorsports Group), so I guess this financial mess was the last straw.
Porsche and Subaru too!
After the announcement of Audi pulling out of the American Le Mans Series, we now have learned that Porsche too is pulling out of this racing venue (here).
Subaru is leaving the WRC as well (here). This is a company that has spent 20 years in the WRC!. At least SOA is continuing with their effort in the American Rally series. Wow, talk about a collapse of the racing industry.
A sure sign of the lousy economic times, Audi has announced that it will not support a factory effort in the 2009 Le Mans racing series. No word as to whether a private team might pick up where Audi is leaving off.
To those who follow bike racing closely, this may be old news; but for those who don't, or who only occasionally scour for bike news (me), this is new--and really interesting.
The 2009 Isle of Man TT, the oldest motorcycle racing event in the world; one that is still run on public roads, and is arguably the most dangerous racing venue in the world, will have a new class called the TTXGP. This is for racing motorcycles that exhibit clean emission technologies.
...And, here's the world's first electric 2WD superbike 2WD, a bike that will compete in this new race class. It's called the TTX01, and it puts out 86 hp, and has a top speed of 125. The prototype is based on a Suzuki GSX750 frame, and runs two 43 hp Agni Lynch electric motors, presumably one powering each wheel.
At some point you're gonna croak. It happens to everyone, right? Now instead of being placed in a traditional memorial park, or in an urn on some family member's hearth, race car fans can have their ashes scattered across the Circuit de Catalunya, which is near Barcelona, Spain.
Yep, for the price of about $1,950, and a $65 annual maintenance fee, you too can be run over by race cars and race bikes presumably forever.
Perhaps finally putting an end to rumors that unibody trucks can't cut it (um, nah... that'll never happen...), a Honda Ridgeline took first place in the "Stock Mini Class" in the 41st SCORE Baja 1000. Piloted by Gavin Skilton, the Ridgeline battled Rod Hall in Hummer H3, and Ryan Millan in a Toyota FJ Cruiser, for the win.
To me--as a potential customer--this is far more meaningful than an overall win by some purpose-built off-road racer. At least vehicles in this [Stock Mini] class are reasonably close to something that you and I can buy.
Volkswagen pulled the wraps off its TDI diesel-powered VW Touareg Trophy Truck this morning. Not content with a mere class win, VW's Trophy Truck leaves no doubt that nothing less than an overall win in the Baja 1000 and other SCORE off-road events will suffice.
SCORE President Sal Fish (above) was on hand with drivers Ryan Arciero and Mark Miller for the announcement.
Powering this purpose-built two-wheel-drive machine is a 5.0-liter TDI diesel V12 engine that VW officials at the launch said makes "550 horsepower and nearly unlimited torque." Presumably the limit is whatever the custom-made driveline components can stand for 1,000 miles of abuse.
Retired F1 champ Michael Schumacher will ride a Honda in the World Superbike Championship next year. Schumacher has dabbled in bike racing before, as reported here on Straightline (Michael Schumacher to race Honda CBR1000RR).
"Michael is convinced that the German championship is right for him at the moment," Honda Racing's Carlo Fiorani was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport. "For the moment he has not asked us to race in the 2009 world championship.
"But if he wants to, there is a way for him (to do it). All he has to do is ask us."
Schumacher has stated that he's not looking for a new career here, but rather this a "hobby" for him. Not a bad way to keep busy in retirement, I'd say...
VW will show their new Touareg off-road racer that will compete in the upcoming Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race.
It will be powered by a 5.5L V12 turbo clean diesel, which puts out 550 horsepower and 625 pound-feet of torque. In addition it will be equipped with a trick suspension that offers 25 inches of wheel travel.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo showed his (Ferarri's) true color--red--as he smashed a television set after seeing McLaren's Lewis Hamilton win Formula One world title, beating Felipe Massa in last weekend's season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix.
"I broke the television, I must tell the truth," Montezemolo told a news conference at a Ferrari event in Mugello on Sunday.
All he had to do was finish fifth in the Brazian Grand Prix, and that's exactly what the McLaren driver did. In doing so Brazilian Lewis Hamilton became the youngest driver ever to clinch a F1 championship. Also noteworthy, perhaps even more so than his age, is that Hamilton is the first-ever black F1 champion.
As the so called "Track Day" has become increasing more popular, many insurance companies are taking a second look at these events, and as to whether to insure drivers who participate in them.
Also--asking insurers to clarify coverage could result in a nasty surprise. Mike Barr, a dentist from Palm Beach, Fla., called the insurer USAA to see if his policy covered his Subaru WRX STi on the track.
"Some months later I got a letter from USAA saying they were going to discontinue coverage," he said." "They dropped me because I asked about" performance driving schools. "They confirmed it verbally when I called to inquire further." A USAA spokesman said Dr. Barr was canceled for "several reasons," but would not elaborate.
It's well known that racing has contributed heavily to the design and engineering of vehicles that you and I drive. With that thought in mind the LA Auto Show will feature a display of what future race cars might be like in 2025, what they may offer in terms of technology and safety; and ultimately, how that might be applied to ordinary cars sometime in the future.
The designs are part of the fifth annual Los Angeles Auto Show's Design Challenge, where studios including Audi, BMW, GM, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volkswagen are pitted against each other to showcase their talents and further explore new ideas in automotive design.
Helio Castroneves, two-time winner of of the Indy 500, and winner of Dancing with the Stars, has along with two others, been indicted for tax evasion.
Castroneves, a U.S. resident, was indicted by a grand jury on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States of income taxes and with six separate counts of income tax evasion for tax years 1999 through 2004. Also charged in the indictment were Helio Castroneves' sister and business manager, Katiucia Castroneves of Miami, and his attorney, Alan R. Miller of Michigan.
It's alleged that Castroneves, by using an offshore Panamanian shell corporation -- Seven Promotions Corporation (Seven Promotions) -- fraudulently concealed from the IRS income received from two sources: Coimex Internacional SA (Coimex) and Penske Racing Inc. (Penske).
Castroneves, if convicted, could be facing serious jail time.
"Taxpayers, small and large, famous and not famous, should be aware of the enormously severe consequences they face if they fraudulently use offshore accounts to hide income, including potentially going to prison, paying back all their taxes plus interest and penalties, and being branded a felon for the rest of their lives," said Nathan J. Hochman, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's Tax Division.
Porsche doesn't believe the 7:29:03 Nürburgring lap time that Nissan claims to have produced for their new GT-R.
They took a US-spec GT-R and tried to replicate that record time and could only come within 25 seconds of it. So the obvious question is how could they be so far off. A few seconds? Perhaps; but 25 seconds off? It does give one something to think about.
While there has been much coverage on these various 'Ring lap times, I haven't been following the details that closely. Isn't there some governing body that verifies all this?
We knew it was coming (Paul Newman's last ride), but still when the news actually hits you, it's more than a little jolt. Movie fans and car fans just lost one of the good guys. Paul Newman succumbed to cancer yesterday. He was 83 years old. Rest in peace Paul. You will be dearly missed.
Mitsubishi Motors is participating in this year's Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge, which pits Southern California-based OE design studios against one another for ultimate bragging rights. This year's theme is: Motorsports in 2025.
States David O'Connell, Chief Designer, Mitsubishi Motors R&D of America:
"This year's Motorsport 2025 project is just the sort of assignment the designers at Mitsubishi Motors dream of. It's rooted it the reality of automotive competition that our company is so successful at, but lets us look way out on the horizon as to where technology may take us. We all loved hearing the words, 'design a race car,' but really smiled when we learned it was a race car for the year 2025. That combined with linking the car to some of the fabulous racing heritage that's taken place here in California makes it indeed one of the most exciting projects we've ever worked on. My dream would be to actually build and drive this car on the course it was designed for."
TouringCarTimes.com is reporting that Subaru is considering entering the FIA World Touring Car Championship. The reason being is that the upcoming WTCC and the WRC race car rules are going to be almost the same, so switching from one type of event to the other won't be that difficult.
One one hand I'm really excited about this news, as I've often wanted to see Subies compete in the WTCC. On the other hand, Subaru is still struggling with their new car in the WRC. If they're having trouble winning in the WRC--the motorsport series that made the WRX and STI famous--how do they expect to be successful by adding another racing catagory to their already stressed racing team?
Out to prove that a Porsche Cayenne is in fact the real deal when it comes to off-roading, they are going to offer a limited run of Cayanne Transsyberia models. There are patterned after the 4000 mile race that goes from Russia to Mongolia, an event in which Porsche has won the last three events.
These Transsyberia versions differ from the Plain-Jane Cayenne in that a 4.11 final drive is standard. They are also equipped with air suspension and Porsche
Active Suspension Management (PASM). A permanent all-wheel drive system
divides the torque between the front and rear, with a 62% rear-bias. The SUVs will be available exclusively in four different color combinations: black, silver metallic, black with meteor grey accents,
and meteor grey with silver accents. Other features include 18in
alloys, 'Cayenne S Transsyberia' side strips and optional offroad roof
lights. An optional off-road package that features a variable and lockable
rear differential, rock rails with integrated skid plates, a reinforced
engine-bay guard, and enhanced protection for the fuel tank and rear
axle will also be available. Prices will start at $70,800.Just the vehicle for über-rich soccer moms (or is it now hockey moms?) to head over to the mall in. Seriously, I'd like to see Porsche enter more off-road races with this vehicle, much as they do with their road cars.Full story here.
American automotive racing great Phil Hill has passed away. Hill was 81 year old, and had suffered from Parkinson's disease for a number of years. His last public appearance was at the recent Pebble Beech Concours d"Elegance.
The following statement is from Ferrari North America.
Appreciation
Maranello, August 28, 2008 - As soon as he got word of Phil Hill's passing, Ferrari's president Luca di Montezemolo declared:
I, as well as all employees of Ferrari are extremely saddened by the news of the passing of Phil Hill, a man and a champion who gave so much to Ferrari and who has always greatly represented the company's values inside and outside the racing track.
Phil Hill raced and won many competitions both with prototype cars, like the 24 hour of Le Mans, as well as with production race cars. With our car, Phil won the Formula One Championship title in 1961 as the first American-born to reach this result.
Phil and I have always kept in touch throughout the years and I know I will miss his passion and love for Ferrari very much.
My deepest sympathies are with his wife Alma and son Derek in this sad moment.
Formula Zero--as in "Zero" emissions--is a new kart racing series in which only fuel-cells are used. The first race took part in the Netherlands this past weekend. The event was divided into two sections: a sprint being the first, and an endurance phase being the second.
The karts are powered by hydrogen fuel cells that story their energy in lightweight, compact super-capacitors. This eliminates the need for a large battery, which is important considering the
lightweight kart platform. Compared to conventional karts, the speeds are slow; but hey, it's a start. Let's see where they go with this.Full story here.
Just found the following over at SpeedTV.com (here).
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We received this e-mail from Bart Brown of Wings'n'Wheels Hobbies, Clinton CT, USA. He forwarded it. We do not know the writer.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008 Lime Rock Park was closed down for an hour and half today to honor Paul Newman. He was attended by his family, close friends, Skip Barber, mechanics on his race team, and those who happened to be at the track. PLN toured the track in his Corvette race car with his Buick V8 powered Volvo station wagon following. He had come to say goodbye. Diagnosed with terminal cancer he is not expected to live beyond September. Race driver, actor, humanitarian, family man and friend, they did not come any better.
Looking like a mutant Ralliart Sportback, this Mitsubishi rally racer, simply called the "Racing Lancer," has enough torque to rotate this planet a few degrees, as in 640 lb.-ft. Horsepower? How's 260 grab you?
VW, and possibly Fiat and Renault too, are considering putting forth rally teams for the WRC. I think this is great news if it comes to pass. I say the more the merrier.Personally I think the WRC is the most exciting form of 4-wheeled motorsport out there. And unlike NASCAR, the racers bear more than a passing resemblance to "stock" cars--like those you might find in showrooms.Full story here.
Anybody who has been following the career of Travis Pastrana knows that he came out of the motorcycle ranks, and is famous for his back flip jumps on bikes--and especially so for the incredible double back flip he did a year or so ago.
Now he and fellow Subaru rally racer Ken Block have teamed up again to do yet another spectacular video (r
