A LOOK BACK // FOSC'S HISTORIC GP @ ORAN PARK

The 60s, 70s and 80s was an amazing era for motorsport in Australia. Motorsport was in its prime with thousands of competitors and spectators flocking to races track each weekend. Group A, Group NC and Appendix J had large fields on display and great racing. Oh, how times have changed.... But that vibe has not been completely lost as this is the key initiative of the Festival of Sporting Cars (FOSC) organises which is to bring that feeling into the 21st century for the younger generation to see and for the older generation to reminisce on the good times... [read more]

Oran Park GP circuit was the chosen venue which made it so much more special as it will no longer existing at the end of the year and I’m sure it was quite emotional for some of the older generation who raced on this circuit in the early 60s. This Event was also special for me as I embark on a personal project to create images depicting the “OLD times” using modern technology. FOSC is all about enjoying the event and the good times, so I won’t hound you with a 1000 word essay ill just let you admire the pictures.



The Datsun 240z is a very popular historic race car, there were so many at this event I’m sure they could of held their own one make race.


The 240z weren’t the only Datsuns/Nissans competing with a few 1600s powered by sr20s and fj20 as well as this very special DR30 powered by a turbocharged FJ20.

The spectators were from an older crowd like the cars.

The older Porches were also quite a popular choice amongst the competitors.

This shot for me defines historic racing, all the drivers are just so in touch with their cars, as if they would be lost without them.

Another European make is Alfa that seems to pop up alot at historic meets. This car is driven by a father of a fellow photographer.


An Australia historic meet wouldn’t be the same without some Aussie muscle car such as the good old Holden Torana and the Ford Falcon.

And there is always some American cars out on display as well.
 
I think these images really show how much I love historic racing and i can’t wait to continue this personal project at future events.

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Photo/Editorial: Matthew Mead

EVENT // 2009 CORONADO SPEED FESTIVAL

The 12th annual Coronado Speed Festival in San Diego was this weekend, so I grabbed my camera gear and made my way over to the Naval Air Station at Coronado to take in the action. The Speedfest has become something of an institution in San Diego, and is a compliment to the city's Fleet Week celebrations. The event is open to a wide rage of historic and vintage racing cars, and takes place on a wide-open stretch of tarmac on the naval air base that overlooks San Diego bay. Though the Coronado Speedfest may not be as well known or as large as the Monterey Historics or the Goodwood Revival, the location is unique and there is always an impressive and eclectic collection of cars spread throughout the pits... [read more]


Among the attractions at the Speedfest are static military displays, car club shows, and vendor booths, but everyone attends to see the races.

The competition at the Speedfest is spread out across the weekend, with various classifications such as age and engine displacement determining running order and the event always concludes with a "feature" race on Sunday evening.

In years' past, the feature race has been amongst the infamous Trans-Am cars from the late 60s and early 70s - Camaros, Mustangs and Dodge Challengers - but this year there was a historic stock car race, further illustrating how diverse the collection of cars can be at the Coronado Speedfest.

There aren't too many events where a person can see a Porsche 356 and an early 90s stock car race on the same weekend, let alone within hours of each other! 

I return to the Speedfest year after year to take in the sights and sounds of these classic cars; as each year goes by, the cars grow older, rarer, and in many cases, more valuable, yet their owners continue to take them out and race them. As an auto enthusiast, I would be hard-pressed to come up with proper justification for not taking advantage of such a spectacle!

For a look at more photos from this years Coronado Speed Festival, click here

Photo/Editorial: Robert Carrier

DESIRE // SINGER VEHICLE DESIGN'S PORSCHE 911

Singer Vehicle Design has taken the Porsche 911 to the next level. Under the classic 911 bodywork lies a 3.8 liter flat-six which is said to produce 425hp all the way 8000 rpm, and weighing in at a featherweight 2400lbs, the Singer’s power to weight ratio is just absurd. Additional upgrades include Moton shocks, a set of 930 brakes, and a handful of other go-fast goodies.

Follow the link and read Michael Harley's review of the Singer 911 on Autoblog... [read more]

VIDEO // KENNY CHIEU TAKES 5TH @ SPRING MOUNTAIN

Last weekend the Redline Time Attack held its penultimate round at the Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump, Nevada. Running in the Buddy Club RWD Street Class, our man Kenny Chieu was on hand all weekend throwing his Toyota MR-S around the 2.2 mile road course. Kenny managed to finish fifth in his class with an outstanding time of 2:43.086. Be sure and follow the link for a bit of in-car footage from Kenny's fastest lap, as well as additional videos from his trip to Spring Mountain... [read more]







Be sure and stay tuned for coverage from the final round of the 2009 Redline Time Attack series at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

NEWS // WRC ON DISCOVERY - COMPLETE TV SCHEDULE

With every WRC rally from Ireland to Great Britain scheduled to air on Discovery's HD Theater starting in but a few days, as well as a special six-hour slot before the kick off of Rally Ireland that will include the Greatest Stages, Daring Drives, Greatest Cars and Top Ten Spectacular Crashes, follow the link for a look at the trailer that ran on the Discovery earlier this week as well as the complete television schedule... [read more]



2009 World Rally Championship // Discovery's HD Theater Schedule:

“World Rally Madness” Programming Block Sunday, October 4 from 3-9 PM ET

3 PM: GREATEST STAGES This episode profiles the most challenging events from the history of rallying.
4 PM: DARING DRIVES Viewers ride along as the legends of the WRC are pushed to the limit and beyond by some of the most spectacular and technical stages on the rally racing circuit.
5 PM: GREATEST CARS The machines are the stars of this episode, which showcases the greatest rally cars of all time.
6 PM: TOP TEN SPECTACULAR CRASHES Even the best make mistakes and in the WRC, those mistakes can be stunning. This program counts down the most exciting crashes in rallying history.
7 PM: 2009 WRC SEASON PREVIEW This episode introduces viewers to the drivers, manufacturers and events that will make up the 2009 FIA World Rally Championship.
8 PM: RALLY IRELAND The 2009 WRC kicks off with a monumental challenge: 217 miles of impossibly narrow, rain-slicked country roads through both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. These tight and serpentine stages take drivers through the Sligo Mountains and Fermanagh Lakelands where, in places, the narrow roads are little more than the width of a car.

RALLY NORWAY Sunday, October 11 from 8-9 PM ET As an all-snow event, RALLY NORWAY is a technical challenge for drivers, who must account for the snow and ice using steel-spiked tires. Roadside snow-banks offer a cushion for the lack of grip, but may be as dangerous as they are helpful. Hamar, Norway is home for this rally, which runs through the same mountains as the 1994 Winter Olympic Games in nearby Lillehammer.

FXPRO CYPRUS RALLY Sunday, October 18 from 8-9 PM ET Based on the south side of Cyprus, this mixed-surface rally combines asphalt and gravel stages to crown the FxPro CYPRUS RALLY champion. The Troodos Mountains challenge drivers as they take on the twists and turns of mountain roads and gravel paths during the three days of action.

VODAFONE RALLY DE PORTUGAL Sunday, October 25 from 8-9 PM ET Portugal’s long rallying tradition is on display during the Vodafone RALLY DE PORTUGAL, a gravel event that is widely considered one of the most notorious and difficult rallies on the schedule. Both the Algarve and Alentejo regions host stages in Southern Portugal, as this event attracts some of the largest and most unruly crowds within the series.

RALLY ARGENTINA Sunday, November 1 from 8-9 PM ET With the series’ first trip outside of Europe, RALLY ARGENTINA is held in the area around Villa Carlos Paz in the heart of the Cordobese Sierras on narrow, sloped roads best known for their spectacular water splashes. The high-speed action takes place across open plains featuring sandy river crossings and high-altitude landscapes that resemble the surface of the moon.

RALLY D’ITALIA SARDEGNA Sunday, November 8 from 8-9 PM ET Sardinia is now home to the RALLY D’ITALIA, where the stages are made up of fine and sandy gravel that is surprisingly fast, given the course’s tight and narrow nature. The stunning landscape for the opening two days of the rally crosses Olbia-Tempio, Nuoro, Sassari and Goceano before the competition heads north to the opulent Costa Smerelda region.

ACROPOLIS RALLY OF GREECE Sunday, November 15 from 8-9 PM ET As one of the longest-standing events in world rallying, ACROPOLIS RALLY OF GREECE is a mix of rough, curvy mountain stages with blistering heat and choking dust. The undersides of the car take a pounding from the rocks hurled up by the wheels, and tire wear is an especially big issue for teams to overcome at this event.

ORLEN RALLY POLAND Sunday, November 22 from 8-9 PM ET After not being included in the WRC for over 35 years, Poland’s most prestigious motorsport event celebrates its 66th anniversary with a return to the top level of rallying. The Mazurian Lakes District provides an exceptional backdrop to these spectacular gravel stages, where the WRC regular drivers are challenged by experienced Polish drivers racing in their backyard.

NESTE OIL RALLY FINLAND Sunday, November 29 from 8-9 PM ET As one of the biggest annual events in Scandinavia with over 500,000 spectators, Neste Oil RALLY FINLAND features high-speed runs along tree-lined tracks, peppered with high-flying jumps that demand absolute commitment. Located in central Finland, this rally requires efficient technique to cope with the high speeds and mammoth jumps that litter the loose-surfaced gravel stages.

REPCO RALLY AUSTRALIA Sunday, December 6 from 8-9 PM ET WRC heads down under to the new base of Repco RALLY AUSTRALIA in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales. The hard-packed gravel stages located in the Kyogle, Murwillumbah and Mullumbimby regions will be a new and unfamiliar challenge compared to the rally’s historic stages on red earth and ball-bearing-like gravel roads near Perth.

RACC RALLYE DE ESPANA Sunday, December 13 from 8-9 PM ET Providing some of the fastest stages of the series, the sweeping asphalt roads of the Tarragona region southwest of Barcelona play home to the RACC RALLYE DE ESPANA. As the penultimate round of the WRC series, this rally plays a critical role in the overall championship with only one event left in the schedule.

RALLY GB Sunday, December 20 from 8-9 PM ET As the final rally of the season, RALLY GB is one of the oldest rallies in the world and is hosted in Cardiff, Wales. This spectator-friendly event runs through gravel forest roads that often become wet and slippery. The event also features stages on the exposed military land to the north of Brecon, which is prone to fog that can wreak havoc on drivers’ ability to navigate turns. FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP programming is produced by International Sportsworld Communicators Ltd — A North One Television Company. For HD Theater, Sean McKnight is executive producer, Bob Scanlon is vice president of production and development, and Clark Bunting is president and general manager.

About FIA World Rally Championship:
In 2008, WRC was covered by 188 countries via 228 broadcasters, with a total audience of over 633 million plus 12 million visitors to wrc.com. 2009 will see a total of 12 rallies staged across the world in Ireland, Norway, Cyprus, Portugal, Argentina, Italy, Greece, Poland, Finland, Australia, Spain and Great Britain. For more information please visit www.wrc.com.

About HD Theater:
The first 24-hour high-definition network in the U.S. to broadcast all of its content in brilliant 1080i and 5.1 digital surround sound, HD Theater offers compelling real-world and motorized content from a wide range of categories including adventure, technology, nature and world culture - all designed to provide viewers with the highest-quality television experience available. As one of the most widely-distributed high-definition networks available in the U.S., HD Theater brings its programming to life in a kaleidoscope of dazzling color, sound and sights.

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Info: 0-60 Magazine

SPOTTED // AUDI RS4 IN THE WINDY CITY

While wandering the streets of his native Chicago, ColdTrackDays correspondent Brendan Lester stumble upon this rather well equipped B7 Audi RS4. Powered by a 32-valve 4.2 liter V8 making something in the neighborhood of 415hp, this particular example features a Milltek Sport cat-back exhaust, carbon fiber hood and barracuda double bike rack. Follow the link for a few more shots... [read more]




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Photo: Brendan Lester
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

GEAR // CODEMASTERS F1 2009 FOR THE NINTENDO Wii

With the upcoming release of not one, but three motorsport video games (Gran Turismo 5, Forza Motorsport 3 and Need for Speed: SHIFT), the addition of a Nintendo title is something of a surprise, especially considering the graphics engine on the Wii is, well, sub-par when compared to Sony's PS3 or Microsoft's Xbox360. But considering the success of other Wii titles (Wii Sports for instance) I wouldn't be at all surprised if Codemasters F1 2009, with its intuitive gameplay, motion activated steering and accurately modeled cars and race circuits, soon finds a cult following within the motosport community.

Follow the link for a few more images and a bit of gameplay footage courtesy of Codemasters... [read more]

2009 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX // RACE RESULTS

After what we feel has been a fair amount of time, certainly enough for you to watch yesterdays Singapore Grand Prix on your DVR or Tivo box, follow the link for complete results as well as some incredible images from the second annual night race on the streets of Singapore... [read more]












2009 Singapore Grand Prix // Race Results:
1. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes
2. Timo Glock, Toyota
3. Fernando Alonso, Renault
4. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault
5. Jenson Button, Brawn-Mercedes
6. Rubens Barrichello, Brawn-Mercedes
7. Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren-Mercedes
8. Robert Kubica, BMW
9. Kazuki Nakajima, Williams-Toyota
10. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
11. Nico Rosberg, Williams-Toyota
12. Jarno Trulli, Toyota
13. Giancarlo Fisichella, Ferrari
14. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Force India-Mercedes
Did not finish
Jaime Alguersuari – 47 laps
Sebastien Buemi – 47 laps
Mark Webber – 45 laps
Adrian Sutil – 23 laps
Nick Heidfeld – 19 laps
Romain Grosjean – 3 laps

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Images & Info: F1Fanatic

VIDEO // DRAYSON RACING'S LOLA-JUDD LMP1

Ride shotgun with Rob Bell in the Drayson Racing Lola-Judd LMP1 prototype, as he runs a few practice laps around Road Atlanta ahead of this weekends 2009 Petit Le Mans event // [comment]

NEWS // 2009 PETIT LE MANS - QUALIFYING RESULTS

With two correspondents at this years Petit Le Mans, be sure and stay tuned for some incredibile images from the ten hour test of endurance that saw Audi and Peugeot battle it out for the third time this years. But in the mean time, while our photographers sort through the thousands of images they took, follow the link for a few more shots from Thursdays practice session courtesy of Phil Woodard, as well as a replay of the Scott Sharp accident and complete results from Fridays qualifying... [read more]






Qualifying Results // 2009 Petit Le Mans:
Pos Drivers Cl Car Time
1. Minassian/Lamy P1 Peugeot 1m06.937s
2. Sarrazin/Montagny P1 Peugeot 1m07.160s
3. Capello/McNish P1 Audi 1m08.200s
4. Luhr/Werner P1 Audi 1m08.228s
5. De Ferran/Pagenaud/Dixon P1 Acura 1m08.348s
6. Panis/Lapierre/Dumas P1 ORECA 1m09.566s
7. Field/Field P1 Lola 1m09.685s
8. Leitzinger/Franchitti/Devlin P2 Lola-Mazda 1m10.152s
9. Drayson/Cocker/Bell P1 Lola 1m10.552s
10. Pickett/Graf/Maassen P2 Porsche 1m11.405s
11. Fernandez/Diaz P2 Acura 1m11.758s
12. Burgess/McMurry/Willman P1 Lola 1m12.676s
13. Murry/Robertson/Robertson GT2 Doran Ford 1m20.819s
14. Sutherland/Drissi/Bell GT2 Riley Corvette 1m20.877s
15. Beretta/Gavin/Fassler GT2 Corvette 1m20.912s
16. Muller/Milner/Muller GT2 BMW 1m20.981s
17. Hand/Auberlen/Priaulx GT2 BMW 1m21.219s
18. Bergmeister/Long/Lieb GT2 Porsche 1m21.299s
19. Magnussen/O'Connell/Garcia GT2 Corvette 1m21.491s
20. Farnbacher/James GT2 Panoz 1m21.648s
21. Henzler/Werner GT2 Porsche 1m21.760s
22. Melo/Kaffer/Salo GT2 Ferrari 1m22.718s
23. Sellers/Cicero GT2 Porsche 1m23.081s
24. Feinberg/Hall GT2 Dodge 1m23.121s
25. Law/van Overbeek/Neiman GT2 Porsche 1m25.601s

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Photo: Phil Woodard
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

2009 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX // QUALIFYING RESULTS

In an effort to avoid posting results from this mornings Singapore Grand Prix and spoiling the race for anyone (we know, DVR...), here are the results from yesterdays qualifying session as well as some incredible images from the sophomore night race on Singapore's street circuit... [read more]










Qualifying Results // 2009 Singapore Grand Prix:
1. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes – 1:47.891
2. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault – 1:48.204
3. Nico Rosberg, Williams-Toyota – 1:48.348
4. Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault – 1:48.722
5. Rubens Barrichello, Brawn-Mercedes – 1:48.828*
6. Fernando Alonso, Renault – 1:49.054
7. Timo Glock, Toyota – 1:49.180
8. Nick Heidfeld, BMW – 1:49.307
9. Robert Kubica, BMW – 1:49.514
10. Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren-Mercedes – 1:49.778
11. Kazuki Nakajima, Williams-Toyota – 1:47.013
12. Jenson Button, Brawn-Mercedes – 1:47.141
13. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari – 1:47.177
14. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso-Ferrari – 1:47.369
15. Jarno Trulli, Toyota – 1:47.413
16. Adrian Sutil, Force India-Mercedes – 1:48.231
17. Jaime Alguersuari, Toro Rosso-Ferrari – 1:48.340
18. Giancarlo Fisichella, Ferrari – 1:48.350
19. Romain Grosjean, Renault – 1:48.544
20. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Force India-Mercedes – 1:48.792

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Images & Info: F1Fanatic