Cold Track Days

PORSCHE PORN // EVERYTHING YOU LOVE TO HATE

2011-02-22T08:29:00.001-08:00

Thought you guys could use a bit of Porsche Porn this morning! That said, nothing does it for us quite like a track prepped 993. Air cooled, turbocharged, roll caged... what more could you ask for? Image courtesy of PhotoFinish, what has quickly become one of our favorite automotive Tumblrs // [comment]

MONDAY MATINEE // 50 YEARS SIDEWAYS

2011-02-14T07:47:00.000-08:00

Produced by Helmut Deimel, enjoy more than 90 minutes of classic race footage highlighting the evolution of the power slide as it relates to rally racing. Just what we needed start the work week // [comment]

PHOTO GALLERY // THE 2011 ROLEX 24 @ DAYTONA

2011-02-07T08:03:00.000-08:00

The 49th annual Rolex 24 at Daytona took place the last weekend of January, and ColdTrackDays correspondent, Wes Duenkel, was lucky enough to be trackside for this historic event. Traveling from Goodlettsville, Tennessee to the Sunshine State, Duenkel spent the better part of three days shooting what was to be an epic test of endurance. Follow the link for a look at just a few of the photos he took over the course of the weekend... [read more]

Photo(s): Wes Duenkel
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

MIATA MONDAY // 949 RACING'S SUPER MIATA

2011-02-07T07:27:00.000-08:00

Our friends at 949 Racing are in the process of building an entry for the 2011 Super Miata series. Essentially a variation of the ever popular Spec Miata series, Super Miata looks to fill the gap between time attack and circuit racing, allowing drivers to race wheel-to-wheel in cars a bit more powerful than your average SM racer. Click here for additional information // [comment]

VIDEO // THE 25: SPEED, RAIN, DARKNESS, DAMAGE AND GLORY

2011-02-07T07:09:00.000-08:00

Rob Krider shot this short documentary at this years 25 Hours of Thunderhill. Krider Racing, a team that drove its way to success in both the 24 Hours of LeMons and ChumpCar race events, graduated to National Auto Sport Association (NASA) racing and competed in the Western Endurance Racing Championship. The team applied their tried-and-true formula from racing beaters and went on to earn the 2010 E3 Championship title in the WERC series. Cameras followed the team to NASA’s headline event, the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. With narration by Rob Krider and production from GoRacingTV.com, this gritty documentary came to life about what it was like to survive the 25 // [comment]

PHOTO GALLERY // ROAR BEFORE THE ROLEX 24

2011-01-10T22:35:00.000-08:00

ColdTrackDays correspondent, Wes Duenkel, spent last weekend at the Daytona International Speedway for a few days of testing ahead of this years Rolex 24 at Daytona. What will be the first race of the 2011 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, the 2011 Rolex 24 at Daytona will take place January 27th-30th, with live coverage on SPEED beginning at 12pm (PST) on the 29th. Follow the link for a look at a few of the images Wes was able to capture last weekend... [read more]

Photo(s): Wes Duenkel
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

BTCC // AUDI NAME WILL RETURN TO TOURING CAR RACING IN 2011

2010-12-13T21:22:00.000-08:00

Rob Austin Racing has announced plans to enter a pair of Audi A4's in next season's Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. The former F3 racer has confirmed that the two cars will be built to NGTC (Next Generation Touring Car) regulations and that a deposit has been lodged for two NGTC kits.

GPR Motorsport the company that has been commissioned by series organisers TOCA to carry out the design, validation, prototype manufacture and testing programme for the new NGTC subframe/suspension will be responsible in conjunction with the team for the build process... [read more]

Austin who for the last 5 years has moved on from a successful racing career to running his own team commented "This is a great step for us and a fantastic challenge. We are convinced that the NGTC concept is going to make the BTCC even more competitive and exciting and that the Audi will be a race winner.”

The last time the Audi name was represented in the BTCC was back in 1998. Two years before, the legendary German manufacturer had captured the title on its series debut with full factory backing running the somewhat controversial at the time four wheel drive A4. Indeed 1996 saw title winner Frank Biela totally dominate the season - which naturally at the time raised questions over permitting a 4WD car to enter the series.

Pictured above is an artists impression that has been released. However it should be noted that this is based on an Audi RS4 which has raced in the Italian run "SuperStars International Series".

The Pershore based team hope to announce their driver line up for the two cars in January.

Editorial: Neil Tozer
Photo: BTCC

NEWS // SUPERSTARS SERIES CONFIRMS EXPANDED SERIES

2010-12-13T21:11:00.000-08:00

The Italian run Superstars International Series confirmed its 2011 series calendar today. 9 events are scheduled with Donington Park and Spa-Francorchamps being the major additions. In total six races will be held outside the Italian border... [read more]

Organizers have also confirmed that the double race format will be retained for 2011.

Sharing the bill at all except the Spanish round will be the Superstars GT Sprint series.

April 10th - Monza, Italy
May 8th - Valencia, Spain
May 22nd - Portimao, Portugal
June 19th - Donington Park, United Kingdom
July 10th - Misano, Italy
Aug 7th - Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
Sept 11th - Hockenheim, Germany
Sept 25th - Mugello, Italy
Oct 10th - Vallelunga, Italy

Editorial: Neil Tozer
Photo: Superstars Series

NEWS // AUDI UNVEILS R18 LMP1 CHALLENGER

2010-12-11T16:55:00.000-08:00

Audi aims to continue its string of victories at the Le Mans 24 Hours with a completely new LMP1 sports car development. Since its debut in 1999, the brand with the Four Rings has won the world’s most important endurance race as many as nine times with the R8, R10 TDI and R15 TDI models. In doing so, Audi has equaled this feat in the race’s roll of honor with Ferrari. With the new R18, which was presented at the Audi Sportpark in Ingolstadt on Friday, Audi is aiming for its tenth Le Mans success in 2011... [read more]

For the first time since 1999, Audi will contest Le Mans with a closed coupe again. "In the future, aerodynamic efficiency will be even more important at Le Mans than it was in the past," says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "A closed car has clear advantages in this respect. Our computer simulations have been confirmed in the wind tunnel and during initial track tests."

Significantly smaller engines than those used before will be prescribed at Le Mans in 2011 as the rule makers aim to achieve a substantial reduction of engine power. By opting for a 3.7-liter V6 TDI unit, Audi retains the diesel concept that saw its first victorious fielding in 2006. "From our point of view, the TDI continues to be the most efficient technology," says Ulrich Baretzky, Head of Engine Development at Audi Sport. "There are good reasons why the share of TDI units among Audi’s production models is as high as it is."
Through the innovative V6 TDI engine for the Le Mans 24 Hours, motorsport is yet again performing pioneering work for the production arm at Audi where there is a growing trend towards smaller, more economical but yet powerful engines.

Another new development is the six-speed transmission in the R18 which has been specifically modified for use with the smaller engine.

With regard to the chassis Audi Sport wants to live up to its promise, expressed in the brand’s "Vorsprung durch Technik" tagline. Unlike those of the closed Le Mans prototypes, the carbon fiber monocoque of the R18 does not consist of two halves but features a single-component design. This saves weight and increases stiffness.

For the development of the closed R18, engineers at Audi Sport were able to draw on the experiences gained in 1999 with the R8C and in 2003 with the LMP1 of the corporate "sister brand" Bentley that was victorious at Le Mans. "Also the Audi A4 DTM, which for example, features a heated windshield, allowed us to shorten the development cycle with respect to the ventilation of the cockpit, the doors and the heating of the windshield," explains Dr. Martin Mühlmeier, Head of Engineering at Audi Sport.

The chassis and aerodynamics package contains a lot of know-how from the R8, the R10 TDI and the R15 TDI whereas the fitting of identically sized front and rear wheels is new to an Audi Le Mans sports car. This configuration allows a more balanced weight distribution.

The R18’s headlights, which are the first to completely consist of LEDs with optimized amount of light, are a technical highlight. The new generation of headlights was developed in close cooperation between Audi Sport and the Technical Development (TE) division of AUDI AG and by using at Le Mans, will be prepared for future use in production vehicles. Audi’s light designers had the chance to make their mark on the development as well: The LEDs of the daytime light form the shape of a "1" which is intended to inspire associations with Audi’s historic brand logo.

The Audi R18 has been designed for progressive electrification, which Audi Sport is planning to drive forward step by step. "But efficiency is always the crucial factor for us," says Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "No matter which form of energy recovery we may choose the key aspect for Audi - in motorsport as well as on the production side of the house - is that it provides a true advantage."

The development of the new Audi R18 started in mid 2009. The V6 TDI engine has been running on the dynamometers since the summer of 2010. The R18, with Allan McNish at the wheel, completed its first test on a racetrack at the end of November.

The racing debut of the Audi R18 is planned for the Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) 6 Hours on May 8. Prior to the event, the new prototype will be able to do its first laps on the race track at Le Mans during the official test day on April 24 and gather important data for the race on June 11 and 12.

Audi is planning to field three Audi R18 cars at Le Mans, which will be entered by Audi Sport Team Joest, the most successful Le Mans team of all time. In addition, Audi Sport Team Joest will contest the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC), consisting of a total of seven endurance races on three continents (including the Le Mans 24 Hours) with two cars. At the opening race at Sebring on March 19, the team will use two "R15 plus plus" cars. "Sending the R18 into a race at such an early point in time would be difficult in terms of logistics and interfere with our development program," explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.

Images and Info: Audi Sport
Editorial: Neil Tozer

EYE CANDY // THE OTHER BATMOBILE BIMMER

2010-12-09T01:05:00.000-08:00

Thought you guys might enjoy this shot of a Motorsport Limited Edition E12 530, a car that was jointly developed by BMW of South Africa and BMW Motorsport GmbH in order to homologate the 3.0-liter 5 Series sedan for competition in the South African Modified Production class. This particular example wears the same livery as the infamous E9 3.0 CSL Batmobile. Image and info courtesy of Motoring con Brio // [comment]

NEWS // LOTUS PARTNERS WITH RENAULT FOR 2011 F1 SEASON

2010-12-09T00:42:00.000-08:00

It's official, Group Lotus and its Malaysian parent company Proton, have partnered with Renault and will field a pair of cars in the 2011 Formula One World Championship. The news comes after a dispute between Proton and Tony Fernandes, owner of the now defunct Lotus Racing team, a dispute that ended when Group Lotus bought out Renault's stake in their own F1 team. The team will be branded Lotus Renault GP and will continue to use the French automakers engines. We'll spare you the dry details, but lets just say we'll likely see a Renault powered Lotus wearing the iconic black and gold livery come 2011.

Follow the link for the official press release... [read more]

Genii Capital and Group Lotus join forces in Lotus Renault GP

Genii Capital and Group Lotus plc today announced the creation of Lotus Renault GP, the successor to the Renault F1 Team that will contest the 2011 FIA Formula One™ World Championship. This exciting announcement is made in the context of a strategic alliance between the two companies that will provide Group Lotus with significant technological and commercial opportunities for its range of road cars.

Following the return of the Lotus name to Formula 1™ in 2010, under licence from Group Lotus, this historic announcement marks the complete return of the Lotus manufacturer to the sport, with the full backing of its parent company Proton. Group Lotus plc will become a major equity partner of Genii Capital in Lotus Renault GP, and the two parties have concluded a title sponsorship agreement that will run until the end of the 2017 season. With the continued support of Renault as a supplier of engines and technological and engineering expertise, Lotus Renault GP enjoys a strong, stable platform for future success.

Gerard Lopez, Chairman of Renault F1 Team, commented: "We are delighted that we can now go public with the news that we will be racing as Lotus Renault GP in 2011. It is extremely exciting to begin a new era for the team in partnership with Group Lotus, and we will continue to enjoy a strong relationship with Renault over the coming seasons. It is a tribute to the excellent work this year by the team in Enstone that we have been able to attract both major sponsorship and new investment for a very bright future."

Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar said: "I can think of no better platform for automotive brand communications than motorsport and F1 is the very pinnacle of open-wheel racing. We're well aware that there has been a lot of controversy around the usage of our brand in F1 and I'm delighted to be able to formally clarify our position once and for all: we are Lotus and we are back."

The new partnership has been enabled by Renault selling its remaining shares in the team to Genii Capital. Group Lotus plc will subsequently become a major equity partner in Lotus Renault GP, which it will co-own with Genii Capital.

Renault will continue its strong support of the team with which it won the 2005 and 2006 world championships, as a supplier of engines and technological and engineering expertise. Reflecting this technological support, Lotus Renault GP will continue to compete with the Renault chassis name and Renault will enjoy pre-eminent brand exposure on the livery.

For 2011, the Lotus Renault GP cars will race in a new interpretation of the iconic black and gold colours that were last used when Lotus and Renault joined forces in the 1980s. This livery, which has been on the drawing board for over two months in order to reinterpret its iconic graphic signature to suit modern media requirements, is sure to strike a powerful chord with the sport's enthusiasts around the world.

The team scored a strong fifth-place finish in the 2010 constructors' championship, which included three podium finishes for Robert Kubica. Next season, Lotus Renault GP is aiming to take another step forward which will see it competing regularly with the most prestigious names in Formula 1™.

Image and Info: Renault
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

2010-12-08T23:00:00.001-08:00

NEWS // FERRARI UNVEILS NEW GT2 CONTENDER

2010-12-08T22:56:00.000-08:00

Our friends at Axis of Oversteer managed to snag a photo of Ferrari's new GT2 contender. Based on the 458 Italia, Ferrari's new GT2 class competitor replaces the wildly successful F430 GT2, which won its class in both the American Le Mans Series and the FIA GT Championship. And while we're not keen on the aesthetic, we have to assume the 458 will be a marked improvement over its predecessor // [comment]

EYE CANDY // INSIDE THE AUDI R15 TDI

2010-12-04T23:45:00.000-08:00

A lot of us work in office buildings, seated at desks or workstations. Some of us might even be relegated to cubicles. But there are those who spend their days here, at the wheel of a racing car. I happen to know a few of these guys (#TedAnthonyJr. #JoeyAtterbury). Their days are spent at the helm of rally cars, race cars and driving simulators. They work long hours, coaching at driving schools, preparing for the next race weekend. But can we really call that work? I suppose anything can get old. The love can get lost at some point, right? But for those of us riding desks and not dirt bikes Monday through Friday, we day dream of having an office like the one featured above... Do us proud gentlemen. We're all a little jealous // [comment]

NEWS // TOURATECH SPONSORS STREET FOR 2011 DAKAR RALLY

2010-12-04T23:05:00.000-08:00

We are less than a month away from one of the greatest motorsport races in the world, the 2011 Dakar Rally. Entered into this years competition is Ellensburg native, Jonah Street, who hopes to to win the 5,900 mile rally with the help of Touratech-USA. Street, who will race his Yamaha WR540 across South America, will be in Seattle tomorrow night for a send-off party being held at the Touratech headquarters... [read more]

Touratech-USA has provided support for Jonah's race efforts, including motorcycle equipment, fundraising, and a significant financial contribution. Touratech-USA even created a limited edition Jonah Street Dakar Rally shirt with all proceeds going directly to Jonah. This project ended up raising $10,000 for his 2011 Rally effort.

“The idea to create a limited edition shirt was awesome and ended up raising way more money than we expected" said Street. "The guys at Touratech have done a lot of the groundwork which has given me more time to focus on training and preparing for the race.”

Prior to Dakar, Jonah was a dominant force in Baja with 3 consecutive wins in the Baja 500 and four 2nd place finishes in the Baja 1,000. In his first Dakar Rally, he posted multiple top-3 stage finishes and managed 17th overall. In the 2009 Dakar Rally, Jonah won stage 5 before pulling out of the race with an injury. In the 2010 Dakar Rally, Jonah finished 7th overall, and a few months later became the first American to win Rally Mongolia. Many people close to the sport regard Jonah as America’s best chance for a win at Dakar in 2011.

Fans can help Jonah get to Dakar by purchasing a limited edition T-shirt or joining Jonah’s fan club called the Riff Raff.

Images and Info: Touratech-USA
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

VIDEO // AYRTON SENNA - JAPANESE GP QUALIFYING 1989

2010-12-04T22:38:00.000-08:00

Sit back and watch as Ayrton Senna puts his Mclaren Mp4/5 on pole ahead of the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit. Video comes to us courtesy of Motorsport Retro // [comment]

VIDEO // ROGER CLARK & THE 1972 RAC RALLY

2010-12-04T22:27:00.000-08:00

In 1972, British rally racer, Roger Clark, at the wheel of his Ford Escort RS1600, collected a famous victory at the RAC Rally, ending a 12 year reign of Scandinavian dominance. Driving through the night, Clark bested a handful of WRC greats to include Stig Blomqvist, Simo Lampinen, Shekhar Mehta and Ove Andersson. The video featured above is a tribute to Clark's victory // [comment]

EYE CANDY // ANDRETTI GOES AIRBORNE

2010-12-04T21:57:00.000-08:00

Thought you guys might enjoy this shot of Michael Andretti getting some air in his McLaren MP4/8. And while I'm not entirely sure what Grand Prix this photo was taken at, I have to assume it was either the 1993 Canadian GP at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve or the French GP held at Magny-Cours on July 4, 1993. I make this assumption based on the fact that Andretti finished only six races during his one and only year at the wheel of a Formula One car. I'm sure Camden Thrasher will correct me, though // [comment]

VIDEO // FIA GT1 CHAMPIONSHIP @ INTERLAGOS

2010-12-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

Check out this great clip from the penultimate round of the 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship held at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in São Paulo, Brazil last weekend. Featured in the video is the long mid-race battle involving Clairay, Bartels, Mutsch and Muller. Enjoy! // [comment]

NEWS // MALDONADO CONFIRMED @ WILLIAMS F1 FOR 2011

2010-12-01T19:36:00.000-08:00

Williams F1 today confirmed that Pastor Maldonado will contest the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship for the AT&T Williams team. The appointment finalises the team’s line up for next year following confirmation in November that Rubens Barrichello will remain with the British squad for a further season.

Venezuelan-born Maldonado started his motorsport career in karts at the age of seven, his passion for the sport ignited by a father and uncles who all competed. Having won seven national karting titles, Pastor moved into Formula racing in 2003. With three series championships and 30 wins to his credit, most notably a superlative victory at Monaco in only his debut year in GP2 in 2007, Pastor brings a wealth of experience to the team at only 25 years of age... [read more]

Pastor’s promotion into the pinnacle of motorsport follows an impressive 2010 campaign in the GP2 championship in which he was crowned champion and became the only driver to have ever won six successive feature races in a single season. Pastor also comes to the team with nearly 2,000kms of F1 testing mileage in hand having driven all four of the Abu Dhabi test days. Pastor will make his debut in the team’s 2011 race car, the Williams Cosworth FW33, in February’s winter test programme.

On Pastor’s appointment, AT&T Williams Team Principal, Frank Williams, said, “Pastor first caught my eye in 2007 when he drove a masterful race at Monaco. Since then, he has regularly reminded us of his unquestionable talent with some skilful wins, particularly during this year’s GP2 championship, taking an unsurpassed record of six successive victories. Of course, we already know Pastor from the time he spent with the team at the Abu Dhabi test, but we are very much looking forward to developing his talent over the winter and a fruitful season with him next year.”

Pastor commented, “I feel very privileged that Williams has selected me as one of their race drivers. It is a great way to end what has already been an amazing year for me. I tested with the team in Abu Dhabi, but can’t wait to start working with everyone properly to be in the best possible shape going into next year. I will be doing my best over the winter to prepare myself, and I know the team will be working hard to ensure a successful season. 2011 will be the first time in nearly thirty years that a Venezuelan has driven a Formula One car so I will be looking to get some good results in return for the support my country has given me to help get me to this position today.”

Images and Info: Williams F1
Editorial: Neil Tozer

EVENTS // ENDURO TRIBUTE TO FALLEN HERO

2010-11-29T20:57:00.000-08:00

Held around the rugged combat tank testing ranges at Bovington UK, the Seth Stephens Enduro was run as a fitting tribute to the Poole based marine who tragically lost his life in Afghanistan this summer. Corporal Seth Stephens is thought to have been a member of the UK's elite "Special Boat Service" – the Royal Marines’ equivalent of the SAS. He was killed in southern Afghanistan on July 1st... [read more]

The SBS have their top security base at Royal Marines Hamworthy, and their work in combat zones is shrouded in secrecy. Stephens was a keen enduro rider and was a member of the Royal Marines Poole Enduro Club. 130 riders from across the South gathered to pay their respects with a minutes silence prior to the start of the 3 hour "Hare and Hounds" type event.

Victory around the gruelling six mile course went to Nick Life from Totnes in Devon.

Photo & Editorial: Neil Tozer

VIDEO // RHYS MILLEN'S CLIMB ATTACK BRAZIL

2010-11-28T17:56:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is the full version of Rhys Millen's run up the side of Serra Do Rio Do Rastro in Santa Catarina, Brazil during the Red Bull Xtreme Drift. The video was shot and edited by DC Chavez with a Canon 5D Mk II, Contour HD 1080P, Contour GPS and HVX200 // [comment]

PHOTO GALLERY // SUPER GT @ FUJI SPEEDWAY (PART TWO)

2010-11-28T17:41:00.000-08:00

Featured below is part two of Masaaki Kitagawa's photo collection from the ninth and final round of the 2010 AUTOBACS Super GT Series at the Fuji International Speedway. Follow the link for a look... [read more]

Photo(s): Masaaki Kitagawa
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

EYE CANDY // AIRBORNE @ THE GERMAN GP

2010-11-28T17:28:00.000-08:00

Thought you guys might enjoy this shot of James Hunt taken at the 1975 German Grand Prix. Hunt, who was driving a Heskesh-Ford 308B, retired after only ten laps when a wheel came off. Of the 24 cars that qualified for the race, only ten managed to finish, with Carlos Reutemann collecting the win in his Brabham-Ford, followed shortly thereafter by Jacques Laffite (who started from 15th) and Niki Lauda // [comment]

PHOTO GALLERY // SUPER GT @ FUJI SPEEDWAY (PART ONE)

2010-11-28T17:17:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, ColdTrackDays correspondent, Masaaki Kitagawa, visited the Fuji International Speedway for the ninth and final round of the 2010 AUTOBACS Super GT Series. The event, which was a non-championship round, saw both the GT300 and GT500 classes compete on the 2.835 mile circuit. And while no championship points were awarded, the action on track was as fierce as ever.

Follow the link for a handful of images... [read more]

Photo: Masaaki Kitagawa
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

VIDEO // MOTORSPORT - EVERY SECOND COUNTS

2010-11-28T16:56:00.000-08:00

For those of you that didn't see this video posted to the ColdTrackDays Facebook page, check out this wonderful collection of motorsport footage uploaded by antti2phoenixbird. The video, which includes footage of everything from Formula One and MotoGP to the Dakar Rally and the World Rally Championship, also includes a handful of quotes from some of racings greatest participants // [comment]

TRIVIA // WHO, WHEN AND WHERE?

2010-11-28T16:48:00.000-08:00

With the weekend drawing to a close I thought we'd post a trivia question for Monday morning consumption. And while it seems obvious that this is the Tyrrell P34 six-wheeler, the questions is - who is driving, what circuit are they on and when was this photo taken? Follow the link and post your answer in our comment section. First person with the correct answer wins some CTD schwag. Good luck! // [comment]

VIDEO // JEFF ZWART'S PRE-PPIHC PORSCHE PRACTICE

2010-11-28T16:35:00.000-08:00

Jeff Zwart, a commercial film director from Woody Creek, Colorado, drove a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in the 2WD Time Attack class at this years Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Zwart, who had technical support from Porsche Motorsport North America and Pirelli Tires, did a bit of testing before hand and has since released this video from his shakedown run on the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation east of San Diego // [comment]

2010-11-28T16:28:00.001-08:00

VIDEO // RHYS MILLEN'S CLIMB ATTACK BRAZIL TEASER

2010-11-22T23:03:00.000-08:00

Check out this teaser for a forthcoming film featuring Rhys Millen and his 750 horsepower RMR Hyundai Genesis Coupe. The video, which was shot by DC Chavez using a Canon 5D Mk II, Contour HD 1080P, Contour GPS and HVX200, will highlight Millen's drive up the side of Serra Do Rio Do Rastro in Santa Catarina, Brazil. Stay tuned, as the video is scheduled to be released on Thanksgiving // [comment]

PHOTO GALLERY // FORMULA NIPPON @ FUJI SPEEDWAY

2010-11-22T22:36:00.000-08:00

Last weekend the Formula Nippon series ran alongside the AUTOBACS Super GT Series at the Fuji International Speedway. ColdTrackDays correspondent, Masaaki Kitagawa, was trackside all weekend and was able to send us a handful of images from the eighth and final round of the championship.

Follow the link for a look... [read more]

Photo(s): Masaaki Kitagawa
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

SUPER GT // 2010 JAF GRAND PRIX & FUJI SPRINT CUP

2010-11-22T22:20:00.000-08:00

ColdTrackDays correspondent, Masaaki Kitagawa, spent last weekend at the Fuji Speedway for this years JAF Grand Prix and Fuji Sprint Cup. Finishing first in the GT500 class was the #38 ZENT CERUMO SC430 of Richard Lyons (above), while Shinichi Takagi took the win in the GT300 class driving the #43 ARTA Garaiya.

Follow the link for complete results... [read more]

2010 JAF Grand Prix and Fuji Sprint Cup // Complete Results

GT500 Class:

1 38 ZENT CERUMO SC430 Richard Lyons 1'33.475
2 35 MJ KRAFT SC430 Hiroaki Ishiura 1'33.511
3 12 CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R Ronnie Quintarelli 1'33.536
4 18 Weider HSV-010 Loic Duval 1'33.662
5 1 PETRONAS TOM'S SC430 Andre Lotterer 1'33.672
6 6 ENEOS SC430 Bjorn Wirdheim 1'33.772
7 100 RAYBRIG HSV-010 Naoki Yamamoto 1'33.842
8 24 HIS ADVAN KONDO GT-R Hironobu Yasuda
9 17 KEIHIN HSV-010 Koudai Tsukakoshi 1'34.011
10 32 EPSON HSV-010 Yuhki Nakayama 1'34.145
11 39 DENSO DUNLOP SARD SC430 Andre Couto 1'34.260
12 23 MOTUL AUTECH GT-R Benoit Treluyer 1'34.565
13 8 ARTA HSV-010 Yuji Ide 1'34.572

GT300 Class:

1 43 ARTA Garaiya Shinichi Takagi 1'42.559
2 74 COROLLA Axio apr GT Yuji Kunimoto 1'43.282
3 11 JIMGAINER DIXCEL DUNLOP F430 Katsuyuki Hiranaka 1'43.328
4 9 911GT3R Porsche Japan Hideto Yasuoka 1'43.571
5 66 triple a Vantage GT2 Hiroki Yoshimoto 1'43.731
6 46 UP START MOLA Z Tsubasa Abe 1'43.770
7 3 TOMICA Z Kazuki Hoshino 1'43.822
8 19 WedsSport IS350 Tatsuya Kataoka 1'44.017
9 87 JLOC Lamborghini RG-3 Yuya Sakamoto 1'44.033
10 7 M7 MUTIARA MOTORS AMEMIYA SGC 7 Ryo Orime 1'44.139
11 26 CINE CITTA' TAISAN PORSCHE Masayuki Ueda 1'44.178
12 25 ZENT Porsche RSR Akihiro Tsuzuki 1'44.255
13 86 JLOC Lamborghini RG-3 Yuhi Sekiguchi 1'44.264
14 31 MAGICAL CARBON apr Axio Kosuke Matsuura 1'44.282
15 33 HANKOOK PORSCHE Tomonobu Fujii 1'44.390
16 27 NAC EISEICOM LMP Ferrari Hiroshi Koizumi 1'44.566
17 88 RIRE Lamborghini RG-3 Atsushi Yogo 1'44.660
18 5 MACH GOGOGO SHAKEN408R Tetsuji Tamanaka 1'44.665
19 62 R&D SPORT LEGACY B4 Tetsuya Yamano 1'44.883
20 51 Sabelt CINE CITTA' TAISAN PORSCHE Yuya Sakamoto 1'45.020
21 365 365 ThunderAsia MT900M Keita Sawa 1'45.892
22 2 Apple·K-one·Shiden Kazuho Takahashi 1'46.424

Photo: Masaaki Kitagawa
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

NEWS // FORD UNVEILS FOCUS RACE CAR CONCEPT

2010-11-22T21:50:00.000-08:00

During last weeks L.A. Auto Show, Ford unveiled a race ready version of their new economy coupe, the Focus Race Car Concept. Powered by a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, the forthcoming Focus Race package will feature AST performance coil-over adjustable dampers, anthracite 18-inch wheels and Hoosier race tires. Additional upgrades will include sway bars from Ford Racing with adjustable end links and front brakes with 320-millimeter two-piece rotors and race pads. Open the doors and you’ll find a full FIA-certified roll cage, along with Recaro seats and six-point racing harnesses.

According to their press release, Ford has teamed up with a number of professional racing teams to develop its Focus Race The car's first appearance in competition will be at the 2011 British Touring Car Championship, but it will also race in the China Touring Car Championship and at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in Germany.

Follow the link for the official press release... [read more]

New Focus Race Car Concept: L.A. Auto Show debut for Ford's next global touring race car

* Focus race car concept by Ford Racing makes its global debut at the 2010 Los Angeles International Auto Show
* Powered by a 2.0-liter Ford EcoBoost™ turbo engine, the Focus race car concept is built to compete in global road and touring car racing
* All-new Focus, Ford's latest offering, will be raced by touring car teams globally, building on Ford's history in engineering race-ready platforms. First race appearance for the car is anticipated to be in the 2011 British Touring Car Championship
* Focus race car concept hints at future potential as Ford coordinates with and provides technical support to private race teams around the world to develop one common race car capable of winning major touring car categories

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 17, 2010 – Ford Motor Company is putting racing on the map at the
2010 Los Angeles International Auto Show with the debut of the Focus race car concept, demonstrating future potential for the all-new 2012 Ford Focus to compete in road and touring car championships with teams around the world.

The Focus race car concept is a dramatic example of Ford's global approach to product development and builds on the company's comprehensive approach to leveraging its global product platforms.

This race car concept, powered by the sophisticated 2.0-liter Ford EcoBoost I-4 engine, is the first to benefit from a collaborative effort between Ford and race teams around the world that have already built and raced successful Focus race cars. The Focus race car concept has been based around rules governing circuit racing in the United States and beyond.

"This teamwork has resulted in a global racing platform using a common Focus body and a safety cage built to FIA regulations – a competitive platform that can be tailored for regional competition, based on different rules," said Jost Capito, director of Global Performance Vehicles and Motorsport Business Development. "By leveraging our collective experience and Ford technology worldwide, this approach parallels our global dedication to the Focus production car and specifically its exciting performance derivative, the new Focus ST, to deliver a competitive race car that can be campaigned around the world."

Using the all-new Focus as its base, the Focus race car concept features AST performance coil-over adjustable dampers, Ford Racing upgraded sway bars with adjustable end links and front brakes with 320-millimeter two-piece rotors and race pads. The Anthracite 18-inch wheels and Hoosier race tires put the finishing touches on the exterior.

In addition to the FIA Super 2000 regulations roll cage, interior components include a Recaro® racing seat, AIM MXL Pista data system and AIM SmartyCam. Ford Racing fire suppression system and Ford Racing six-point safety harness round out the modifications that bring the car from street-spec to race-ready.

"There has been tremendous interest from the racing world in the new Focus, and it's the perfect fit for a global touring car," said Capito. "Even more, by working with professional private race teams, we're ensuring Focus has the support it needs to compete and win around the world."

Benefits will stretch beyond the track

Professional private race teams are partnering with Ford to develop common technical specifications for the race car, which will conform to FIA Super 2000 regulations with potential to adopt to other regulations.

The teams are being brought together by Ford to harness their strengths and define roles for the development of the race car. Ford will also support the race teams by providing data, advanced engineering tools, state-of-the-art testing facilities and production parts, resulting in teams racing more competitive cars that are developed with greater efficiency.

"Ford's commitment to using motorsports to influence high-performance vehicles will be highly evident, as the development of the Focus touring car will also provide valuable input as we develop the upcoming Focus ST production car," said Capito. "It's very similar to how the Mustang team was able to apply learnings from the Ford Racing Boss 302R to the 2012 Mustang Boss 302."

The first race appearance for the Focus is targeted for the 2011 British Touring Car Championship. Globally, the race car has the potential to run in many national and regional championships, such as the China Touring Car Championship and 24-hour endurance races like the classic Nürburgring in Germany.

Images and Info: Autoblog
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

GEAR // VISION RACER VR3

2010-11-17T22:33:00.000-08:00

Are you ready for the (highly anticipated) release of Gran Turismo 5? Do you have your Playstation 3 and say, oh, three weeks to spare? If you answered yes, then you're probably in the market for something like this. Built by Vision Racer, the VR3 is the latest purpose built racing rig and features a fiberglass racing seat attached to a stainless steel frame, with pedal and gearshift mounts and a LCD and console stand. All you'll need is an HDTV, your PS3 and a copy of GT:5. Click here for additional information // [comment]

VIDEO // CATERHAM R500 @ THE NURBURGRING

2010-11-17T22:20:00.000-08:00

Keeping a Caterham R500 between the lines as you lap the Nürburgring's Nordschleife is hard enough, but doing it in the wet, er, make that the snow, is an example of car control few are capable of. So with that said, check out this video of the aforementioned R500 running around the 'Ring on a set of Kumho V70 tires, in the wet. Oh, and the video was with a Canon 7D and a Sigma 12-24mm lens // [comment]

PHOTO GALLERY // 2010 SEMA SHOW

2010-11-17T21:29:00.000-08:00

ColdTrackDays correspondent, Curtis Creager, spent last week in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the annual SEMA show. And while Curtis was busy monitoring the progress of Bill Caswell's Baja Bimmer, he did manage to snap a few photos of some of the other cars on display. Follow the link for a look... [read more]

Ferrari 599 GTO in the Giovanni Wheel booth.

Performance Friction... Bus caliper.

Gumpert Apollo super car in the HRE booth.

One of many Camaro’s on display, these where the darlings of SEMA.

Ken Block giving a Gymkhana demo in his 600+hp Ford Fiesta.

Dennis Anderson's King Sling

CRZ in the Honda booth.

Click here for additional images from the 2010 SEMA show.

Photo/Editorial: Curtis Creager

2010-11-17T20:47:00.001-08:00

NEWS // CHEVROLET RETURNS TO OPEN-WHEEL RACING

2010-11-16T22:11:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week, General Motors announced that they will return to open-wheel racing in 2012. According to their press release, Chevrolet will supply V6 engines to Team Penske for the 2012 IndyCar Series. The new engine, which is being developed by General Motors and Ilmor engineering, will be a twin-turbocharged, direct-injection 2.4-liter V6, and will run on E85 ethanol. As far as we know, Penske is the only team that will use Chevrolet power for 2012, however, in accordance with IndyCar rules, the engine will be available to any teams interested. Follow the link for the official press release... [read more]

Chevrolet to Compete in 2012 IndyCar Series with New V-6 Engine
Returns to Open-Wheel Competition as Engine Maker in Partnership with Team Penske

2010-11-12

INDIANAPOLIS – Chevrolet will compete in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series with a new twin-turbocharged, direct-injected V-6 racing engine powered by renewable E85 ethanol fuel. The new purpose-built Chevy IndyCar engine will be developed jointly by General Motors and Ilmor Engineering.

Team Penske is the first IndyCar team to commit to Chevrolet power in 2012. The Chevrolet IndyCar engine will be available to all entrants in accordance with the series' regulations.

"Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been a proving ground for manufacturers since Louis Chevrolet, our co-founder, first raced here in 1909," said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing. "Our return to IndyCar as Chevrolet enters its centennial year is natural. At the same time this engine program will be a showcase for the efficient and powerful engine technologies that parallel new Chevrolet vehicles like the Camaro, all-new Cruze compact and Equinox crossover."

Chevrolet competed previously in Indy-style competition as an engine manufacturer in 1986-93 and 2002-05 with V-8 engines, winning 104 races, powering six driver champions, and scoring seven Indianapolis 500 victories. The new Chevrolet IndyCar engine program will reunite one of the most successful partnerships in motorsports when Team Penske introduces the Chevrolet engine in 2012. Team Penske previously tallied 31 open-wheel victories with Chevrolet engines, including four Indianapolis 500 wins.

"Our vision is to design, build and sell the world's best vehicles – and racing is one of the best ways to showcase what we can do," said Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman, Global Product Operations. "Re-entering IndyCar racing will help us take our advanced engine technology to the upper bounds of what's possible. And it will also provide a dynamic training ground for engineers, who'll transfer the technologies we develop for racing to the products we sell to our customers.

"GM has become a recognized leader in implementing direct-injection technology in both 4-cylinder and V-6 engines," Stephens said. "Building on this foundation, our new partnership with Ilmor will give us even more opportunities to accelerate our advanced propulsion technology strategy. We'll work to further increase performance, while using the least amount of fuel – and we'll also learn how to get the most out of E85 ethanol."

The Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 will have a displacement of 2.4 liters. The powerplant will have an aluminum block and cylinder heads, and will be a fully stressed chassis member supporting the gearbox and rear suspension. Technical details and specifications will be released at a later date.

"We are excited to have engine manufacturer competition again in the IZOD IndyCar Series, beginning in 2012," said Randy Bernard, CEO, INDYCAR. "Chevrolet brings a strong passion for racing, technology, relevance and innovation, which is a great fit for our new car platform. We are excited about the future of IndyCar racing with the addition of Chevrolet."

Image: Curtis Creager
Info: General Motors
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

EYE CANDY // AUDI R8 @ 500 KM DE INTERLAGOS

2010-11-16T21:10:00.000-08:00

ColdTrackDays correspondent, Alemiro Almeida, spent the weekend at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace for the annual 500 km de Interlagos. Amongst the cars participating in this years event was an Audi R8, a handful of Ferrari F430s, a BMW M3 and even a Dodge Viper SRT-10. Click here for additional images // [comment]

2010 ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX // RACE RESULTS

2010-11-16T20:56:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, Sebastian Vettel collected his fifth victory of the 2010 season and his first Formula One World Championship. The German driver, who started from pole (for the tenth time this season, I might add), pulled away from the field on the first lap and never looked back. Fernando Alonso, who had been leading the drivers championship heading into the final race at Abu Dhabi, fell behind the Renault of Vitaly Petrov and was unable to pass the Russian driver. Alonso would go on to finish 7th, effectively handing the drivers championship to Vettel. Finishing second was Lewis Hamilton followed shortly thereafter by his McLaren teammate, Jenson Button.

Follow the link for complete results... [read more]

2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix // Race Results:

1 5 Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault 55 1:39:36.837
2 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 55 +10.1 secs
3 1 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 55 +11.0 secs
4 4 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP 55 +30.7 secs
5 11 Robert Kubica Renault 55 +39.0 secs
6 12 Vitaly Petrov Renault 55 +43.5 secs
7 8 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 55 +43.7 secs
8 6 Mark Webber RBR-Renault 55 +44.2 secs
9 17 Jaime Alguersuari STR-Ferrari 55 +50.2 secs
10 7 Felipe Massa Ferrari 55 +50.8 secs
11 22 Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber-Ferrari 55 +51.5 secs
12 9 Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 55 +57.6 secs
13 14 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 55 +58.3 secs
14 23 Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari 55 +59.5 secs
15 16 Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari 55 +63.1 secs
16 10 Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 55 +64.7 secs
17 19 Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 54 +1 Lap
18 25 Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 53 +2 Laps
19 21 Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 53 +2 Laps
20 20 Christian Klien HRT-Cosworth 53 +2 Laps
21 18 Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 51 +4 Laps
Ret 24 Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 43 Gearbox
Ret 3 Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP 0 Accident
Ret 15 Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 0 Accident

2010 Formula One World Championship // Driver Standings:

1 Sebastian Vettel German RBR-Renault 256
2 Fernando Alonso Spanish Ferrari 252
3 Mark Webber Australian RBR-Renault 242
4 Lewis Hamilton British McLaren-Mercedes 240
5 Jenson Button British McLaren-Mercedes 214
6 Felipe Massa Brazilian Ferrari 144
7 Nico Rosberg German Mercedes GP 142
8 Robert Kubica Polish Renault 136
9 Michael Schumacher German Mercedes GP 72
10 Rubens Barrichello Brazilian Williams-Cosworth 47
11 Adrian Sutil German Force India-Mercedes 47
12 Kamui Kobayashi Japanese BMW Sauber-Ferrari 32
13 Vitaly Petrov Russian Renault 27
14 Nico Hulkenberg German Williams-Cosworth 22
15 Vitantonio Liuzzi Italian Force India-Mercedes 21
16 Sebastien Buemi Swiss STR-Ferrari 8
17 Pedro de la Rosa Spanish BMW Sauber-Ferrari 6
18 Nick Heidfeld German BMW Sauber-Ferrari 6
19 Jaime Alguersuari Spanish STR-Ferrari 5
20 Heikki Kovalainen Finnish Lotus-Cosworth 0
21 Jarno Trulli Italian Lotus-Cosworth 0
22 Karun Chandhok Indian HRT-Cosworth 0
23 Bruno Senna Brazilian HRT-Cosworth 0
24 Lucas di Grassi Brazilian Virgin-Cosworth 0
25 Timo Glock German Virgin-Cosworth 0
26 Sakon Yamamoto Japanese HRT-Cosworth 0
27 Christian Klien Austrian HRT-Cosworth 0

Image: F1Fanatic
Info: Formula One
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

EYE CANDY // MANSELL @ 1986 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX

2010-11-13T18:17:00.000-08:00

Check out this incredible image of F1 World Champion, Nigel Mansell, as he pilots the Williams FW11 during the 1986 Canadian Grand Prix. The car was powered by Honda's turbocharged 1.5 liter V6, an engine that would produce 800hp at 12,000rpm and well over 1,000hp during qualifying // [comment]

VIDEO // PASTRANA'S FINAL RACE WITH SUBARU

2010-11-13T16:07:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Travis Pastrana drove his final rally race behind the wheel of a Subaru. No one knew at the time, but the U.S. Rallycross championship double header held at the New Jersey Motorsports Park would be Pastrana's last race with the ubaru Rally Team USA before he joins the NASCAR Nationwide Series with the newly formed Pastrana-Waltrip team.

And while Pastrana's days of rally racing are coming to an end, the four-time Rally America champion did manage to win the B Main race, securing himself a position in the A Main final. But despite his hardest efforts, Pastrana came up shy of the podium and finished in fourth place, while his teammate Dave Mirra secured fifth. Video courtesy of Subaru Rally Team USA // [comment]

2010 ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX // QUALIFYING RESULTS

2010-11-13T15:26:00.000-08:00

Sebastian Vettel collected his tenth pole position of the 2010 season this afternoon, qualifying ahead of his Red Bull teammate, Mark Webber, for tomorrow's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Finishing the day with the second fastest time was McLaren-Mercedes driver, Lewis Hamilton, who lapped the Yas Marina Circuit in just 1:39.425, only .031 seconds off the pace of Vettel. Championship points leader, Fernando Alosno, qualified third, lapping the 3.451 mile circuit in just 1:39.792.

Follow the link for complete results... [read more]

2010 Abu Dhabi GRand Prix // Qualifying Results:

1 5 Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault 1:39.394
2 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:39.425
3 8 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:39.792
4 1 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:39.823
5 6 Mark Webber RBR-Renault 1:39.925
6 7 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:40.202
7 9 Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1:40.203
8 3 Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP 1:40.516
9 4 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP 1:40.589
10 12 Vitaly Petrov Renault 1:41.018 1:40.901
11 11 Robert Kubica Renault 1:41.336 1:40.780
12 23 Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari 1:40.783
13 14 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1:40.914
14 22 Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber-Ferrari 1:41.113
15 10 Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1:41.418
16 15 Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1:41.642
17 17 Jaime Alguersuari STR-Ferrari 1:41.738
18 16 Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari 1:41.824
19 18 Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1:43.516
20 19 Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1:43.712
21 24 Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1:44.095
22 25 Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1:44.510
23 21 Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 1:45.085
24 20 Christian Klien HRT-Cosworth 1:45.296

Image and Info: FIA
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

VIDEO // BLOCK ROLLS FOCUS RS AHEAD OF RALLY GB

2010-11-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

In the video featured above, watch as Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino roll the MWRT Ford Focus RS WRC at M-Sport's proving grounds before their final race at Rally GB. According to the Monster World Rally Team, extreme conditions such as slush and standing water caused Ken to hydroplane, and sent he and Gelsomino into the trees // [comment]

NEWS // KTM 450 RALLY COLLECTS WIN @ RALLYE DU MAROC

2010-11-13T12:29:00.000-08:00

The KTM 450 Rally debuted at the EICMA motorcycle and has already collected a race win for Austrian motorcycle manufacturer. Riding KTM’s new Dakar racer, Cyril Despres (above) finished first in the seven-day Rallye du Maroc last month while Marc Coma, also riding a 450, finished third. Follow the link for additional images from the KTM 450s racing debut... [read more]

Images and Info: Hell for Leather
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

VIDEO // STEVE MILLEN @ 2010 TARGA NEW ZEALAND

2010-11-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

Check out this video of Steve Millen driving his rally-prepped 620 horsepower STILLEN Nissan GT-R during this year's Targa New Zealand. Millen and his crew took third place in both their class, and overall, finishing the five day event without any issues // [comment]

NEWS // LOTUS TO REVIVE FAMOUS JPS LIVERY

2010-11-13T11:25:00.000-08:00

Lotus Racing has announced this morning that its cars will be running in a black and gold colour scheme from the 2011 Formula One World Championship, and onwards. This move echoes the evolution of Lotus Formula One cars of the past by moving from the iconic green and yellow paint scheme of the first season to the much loved black and gold... [read more]

To bring the fans even closer to the team in its second season head of marketing Silvi Schaumloeffel today explained how the 2011 livery will be designed: "We have worked all year to make sure our fans are given unprecedented access to our team. We are all very excited about the move to a black and gold paint scheme for next season, and we want our fans to help us design the livery that will be racing around the world next year. We will shortly be announcing exactly how the fans can take part in our design process, so keep an eye on our website www.lotusracing.my for more details. The person who designs the livery we finally choose will be joining us at our first test next year to see the car out on track for the very first time, so for Lotus and F1 fans it is the chance of a lifetime to help us take the next step forward in our amazing story in 2011."

Riad Asmat, Lotus Racing Chief Executive, added his thoughts on the next step in the Lotus Racing story: "When we first unveiled our 2010 car there was unanimous praise for our decision to bring the historic green and yellow livery back to the modern F1 grid. I know the return to the track of the legendary black and gold will be met with even more universal support as it strikes such an emotional chord with fans around the world. Giving those fans the chance to help us bring it back to the contemporary grid is true to our core belief of putting our supporters right at the heart of Lotus Racing - we can't wait to show the world what we come up with.

Image and Info: Lotus F1
Editorial: Neil Tozer

EYE CANDY // McLAREN MP4-25 @ INTERLAGOS

2010-11-10T22:10:00.000-08:00

ColdTrackDays correspondent, Alemiro Almeida, snapped this shot of the McLaren MP4-25 during last weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, also known as Interlagos. Stay tuned for additional images from the penultimate round of the 2010 F1 season courtesy of Alemiro // [comment]

NEWS // PASTRANA LEAVES SUBARU RALLY TEAM FOR NASCAR?

2010-11-10T21:45:00.000-08:00

Earlier today, four time Rally America champion Travis Pastrana announced that he will no longer race for Subaru's US based rally team and will instead take an open seat at Michael Waltrip Racing. Pastrana, who collected 22 race victories, 40 podium finishes and more than 150 stage wins during his tenure with Subaru Rally Team USA, said in a radio interview with Speed Freaks this week that he will likely race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Follow the link for the official press release... [read more]

Subaru Bids Farewell to Travis Pastrana
-- Driver departs after 5 seasons --

CHERRY HILL, N.J., Nov. 10 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Subaru of America, Inc. today bid farewell to Travis Pastrana as the company's lead driver. Travis began his relationship Subaru in 2004 from the world of supercross and freestyle motorcross and officially joined Subaru Rally Team USA (SRT USA) in 2006 having run abbreviated development seasons with Subaru in 2004-2005. During his career as an SRT USA driver, Travis piloted his Subaru Impreza WRX STI to 150+ stage wins, 40 podiums, and 22 event victories en route to earning four consecutive Rally America National Championship titles (2006-2009) and becoming the youngest-ever U.S. Rally champion in history. Within the ESPN X Games Rally Car Racing format, Travis went on to win two gold, one silver and one bronze medal with Subaru Rally Team USA.

Tim Mahoney, CMO of Subaru of America said, "Travis brought Rally to a whole new audience through the rally championship and of course through his spectacular appearances at X Games. We wholeheartedly thank him for his outstanding performances with Subaru Rally Team USA and wish him well in his future endeavors."

Subaru recently celebrated breaking its all-time sales record for the brand in the US. The company surpassed its previous record set in 2009 with two months of 2010 remaining and expects to top 250,000 sales for the year.

Image and Info: Autoblog via Subaru
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

PHOTO GALLERY // UK TEMPEST RALLY 2010

2010-11-09T21:00:00.000-08:00

ColdTrackDays Associate Editor, Neil Tozer, forsake his usual circuit work to attend the JLT South Of England Tempest Rally last weekend and brings us a selection of images from the event. The Tempest Rally is one of but a few rallies to take place in the south of England and suffered a drop in entries this year.

Despite the smaller field the event always provides great action around the forests and military areas around the Hampshire town of Aldershot and this year was no exception. The 2010 event was once again split between 4WD and 2WD with John Lloyd and Adrian Cavanagh taking the all wheel drive class victory, whilst in the 2WD class Leigh and Chris Armstrong took the spoils... [read more]

Click here for additional images from the 2010 JLT South Of England Tempest Rally.

Photo/Editorial: Neil Tozer

SEMA // CASWELL & THE BAJA BIMMER - DAY FOUR

2010-11-08T23:42:00.000-08:00

The last build day at the Miller booth has come and gone for Bill Caswell and his crew. The SEMA show is over, everyone has packed and the 100,000 sq/ft Las Vegas Convention Center now lay dormant for at least a few days. Everyone has parted ways for another year, but that doesn’t mean things have stopped for Bill Caswell. He’s now in San Diego for the next two weeks working hard to complete the rest of the build out of his Baja Bimmer. And with 14 full days ahead of Bill and his crew, they should have no trouble getting his Bimmer built and ready for final tech before the start of this year's SCORE Baja 1000... [read more]

Big thanks to Miller, a leading manufacturer of arc welding and cutting equipment for supplying Bill the welding tools needed to get the car ready for the 2010 Baja 1000.

Keep an eye out for future updates from Bill as he continues this build and epic racing adventure, It’s going be awesome!

Photo/Editorial: Curtis Creager

2010 BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX // RACE RESULTS

2010-11-08T23:26:00.000-08:00

Sebastian Vettel collected his fourth victory of the season at this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix, finishing some 4.243 seconds ahead of his Red Bull teammate, Mark Webber, and 6.807 seconds ahead of Fernando Alonso who finished third. Vettel's win puts him 15 points back from Alosno and just seven points behind Webber, with only one race remaining.

Follow the link for complete results... [read more]

2010 Brazilian Grand Prix // Race Results:

1 5 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 71
2 6 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 71 4.243 4.243
3 8 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 71 6.807 2.564
4 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 71 14.634 7.827
5 1 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 71 15.593 0.959
6 4 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 71 35.320 19.727
7 3 Michael Schumacher Mercedes 71 43.456 8.136
8 10 Nico Hülkenberg Williams-Cosworth 70 1 lap 1 lap
9 11 Robert Kubica Renault 70 1 lap 1.178
10 23 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 70 1 lap 0.471
11 17 Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 70 1 lap 7.367
12 14 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 70 1 lap 0.510
13 16 Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 70 1 lap 12.796
14 9 Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 70 1 lap 0.032
15 7 Felipe Massa Ferrari 70 1 lap 0.712
16 12 Vitaly Petrov Renault 70 1 lap 0.701
17 22 Nick Heidfeld Sauber-Ferrari 70 1 lap 1.250
18 19 Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 69 2 laps 1 lap
19 18 Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 69 2 laps 0.842
20 24 Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 69 2 laps 6.218
21 21 Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 69 2 laps 1.232
22 20 Christian Klien HRT-Cosworth 65 6 laps 4 laps
25 Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 62 9 laps 3 laps
15 Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 49 22 laps 13 laps

Image and Info: F1Fanatic
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

MotoGP // LORENZO ENDS 2010 W/VALENCIA WIN

2010-11-08T22:14:00.000-08:00

Valencia has been the last race of the season since 2002, its spot in the championship is a double-edged sword though. In close championship years Valencia can be a climactic title decider (MotoGP 2006, 250cc 2009…). Other times it can feel like a final hurdle that everyone just wants to get over with so they can begin testing for next season. Seeing as Jorge Lorenzo sealed the title fight four races ago in Malaysia, Valencia seemed in danger of ending up in tedious hurdle territory... [read more]

After the horrid weather of last weekend’s event in Portugal, the mild sunny Valencia weekend was a godsend. It made for practice sessions that were actually of use on race day. In qualifying Jorge Lorenzo put in his usual long string of fast runs and Casey Stoner did his usual bare minimum of laps while clocking one or two that were just blistering. Stoner took pole at the very end of the session by pulling more than three tenths on Lorenzo, seemingly out of nowhere. Valentino Rossi looked disappointing until near the end of the session when he surprisingly shot to fourth while Marco Simoncelli snatched his first-ever front-row start by coming third. This was a milestone for him but not too surprising, as his form has been quite competitive in the late season. Starting grid was as follows: Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo, Marco Simoncelli, Valentino Rossi, Nicky Hayden, Ben Spies, Colin Edwards, Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso, Marco Melandri, Randy DePuniet, Aleix Espargaro, Hector Barbera, Loris Capirossi, Hiroshi Aoyama, Carlos Checa and Alvaro Bautista.

Stoner and Lorenzo hit turn one in the same order they got off the line, Hayden shot to third and Dani Pedrosa climbed to fourth. Valentino Rossi, however, sank immediately and inexplicably to tenth. By turn two, Pedrosa was in second and Lorenzo down to fifth. Lap one began to settle in and the top ten over the line the first time were: Stoner, Hayden, Pedrosa, Simoncelli, Lorenzo, Dovizioso, Spies, Rossi, Melandri and Barbera. Lap two saw Simoncelli and Lorenzo tussling back and forth with Jorge trying to shoot up the inside for a pass in the final turn before the front straight. Simoncelli had the line and kept it firm, forcing Lorenzo to come about as close to crashing as is possible. Miraculously, he managed to stand the bike up and regroup. He did lose a few places but he had managed to pull out of a bobble that would have taken out almost any other rider.

Just as lap three got going Nicky Hayden ended his season in the gravel trap after a high-speed lowside into turn one. He wasn’t happy. Commentators initially suspected Pedrosa was responsible, but on replay he was absolved of any part in the crash. He may never live Estoril, 2006 down. As the camera cut back to the race, Rossi had somehow ascended to fourth place and looked to be on a charge. Similarly, Lorenzo had managed to keep his composure and was, as of lap four, back to fifth place. Stoner, meanwhile, had failed in his usual disappearing act, hinting that this race may not turn out to be completely processional.

Laps six and seven saw Rossi and then Lorenzo slide past Simoncelli, both thankfully without incident. The two Fiat Yamaha riders then began to creep up on Stoner and Pedrosa up front. It was at this moment that Dani began to fade. Only after the race was it revealed that he was still suffering badly from the injuries he sustained at Motegi, he reported weakness and numbness in his arm. On lap ten, both Rossi and Lorenzo dispatched him within two corners. He sank backwards from there despite a heroic effort. From there, Stoner, Rossi and Lorenzo checked out but stuck together as a group. Jorge would pass Rossi on lap twelve, but Rossi refused to be dropped just yet and the two of them closed in on Stoner as a pair.

On lap thirteen, the camera cut to Nicky Hayden in his garage, leathers all scuffed up, looking justifiably disconsolate. The Dorna feed then cut to a replay of his crash and then quickly back to Nicky who looked to lip readers to be uttering words unsuitable for television. Poor Nicky had a decent year that too often looked a little more promising than it turned out.

Meanwhile, Pedrosa began to be swallowed up into the group behind him which consisted of Simoncelli, Dovizioso and Spies. As they all swapped places, Rossi began to drop back a little from the front two. He later explained that his shoulder injury from much earlier in the year started to sap his endurance and he decided third was good enough and backed off accordingly. Lorenzo finally got the best of Stoner early in lap 23 and the podium from there was settled. The only action left to speak of was the battle for fourth place. Ben Spies, after sitting in sixth contentedly watching Simoncelli and Dovizioso go at it, pounced with four laps left and passed both riders in front of him. He was briefly challenged by Dovizioso but ultimately took fourth, capping a great rookie season.

Jorge Lorenzo pulled off his ninth victory of the season after very nearly being knocked off his bike on only the second lap. He did so wearing a gold, 12,000 Euro, Swarovsky crystal encrusted helmet (no joke, it will be a long time before a more garish helmet appears in MotoGP). He also crushed the hopes of both Stoner and Rossi to score one last victory for their respective manufacturers, as they both migrate elsewhere as of Monday. It was, for Jorge, a very fitting punctuation mark on a stellar season. Rossi had special t-shirts made as a goodbye to the Yamaha M1 that he and others so painstakingly developed over the past seven seasons. He even reprised his stopping-to-kiss-the-bike move from his first win for Yamaha at Welkom, South Africa back in 2004. Lorenzo, for his part, had shirts made up reading “3_ _” he penciled in the 83 in parc ferme to signify the record 383 points he hauled in this season. Stoner, true to his understated self, had no celebration whatsoever.

Elsewhere, last week’s wonderboy, Marc Marquez, did the business to secure the 125cc title by coming in fourth place. After his insane race last week and the nine other wins this season, he richly deserved it and we congratulate him. He is only 17 so let’s hope he keeps his form long enough to become Lorenzo’s Lorenzo in a few year’s time.

Valencia defied the odds to be a pretty great race after all. On to 2011!!!

Image: MotoGP
Editorial: Jeff Winterberg

2010-11-08T22:01:00.001-08:00

SEMA // CASWELL & THE BAJA BIMMER - DAY THREE

2010-11-06T23:22:00.000-07:00

Day three of the Baja Bimmer build was another very productive day for Bill and his crew. The rear massive Bilstein shocks where installed and the car now stands as the tallest and longest E30 ever! If this car had a badge it might look like this: 325il

Day four is just around the corner and will be the final build day at SEMA before the car and crew head off to San Diego for some final assembly. On the docket for Friday will be wiring, building the front control arms, installing spindles and the front brakes. Once the car is finished Caswell and his crew will make their way to Baja for final tech inspection before the start of the 2010 SCORE Baja 1000 on November 17th... [read more]

Remember you can see the build progress live by going clicking here

Photo/Editorial: Curtis Creager

2010 BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX // QUALIFYING RESULTS

2010-11-06T22:52:00.000-07:00

Nico Hülkenberg collected the first pole position of his Formula One career yesterday, lapping the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in just 1:14.470 during the third and final qualifying session. Hülkenberg's performance in Q3 put him ahead of both Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber who qualified second and third, respectively. Lewis Hamilton managed a 1:15.747 lap time in Q3 followed shortly thereafter by Fernando Alonso who lapped Interlagos in 1:15.989. Follow the link for complete results... [read more]

2010 Brazilian Grand Prix // Qualifying Results:

1. Nico Hülkenberg 1’14.470
2. Sebastian Vettel 1’15.519
3. Mark Webber 1’15.637
4. Lewis Hamilton 1’15.747
5. Fernando Alonso 1’15.989
6. Rubens Barrichello 1’16.203
7. Robert Kubica 1’16.552
8. Michael Schumacher 1’16.925
9. Felipe Massa 1’17.101
10. Vitaly Petrov 1’17.656
11. Jenson Button 1’19.288
12. Kamui Kobayashi 1’19.385
13. Nico Rosberg 1’19.486
14. Jaime Alguersuari 1’19.581
15. Nick Heidfeld 1’19.899
16. Vitantonio Liuzzi 1’20.357
17. Timo Glock 1’22.130
18. Jarno Trulli 1’22.250
19. Heikki Kovalainen 1’22.378
20. Sebastien Buemi* 1’19.847
21. Lucas di Grassi 1’22.810
22. Christian Klien 1’23.083
23. Adrian Sutil* 1’20.830
24. Bruno Senna 1’23.796

Image and Info: F1Fanatic
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

BTCC // WRATHALL TO MAKE SERIES DEBUT IN 2011

2010-11-06T22:20:00.000-07:00

Current Ginetta G50 champion, Frank Wrathall, has announced that he will move up to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car series in 2011. A New Generation Touring Car spec Toyota Avensis will be the choice of car for Wrathall who will continue his relationship with the Dynojet team which took him to the G50 title in 2010... [read more]

Preston based Wrathall said “It’s a major step up for our family-run team and myself but the BTCC is the big time and we feel, particularly with the benefits of the new NGTC regulations, that the timing is right. I enjoyed a terrific run in 2010 with the Ginetta G50 title but moving to a front-wheel-drive touring car in a championship that has millions of fans worldwide and is famed for its door-to-door action is going to require a different approach on and off the track.”

The team expects to take delivery of the car in February 2011 with testing scheduled for early March.

Photo/Editorial: Neil Tozer

NEWS // PEUGEOT UNVEILS 90X LE MANS PROTOTYPE

2010-11-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

Peugeot Sport has just unveiled their latest Le Mans Prototype, what they are calling the 90X. Designed to meet the 2011 regulations put into place by the ACO, the 90X has been undergoing testing at undisclosed tracks in Europe. And while Peugeot has released limited information on the car's development, rumor has it the 90X will incorporate a more comprehensive hybrid drivetrain than the KERS regenerative braking system being used in the current 908 HDi FAP, as well as a 'shark fin' similar to those used in Formula One.

Follow the link for additional images and the official press release... [read more]

PEUGEOT 90X BREAKS COVER

In parallel with its 2010 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP race programme, Peugeot Sport is busy designing and developing a new prototype that will defend its colours in 2011.

Peugeot Sport's principal mission accomplished

Having been kept secret in Peugeot Sport's factory in Vélizy, near Paris, the team's new endurance challenger – known under the codename 90X – has been out for its first track test. "Our objective was to start track testing before the end of the year," says Peugeot Sport Director Olivier Quesnel. "I am pleased to report that we have now done that. Even so, there is still a long way to go and a considerable amount of work to be done as we prepare for 2011."

The 90X's technical characteristics

The 90X complies with the new ACO's 2011 regulations, and notably incorporates the extra "shark fin" bodywork on the engine cover. This new feature is designed to help prevent the car from becoming airborne in the case of a high-speed spin. As with the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, Peugeot Sport has opted for a closed cockpit design, which still meets the mandatory 900kg weight requirement. "We are still exploring several options with regard to the engine and technology we will use," points out Bruno Famin, the Technical Director of Peugeot Sport. "Work on the engine's development is ongoing. Endurance racing is an ideal proving ground to provide us with the opportunity to showcase all the brand's technologies."

Images and Info: Peugeot
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

VIDEO // TOYOTA REMEMBERS HIROMU NARUSE

2010-11-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hiromu Naruse, Toyota's chief test driver for almost 50 years, and a man who had his hand in nearly every sports car built by the Japanese automaker since the 1960s, died this past June while testing his latest creation, the Lexus LF-A. In honor of his work, Toyota has released the video featured above, what is but a brief tribute to one of the auto industry's greatest test drivers // [comment]

SEMA // CASWELL & THE BAJA BIMMER - DAY TWO

2010-11-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

It's day two at the SEMA show in Las Vegas and our friend Bill Caswell and his crew have made steady progress on his Baja Bimmer. According to Bill, the transformation of this E30 is going pretty well considering the numerous press interviews and his ever increasing popularity. Yesterday concluded with finishing of the main roll cage, rear sub frame and rear suspension supports along with installing the massive trailing arms. In talking to Bill at the end of a very long day he’s pretty happy with how things are going so far and is looking forward to day three of the build... [read more]

Day three will be another busy day for the Bill and his crew assisting on the build out of the Baja car. Bill said we should have the rear Bilstein shocks installed along with the build out of the front double arm suspension from scratch, including the front light bar and brush guard, one thing’s for sure Bill’s making good use of the Miller’s welding tools.

To see more of Caswell’s story, and to catch live reports and updates from the show, click here.

Photo/Editorial: Curtis Creager

EVENT // SPEEDWARE MOTORSPORTS OPEN HOUSE & CAR SHOW

2010-11-04T11:31:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that Speedware Motorsports is hosting their winter Open House this Saturday, November 6th from 1-6pm at their shop in Redmond, Washington. In addition to showing off the facility and some of their current projects, they are also having a free car show with custom trophies for the winners, as well as offering sales specials, raffles for free prizes, free food and drinks, and a chance to have your picture taken in a two-seat Indycar! If you want to be part of the car show, please email Drew by November 3rd for guarenteed space. Click here for additional information and directions to their shop // [comment]

2010-11-04T11:24:00.001-07:00

WTCC // RULE CHANGE AND REVISED 2011 CALENDAR

2010-11-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

In Paris today (Nov 3rd) the FIA World Motor Sport Council has approved the new system for the World Touring Car Championship reverse grid that will be adopted from next year. In order to avoid drivers deliberately losing positions during Race 1 with the aim of securing pole position for Race 2, from 2011 the reverse grid for the second race will be based on the final results of the Q1 qualifying session. Furthermore, the number of drivers to be reversed will be enlarged from the current eight, to ten. The reverse grid for Race 2 is currently based of the provisional results of the first race... [read more]

Also confirmed was the revised 2011 calender which now includes Zolder in Belgium once more and also confirms Donington Park as the venue for the UK round of the series.

Revised 2011 World Touring Car Championship Calendar:

20 March - Brazil - Curitiba
24 April - Belgium - Zolder ##
15 May - Italy - Monza
05 June - Morocco - Marrakech
19 June - Czech Republic - Brno
03 July - Portgual - Porto #
17 July - United Kingdom - Donington Park
31 July - Germany - Oschersleben
04 September - Spain - Valencia Ricardo Tormo
23 October - Japan - Suzuka
05 November - China - TBA ##
20 November - Macau - Macau

# Subject to homologation of the circuit
## - Subject to confirmation of the ASN

Info: WTCC
Photo: Neil Tozer

SEMA // CREAGER INTERVIEWS CASWELL AHEAD OF BAJA 1000

2010-11-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

ColdTrackDays correspondent, Curtis Creager, is at the SEMA show in Las Vegas this week and had the opportunity to sit down with DIY enthusiast turned internet sensation, Bill Caswell, as he prepares his E30 BMW for this year's SCORE Baja 1000. Caswell, who partnered with Miller Electric, will be performing all of the necessary welds on his Baja Bimmer from Miller booth #23913 in the Racing and Performance pavilion.

Follow the link for Creager's interview with Mr.Caswell... [read more]

CTD: How did you get the car that your building out for this epic adventure?

BC: The car was a junkyard car that was given to me for free. The car was just a shell and was rolled in here on dollies as you can see it has no suspension, no chassis to speak of.

CTD: What are the plans for the car during SEMA?

BC: In the four days at SEMA we’re going to install the cage, put on front and rear suspension, install the front brush guard and mount the light bar. The front suspension is going to be converted to double arm. In the rear where installing really long buggy arms that are going to be 80” wide hub-to-hub, I believe the cars wheelbase is around 107 inches which should make the car very interesting at high speed!

CTD: What engine will be powering the car?

BC: The engine is a bone stock US spec 1995 M3 3.0-liter engine. I’m using a stock M3 clutch by SACHS. In the rear we’re using a speedway quick change rear-end so I can run whatever gearing I chose. I figure we should be able to get the car up to 110 to 120mph, that’s all we’ll ever need on the straight sections.

CTD: What class will the E30 be running?

BC: The car will be entered the Sportsman class, which is the catchall. Unlike other sanctioning bodies SCORE and the BAJA 1000, has a philosophy that anyone can race whatever they want providing it meets the safety requirements. Which is why I can design and build out the car the way I want.

CTD: Do you plan on driving the entire race?

BC: We’re approaching it like the old east African safari rally. We have 48 hours to cover a thousand miles. Our goal is to iron man it, basically Cameron and I are planning on driving the entire race. Apparently this is something people do after running the BAJA for years, where going to try it straight out of the box!

Stay tuned for continued coverage of this year's SEMA show and additional images of Caswell's Baja Bimmer.

Photo/Editorial: Curtis Creager

VIDEO // MANSELL VS. FITTIPALDI @ CLEVELAND CART RACE

2010-11-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

We posted this video to our Facebook page last night and decided to repost the video on ColdTrackDays for those of you not participating in the social networking revolution. What might be one of the most epic CART races of all time, watch as Nigel Mansell and Emerson Fittipaldi battle it out at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland, Ohio during the 1993 Grand Prix of Cleveland // [comment]

SEMA // MAZDA BRINGS THE ZOOM-ZOOM TO VEGAS

2010-11-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

Mazda and their go-fast department, MAZDASPEED, brought a handful of race ready cars to this year's SEMA show in Las Vegas. Amongst those cars was this subcompact Mazda2, dubbed the Mazda2 Evil Track. And while I'm not entirely sure what's been done to this little hatchback, I have to say, it does look pretty good. Additionally, Mazda brought a pair of MX-5s, one of which is the 2011 MX-5 Cup Car, which is a full-on spec racer outfitted with a plethora of go-fast goodies.

Follow the link for the official press release... [read more]

FROM THE TRACK TO THE STREET MAZDA SHOWCASES AFTERMARKET PROWESS AT THE 2010 SEMA SHOW

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 2, 2010 – Mazda's product lineup of sedans, sports cars and crossovers offers consumers and exciting choice for their transportation needs; a choice that offers the Soul of a Sports Car in every vehicle. Showcasing the depth and breadth of the brand, Mazda will display a slew of products, each one demonstrating Mazda's aftermarket capability and potential.

"The versatility of Mazda vehicles is extraordinary. With just minor modifications to a stock Mazda, it can be ready for the track or a car show," said Derek Jenkins, director design, MNAO. "Our SEMA cars demonstrate this ability; taking a vehicle from the dealership and making it a truly unique piece."

The newest member to the product lineup is the MAZDA2. With great styling, superb fuel economy and an affordable price tag, the 2011 MAZDA2 subcompact sedan is Zoom-Zoom in its most concentrated form. MAZDA2 is a car that only the engineers at Mazda could have created. It was designed and engineered from scratch to be a pure Mazda, offering the sort of driving experience that could only come from the company that developed the timeless MX-5 two-seat roadster, and it brings a combination of athletic design and dynamic performance to the subcompact class. Mazda Design Americas took two MAZDA2s and created a street car and a track car.

MAZDA Evil Track
The MAZDA2 Evil Track car was envisioned as a fully equipped car for series racing, and all required safety equipment to meet SCCA and NASA competition regulations. This iteration was inspired by the MAZDA2 Evil concept which debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2009. The MAZDA2 Evil Track car has an enhanced motorsport aesthetic achieved through Mazda race-inspired graphics and colors.

MAZDA2 Evil Track car is equipped with a Mazda Design aero body kit, including side skirts, front and rear air-dam and carbon fiber rear deck spoiler. Modifications include H&R race suspension and coil over kit, AWR full custom safety cage, Sparco Circuit pro seat, steering wheel, safety harness and fire system, AIM MXL Pista data acquisition system, race-tuned Magna-flow exhaust, 949 6UL 15x9 lightweight wheels and 225/45/15 Hoosier race tires.

MAZDA2 Street
The Mazda2 Street is a streetwise, urban sport inspired version of the highly successful Mazda2.

This new tougher street version is reinforced visually by using smaller diameter light weight 949 6UL 15x9 wheels and wide profile Toyo Proxes RA-1 R-compound tires. The aesthetic enhanced through the use of a light gray, superfine metallic body color and matte graphic accents.

MX-5 Super20
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the MX-5 has been re-imagined with a darker, edgier attitude in the MX5 Super20. It's a purposeful combination of street-tough style and motorsports-inspired attributes. This third generation vehicle acknowledges the iconic first-gen iteration with modifications such as a supercharged Cosworth engine, small diameter wheels, more substantial tire profile and wider fenders.

A hardtop has replaced the soft-top and the interior stripped down and fitted with a roll-bar lending a GT-inspired look and feel. The seats have suede seat inserts and channel stitching, providing improved grip for the driver. Orange contrast stitching highlights the sporty seat profile as well as providing a polished look throughout, coordinating with the exterior graphic treatment which plays off the black and Storm Gray exterior.

Additional modifications include a DPTune reflashed ECU, Racing Beat 304-stainless steel header and exhaust, ACT organic street clutch, MAZDASPEED coil overs, Racing Beat hollow front and rear anti-roll bars, MAZDASPEED shock tower brace, Power Slot slotted brake rotors, StopTech DOT-compliant stainless steel brake lines and street performance brake pads, SpeedSource front brake ducts, 16x9 Enkei RPF1 wheels wrapped with 245/45-R16 Toyo Proxes RA-1 R-compound tires, 20mm H&R Trak+ hubcentric bolt-on wheel spacers in the rear and 15mm Sparco hubcentric wheel spacers up front.

MAZDA3 Redline Time Attack
The Redline Time Attack Super Modified series is where you see the fastest road racing tuner cars in the country. Full use of carbon/composite body panels, big wings, tires and lots of power are common. The fastest Super Modified class cars can run lap times faster than World Challenge GT cars and are close to surpassing American Le Mans Series GT2 lap times – top speeds at some tracks will surpass 180 mph.

The MAZDA3 Reline Time Attack car is a Super Modified (unlimited rules) class car with more than 500 horsepower at the wheels from a highly modified 2.5-liter turbocharged MZR engine. It features 280/650/18 Yokohama Advan Racing slick tires on 18x10.5 Volk Racing TE-37 wheels.

MAZDA3 Turbo Sedan
A small team of designers and engineers at Mazda R&D in Irvine, Calif., decided to have a little fun with a MAZDA3. The team took its knowledge of the Mazda parts bin and its close relationships with MAZDASPEED Motorsports suppliers, looked in the mirror, and decided to build a tuner car that shows its own vision of the MAZDA3.

The car is painted to mimic the MAZDA3 Time Attack race car, but in a more subdued Crystal White Pearl base coat with soft gray tone graphics. The scheme is a modern twist on the famous Renown graphics used on the Mazda 787B that won Le Mans in 1991. Exterior details, including grille inserts, side mirrors, fog lamp bezels, the roof panel, and the formerly chrome interior of the front lamps are all given a bright black paint treatment. Combined with tinted windows, and dark red taillight lenses, the dark details tighten the car visually, emphasizing the MAZDA3's taught, muscular shape much like a tailored black suit on an athlete. Wheels are forged aluminum 19x8-inch with 225/40-19 Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires straight off the RX-8 R3.

The sedan was sent to Tri-Point Engineering for a boost in power, so they installed a turbo kit utilizing a rugged cast iron turbo manifold feeding a high-efficiency Garrett GT2871R ball bearing turbo. At a mild 10 psi of boost, the 2.5-liter MZR engine is making well over 250 horsepower at the wheels. To handle this extra power, the front brakes were replaced with rotors and calipers from a MAZDASPEED3, while the rear rotors and calipers were sourced from a MAZDA5. Double-adjustable coil-overs from KW Suspension, paired with a Tri-Point adjustable rear stabilizer bar bring the handling back into harmony with the engine's higher output.

Grand-Am GT Mazda RX-8
The SpeedSource Grand Am GT Mazda RX-8 is based on a tube-frame chassis jointly developed by SpeedSource and Riley Technologies, and powered by Mazda's three-rotor 20B Renesis rotary engine. The 20B three-rotor engine is the cornerstone of Mazda's Grand Am GT RX-8 program, and based on the engine used in the RX-8 street car. With its compact size and light weight, the rotary engine brings with it a vast history in sprint and endurance racing. Revving to over 9,000 rpm, the distinctive 20B rotary engine sounds like no other engine on the Grand Am ROLEX GT grid.

The Mazda RX-8 dominated the 2010 Grand-AM GT season winning six of 12 races, and winning the drivers, team, and manufacturers championship.

MX-5 Cup Car
The most road-raced car in the world -- as well as being the best-selling two-seat roadster in the world – the MX-5 Miata is no stranger to the track. The MX-5 Cup is a series that pits similarly modified MX-5s together on the track. The MX-5 Cup car weighs just under 2,600 pounds and features an authoritative 195-horsepower motor. The series was launched in 2006 and has since enjoyed strong fields and close competition.

Engine Modifications: A MAZDASPEED cold air intake system is required.
Chassis Modifications: The only modification is the addition of the 3-piece front strut tower brace that comes with the sport package.
Transmission/Final Drive Modifications: The stock six-speed gearbox is used by all cars.
Suspension/Steering Modifications: The MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development MX-5 Cup kit is comprised of double adjustable shocks, specified springs and threaded-perch coil-overs. All cars also run identical anti-roll bars and end links.
Brake System Modifications: Brakes must maintain stock brake rotor specifications.
Wheels: All cars run their choice of the stock alloy 17x7" wheels available on MX-5 Miatas.
Tires: The series spec tire is the BFGoodrich g-Force R1, size: 225/45/17.
Body Modifications: None
Safety Modifications: All MX-5 Cup cars run with full safety equipment, including an eight-point rollcage that must be welded into the car. Other safety equipment includes a racing seat, head/neck restraint, an electrical shut-off switch and an incorporated fire-extinguishing system.

Images and Info: MAZDASPEED
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

BTCC // GINETTA JUNIOR CHAMP TESTS VAUXHALL VECTRA

2010-11-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

Current Ginetta Junior champion Tom Ingram got to fulfill a dream today (Nov 2nd) as he sampled the performance of a current specification BTCC Vauxhall Vectra at Silverstone. The 17 year old who clinched the UK's Ginetta Junior Championship title back at Brands Hatch in early October sampled the most powerful race car he has yet to drive as an award for his 2010 title success... [read more]

Ingram, who claimed the G40 sportscar title with 5 wins to his name during the season got to experience his first taste of Touring Car machinery aboard the Pirtek Racing Vectra with which Andrew Jordan scored two race victories in this years Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

The former karter commented "It’s just a massive opportunity, absolutely fantastic, and I have to thank both Pirtek and Ginetta for it. I think I am one of the youngest drivers ever to test a touring car at only 17 – and that will be great publicity for me in helping to get my name out there more.

“The fact that Pirtek are prepared to let me out in their car demonstrates a level of trust and confidence in me, which is always nice to see. It really is a dream come true.

Ingram completed around 100 laps of the "National" circuit ending the day with a best lap time in the 61 second bracket, which notably would have placed him 16th on the grid when the series visited the Northamptonshire venue back in August.

After completing his day Ingram enthused to official BTCC website btcc.net "It’s just been a brilliant experience.” Coming out of Juniors into one of these is just a bit different! The size of the car, the slick tyres, front-wheel-drive, the sequential gearbox… and the power – coming out of the corners there’s this whoosh of power and it just keeps pulling and pulling. It’s all a bit of a shock. Everything about it. It’s a touring car. It’s fantastic".

Having battled with the all too frequent budgetary concerns already during his fledgling career Ingram went on to say "“I’d like a shot at touring cars. I’d feel up for it if someone came along with the budget for 2011!

“This has been a fantastic prize that Ginetta has put up, so again a massive thanks to Eurotech and Pirtek for putting so much effort into today and letting me out in their car.”

Editorial: Neil Tozer
Photo: BTCC via Jakob Ebrey

CTSCC // 10 RACE SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED FOR 2011

2010-11-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

GRAND-AM Road Racing just announced a 10-race schedule for the 2011 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, including returns to two historic facilities, the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California and Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The series' 11th season under GRAND-AM sanction will kick off Jan. 28 at Daytona International Speedway and end the weekend of September 16-17 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. All 10 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge races, scheduled for two-and-a-half hours, will be run on weekends in conjunction with the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Specific race dates and times will be announced at a later date... [read more]

2011 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge:

Jan. 28
Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.

March 4-5
Homestead 200
Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, Fla.

April 8-9
Barber 200
Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala.

May 13-14
Bosch Engineering 200 at VIR
Virginia International Raceway, Danville, Va.

May 28
Memorial Day Classic
Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, Conn.

June 3-4
Continental Tire 150
Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, N.Y.

June 24-25
Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis.

July 8-9
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif.

July 23-24
New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, N.J.

Sept. 16-17
EMCO Gears Classic
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio

Photo: Curtis Creager
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

NEWS // FORD RELEASES R2 FIESTA RALLY KIT

2010-11-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

Ford has just announced a rally-spec tuning kit for their new Fiesta, turing the little hatchback into a legitimate rally racer. The kit, what Ford is calling the Fiesta R2, will include a five-speed sequential gearbox, Reiger adjustable dampers, Eibach springs, ventilated disc brakes with four-piston calipers and a steel roll cage. Additionally, the Fiesta's 1.6-liter inline-four will get a handful of new parts, to include pistons, camshafts, injectors, and a high flow air filter, all of which will give the Fiesta R2 a respectable 168 horsepower and 134 pound-feet of torque... [read more]

The R2 package was designed by M-Sport (Ford's World Rally Championship partner since 1997), while New Hampshire based team O'Neil Motorsports is the official reseller and authorized installer for the kit. Additionally, Ford Racing will offer a Stage 1 kit that includes performance upgrades, dampers, a limited-slip differential and roll cage for those who don't want the full meal deal.

So, you've bought a Fiesta, upgraded it with the R2 package, now what? Well, those who add the R2 package to their Fiestas will be eligible to compete in the new Fiesta Sport Trophy Championship division of RallyCar's Rally America National Championship 2WD class. Only cars assembled by Team O'Neil can qualify for this series, with the class winner going on to Great Britain to compete in the Fiesta Sport Trophy International Shootout. From there, the win of the worldwide competition will land themselves a one-year residential placement at M-Sport, where you'll work with the BP Ford World Rally team.

Official press release featured below...

FORD RACING OFFERS RALLY PACKAGE FOR FIESTA, ANNOUNCES FIESTA CLASS FOR RALLY AMERICA SERIES

- Ford Racing Performance Group is bringing the Fiesta R2 rally kit to the U.S., developed by M-Sport, a move expected to thrill rally enthusiasts across the country

- The R2 package offers several performance upgrades to give competitors a turnkey, rally-ready Fiesta, including powertrain enhancements that pump out 168 horsepower and 134 lb.-ft. of torque

- New Fiesta Sport Trophy Championship will debut in RallyCar's Rally America Series 2WD class for 2011, designed specifically for competitors who have the Fiesta R2 package installed by Team O'Neil

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 2, 2010 – For rally fans looking to imitate what successful Ford rally drivers Mikko Hirvonen, Jari-Matti Latlava and Ken Block have accomplished, a new Fiesta R2 rally package is the place to start.

Currently available throughout Europe, Ford Racing Performance Group is bringing the competition-ready package stateside to let enthusiasts turn their five-door Fiesta into a Fiesta R2 that's ready to compete on the roads of RallyCar's Rally America National Championship. The package is now available for order through Team O'Neil Motorsports, a division of Team O'Neil Rally School in New Hampshire (info@teamoneil.com).

"The spirit of One Ford is making it possible for us to bring the best of European rally racing to competitors in the U.S.," said Jamie Allison, director, Ford North America Motorsport. "The Fiesta R2 has already proven itself in Europe as a great platform for aspiring rally drivers."

The winner of the 2011 U.S. Fiesta Sport Trophy Championship will also have the opportunity to compete in the R2 class during next year's Wales Rally GB.

Developed by M-Sport, Ford's WRC partner since 1997, the kit will convert a production Fiesta to rally specification. Included in the package are engine parts that will increase the performance of the 1.6-liter Ti-VCT four-cylinder engine: pistons, conrods, camshafts, valve springs, injectors, airbox, air filter and a sump baffle kit. The performance enhancements deliver 168 horsepower and 134 lb.-ft. of torque, a 40 percent increase in horsepower over the production Fiesta.

Other upgrades include:

- Five-speed Sadev sequential gearbox with flat shift gear cut
- Reiger adjustable dampers with Eibach springs
- Ventilated disc brakes with AP four-piston competition calipers
- T45 steel multipoint roll cage

Team O'Neil Motorsports is the official reseller and authorized installer for the R2 kits. Only cars prepared by Team O'Neil will be eligible for the U.S. Fiesta Sport Trophy Championship.

"The R2 kit provides a fantastic performance and dynamic upgrade for the already strong and light Fiesta platform, transforming it into an instantly competitive and durable rally car," said Tim O'Neil, founder and president. "We're really excited to be able to offer this to North American rally drivers."

In addition to the full R2 kit, Ford Racing will also offer a Stage 1 kit based on the R2 package.

The Stage 1 kit will include parts designed for the rigors of rallying, including a roll cage, ball joints, engine performance upgrades, dampers and a limited-slip differential. The package will offer competitors a lower-cost entry point to take a Fiesta rallying.

New Fiesta Sport Trophy class

Enthusiasts who add the R2 package to their Fiesta will have the ability to compete in the Fiesta Sport Trophy Championship in RallyCar's Rally America National Championship 2WD class in 2011. The winner of the Fiesta Sport Trophy Championship will be awarded a ride in the R2 class in a Fiesta at Wales Rally GB. Additionally, the winner from the class will have the opportunity to compete in the Fiesta SportTrophy International Shootout in Great Britain for a chance to win a year's residential placement at M-Sport, working with the BP Ford World Rally team.

"Over the last two years, Ford Racing and the Fiesta have made a significant impact in the AWD Open class of RallyCar's Rally America, at X Games and in the debut of RallyCross," said JB Niday, managing director of RallyCar. "To see that emphasis expand into the 2WD class with an opportunity like the Fiesta Sport Trophy Championship is a tremendous indicator of the value placed on the Fiesta program and the commitment to growing Fiesta through rally by Ford."

The rally kit also is the perfect way for enthusiasts to appreciate all that the Fiesta offers.

"Not only are we offering rally enthusiasts a way to experience the full capabilities of Fiesta, but we're also giving them an amazing opportunity to test their skills in Europe on their way to perhaps realizing a dream of competing in the WRC," said Allison.

Images and Info: Ford
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

VIDEO(S) // CATERHAMS CAN'T HILL CLIMB?

2010-11-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

I just found a couple of videos of Caterham Superlight R500s failing to climb hills. The first video was shot at the La Val des Terres Hill Climb on the Bailiwick of Guernsey off the coast of England, while the second video was shot at the Berg Cup in Germany. Both videos are fine examples of how not to drive your 263hp, 1,117 pound Lotus look-alike... [read more]

Video(s): Motor Authority
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

SEMA // GM UNVEILS CORVETTE & CAMARO TRACK CAR CONCEPTS

2010-11-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

General Motors is set to unveil a pair of track car concepts during this week's SEMA show in Las Vegas, the first of which is the 2011 Corvette Z06X Track Car Concept. Comparable in certain respects to the Dodge Viper ACR-X, the Z06X concept takes the naturally-aspirated power of the LS7 and pairs it with the off-the-shelf Z07 Performance Package, as well as the CFZ Carbon Fiber Package, which adds carbon ceramic brakes, magnetic ride control and improved aerodynamics... [read more]

Additional improvements include an adjustable carbon fiber rear wing, roll cage, racing seat and safety harness, polycarbonate rear window, racing wheels, an enhanced suspension with coil-over struts and camber plates, and an upgraded cooling system. Radio, carpet and sound deadening are deleted.

2011 Chevrolet Corvett Z06X Track Car Concept:

Exterior:

Low-gloss Icy White Metallic color with exposed carbon fiber and red accents
2011 CFZ-option carbon fiber package, including splitter and rockers
Adjustable carbon fiber wing
ZR1 carbon fiber roof panel and B-pillar panels
Carbon fiber raised hood (from the Z06 Carbon Limited Edition)
Carbon fiber headlamp housings from Specter Werkes/Sports
Weight-saving and shatter-resistant polycarbonate rear window

Interior:

Base Z06 1LZ trim
Radio, carpeting and sound-deadening material removed
SCCA-spec roll cage
SCCA-approved window net
Racing seat with five-point safety harness
Fire suppression system
Driver’s drink system
Video camera system mounted on the roll cage
Genuine Corvette Accessory racing pedal kit

Performance:

LS7 7.0L V-8 engine and Tremec six-speed manual transmission
Low-restriction air intake system
High-capacity radiator and enhanced cooling system
New-for-2011 Z07 Performance Package, feature Brembo carbon ceramic brake rotors and special brake pads
Lightweight racing wheels in black; 19-inch (front) and 20-inch (rear)
Michelin racing tires
Mono-ball control arm bushing
Adjustable stabilizer bars
Coil-over struts with adjustable camber plates

Joining the Corvette at SEMA will be the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SSX Track Car Concept. And while the Camaro SSX is not a street legal car, it does show Chevrolet's commitment to the teams that are using GM's new muscle car on the track.

Many of the improvements for the Camaro SSX Track Car Concept are focused at reducing weight. Carbon fiber body panels and aero parts in addition to the deletion of carpeting, sound deadening and the rear seat, as well as lightweight racing wheels, help bring the otherwise heavy Camaro down to a reasonable racing weight. However, some of the weight is returned with the addition of a roll cage, fire suppression system, and racing seats.

The SSX is powered by the same dry-sump LS3 found in the Corvette Grand Sport, with additional horsepower coming courtesy of Chevrolet Performance Parts cams and cylinder heads. To handle the power under racing conditions, the standard production six-speed manual is attached to a Corvette ZR1 twin-disc clutch.

2011 Chevrolet Camaro SSX Track Car Concept:

Exterior:

Icy White Metallic color with red accents and door graphics
Carbon fiber hood, fenders, door and deck lid
Exposed carbon fiber front splitter, rockers and adjustable rear wing
Unique lower grille and brake ducts

Interior:

Carpeting, sound deadener and rear seat deleted
Ace suede-covered racing steering wheel and shifter
SCCA-approved roll cage and window net
Racing driver’s seat with five-point harness
Racing pedals
Fire suppression system
Fuel cell
Video camera system mounted on the roll cage

Performance:

LS3 6.2L V-8 enhanced with Chevrolet Performance Parts’ camshaft, cylinder heads and dry-sump oiling system
Production six-speed manual transmission with Corvette ZR1 twin-disc clutch
Low-restriction air induction and exhaust systems
Four-wheel disc racing brake system with six-piston front/four-piston rear calipers and drilled and slotted rotors
Modified production suspension with Pfadt licensed components
20-inch racing wheels and tires

Images and Info: Motor Authority
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

MIATA MONDAY // OFF-ROAD OVERSTEER

2010-11-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

I know, it's been awhile since we posted anything for Miata Monday... But fear not my roadster loving friends, there are a handful of new images on our Facebook page, as well as this wonderful shot of a first-gen Miata kicking up a little dust courtesy of our friends at PhotoFinish // [comment]

VIDEO // CAPARO T1 LAPS THE NURBURGRING

2010-11-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

Our friends at Axis of Oversteer just posted this video of EVO Magazine's Phil Bennett lapping the Nürburgring's Nordschleife in the 610hp Caparo T1. Follow the link for a look... [read more]

Photo: Frozenspeed Motorsport Photography
Video: EVO Magazine
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

VIDEO // DTM CRASH LOOKS A LITTLE NASCAR(ISH)

2010-11-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

In the video featured above, watch as Audi driver Alexandre Premat has a rather NASCAR like crash during last weekend's Deutschen Tourenwagen-Meisterschaft race at the Adria International Raceway in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. Thankfully, Premat walked away uninjured // [comment]

MotoGP // LORENZO RETURNS IN ESTORIL

2010-11-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

MotoGP went into Sunday’s race at Estoril, Portugal with nothing but gigantic question marks to go by. All five practice sessions were marred by rain in one form or another. Friday’s morning session had only a single timed lap, by Hiroshi Aoyama. The rest of the riders wisely decided the rain was too heavy. Friday afternoon and Saturday morning practices happened on schedule but were only slightly less wet, Sunday’s warmup wasn’t rainy but the track was still plenty damp. Worst of all, the all-important Saturday qualifying was cancelled completely for all classes. Grid positions were determined by the riders’ best times in the sessions that actually took place... [read more]

Positions were as follows: Jorge Lorenzo, Nicky Hayden, Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner, Ben Spies, Marco Melandri, Andrea Dovizioso, Randy DePuniet, Colin Edwards, Marco Simoncelli, Aleix Espargaro, Dani Pedrosa, Loris Capirossi, Alvaro Bautista, Hector Barbera, Hiroshi Aoyama and Carlos Checa. Ben Spies would have a crash on the warmup lap on Sunday morning, dislocating his foot and ruling him out of the race.

The cruelest joke of the weekend, however, was the weather gods deciding to dispense with all the rain silliness just in time for the actual race. This may sound like good news but nobody had any dry practice. As a consequence, teams could only shrug and make guesses about fuel mapping and bike setup. It was in this endless sea of unknowns that Sunday’s race took place.

Lorenzo got a good start, beating the crowd down into turn one as Rossi, Stoner and Hayden piled up alongside each other. Rossi was forced to stand the bike up and lost a few positions as a result. Dovizioso took advantage of the chaos to sneak past all three of them and slot in behind Jorge. Lorenzo led the lap while a group consisting of Dovizioso, Hayden, Rossi, DePuniet and Stoner jockeyed for position behind. DePuniet took himself out of this group on the next lap going into turn one, it was a favorite place for going in too deep and standing the bike up all weekend. Lap two saw a lot of action as Hayden took the front spot from Lorenzo, Rossi passed Dovizioso then Lorenzo, Lorenzo and Dovizioso re-passed Rossi, Rossi re-passed Dovizioso just as Stoner passed them both and then Rossi immediately got back around Stoner. They crossed the line into lap three as Hayden, Lorenzo, Rossi, Stoner, Dovizioso but by the end of the straight, ½ km later, it was Lorenzo, Rossi, Stoner, Hayden, Dovizioso. You get the picture, it was a chaotic first few laps. Enjoyable though.

Just now, a resurgent DePuniet and Simoncelli added themselves to the front group, now totaling seven. Lorenzo and Rossi then decided this was too much and began to drop the five behind them. Lap four saw Rossi sneak by Lorenzo at the chicane (slowest corners in MotoGP apparently) to take the lead. Rossi began to pull a gap on lap five just as Stoner began catching up to Lorenzo. Stoner then promptly chucked it into the gravel coming through the parabolica that leads into the front straight, ending his race and any aspirations at second in the championship.

Hayden, meanwhile, was riding a lonely third as the fight for fourth place started to become the point of focus. Simoncelli had quietly moved his way up and finally passed Dovizioso on lap eight into fourth, Pedrosa and DePuniet lurking behind them. On lap twelve Lorenzo suddenly began to chip away at Rossi’s lead, which was then up near two seconds. Going into lap 17, Jorge made his move, drafting Rossi and taking him into turn one. Rossi tried to answer but Lorenzo stayed ahead as the two of them just took off into the stratosphere. Lorenzo would eventually best Rossi by eight seconds but Rossi was 18 seconds ahead of third place. The Fiat Yamahas really nailed it.

At the same time Hayden began to succumb to his tires and drop back into the group of five behind him with Simoncelli passing him going into lap 18. Dovizioso passed both Pedrosa and Hayden that same lap to slot in behind Simoncelli and begin the hunt for the final podium spot. Dovizioso passed him on lap 21 but Simoncelli got him right back. The quartet of Hayden, Edwards, Pedrosa and DePuniet were meanwhile tussling back and forth not far behind. Dovizioso and Simoncelli would trade third place another five times in the last few laps with Dovizioso narrowly taking third and preventing Marco Simoncelli’s first MotoGP podium. Nicky Hayden followed that group closely, finishing fifth.

Lorenzo’s win was his eighth of the season but only his first since Brno, which was all the way back in August. It was also his third consecutive win at Estoril from pole position. The Fiat Yamaha 1-2 also sealed the rider/ constructor/ team trifecta for Yamaha the third year running.

Extra, extra special mention has to go out to Marc Marquez, the 17 year old frontrunner in the 125cc class. Marquez went into the weekend with a 12 point championship lead. Due to the lack of a qualifying session, Marquez started the race all the way back in 11th place, his closest rival, Nico Terol, on the front row in 4th position. At the start Marquez quickly made it up to 2nd before the race was stopped for impending rain. Marquez was due to restart the race in that spot but on the sighting lap before the restart, Marquez fell and damaged his bike. He made it back to pit lane but did not make it back out before the pits closed. This meant Marquez would have to restart from 17th place, all the way at the back of the grid. He made an absolute rocket start and was into 4th place before even going into turn one of the 9 lap restarted race. He then waged an epic battle with Nico Terol and Bradley Smith to take what can only be described as a jaw-dropping victory. True, his fall was a product of inexperience but the rest showed a coolness rarely seen in riders of any age. Well done, Mark. That was a real treat to watch.

Photo: MotoGP
Editorial: Jeff Winterberg

SEMA // 0-60 UNVEILS THEIR RALLY READY SCION xD

2010-11-01T12:22:00.000-07:00

Our friends at 0-60 Magazine will officially unveil their rally prepped Scion xD at this years SEMA show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The car, which will be entered into next years Rally America National Championship and piloted by Christopher Duplessis (brother of DirtFish Rally School's chief instructor, Forest), features a roll cage built by Design Craft Fabrication, a Quaife ATB Helical LSD Differential, a GReddy performance exhaust system, Tein USA custom HG coilovers, and a handful of other go fast goodies.

Follow the link for complete specs... [read more]

0-60 Magazine Tarmac xD

Exterior/Interior:

Rally spec race cage by Design Craft Fabrication
Lexan windows by Design Craft Fabrication
Front and rear fender and bumper aerodynamics by Design Craft Fabrication
Suede dash by Design Craft Fabrication
Custom carbon-fiber hood, rear hatch and interior by Design Craft Fabrication
Front Lip Spoiler by Five Axis Models
APR Performance Wing
Custom Paint by Balistek Autobody
Carbon-fiber light pod by Vermont Sports Car
PIAA High-Intensity lights and bulbs
Graphics by S and A Designs
Sparco Pro ADV and S2000 racing seats, steering wheel with quick release hub and racing harnesses.

Powertrain:

Quaife ATB Helical LSD Differential
GReddy performance exhaust system
Motul lubricants and fluids

Wheels, Tires, Suspension and Brakes:

Rays Engineering Volk Racing TE-37 18x7.5 front and rear
BFGoodrich 225/40/18 R1 Tarmac tires
Tein USA custom HG coilovers, twin tube constructed, 16-way compression, large capacity external reservoir tanks
TRD rear sway bar
Custom front sway bar by Design Craft Fabrication
Performance racing brake pads by Disc Brakes Australia
High performance direct replacement slotted rotors by Disc Brakes Australia

Electronics:

Terratrip rally computer
GoPro HD cameras
GReddy gauges

Images and Info: Autoblog
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

NEWS // McLAREN OUTSOURCING GT2/GT3 MP4-12C PRODUCTION

2010-11-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

According to AutoWeek, McLaren will team up with independent racing garages to turn their MP4-12C road car into a race car. The report suggests that CRS, a British outfit that's seen success in both GT and open-wheel racing, will build some fifteen GT3-spec MP4-12Cs, as well as a batch of GT2-spec cars that could find their way to Le Mans by 2013. Click here for additional information // [comment]

VIDEO // ROBERT KUBICA @ RALLY ANTIBES

2010-10-28T17:37:00.000-07:00

In the video featured above, ride along with Formula One driver Robert Kubica as he competes in this year's Rally Antibes Côte d'Azur, the tenth round of the European Rally Championship. At the wheel of his Renault Clio Super 1600, watch as Kubica navigates the narrow roads that make up Special Stage 14 // [comment]

2010-10-28T17:31:00.001-07:00

NEWS // DTM RACING IN U.S. CONFIRMED FOR 2013

2010-10-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

It's official, Grand-Am and NASCAR will partner to bring a 12 race, U.S. based Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) series to the states starting in 2013. The decision to pair the DTM series with Grand-Am and NASCAR makes more sense than you might think. NASCAR events draw huge crowds and the potential overlap would mean additional promotion for both the DTM series and NASCAR.

Now the real question: where will the new series find its drivers? Well, according to our sources, the U.S. based DTM series (which will consist of all three major German automakers: Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW) will be made up of 'satellite' teams supported by the German operations. That said, there are possibilities however for American drivers to get into DTM cars, with both NASCAR and Grand-Am racers being taken into consideration. #TedAnthonyJr. #JoeyAtterbury #AdamChristodoulou

Click here for additional information via SpeedTV // [comment]

GEAR // WILLIAMS-TOYOTA FW31 ADDED TO iRACING

2010-10-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

Starting today, the Williams-Toyta FW31 Formula One car will be available on iRacing for $35.00, and comes bundled with the Silverstone and Zandvoort F1 circuits. Click here for additional information // [comment]

VIDEO // RED BULL DRIVES THEIR X1 AROUND THE RING

2010-10-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week Red Bull unveiled their X1 Prototype, a one-off design available in Polyphony Digital's forthcoming driving simulator, Gran Turismo 5. Powered by a gas turbine that produces 1,483 horsepower and 527 lb-ft of torque, the Red Bull X1 could (theoretically) reach 249 mph. In the video featured below, watch as Sebastian Vettel tests the Red Bull X1 Prototype at the Nürburgring Grand Prix Circuit.

Follow the link for a look... [read more]

Photo and Video: Red Bull
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

NEWS // AT&T WILLIAMS CONFIRM ABU DHABI TEST LINEUP

2010-10-28T14:29:00.001-07:00

The AT&T Williams F1 team have announced that they will run Pastor Maldonado and Dean Stoneman during the young driver test days in Abu Dhabi on 16 and 17 November 2010.

Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado recently took championship honours in the 2010 GP2 series, while Briton’s Dean Stoneman took the title in this year’s FIA Formula Two Championship... [read more]

The team also confirmed that Valtteri Bottas will remain as the team’s test driver in 2011.

Frank Williams, Team Principal of the AT&T Williams team, commented, "We are delighted to have the two reigning champions of the two strongest feeder series for Formula One in the FW32 for these two test days. Valtteri fought hard for his third place in this year's Formula 3 Euroseries, taking two wins and six podiums in a very competitive year. He also set a record with his second consecutive victory in the Formula 3 Masters. He has worked hard both on and off the track and learnt a great deal. We continue to see talent, discipline and dedication and are happy to help foster that further in 2011."

Image and Info: AT&T Williams

NEWS // HORNER DEFENDS WEBBER OVER KOREAN GP CRASH

2010-10-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has publically defended Mark Webber over the claim by Gerhard Berger that the Australian deliberately tried to take out another competitor in the aftermath of his recent race ending Korean GP shunt. The former F1 driver had claimed that he thought Webber's actions of crossing the track with a badly damaged car were deliberate and an attempt to collide with one of the Australian's World Championship rivals namely the following Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso. The 51yr old Austrian said ""Yes, I think that's very clear. He goes off and he knows it's over. In this moment you're frustrated and a thousand thoughts go through your head... [read more]

"It's very obvious, you can see his wheels are not locked up. Perhaps he had a brake problem, but I don't think so. He took out Rosberg but it was the wrong one. I think in his mind he would have preferred [his main rivals, Alonso or Hamilton."

Horner reacted angrily to the claims commenting "As with every incident in Formula One, opinions will always be made without all the facts. Just to be absolutely clear – Mark's intention was not to take out another driver after his crash in the Korean Grand Prix and it's ridiculous to suggest otherwise.

"After Mark's impact with the wall, it was clear on the TV and from the data that his car was badly damaged. However, the natural and immediate instinct of any competitive driver is not to give up and to keep going.

"In the atrocious conditions, Mark made the snap decision to continue as every driver would in that situation – it's absurd to suggest that Mark would ever deliberately take out another driver. Mark accepted immediate blame for this incident, which in itself deserves credit."

Photo/Editorial: Neil Tozer

NEWS // CASWELL TO BUILD BAJA BIMMER @ SEMA

2010-10-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

DIY enthusiast turned WRC racer, Bill Caswell, will join the Miller Electric Mfg. Co. at this years SEMA show in Las Vegas, Nevada, to completely overhaul his E30 BMW, transforming it into a Baja vehicle. Caswell will complete the transformation from Miller booth #23913 in the Racing and Performance pavilion, performing all of the necessary welds in just four days to prepare his car for the upcoming SCORE Baja 1000, which will take place November 17–21... [read more]

“Bill’s passion for racing combined with his desire to create fits nicely with our vision of empowering auto enthusiasts through the Power of Blue,” said Tim Swanson, vice president of marketing for Miller Electric. “Rally and Baja racing requires a diverse skill set, from detailed fabrication and welding to high-speed driving. We’re looking forward to watching Bill build and race the Miller car.”

Formerly a finance banker from Chicago, Caswell left his job in 2009 to focus on rally racing. Caswell made a name for himself in March of this year by placing third in the Rally America class of Rally Mexico, an FIA-sanctioned event run concurrently with the World Rally Championship in Corona, Mexico.

Racing alongside professional cars valued at more than $400,000, Caswell (and co-driver Ben Slocum) competed in a 1991 BMW 318i that he bought off Craigslist for $500.

In November, Caswell will take his BMW to the Baja Peninsula to compete in the Sportsman class of SCORE Baja 1000.

“I grew up watching the Baja 1000 race, and actually running it has been a lifelong dream of mine,” said Caswell. “Welding is probably the most critical part of prepping the car for a Baja race, and I’m excited to finish the car and get underway.”

As part of the Baja 1000 BMW build, Caswell will fabricate the following components during the course of the SEMA trade show.

Day One: Main Roll Cage
Day Two: Front Cage and Suspension
Day Three: Rear Cage and Suspension
Day Four: Accessories including complete main cage structure, front brush guard, fuel cell, light bar, safety gear and exhaust.

To see more of Caswell’s story, and to catch live reports and updates from the show, click here.

Images and Info: Caswell Motorsport
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

VIDEO // MOUTON PREPARES FOR THE RALLY DU MAROC

2010-10-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

Michele Mouton, the only woman to win the World Rally Championship, recently got back behind the wheel in preparation for the Rallye International du Maroc (October 9-16). In the video featured above, watch as Michele pilots her vintage Porsche 911 and discusses her storied career, at speed // [comment]

2010-10-27T08:15:00.001-07:00

NEWS // PORSCHE UNVEILS NEW 911 GT3 CUP CAR

2010-10-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

Porsche has just unveiled the latest iteration of the 911 GT3 Cup car. Based on the GT3 RS production car, the new Cup car is powered by a 3.8-liter flat-six with 450 horsepower, 30 more horses than the outgoing model courtesy of 200cc of added displacement. The new GT3 Cup also looks more like the RS, with an aggressive aero package and LED lighting, and will make its racing debut at the opening round of next season's Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship.

Follow the link for the official press release... [read more]

Press Release:

NEW PORSCHE 911 GT3 CUP RACE CAR DEMONSTRATES DIRECT LINK FROM TRACK TO RS ROAD CAR

* Based on the iconic Porsche 911 GT3 RS road car, the new 911 GT3 Cup race car is powered by an identical 450 hp flat six 3.8-litre engine and shares distinctive bodywork
* The 911 GT3 Cup is latest edition of the best-selling racing car of all time – over 1,400 sold
* New car will race in the 2011 Porsche Carrera Cup GB, the UK’s fastest single marque sports car Championship

The new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car that will make its debut in the 2011 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship is the latest edition of the best-selling racing car of all time, having been built in a production series of more than 1,400 units since 1998.

The latest 911 GT3 Cup racer is based for the first time on the 911 GT3 RS road car, with the weight of the motor sport derivative reduced significantly versus the already lightweight road car. The 911 GT3 Cup is designed for racing in the many Porsche Carrera Cup Championships around the globe and the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup that supports Grands Prix, and was based previously on the 911 GT3.

As a consequence of being based on the 911 GT3 RS, this is the first 911 GT3 Cup car to feature the 44-millimetre (1.73″) wider body at the rear, which provides increased space for even larger wheels and slick tyres. Wider front wheel arches also clearly show that the front wheels/tyres are likewise bigger which, combined with other evolutionary changes, has enabled the dynamic performance of the latest car to reach new heights.

Engine capacity is up by 0.2 litres over the prior GT3 Cup car, with power output rising by 30 hp more than before. Thus the rear-mounted 3.8-litre six-cylinder horizontally-opposed power unit develops 450 hp, and drives the rear wheels through a sequential six-speed manual gearbox and limited slip differential.

Emphasising the Porsche ‘track to road’ philosophy which has guided the company since its beginnings in 1948, the power unit featured in the new 911 GT3 Cup is largely identical to the production engine in the 911 GT3 RS – and offers the same output of 450 hp and identical maximum engine speed of 8,500 rpm.

The 911 GT3 Cup race car is designed by the same team based in Weissach, near Stuttgart, Germany, responsible for the iconic Porsche 911 GT3 and RS road cars. In keeping with the lightweight, race-bred credentials that are synonymous with Porsche RS models, the road car weighs 1,370 kg. As befits its single-minded motor sport purpose, the 911 GT3 Cup race car tips the scales at 1,200 kg, resulting in even sharper performance on the circuit.

From the outside, the new 911 GT3 Cup clearly demonstrates its RS road car origins while at the same time maintaining the purposeful appearance of a race car. The striking daytime driving lights come straight from the current generation of the 911 and the front body panels are the same as on the 911 GT3 RS. However, the front spoiler lip is 15 millimetres (approx 0.6″) lower to provide significantly more downforce on the front axle.

Downforce on the rear axle is also increased by the rear wing, that is extended in width from 1.46 to 1.70 metres (57.5 to 66.9″) and now mounted higher up in a development feature reminiscent of that fitted to the even faster 911 GT3 R raced in international FIA GT3 series. The rear bumper valance with its distinctive air vent openings and LED technology rear lights, in turn, come straight from the GT3 RS road car.

The wider front wheel arches and the flared rear wheel housings provide ample space for even wider wheels. The front axle rides on three-piece light-alloy rims measuring 9.5 J x 18 (previously 9 J x 18) and running on 24/64-18 Michelin racing tyres. The width of the three-piece light-alloy rims on the rear axle have increased by one inch, and now measure 12 J x 18 with 27/68-18 tyres.

Additional Unibal joints are featured on the track control arms of the front and rear suspension to permit greater chassis adjustability, and the sword-shaped anti-roll bars fitted front and rear are now adjustable to seven different positions on both sides. Combined, this allows for an even more precise set-up of the car depending on the characteristics of the respective race track.

The cockpit of the new 911 GT3 Cup caters more than ever before for the specific needs of the race driver. An additional vent in the upper part of the front lid, for example, provides the driver with a better supply of fresh air. The controls for the Info Display are now positioned directly on the steering wheel which houses a total of six switches that control a variety of functions including the pit-lane speed limiter, windscreen wipers, and lights. In addition to fore-and-aft adjustment, the steering wheel may now also be adjusted for height, as on the 911 road car.

The new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup costs £94,600 plus VAT and deliveries to customers will begin in early 2011. Next season it will be raced not only in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, but also in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup on the occasion of Formula 1 races and many other Cup Championships around the world.

Image and Info: Porsche
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

VIDEO // FINAL LAPS OF 2010 GOLD COAST 600

2010-10-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

Watch as Jamie Whincup tries to hold off rookie driver Shane Van Ginsbergern during the closing laps of last weekends Gold Coast 600, the 11th round of the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship // [comment]

VIDEO // THREE WHEELS AND ALFA ROMEO'S GTA JUNIOR

2010-10-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

I'm not entirely sure when or where this video was taken (the description on YouTube appears to be in Greek), but what I can tell you is that it features the Alfa Romeo GTA Junior and a bit of three wheel action as our favorite Italian does battle with a handful of other classic sports cars, to include the Alpine A110, Ford Escort and BMW 2002. If anyone knows the source of this footage, do share // [comment]

2010 KOREAN GRAND PRIX // RACE RESULTS

2010-10-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Fernando Alonso collected his fifth victory of the 2010 season, finishing the inaugural Korean Grand Prix ahead of Lewis Hamilton and his Ferrari teammate, Felipe Massa. The rain soaked grand prix, held at the new Korea International Circuit, started under caution and did not go green until 17 laps had been run behind the safety car. Disaster struck the Red Bull team after just two green flag laps, when Mark Webber lost control of his RB6 and collided with Nico Rosberg. That brought the safety car out once more and allowed Alonso to slot into second behind Vettel, and Hamilton to take third ahead of Felipe Massa.

The top three continued in that order until Vettel's RB6 came to a stop on the approach to turn three, and for the second time this season the young German was robbed of a likely win due to a car failure. In the closing stages of the race tire wear came into play. Alonso seemed to have looked after his tires and by the end of the race was lapping the 3.49 mile circuit some four seconds per lap faster than the cars behind. Shortly thereafter Alonso brought his F10 around the final lap to win the inaugural Korean Grand Prix and claim 25 points on a day when both Red Bull drivers failed to score.

Follow the link for complete results... [read more]

2010 Korean Grand Prix // Race Result:

1 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 55
2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 55 14.999 14.999
3 Felipe Massa Ferrari 55 30.868 15.869
4 Michael Schumacher Mercedes 55 39.688 8.820
5 Robert Kubica Renault 55 47.734 8.046
6 Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 55 53.571 5.837
7 Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 55 69.257 15.686
8 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 55 77.889 8.632
9 Nick Heidfeld Sauber-Ferrari 55 80.107 2.218
10 Nico Hülkenberg Williams-Cosworth 55 80.851 0.744
11 Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 55 84.146 3.295
12 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 55 89.939 5.793
13 Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 54 1 lap 1 lap
14 Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 53 2 laps 1 lap
15 Sakon Yamamoto HRT-Cosworth 53 2 laps 17.333

DNF:

14 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 46 9 laps 7 laps
5 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 45 10 laps 1 lap
12 Vitaly Petrov Renault 39 16 laps 6 laps
24 Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 31 24 laps 8 laps
16 Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 30 25 laps 1 lap
25 Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 25 30 laps 5 laps
18 Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 25 30 laps 153.453
6 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 18 37 laps 7 laps
4 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 18 37 laps 2.487

Drivers’ Championship:

1 Fernando Alonso 231
2 Mark Webber 220
3 Lewis Hamilton 210
4 Sebastian Vettel 206
5 Jenson Button 189
6 Felipe Massa 143
7 Robert Kubica 124
8 Nico Rosberg 122
9 Michael Schumacher 66
10 Rubens Barrichello 47
11 Adrian Sutil 47
12 Kamui Kobayashi 31
13 Vitantonio Liuzzi 21
14 Vitaly Petrov 19
15 Nico Hülkenberg 18
16 Sebastien Buemi 8
17 Pedro de la Rosa 6
18 Nick Heidfeld 6
19 Jaime Alguersuari 3
20 Heikki Kovalainen 0
21 Jarno Trulli 0
22 Karun Chandhok 0
23 Bruno Senna 0
24 Lucas di Grassi 0
25 Timo Glock 0
26 Sakon Yamamoto 0
27 Christian Klien 0

Constructors’ Championship:

1 Red Bull 426
2 McLaren 399
3 Ferrari 374
4 Mercedes 188
5 Renault 143
6 Force India 68
7 Williams 65
8 Sauber 43
9 Toro Rosso 11
10 Lotus 0
11 HRT 0
12 Virgin 0

Image and Info: F1Fanatic
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

HISTORY // CLASSIC MOMENTS @ BATHURST (1970-1974)

2010-10-23T22:07:00.000-07:00

Our friends at Motorsport Retro posted this video highlighting the golden years of the Bathurst 1000. The video features footage from 1970-1974 and includes the classic 1970 roll over at Skyline, as well as the roll over at the fence in 1971. Additionally, the video features John Goss' win in 1974 and Shivers pit stop problem in 1973, as well as Allan Moffat's spin in the #9 Ford while battling with Peter Brock in 1973 // [comment]

2010 KOREAN GRAND PRIX // QUALIFYING RESULTS

2010-10-23T21:57:00.000-07:00

Sebastian Vettel put his Red Bull RB6 on pole for this weekend's inaugural Korean Grand Prix. The German driver lapped the 3.49 mile circuit in just 1:35.585, followed shortly thereafter by his teammate, Mark Webber. Starting third will be the Ferrari F10 of Fernando Alonso who managed a 1:35.766 lap of the new Korean circuit, some 0.296 seconds faster than the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton who will start fourth.

Follow the link for complete results... [read more]

2010 Korean Grand Prix // Qualifying Results:

1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1’35.585
2 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1’35.659
3 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1’35.766
4 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1’36.062
5 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1’36.535
6 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1’36.571
7 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1’36.731
8 Robert Kubica Renault 1’36.824
9 Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1’36.950
10 Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1’36.998
11 Nico Hülkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1’37.620
12 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1’37.643
13 Nick Heidfeld Sauber-Ferrari 1’37.715
14 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1’37.783
15 Vitaly Petrov Renault 1’37.799
16 Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1’37.853
17 Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1’38.594
18 Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1’38.955
19 Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1’40.521
20 Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1’40.748
21 Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1’41.768
22 Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1’42.325
23 Sakon Yamamoto HRT-Cosworth 1’42.444
24 Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 1’43.283

Image and Info: F1Fanatic
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

2010 KOREAN GRAND PRIX // PRACTICE RESULTS

2010-10-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

Robert Kubica posted the fastest time during yesterday's final practice for this weekend's inaugural Korean Grand Prix. The Polish driver lapped the 3.49 mile circuit in just 1:37.354, but was only a half a second faster than Lewis Hamilton who finished the final session with a 1:37.402 lap time. Finishing the day with the third fastest time was Fernando Alonso, who posted a 1:37.426 lap time, only 0.072 seconds off the pace of Kubica.

Follow the link for complete results... [read more]

2010 Korean Grand Prix // Practice Results:

1 Robert Kubica Renault 1’37.354 15
2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1’37.402 0.048 16
3 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1’37.426 0.072 15
4 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1’37.441 0.087 13
5 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1’37.629 0.275 12
6 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1’37.955 0.601 16
7 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1’38.419 1.065 15
8 Nico Hülkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1’38.501 1.147 17
9 Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1’38.630 1.276 12
10 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1’38.632 1.278 18
11 Vitaly Petrov Renault 1’38.668 1.314 14
12 Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1’38.733 1.379 16
13 Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1’39.058 1.704 21
14 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1’39.145 1.791 16
15 Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1’39.159 1.805 21
16 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1’39.780 2.426 9
17 Nick Heidfeld Sauber-Ferrari 1’40.289 2.935 17
18 Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1’41.591 4.237 15
19 Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1’41.623 4.269 15
20 Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1’41.853 4.499 17
21 Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1’42.095 4.741 19
22 Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1’43.111 5.757 19
23 Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 1’43.417 6.063 19
24 Sakon Yamamoto HRT-Cosworth 1’43.880 6.526 20

Image and Info: F1Fanatic
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

PREVIEW // GOGOGEAR'S HYUNDAI GENESIS "RACE CAR"

2010-10-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

The gentlemen at GogoGear.com Racing will debut their Hyundai Genesis Coupe at this years SEMA show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The car, which appears to be a race prepped Genesis fitted with a set of 20" rims, will feature a Ground Control suspension system, StopTech brakes and produce roughly 330 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. And while we're not fond of the aesthetic, according to our sources the car will compete in next year's U.S. Touring Car Championship, as well as a handful of Time Attack events.

Click here for additional information // [comment]

VIDEO // COLIN McRAE @ 1997 RALLY DE PORTUGAL

2010-10-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

Having spent the better part of today learning to drive a rally car at the DirtFish Rally School, I had to post this video of Colin McRae negotiating the 80,000+ fans that were in attendance for the 1997 Rally de Portugal. And I thought avoiding pylons was a pain! My hat is off to you, Mr.McRae // [comment]

NEWS // CTD @ DIRT FISH RALLY SCHOOL

2010-10-20T07:05:00.000-07:00

I received a call from my good friend Ted Anthony Jr. yesterday morning inquiring what my schedule looked like for the week. Well, being self employed has its perks and after informing Ted that I was free for the next three days, Ted informed me that he had arranged for me to take part in the DirtFish Rally School's three-day driver training program. What they call their 3-Day Ultimate Rally Experience, the program consists of three full days (8am-5pm) of skid pad, skills development exercises, and stage courses in purpose built rally cars. So with that said, I leave you with a bit of video highlighting the DirtFish Rally School and head east of the city to test my skills at the new Old Mill Rally Park. Stay tuned! // [comment]

2010-10-20T06:52:00.001-07:00

GEAR // AUDEMARS PIGUET HONORS JARNO TRULLI

2010-10-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

Swiss watchmaker, Audemars Piguet, has just released a new chronograph to honor Italian racing driver, Jarno Trulli. What they are calling the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Jarno Trulli Chronograph, the new timepiece has a forged carbon-fiber case, a ceramic bezel, titanium fixtures, red luminous indices and hands, as well as a 59-jewel automatic movement, a 60-hour power reserve and a 22-carat gold oscillating weight that's been covered in anthracite. Only 500 examples will be made, with the first batch being offered at the company's boutique in Tokyo where it was launched during this year's Japanese Grand Prix // [comment]

VIDEO // FERRARI 458 CHALLENGE TESTING @ MONZA

2010-10-20T06:33:00.000-07:00

Watch (and listen) as Ferrari's latest purpose-built racing car, the 2011 458 Challenge, laps the Autodromo Nazionale Monza during a test session earlier this month. The 458 Challenge, which is powered by a 570hp 4.5-liter V8, will make its racing debut when the 2011 Ferrari Challenge kicks off next March // [comment]