SHOWN 'N SHINE // NW NISSANS ANNUAL BBQ @ GOLDEN GARDENS

This past Sunday, Golden Gardens played host to the annual Northwest Nissans BBQ and car show. When I arrived at 8am, nearly all three of the large parking lots were full of cars. What has become a tradition for Nissans enthusiasts here in the Northwest, the annual Golden Gardens meet is known to draw a crowd, not to mention quite a few interesting cars... [read more]

The Evergreen Drift guys turned out in force, with a strong showing of (somewhat) streetable drift cars.

There was also a huge turnout of late model Nissans, to include a handful of right-hand-drive Skylines that made the trip from Victoria. This particular G35 caught my eye, as the louvered hood made it stand out amongst the crowd.

The Datsun 510 is an iconic sportscar. With a light and nimble chassis, it has been the choice of many motorsport enthusiast over the years. This particular 510 sports a set of Work Equip 03 wheels, a loud orange paint scheme and an ITB setup.

One of my favorite late model Nissans, the NISMO equipped 350Z not only looks great, but performs equally as well on the tarmac.

Hundreds of cars turned out from all corners of the NW, and while I could not stay the entire day, I was thoroughly impressed with the level of enthusiasm and camaraderie that was displayed.

For a look at more photos from my visit to this years Northwest Nissan Golden Garden's BBQ, click here.

photo/editorial: Justin Coffey

NEWS // TOBY MAGUIRE TO PLAY PHIL HILL IN FORTHCOMING FILM

Word has it, Spiderman star Toby Maguire is set to produce and star in a forthcoming film entitled The Limit. Maguire will will play American F1 driver Phil Hill, and the film will chronicle his battle with Ferrari teammate Wolfgang von Trips for the 1961 World Championship.

Based on a recent book by Michael Cannell, The Limit is said to have a screenplay sourced from Tony Peckham, whose work includes screenplays for Clint Eastwood's new film, The Human Factor and Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes.

Phil Hill is one of the only Americans to ever win the Formula One World Championship (1961), he passed away last August.

Stay tuned for additional information as it becomes available // [comment]

SHOWN 'N SHINE // SYMBOLIC MOTOR COMPANY'S ANNUAL BRUNCH

Symbolic Motor Company, one of the premier exotic car dealerships in the Southern California area, held its annual brunch and car gathering at its San Diego service center this weekend. The event was open to all-comers, so I decided to load up my camera and head over... [read more]

The service center is made up of several warehouse-size buildings that feature a variety of tools and facilities to service not only new exotic cars, but to restore and maintain classic cars as well. Hydraulic lifts, tire mounting machines, lathes, paint booths and a parts department are all located on site, allowing Symbolic to handle any number of maintenance or restoration jobs. 

Symbolic opened up their service centers to guests, and the gathering brought in car enthusiasts and exotic car owners from throughout Southern California. For a car spotter and exotic enthusiast, the event did not disappoint. Among the cars on display were a KPGC110 Nissan Skyline GT-R, one of twenty Lamborghini Reventóns, a couple of Bugatti Veyrons, a one-off tank-powered hotrod by famous builder Blastolene, a race-prepped McLaren F1, and several ex-Formula One cars. The variety and caliber of cars was such that the F430s and Gallardos came across wanting! The event might not compare to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, but for someone who lives 5,500 miles from West Sussex, England, it certainly isn't a bad alternative.

For a look at more photos, click here

photo/editorial: Robert Carrier

DELPHI BRITISH TRUCK RACING // CALVIN CHU @ SEASON OPENER

The end of March saw the Delphi British Truck Racing kick off with the first round at Brands Hatch. The concept of a racing truck might seem absurd at first, but as soon as you see these monsters tear around the track it’s no wonder why they draw large crowds. Racing Trucks are known for packing more than 1000bhp and can accelerate to 100mph faster than a Porsche 911. Given the short but sweet nature of Brands Hatch’s Indy Circuit, there was a lot of power and a lot of trucks for everybody to see! [read more]

On race day Brands Hatch was blessed with clear weather, which bode well for the drivers. In Class A, eight-time champion Stuart Oliver was eager as ever to defend his long reign. The same went for Cees ‘Rainbow Warrior’ Zandbergen, 2008 champion in Class B. Both champions were still at the top of their game taking pole position in each of their classes. In Class A, the eight-time champion dominated both of his races, leading and winning the two from the start, with the rest of the field proving very little competition. However in Class B Zandbergen was able to lead for a few laps in the first race but holding back Dave Ball proved a challenge, with Ball finally making his move for the lead on lap 4 and went on to win the first Class B race of the season. Ball’s great pacing continued as he went on to win the second Class B race of the day, although with Zandbergen as a mighty opponent. However the race was red flagged with 4 laps to go due to a collision between Boocock and Horne, with the race requiring a restart. Even on a level playing field, Ball stood his ground and fended off Zandbergen to take the win.

With Stuart Oliver taking the lead in Class A and David Ball leading in Class B, the 2009 Delphi British Truck Racing Season is now in full swing. The next rounds will be taking place at Pembrey Circuit in Wales and it’s sure to be just as exciting.

For full details of the Delphi British Truck Racing Season visit here.

photo/editorial: Calvin Chu

F1 SEASON OPENER // BRAWN GP FINISHES 1-2 AT MELBOURNE

Just a brief note and a few photos from last nights Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne.

With a strong showing during qualifying and a nearly flawless run from the pole, Brawn GP's Jenson Button was able to capture the first win for the virgin (no pun intended) team. Only the second F1 win for the seasoned driver, Button took full advantage of his controversial 'diffuser car,' running away with an early lead. Teammate Barrichello had trouble early on, loosing part of his front wing, but was able to maintain control and managed to finish just behind Button, making it a 1-2 win for the new Brawn GP team.

Follow the link for complete results, additional photos and a video of the 'Vettel-Kubica' incident...

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COMPLETE RESULTS - 2009 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX

1. Jenson Button
2. Rubens Barrichello
3. Lewis Hamilton
4. Timo Glock
5. Fernando Alonso
6. Nico Rosberg
7. Sebastien Buemi
8. Sebastien Bourdais
9. Adrian Sutil
10. Nick Heidfeld
11. Giancarlo Fisichella
12. Jarno Trulli*
13. Mark Webber
14. Sebastian Vettel
15. Robert Kubica
16. Kimi Raikkonen
DNF
Felipe Massa
Nelson Piquet Jnr - spun
Kazuki Nakajima - crashed
Heikki Kovalainen - accident damage

*Trulli was penalized for overtaking Hamilton during the final safety car period, which relegates him from third to 12th.



Here is a short video highlighting the late race incident between the BMW of Robert Kubica and the RedBull of Sebastian Vettel. While making a run for the lead, Kubica looked to pass Vettel on the outside of turn three. Vettel reacted and the two bumped wheels, leaving both with severe damage to their front wings. Moments later Kubica lost control and collided with the wall, while Vettel, also suffering collision damage, continued to drive with only three wheels on the ground. Due to the incident, Vettel has been handed a ten place grid drop penalty for the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Be sure and stay tuned for additional Formula One coverage in the weeks to come!

TEAM SEATTLE PARTNER TAKES 2ND PLACE FINISH AT SEBRING

A bit of news regarding Team Seattle and their 2009 Le Mans effort.

While the team was not able to participate in this years 12 Hours of Sebring, their partner, AF Corse, running as Advanced Engineering, not only made the trip to Florida, but managed a second place finish in the GT2 class. The AF Corse Ferrari 430GT (seen above) is the same car that Don Kitch Jr., Joe Foster and Patrick Dempsey will pilot at this years 24 Hours of Le Mans, June 13-14.

For a few more shots of the AF Corse Ferrari 430GT at Sebring, follow the link below.

READ MORE...


photo: Phil Woodard

BRAZILIAN NEXTEL CUP // INTERLAGOS SEASON OPENER

The 2009 Brazilian Stock Car Nextel Cup began this past weekend at the Interlagos Circuit in São Paulo.

Paulo Salustiano seemed to manage the new car better than his opponents and took the pole on a wet track, due to rain that fell just before the qualifying session.

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With a number of rule changes and rain forecasted for the weekend, Sunday looked to be an exciting race. As the cars took to the track, I was able to snap a few shots before the weather turned for the worse.

Along with the F1 season opener in Australia, this certainly was a great weekend to start the motorsport year. For additional photos from my visit to the Brazilian Stock Car Nextel Cup, click here.

photo/editorial: Alemiro Almeida

POST RACE // PHIL WOODARD'S MASSIVE SEBRING PHOTO GALLERY

Any good photographer knows, it takes a few days to post process your shots from an event. So when CTD's photographer and correspondent, Phil Woodard, spent the weekend covering the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, we had to make due with a few iPhone shots and a un-processed photos, as he reported live from the track.

But now, with the 12 hour endurance test complete and the teams back in their respected countries preparing for the battle at Le Mans, we'd like to present this massive photo gallery courtesy of Phil Woodard.

Follow the link below for a look

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Phil posted some 300+ photos onto his Flickr photostream (which can be seen here), but we selected a handful of photos we felt represented the diversity and intensity that is the 12 Hours of Sebring.

CHANGES // INSIDE TRACK'S PREVIEW OF THE 2009 F1 SEASON

With the Australian Grand Prix less than 24 hours away, here is Inside Track's preview of the 2009 Formula One season.

With a handful of major changes, to include the return of slick tires, the implementation of KERS and a 50% reduction in downforce, 2009 looks to be a rather interesting season. Be sure and stay tuned for post race coverage right here on ColdTrackDays // [comment]

SPOTTER GUIDE // THE 2009 FORMULA ONE LINEUP

Here is the Spotter Guide for the 2009 Formula One season. A bit of help for those new to the sport, the confused girlfriend or the casual fan, Spotter Guides are a great way to keep track of who's who in Formula One, ALMS, BTCC and the WTCC.

Click here to download your copy // [comment]

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT // AUSTRALIAN GP - FREE PRACTICE

Apparently the FIA has blocked our video footage from yesterdays F1 practice at Melbourne... so we'll have to make due with a few photos.

With a strong showing from both the Brawn GP and Williams FW31, it appears the debate over their controversial rear diffuser will not end anytime soon. And with the 2008 World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, sitting in 18th after a full day of practice, it appears the Australian GP is anyones game.

Be sure and stay tuned for coverage following tonight's qualifying session // [comment]

SCCA SOLO NATIONAL TOUR // QUALCOMM STADIUM, SAN DIEGO

The SCCA Solo National Tour recently stopped by Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, but the $120 entry fee for the two-day event was a bit too steep for my blood, so I decided to go along as a spectator instead. Day two of the event was kind of a wash, as San Diego received some unexpected rain, but day one was blessed with typical Southern California weather – in a word, perfect – and some of the top Solo drivers from across the Southwest and the country were taking advantage of it. 

As usual, Porsches were out in full force, once again illustrating that competitors Ferrari and Lamborghini may make very good cars, but they don't seem to make them for motorsport enthusiasts. A handful of 996 and 997 GT2s and GT3s were setting fast times all day long, and were putting on a show for the crowd as the drivers tried to wrestle them around the tight 60-second course. Amongst the lineup of other competitors was an eclectic mix of cars, including Lotus Sevens, purpose-built autocross machines like a turbocharged Bug Eye Sprite, and the usual STU and SM-class Subaru Impreza STIs and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions. All in all, the national drivers put on a great show and there were some wonderful cars present.

For a look at all of my shots from the SCCA Solo National Tour, click here.

Photo & Editorial: Robert Carrier // [comment]

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING // A BIT OF MOTIVATION - GRAND PRIX

One year ago this week, while eagerly awaiting the start of the Formula One season, I found myself desperate for some in-car footage. Opting for the big screen (hey, 42" is better then the laptop), I pulled out my well worn VHS copy of Grand Prix. A few minutes into the first disc, er, tape, I had found my fix. Lapping the Circuit de Monaco at speed, I rode along with Phil Hill, seemingly unaware that this moment would change my life.

No more than a week later, while visiting Pacific Raceways for the SOVREN 'Defrost' (a race that saw both rain and snow!), I was phoned by a friend with a bit of web experience. One thing lead to another, and by the time I hung up the phone I was convinced that I should start my own blog, and leave the restaurant reviews and cocktail critiques to skilled professionals.

With the image of Jean-Pierre Sarti pinned against the Monza banking still fresh in my mind, and my fingers still numb from a COLD track day, it hit me. And now, after 1142 posts and countless hours spent 'blogging,' ColdTrackDays is celebrating its one year anniversary. So this Friday, throw on your copy of Grand Prix, crack open a cold one and celebrate with us // [comment]