Chevy to show SS in Vegas in race trim

A lot of speculation has been made with regards to the SS, the promised new Chevrolet rear-wheel drive performance sedan. The Holden Commodore-based muscle saloon will be prowling the open road as early as next year, while a NASCAR version is set to compete in 2013. Shots of the cars testing in their respective natural habitats have led to endless speculation, and it appears we now know which car will debut first.

Word from Speed is that the 2013 Chevrolet SS NASCAR Sprint Cup car is set to bow on Thursday, November 29 at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel and casino. The car will reportedly be shown in full race trim, sans sponsor graphics for Bounty, Skoal or Taylor Swift.

The Vegas debut will mark the introduction of the final vehicle to enter in the 2013 NASCAR season. Dodge unveiled its Charger racecar in March before leaving the race series. Toyota showed off its V8, RWD Camry NASCAR in May, while Ford debuted its race-spec Fusion in January of this year. The remaining entries are expected to (visually) bear a closer resemblance to their road-going counterparts.

While the SS racecar is debuting next month in Vegas, no mention of the production version SS was made. We are still under the impression that February 21, 2013 will still be the launch date for the road-going version of the rear-wheel drive Holden-based sedan that has GM enthusiasts so worked up.

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Running order set for 2012 Petit Le Mans

The 15th running of Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta is slated for this weekend, and there promises to be plenty of exciting racing in the last event of the American Le Mans Series. Despite being dropped from the World Endurance Championship in favor of the 6 Hours of Bahrain, the field of cars remains bountiful thanks to the European Le Mans Series joining in and making the 10-hour endurance race its series finale as well.

To set the starting order for tomorrow's race, each of the teams ran a 15 minute qualifying session this afternoon split up by class.

In P1 the Rebellion Racing Lola-Toyota qualified on pole, just ahead of the Muscle Milk Racing HPD ARX-03a that has dominated the class in ALMS this year. Rebillion Racing finished 5th in last year's event and are looking to add a victory at Petit Le Mans to their extensive list of wins already achieved this year.

In the hotly contested GT class it was a pair of Extreme Speed Ferrari 458 Italias leading the way in a 1-2, followed by BMW and Corvette. The SRT Viper team, constantly improving since their debut at Mid-Ohio, qualified in 6th and 10th.

After being extensively repaired from Wednesday's crash, the Nissan DeltaWing posted a qualifying time on par with the P2 class, netting a fast lap of 1:12.850, eight-tenths off the quickest P2 car.

Check out the complete list of qualifying times here (PDF), and check out our photos from the practice and qualifying sessions in the gallery above.

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F1's New Jersey Grand Prix postponed until 2014

Formula One's inaugural Grand Prix of America, not to be confused with the US Grand Prix slated for mid-November in Austin, TX, has been postponed until the 2014 F1 season. F1 head honcho Bernie Ecclestone has reported that the event, previously expected to take place in Weehawkin, New Jersey in 2013, has now been pushed back by a year.

The Associated Press is reporting Ecclestone as having said, "Everything is set up but now it's too late to finish on time." The New Jersey race had tentatively been scheduled for June 16 of next year.

Reasons for pushing back the race seem to lie in the slow arrival of some funding, and/or road repair and permitting issues. The Jersey Journal reported that organizers fell behind on said logistics, while Ecclestone mentioned, "They got all the permissions together. Everything was done, that was all fine, but then they missed the boat a little on some financing that was coming in." Of course, the very existence of this race has been a contentious issue for some time.

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NBC replaces Speed as sole broadcaster of F1 races in the US

It is now official, coverage of Formula 1 in the US will now be seen on either NBC or NBC Sports Network, as Speed will conclude its 17-year run with Formula One at the end of this season. In a report from Autosport, we read that NBC Sports Group has signed on to bring American viewers F1 for the next four years. The financial details of the deal were not specified.

The plan is to broadcast four races on NBC and the other sixteen on NBC Sports Network. It is reported that practice and qualifying sessions will be covered on the Sports Network as well. The four NBC-shown races will be the Canadian GP, as well as the final three races of the season.

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone remains confident in the new arrangement, "I feel that [NBC] will promote Formula 1 to a level not seen before in the United States," he continued, "I very much look forward to working with NBC. Together, we will endeavor to broaden the scope of Formula 1 coverage available to US viewers incorporating digital content." NBC has touted its online coverage of sporting events such as the Olympics, and could bring a whole new dynamic to the way Formula 1 is covered in the United States.

With the debut of the United States Grand Prix around the corner, NBC could have picked an ideal time to start covering the sport. But before NBC can capitalize on the Austin, TX-held event, Speed will get a shot at the race, which is on November 18. It is Speed's second-to-last race. The final F1 race to be broadcast on Speed is the Brazilian Grand Prix, on November 25.

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Vaughn Gittin Jr. given free rein to drift around Flat Rock Assembly Plant

Having just announced its official sponsorship of the Formula Drift series, Ford (via Ford Racing) released a video with Vaughn Gittin, Jr. and his new 2013 Mustang RTR drift car. The video, titled "2nd Shift Drift," shows him drifting around the property of Ford's Flat Rock Assembly plant where all Mustangs are currently built.

Although not quite as technical as a Ken Block Gymkhana, Gittin's video delivers plenty of entertainment between slalom drifting a pack of driving Mustangs and a little game we like to call kiss the Mustang (at the 2:21 mark). This all happens around the facility's track that is normally used to perform spot checks of Mustangs rolling off the assembly line.

We expect to see more videos like this from Ford next year as it promotes Formula Drift, but until then, check out how much fun Gittin had visiting the home of the Ford Mustang in the video below.

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Nissan DeltaWing repaired and ready for action at Petit Le Mans

After first watching the scary crash of the Nissan DeltaWing at Road Atlanta yesterday, we were worried that the one-off racecar wouldn't be ready for Petit Le Mans on Saturday. We needn't have worried, though, as the car has been quickly repaired by the Highcroft Racing Team in plenty of time. In fact, the car will be running in the night practice session later today and in the practice and qualifying sessions tomorrow.

The quick turnaround is due to the fact that the crash didn't cause as much damage to the car as initially thought. Ben Bowlby, the car's designer, tells us that while the accident looked severe it didn't compromise the integrity of the chassis.

"There was skin damage to an enormous number of parts both sides of the nose, the side pods, the tail, one mirror were all damaged, but the chassis wasn't other than a few scratches," he tells us.

The suspension system and engine have also been swapped out so as to have a fresh start before the race. In all the repairs took right around 24 hours.

You can see our photos of the fully repaired Nissan DeltaWing in the gallery above, and check back this weekend for more coverage of the car and Petit Le Mans.

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Vaughn Gittin Jr. given free reign to drift around Flat Rock Assembly Plant

Having just announced its official sponsorship of the Formula Drift series, Ford (via Ford Racing) released a video with Vaughn Gittin, Jr. and his new 2013 Mustang RTR drift car. The video, titled "2nd Shift Drift," shows him drifting around the property of Ford's Flat Rock Assembly plant where all Mustangs are currently built.

Although not quite as technical as a Ken Block Gymkhana, Gittin's video delivers plenty of entertainment between slalom drifting a pack of driving Mustangs and a little game we like to call kiss the Mustang (at the 2:21 mark). This all happens around the facility's track that is normally used to perform spot checks of Mustangs rolling off the assembly line.

We expect to see more videos like this from Ford next year as it promotes Formula Drift, but until then, check out how much fun Gittin had visiting the home of the Ford Mustang in the video below.

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Watch Nissan DeltaWing's scary crash in Atlanta

Yesterday, we caught word on Twitter that the Nissan DeltaWing had crashed during testing for this weekend's Petit Le Mans. Now Nissan has provided us with some frightening footage of how the incident went down. The important thing is that driver Gunnar Jeannette is okay, but this is yet another setback for Nissan and its radically experimental prototype racecar.

Just like the DeltaWing's crash at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, this wreck was a result of the car being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Heading into Turn 11 at Road Atlanta, Jeannette was passing the Green Hornet Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, competing in the GT-Challenge class, when the Porsche veered into the side of the DeltaWing right in front of the left rear wheel. This crash might bring in to question not just concerns over the racer's visibility to other drivers, it might also raise stability concerns for the wedge-shaped car since it appears the PIT-maneuver-like contact with the Porsche would have just sent most cars into a spin rather than flipping over.

The good news for the DeltaWing is that Nissan's Steve Yaeger, technology and motorsport communications manager, says the damage wasn't that severe, and it is hoping to have the car back on the track today.

Scroll down to watch the frightening crash.

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Ford signs on as official sponsor of Formula Drift for 2013 [w/video]

Whether you follow the sport of drifting or not, you have to admit that it has taken off. Seeing this popularity, Ford has just announced its sponsorship of Formula Drift as an official partner through the 2013 season.

Ford has already had involvement with the steadily growing sport, through its support of Team Falken Tire and drivers like two-time D1 Grand Prix champion Vaughn Gittin Jr. Ford says the move is part of an effort to reach an alternative buyer, aged 18 to 34, and interested in cars like the Fiesta, Focus, Mustang or F-150 SVT Raptor.

According to Formula Drift co-founder and vice president Ryan Sage, "Ever since Ford came into the series competitively in 2005, we have seen the power of what a factory-backed effort can do... Now we are even more excited to have them on as an official partner for the final event of the year and into 2013."

The final event to which Sage is referring is the "Title Fight," the finale of the 2013 season, recently held in Irwindale, CA. It is the home of the first sanctioned drifting event in 2003. Ford joined the sport in 2005, and had its first win at Irwindale with Gittin at the wheel in 2008. With factory works teams like Hyundai backing out, the increased commitment from Ford comes at at an important time for the sport. Click below for the press release, which also provides a link to watch the season finale live.

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2013 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Super Trofeo racecar is unveiled

Lamborghini has announced its 2013 Gallardo LP570-4 Super Trofeo racer, a version of the standard LP570-4 that has been prepped to race in the Italian company's one-make series sponsored by Blancpain.

The racing Gallardo has been revised for the 2013 season, with a new rear wing and diffuser, new wheel arches and a different livery (the Blancpain collateral is still in full effect, of course). Specification of the new car was not disclosed by Lamborghini, but expectations are that the same 570-horsepower V10 is delivering power to all four wheels.

As a refresher, the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo is a series that sees drivers competing in identical Gallardo racecars. 2012 saw a six-race series take place in Europe, and for the first time, Asia. Lamborghini President and CEO, Stephan Winkelmann, says that the Super Trofeo will eventually make its way to North America and the US, too.

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Nissan DeltaWing crashes during practice for Petit Le Mans

Fate has been cruel to the unique little Nissan DeltaWing. Already an outcast because of its odd shape, the experimental prototype was unceremoniously ran off the road in its inaugural outing last June during the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It's followup to that unfinished effort is supposed to be this weekend's Petit Le Mans race, the season finale of the American Le Mans Series in which the DeltaWing will be participating next year. But word from the Twitterverse is that the DeltaWing has crashed again, this time during testing for the big race at Road Atlanta. The official tweet from the DeltaWing team reads as follows.

Incident at @RoadAtlanta. GTC Porsche made contact with @gunnarjeannette who got upside down. Gunnar is ok. Car report to follow. ALMS

Gunnar Jeannette was behind the wheel at the time of contact with the unidentified GTC Porsche and, as the tweet indicates, is "ok." Fellow series driver Bruno Junqueira, however, tweeted the above pic of the damage, which, without the context of video, looks pretty severe.

There's been no official word yet from the DeltaWing team or Nissan about what happens next, specifically whether or not the car can be repaired in time for this weekend's race or there's another one waiting in the wings. We'll let you know when we know.

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Racer Paul Brown passes away at age 43

The motorsports community lost one of its best this past week. Paul Brown, 43, succumbed to his battle with skin cancer on Saturday, less than eight months after he was initially diagnosed with the disease. Not only a talented driver, Brown was known for his kindness, work ethic, sense of humor and love of the sport.

Son of famed racer Kenny Brown, Paul began his motorsports career at the age of 16 competing in autocross events before later moving to the SCCA World Challenge in which he competed for nearly twenty years. He finished in the top ten in over half of the races he entered.

The highlight of Brown's racing career came in 2011 when he dominated the GTS class of the SCCA World Challenge, winning five races, capturing nine top-five finishes and leading more laps than all other drivers combined.

Brown was diagnosed with cancer in March of 2011, just a few weeks before the start of the racing season. While Derek Bell took over driving duties for the majority of the races, Brown got behind the wheel one more time in June and managed to capture a podium finish.

Brown leaves behind a multitude of family members including his wife and fellow racer Carol Hollfelder. Scroll down below to read more about Paul Brown's life and racing career.

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Place Your Bets: Dodge Challenger SRT8 takes on... an MD500 helicopter?

Here at Autoblog, obsessively covering the automotive industry sometimes takes us places we'd never have expected. Today is one of those days.

In the video pasted below, you'll see a very nice Dodge Challenger SRT8 modified in some way if the quoted 490 horsepower figure is accurate lining itself up on a long, straight stretch of tarmac. Pulling up alongside... or rather, setting itself down, is a McDonnel Douglass MD500 helicopter. Yep, we said helicopter.

So, is this a fair race? We have no idea. For starters, there's no indication as to how long this runway may be, and we don't know the various skills of the pilot or driver. Do we care? No, not really. The race results in a fun video, which you can watch below, and we suggest you keep your eyes peeled all the way through for a little surprise.

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Ford exiting WRC after 2012 season as Euro economy struggles

It appears that the World Rally Championship has lost another key player. After word that Mini is leaving WRC comes news that Ford is pulling out as well. While Mini's departure was rooted in its tenuous relationship with Prodrive, Ford's exit from the sport is tied to the poor economic climate in Europe.

According to a statement from Ford of Europe's VP of Marketing, Sales and Service, Roeland de Waard, "Ford has a long and proud history in the WRC and this was not an easy decision." He continued, "At this time, however, we determined that it was better for the company and the Ford brand to reduce our commitment to the WRC and deploy our resources in other areas."

While Ford's factory backing might be out, the rally masters at M-Sport were running the Ford team up until this news and plan to stay on with the Fiesta WRC in the years to come. The racing outfit, run by Malcolm Wilson, has achieved 52 wins and 208 podium finishes in the 16 seasons that it has been racing with Ford. The M-Sport boss voiced his gratitude toward the relationship with the automaker saying, "I would like to thank Ford of Europe for their enthusiastic support and the faith shown in the team over the past 16 seasons. We understand that tough decisions have had to be made to safeguard Ford jobs."

M-Sport has run Ford's factory team since 1997, and is talking with Ford to receive support in the form of vehicles and engineering. The extent of that support remains to be seen, and it is unknown if Ford will return to WRC if economic conditions in Europe improve.

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Nissan DeltaWing will compete for points in 2013 ALMS season

The Nissan DeltaWing is set to tackle the American Le Mans Series as a fully classified car for 2013. That means the odd-looking racer will be eligible for points starting next year, but we won't have to wait until the new season kicks off to see the machine on North American soil. As we've previously heard, the DeltaWing will run in this weekend's Petit Le Mans competition unclassified as a factory entry. Nissan campaigned its racer in a similar fashion at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans. IMSA plans to collect data on the DeltaWing at the upcoming race at Road Atlanta in order to craft a set of rules for the race car.

Organizers should have no shortage of information to analyze. Petit Le Mans is a 10-hour slog that covers 1,000 miles in 2.54-mile laps of Road Atlanta. This weekend's race kicks off at 11:30 AM EST on October 21.

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Glickenhaus' Ferrari P4/5 Competizione seen and heard testing at Imola

The Glickenhaus team is hard at work on its Ferrari P4/5 Competizione. The machine was recently spotted getting a thorough thrashing around Imola, and YouTube user Marchettino was kind enough to grab a few clips of the terror in action.

Last we heard, Glickenhaus was considering using the machine for competition in the LMP1 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014. That ambition will require more than a few sponsors, and Glickenhaus has cautioned that nothing is set in stone as of yet. Even so, it's encouraging to see the P4/5 Competizione hammering some tarmac.

The machine makes use of a 4.0-liter Ferrari-derived V8 engine good for around 500 horsepower, though a new KERS system developed by Magneti Marelli serves up a bit of additional thrust. Sounds like fun, but will it be good enough to tangle with the rest of the LMP1 class? We can't wait to find out. You can check out the Glickenhaus Ferrari P4/5 Competizione in the video below.

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2012 Korean Grand Prix: Fast and steady wins the race, takes the lead in the Championship [spoilers]

The Yeongnam track that hosts the Korean Grand Prix sees action just once a year, that being the Formula 1 race it was built to host. This year the word "action" is a barely accurate descriptor of what happened during the 55 laps, the suspense after qualifying and what the race result meant for certain drivers proving far more entertaining. But Ferrari's Fernando Alonso said after last week's Japanese Grand Prix, having had his once double-digit lead cut to four points, that we could look forward to a mini-season over the last five races between him and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.

And what better way to start one than by having the top two title contenders, two title hopefuls and four world champions in the starting five on the grid? If the grid positions meant it was game on, however, Alonso might be hoping that for the next three races he and Ferrari can play the game a little harder. Make that a lot harder.

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Formula Drift crowns its 2012 champion

Coming into the last event of the Formula Drift season no less than seven drivers had a chance at winning the championship. Vaughn Gittin Jr., the 2010 champion, was the odds-on favorite, entering the final with a size points lead gained from back-to-back wins earlier in the season, but other drivers like veteran Rhys Millen, last years champion Daijiro Yoshihara, rookie Daigo Saito and Gittin's fellow Mustang driver Justin Pawlak were all in the hunt.

It was a packed house at Irwindale Speedway in Southern California to watch the finale for the first time in the event's history all tickets were sold out before the competition even began.

The drivers put on quite a show for the capacity crowd, and Vaughn Gittin Jr. made things interesting by getting knocked out early in the competition. That left the door open for Rhys Millen and Daigo Saito to take the overall points lead. While Millen managed to make the semi finals, it was Saito who took full advantage, beating out every driver he faced in heads-up competition in his 1,200 Lexus SC430. The first place finish not only gave him the most coveted win in the Formula Drift schedule, but the overall championship as well in his first season. This perhaps makes him the most highly rated drifter in the world, having already won the Formula Drift Asia championship as well as a D1 championship.

You can read the official press release below or check out our photos from the event in the gallery above.

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Porsche 962 driven through the streets of Japan

The Porsche 962 dominated racetracks, and you'll be pleased to see that it's equally at home on public roads. The video above shows a street-legal Porsche 962C prototype acting like just another daily driver in Japan.

Despite looking bouncy on the surface streets, the driver states that it's fairly easy to live with behind the wheel. To illustrate this, we're treated to the sight of a 962 tackling day-to-day mundanities like filling up at a gas station, then heading to a convenience store for a Red Bull. (Note the parking spot that's chosen.)

As is the case with most auto enthusiasts, the owner of this 962 fell in love with the car while watching it race. The video, beautifully produced, delves into some of that history as well as the backstory for this particular car. It's a fun watch, so check it out below.

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Watch these motorcyclists duke it out in hand-to-hand combat to decide a race winner

All other things being equal, motorcycle racing isn't meant to be a contact sport. Sure, the well-used saying 'rubbing is racing' applies here from time to time, but that's the exception, not the rule. And even in that case, it's the bikes making contact, not the riders.

All of that makes the video below all the more worth watching. Here's the scene: Tyler O'Hara is in second place behind Michael Barnes, both pilots mounted on Harley-Davidson XR1200 motorcycles, on the last corner of the last lap. The race couldn't be closer... until, that is, O'Hara decides to reach out and touch Barnes in an effort to complete the pass.

It worked. O'Hara slowed Barnes down just enough that he was able to push past and take the win. At least for a little while. The American Motorcyclists Association retroactively gave the victory to Barnes, punishing O'Hara all the way into last place. If you live in the US, you can watch the action unfold in the video below.

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Mini exiting WRC after just one year

There was a fair bit of hullabaloo two years ago when Mini announced a return to the World Rally Championship for this season, but the road to making that happen has been as rocky as a gravel stage. It spent 2011 developing its JCW Countryman WRC challenger, changing its mind about how it wanted to work with Prodrive, dumped a driver due to budget issues, then registering its entry after the deadline had passed in a ploy that might or might not have been a protest aimed at the WRC promoter.

Mini had stated that it wanted to win the whole championship in 2013, and spent 2011 doing six WRC rounds as development. As it stands for this year, the WRC Team Mini Portugal paid for by Mini, run by ProDrive scored 26 points in the first rally at Monte Carlo and has so far blanked the rest of the season. The relationship between Mini and ProDrive appeared to be an ever-contentious affair, at the end of this season, even the money will dry up along with what support there was.

Because it contested every race in the calendar, though, Mini says it has completed the FIA requirements for homologation of the JCW Countryman WRC; meaning that privateers can continue purchasing the car and run it in the WRC. BMW Motorsport is continuing development and parts supply of the 1.6-liter turbo engine, and a report in Autosport indicates that ProDrive will continue to run Minis in the series next year.

The press release below has more info on the whys and wherefores.

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What's it like to go over 260 mph in an 20-year-old Audi S4? Watch this

There are an infinite number of impressive aspects to getting a 1992 Audi to clip past the 260-mph barrier. For starters, there's the fact that Jeff Gerner managed to milk a full 1,100 horsepower from the five-cylinder S4 before shuttling the power to the ground via an all-wheel drive system without vaporizing an axle. That alone deserves a round of applause, but for us, the most awe-inspiring aspect of the feat is just how smooth and drama-free the salt flat run was.

The video below, whipped up by the artisans at eGarage, shows Gerner doing the deed in Utah. There's no fuss. No wild fights for traction or mechanical failures. Just Gerner riding along like he was cruising down the highway instead of blistering a dry lake bed and setting a world record not just for the world's fastest Audi sedan, but for the world's fastest sedan, full-stop. His two runs were good enough for an average of 236.599 mph and his top speed was estimated at over 260 mph. Check out the videos below for a closer look, then head on over to Quattroworld to read more about it.

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Lola shuttered as administrator unable to find buyer for bankrupt automaker

When Lola Cars International filed for bankruptcy in May of this year, the expectation was that a buyer would be found because, after all, it's Lola. Over the past 54 years, the British racecar builder has had its aluminum and carbon fiber fingers in every top series and a cornucopia of feeder series', and it continues to have cars racing on tracks as you read this. A report on Speed puts paid to that, however, with word that no suitable buyer came forward and hence the division has been shut down and will probably have its assets sold.

For the moment, the move only affects Lola Cars, which is the car building arm of Lola Group Holdings. According to Speed, the Lola name and all of the intellectual property belong to the parent company, and LGH isn't affected bankruptcy and closure it just won't be building cars anymore. The Lola Composites division was also declared bankrupt in May, but remains a going concern seeking a buyer.

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Red Bull Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye 2012 is a basket of insanity

If you've never heard of he Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye, crack open your ears for a spell. The race is a grueling four-day event that slithers through the Carpathian mountains of Romania.

We aren't talking about battling some logging road, either. The competitors who tackle Romaniacs bolt up ridge sides, climb waterfalls and tear across open terrain in an attempt to set the best recorded time. A single stage can put the riders through 30,000 feet of climbing over incredibly varied terrain. This is a competition where no single skill set will nab you the title. Rather, riders need to be well-rounded to take all 400 miles head on.

This year, Red Bull worked up a Signature Series on the event, following competitors through all four stages and documenting the carnage in beautiful HD. The 45-minute-long video is entirely TV quality, and while it requires a serious time commitment, it's also completely worth a slice of your day. You can check it out for yourself below just don't blame us if you find yourself wanting an enduro machine of your own once you finish.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. concussion at Talladega puts him out two races [w/video]

After suffering a concussion in the massive end-of-race 25-car pileup at Talladega last weekend, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will miss the next two races, and perhaps the rest of the NASCAR season. That crash marked Earnhardt's second concussion of the season; the first happened after a failed tire test in Kansas on August 29.

Earnhardt, who currently holds the 11th spot in NASCAR's Chase for the Cup, admits that he didn't report symptoms suffered after the first incident for fear that he would be removed from the championship hunt.

Said Earnhardt, "I remember everything about that accident, everything after that accident. But I knew I didn't feel ... you know your body and how your mind works. I knew something was just not quite right. I decided to push through and work through it." The driver said he was feeling "100 percent" before the race at Talladega.

The two-race setback, which will almost certainly eliminate him from championship contention, comes as a real blow to Earnhardt, who was having a bit of a comeback season. The driver broke a considerable 143-race winless streak this season. Sitting out the next two races will also snap a streak of 461 consecutive Sprint Cup starts for the No. 88 Mountain Dew Chevrolet driver.

Scroll down to watch a bit of analysis about Earnhardt's crash, concussion and prospects.

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Speaking for himself and not the company, head of Honda Research and Development, Yoshiharu Yamamoto, told Autocar that when it comes to Formula One, "We do look up at those races and hope that one day we can take part again." In order for that one day to occur, a few things would need to happen: the rules would need to change and Honda would need to prove itself capable of winning in the World Touring Car Championship. Neither one is assured.

The new rules Yamamoto is thought to be referring to are the F1 engine regulations coming into force in 2014 the sport will swap 2.4-liter V8s for 1.6-liter, turbocharged V6s. Honda has developed a 1.6-liter four-cylinder for its new entrant in the WTCC, and it's speculated that a 1.6-liter turbo four will fill the engine bay of the coming Honda Civic Type R. As with a similar on-again off-again flirtation with F1 by Volkswagen, the move to an engine spec closer to that for road cars could be one of the prime tipping points Honda needs.

However, Bernie Ecclestone, Ferrari and even Grand Prix promoters are now fighting the introduction of those V6s because, among other things, the say the engines "sounded terrible." On top of that, Honda's return assumes the company can strut its stuff in touring cars, Yamamoto telling Autocar, "I feel the first thing we must do is win in the WTCC, and then perhaps we can look further afield."

Over the past 48 years Honda has done three stints in Formula 1. In spite of its many successes McLaren-Honda, anyone? many look at the Japanese company's last exit in 2008 as an ignominious end to a nine-year stretch that also included the whimpering close of the BAR Honda team and the best days of Jacques Villeneuve's noteworthy F1 career. That's not exactly true, though: Honda got out at the end of 2008 and helped Ross Brawn with a management buyout to form Brawn GP in early 2009, then Jensen Button used the car Honda had just finished developing to dominate the 2009 World Championship. We, for one, would be happy to see them back.

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Speed to veer away from cars, turn into all-sports network?

For anyone who tuned to Speed over the weekend, you may have noticed a new Fox Sports logo looming at the bottom of the screen. According to SB Nation, this could be a bad sign for motorsports fans as it seems to verify rumors that Fox is on the verge of changing Speed into an all-sports network like ESPN.

Although we're thankful that the channel never completely turned into the 24-hour NASCAR channel as was evidently intended when Fox took over in 2001, it has become a go-to channel for all things motorsports from the mainstream to the offbeat. Speed has already expanded its broadcasting to include reality shows like Pass Time, Pinks and Hard Parts: South Bronx, but it is also the only place to find coverage for racing series such as Australian V8 Supercar, Formula One Racing and Grand-Am.

The Wall Street Journal says that converting Speed to a sports network would allow the company to capitalize on a new eight-year deal it just worked out with Major League Baseball that would allow for better distribution of games among cable and satellite companies. Only time will tell what as to what becomes of Speed, but for fans of motorsports coverage, things aren't looking good.

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Project Ugly Horse: Part 1

Meet the Horse



I have always hated this car.

Not the Ford Mustang, mind you, nor the ubiquitous Fox body, but this specific car. It's not because it came from the factory cursed with a heavy and under-powered 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine or an entirely worthless four-speed automatic gearbox. No, I hated this car because once, while I was off pretending to pay attention at college, my father traded two whole International Scout II trucks, their titles and a scad load of new old stock parts for this: a secretary special hatchback Mustang. It made me ill.

Sorry, son. I've sold you to a brace of machete-wielding Somali pirates.

As a vested devotee of all things International Harvester, this was a sin of inconceivable magnitude. I would have been less crushed if he had sat me down, looked me square in the eye and told me in his most earnest and paternal tones that he spent his working days feeding laundry baskets of kittens to a wood chipper instead of wielding Autocad in a cubical as a structural engineer. Or that, "Sorry, son. I've sold you to a brace of machete-wielding Somali pirates to pay off a blood oath."

Confusion. Anger. The betrayal was made all the more painful by the news that the new owner of the two IH bruisers had simply thrown the stack of brand-new 345 heads into the back and hauled the Scouts straight to the crusher for scrap. The locals say you can still hear my teenage screams rolling around the darkened hills of Virginia on a still night.

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2013 VDS GT 001, GT 001-R are knife-edged Gillets

Raphal van der Straten has been racing for the family team, VDS Racing Adventures, since 2000 in everything from a Renault Clio to a BMW M5, but now the Belgain race team is getting ready to build its own unique car to compete in GT2 races. Not only is VDS introducing the GT 001-R (pictured above) for racing duties, it also building a small number of the car for street use to be called the GT 001. According to SuperCars.net, the GT 001-R is being built to race at the 24 Hours of Dubai race while 22 examples of the street-legal GT 001 will be built for the team to sell.

Since 2008, VDS has raced various Ford Mustangs including the FR500C, so it isn't that big of a surprised that the GT 001 and GT 001-R show styling that seems very much to have been influenced by the Mustang. The nose of the cars look like a combination of the late first-gen Mustang with the headlights of a 2013 Mustang while the rear of the car has taillights shaped almost identically to the 2005-2009 'Stangs.

Aside from the spectacularly cartoonish Mustang design, the rest of the car uses the same lightweight chassis and powerful drivetrain as the Gillet Vertigo .5 Spirit. This means that a 480-horsepower 4.2-liter Maserati V8 sits under the hood paired with a six-speed sequential transmission.

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Mercedes launches SLS AMG GT3 45th Anniversary racecar

Mercedes-Benz has whipped up a special edition of its SLS AMG GT3 customer racecar to mark the 45th anniversary of the very first SL model. The company plans to build no more than five examples, each stitched together by hand in Affalterbach. Each of the bruisers will come with a special magno graphite matte paint slathered over carbon fiber bodywork. The racer wears a composite hood, trunk lid, aero work and doors. Jump inside, and the SLS AMG GT3 45th Anniversary offers a full race cage painted to match the vehicle's exterior as well as carbon-shell seats for both the driver and co-driver.

Meanwhile, each machine will receive an AMG 6.2-liter V8 hand-fitted by Bernd Schneider and an AMG technician. As you may recall, Schneider carried out most of the development testing of the SLS AMG GT3 and has won the DTM championship three times.

Buyers will receive their vehicles at a handover ceremony in Affalterbach, which includes a full factory tour by Schneider himself. If you want one, better scrape up 446,250, including the 19 percent Value Added Tax. That works out to around $578,250 at current conversion rates. Zing. Take a look at the full press release below.

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Volkswagen sets hybrid car land speed record... again

Behold the fastest production hybrid in the world. For the second time this year, the Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid LSR has moved the terminal-veolcity bar higher by averaging 186.313 mph at Bonneville. That breaks the SCTA's land speed record for production cars with forced induction engines of less than 1.5 liters.

On Oct. 5, Motor Trend Associate Road Test Editor Carlos Lago also posted the fastest run ever by a hybrid, hitting 187.147 mph during the last part of his second run. That bests the previous record by 1.753 mph set by the same car and driver in August.

In the official press release from Volkswagen (available below), the company brags that the "all-new 2013 Jetta hybrid is a distinctly different offering in the compact hybrid class, offering excellent fuel economy while retaining the fun-to-drive nature expected from a Volkswagen." But don't let that fool you. While the car may look stock, SCTA rules allow some major modifications in the "production car" class.

The suspension was lowered, the interior gutted and replaced with a full roll cage, and the car got special Salt Flat wheels and tires. Major engine modifications took the 170-horsepower motor all the way to 300 horses. Totally allowed under the rules, but a bit misleading considering the production car name.

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WRC crowns driver and manufacturer champs, any guesses who? [spoilers]

Brace yourselves, ladies and gentlemen, for a shocking announcement: Sbastien Loeb has won the 2012 World Rally Championship title, and his Red-Bull-sponsored Citron team took home the manufacturer's trophy.

For those keeping track, this is Loeb's ninth WRC title, and the season-clinching win at Rally France in front of fans from his hometown of Haguenau, no less marks the 75th time Loeb has driven to victory in the series. So dominant was Loeb in 2012 that his title has been secured with two races remaining on the calendar.

Sbastien Loeb has announced that he will be in something of a retirement mode in 2013, but it remains to be seen what the 38-year-old Frenchman will do with all his new-found spare time.

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Watch Skoda's Mikkelsen get quizzed while running a rally stage

If there's one trait all motorsports drivers have, it's an excellent ability to multitask. Sure, the pilots need to be able to keep an eye on the course and keep their vehicles pointed in the right direction. But that's not all.

Drivers also need to be in constant contact with either a navigator, a spotter or a pit chief while simultaneously making sure their car doesn't go supernova on the course. Skoda recently put driver Andreas Mikkelsen's multitasking skills to the test by giving him a pop quiz while he was slinging his IRC rally car around the Millbrook race track.

With questions covering topics ranging from rally history to import/export trivia, Mikkelson had his work cut out for him, but he handles the rapid-fire Q&A like a champ. Well, except for that question about Ukrainian pork. You can check out the video for yourself below.

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Watch NASCAR's last-lap crash at Talladega that took out 25 cars

Say what you will about NASCAR, but there's no denying that the race series remains a spectacle. Look no further than the last two laps at Talladega this past weekend as evidence. The final restart of the race saw Matt Kenseth at the head of the pack, but Tony Stewart managed to take the lead just before the white flag fell thanks to a push from Sam Hornish. But as the pack came out of Turn 3, Stewart dropped low to attempt to gain yet another push, snagging the rear of his car on the nose of Michael Waltrip's machine.

The contact sent Stewart spinning into the pack, now four-wide behind him, and the resulting collision soaked up just about everyone on the field. Kenseth, meanwhile, escaped the fray and took the checkered flag for the win. Check out the destruction in the video below.

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Honda debuts production Dakar Racer CRF450 Rally

The Dakar Rally Raid is a spectacle unlike anything else in motorsports. With a course that tracks its way through some of the most unforgiving and forgotten areas in South America, the event is challenging enough for those who tackle the race on four wheels. The guys who make for the dunes on motorcycles, however, are simply our kind of insane.

Honda has chosen to honor this year's factory team with a production version of the race bike. The CRF450 Rally debuted at the 2012 International Motorcycle, Scooter and Bike Fair in Cologne, Germany, and is based on the standard CRF450.

Honda swapped in programmable fuel injection in place of the old carbs, bumped up the total fuel capacity and incorporated a new navigation system. Engineers also worked in new changes to both the chassis and bodywork to increase durability and protect the drivetrain from damage. Honda will first test the CRF450 Rally in the Morocco Rally later this month before putting it to task in the Dakar Rally in January. Take a look at the full press release below for more information.

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Watch Petrolicious beautifully profile the Targa California

In terms of classic car rallies, the Targa California is a fairly young event. In it's fourth running, the event is a NASA-sanctioned, non-competitive rally that features classic machinery from 1975 and earlier on a jaunt through some of central California's most beautiful countryside. The three-day event is open to any make and model, right down to vintage pickups, so this is our kind of party. The crew from Petrolicious Productions captured this year's batch of drivers as they wound through the dirt roads and rolling coastline.

The five-minute clip is loaded to the brim with beautiful machinery, from BMW 2002 racers to classic Porsche 911 and 914 models, as well as more than a few Jaguar E-Type and Alfa Romeo participants. From the looks of things, if it's cool, it's in the Targa California. With excellent camerawork and plenty of drool-worthy tin, the video is well worth your time. Check it out below. You can also head over to the Targa California site for more information.

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2012 Japanese Grand Prix sees some drivers make their points, one makes a huge 25 [spoilers]

Even though the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix wasn't an especially exciting race, it involved "destiny" and resurrection, chanting, and a "nutcase" as some drivers tried to make their impression on the Formula 1 World Championship standings this year, while other tried to make cases for retention to their teams for next year.

Unlike the Singapore Grand Prix when the grid managed to make it through the first corner without colliding into one another save for the two Caterhams kissing each other at the back Suzuka's right-hand turn number one saw some heavy hitters getting hit heavily. The first one of them would be driving a Ferrari...

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Petter Solberg crashes through vineyard, into utility pole at French WRC event

If one absolutely must crash out of professional rally event, one might as well do it with style. At least that seems to be Petter Solberg's philosophy. The Norwegian rally driver bowed out of the Rally of France Alsace on Saturday when he left the course, drove through a vineyard, rejoined the course briefly, drove through a second vineyard and struck a power pole. As if that weren't bizarre enough, the impact sent the pole crashing to the ground, narrowly missing spectators and sending power lines arcing across parked vehicles in the area.

Solberg started the day in fourth place overall, but ended his bout for the podium on the first stage. Fortunately, no injuries were reported as a result of the off. You can take a closer look at the scene in the video below. Trust us, you'll want to watch this one a few times.

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Think Rally and Rallycross are similar? Ken Block's car begs to differ

If you've ever wondered about the "hybrid" in Ken Block's Ford Fiesta H.F.H.V. (Hybrid Function Hoon Vehicle), then this video is definitely worth watching. After winning the Olympus Rally near Shelton, Washington, Block's Fiesta headed to Las Vegas for the fifth round of Global Rallycross (GRC). The same car is used in both racing series. As you'd imagine, racing on narrow dirt back roads Washington is very different than running on the mostly paved course at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Aside from the chassis and most of the body components, the Ford Fiesta that raced on Sunday September 23 is almost completely different from the car that practiced on Thursday September 26. The entire powertrain gets swapped in favor of a setup making over 600 horsepower, and the front-mounted radiator is moved aft for the GRC event. To ensure proper air flow to it, different side vents and a vented liftgate are installed. The GRC car also gets bigger brakes and the proper wheel/tire combo. After three days of disassembly and reassembly, this Fiesta is ready for Rallycross.

Sure, it'd probably be easier to just have a second, dedicated GRC car, but where's the fun in that? Scroll down to watch the video of what it takes to transform Block's Fiesta from a gravel-spewing Rally America car to a ramp-jumping Global Rallycross car.

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2013 Honda CR-Z Mugen RZ gets supercharged power

Factory tuning house Mugen has taken it upon itself to cure what ails the Honda CR-Z. The centerpiece of the Honda CR-Z Mugen RZ is a specially-developed supercharger, which bumps the 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine's output to 153 horsepower. That's a nudge of 30 horses over the standard hybrid, though the hatchback's integrated motor assist system still delivers an extra 20 horsepower when needed. Mugen also threw in a titanium cat-back exhaust system to help the engine breathe a bit easier. The company swapped the stock suspension components for five-way adjustable coilovers, and the brake system received a complete overhaul as well.

Up front, the CR-Z Mugen RZ makes use of 11.8-inch rotors pressed by reinforced calipers, sterner pads and braided stainless lines. Of course, this wouldn't be a Mugen product without a new body kit, and the company's designers served up a reworked front fascia, adjustable front spoiler, side skirts, rear diffuser and, of course, a wing. Inside, the reworked CR-Z uses special blue and black seats, a new steering wheel and shift knob.

Mugen will start to sell 300 completed CR-Zs on November 26, in Japan only, sadly. Take a look at the full press release below for more information.

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F1's Nico Rosberg explains how the racing helmet has evolved

As motorsports fans, we tend to pour over every detail of the race car's evolution, but it's easy to forget other aspects of a race team that progress at approximately the same rate. That includes safety equipment. Nico Rosberg took some time off from of his Formula One driving duties at Mercedes AMG Petronas to sit down with a camera crew to track the evolution of the helmet from the jaunty leather caps of 1946 to the carbon-weave shells used today. Rosberg's helmet weighs in at just 2.5 pounds but can withstand serious impacts without deforming and protect the wearer from heat of up to 1,472 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 seconds.

Rosberg's helmet can also hold up to a shot from a projectile moving 1,345 feet per second. Very impressive, and entirely necessary for a sport that sees racers reach ludicrous speeds on track. You can check out the video below to chart the safety helmet's interesting progression.

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Michael Schumacher retiring from F1 again, 'might be forever'

Seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher said this morning that he will retire at the end of the current season. Just last week, Mercedes-Benz announced that Lewis Hamilton would be replacing Schumacher for the 2013 F1 season.

Schumacher didn't completely quell the rumors of his taking a spot with another racing outfit next season Sauber has been mentioned as a potentially soft landing place for the German saying only that the retirement, "...might be forever."

In an interview with the Associated Press following the Japanese Gran Prix, Schumacher recounted, "Although I was able and capable of competing with the best drivers that are around, at some point it's time to say goodbye and this time it might be forever."

Schumacher retired for the first time following the 2006 F1 season, choosing to return with Mercedes in 2010. Despite being the most successful driver in the history of the sport, Schumacher has underwhelmed in the intervening years since his comeback.

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Ecclestone pushing to dump Formula 1 turbo V6 plans

Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone is unhappy with his series' proposed engine change. SPEED is reporting that Ecclestone believes the introduction of the turbocharged V6 mill should be postponed or even dropped altogether.

While one may think the leading concern for the Ecclestone are the budgets tied to developing the new engines, his issue with the V6 is reportedly far more simple than that. No, Ecclestone has a problem with the way the turbocharged V6 powerplants sound.

The SPEED report notes Ecclestone's reaction: "I listened to the noise of the engines in Maranello the other day, the new engine and the old engine, and even (Ferrari President) Luca di Montezemolo said it sounded terrible."

As superficial of a qualm Ecclestone might have with the engine note, that whine of a high-revving V8 has become an integral part of the identify of F1 it may be imprudent to meddle with with such an important part of the brand.

FIA president Jean Todt had previously stated that there will not be another delay in the rollout of the new powerplant, but Australian Grand Prix president and Ecclestone-ally Ron Walker says "The circuits will all support Bernie in his quest to keep the same engine, because it will mean great savings in the cost burden of running the sport."

Given that we are just 18 months from the start of the 2014 season, we will be anxious to see what the final decision is on engine formula and how soon it is made. Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Renault are not waiting around to find out what Bernie's decision is, as they are gradually converting their dynos over to V6 use and will continue to develop the new engine in the meantime.

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Meet Dick Eytchison and his '65 Chevelle autocrosser

There are few things we love more than seeing well-sorted classic cars being put to task. It seems we're in good company on that front. Dick Eytchison shares our belief that, "you just don't appreciate them unless you get out there and drive them."

Over the years, Dick has whipped his 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle sedan into an autocross terror. With a breathed-on 383 crate V8 spitting out around 400 horsepower, the Chevelle has no deficit of grunt. Of course, getting a mid-sixties muscle bruiser to sprint in a straight line has never been an issue; it's getting the machine to go right and left that's the challenge.

The 68-year-old weekend racer ditched the factory rear end for a stout Ford nine-inch with a Truetrac limited slip, and a set of Baer brakes on all four corners bring the machine down from speed. Up front, 13-inch rotors get pressed by four-piston calipers, while the back axle makes due with a couple 12-inch discs.

A full suite of Hotchkis goodies, including A-arms, sway bars and spindles, help keep the machine planted, as do Bilstein shocks on all four corners. The finished product looks right at home dodging cones. We dig it. Check it out in the video below.

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Former Confederate Motors designer wants $500k to build three LSR bikes, document the process

Out of the workshop of Birmingham, Alabama-based Confederate Motors has rolled several revolutionary bikes. JT Nesbitt designed the G2 Hellcat and the Wraith, two of the company's first models. Made of aircraft aluminum and carbon fiber, the $100,000 Wraith set a top speed record of 166.45 mph in its class at Bonneville in 2008. And now, Nesbitt has left Confederate to start his own company, Bienville Studios in New Orleans, to work on automotive projects. But he still likes motorcycles.

Nesbitt believes as much in the craftsmanship of a bike as he does the mechanics and engineering. Which made him a perfect fit for a Kickstarter project with Manifest Digital, a Chicago graphic design firm.

The goal of the Bienville Legacy Kickstarter project is to raise $500,000 in one month to fund the no-holds-barred creation of three record-setting bikes. Once the funds are booked, Nesbitt will begin putting together the bike you see above using only the highest grade aluminum, titanium, chrome-moly and carbon fiber. Without worrying about costs, profit margins, investors, hard-to-please customers and a bad economy, the team will be free to experiment however necessary to, as Nesbitt says in the video, create "... the fastest f***ing motorcycle ever built in this country."

Exotic materials will lend the bike lightness, while the power will come from a Motus 100 cubic-inch, 160-horsepower V4. As a side note, Motus, also located in Birmingham, was co-founded by another Confederate designer, Brian Case.

The $500k will also pay for "Tempus Veritas Revelat" (Time Reveals Truth), a documentary being shot of the bike build as well as for taking the three bikes to Bonneville for the attempts to break land speed records in three different classes.

A Kickstarter pledge of $15 or more will get investors a free download of the finished documentary. Several pledge levels above that, at $10,000, is a choice of two packages. First is the opportunity for you and 12 of your friends to work with the build team to create the bikes in New Orleans. Your other choice is a "long weekend" apprenticeship and permission to take a bike out for a ride.

Interested? Might want to hurry. The Kickstarter project has a long way before reaching its $500k goal, but its pledge window closes Oct. 22. Check out the project's video by scrolling down, then if you're interested, head over to Kickstarter.

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Up close and personal with David Higgins' 2012 Subaru WRX STI Rally Car [w/video]

Riding Shotgun With The Five-Time Rally America Champ



There's nothing quite like the sound of a high-strung boxer engine in full rage. Each dip of the throttle sends the opposed four-pot barking and popping like some sort of caffeinated prehistoric beast as David Higgins shoots his very unique 2012 Subaru WRX STI through a tight section of chicanes on the back side of the DirtFish Rally School's 315-acre playground. He's traveling at the approximate speed of a Japanese bullet train, if bullet trains spent the majority of their time sideways and on ball bearings.

An hour ago, this car was cleaner than a sundress on Sunday.

The cacophony can likely be heard all the way from Snoqualmie Valley to the hipster bars in downtown Seattle, but situated as I am in the passenger side of the car, all I hear is the rush of gravel pelting the machine's underbelly and my own laughter. Higgins has just sent his hyperactive triceratops pirouetting around a teardrop-shaped hairpin, pivoting the nose on a group of photographers at the apex. He took time to give the group a friendly thumbs-up before grabbing another gear and leaving them all in a cloud of Washington State silt.

An hour ago, this car was cleaner than a sundress on Sunday, meticulously prepared by the guys at Vermont SportsCar. We caught up with the team who built the machine that Higgins drove to his fifth Rally America Championship win last month for a look at what makes this car so damn fast.

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How to tell if your $600 Craigslist Subaru has bad struts

There is no excuse for this Subaru's suspension. There are so many ways to check for bad struts bounce on the bumper, feel the tires for cupping, or just note the nautical motions as you go down the road.

Whoever owned this Impreza before rally racer Brianne Corn picked it up for $600 completely ignored all the signs of impending suspension doom. Or, like any normal person might do when your Subaru starts doing random donkey kicks, they just put the thing up for sale.

In spite of the danger, or perhaps because of it, this old boxer looks like a hoot in its own right. Keep reading to see the video.

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Red Bull releases re-edit of F1 car in Lincoln Tunnel with only engine sounds

Just like any vacation, Red Bull Racing had plenty of fun last month when it did a little sightseeing in New York City and New Jersey. First, the team stopped and got a photo op with the New York skyline while playing The Star-Spangled Banner and then it took to the streets of New Jersey driving along the proposed route of the 2014 Grand Prix of America (you know, if it actually happens). Every good trip must come to an end though, so the team heads to the Lincoln Tunnel for the final video of Red Bull's trip, which is just as fun to watch as it is to listen to.

Red Bull Racing teased us with this video last month, but now we finally get to see its RB7 Formula One racer tearing through the tunnel connecting New Jersey and Manhattan. The 1.5-mile long tubes usually see daily traffic of well over 100,000 vehicles, and we're sure there's never been such a powerful car (or so little traffic) commuting underneath the Hudson River. The best part is that the car's engine provides the only soundtrack.

Check out the video below to see and hear what it's like to let a Formula One car loose in the Lincoln Tunnel.

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Peugeot 208 Type R5 rally car looks fast sitting still

Last week, we were able to bring you all of the details regarding Peugeot's new 208 Type R5 rally car, but there was only a shadowy teaser image with which to illustrate the pre-production rally titan.

Thankfully, with our meticulous shooters combing the floor, we now have a good long look at the Peugeot 208 R5, which the French automaker confirms will race next year in series like the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, European Rally Championship and the National Championships.

The 208 R5 is, of course, just as racy as we'd hoped, with a wheels-at-the-absolute-corners stance, huge white shoes wearing hometown Michelin rubber, a sizable rear wing and sporty graphics as far as the eye can see. Don't get used to seeing it in quite so gleaming a shade of white, however, as this one little guy is destined to get dirty, fast.

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Remembering legendary motorsports journalist Chris Economaki [w/video]

Legendary motorsports journalist and racing commentator, Chris Economaki, died late on Thursday evening at the age of 91.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1920, Economaki began working for National Speed Sport News at the tender age of 13, selling copies of the magazine. He worked for the publication in jobs as diverse as delivery boy, correspondent and publisher, and was named Editor in 1950. Economaki's column for the magazine, "The Editor's Notebook" was published for more than 50 years.

In later years the journalist began a career in broadcasting, serving as a commentator for ABC's Wide World of Sports and covering such racing highlights as the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500, among many others. Economaki also appeared as a commentator for CBS Sports, ESPN's Speed Week, and Motorweek Illustrated on TBS. In total, his massive career covered every corner of motorsport, across the globe and spanned eight decades.

Brian France, CEO of NASCAR, said this of Economaki, "The passing of Chris Economaki is a tough loss for me on both a personal and professional level, having known Chris throughout my life. Many people consider Chris the greatest motorsports journalist of all time. He was, indeed, 'the Dean.'"

Scroll down to see a few videos of Economaki at home on the racetrack. In the first, Economaki talks with Dave Despain about the best driver he ever saw, and in the second, he adds insight to a special presentation about the 1965 12 Hours of Sebring. Good stuff, all.

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