FORD Rangers

The Ford Ranger is a nameplate that has been utilized on two distinct model lines of pickup trucks sold by the Ford Motor Company.

Fire CAR

Fire Car game, Fire Car games were prepared for you in our Truck Games site. Fire Car Game in Truck Games category.

Lamborghini

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini is an Italian car manufacturer.

Sedan

The Black Sedan (or the Family Sedan) is one of two automobiles that belong to the Simpson family.

Ferarri Car

Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929.

Friday, August 31, 2012

Next year's 24 Hours of Le Mans pushed back a week



Race fans that look forward to the motorsports mecca that is the 24 Hours of Le Mans will have to wait one additional week.

According to an Autosport report, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest had announced the dates for the 2013 race as June 15-16, but following a request by the FIA, the dates had been changed. The race will now take place the 22nd and 23rd of June. The test date for the race will now be on June 9th.

In a statement from the ACO, the change was made, "in order to harmonize the world calendar of motor racing events."

The schedule change will not alter the fact that the 24 Hours of Le Mans remains as the centerpiece of the FIA World Endurance Championship season. The current season includes 12 Hours of Sebring, and six hour races at Spa, Silverstone, Sao Paulo, Bahrain, Fuji, and Shangai.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Watch the World's Greatest Drag Race 2 with just engine sounds

Motor Trend Wide Open Throttle

The good people at Motor Trend were kind enough to whip up a behind-the-scenes video of the publication's recent epic drag race for our viewing enjoyment. As it turns out, there's more to pitting the world's quickest production cars against one another than finding an empty air strip and going to town. Last year, the magazine broke a total of 11 windshields thanks to a surprising number of stones on the course. To keep that from happening again, crews applied a thin sheet of vinyl to each windscreen to protect the glass from vicious chips.

But that's not what makes the clip below the jump so incredibly interesting. As you may recall, the first video featured plenty of dramatic music and only a few faint whispers of engine noise. Now MT has fixed that issue by serving up the full race with nothing but the raucous bark of exhaust notes to usher the cars toward the finish. Hit the jump to check it out for yourself.

Health Canada clamps down on Targa Newfoundland over collectable Marlboro suit

Zahir Rana Enzo Wreck

We're sure you remember Zahir Rana, the gentleman who piloted a Ferrari Enzo into the Atlantic Ocean during last year's Targa Newfoundland. When the gentleman took his co-pilot and his car for a swim, he happened to be wearing a racing suit once worn by Rubens Barrichello. Back when the Formula One racer drove for Ferrari, the team was sponsored by Marlboro, which meant the cigarette company's logo was plastered all over the the suit. As it turns out, Health Canada takes a dim view of tobacco advertising during any racing event, and despite the fact that Rana had bought the signed suit at a charity auction as a piece of racing history, the government agency took offense to photos from the race depicting Rana in full Marlboro regalia.

According to Wheels.ca, Targa President Bob Giannou found himself on the raw end of phone calls and letters from Health Canada, informing him of "prohibitions regarding the promotion of tobacco products," even if the reference is historical.

Does that mean Canadian officials are going to block the public appearance of the hordes of vintage race cars sponsored by the likes of Rothmans, Marlboro, John Player Special, Camel, Lucky Strike, Kool and Skoal just to name a few? Like it or not, tobacco and racing have a long and storied history together, and attempting to censor that history from the public eye is downright foolish. Good luck, Health Canada.

Watch Red Bull take a tour of New Jersey in an F1 car

Red Bull F1 in New Jersey Video

Formula One may not be descending on New Jersey next year for the Grand Prix of America, but the news hasn't stopped Red Bull from doing a little early scouting. David Coulthard dusted off the RB7 racer for a few quick sprints through the streets of New Jersey and West New York on the proposed course. As if watching the F1 bruiser dart down the waterfront and through car-lined city streets isn't enough to get us seriously stoked about the race, Red Bull also turned its team loose on the Lincoln tunnel.

Listening to the high-strung racer clear its lungs in the tunnel is nothing short of fantastic. You'll want to turn up the volume for this one. Red Bull said the stunt drew onlookers out of their homes just to see and hear the RB7 scream by their doorsteps. We can certainly understand why.

As you may recall, F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone has said that the event is definitely not going to happen in 2013 and may get pushed back to 2014.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Translogic follows Monster Tajima's historic, and short, Pikes Peak run

Monster Tajima races up Pikes Peak in an EV

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second-oldest motorsports event in the United States, having been contested since 1916. It's an outlier in the sanitized, corporate-sponsored world of professional racing, remaining true to its unique and local roots. The race has a long history of encouraging ingenuity and experimentation, so its not surprising that proponents of alternative fuels have long mixed it up amidst the more conventionally deployed big blocks and turbos.

But this year something special happened when course record holder and defending champion Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima showed up with an EV. Now Tajima was certainly not the first to attempt a run up the mountain under electric power, but his embrace of the technology after years of racing machines powered by internal combustion engines has to be regarded as significant. The EV movement couldn't have asked for a better public relations opportunity, which is why our sister site Translogic was there with cameras to document the occasion.

Unfortunately, Tajima's day was prematurely ended when his car caught fire. His course record was broken as well, but the former champ has promised to be back next year to give it another go with his Monster Sport E-Runner Pikes Peak Special.

Scroll down to watch the full episode of Translogic.

Confederate heads to Bonneville with prototype X132 Hellcat Combat

Confederate X132 Hellcat Combat - front three-quarter view

In 2010, James Hoegh rode his Confederate P120 Fighter motorcycle across the Bonneville Salt Flats and reached 159 miles per hour. A little later he went back and got that up to 162.6 mph. This year he's going back to the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials in Bonneville to try and hit 170 mph, which would break the record of 168.912 mph in the APF3000 class, set last year by Wink Ellis.

Heogh is sticking with Confederate for the attempt, but he's switched over to the X132 Hellcat Combat, a specially developed prototype version of the X132 Hellcat. The one-of-a-kind bike maintains the 132-cubic-inch S&S XWedge engine of the standard Hellcat and fits upgraded kit like a custom dual-track intake, CNC-ported heads with shorter cylinders, new rocker arms, a radiused crankshaft and a different compression ratio.

It won't be one-of-a-kind for long though, with Confederate set to produce "a limited number" of Hellcat Combats early next year. The trials were held this past weekend and results weren't available at the time of writing, but if Hoegh manages to break the record with his, we imagine the production run will sell out even faster than limited-edition Confederates usually do. Scroll down below for the press release.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Watch Greg Tracy snap the 10-minute Pikes Peak barrier

Greg Tracey's Pikes Peak run in 2012 - cyclecam

There are the racers who tackle the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on four wheels and then there are the (even more) insane bastards who head up the mountain on bikes. Greg Tracy is without a doubt one of the most talented of those souls. He's collected the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb overall win a total of six times, and this year, he blew straight past the 10 minute barrier on his Ducati with a 9:58.262 time up the course. Impressive, given the rider laid down a machine the weekend before the hill climb during a video shoot.

The time put him within six seconds of this year's winner, Carlin Dunne. Six seconds is a lifetime in motorsports, but watching Tracy wring the big Duc out over the 12-mile slog to the top makes it hard to fathom pulling any more time from the run. Check out the clip below for yourself.

Watch this Mercedes-Benz DTM pit crew's dramatic air line accident

Mercedes-Benz DTM pit accident in Zandvoort

During a DTM practice session in Zandvoort, Holland last weekend there was an accident in the pit lane that left four men injured. Ralf Schumacher had finished pitting his Mercedes-Benz racer and the pit crew in front of his had wheeled out and untied their air line, and a man in the adjacent crew was holding the air line on his shoulder.

As Schumacher left his pits, his rear wing caught the air line in the adjacent pit, where it looped down from its elevated rod. Between the hose itself and the whipping metal jack at the end of it, it sent four men to the ground and then to the hospital. All of the injuries were minor, thankfully. Three of the men have been released, one is still under observation. You can watch the incident in the video below.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Peoria Euphoria is dirt track done right

Sammy Halbert

Having no idea what it referred to, if someone asked us, "Hey, want to see Peoria Euphoria?" we'd immediately say "Of course!" In this case, Peoria Euphoria is a friendly little documentary that features flat-track rider Sammy Halbert discussing his race career and gunning it in the Peoria TT.

It's amateur, thoroughly off-the-cuff, and wonderful for it. At the 3:11 mark, you'll get the best four-word description of the being in the zone that we've heard in a whle. We know it's a useless lament, but big-time racing on two or four wheels could use some guys like Sammy Halbert. Check it out the video below.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

This is what a $200,000 Mazda Miata looks like

Mazda MX-5 Miata GT4 racecar from Jota Sport

Mazda has just revealed the latest iteration of its MX-5 Miata GT4 race car, and it promises to be the meanest one you'll ever meet.

Mazda has Jota Sport building the GT4 using carbon fiber doors, splitter rear diffuser and wing with an FIA-spec roll cage inside. Under the hood crouches a turbocharged 2.0-liter MZR cranking out 320 horsepower. In a car that only weighs only 2,200 pounds, every horse is pulling less than seven pounds each. A six-speed sequential shift gearbox is standard equipment. A separate cooling system for the differential and gearbox keeps things less heated and adjustable traction control helps keep the car between the lines. Mazda says the car will be fully homologated for GT4 racing.

"The car is an easy car to race and would even suit track day enthusiasts. We are still developing the car, but we are now at a point that we can offer this car to customers safe in the knowledge that it is going to be a front runner in any GT4 field," says Sam Hignett, Managing Director of Jota Group.

All that fast won't come cheap. The monster Miata starts at $197k with options like soft touch control panel, lithium power pack, endurance exhaust and four-way adjustable dampers taking the price up and up. Despite the daunting price, the Miata still works out as pretty affordable by turnkey GT4 standards.

Check out the full press release below for more details.

Watch two Nissan GT-R rally cars collide at the Targa Adelaide

Nissan GT-R Targa Adelaide wreck

The 2012 Targa Adelaide started off with some excitement this year. The competition opens with a prologue stage on city streets where fans can come to watch their favorite racers slide their machines toward the flying finish. This year featured a new modern class, and a couple of competitors got a bit closer than they intended. Two Nissan GT-R racers bunched up coming into a tight hairpin. One driver went wide while the other opted for a tighter line, resulting in some unnecessary contact that saw car 997 on the raw end of a pit maneuver.

Neither vehicle saw substantial damage, and both went on to continue competing throughout the rest of the event. Still, a couple of bruised egos are a bad way to start any targa rally.

The Targa Adelaide is one leg of the Australian Targa Championship, and runs from August 22 through the 26th. Check out the video below for the GT-R shenanigans as well as a few clips from the opening night.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Watch these old snakes roll down a big hill

Shelby Cobras at the 2012 Monterey Motorsports Reunion

Alright, these aren't just any old snakes. These are the entrants in this year's Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, and each and every car on track is an original Shelby Cobra. Nor is this your run of the mill hill, either. We shot a quick video at the infamous corkscrew at Laguna Seca for your viewing pleasure. While photos of the event do a smart job of capturing the chaos, there's nothing like seeing and hearing all the cars pour through the downhill chicane in quick succession.

With 289 and 427 beasts barking through side pipes, the pack offers up a V8 cacauphony unlike any batch of modern race cars. As you may recall, that gorgeous Daytona Coupe out front wound up going home with some wrinkled sheetmetal later in the day due to an off. Scroll down below to take in the video for yourself, and be sure to click through the gallery for more goodness.

eGarage makes kids and karting look epic



Meet Curtis. Curtis karts. Curtis has fun karting. Through the work of Christopher Kippengerger, Curtis karting looks kind of epic.

An installment from eGarage, a self-proclaimed automotive storyteller website, "Kart Kids" uses slow motion and high production values to make the youngsters racing look like F1 drivers. F1 drivers... whose parents work on their karts shirtless, and have the checkered flag waived by an overweight man in a tank top. Good stuff all around.

Curtis, who is nine years old and has been karting for two years, provides a very succinct explanation of grip. In his words "The way grip works is when its hot, the wheels melt a little bit, and you go into the curve it will be a little softer, and it sticks on the ground and then you have grip."

We could not have explained it any better ourselves. Scroll below to see all of the through-the-roof production values that make karting look like the most important thing to ever happen.

Oh yeah, and in explaining traction, Curtis leaves us with his own bit of commentary; "It's easy..."

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

NASCAR coverage going Spanish, including Daytona 500 live en Espaol



In order to combat declining attendance at races, NASCAR is looking to tap into a new demographic of fans by teaming up with Fox Deportes to attract more Latino race fans. Starting with the 2013 season, Fox Deportes will provide coverage for 15 Sprint Cup races including six live races as well as creating original programs and news updates for the sport.

According to NASCAR.com, Fox Deportes is the top Latino sports network in the U.S. and the network already covers Formula One racing, but this deal will bring NASCAR's most prestigious Sprint Cup Series to Spanish-speaking fans. Not surprisingly, the live broadcasts will come from the sport's most popular venues including Talladega and Bristol and Daytona including the 2013 Daytona 500 and Daytona Shootout which will mark the first time there will be a Spanish-speaking broadcast for "The Great American Race."

More than just race coverage, Fox Deportes will also create a series of original shows including four 30-minute productions that aim to introduce Latino race fans to the history of stock car racing.

Ken Block suing former co-producers of Gymkhana vids

Ken Block with Ford gymkhana racer

When we say "gymkhana," what comes to mind? If it's the drift maestro Ken Block, then you understand the crux of a lawsuit by Block against the former producers of his popular video series. If you go to Gymkhana.com, you'll find all sorts of photos, videos, and links related to the sport. What you'll find very little mention of, is Ken Block, himself. Why? Because Block does not own the website's URL, even though he officially owns the trademark.

According to a Jalopnik interview with the stunt driver, Block learned of the site when a colleague was approached by its owners, Mad Media, who were hoping to sell advertising. Mad Media is the crew who produced a few of Block's early (and insanely popular) drifting videos, and the Ford Fiesta pilot says he was very surprised to find out that they owned the Gymkhana URL. When Block reached out to Josh Martelli of Mad Media, Block says he was basically told to go pound sand.

Martelli was also interviewed for the story, and he notes, "The automotive sport of gymkhana has been around since the 1900s... no one has the right to prevent the public from using the word gymkhana to report on, discuss, or promote the sport especially on a website."

While he may be a little off-base on his history (in the 1900s, gymkhana was an equestrian sport), Martelli brings up an interesting point. The name and the driving discipline of gymkhana very much predates the Internet, but on the other hand, no 4-H video has ever garnered 160 million views on YouTube. Additionally, no single person is as strongly associated with the success of the sport as Block, and the relevance of Mad Media in this arena can largely be attributed to the vision of Block and his unique skill set.

For now, it looks like both sides are willing to drag out a costly lawsuit for the URL rights. Both will likely cite lofty causes for rallying around this flag, but at the end of the day, there is a decent amount of ad revenue to be made from the site, too.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Volkswagen planning to enter F1 in 2015



For three years we have ridden the high seas when it comes to Volkswagen's reported entry into Formula One. In 2009, the German juggernaut's interest was piqued by the idea of supplying engines when the new regulations mandated 1.6-liter turbocharged V6s in 2014. By the end of 2010, it was said that VW had decided not to join the F1 circus, but that hasn't stopped repeated speculative announcements to the contrary.

Just three months ago Jost Capito, VW's recently christened head of motorsport, said VW wouldn't enter F1. But he was speaking for the VW brand, not the group and that is perhaps why we can have a brand new report sourced from Germany's Sport Bild magazine (we can't locate the report on the Sport Bild site, though) that the VW Group is considering entering F1 in 2015 with Sauber. Peter Sauber is said to have admitted meeting VW CEO Martin Winterkorn at the Geneva Motor Show this year, but Sauber F1 team CEO Monisha Kaltenborn said that's where the story ends.

Not according to the Sport Bild report, though: it says not only is VW looking to partner with Sauber, but longer term it could be planning its own chassis that would be designed at the Porsche Motorsport Centre in Weissach, Germany, where Porsche is also working on its Le Mans entrant. Could VW have big things in mind for its newest carmaker acquisition? Porsche has said it's focused on Le Mans and not F1, but who knows, and we wouldn't complain about a Porsche-McLaren-Lotus/Renault-Mercedes-AMG battle in the series. It would also be interesting to see if Volkswagen could succeed as a constructor, an effort at in which other German brands have so far failed in the modern era.

The 2015 timing is odd, but the mentioned team might not be. Sauber is doing amazingly well this year with hardly any sponsorship at all, much less manufacturer backing: both its drivers are in the top ten, and it is the sixth in the constructor standings behind the manufacturers and Red Bull Racing. And we're sure it's just coincidence that Jost Capito was an executive and COO at the Sauber Red Bull Racing F1 team for five years from 1996-2001.

Lotus announces Exige V6 Cup racer

2013 Lotus Exige Cup - green with yellow stripes

The Lotus Exige is once of the most focused race cars that you can purchase on the market today, but for those individuals who desire to track the mid-engined racer, Lotus has released its latest no-frills, all-go racecar: the Exige V6 Cup.

The Exige Cup features a supercharged 3.5-liter V6 making 346 horsepower, enabling the 2,380-pound race car to get from zero to 62 mph in just 3.8 seconds. Power is put to the road with the help of Lotus Dynamic Performance Management, which allows for Touring, Sport and Race settings for the engine.

The Exige V6 Cup also features revised aerodynamics in the front fascia and rear diffuser, and it rides on a fully adjustable suspension that reaches the road with special wheels wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero Trofeo tires.

The race-prepped gear found on the Exige V6 Cup also includes a roll cage, HANS-compatible seats with four-or-six-point safety harnesses, kill switch, FIA-approved fire extinguisher, tow points and a removable steering wheel.

There is a Track Day version, which carries a VAT-inclusive price of 62,995 ($98,855), and a hard-nosed Competition-Spec variant, with a price of 74,995 ($117,686). The first cars will roll out of Lotus' Hethel facility in December of this year, and only 20 examples are scheduled to be built. In addition to the car essentially being ready for various track day events, the race-read Exige is intended for the various Lotus Cup series throughout the world. The U.S. version will be on display at this weekend's Lotus Festival at Brands Hatch.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

McLaren teases us with 12C Can-Am Edition concept

McLaren 12C Can-Am Ediion Racing Concept

Tucked under a tent away from the rest of the rabble at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is McLaren's stunning 12C Can-Am Edition Racing Concept.With a generous helping of McLaren Orange paint ladled over wild bodywork, engineers crafted this machine as the ultimate racing interpretation of the already formidable MP4-12C GT3. The aggressive front splitter and serious rear wing help generate 30 percent more downforce than the hardware found on the race-going MP4-12C, and engineers wrung an additional 14 horsepower from the mid-mounted V8. Power now sits at 630 ponies.

So, what does McLaren have planned for this monster? The company isn't saying, though it's unlikely we'll see the beast compete on track any time soon. The wild aero work alone is enough to exclude the 12C Can-Am Edition from GT3 competition. Instead, think of the winged 12C as a tribute to the no-holds-barred Can-Am races of days gone by. Check out the full gallery above.

Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion puts old tin fender to fender

2012 Monterey Motorsports Reunion

There are plenty of events that make the Monterey weekend worth visiting, but the vast majority pale in comparison to Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Whereas the Concorso Italiano, Quail Motorsports Gathering and McCall Motorworks Revival are packed with gorgeous machinery lounging on well-kept lawns, the Motorsports Reunion gives some of our favorite vintage race cars a chance to stretch their legs on the world-famous apexes of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Organizers say nearly every decade of motorsports history makes an appearance at some point, and the cars on hand are chosen based on their authenticity and racing past.

As the featured marque, a total of 45 original Shelby Cobra racers hit the track for the most anticipated race. With 289 and 427 models going tire to tire, including the last Daytona Coupe ever built, onlookers got a chance to take in a rare sight. Even with some competitors' cars pushing past 50 years old, the leaders tore down the front straight at 125 mph. A few cars wound up calling it quits before the checkered flag fell due to mechanical failures, and the Daytona Coupe wound up with some wrinkled sheet metal after an off in turn 3.

Check out the gallery above for a look at some of the competitors on hand, and stay tuned for a brief video of the cars falling through the corkscrew.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Mercedes-Benz considering partial pullout of F1



An article making the rounds indicates that Mercedes-Benz is considering changing its approach to Formula 1 come 2014, but the piece seems a combination of the highest speculation and badly translated French. What has been established is that the newest Concorde Agreement, the document that governs F1, has not been signed by all the teams even though Bernie Ecclestone said there was unanimous agreement more than a month ago. Admittedly, these things can take a while, but previously the hold-up was thought to come from Mercedes, wanting more say in the sport's governance and a larger piece of the financial pie.

According to an English translation of a report in French magazine Auto Hebdo, those aren't the only issues on Mercedes' mind. The translated report asserts that in 2014, when the new V6 engines come in, Mercedes is contemplating pulling back its official involvement and focusing on engineering as opposed to running an entire team. To keep one leg in, the team would be rebaptised as AMG F1 it's Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 now but remain run by Ross Brawn, and Mercedes would focus on supplying engines. The translated report says that Michael Schumacher would remain in the cockpit, but the original Auto Hebdo piece states that another role outside the cockpit would be found for Michael. Part of the reasoning for a departure is also attributed the lack of major success and the bribery scandal involving Gerhard Gribkowsky.

Added to the confusion is the fact that the Concorde Agreement awaiting full ratification will govern the sport until 2020. Three months ago it was written that "Ecclestone told CNN that the teams had agreed to sign up to Formula One until 2020, although Mercedes' exact position remains unclear." Depending on how M-B planned to restructure, if it's thinking of doing so at all, it would be strange to sign up for a seven-year commitment when it's toying with an exit in less than 18 months. As with everything else in F1, we'll probably know what's really happening only a few moments before it actually happens.

1968 Ford GT40 Gulf/Mirage sets auction record at $11 million

1968 Ford GT40 Gulf/Mirage

There are no certainties on the auction circuit, though any association with the late Steve McQueen can almost guarantee an upward nudge on the final bid. Throw in a provenance that includes multiple racing wins, work in one of the most beloved films in automotive history along with an iconic livery and you've got the 1968 Ford GT40 Gulf/Mirage Lightweight Racing car seen here. The car took the checkered flag at Spa in 1967 when it was still Mirage M.10003, becoming the first car to wear the powder blue and marigold to victory in the process. In 1968, this machine underwent a slew of changes at the hands of J.W.A. in England, making it GT40 chassis number P/1074.

After a few more wins on the racing circuit, the car was sold to David Brown of Tampa, Florida in 1970. Brown leased the GT40 to Steve McQueen's Solar Productions for work as a camera car in McQueen's now-legendary film, Le Mans. In order to go to work, the car's roof section was entirely removed, which adversely impacted both rigidity and aerodynamics. After five months of filming, the car was sold. Since then, it's gone through a handful of other owners and a complete restoration to racing glory.

At Friday's RM Auctions, the '68 GT40 brought home a lofty $11 million final bid, setting an all-time record for an American car at auction in the process. The previous title holder was a 1931 Dueseneberg Model J Long-Wheelbase Coupe, which sold for $10.34 million. Take a look below for the full release and a video of the car in action.

Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid sets world speed record at 185 mph

vw jetta hybrid land speed record

After blasting down the Bonneville Salt Flats at 185 miles per hour, the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid is now the "world's fastest hybrid," according to VW.

The modified Jetta Hybrid was driven by Motor Trend Associate Road Test Editor Carlos Lago, and the official speed was 185.394 mph (298.363 kph). That is "the fastest speed ever achieved by a production-based hybrid car on the famed Bonneville Salt Flats." Production-based here still means that the powertrain was modified by Volkswagen engineers in Germany. We can see aerodynamic wheels, but exact changes that were implemented were not described, only that the car was "run according to SCTA rules." The production Jetta Hybrid gets 45 miles per gallon and has a 0-60 time of 9.0 seconds. It uses a four-cylinder, 1.4-liter turbocharged, 150-horsepower, TSI gasoline engine mated to a 20-kW (27-hp) electric motor.

Sure, 185 mph is impressive, but it's not that far ahead of the record set in May by a huge hybrid Volvo truck in the flying kilometer: 165 mph. We suggest a head-to-head.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Rhys Millen's record-breaking Pikes Peak Hill Climb run



There are those who thought that paving the upper slopes of Pikes Peak would render the event boring. That didn't happen this year: between the crashes, the electric racers and the broken records it was a year that won't soon depart from memory.

The biggest record of them all was taken by Rhys Millen, who took his 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe race car from bottom to top in 9:46.164, relegating Pikes Peak rookie Romain Dumas to second place by the whisper thin margin of 17/1000s of a second.

The video below is in-car footage of the entire run. Scroll down to watch.

BMW Motorsport turns 40, celebrates with old home movies

40 Years of M-Power

Is there anything that gets better with age more than wine? Why yes, motorsports fans, that would be racing footage. BMW has gone down to the cellar to create this four-and-a-half minute video chronicling the history of its Motorsport division as part of BMW M's 40th anniversary celebration.

From the seminal 3.0 CSL race car to the M1 and the original M3, the first two-thirds of the video is devoted to the good stuff before it devolves into a typical branding commercial.

Scroll down to watch.

Ladies rule the day and make NHRA history with double win [w/video]

Erica Enders and Courtney Force become the first two women to win on the same day in the NHRA

The National Hot Rod Association is racing this weekend in Brainerd, Minnesota, but history was made two weeks ago at the Northwest Nationals in Seattle. We overlooked it at the time, but when Erica Enders won in Pro Stock and Courtney Force won in Funny Car, it was the first time two women have won in pro classes on the same day.

Enders notched her second victory of the year. For Force, a rookie and the daughter of NHRA legend John Force, it was her first career win. Both women had to defeat reigning champions in their classes to pull off their victories. Enders went 6.614 at 209.65 miles per hour to beat defending Pro Stock champion Jason Line, while Force did 4.238 seconds at 293.54 mph to top Funny Car champ Matt Hagan.

Scroll down to watch ESPN's report on the historic race.

Watch Monster Tajima's new electric race car whir up Pikes Peak



The car we were most excited to see at this year's Pikes Peak Hill Climb was undoubtedly Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima's new one-off electric racer. The radically styled car, called the 2012 Monster Sport E-Runner Pikes Peak Special, represents a new challenge for the Japanese racer, who has won the event every since since 2007 and has set the overall course record twice including last year.

Of course, with a new race car comes unexpected problems. While Tajima managed to run each of the practice days trouble-free and fast he sadly wasn't able to complete the race this past weekend due to electrical problems. His quest to remain king of the mountain and hold the best time not only the Electric division but overall will have to wait until next year.

Monster's time on the mountain wasn't completely fruitless, though, as he came away with some great footage of his practice runs from various angles on the car courtesy of GoPro. Scroll down to watch the videos for yourself.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

R&T improves Scion FR-S performance with a tire swap

Scion FR-S

On paper, the Scion FR-S is a great little performance car with its light curb weight, peppy engine and rear-wheel-drive layout, but as Road & Track recently found out about the car, none of that matters on the track if you have the wrong tires. The magazine's staffers found the Scion and Subaru cars were out-handled by competitors like the Mazda Miata and Hyundai Genesis Coupe, so they tried a simple tire swap on the FR-S to see if replacing the stock rubber with something with a bit more grip could help the matter.

In stock form, both the BRZ and FR-S come with Michelin Primacy summer touring tires, which are apparently tuned more for low rolling resistance than grip. Now, we're sure there will be plenty of FR-S and BRZ owners who will never take their cars to a track, so these stock tires help to optimize fuel economy and longevity, but for those who do want to have some autocross fun with their new Toyobaru coupe, then what?

R&T took an FR-S to Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch with three wheel and tire combinations, and put the car up against a MazdaSpeed3 and a Subaru WRX. First up were the stock tires, which put it almost two seconds behind the Mazda and a second behind the Subaru with a lap time of 1:29.3. Next, the car's 17-inch wheels were wrapped in Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Specs extreme performance summer tires, shaving a full two seconds off the FR-S' track time and making it the fastest of the bunch with a time of 1:27.0. Finally, they tested the FR-S with the same type of tires on lightweight 18-inch wheels, but while the time around the track dipped a little (1:27.6), this wheel and tire combination was the best on the skidpad with a 0.96g.

An interesting note, the Dunlops are obviously much stickier and they cost less than the Michelins, but since they are built for performance, there is no treadlife warranty (according to Tire Rack, where R&T got their tires and prices). Meanwhile, the stock Michelin tires aren't as capable at the track, but they come with a treadlife warranty of up to six years or 45,000 miles.

Check out how the different tires affect the FR-S in the video below.

Pikes Peak crash survivors speak in first interview, new on-car footage released



By now you've heard about the most horrific crash that happened at this year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. We've shown you the footage of driver Jeremy Foley and navigator Yuri Kouznetsov flying off the course while rounding the same corner at Mile 16 called Devil's Playground that claimed another car last year. We've also shown you what remains of the Mitsubishi Evolution 8 tuned by Evolution Dynamics that saved both Jeremy and Yuri's life as they rolled 14 times down the 45-degree rock-strewn slope.

Not only did Jeremy and Yuri survive, but they emerged remarkably unscathed, which you can see for yourself in their first interview since the accident with Savannah Guthrie on the TODAY morning show. Besides some scrapes and bruises, the only visual evidence that either of these guys tumbled down a mountain is the sling that Yuri's wearing for his dislocated shoulder.

In the interview, you'll hear the men recall the incident in their own words, as well as Jeremy's heart-wrenching admission of guilt for feeling responsible for Yuri's injuries. A new angle of the crash taken from a camera mounted on the outside of the car is also shown. That video has now been uploaded to the YouTube page of Evolution Dynamics, and we've included it below along with the interview and original view of the accident.

Red Bull set to be announced as the new promoter of the World Rally Championship



Red Bull is becoming the Marlboro of motorsport; it hasn't been since the cigarette makers were banished from public promotion that we expect to see such familiar colors in just about any series. Earlier this year, CSI, the parent company of former World Rally Championship promoter North One Sports, went into administration, which led to the FIA terminating its contract with North One.

Three finalists emerged in the effort to become the new promoter: a South African entity, Eurosport (which promotes the Intercontinental Rally Challenge), and Red Bull Media House. According to reports, the FIA is set to announce Red Bull Media House as the next promoter perhaps as soon as the Rallye Deutschland at the end of the month. A separate division of Red Bull sponsors the Citron WRC team that has won the manufacturer's title seven of the last nine years.

WRC has had a tough time of it even before losing North One; the loss of its promoter only made everything worse. Should Red Bull and its massive and massively successful marketing machine be appointed to captain the ship, all parties will likely feel better, at least in the short term. And knowing how Red Bull doesn't like to miss out on promoting its properties across every platform, perhaps that means we fans will get much better access to WRC coverage.

Infiniti Red Bull Racing F1 car plays The Star-Spangled Banner



There have been many unique renditions of The Star-Spangled Banner throughout the years, including Whitney Houston's Super Bowl performance and Jimi Hendrix's incredible guitar solo, and now Infiniti has created its own memorable version of America's national anthem... using a Red Bull Racing F1 show car.

Now don't get too excited. The feet of Sebastian Vettel or Mark Webber are not responsible for said performance as it appears that the engine revs are being controlled using a laptop computer. In no way does that make the feat any less impressive, though. With the Statue of Liberty and New York City skyline as a backdrop, the car's roaring engine has a tone that would give William Hung and Roseanne Barr a run for their money, but it belts out the high notes as only an automotive enthusiast could appreciate.

Scroll down to witness the engine-revving awesomeness yourself.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Dissecting the safety cage that saved Jeremy Foley's life at Pikes Peak [w/video]

Jeremy Foley's crashed Mitsubishi Evo at Pikes Peak

The gallery of images above "shows some insight into how a NASA cage handles 14 rollovers, a 100-foot flight down a 45-degree slope into a rock field." So says Kevin Dubois, the man behind Evolution Dynamics, the company that provided the Mitsubishi Evolution 8 for driver Jeremy Foley and co-driver Yuri to take up the mountain at Pikes Peak.

As you may already know, things didn't go quite as planned. Foley and the Evo careened off the course at Mile 16 and were air-lifted to a nearby hospital. Fortunately, neither the driver or his passenger were seriously injured in the accident, and that's due to the strength of the roll cage and the well-thought-out safety measures taken ahead of the event.

As you can see in the gallery, just about every bit of the car was damaged in the crash even the passenger seat was ripped from the eighth-inch steel plate welded to the car's floor but the safety cage mostly held up. Amazingly, the Evo's turbocharged engine, along with the transmission and transfer case, survived the carnage to die another day.

Want to relive the crash one more time? Scroll down to see the video.

McLaren debuts 12C Can-Am Edition racing concept



You'd think the McLaren MP4-12C was campaigning in Formula One based on the constant pace of development the supercoupe has benefitted from over its first year. Heading into its second year, it is apparent that the development train won't stop, with the Can-Am Racing concept developed by McLaren GT making its debut during this weekend's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

The U.S.-specific concept in McLaren Orange and satin black is based on the 12C GT3 racer, but breaks GT3-class rules to be the "ultimate track car." The bespoke aerodynamic package is said to increase downforce by 30 percent, which we're assuming is over its GT3 sibling. If there's a feature on this car that could make it to production, it's that the engine has been recalibrated to produce 630 horsepower, making this the most powerful MP4-12C to date just 14 hp beyond the latest road-going car.

The concept is a tribute to the anything-goes days of Can-Am racing in the sixties and seventies and the orange cars fielded by Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme. You can find out more about it in the press release below and we'll bring you photos of the real thing from Pebble Beach.

Ron Howard's F1 movie Rush coming September 20, 2013, more stills released [w/video]



Rush, Ron Howard's big-screen treatment of the 1976 Formula 1 World Championship battle between Nikki Lauda and James Hunt the year of Lauda's near-fatal crash, is 13 months away. In the meantime, the production has released four stills from filming, revealing the on-camera looks of Daniel Brhl as Lauda and Chris Hemsworth as Hunt.

The screenplay was penned by Peter Morgan, the Academy Award nominated writer of films like Frost/Nixon and The Last King of Scotland, the film was shot in the UK, Germany and Austria, it will be released on September 20, 2013 and it has an official site although there's not much on it yet save for those stills.

It's a treat just looking at the photos, and in addition to our gallery there are many more at the Facebook link. If you scroll down you'll find a video of Ron Howard discussing the film during production. We'd be lying if we said we didn't we have high hopes for this.

Autoblog Podcast 295

Top Gear USA, Jeep pickup, five cars to avoid, Dodge out of NASCAR

autoblog podcast logo

Episode 295 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week Dan and Zach are joined by Rutledge Wood and Adam Ferrara of the History Channel's Top Gear USA. The crew chats about the new season of Top Gear, which starts tonight at 9:00 PM Eastern (8:00 Central) on the History Channel before turning to some topics. The awesomeness of a Jeep Wrangler Pickup, the death of the Jeep Liberty, five popular cars to avoid, and Dodge pulling out of NASCAR are the official topics, but there's a lot of in-between in this conversation. Your questions and comments power the end of the 'cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Keep reading for our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast 295:

play


Topics:
  • Jeep Liberty dies so that Wrangler Pickup truck may (maybe) become reality
  • Five popular cars to avoid according to Consumer Reports
  • Dodge out of NASCAR

In the Autoblog Garage:
2013 Nissan GT-R
Peel Trident

Hosts: Dan Roth, Zach Bowman
Guests: Rutledge Wood, Adam Ferrara

Runtime: 01:22:57

Get the podcast
[UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10PM Eastern at UStream
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[MP3] Download the MP3 directly

Feedback
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com

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Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Watch what may be the world's best save during a Polish rally race

Rally Race save

Caution: Slippery when wet.

Generally speaking, such signs are placed where pedestrians may be crossing on hard-surface flooring, perhaps right after it was washed. But the same is sometimes true on asphalt, and the four tires of the Mitsubishi Evo seen after the break are just as susceptible to slipping and sliding as the bottom of your shoes.

Slipping on a floor usually sends you toppling over in an embarrassing heap. Sliding off the side of a grimy road during a rally race can have much, much more serious consequences. Scroll down below for a trio of videos from both inside and outside the car to see how one driver dealt with his car's lack of grip in a most impressive way.

Snake & Mongoose drag racing movie coming soon

silver corvette drag racing car with movie camera

Nitromethane fueled the funny car battles on the drag strips of the 1970s, and Mattel's marketing money made the sport burn brightly and also changed the face of all sports marketing for good. The rivalry between Don Prudhomme ("Snake") and Tom McEwen ("Mongoose") began in the 1960s and grew more intense as funny cars became wilder and wilder. Now it's being chronicled by the film Snake & Mongoose, which is completing post-production now.

Alan Paradise worked on a TV project back in 2005 commemorating the Mattel sponsorship when Tom McEwen suggested the story could be book-worthy. From there, compelling stories and historical photos convinced Paradise that the story would play well on film.

The spectacle of modern sports owes a debt to Mattel funneling money into both drivers' teams, and the tightly tied-in effort generated some of the hottest Hot Wheels toys ever. The yellow Snake Plymouth Barracuda and red Mongoose Duster ran races over and over again in suburban houses all over the nation with the Mongoose and Snake Drag Race Set, complete with a pair of loops and parachutes.

The film is a small, scrappy effort compared to Hollywood blockbusters. Production is finished, and it had the benefit of Don Prudhomme offering advice such as "he ought to give him the finger" to make sure the quarter-mile action is authentic. The cast is star-studded, with Jesse Williams, Richard Blake, Noah Wyle, and none other than Ian Ziering as engine builder Keith Black. "Snake & Mongoose" is one of several racing-themed films coming soon, another reason for moviegoing motorsports fans to rejoice.

Watch Jeremy Foley's incredible crash at Pikes Peak [UPDATE]

Jeremy Foley crash at Pikes Peak

It's easy to forget just how dangerous the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb can be. Those who take to the mountain do so with the knowledge that any wrong turn could send them, their car and their co-driver down a rocky embankment at speed.

Jeremy Foley recently found that out first hand at around Mile 16 when his Mitsubishi Evolution 8 stepped off course. The car proceeded to somersault end over end down the side of the mountain, sheering off body panels and spitting parts along the way. From the look of things in the video below, the machine rolled at least seven times before coming to a stop right side up.

Both Foley and his co-driver were air-lifted to a local hospital, but have since been released. Early reports suggest Foley escaped the calamity with a broken leg. This was his first time at Pikes Peak. If ever there were an advertisement for building a proper cage, this is it. Check out the video of the crash below.

*Update: According to a post on Evolutionm.net, neither Foley nor his co-driver, Yuri, broke any bones in the dust up. Foley exited the crashed vehicle under his own power and Yuri injured his shoulder in what may be a dislocation.

Vintech unveiling P550 Tribute at Pebble Beach

Vintech P550 Tribute

So you want to own a painfully gorgeous Porsche 550, but you don't have $3.685 million? You don't say! If your heart is still set on a stunning sports car with classic lines, then Vintech may have a solution for you. The French company has created the P550 Tribute, and as the name suggests, the car is meant to evoke the famed Porsche 550.

Though possessing classic lines, the P550 boasts a full carbon fiber body, under which is a modern chassis and a 3.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine. The engine is expected to produce between 260 and 270 horsepower, sent through a five-speed manual transmission. With a curb weight of only 1,212 pounds, this vehicular homage should haul some serious tail.

The P550 Tribute will make its debut Friday, August 17 at "The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering." It is one of the many prestigious events taking place during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Delegance weekend.

Neither pricing nor production numbers have been announced, but we can surmise that the former will be a large number, and the latter will be a small one. In the meantime, feast your eyes on the gallery below of schematics, the build, and the finished product.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Watch a COPO Camaro in the 8s out of the box

COPO Chevrolet Camaro burnout

If this YouTube video is to be believed, then Chevrolet definitely did not forget to put the FAST in the COPO Camaro. Car number three and its 327-cubic-inch engine topped with the 4.0-liter blower ran what looks like an 8.88-second quarter-mile at the strip, out of the box.

That puts it at the pointy end of the three-way competition between it, the Ford Mustang Cobra Jet and the Mopar Challenger Drag Pak. Ford has said the Cobra Jet will run in under 10 seconds, while the Challenger Drag Pak did a 9.43 out of the box last year. We're sure this is just the beginning of what will be a long, and very loud, rivalry. Have a look at the video below to see the latest round.

Records, snow fall at the 2012 Pikes Peak Hill Climb

Rhys Millen 2012 Pikes Peak Hill Climb

When it comes to Pikes Peak, expect the unexpected. The legendary mountain is known for its ever-changing conditions, and one driving up to the top might experience warm sunshine and a snow storm all in a matter of minutes. That was the case this past weekend at the 90th annual Pikes Peak Hill Climb when race officials were forced to shorten the course due to snow, rain and near-freezing temperatures at the finish line on the summit. It is only one of three times since 1916 that the length of the race has been shortened.

Thankfully many of the drivers and riders did get to fully complete their runs up the 12.42-mile, 156-turn course, and due to the new fully paved course the times were faster than ever. Last year, Monster Tajima was the first to break the ten-minute barrier on the mountain, but it was clear early on that his record would fall. Romain Dumas, a winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans but a rookie at Pikes Peak, blasted past the finish line in 9:46.181 in a Porsche 911 GT3R, setting a new record for the course.

The record didn't stand long, however, as Rhys Millen, driving his 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe race car, completed the course in 9:46.164 just 17/1000s of a second ahead of Dumas.

Watch Jeremy Foley's incredible crash at Pikes Peak

Jeremy Foley crash at Pikes Peak

It's easy to forget just how dangerous the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb can be. Those who take to the mountain do so with the knowledge that any wrong turn could send them, their car and their co-driver down a rocky embankment at speed.

Jeremy Foley recently found that out first hand at around Mile 16 when his Mitsubishi Evolution 8 stepped off course. The car proceeded to somersault end over end down the side of the mountain, sheering off body panels and spitting parts along the way. From the look of things in the video below, the machine rolled at least seven times before coming to a stop right side up.

Both Foley and his co-driver were air-lifted to a local hospital, but have since been released. Early reports suggest Foley escaped the calamity with a broken leg. This was his first time at Pikes Peak. If ever there were an advertisement for building a proper cage, this is it. Check out the video of the crash below.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Watch a 91-year-old grandma RallyCross a Subaru



We suppose "Go, granny, go!" is appropriate at times like these. In this video, a 91-year-old grandmother gets behind the wheel of an old Subaru for some RallyCross seat time. What's not awesome about that?

For her run, she has a navigator instructing her on the turns like any rally event. For most of her time behind the wheel, she looks terrified, but as you can see from the screengrab, she starts to have fun with it.

Throughout the video you hear several clunks which sound like she is running over something (or someone), and lest you might chalk it up as just the sounds of the course, you overhear the navigator telling our intrepid elderly driver "you went off course, which is worse than hitting a cone."

Click below to watch the video and see how well she does rallying an old Subie.

DeltaWing wants to be the 2014 Indy Lights chassis

DeltaWing

In May the Indy Lights series, the top feeder for IndyCar, put out an RFP from manufacturers interested in constructing a new chassis for 2014 to replace the 10-year-old Dallara currently in use.

According to reports, hands were raised by "five or six" companies that included Dallara, Mygale, Swift and Mugen. Also among the submisions, according to Racer Magazine, is the group behind the DeltaWing sans Nissan, which was a collaboration specifically for Le Mans composed of the designers, Dan Gurney's All American Racers, and Elan Motorsports Technologies (the home of Panoz). Remember, the DeltaWing was originally created as an IndyCar chassis proposal.

The DeltaWing would certainly fulfill part of the first requirement of the new Indy Lights chassis, that it have a "forward-thinking, sophisticated and exciting formula." The necessity for paddle shifting, upgraded data systems and alternative fuel considerations sounds easy enough but we don't know what alterations the car might need to satisfy some of the other specs, such as adaptability to the variety of circuits "with a minimum of facility-specific parts," the ability to fit a "broad spectrum of drivers and seating positions," and "improved aerodynamic performance that must also allow for enhanced sponsor placement opportunities on the car." Overall, Indy Lights authroities would like to acquire a manufacturer-badged engine and see top speeds bumped up a bit as well.

Not that the deadline for submissions has passed, the entries are being considered and it's said that a decision could come in the next two months.

Ducati and Audi team up to attack Pikes Peak

Audi/Ducati tandem climb.

Audi and Ducati. Two powerhouses in their respective realms, and as of recently the motorcycle brand belongs to Audi AG as part of Lamborghini. Inspired, perhaps, by the freshly forged relationship between he two companies, Audi has decided to examine how much the two share in their pursuit of glory at Pikes Peak by taking it on in tandem.

Of course, cameras were in place to capture the action as the hill-climb-ready RS5 and Ducati Mulitstrada took on all 12.42 miles and 156 tuns of the climb together. The stupendously high production value allows the you to take in the new, fully-paved course in all its glory.

You can watch the full 14,110-foot dual ascent below.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Ryan Hunter-Reay explains his IndyCar's $25,000 steering wheel

IndyCar steering wheel

Ever wondered why there are so many buttons on F1 and IndyCar steering wheels?

Road & Track decided to get the answers from a man who uses one every day: IndyCar points leader Ryan Hunter-Reay. The basic controls include a push-to-talk button that allows the driver to communicate with his crew, plus toggles for push-to-pass, water for the driver, and a pit-lane cruiser button that caps the IndyCar's speed. The latter is protected by a guard so it's not inadvertently activated, which happened to Hunter-Reay last year in Brazil.

Watch the video below to see Ryan Hunter-Reay explain the wheel to his race-winning ride.

This is what 4,500 hp worth of V8 Miatas looks like

2012 Flyin Miata Summer Camp V8 Conversion

A strange thing happened at this year's Flyin' Miata Summer Camp. The crew hosts a day of seminars covering everything from new products to a timing belt how-to, and this year, a total of 11 V8 conversions showed up in the same room. There are many ways to pull over 400 horsepower from a Mazda Miata, but few are more entertaining than plopping a honkin' American V8 behind the headlights.

The shop routinely plays host to Keith Tanner's delicious Targa Miata as well as the company's NB development mule, Elvis, and his NC sister, Betty, but with six customer cars with FM V8 conversions on hand plus two homebrew specials hanging about, the total hit an all-time high.

No one's throwing out any specific numbers, but estimates put the final horsepower figure at around 4,500 ponies. For perspective, you'd need to amass around 27 stock NC models to crest the same number. Cue the mad-scientist laughter.

This year marked the 15th Flyin' Miata Summer camp, and fans of the brand trekked from as far as Maine and Florida for five days of on-track shenanigans, group drives and seminars by the FM staff. Check it out below as well as a full gallery from the shindig.

Valentino Rossi leaves Ducati, heads home to Yamaha

Valentino Rossi Ducati crash

After an undeniably unsuccessful two-year relationship with Ducati, motorcycle superstar Valentino Rossi has decided to take his talents back to Yamaha, the team he left at the end of the 2010 season for what he hoped would be greener pastures.

The deal signed by Rossi will see him wearing Yamaha blue for two years the 2013 and 2014 seasons and teaming up once again with Jorge Lorenzo, the 25-year-old Spanish rider who won the World Championship in 2010 and is currently doing the same for 2012. Though Lorenzo is undoubtedly an extremely gifted rider, Rossi is a fan and sponsor favorite and is sure to help Yamaha bring in some much-needed sponsorship dollars.

As to who will be filling Rossi's vacated saddle at Ducati, rumor has it that the Italian team is most interested in Italian rider Andrea Dovizioso. If that's the case, he will be paired up with American Nicky Hayden, who has been with Ducati since 2009. Dueling press releases, one from Ducati and the other from Yamaha, can be found below. Suffice it to say, the 2013 MotoGP season even without Casey Stoner is shaping up to be rather interesting.

Flyin' Miata gets the documentary treatment

Flyin Miata at Targa Newfoundland

It's been nearly a year since Flyin' Miata took two cars to the Targa Newfoundland. As you may recall, I got to tag along and do my best to get the supercharged Grand Touring entry as lost as possible. While we were there, one very dedicated film crew followed us from stage to stage, thereby documenting our various triumphs and defeats for a feature-length film. Packed with lots of in-stage footage, interviews with crew as well as fans of both Flyin' Miata and the Targa Newfoundland, the show finds itself on footing with the likes of Truth in 24 and From Dust to Glory.

I spend a bit of time on screen trying to explain what it's like to drown under a league of time-speed-distance calculations, but don't let that be a deterrent. The movie does a stellar job of conveying exactly what it's like to compete in one of the most unique motorsports endeavors on the planet. You can check out the preview for Racing the Rock below or head over to Flyin' Miata to purchase your DVD copy. Keep an eye out for it to show up on iTunes and BluRay later down the line.

Friday, August 10, 2012

2012 Pikes Peak Hill Climb, Practice Day 3 saves the best for last

Pikes Peak Dallenbach

For the first two practice days of this year's Pikes Peak Hill Climb, we spent our time on the bottom third of the mountain, first checking out the new contenders of the Electric Division, including Monster Tajima's E-Runner, and for the second day catching up with the old and new faces of the Unlimited and Time Attack classes.

For the third and final practice day we headed up the mountain to the middle section of the course that encompasses many of its switchbacks. Our decision was two-fold, first to continue following the diverse selection of Unlimited and Time Attack cars, and second to take in what we consider the most beautiful section of the mountain. This portion of the road is undoubtedly the most dangerous with few guardrails and sheer drop-offs, but it's also the most visually stunning. Standing well above the tree line and just below Devil's Playground, named for the lightning bolts that jump from rock to rock during thunderstorms, one can see a large portion of the course hundreds of feet below. It's a scene that's unrivaled in any form of motorsport, enhanced further by fantastic Colorado sunrises that usher in each day's practice session.

Pikes Peak Dacia DusterPikes Peak Rhys Millen Hyundai Genesis Coupe

The competitors didn't disappoint those in attendance, blasting up each switchback at a furious pace, although it was evident that some cars were showing signs of struggling in the thin air of the higher elevations. Paul Dallenbach and Frenchman Jean-Philippe Dayraut continued their battle for fastest time in the Unlimited class, although it looks like the Frenchman currently has a slight edge on the Colorado native. While Dallenbach's home-built twin-turbo race car surely has more power, Dayraut's Dacia Duster looks to have the edge in handling.

Rhys Millen looked dominate in the Time Attack division in his 2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe, and while results have yet to be posted from today's session we're confident he's at the top of the charts. Assuming Millen doesn't suffer any of the problems that plagued him over the last few years, he's a sure bet to set a new record in the class come race day.

You can see our photos from the third practice day of this year's Pikes Peak Hill Climb in the gallery above, and check back next week for Sunday's final race results.