Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Watch how Corvette Racing's new collision-avoidance radar system works]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/22/watch-how-corvette-racings-new-collision-avoidance-radar-system/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/22/watch-how-corvette-racings-new-collision-avoidance-radar-system/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/22/watch-how-corvette-racings-new-collision-avoidance-radar-system/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



When it comes to technology used in racecars, we generally expect it to trickle down to production cars, not the other way around. Well, Pratt & Miller has developed a new rear-facing radar that operates in a similar fashion to what we're used to in modern blind spot detection systems, only it is also capable of tracking cars as they approach and relaying vital information to the driver via a large display screen.

The innovative radar system debuted at last weekend's 12 Hours of Sebring for Corvette Racing, and this system makes perfect sense for endurance races like this since the cars sometimes have to drive through the night and in poor weather conditions.

The radar can detect cars even with poor visibility, and it uses easy-to-distinguish symbols for the driver to identify the proximity and closing speed of nearby racecars using different colors.


"The system uses a rear-facing radar sensor to track up to 32 objects, and runs on a custom-built Linux PC with a Core i3 CPU," said Chris Hammond, Embedded Systems Engineer for Pratt & Miller. "With a momentary glance the driver knows how many cars are following, how far back each one is, their closing speeds, and whether or not they are probably a faster class."

Displayed in the image above, the radar can detect cars even with poor visibility, and it uses easy-to-distinguish symbols for the driver to identify the proximity and closing speed of nearby racecars using different colors. The yellow marker shows a car that is driving at the same speed as this car, green is for a car that is falling away and red is for a car that is closing in quickly. The line through the marker indicates that the software thinks the approaching car is from a faster class, which would be the case when a Prototype car goes to pass a GT car in the American Le Mans Series. A large arrow that flashes to either side when the car is being overtaken, and there is also a line graph at the side of the screen to give an estimate of how many seconds back the cars are.

Currently, Hammond says that Pratt & Miller is the only company to have a system like this used for racing, and it plans on selling the technology to other teams in the future - although a price has not been set.

There are a couple videos posted below showing the system in action. The first one is a shot purely from the radar (so it has no audio) but shows a detailed look at how it all works. The second video is a point-of-view shot from Corvette Racing's Tommy Milner, and it shows how the driver uses the system in real time.

Continue reading Watch how Corvette Racing's new collision-avoidance radar system works

Watch how Corvette Racing's new collision-avoidance radar system works originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 Hours of Sebringamerican le mans serieschevroletChevrolet Corvette C6Rchevrolet racingcorvette racingPratt and Millerracing technologyrear-facing radartommy milnervideoFri, 22 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20514858/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/03/22/watch-how-corvette-racings-new-collision-avoidance-radar-system/20514858/article-detail.xml 20514858 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/03/pratt-miller-racing-radar_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/03/pratt-miller-racing-radar.jpg <![CDATA[Race Recap: 2013 Twelve Hours of Sebring, cakewalk up front, grindfest out back [w/spoilers]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/19/race-recap-2013-twelve-hours-of-sebring-cakewalk-up-front-gri/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/19/race-recap-2013-twelve-hours-of-sebring-cakewalk-up-front-gri/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/19/race-recap-2013-twelve-hours-of-sebring-cakewalk-up-front-gri/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



This year's 12 Hours of Sebring wasn't exactly a foregone conclusion because we're still talking about racing, and anything can happen when the speeds are as high as the adrenaline and the desire. But we're still talking about Audi bringing it's two top-spec racers - and its huge budget and its nearly neurotic attention to detail - to a race that it uses as a test bed for The 24 Hours of Le Mans and as a way to open the endurance racing season with a victory.

Besides, 12 hours is a long time, especially at Sebring, and things didn't go all Audi's way. On top of that, although it was a pretty quiet race, behind the Audis things got even grimier, with plenty of battles, plenty of mechanical issues, and the new BMW Z4 GTE and Viper GTS-R being race tested. Oh, and that brand new chromed-out DeltaWing...

Continue reading Race Recap: 2013 Twelve Hours of Sebring, cakewalk up front, grindfest out back [w/spoilers]

Race Recap: 2013 Twelve Hours of Sebring, cakewalk up front, grindfest out back [w/spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Mar 2013 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 hours of sebringaudic6.rchevroletcorvetteferrarimotorsportsr18 e-tron quattrosebringTue, 19 Mar 2013 09:33:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20509037/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/03/19/race-recap-2013-twelve-hours-of-sebring-cakewalk-up-front-gri/20509037/article-detail.xml 20509037 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/03/sebring01_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/03/sebring01.jpg <![CDATA[Notes from Day One of the 2013 Twelve Hours of Sebring]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/16/notes-from-day-one-of-the-2013-twelve-hours-of-sebring/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/16/notes-from-day-one-of-the-2013-twelve-hours-of-sebring/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/16/notes-from-day-one-of-the-2013-twelve-hours-of-sebring/#commentsFiled under: , ,

2013 Twelve Hours of Sebring with Audi

The 61st edition of The 12 Hours of Sebring is on, and Autoblog has come to central Florida with Audi to feast on jumbo boiled peanuts, pickled eggs and the final race for the LMP1 class at the oldest road course in North America. As Audi has been doing for more than a decade now, it's brought its latest endurance race car, the 2013-spec R18 etron quattro, to Sebring to begin testing for Le Mans.

Why the commitment to Sebring? Audi Sport executives have repeatedly called Sebring "punishing," "extremely demanding" and "one of the toughest tracks in the world." It is a 3.47-mile circuit that, in places, feels like it was made from the leftover bits of other circuits. Doing the 12-hour distance in Florida is thought to be a good start on lasting the 24-hour distance in France, and we can't think it a coincidence that Audi has won ten times here in the last 13 years and 11 times in Gaul.

Where there's rhyme - and victory - there is reason. We think we found a few of them on our first day where preparation, technology, fastidious attention to detail and sweat fit right in with swamp cabbage...

Continue reading Notes from Day One of the 2013 Twelve Hours of Sebring

Notes from Day One of the 2013 Twelve Hours of Sebring originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 16 Mar 2013 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 hours of sebringaudifeaturedmotorsportsr10r15r18r18 etron quattror18 ultraracingsebringSat, 16 Mar 2013 17:45:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20506170/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/03/16/notes-from-day-one-of-the-2013-twelve-hours-of-sebring/20506170/article-detail.xml 20506170 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/03/sebringr18etronquattro_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/03/sebringr18etronquattro.jpg <![CDATA[DeltaWing shines up nice for 2013 ALMS season]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/04/deltawing-shines-up-nice-for-2013-alms-season/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/04/deltawing-shines-up-nice-for-2013-alms-season/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/04/deltawing-shines-up-nice-for-2013-alms-season/#commentsFiled under: ,



Returning for its sophomore season, numerous changes have been made to the DeltaWing racecar - not the least of which is the fact that it is no longer associated with Nissan - but the most significant update could be a remedy to one of the car's biggest criticisms, its color. In the car's inaugural season, it was reported that other drivers on the track simply couldn't see the racecar, which, due to a combination of its narrow, low-slung stance and its matte black paint scheme, resulted in an early departure from the 24 Hours of Le Mans and a spectacular crash at Petite Le Mans. Rather than redesigning the entire car, though, the DeltaWing team is hoping that a new livery, consisting of a flashy chrome body with red decals, will alleviate some of the visibility problems.

The bright, reflective surface is the polar opposite of the previous livery, and the red accents include the mirrors, trio of rear fins and the DeltaWing name along the side of the car, which replaces the Nissan logo. This chrome, Nissan-less DeltaWing will make it racing debut in less than two weeks at the 12 Hours of Sebring, and Speed TV is also reporting that the closed-cockpit version of the racecar will debut for the ALMS race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in May.

DeltaWing shines up nice for 2013 ALMS season originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 Hours of Sebring2013 deltawing liveryalmsamerican le mans serieschrome deltawingdeltawingdon panozMon, 04 Mar 2013 16:29:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20487784/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/03/04/deltawing-shines-up-nice-for-2013-alms-season/20487784/article-detail.xml 20487784 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/03/2013-deltawing-livery_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/03/2013-deltawing-livery.jpg <![CDATA[Audi commits two R18 E-Tron Quattros to final Sebring race for LMP1 cars]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/23/audi-commits-two-r18-e-tron-quattros-to-final-sebring-race-for-l/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/23/audi-commits-two-r18-e-tron-quattros-to-final-sebring-race-for-l/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/23/audi-commits-two-r18-e-tron-quattros-to-final-sebring-race-for-l/#commentsFiled under: ,

Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro racecar - front three-quarter view

We were baffled a few weeks back when the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series announced new classes that will make up their combined racing program in 2014. Gone from the list is the Le Mans Prototype class, otherwise known as LMP1. The LMP1 class has long been the top dog of endurance racing, both in Europe and the US, so we couldn't figure out why this newly minted racing series was jettisoning it like yesterday's donuts.

It appears as if Audi is confused by the move as well. The German brand has announced it will participate in this year's ALMS opening round, the famed 12 Hours of Sebring, as it does every year, and bringing two Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro hybrid race cars with which to compete. Unlike every other year, Audi is treating this year's race as its potential swan song in this famous Florida race.

There's a good reason that Audi is so fond of the 12 Hours of Sebring, as it debuted the gas-powered R8R there in 1999 that kicked off its participation in the upper echelon of endurance racing. The R8R preceded the R8, which debuted at Sebring in 2000 and won that race, starting an amazing career for that car that included five more wins at Sebring. The R8 was followed by the R10, then the R15 and R18, and finally we wind up at today's R18 E-Tron Quattro - all winners, all dominant, all exciting to watch.

Along with the two R18 E-Tron Quattros doing the actual racing, one of which will be a new updated version, Audi is bringing an R8 from the 2000-2005 era, an R10 TDI from the 2006-2008 era, an R15 TDI from 2009 and the R18 TDI that won there last year, all for the enjoyment of spectators who've watched Audi dominate this race, winning it outright in 10 of the last 12 years.

Though Audi has long since abandoned campaigning the whole ALMS season, it was still usually good for at least the season opener in Sebring, which provided a nicely timed testing opportunity ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, if not a couple of other races on the calendar. Unfortunately, with the demise of LMP1 in American endurance racing, March 16 in Sebring, Florida may be the last time for a while that we see Audi dominate an endurance race on American soil. Let's hope ALMS and Grand-Am find a solution.

Continue reading Audi commits two R18 E-Tron Quattros to final Sebring race for LMP1 cars

Audi commits two R18 E-Tron Quattros to final Sebring race for LMP1 cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jan 2013 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 hours of sebringalmsamerican le mans seriesaudie-trongrand amgrand am rolexr10r15r18r18 e-tron quattror18 prototyper8sebringWed, 23 Jan 2013 15:45:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20435536/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/01/23/audi-commits-two-r18-e-tron-quattros-to-final-sebring-race-for-l/20435536/article-detail.xml 20435536 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/01/audimotorsport-130121-0419-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/01/audimotorsport-130121-0419-opt.jpg <![CDATA[ALMS, Grand-Am asking fans to help name new combined series]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/30/alms-grand-am-asking-fans-to-help-name-new-combined-series/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/30/alms-grand-am-asking-fans-to-help-name-new-combined-series/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/30/alms-grand-am-asking-fans-to-help-name-new-combined-series/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

ALMS Grand Am

Now that it is settled that the American Le Mans Series and the Grand-Am Rolex racing series are officially tying the knot, the next big thing needs to be settled: What are they going to call it? Organizers must be preoccupied with either determining race classes or figuring where they are going to put so many awesome GT-class racers and prototypes, because they are asking the fans to come up with a name for the combined entity.

Dubbed "Name the Future," the contest started on November 20, but fear not, as it runs through the end of December. Simply head over to www.namethefuture.com and take a shot at naming the series. Anyone who submits a name is automatically entered in a chance to win a VIP trip for two to either the Rolex 24 at Daytona (Jan 24-27, 2013) or the Twelve Hours of Sebring (Mar 13-16, 2013). In just one week of the contest, there have already been over 2,800 submissions.

The VIP trip up for grabs will include airfare, hotel, and the full race-weekend VIP treatment. That likely means pit access, a ride in the pace car, a behind-the-scenes tour, and more. The news of this contest comes quickly after word that SME Branding has been hired on to help create the brand identity of this new race series. So if you love sportscar racing and would like to have a hand in creating the new series' image, click the link here to enter.

ALMS, Grand-Am asking fans to help name new combined series originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 hours of sebring24 hours of daytonaalmsamerican le mans seriesgrand amgrand am rolexFri, 30 Nov 2012 09:45:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20389393/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/11/30/alms-grand-am-asking-fans-to-help-name-new-combined-series/20389393/article-detail.xml 20389393 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/11/alms-grand-am_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/11/alms-grand-am.jpg <![CDATA[12 Hours of Sebring celebrates 60 years with exciting finish]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/18/12-hours-of-sebring-celebrates-60-years-with-exciting-finish/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/18/12-hours-of-sebring-celebrates-60-years-with-exciting-finish/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/18/12-hours-of-sebring-celebrates-60-years-with-exciting-finish/#commentsFiled under: , ,



The inaugural 12 Hours of Sebring was held 60 years ago in 1952. Ferrari was the first to build a dynasty of overall wins, followed by Ford, then Porsche, then Nissan, and today we live in the era of Audi. With its main rival, Peugeot, having pulled out of endurance racing altogether this year, the only manufacturer that could prevent Audi from claiming its tenth overall victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring was Audi itself.

That was unlikely to happen, especially considering that Audi chose to field three teams, each driving the very capable R18 in the car's last appearance before being replaced by the R18 Ultra and R18 e-tron quattro. Yes, the result in the fastest LMP1 class was a forgone conclusion, and Audi delivered, claiming the first and second steps of the podium. The winning R18 was car #2 driven by Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish. Kristensen, who holds the record for most overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, also now has a record six overall victories at Sebring. It was Capello's fifth win at Sebring and McNish's fourth. The team of veterans completed 301 laps of the 3.7-mile track and amazingly finished with no evidence of body contact with another car.

Continue reading 12 Hours of Sebring celebrates 60 years with exciting finish

12 Hours of Sebring celebrates 60 years with exciting finish originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 hours of sebring2012alan mcnishaudibmwdindo capellor18tom kristensenSun, 18 Mar 2012 15:56:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20195791/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/03/18/12-hours-of-sebring-celebrates-60-years-with-exciting-finish/20195791/article-detail.xml 20195791 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/141488417-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/141488417-opt.jpg <![CDATA[Win an autographed Audi flag from this year's Twelve Hours of Sebring]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/25/win-an-autographed-audi-flag-from-this-years-twelve-hours-of-se/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/25/win-an-autographed-audi-flag-from-this-years-twelve-hours-of-se/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/25/win-an-autographed-audi-flag-from-this-years-twelve-hours-of-se/#commentsFiled under: , ,


2011 59th Annual Twelve Hours of Sebring - Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi invited us to warm and sunny Florida for the 59th annual Twelve Hours of Sebring, the opening round of the 2011 American Le Mans Series that was held this past weekend. While the French racing team Oreca took the surprise win in the LMP1 class (beating the factory Peugeot 908 HDi team in their older first-generation Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP), Audi held on through punctured tires and collisions to deliver both the fourth and fifth spot in matching R15++ diesel-powered prototypes (Audi will run its brand-new R18 prototype at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June). In the GT class, BMW proudly nailed first and second place with its hot M3 GT.

Spending time behind-the-scenes with a race team offers a completely different perspective, especially when it comes to an endurance event. While huge crowds of spectators down cold beer and blister from sunburn at Sebring's huge infield and midway (with some seriously creative camping accommodations), dozens of Audi Sport Team Joest crew sweat out the long hours working on the minute details - everything from track concrete composition to atmospheric barometric pressure is taken into account. During our glimpse into a whirlwind 48-hour period (encompassing qualifying and the race), the pace was maddening whether the drivers were attending signing events or the crew was rehearsing pit stops.

Check out our extensive photo gallery with coverage of the 56-car field. Note the amount of race telemetry delivered in real-time to the team engineers in the hot pits, and the exhaustion of the crew in the 85-degree ambient temperatures (who capture shut-eye only while the car is running well). A special shout-out to Xander Walker, who we bumped into hanging with the folks in Turn 10 - see you guys next year!

Audi's Sebring drivers (Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Mike Rockenfeller) signed a flag for us before the race. While it looks great on our wall, we're going to give it to one of you (official rules). Leave a comment on this post to enter (only one comment or else you're disqualified), and we'll choose one lucky recipient for the win.

How to Enter:
  • Leave a single comment on this post (if you leave two or more, all of your comments will be disqualified)
  • You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec)
  • Limit 1 entry per person during entry period
  • This entry period begins 7:30 PM EST on Friday, March 25 and ends at 7:30 PM EST on Saturday, March 26. We'll randomly select 1 winner at that time to receive an Audi flag signed by the team's 2011 Sebring drivers.
  • For a list of complete rules, click here
UPDATE: We have a winner! The Audi Sebring flag goes to reader "Xenu." Thanks for all of your comments.

Gallery: 2011 59th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

The 2011 59th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of SebringThe 2011 59th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of SebringThe 2011 59th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of SebringThe 2011 59th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of SebringThe 2011 59th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

Photos copyright (C)2011 Michael Harley / AOL

Win an autographed Audi flag from this year's Twelve Hours of Sebring originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 hours of sebringallan mcnishamerican le mans seriesaudiaudi r15 ++audi sport team joestautoblog+audi+sebringautoblogaudisebringbmw m3 gtdindo capellole+mans+win+audi+flaglemanswinaudiflagmike rockefellerPeugeot 908 HDi FAPromain dumassebringtimoi bernhardtom kristensenxander+walkerxanderwalkerFri, 25 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19887009/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/03/25/win-an-autographed-audi-flag-from-this-years-twelve-hours-of-se/19887009/article-detail.xml 19887009 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/03/audi630_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/03/audi630.jpg <![CDATA[Get your spotter's guide for this weekend's 12 Hours of Sebring]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/18/get-your-spotters-guide-for-this-weekends-12-hours-of-sebring/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/18/get-your-spotters-guide-for-this-weekends-12-hours-of-sebring/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/18/get-your-spotters-guide-for-this-weekends-12-hours-of-sebring/#commentsFiled under:

2011 Twelve Hours of Sebring spotter's guide
2011 Twelve Hours of Sebring spotter's guide - Click above for high-resolution pages

The 2011 American Le Mans racing season gets underway in earnest this weekend with the 12 Hours of Sebring. The endurance race run on Floridian tarmac is one of the most iconic in the world, and always draws a mouthwatering array of racing machinery. This year's event will be no exception, the latest Le Mans Prototypes scything their way through the myriad 911 GT3s and more.

The first practice sessions saw the new Audi R15+ TDI topping the charts, followed by the Peugeot 908 and Aston Martin Lola B08. PR1 Mathiasen M/Sport's Oreca FLM09 topped the new LMPC class in practice, quickly followed by the new Signatech Nissan LMP2, while Risi Competizione's new Ferrari 458 GTC was the quickest of the GT sportscars.

With so many cars on the grid - and many of them looking rather similar, especially in a speeding blur - you'll need a good spotter's guide if you're watching to tell the difference between them. Fortunately, SpotterGuides.com has hooked us up with the pages we've placed in the gallery below in full resolution for your reference.

Actually watching the race this year will be a new experience for many, as the round-the-clock event won't be covered live on TV in its entirety. Instead a new deal with ABC and ESPN provides a mix of televised and online coverage: You'll be able to watch the full race online (as well as Friday's qualifying sessions) on ESPN3.com, which you can also stream through your XBox.

ABC will air a recap from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time), which ESPN2 will show again on Tuesday, March 22. Those outside the U.S., meanwhile, will be able to watch live on americanlemans.com.


Gallery: 2011 Twelve Hours of Sebring spotter's guide


[Sources: SpotterGuides.com, Sebring]

Get your spotter's guide for this weekend's 12 Hours of Sebring originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 hours of sebringalmsamerican le mans seriesintercontinental le mans cuple manssebringtwelve hours of sebringFri, 18 Mar 2011 08:57:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19882882/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/03/18/get-your-spotters-guide-for-this-weekends-12-hours-of-sebring/19882882/article-detail.xml 19882882 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/03/web630-alms11sebringpg1_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/03/web630-alms11sebringpg1.jpg <![CDATA[Nissan/Playstation GT Academy winner to go from armchair to racing seat at Le Mans]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/03/nissan-playstation-gt-academy-winner-to-go-from-armchair-to-raci/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/03/nissan-playstation-gt-academy-winner-to-go-from-armchair-to-raci/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/03/nissan-playstation-gt-academy-winner-to-go-from-armchair-to-raci/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Lucas Ordonez is a 25-year-old Spaniard who began competing in Nissan and Playstation's GT Academy when it first got started back in 2008. Of the initial 25,000 participants, Lucas weeded himself out as the quickest and was given the chance to take his skills from Gran Turismo to a real race track. Three years on, Lucas is preparing himself to take on a full LeMans Cup schedule in 2011.

Lucas' season begins in March, behind the wheel of a Signatech Nissan LMP2 machine at the 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida. From there, it's on to the holy grail, the 24 Hours of LeMans, followed by five more LeMans Cup races across the globe.

There are likely to be more people like Lucas coming down the pike: the European GT Academy will start its fourth installment on March 4, and Nissan and Gran Turismo recently started the American version. More details can be found in the official release after the jump. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Nissan/Playstation GT Academy winner to go from armchair to racing seat at Le Mans

Nissan/Playstation GT Academy winner to go from armchair to racing seat at Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 hours of sebring24 hours of le mansgt academylmp2nissannissan academyplaystationplaystation academysignatechThu, 03 Mar 2011 08:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19863870/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/03/03/nissan-playstation-gt-academy-winner-to-go-from-armchair-to-raci/19863870/article-detail.xml 19863870 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/03/nissan-gt-academy-racer_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/03/nissan-gt-academy-racer.jpg <![CDATA[Panoz Abruzzi makes on-track appearance, gearing up for competition]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/21/panoz-abruzzi-makes-on-track-appearance-gearing-up-for-competit/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/21/panoz-abruzzi-makes-on-track-appearance-gearing-up-for-competit/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/21/panoz-abruzzi-makes-on-track-appearance-gearing-up-for-competit/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Panoz Abruzzi on the track at Petit Le Mans - Click above for high-res image gallery

Panoz recently revealed its long-awaited new sports car, the Abruzzi, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. We finally have a better look at the Abruzzi on our own home soil thanks to a surprise on-track appearance at Petit Le Mans a few weeks ago.

The Panoz Abruzzi is powered by a front-mounted V8 engine producing 640 horsepower and over 600 pound-feet of torque, while it's styling is derived from pre-war classics such as the 1935 Delahaye.

It has been five years since Don Panoz and his racing team have experienced a win in the American Le Mans series. They plan to change that next year when they enter the Panoz Abruzzi into the 12 hours of Sebring using the race-prepped version, which also got some track time at Road Atlanta. While the race version didn't compete in the Petit Le Mans, it was shown off during the parade lap as well as in the Panoz Motorsports booth.


Gallery: Panoz Abruzzi on the track at Petit Le Mans

[Source: American Le Mans]

Continue reading Panoz Abruzzi makes on-track appearance, gearing up for competition

Panoz Abruzzi makes on-track appearance, gearing up for competition originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 hours of sebringabruzziamerican le mansle mansPanozpanoz abruzzipetit le mansThu, 21 Oct 2010 14:28:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19683601/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/10/21/panoz-abruzzi-makes-on-track-appearance-gearing-up-for-competit/19683601/article-detail.xml 19683601 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/10/panozabruzzisam05opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/10/panozabruzzisam05opt.jpg <![CDATA[Video: The 1970 12 Hours of Sebring completely ruled]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/16/video-the-1970-12-hours-of-sebring-completely-ruled/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/16/video-the-1970-12-hours-of-sebring-completely-ruled/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/16/video-the-1970-12-hours-of-sebring-completely-ruled/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

1970 12 Hours of Sebring film - Click above to watch video after the jump

If we had a time machine, we'd set it for 1970 and never look back. And once we landed, bought some new threads and scored one of the amazing cars in production at the time, we'd road trip it to Sebring so we could see that year's 12-hour enduro in person. Why? Because as good as modern sports car racing is, Sebring '70 is special. From the cars and drivers (a who's-who of legends including Mario Andretti, Jo Siffert, Pedro Rodriguez, Dan Gurney, Henri Pescarolo, and yes, Steve McQueen, who co-drove his Porsche 908 with Peter Revson despite having his broken left foot in a cast at the time), to the the overall atmosphere, Sebring, Florida on March 21, 1970 was very much the place to be.

Sadly, there's no time machine to take us back there, but there was a brilliant race documentary made of the 1970 12 Hours of Sebring. Follow the jump to see the story play out in five parts. Unfortunately, the embedded YouTube clips don't include the film's seven-minute intro section. But that's okay, because you can catch that part over at the State Library and Archives of Florida, which has the 22-minute movie posted in its entirety.

So, follow the jump and see the drama unfold as the Gulf-Porsche 917s battle the Ferrari 512S trio led by Andretti while McQueen and Revson try to pull off an unimaginable upset. Forty years after the checkered flag dropped, this is still an absurdly exciting and entertaining race to watch, even if you already know its storybook ending. Need a spotter's guide before you hit play? No worries, just click here. Thank you, 1970, for being so incomprehensibly awesome.

[Source: State Library and Archives of Florida, YouTube]

Continue reading Video: The 1970 12 Hours of Sebring completely ruled

Video: The 1970 12 Hours of Sebring completely ruled originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 Hours of Sebring12HoursOfSebring19701970 12 hours of sebring197012HoursOfSebringdan gurneyDanGurneyferrari 512sFerrari512shenri pescaroloHenriPescarolojo siffertJoSiffertmario andrettiMarioAndrettipedro rodriguezPedroRodriguezpeter revsonPeterRevsonporsche 908porsche 917Porsche908Porsche917Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:24:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19556608/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/07/16/video-the-1970-12-hours-of-sebring-completely-ruled/19556608/article-detail.xml 19556608 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/07/ferrari19qualseb1970_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/07/ferrari19qualseb1970.jpg <![CDATA[Sebring and Petit Le Mans added to 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/11/sebring-and-petit-le-mans-added-to-2011-intercontinental-le-mans/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/11/sebring-and-petit-le-mans-added-to-2011-intercontinental-le-mans/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/11/sebring-and-petit-le-mans-added-to-2011-intercontinental-le-mans/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

12 Hours of Sebring
2010 12 Hours of Sebring - Click above for high-res image gallery

Earlier this year, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) announced the formation of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup that would feature races in Europe, North America and Asia for what is essentially a sports car racing world championship. For this year, the cup includes only three races, with the North American round being the Petit Le Mans in October.

Come 2011, the cup expands to seven races and will include the 24 Hours of Le Mans and both the Sebring and Petit Le Mans events in the U.S. Peugeot has already committed itself to competing for the 2010 cup and Audi has said it is considering participating. The other 2011 races will be at Spa in Belgium, Silverstone in England, Fuji in Japan and a circuit in China.

The ACO also announced that it would follow the American Le Mans Series and eliminate the GT1 class in 2011 in favor of GT2 as well as bringing in a new generation of LMP cars.


Gallery: 2010 12 Hours of Sebring


[Source: American Le Mans Series]

Continue reading Sebring and Petit Le Mans added to 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup

Sebring and Petit Le Mans added to 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 Hours of Sebring12HoursOfSebring24 hours24 Hours of Le Mans24 hours of lemans24Hours24HoursOfLeMansLe Mansle mans 2010Le Mans 24 HoursLe Mans intercontinental cupLe Mans SeriesLeMansLeMans2010LeMans24HoursLeMansIntercontinentalCupLeMansSeriesPetit Le MansPetitLeManssebringFri, 11 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19511709/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/06/11/sebring-and-petit-le-mans-added-to-2011-intercontinental-le-mans/19511709/article-detail.xml 19511709 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/4ba579bed9648fullscreenmediatheque-copy_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/4ba579bed9648fullscreenmediatheque-copy.jpg <![CDATA[Video: Corvette Racing Series Ep. 2: 2010 12 Hours of Sebring]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/26/video-corvette-racing-series-ep-2-2010-12-hours-of-sebring/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/26/video-corvette-racing-series-ep-2-2010-12-hours-of-sebring/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/26/video-corvette-racing-series-ep-2-2010-12-hours-of-sebring/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Click above to view the video after the jump

"As long as we stay on the track, don't run into anybody and the pit stops are good..." were the famous last words of Dave Binks, Corvette Racing crew chief. He spoke these words on the afternoon of Friday, March 19 following qualifying for this year's 12 Hours of Sebring. Some 24 hours later, they turned out to be a bit too prophetic, and not in a good way.

The second episode of the Corvette Racing Series takes a look back at a less-than-successful outing for the C6.Rs at the American Le Mans Series opening round. The two Corvettes actually ended up running into each other in the pitlane and spent extended periods getting repaired.

As program manager Doug Fehan closes out with, the team now has to go back to the shop, looks at what they did wrong and learn so that it doesn't happen again. Now on to Long Beach. Check out the video after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Corvette Racing Series Ep. 2: 2010 12 Hours of Sebring

Video: Corvette Racing Series Ep. 2: 2010 12 Hours of Sebring originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 Hours of Sebring12 Hours Sebring12HoursOfSebring12HoursSebringalmsamerican le mansamerican le mans ser...american le mans seriesamerican lemans seriesAmericanLeMansAmericanLeMansSer...AmericanLeMansSerieschevroletcorvetteCorvette C6Corvette C6-Rcorvette c6.rCorvette C6.R GT2Corvette C6Rcorvette c6r gt2Corvette C6RScorvette racingcorvette racing crashCorvetteC6CorvetteC6-rCorvetteC6.rCorvetteC6.rGt2CorvetteC6rCorvetteC6rGt2CorvetteC6rsCorvetteRacingCorvetteRacingCrashsebringFri, 26 Mar 2010 11:40:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19414806/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/03/26/video-corvette-racing-series-ep-2-2010-12-hours-of-sebring/19414806/article-detail.xml 19414806 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/sebring-2_thumbnail.png http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/sebring-2.png <![CDATA[Video: Corvette Racing's uncharacteristic pit-car crash at Sebring]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/23/video-corvette-racings-uncharacteristic-pit-car-crash-at-sebri/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/23/video-corvette-racings-uncharacteristic-pit-car-crash-at-sebri/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/23/video-corvette-racings-uncharacteristic-pit-car-crash-at-sebri/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click above to watch the video after the jump

There are plenty of top-notch competitors in the American Le Mans Series looking to knock you out of contention, especially in this year's hyper-competitive GT2 class. So it's important not to hurt your own chances with bonehead mistakes. The Pratt & Miller Corvette Racing team knows this all too well after its own #4 C6.R GT2 collided with the #3 car early in this weekend's season opening 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race.

We're not talking about a poorly timed maneuver during the heat of the race, folks. Instead, Jan Magnussen in the #3 car began leaving his pit box after an unscheduled stop to repair a power steering hose when Emmanuel Collard in the #4 Vette came out of nowhere and slammed into his side. The #4 car immediately went behind pit wall for repairs, but since the #3 car was already leaving the pits, it was forced to limp around an entire lap with a flat front tire before returning for repairs. The collision effectively took both Corvettes out of contention for a podium spot, though they did manage to finish the race in 8th and 9th place.

The mistake by Corvette Racing is all the more difficult to wrap our heads around considering how dominant this team has been in ALMS racing. That, however, was before the team switched classes from GT1 to GT2 in mid-2009. The going has been rough since then, including a particularly violent crash at Laguna Seca in last season's final race. Nevertheless, when they aren't bouncing their cars off walls (or each other), the Corvettes remain contenders to watch.

Hit the jump to view the video of this weekend's incident for yourself.


Gallery: 2010 12 Hours of Sebring


[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Corvette Racing's uncharacteristic pit-car crash at Sebring

Video: Corvette Racing's uncharacteristic pit-car crash at Sebring originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 hours of sebring12HoursOfSebringc6.rc6.r pit crashC6.rPitCrashchevroletchevrolet corvetteChevroletCorvettecorvettecorvette crash at sebringcorvette racing crashCorvetteCrashAtSebringCorvetteRacingCrashemmanuel collardEmmanuelCollardjan magnussen corvette crashJanMagnussenCorvetteCrashjohnny oconnellJohnnyOconnellsebringTue, 23 Mar 2010 11:32:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19409895/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/03/23/video-corvette-racings-uncharacteristic-pit-car-crash-at-sebri/19409895/article-detail.xml 19409895 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/c6r-crash_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/c6r-crash.jpg <![CDATA[2010 12 Hours of Sebring goes into the books [SPOILER ALERT]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/21/2010-24-hours-of-sebring-goes-into-the-books-spoiler-alert/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/21/2010-24-hours-of-sebring-goes-into-the-books-spoiler-alert/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/21/2010-24-hours-of-sebring-goes-into-the-books-spoiler-alert/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

12 Hours of Sebring
2010 12 Hours of Sebring - Click above for high-res image gallery

The first of nine races that comprise the 2010 American Le Mans Series is now in the history books, as the 12 Hours of Sebring came to a conclusion under the cover of darkness Saturday night. For those of you who still have the race on your DVRs, you can come back here later. For the rest of you, read on to find out who got a jump on the rest of the ALMS field.


Gallery: 2010 12 Hours of Sebring

Continue reading 2010 12 Hours of Sebring goes into the books [SPOILER ALERT]

2010 12 Hours of Sebring goes into the books [SPOILER ALERT] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 Hours of Sebring12 Hours Sebring12HoursOfSebring12HoursSebringamerican le mansamerican le mans ser...american le mans seriesamerican le mans series green challengeamerican lemans seriesAmericanLeMansAmericanLeMansSer...AmericanLeMansSeriesAmericanLeMansSeriesGreenChallengecorvettecorvette racingCorvetteC6.rCorvetteRacingferrarimichelin green x challengemichelin greenx challengeMichelinGreenxChallengepeugeotporschesebringSebringFloridaSun, 21 Mar 2010 14:03:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19408138/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/03/21/2010-24-hours-of-sebring-goes-into-the-books-spoiler-alert/19408138/article-detail.xml 19408138 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/4ba579bed9648fullscreenmediatheque-copy_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/4ba579bed9648fullscreenmediatheque-copy.jpg <![CDATA[Sebring 2010: Bad start for Jaguar as XKR goes out in first hour]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/21/sebring-2010-bad-start-for-jaguar-as-xkr-goes-out-in-first-hour/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/21/sebring-2010-bad-start-for-jaguar-as-xkr-goes-out-in-first-hour/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/21/sebring-2010-bad-start-for-jaguar-as-xkr-goes-out-in-first-hour/#commentsFiled under: , ,

JaguarRSR XKR GT2

Unfortunately for Jaguar, the only XKR to make it to the finish of the 2010 12 Hours of Sebring was the green and black pace car. Sebring was to have been the full-season competition debut for the new JaguarRSR XKR GT2, but it looks like team has a lot more work to do before the car's a potential race winner. After consistently running near the bottom of the GT2 class time charts in practice and qualifying, the race proved to be the icing on a stale cake.

Less than an hour into the 12-hour enduro, the XKR pulled into the pits with team principal Paul Gentilozzi only having completed 11 laps. It's been reported that one of the cylinder heads on the 5.0-liter V8 cracked, an issue that couldn't be resolved in the pits or paddock in time to get the car back in the race. Hopefully, the team will take the lessons of Sebring and be able to implement some changes before the next event at Long Beach in four weeks. It'd be great to see the Jag in contention with the Ferraris, Porsches and Corvettes.

[Source: JaguarRSR]

Continue reading Sebring 2010: Bad start for Jaguar as XKR goes out in first hour

Sebring 2010: Bad start for Jaguar as XKR goes out in first hour originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 08:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 Hours of Sebring12HoursOfSebringamerican le mansamerican le mans ser...american le mans seriesamerican lemans seriesAmericanLeMansAmericanLeMansSer...AmericanLeMansSeriesjaguarJaguar XKRJaguarRSRjaguarrsr xkr gt2JaguarrsrXkrGt2JaguarXkrsebringSun, 21 Mar 2010 08:08:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19407915/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/03/21/sebring-2010-bad-start-for-jaguar-as-xkr-goes-out-in-first-hour/19407915/article-detail.xml 19407915 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/027406541117_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/027406541117.jpg <![CDATA[Video: Sebring 2010: BMW's Dirk Mϋller talks about hour 1]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/20/video-sebring-2010-bmws-dirk-m-ller-talks-about-hour-1/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/20/video-sebring-2010-bmws-dirk-m-ller-talks-about-hour-1/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/20/video-sebring-2010-bmws-dirk-m-ller-talks-about-hour-1/#commentsFiled under: , ,

BMW M3
The #90 BMW M3 GT2 - Click above to watch video after the jump

The last 24 hours have been tough for Dirk Mϋller, one of the drivers of the BMW M3 GT2 in the American Le Mans Series. After setting the fastest GT2 time in qualifying on Friday for today's 12 Hours of Sebring, his time was disallowed because of an issue with his car during tech inspection. That meant the #90 car was pushed down to the 13th spot on the GT2 grid. To make matters worse, the #90 M3 smacked a wall during the morning warmup and missed the recon laps before the race.

As a result, Mϋller had to start the race from the pits after all the other cars pulled away. He spent the opening laps making his way through the crowd of GT Challenge Porsches before tackling the GT2 field. By the time hour one was over and he came in for the first pit stop, Mϋller was running fourth in GT2. Check out the video after the jump.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading Video: Sebring 2010: BMW's Dirk Mϋller talks about hour 1

Video: Sebring 2010: BMW's Dirk Mϋller talks about hour 1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 horas de sebring12 Hours of Sebring12 Hours Sebring12HorasDeSebring12HoursOfSebring12HoursSebringamerican le mansamerican le mans ser...american le mans seriesamerican lemans seriesAmericanLeMansAmericanLeMansSer...AmericanLeMansSeriesbmwBMW M3BmwM3Dirk MüllerDirkMüllergt2Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:55:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19407799/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/03/20/video-sebring-2010-bmws-dirk-m-ller-talks-about-hour-1/19407799/article-detail.xml 19407799 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/p90057204_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/p90057204.jpg <![CDATA[Intercontinental Le Mans Cup expanded to LMP2 and GT classes]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/20/intercontinental-le-mans-cup-expanded-to-lmp2-and-gt-classes/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/20/intercontinental-le-mans-cup-expanded-to-lmp2-and-gt-classes/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/20/intercontinental-le-mans-cup-expanded-to-lmp2-and-gt-classes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Le Mans Cup

The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) held a press conference Friday morning before qualifying for this weekend's 12 Hours of Sebring to announce an expansion of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. When it was first announced late in 2009, the three-race championship was only going to apply to the top LMP1 class. The new championship will now apply to all four main classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1 and GT2.

The cup will be based on results from Le Mans series races in Europe, the United States and Asia. The European and American rounds will be the Silverstone and Petit Le Mans races, with the Asian event likely to be held in Shanghai. For each of the classes to be considered part of the cup, at least four cars will have to be entered. So far in P1, Audi and Drayson racing have committed. Peugeot has not yet decided whether to go to PLM or Asia.

After Le Mans, Peugeot plans to focus on development of its all-new 2011 car and may skip the remainder of the 2010 races. In spite of reduced restrictor sizes and boost, the Peugeots still managed to capture the top to starting positions for Saturday's race. The Highcroft Acura grabbed the LMP2 pole while Gunnar Jeannette got the LMP Challenge pole. In GT2, the Flying Lizard Porsche of Jörg Bergmeister had the fastest time after Dirk Mϋller's was disallowed due to a problem with his BMW.


Gallery: 2010 Sebring Qualifying


[Source: American Le Mans Series]

Continue reading Intercontinental Le Mans Cup expanded to LMP2 and GT classes

Intercontinental Le Mans Cup expanded to LMP2 and GT classes originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12 Hours of Sebring12HoursOfSebringamerican le mansamerican le mans ser...american le mans seriesAmericanLeMansAmericanLeMansSer...AmericanLeMansSeriesintercontinental le mans cupIntercontinentalLeMansCupPeugeotPeugeot908HdiSegaSat, 20 Mar 2010 14:57:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19407541/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/03/20/intercontinental-le-mans-cup-expanded-to-lmp2-and-gt-classes/19407541/article-detail.xml 19407541 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/4ba35857d9826fullscreenmediatheque_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/4ba35857d9826fullscreenmediatheque.jpg <![CDATA[Automoblox enters racing on Highcroft wing, debuts new racer]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/16/automoblox-enters-racing-on-highfroft-wing-debuts-new-racer/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/16/automoblox-enters-racing-on-highfroft-wing-debuts-new-racer/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/16/automoblox-enters-racing-on-highfroft-wing-debuts-new-racer/#commentsFiled under: ,

Automoblox Highcroft race car - Click above for high-res image gallery

Our favorite purveyor of heirloom quality toy cars, Automoblox, has partnered with Highcroft Racing to enter the world of toy (and real) motorsports. The company's logo will be displayed on the wing of Highcroft's HPD ARX-01c car being campaigned in the 2010 season of the American Le Mans Series. The season opening 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race occurs this weekend, and Automoblox is celebrating its association with Highcroft Racing by announcing a new model to its extensive lineup of toy cars.



The new car is a Highcroft-branded version of the C9-R sports car. Not only is it decked out for racing duty, but the new model also comes with a color-coordinated version of the heavy duty T900 truck and a trailer to tow the race car to each event. And by "event" we mean the imaginary 12 Hours of Sebring in your living room and the 24 Hours of Le Mans that goes from your spare bedroom into the home office and down the very famous Mulsanne Hallway.

Curiously, these two companies got together when a member of the Highcroft Racing team bought an Automoblox car for his kid. They reached out to Automoblox and found a partner that, according to them, shares their values of "professionalism, precision, high performance and striving to be better than the opposition." So keep an eye out for the Automoblox logo whizzing by the cameras on the wing of Highcroft's HPD ARX-01c this weekend at Sebring, and if that gets you hankering for some toy racing of your own, the Highcroft-branded Automoblox racer will be available in April (price TBD).


Gallery: Automoblox Highcroft Race Car


[Source: Automoblox]

Continue reading Automoblox enters racing on Highcroft wing, debuts new racer

Automoblox enters racing on Highcroft wing, debuts new racer originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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