Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Ford celebrates 45 years of the Mustang at Barber Motorsports Park]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/20/ford-celebrates-45-years-of-the-mustang-at-barber-motorsports-pa/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/20/ford-celebrates-45-years-of-the-mustang-at-barber-motorsports-pa/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/20/ford-celebrates-45-years-of-the-mustang-at-barber-motorsports-pa/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



It's been 45 years since Ford introduced the Mustang, and the Blue Oval chose Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL as ground zero for the big pony car celebration. Track officials estimated more than 38,000 people came out to see about 2,000 Mustangs on display from 15 different countries, and Autoblog was among the revelers.

The Mustang Club of France showed up with a dozen or so 2010 Mustangs they'd rented, Steve Saleen was signing autographs, Ford CEO Alan Mulally made a surprise appearance and the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge had two rounds of competition. There were fully-restored, low-mileage Mustangs trailered in from as far away as California and one dirt-encrusted, 1966 GT350H brought in straight from its 29-year stint in an Alabama shed. All three levels of the track's paddock area were full of Ford's iconic muscle car, as were the grassy fields normally reserved spectator parking.

When the track wasn't being used for racing, vintage and late-model Mustang owners got the chance to see what their cars could really do. The distinctive whine of Roush superchargers melded with bassy roars of 40-year-old small-blocks for a pulse-quickening aural collage, providing a singular soundtrack for the event.

Looming clouds began to gather on Saturday afternoon, but only a few sprinkles had fallen by mid-day Sunday. For the most part, temperatures in the upper 60s made walking around the landscaped track a truly memorable experience.

Happy Birthday, Mustang. Here's looking forward to another forty five!


Gallery: Ford celebrates 45 years of Mustangs

Ford celebrates 45 years of the Mustang at Barber Motorsports Park originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2008 Porsche Boxster RS 60 Spyder - Click above for high-res image gallery

On paper, the Boxster RS 60 Spyder might seem nothing more than a limited-edition Boxster with some interior upgrades, a slight horsepower bump over the S model and a name picked from the company's rich racing history.

Let's first take a look at the car's historic name. In 1960, Porsche's mid-engined 718 RS 60 won both the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Targa Florio. Historic pictures show it as a silver car with a red leather interior, much like the 2008 Boxster RS 60 Spyder I took around Barber Motorsports this week.

Continue reading after the jump and visit our high-res gallery.


Gallery: First Drive: Porsche Boxster RS 60


Photos Copyright (C)2008 Chris Tutor / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading First Drive: 2008 Porsche RS 60 Spyder

First Drive: 2008 Porsche RS 60 Spyder originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>barber motorsportsBarberMotorsportsDavid MurryDavidMurryfeaturedPorsche Driving Experienceporsche rs 60porsche rs 60 spyderporsche rs60porsche spyderPorscheDrivingExperiencePorscheRs60PorscheRs60SpyderPorscheSpyderrs 60 spyderRs60SpyderFri, 13 Jun 2008 14:58:00 EST<![CDATA[TiVo Alert: Grand-Am Rolex Series rolls into Barber Motorsports Park]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/24/tivo-alert-porsche-250-at-barber-motorsports/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/24/tivo-alert-porsche-250-at-barber-motorsports/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/24/tivo-alert-porsche-250-at-barber-motorsports/#commentsFiled under: ,


click above image to view more high-res pics of last weekend's racing action

While Autoblog doesn't cover every motorsport event, or most for that matter, it doesn't mean we're not fans. So when racing comes to town, we try to check it out. Barber Motorsports in Birmingham, Ala. was busy last weekend and, except for the heat, was blessed with an almost perfect three days of racing weather. Blue skies and a continuing, statewide drought brought out thousands of fans. The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series doesn't get the publicity of NASCAR, but the racing is heated and the competition fierce, two facts that were evident while watching the Porsche 250.

Driving the red No. 99 Pontiac, Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty took the checkered flag in Sunday's Porsche 250 Grand-Am race at Barber Motorsports. An 11th-lap tie-up forced the field to take a mandated pit stop, and was one of only two full-track cautions in the race. The win put the team within one win of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series single-season record for victories.

If the name Gurney sounds familiar, it should. Alex is the youngest son of Formula 1 driver, Dan Gurney.

Second place went to the Krohn Racing Pontiac driven by 18-year-old Colin Braun. In third was Max Angelelli and Memo Gidley, a full 40 seconds behind the leaders. At race's end, Angelelli was loaded into an ambulance, possibly suffering from the heat and dehydration. Reports say he recovered well.

More, larger photos in the gallery. Follow the jump for more racing coverage of the KONI Challenge Series race that also took place at Barber Motorsports this past weekend.

[Sources: Grand-Am.com]

Gallery: Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports


All Photos (C)2007 Chris Tutor / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading TiVo Alert: Grand-Am Rolex Series rolls into Barber Motorsports Park

TiVo Alert: Grand-Am Rolex Series rolls into Barber Motorsports Park originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Alex GurneyAlexGurneyBarber MotorsportsBarberMotorsportsGrand AmGrand Am racingGrandAmGrandAmRacingJon FogartyJonFogartyPorsche 250Porsche250Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:22:00 EST<![CDATA[Barber Motorsports hosts V8 StockCar, Spec Miatas]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/09/barber-motorsports-hosts-v8-stockcar-spec-miatas/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/09/barber-motorsports-hosts-v8-stockcar-spec-miatas/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/09/barber-motorsports-hosts-v8-stockcar-spec-miatas/#commentsFiled under:



After a nasty, soggy day of racing Saturday, Alabama's unusually wet weather cleared Sunday morning, and out came the V8 StockCar class. Despite a track sound limit of 104db, the engines could be heard at Barber Motorsports' main gates. With dry pavement, the racing was much faster than the day before, but the photography not as dramatic. Barber's wooded, undulating course is a great venue to watch these powerful cars. Behind the infield trees, the V8s are heard well before the cars come roaring around the bends. Check the gallery for more photos of V8 StockCars.

Next up was the Improved Touring (PDF) category, with Mazda RX-7s alongside Nissan 280Zs, a Honda or two and some BMWs. Following those was the Spec Miata (PDF) class, which consists of original-body style racing modified Miatas with 1600 and 1800cc engines. The course announcer said Showroom Stock (PDF) Miatas were also allowed, but we didn't spot any Sunday.

Like Saturday's post, if you're interested, check the Alabama SCCA Web site for race stats and official information, go here if you want to see action shots of amateur stock car racing and some hot Miata-on-Miata action.

Gallery: SCCA at Barber Motorsports July 8, 2007

Barber Motorsports hosts V8 StockCar, Spec Miatas originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jul 2007 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It was wet and nasty, but the SARRC Club participants forged ahead at Barber Motorsports in Birmingham, Ala. Despite the bad weather, accidents were few and spirits were high, Saturday. Autoblog wandered the paddock, talking to drivers and fans and snapping photos of anything interesting. Race results for those interested should be posted on the Web site of the Alabama Region SCCA soon. For a couple of stories from the participants check the jump. For those who just want to see some cool machinery, check out the gallery.

Gallery: SARRC at Barber Motorsports

Continue reading Barber Motorsports hosts SARRC Club racing

Barber Motorsports hosts SARRC Club racing originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Jul 2007 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ALSCCAamateur racingAmateurRacingBarber MotorsportsBarberMotorsportsBirmingham SCCABirminghamSccaForest O'HeathForestO'heathlee wagnerLeeWagnerSARRCSCCASun, 08 Jul 2007 17:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Confederate Wraith debuts at Bike Week in Daytona]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/31/confederate-wraith-debuts-at-bike-week-in-daytona/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/31/confederate-wraith-debuts-at-bike-week-in-daytona/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/31/confederate-wraith-debuts-at-bike-week-in-daytona/#commentsFiled under: , ,

We don't cover motorcycles here at Autoblog very often, but this particular bike is so special that we couldn't resist. What bike are we speaking of? None other than the Confederate Wraith. You may remember the Wraith from a few years back, when it debuted as a prototype. What took so long to get this bike ready for production? Oh, just an "act of God", as the insurance companies like to call it; namely, Hurricane Katrina. The Confederate company was nearly destroyed, and without the assistance of one Mr. Barber of Barber Motorsports fame, the company would not be here today. Mr. George Barber was kind enough to offer his help in moving the Confederate operations from New Orleans to Birmingham, Alabama.

Reborn in a new shop, and with a new purpose, Confederate decided to unleash their Wraith upon the crowd at Daytona Bike Week '07. We would say "the unsuspecting crowd", but the group of dedicated travellers who make up the Bike Week audience have come to expect great things, and this year they received two. Click here to read what SPEEDtv's Neale Bayly thought of the two Wraith's they brought, and his comments on what the bike did to the public who saw it. As a teaser, click here to check out a collage shot made up of pictures from Confederate's website. We hope to have some more shots of the bike to share with you soon. Watch this space!

For a video of the Wraith from SPEED, follow along after the break!

EDIT: Check out our gallery!

Gallery: 2007 Confederate Wraith

[Source: SPEEDtv.com]

Continue reading Confederate Wraith debuts at Bike Week in Daytona

Confederate Wraith debuts at Bike Week in Daytona originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Mar 2007 11:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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