Autoblog

Ferrari 458 Grand Am debuting at Daytona

Zach Bowman — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Ferrari, Racing

Ferrari is headed to the Daytona 24 Hours with a new Grand Am version of the company's 458 Italia. The 458 Grand Am borrows heavily from the GT3 version of the supercar, though with an eye towards competition here in the States. Like the GT3, the Grand Am car was prepared for battle by the same house that's been responsible for race-bred Ferrari models since the 288 GTO: Michelotto Automobili. Expect to see the cars share plenty of safety and performance hardware when the 458 Grand Am bows at the Daytona 24 Hours in January.

Ferrari has picked a star-studded crew for this year's race. Michael Waltrip will helm the racer alongside Travis Pastrana, Rui Aguas and Robert Kauffman. The Italian automaker is itching for a victory at the legendary American endurance race, but we doubt it competitors will roll over and take second place. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Ferrari 458 Grand Am debuting at Daytona

Ferrari 458 Grand Am debuting at Daytona originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mini to offer B-Spec Cooper for budding racers

Noah Joseph — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hatchback, Mini, Racing

It may have taken them a while to get around to it, but after reviving the Mini marque in 1994, BMW hasn't forgotten the original's rich racing heritage. It's what's taken them into the World Rally Championship, and is now leading to a B-Spec racer available right here in the United States.

Created out of a partnership between Mini USA and its dealer in Charleston, South Carolina, the Mini Cooper racer can be made out of any existing hardtop hatchback made between 2007 and 2012. It packs all the safety equipment necessary for competition duty - including a full roll cage, window net, racing bucket and harness - plus upgraded brakes, suspension and rolling stock, but is otherwise pretty much showroom stock. And that's the point behind B-Spec categories sanctioned by such bodies as the SCCA, Grand Am and World Challenge.

Check out the details in the press release after the jump and the pair of high-res images for a closer look.

Continue reading Mini to offer B-Spec Cooper for budding racers

Mini to offer B-Spec Cooper for budding racers originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari rolls out latest 458 Italia Grand Am racer

Noah Joseph — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Ferrari, Racing

On any given Sunday, you can expect to find a Ferrari 458 Italia racecar screeching around one or more circuits around the world.

Unsurprisingly, Maranello is serious about challenging the Porsche 911 for shear proliferation in sports car racing. That's why the mid-engined GT has already spawned Challenge, GT2 and GT3 racing versions, and has now bred one more for the Grand Am series. Developed by Ferrari's go-to racing garage, Michelotto, this latest competition 458 has just undergone its initial shakedown at the company's on-site Fiorano test track at the hands of Jamie Melo (who's driven the previous F430 GT2 to two consecutive class wins at Le Mans and class titles in the American Le Mans Series and FIA GT Championship) and Maurizio Mediani (who just happened to have been our instructor at the Alfa Romeo driving school at Varano).

In compliance with the American series' regulations, the engine has actually been detuned from 562 horsepower in stock street-going trim to 500 for track duty, thanks in part to a 48-millimeter restrictor plate and an 8,000 rpm rev limiter. The aerodynamics are also reworked compared to other racing versions, the spec Continental tires are of a particularly hard compound, and the suspension has been beefed up to deal with the higher collision rate in American racing.

In other words, the 458 Grand Am may be the slowest racecar in the lineup. Of course, that's not an issue (it won't be going up against its own stablemates, after all), the question is whether it will prove faster than the other cars on the Grand Am grid. Follow the jump for the press release and scope out the images in our gallery for more.

Continue reading Ferrari rolls out latest 458 Italia Grand Am racer

Ferrari rolls out latest 458 Italia Grand Am racer originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Camaro leaves the premises in hairy Grand-Am crash at Road America

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 13:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos

Günter Shaldach hops the fence at Road America - Click above to watch video after the jump

During the weekend's Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car race at Road America, Günter Shaldach radioed his crew to report what he called "a brake issue." Shortly after that, as Shaldach's CoolTV Chevrolet Camaro was hurtling toward turn one behind Joe Foster's Florida.com Mazda RX-8, he locked up at full tilt, and plowed into the Mazda. Then it got really ugly. Shaldach continued straight through the gravel trap and tire barriers, then flew over the course fence into the outside world.

Fellow team driver Oliver Gavin later said Shaldach had pushed the brake pedal and it went to the floor, then everything simply locked up. The airborne red blur in the pic above is Shaldach's leaping Camaro, the trail of dust on the right is the Mazda. Thankfully, Shaldach got out of the car and walked back up to the track on his own. Follow the jump to see video of the incident.

Continue reading Camaro leaves the premises in hairy Grand-Am crash at Road America

Camaro leaves the premises in hairy Grand-Am crash at Road America originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Super GT moving closer to DTM, may adopt KERS; Grand Am to join as well?

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

In an attempt to reduce costs and get more brands into the field, it's beginning to look like as many as three different race series in Europe, Asia and the United States may adopt a more-or-less common set of rules. The German Touring Car Championship (shown above) is set to introduced a new rules package for the 2012 season and the Japanese SuperGT series looks to be on-board for its GT500 class. Here in the States,. the NASCAR-owned Grand Am series is also considering jumping in, presumably to replace the current GT class.

The proposals being considered by the DTM organizers clearly show some NASCAR influence, although with more modern technology. A common carbon-fiber chassis could be mandated with an agreed-upon wheelbase and overhangs for all cars. DTM is considering "Introduction of "design line" where on one side all cars are common" which sounds an awful lot like NASCAR's dreaded common templates. Along with the V8 powerplants, hybrid kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) could be part of the picture. The goal is to cut the cost of these cars in half from current levels.

If the new rules are adopted by all three groups, it could result in cross-pollination of cars between the series with Lexus, Nissan and Honda joining Audi and Mercedes-Benz in DTM and possibly the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro mixing it up with the Germans and Japanese.

[Sources: RaceCar Engineering, Touring Car Times, DTM | Image: Bongarts/Getty]

Report: Super GT moving closer to DTM, may adopt KERS; Grand Am to join as well? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heluva Good! Big renovations planned for Watkins Glen

Noah Joseph — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Watkins Glen is in for some renovations. The historic road course in upstate New York was once the home of the US Grand Prix, and today hosts races in the Indy Racing League, NASCAR, the Rolex Grand-Am series and the SCCA Speed World Challenge, not to mention several vintage racing series. It's a veritable landmark in American automobile racing, and (nostalgia not being what it used to be) only stands to get better with the new improvements underway.

Intended to improve both safety and competition, the revisions will include paved run-off areas replacing some of the gravel traps and grass fields, new crash barriers and guard rails, upgraded catch fences and the installation of FIA-regulation curbs at certain corners. The project, which is set to be completed before the track opens for the season in April, will be the largest undertaken at the track since the catch fences were installed before the IndyCar Series came in 2005.

The plans were announced by the International Speedway Corporation, the company owned by the France family that controls NASCAR and which, in turn, owns and operates Watkins Glen along with such noteworthy oval speedways as Daytona, Talladega, Darlington and Homestead, to name just a few. However The Glen, as it's known, remains the only road course under the umbrella, and one of only two on the NASCAR Sprint Cup calendar, which calls its race there, if you can believe it, "Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen".

[Source: Racer via Axis of Oversteer | Image: Chris Graythen/Getty]

Heluva Good! Big renovations planned for Watkins Glen originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Deal? VW racing chief, F1 drivers visit Homestead for NASCAR season-closer

Noah Joseph — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Volkswagen

This year's Sprint Cup was awarded this past weekend at Homestead, where Jimmie Johnson scored his record fourth consecutive championship with a fifth-place finish behind race winner Denny Hamlin. (Oh yeah, "spoiler alert".) Anyway, on to the interesting part: the oval speedway had some unlikely German visitors for the series finale, leading the motorsport press and the fans to begin asking questions.

The Volkswagen Group's head of motorsports Hans-Joachim Stuck was reportedly among the spectators at Homestead this past weekend, and took a few visible meetings with NASCAR officials. But Stuck was quick to dispel any rumors. Although he kvelled over the purity of the spectacle that NASCAR offers, Stuck said that convincing the bean counters back in Wolfsburg that stock car racing made sense for them would be a tough sell.

If you think it would be an even tougher sell to fans, consider that VW's new plant in Chatanooga, Tennessee, could be only the first step in an increasing American presence for the German automaker, and that Toyota may have already prepared the ground for foreign makes to enter the series.

Meanwhile Stuck did confirm ongoing negotiations over the German auto group's potential participation in the Grand Am sportscar series, also owned by NASCAR's France family. According to Stuck, the Audi/Lamborghini V10 could be a perfect fit for the prototype racers, though they'd have to make it work with the spec ECU. Stuck also revealed that his company was discussing a possible entry into the IndyCar series.

The VW racing chief wasn't the only notable German at Homestead this past weekend, though, as Red Bull flew out its star driver Sebastian Vettel to witness the spectacle as well. After watching the race and chatting with former colleague Juan Pablo Montoya, Vettel said that F1 could stand to learn a lot from NASCAR, and that while he's committed to F1, he'd like to try out a stock car on an oval. This after his professed fascination with rallying as well. It's worth noting that Heikki Kovalainen, now looking for a new drive since leaving McLaren, was also at the race as a guest of Penske Racing, leading to speculation over the Finnish driver's prospects for next season.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Jason Smith/Getty]

Big Deal? VW racing chief, F1 drivers visit Homestead for NASCAR season-closer originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: With F1 program scrapped, where will Toyota Motorsports land next?

Noah Joseph — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

Toyota GT-One - Click above for high-res image gallery

As Toyota president Akio Toyoda announced the withdrawal of his company from the Formula One World Championship, he reiterated Toyota's commitment to motorsport competition. But while this may have been pure lip-service, the Japanese automaker has a long history in racing, leading to speculation over where Toyota could land next. According to Toyoda:

Motor sports remain an important means of personalizing the automobile in the eyes of customers. Motor sports also remain an important means of cultivating human resources and our R&D operations. ... We will rethink our motor-sports activities with an eye to maximizing those benefits while addressing economic realities.

Even in the absence of a renewed F1 program, Toyota continues to compete in series as diverse as Formula Nippon, NHRA, Grand Am, Super GT and NASCAR. While the beancounters in Tokyo could continue to rely solely on these and other existing programs - or worse, start pulling out of more - sources point to potential racing programs at Le Mans, in the new FIA GT1 World Championship or possibly in the shifting World Rally Championship. Any of these categories would give Toyota a more direct tie-in to its road-going products, but which - if any - the Japanese motor giant will ultimately choose remains to be seen. In the meantime, enjoy the short clip after the jump highlighting the company's history and continued involvement in motor racing worldwide.

[Source: PistonHeads]

Continue reading VIDEO: With F1 program scrapped, where will Toyota Motorsports land next?

VIDEO: With F1 program scrapped, where will Toyota Motorsports land next? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia Forte Koup going racing in 2010 Grand-Am Koni Challenge series

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:10:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, SEMA Show, Kia

Kia Forte Koup Grand-Am racer - Click above for high-res image gallery

For the first time in its history in the U.S. market, Kia is going racing in 2010. Kia announced today at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas that it has partnered with the Kinetic Group to build and compete with a pair of new Forte Koups in the 2010 Grand-Am Koni Challenge series. The Koups will be driven by Andy Lally and Nic Jönsson in the Street Tuner class of the Koni Challenge. Kia says it chose the Kinetic Group for its experience working in NASCAR, ALMS, IndyCar and, of course, the Koni Challenge.

The front-wheel-drive Kias are based on the production Forte Koup and will be running against the likes of the Mazda MX-5, Honda Civic Si and MINI Cooper. The Kias will make their debut January 8-10 at the Grand-Am test days at Daytona and then really hit the track in anger at the end of the month for the season opener as part of the Daytona 24 Hours weekend. Will the little two-door from South Korea have the racing chops to hang with other, more experienced production-based racers? Time will tell, but it's great to see Kia hop into motorsports with both feet and choose a series where its actual cars have the potential to shine.

Gallery: Kia Forte Koup Grand-Am Koni Challenge

[Source: Kia]

Continue reading Kia Forte Koup going racing in 2010 Grand-Am Koni Challenge series

Kia Forte Koup going racing in 2010 Grand-Am Koni Challenge series originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Camaro returns to racing this weekend against Mustang, Challenger

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet, Specialty

Sunoco Grand-Am Camaro - Click above for high-res image gallery

This Sunday, October, the classic dark blue Sunoco Chevy Camaro will race once again. What's more, the car will be piloted by drivers with rather appropriate last names: Donohue and Bucknum. Suddenly, it's 1969 all over again. Perhaps coolest of all, though, is that Chevrolet's revived pony will be lining up against its most classic nemeses, Ford's Mustang and Dodge's Challenger (yes, we know the original Mopar didn't hit the scene until 1970).

The retro racing action will take place during final round of the 2009 Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge season at Virginia International Raceway. Though the Bill Riley-built Camaro will be completed with barely enough time for a few shakedown runs ahead of the actual competition, David Donohue and Jeff Bucknum are both satisfied that it will be competitive. We look forward to watching the battle lines play out during the 2010 season. Hit the jump for the official press release, which includes plenty of commentary from the two drivers.

Gallery: Sunoco Grand-Am Camaro

[Sources: Grand-Am Road Racing, Camaro5.com]

Continue reading Camaro returns to racing this weekend against Mustang, Challenger

Camaro returns to racing this weekend against Mustang, Challenger originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alex Roy retires from rallying, campaigning team in Grand Am Rolex series

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

In a move that's sure to surprise almost no one, Alex Roy - head of Team Polizei, multi-rally champion, author of The Driver and the man responsible for crossing the continent in 31:04 - has officially retired from road rallies. Roy, who hasn't participated in one of the ego-fueled events since his record-setting run, has tried to raise awareness about the inherently unsafe nature of the "sport" over the last few years, Now, he's taking the next step to prove that the time, effort and capital necessary to participate in the world of rallying would be put to better use on the track.

Roy plans to race and campaign a team in the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, along with veteran Ferrari Challenge driver Henri Richard and Rene Villenueve as driver/team captain. Team Polizei is partnering with TRG, the 2008 Grand Am winners, to run at Laguna Seca on May 17, all the way through to the series' finale at the 24 Hours of Daytona.

In addition to bringing professional drivers and the street/tuner/rally world together, Roy is working on a new interactive track-side model that will combine live, streaming, high-definition video from the team's Porsche 911 race car, GPS/GPX tracking and a crew of volunteers/fans to work on video editing, web-content delivery and mapping to the masses.

Naturally, Team Polizei plans to be competitive, but Alex admits that they're in it to do more than win - the team wants to revolutionize the way motorsports coverage is delivered. Plan on reports from the pits at Laguna Seca for the team's first outing, followed by more from Watkins Glen on June 6.

Alex Roy retires from rallying, campaigning team in Grand Am Rolex series originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Event Alert: April Calendar of Automotive Events

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:19:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, New York Auto Show, Auctions, China, Europe, Misc. Auto Shows, Canada, Event Alert

This year's New York Auto Show promises a few surprises

April might be best known for its rain and resultant flora, but we hope sunshine prevails. After all, April marks the beginning of the IndyCar season with an undercard of ALMS in St. Petersburg, as well as a follow-up race for each series in the shadow of the Queen Mary from Long Beach, CA. NASCAR powers through Texas, Arizona and Alabama, Grand-Am makes stops at VIR and Thunderbolt, and Formula 1 visits Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Bahrain. We also get the New York Auto Show as well as other motor shows in Vancouver, California's Ontario, Albany, the Inland Empire, Denver and elsewhere.

There will be auctions in Palm Beach, Toronto, and Carlisle, vintage drags in Fontana, a GoodGuys stop in Del Mar, the Copperstate 1000, Top Marques Monaco, and the Street Rod Nationals up in Bakersfield, as well. If none of those events appeals to you, check the Google Calendar after the jump for even more listings, all with detailed info and links. We've tried to list the highlights as well as a few smaller events that we hope will be of interest to you. Feel free to use the comments section to add or modify listings.

Continue reading Event Alert: April Calendar of Automotive Events

Event Alert: April Calendar of Automotive Events originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey to race Ferrari at Le Mans

Drew Phillips — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:27:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Ferrari, Celebrities

Throughout the history of motorsports several Hollywood actors have had aspirations to be professional racecar drivers. Steve McQueen and the late Paul Newman come to mind, both of whom were very successful, and some modern era actors have also had a go at it too like Jason Priestley, Eric Bana and the annoyingly ignorant Franky Muniz. Adding to that list is Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey, who has competed in the Daytona 24 Hour Race and the Baja 1000 and has been competing in Grand Am's GT class since 2007. This June he'll be stepping up his game even further when he takes on the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Team Seattle and last year's Grand-Am Koni Challenge champion, Joe Foster. Dempsey will be driving a Ferrari F430 GT prepared by Advanced Engineering who has previously won the GT2 category in the FIA GT, although he'll have his hands full taking on the likes of factory-supported teams from Porsche, BMW, Panoz, and Ferrari. We wish him the best of luck!

[Source: ColdTrackDays]

Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey to race Ferrari at Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Training Wheels: Dallara rolls out Formulino racer

Noah Joseph — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Technology

Click above to view a high-res gallery of the Dallara Formulino

Typically, race cars - especially formula single-seaters - are designed and built for a specific series. Nobody knows that better than Dallara. The Italian motorsports engineering firm designed and fabricates the chassis for GP2, the World Series by Renault, practically the entire Formula 3 grid and the Indy Racing League, to say nothing of its occasional dabbling in Formula 1, sportscar and Grand Am racing. But now they've decided to shake things up a bit by building the Formulino.

Italian for "little formula", the idea behind the Formulino project is to give aspiring racing drivers a point of entry into the world of formula racing with a straightforward and affordable Dallara racer, similar to the ones they'd be driving in the big leagues, only smaller. Three different levels of Formulino spec are available - Base, Plus and Pro - each with different suspension and aero packages. The chassis is a carbon monocoque, outfitted with a Hewland FTR gearbox capable of handling a range of engine options up to 260 horsepower. Prices start at 38,500 euros (about $51,600 USD) for the Base model (not far off from the Formula Vee car we drove) and range up to 65k euros ($87k) for the full-on Pro model, a chassis that already approaches F3 spec. Follow the jump for the press release, and don't forget to check out the high-resolution images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Dallara Formulino

[Source: Dallara]

Continue reading Training Wheels: Dallara rolls out Formulino racer

Training Wheels: Dallara rolls out Formulino racer originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEMA 2008: Camaro GS Race Car Concept LIVE

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:29:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, SEMA Show, Tuners, Chevrolet

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Camaro GS Race Car Concept

If the 2010 Camaro is, as Ed Peper said, "a 21st century sports car for the young and the young at heart," then this is the race car for those actual and spiritual whippersnappers. The Camaro GS Race Car Concept takes its inspiration from the Trans Am racer of Mark Donohue, but Riley Technologies updates it with a just a few go-fast add-ons. The body is seam-welded, the hood, trunk lid, and doors are swapped for carbon fiber components, and in the front a racing radiator and an upgraded engine cooler are fitted. The production LS3 V8 swaps gears though a Tremec close-ration six-speed gearbox, and all those spent hydrocarbons exit through three-inch dual exhaust pipes. Even better than all that: you can buy it from Riley for the 2009 Grand Am season. Check out the press release after the jump and the live high-res photos below.

Gallery: SEMA 2008: Camaro GS Race Concept LIVE

Continue reading SEMA 2008: Camaro GS Race Car Concept LIVE

SEMA 2008: Camaro GS Race Car Concept LIVE originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan may take GT-R to go racing in Australia

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Supercars, Nissan, Australia

The land Down Under hasn't been kind to Nissan when it comes to motorsports. The Skyline GT-R was banned in 1993 from the country's touring car series after three consecutive wins in 1990, 1991 and 1992, and Nissan hasn't returned since.

That might change in the 2008 season, as Nissan is considering campaigning the GT-R in the Targa Tasmania rally, according to Ross Booth, marketing manager for Nissan in Australia. The automaker is looking into the Bathurst 12-hour race as well, not to mention the Grand Am series and a possible campaign in the 24-hours of LeMans.

The sourced Drive.com.au interview is rife with great quotes from Booth and Jim Richards, driver of the 1992 Bathurst 1000 GT-R driver. But one line from Booth referring to the V8 supercar series cars as "taxis" is worth clicking through for.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

Nissan may take GT-R to go racing in Australia originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Enter the Rumormill: Nissan GT-R may compete in Grand Am series

Damon Lavrinc — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 18:27:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Supercars, Nissan

The Nissan GT-R GT500 race car from Japan's Super GT series.

A brief blurb over at GT Channel revealed a rumor we hope would come true. According to the site's sources, Nissan may be considering campaigning a GT-R in the U.S.-based Grand Am series. If it were to come to fruition, we'd expect the GT-R to be mixing it up in the GT Class with Porsche GT3s, BMW M3s, Corvettes and Ferraris. With a slightly detuned engine (power is limited to 450 hp) and a serious diet, we think a GT-R campaign could up the ante on what is arguable one of the most exciting motorsports events around.

[Source: GT Channel]

Gallery: Nissan GT-R GT500 Race Car

Enter the Rumormill: Nissan GT-R may compete in Grand Am series originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 01 Dec 2007 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McDreamy can only be tamed by a wild Mustang

Merritt Johnson — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Ford

The ladies swoon over Patrick Dempsey on Grey's Anatomy so much that he's garnered the nickname McDreamy on the show. McDreamy himself, however, dreams about ponies - a particular pony, in fact, in the form of a Ford Mustang FR500C built for the Grand Am Road Racing KONI Series. Dempsey recently competed in the Grand Sport (GS) class with co-drivers Joe Foster and Rick Skelton. The season ended on Oct. 7th at Virginia International Raceway, and Dempsey's best finish ended up being sixth place at Miami back in April. He says he strives to get faster, so hopefully we will see more of the good doctor behind the wheel of a Mustang.

Dempsey credits his passion for racing to the days of watching major motorsports events like the Indianapolis 500, Dayton 500 and Monte Carlo Grand Prix with his father. Surprisingly, he got his start in racing through the Skip Barber and Panoz driving schools, though no doubt his money and fame helped land him in the driver's seat of an actual race car. He attributes his draw towards the Ford Mustang to the aura generated by the works of Carroll Shelby and the Mustang's deep history. This pin-up doctor is apparently much deeper than we thought.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading McDreamy can only be tamed by a wild Mustang

McDreamy can only be tamed by a wild Mustang originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unofficial Porsche powered Fabcar to run in Grand Am finale

Sam Abuelsamid — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 12:34:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Porsche

The factory-backed Porsche RS Spyders of Penske Racing have been leading the ALMS LMP2 class and even captured some overall victories this year. In the competing (well, kinda) Grand Am series, the official Porsche engine in the Daytona Prototype class is a 3.8-liter flat-six. The Spirit of Daytona team, however, wants to take a different approach.

It had the Lozano Brothers build a five-liter race-prepped version of the Cayenne V8 that they intend to debut at the series finale at Miller Motorsports Park on Sept. 15. Since Porsche hasn't officially approved the project, it won't allow the team to carry Porsche badging on the engine. Instead, the car will be labeled a Fabcar-Cayenne in its first run.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Unofficial Porsche powered Fabcar to run in Grand Am finale originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 08 Sep 2007 12:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Chris Tutor — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:22:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Porsche

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

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.

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