Autoblog

Mazda6 Skyactiv-D racecar gets first win at Road Atlanta

Seyth Miersma — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:27:00 EST

Mazda has a long motorsports history, and one that is peppered with fascinating cars. The latest chapter in Mazda's racing story has just been written, as Joel Miller and Andrew Carbonell have driven the Visit Florida Racing Mazda6 Skyactiv-D to the car's first ever victory at the Rolex Grand-Am GX race at Road Atlanta. The win marks the first ever for Mazda's diesel-burning, production-car based Skyactiv-D racer, and the first win for a diesel-powered car in a Grand-Am event.

In fact, it was a particularly good day for the Mazda Motorsports team, as a Mazda6 also picked up the third finishing spot at Road Atlanta. Director of Mazda Motorsports, John M. Doonan, said of the racecar, "We've always said that the best street cars make the best racecars, and, with more than half of the components in the race engine being shared with the street engine, this program is a solid proof-point."

SpeedSource Engineering, which helped to build the Mazda6 racer, was greatly heartened by the car's performance in just it's fourth-ever race. Owner Sylvain Tremblay called the victory, "a tribute to the thousands of hours of hard work over many months," continuing, "The normal plan with a new car is to spend the first year in development, the second year seeking race wins, and challenging for a championship in year three. We are already at our year-two status after four races. We can't wait to get to the Belle Isle course in Detroit for round five."

Continue reading Mazda6 Skyactiv-D racecar gets first win at Road Atlanta

Mazda6 Skyactiv-D racecar gets first win at Road Atlanta originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The 2013 Rolex 24-hour race at Daytona comes down to the last hour [spoilers, w/video]

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Mazda, Porsche, Racing

It took 24 hours to run the race, but it was the last one was stuffed with the high action as four cars were still trying to figure out how to gain victory on the track and in the pits. Along with the obligatory crashes, spins, mechanical issues and retirements had come numerous penalties, a double-digit number of full-course yellows and two hours of fog that turned early Sunday morning into a stretch of parade laps.

The final hour would make up for the morning - drivers who might have been happy just to get on the podium had a shot at victory as the end of the race approached, and that turned into a few gambles that paid off, and at least one that didn't...

Continue reading The 2013 Rolex 24-hour race at Daytona comes down to the last hour [spoilers, w/video]

The 2013 Rolex 24-hour race at Daytona comes down to the last hour [spoilers, w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mega Galleries: All day and into the night at the Rolex 24 at Daytona

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 14:56:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

The Rolex 24 at Daytona is still running, and we spent yesterday and a healthy portion of the evening absorbing the agitato thunder of the Daytona Prototypes, the mezzo-soprano howl of the GT cars, the RVs, the bonfires, the numerous full-course yellows, the back-course braking into the Bus Stop and, of course, the ferris wheel.

We'll be back with a race recap after the victors are decided, so for now enjoy some photos of what we've seen so far.

Mega Galleries: All day and into the night at the Rolex 24 at Daytona originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Jan 2013 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mazda6 GX Grand-Am racer goes where no diesel sedan has gone before

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Videos, Mazda, Diesel, Racing

There has never been a four-door diesel sedan in the Grand-Am series, until now: The blunt, bewinged grille of the Mazda6 GX has blown right through that wall. It's said that racing improves the breed, but usually the breed has gone on sale when the racing begins. One of the unusual aspects of the Mazda6 GX, on the other hand, is that while the diesel won't go on sale to the public until later this year, it will already have tasted racing blood by the end of the day. That kind of reversal is more likely found with super coupes like the Lexus LFA and Honda NSX.

Mazda has taken class wins at Daytona's 24-hour race a whopping 23 times since 1975, most recently in 2010 with the RX-8 in the GT class. This year the Hiroshima company decided to show off its SkyActiv technology, then turned things up to eleven by opting for its SkyActiv-D instead of the more conventional SkyActiv-G gas engine to run in the new GX class. It will be joined by competitors like the Lotus Evora and Porsche Cayman in the class, nevertheless, at 2.4 liters, it's the smallest engine on the grid.

Time has not been a friend, either - Mazda said that the first five SkyActiv-D engines off the production line went to Speed Source in Coral Springs, Florida, the company that preps Mazda's race vehicles. Still, race driver Jonathan Baumarito on the #70 car said that although the engine's been on the dyno since February of last year, it's only been in the car for about a month and there have been only a couple of test days.

Speed Source owner, team driver and multiple 24-hour winner Sylvain Tremblay - he drove in the teams that won in 2008 and 2010 in the RX-8 - said the big challenge right now is getting the gearing right. Both Tremblay and Baumarito said that the diesel's torque is a plus through the Bus Stop section at the back of the course, entered after coming off the high-speed banked turn. But Tremblay said that the first infield section of horseshoes is more trying because the SkyActiv-D needs to be on boost to get its power on, and that doesn't happen until after 3,500; maintaining that through slow-speed turns and having enough to get the job done through the high-speed ovals is the test.

There are three Mazda6 GXs competing, Everyone is cautiously optimistic about how things might go during the race, but in fairness this has to be looked at as a 24-hour testing session. Road & Track rode shotgun for a lap in the #00 Visit Florida Racing car, you can check out the sounds of diesel at Daytona in the video below.

Continue reading Mazda6 GX Grand-Am racer goes where no diesel sedan has gone before

Mazda6 GX Grand-Am racer goes where no diesel sedan has gone before originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Jan 2013 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Notes from day one of the Rolex 24 at Daytona

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Audi, Racing

We came to Daytona Beach, Florida where you can drive on the beach, gun shops outnumber doughnut shops and you can putt-putt and fish for alligators at the same place. But we're not here for any of that - we've made the trip with Audi in order to experience the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the first race in the 2013 Grand-Am season and the only 24-hour race in America.

Three teams are racing four Audi R8 Grand-Am cars - WeatherTech Racing, Rum Bum Racing and APR, which is running two cars. Shown to the world two years ago, the R8 Grand-Am is part of Audi Sport's R8 LMS customer racing program that was commenced in 2008, and ever since 2009 has been nabbing success all over the world: In four years it has taken 154 victories and 17 series titles. That is with less than 100 cars sold to customers throughout the world, and the trophies - either class wins or overall victories - have been gathered from all of the major endurance races except one: Daytona.

Continue reading Notes from day one of the Rolex 24 at Daytona

Notes from day one of the Rolex 24 at Daytona originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Jan 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

John Neff — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Audi

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

ALMS, Grand-Am announce combined class structure, LMP1 is out

Jeffrey N. Ross — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Racing

Other than the announcement back in September that the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and the American Le Mans Series were merging, there have been precious few details as to how the newly combined series would shake out. Today, both entities helped clear things up a bit by announcing some of the new classification changes that will go into effect for the 2014 Rolex 24, changes that are confirmed through the 2015 season.

The names for the new classes (or the new series as a whole) have yet to be released, but the breakdown goes like this:

The ALMS P1 prototype class (pictured above) has been eliminated
Grand-Am Daytona Prototype and ALMS P2 classes will be merged
Nissan Deltawing will compete in this merged class
ALMS Prototype Challenge will remain a separate class
Grand-Am and ALMS GT classes will continue to run separate cars and classes
The future of the Grand-Am's new GX class sounds unsure after this year, with it either becoming part of the ALMS GT class or becoming its own separate class

Right off the bat, this suggests we will no longer see LMP1 cars like the Audi R18 TDI or Lola racecars in the US, though we still don't know what sort of rule changes there will be for the Prototype and GT classes (and we wouldn't be surprised to see these competitors end up in a different class). Despite losing the LMP1 cars (which currently runs hybrid and diesel racecars), both organizations look to include more "green technologies." We already know the new ALMS GX class will feature 2014 Mazda6 with a Skyactiv-D diesel engine under the hood.

For more information about the newly combined road racing series, check out the press release by scrolling below.

Continue reading ALMS, Grand-Am announce combined class structure, LMP1 is out

ALMS, Grand-Am announce combined class structure, LMP1 is out originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Diesel-powered Mazda6 going racing in Grand-Am Series

Jeffrey N. Ross — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Mazda, Diesel

The diesel version of the 2014 Mazda6 won't be hitting North American showrooms until the middle of next year, but we won't have to wait that long to see the car in action. Mazda will enter its midsize sedan in the new Grand-Am GX class with a Skyactiv-D clean diesel engine under the hood, and the car will make its racing debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 26. This will be the first time in the race's 60-year history that a diesel-powered car has competed in the 24-hour race.

We first heard about the 2.2-liter turbocharged Skyactiv-D race engine back in June, but we now know it will used in the Mazda6 and we have a little bit better of an idea of power output. Developed in conjunction with SpeedSource, the clean diesel racer is said to produce more than 400 horsepower using many of the same components that will be found on the passenger version of the car.

The newly created GX class will race against the Daytona Prototypes and GT class cars, and its goal is to provide a race class for alternative fuels and technologies. In addition to the Mazda6, the Lotus Evora GX will also compete in the this class, which will be composed of 13 models from 12 automakers - including Audi, Hyundai, Ford and Scion.

Scroll down for Mazda's press release, and be sure to check out the Grand-Am link for more information.

Continue reading Diesel-powered Mazda6 going racing in Grand-Am Series

Diesel-powered Mazda6 going racing in Grand-Am Series originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Nov 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

ALMS, Grand-Am asking fans to help name new combined series

George Kennedy — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:45:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Racing

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

ALMS, Grand Am finally getting hitched

Zach Bowman — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 16:03:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Racing

SPEED reports the American Le Mans Series and the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series are merging. Rumors have swirled around the marriage of the two series for years, but fired up in earnest two weeks ago. Though details are still scarce, SPEED says Grand-Am will likely take on sanctioning duties. The news comes courtesy of unnamed sources, including manufacturers and race participants, who indicate the championship may very well combine classes from both ALMS and the Rolex Series. ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton has denied the merger, and SPEED says a spokesperson for the Rolex Series declined to comment.

Traditionally, the two race series have been spirited rivals, and while both saw widespread support from manufacturers and privateer teams over the years, entries in key categories have recently declined.

The two won't officially combine until 2014 at the earliest. ALMS recently signed a one-year licensing deal with the sanctioning body behind the Le Mans series in Europe, which means we'll continue to see racing under the ALMS banner for at least one more season. Look for officials to make an official announcement on Wednesday in Daytona Beach, Florida.

ALMS, Grand Am finally getting hitched originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 02 Sep 2012 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Watch Honda transform a stock Civic Si into a race car

George Kennedy — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 09:15:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Honda

Chief designer for Sunbeam, Louis Coatalen was once quoted as saying "Racing improves the breed." With Formula One racers that look like nothing on the open road, and NASCAR, whose cars only LOOK like what you can get in a dealership, its hard for the average Joe to see why motorsport is relevant to their daily lives.

Production-based racing is where you can truly find that connection of road car and race car, Cars that wish to enter in these types of race series must start life as a model that you can find at your local dealer. The folks at Compass 360 Racing have chronicled what it takes to turn your daily driver into a race winner, and according to the description, "it's easier than you think."

The team starts out with a 2012 Honda Civic Si and takes the necessary steps to ready it for race series like the Grand Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. The first move for racing mechanic Steve Stantidakis and the rest of the team is to gut the car almost entirely, removing interior panels, seats, accessories and the engine. The spread of parts along the shop floor in the video is quite remarkable.

Next, they separate parts that will return to the compact racer from the items that will be discarded. Once stripped down, a roll cage is installed, the car is painted, and necessary parts will be reinstalled.

A version of the Si's 2.4-liter VTEC four-cylinder tuned by Honda Performance Development engine is next to go in. According to HPD Senior Engineer Lee Niffenegger, the four-pot achieves roughly 25 percent more power than the standard Si engine through improved intake and exhaust flow, among other things.

And why go through all this trouble to convert a bone-stock coupe into a performance machine? Says Niffenegger, "The reason Honda races is to push our cars to the limit. You can only learn so much through what you do on the street."

Scroll down to see it all come together.

Continue reading Watch Honda transform a stock Civic Si into a race car

Watch Honda transform a stock Civic Si into a race car originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Brumos to offer special edition Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racer

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST

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

The Brumos Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racer is not only very good at getting around a track, it's very good at getting to the checkered flag in first place. To celebrate the team's 50-plus-year history and winning last year's Rolex Grand-Am championship, Brumos, in conjunction with Porsche, is offering prepping the final five U.S.-spec 2012 911 GT3 Cup cars just like its racers.

The means a 4.0-liter flat-six with more torque and more than 450 horsepower, a Motec data acquisition system, carbon interior bits, a front debris screen, a rev-blipping system for better downshifts and new brake and steering sensors. It will be finished in the white-with-twin-stripes Brumos livery, and offered for $265,259 plus tax for five fortunate buyers. That price will also get owners to a handover ceremony and dinner at Porsche Motorsport North America with Brumos Racing vice president Hurley Haywood and drivers Leh Keen and Andrew Davis.

The cars will be eligible for various domestic racing series. If you want to see what one can do given the right pilot, check out Porsche Motorsport North America driver Patrick Long delivering coffee to his boss. Otherwise, there's a press release below with more details.

Continue reading Brumos to offer special edition Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racer

Brumos to offer special edition Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racer originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mazda to run Skyactiv-D diesel engine in 2013 Grand Am GX class

Zach Bowman — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Technology, Mazda, Diesel, Racing

Race teams in the Grand Am GX class can now get their hands on a new diesel powerplant. Mazda has announced the company will supply the new Skyactiv-D for the 2013 season. The race engines will use a stock 2.2-liter block with a two-stage turbo, just like the production version. Redline sits at a relatively lofty 5,200 rpm and the engine uses a very low 14:1 compression ratio. If you're keeping track, that's the lowest diesel compression ratio in the world.

Mazda says the Skyactiv-D is a full 10 percent lighter than the outgoing 2.2-liter MZR-CD diesel and that it generates up to 20 percent better fuel economy, as well. That's partially thanks to a 20 percent reduction in internal friction.

The Grand AM GX class is just for advanced and clean drivetrain technologies. So far, Mazda hasn't released any information on how much power race teams can expect to glean from the diesel mill, but the standard production unit is good for 173 horsepower at 4,500 rpm and 310 pound-feet of torque and a gloriously-low 2,000 rpm. Check out the full press release for yourself. If you need us, we'll be busily daydreaming about a diesel-powered MX-5 Miata.

Continue reading Mazda to run Skyactiv-D diesel engine in 2013 Grand Am GX class

Mazda to run Skyactiv-D diesel engine in 2013 Grand Am GX class originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments