Autoblog

Ford debuts Fusion NASCAR racer that edges closer to stock [w/video]

Jeffrey N. Ross — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Ford, Design/Style, Racing

The sixth-generation NASCAR Sprint Cup racecar, which will make its competition debut at the 2013 Daytona 500 this weekend, marks the closest thing to a "stock car" that the sport has seen in more than 20 years. No longer using just stickers to distinguish the different brands, the image above shows the lengths NASCAR and automakers went in order to create a racecar design that more closely resembles the individual cars they represent.

Ford, one of the more open and vocal OEMs regarding the Gen6 car's development, is giving us a closer look at its racing version of the Fusion with a pretty revealing side-by-side comparison with last years' racer (click above for an expanded view). Aside from the more realistic front end and production-like body lines, the overall shape, dimensions and proportions have also been designed to give the racecar a more stock appearance. Most of the new racer was designed by the Ford Design Center, which the automaker says was the first time it has been so involved in the design process since the 1960s. Of course, one area the Sprint Cup Fusion really differs from the production Fusion is its Ford Racing 5.8-liter V8 producing around 850 hp. Can you say Fusion SVT?

Scroll down for a quick video from Ford Racing showing a production Fusion morph into a Cup car.

Continue reading Ford debuts Fusion NASCAR racer that edges closer to stock [w/video]

Ford debuts Fusion NASCAR racer that edges closer to stock [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevy might've pulled out of NASCAR if it weren't for new Gen 6 car

Chris Paukert — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Chevrolet, GM, Racing

We've been on the fence with NASCAR for some time now. On one hand, it's some of the closest racing anywhere in motorsports, with actual passing and door-handle-to-door-handle action as a matter of course. But on the other, it's become template racing - a personality-driven sport more about the drivers than any sort of loyalty to a particular automaker. The Car Of Tomorrow format really rammed that message home, with a racecar's identity coming down to little more than headlamp stickers slapped on the nose. That's not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, but we've wondered for some time what's in it for the automakers, who pay big money to stay in a series that has had little increasingly little do with street car sales, let alone innovation.

Apparently General Motors was beginning to wonder the same thing. In a new ESPN report, Rick Hendrick, team owner of Hendrick Motorsports, suggests that GM would have seriously considered leaving NASCAR if it wasn't for the move away from the COT to the new Gen 6 racer. According to Hendrick, GM North America boss Mark Reuss spearheaded the charge away from the 2007 COT and toward a racecar with clearer automaker ties - cars like the new Chevrolet SS racer shown above. Learn more about the fight for a closer-to-production look in the ESPN story at the link.

Now, if we could just get more rear-wheel drive V8 coupes into showrooms....

Chevy might've pulled out of NASCAR if it weren't for new Gen 6 car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR Sprint Cup crowns winner as Dodge bows out of series [spoilers]

Zach Bowman — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Dodge, Racing

Dodge is leaving NASCAR on a high note. The automaker snagged the 2012 Sprint Cup series championship on Sunday when Penske and Brad Keselowski took the checkered flag at the Ford EcoBoost 400 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. The championship win marks the fifth such title for Dodge and the company's first since 1975. That last championship victory came at the hands of none other than Richard Petty.

That's a long time, but Penske has been waiting a spell for its first series win, too. The team first entered the NASCAR Sprint Cup series in 1972 but never quite managed to seal the deal. In 1993, Rusty Wallace brought the team as close as it ever came: second place. But after overcoming a few mechanical issues early in the season, Keselowski and Penske stayed consistent enough to see themselves seeded fourth in the Chase. After taking the checkers at Chicagoland, Keselowski became an early favorite for the win, and his performance at Homestead-Miami sealed the deal. Check out the full press release below for more information.

Continue reading NASCAR Sprint Cup crowns winner as Dodge bows out of series [spoilers]

NASCAR Sprint Cup crowns winner as Dodge bows out of series [spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Ontario racetrack green-lit, hopes to woo NASCAR

George Kennedy — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Canada, Racing

You may think that NASCAR is exclusively an American sport, but it has quite a following in Canada, too. How do we know that? Well, aside from knowing a few fans who count themselves among our neighbors to the north, it seems that a project has been green-lighted to build a NASCAR-minded speedway in Fort Erie, Ontario.

According to reports, the $400-million project will see the construction of a new Canadian Motor Speedway, a one-mile banked oval track with spectator capacity of over 65,000, including 60,000 grandstand seats, 5,000 club chairs and 80 suites. Though it is unclear if the track will eventually join the NASCAR calendar, a mile-long oval circuit is a pretty solid indicator of the kind of racing intended for this location. Another not-so-subtle indicator of investors' hopes for the facility? The designer is four-time NASCAR champ Jeff Gordon.

Lest you think the facility is only for turnin' left, the plan also includes a 2.5-mile road course. According to Canadian Motor Speedway executive director Azhar Mohammed, "This will be a world class facility that will attract visitors from all over North America. We are very anxious to begin the next steps in seeing the speedway become a reality."

While there were some appeals against the project, they were all rejected by Ontario Municipal Board. The project will provide jobs, and eventually tourism to an area that was forced to close its slots and live horse racing recently. We look forward to seeing how this track plays into the motorsport community at large.

As the Toronto Star notes, NASCAR's Nationwide series has already announced that it will stop racing in Montreal, so the Canadian Motor Speedway could conceivably make a play for the event if it doesn't go to Mosport as rumored.

Construction for the facility is expected to take just 18 months.

New Ontario racetrack green-lit, hopes to woo NASCAR originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Nov 2012 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR coverage going Spanish, including Daytona 500 live en Español

Jeffrey N. Ross — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

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

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

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

NASCAR coverage going Spanish, including Daytona 500 live en Español originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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F1 may be coming to New York, but not NASCAR

Noah Joseph — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

NASCAR and New York may strike you as diametrically opposite pillars of modern America. But if Formula One can race in Texas, surely NASCAR can race in New York, right?

F1 has recently announced two new races in the United States: the U.S. Grand Prix slated to race in Austin, Texas, for the first time next year, and the Grand Prix of America that will follow a year later in West New York and Weehawken, New Jersey. In other words, F1 racing is coming to two very different parts of the country. So surely NASCAR can as well.

The stock car racing series is already big in the South, but while series organizers have in the past sought a location closer to New York to mount a race, that probably won't be happening any time soon. According to The Wall Street Journal, organizers feel they're already reaching their target audience through the races they have in place, and that expansion into new markets wouldn't be prudent given the lagging economy.

So if you're a NASCAR fan stuck far away from the racing action in the Big Apple, it looks like you'll still have to make the trek upstate to Watkins Glen or out to New Hampshire.

F1 may be coming to New York, but not NASCAR originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stock car racing comes to.... Antarctica?!

Zach Bowman — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, South America, Racing

Argentina has apparently brought stock car racing to Antarctica for the very first time. The Asociacion Corredores Turismo Carretera recently teamed up with the Argentina Air Force and the interior ministry to bring one racer to the frozen continent. Hugo Mazzacane, vice president of the racing organization, piloted the car down 3,937 feet of runway in temperatures of four degrees below zero, Fahrenheit. We aren't exactly sure of the motivations behind the stunt, but our Google Translator informs us that the trip had something to do with bringing renewed passports to those already stationed on Antarctica.

Then again, if you have to ask why, you probably shouldn't be anywhere near motorsports in the first place. There's no indication as to what kind of preparations were taken to ensure that the car could perform in the cold or what kind of driving suit Mazzacane had to don in order to keep from freezing himself out of the cockpit. Still, looks like a fun time to us.

Stock car racing comes to.... Antarctica?! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spoiler Alert: Daytona 500 winner makes history

Zach Bowman — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 10:46:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

If you're saving your 2011 Daytona 500 viewing experience for a later date, you'll want to go ahead and skip this post all together.

Still with us? This year marked the 53rd running of the biggest race in NASCAR, and thanks to a completely re-paved track, the event saw a record 74 lead changes between 22 drivers. The new sticky asphalt also led to plenty of side-by-side racing with more than a few pile ups as a result. But all of that carnage happened to open the door for one very unlikely winner.

Wood Brothers Racing took home the checkered flag for the first time since 1976 with 20 year-old Knoxville, Tennessee native Trevor Bayne behind the wheel. Never heard of him? We aren't surprised. This Daytona 500 only marked his second Sprint Cup series start. Bayne led the last six laps and successfully fought off a last-minute rush by Carl Edwards to take home the $1.46 million purse and become the youngest-ever winner of the Daytona 500. While Bayne was only scheduled to run five races with Wood Brothers this year, this win just might change his schedule.

[Source: ESPN | Image: Glenn Smith/AP Photo]

Spoiler Alert: Daytona 500 winner makes history originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 10:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Waltrip Racing innovates, NASCAR style

Zach Bowman — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:56:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Technology, Toyota, Racing

Michael Waltrip Racing Shop Tour - Click above for high-res image gallery

From most vantage points, the drivetrain in the NASCAR Car of Tomorrow seems to have its origins somewhere just after the discovery of fire. Under the hood is a pushrod V8 with 350 cubic inches of displacement, using the same architecture first outlined in the early 1950s. In its current form, ye olde mill is now delivering somewhere between 800 and 900 horsepower, and the small-block is still fed by the same Holley 4150 carburetor anyone can pick up from the local parts store. Behind the engine is a similarly crude four-speed manual transmission built to take repeated abuse. And little else. It sends power to a Ford nine-inch rear end - a design which, compared to the engine, is brand-spanking new. It was introduced in 1957.

If we're talking weaponry metaphors, the average NASCAR racer is a Louisville slugger wrapped in barbed wire compared to the Predator drone of your average Formula One or WRC beater. Or at least it looks that way from a cursory glance. But make no mistake, this is still big dollar racing, and the teams lapping Charlotte Motor Speedway or Talladega are still doing everything in their power to beat the rules at every turn and make their car faster than the rest of the pack. That means dabbling in advanced metallurgy, fiddling with fluid dynamics and finding out how to make their 3,450-pound behemoth faster than their competitors with the same kit.

It's an odd crossroads that fuses new and old tech, and a recent trip to Michael Waltrip Racing had us checking our NASCAR prejudices at the door.

Gallery: Michael Waltrip Racing Shop Tour

Continue reading Michael Waltrip Racing innovates, NASCAR style

Michael Waltrip Racing innovates, NASCAR style originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR Hall of Fame opens in Charlotte

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 12 May 2010 14:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Celebrities, Racing

NASCAR Hall of Fame Opening Day - Click above for high-res image gallery

Even though you hear less and less about it with each evolution of the Car of Tomorrow and huge new ad deal, much of NASCAR's current allure is tied to the romance of good ol' boys in (genuine) stock cars with big engines and even bigger personalities gunning around raggedy tracks for the win. Those pioneers of the sport have finally been honored with the opening of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina.

From a total of 25 nominees, the inaugural class of inductees were Bill France, Sr., Bill France, Jr., Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson. They're the first to hang in the 150,000-square foot hall along with 60 years of NASCAR exhibits, simulators, video screens and memorabilia, an institution that the city of Charlotte calls "the most technologically advanced Hall of Fame in all of professional sports." Take that, Canton and Cooperstown!

Gallery: NASCAR Hall of Fame opening day

[Source: Sports Illustrated | Image: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images]

NASCAR Hall of Fame opens in Charlotte originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 May 2010 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Time: NASCAR struggles to get its groove back

Chris Shunk — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Earnings/Financials

Bristol Speedway is among the most well-known tracks in America, and an all-time favorite of NASCAR fans. In fact, the track sold out 55 straight times beginning in 1982. But that streak came to an end in March, and the NASCAR news only gets more depressing from there. According to Time, NASCAR has seen its television audiences drop by a knee-wobbling 25 percent since 2005, and last year alone, attendance was down 10 percent.

So has NASCAR turned off its core audience - or has the economy put the hurt on the official sport of the south? Apparently the answer is a little of both, as Time reports that the struggling economy may be only part of the problem. A big issue could be that NASCAR isn't the dangerous, crash-tastic, post-race fist fighting affair that it once was. NASCAR has encouraged its drivers to get a bit more confrontational in 2010 to help win back some fans, but even that idea seemed to backfire after Carl Edwards intentionally crashed into Brad Keselowski back in March to settle a score. Drivers are also less likely to engage in reckless behavior due to the fact that many drivers are sponsored by wholesome, family-oriented brands like Tide and Cheerios.

To get NASCAR back into the hearts and minds of the American people, both the sport and its leader, Brian France (above), are looking to make changes. Among the changes, the left turn circuit is looking into are tweaking the way drivers earn points, shortening the length of races and even changing the formation of cars during cautions to encourage more passing. Whether you love NASCAR or you hate it, the Time article is a very interesting read. NASCAR is even looking for fans to chime in with ways to improve the sport, so feel free to head into the comments to come up with ways to make the sport more interesting. And try to come up with something more clever than "mix in an occasional right turn."

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

Time: NASCAR struggles to get its groove back originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kasey Kahne leaving Petty Motorsports, likely landing at Hendrick

Zach Bowman — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Rumormill

Word has it the ever-voracious Hendrick Motorsports is about to sink its teeth into even more talent. Kasey Kahne just announced he won't be renewing his contract with Richard Petty Motorsports at the end of this year, meaning the guy probably has his eyes set on making his way to the same team as Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the rest. Needless to say, the internet is rife with rumors of the move.

Kahne currently pilots the No. 9 Budweiser car, and has snapped up 11 wins during his time as a pro-driver. Despite deciding not to re-up with Richard Petty Motorsports, the King himself had nothing but praise and well-wishes for Kahne, so it doesn't look like anyone's left on bad terms.

The only hitch in Kahne's rumored move to Hendrick lies in the fact that the team doesn't have an open slot at the moment, meaning a current Hendricks driver would have to be eying another opportunity elsewhere. That doesn't sound overly likely to us, especially considering that most of the drivers are locked into contracts that run well beyond Kahne's supposed 2012 sign-on deal.

[Source: Fanhouse | Image: Tom Pennington/Getty for NASCAR]

Kasey Kahne leaving Petty Motorsports, likely landing at Hendrick originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR turns right, headed to Road America in 2010

Chris Shunk — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:56:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Some motorsports fans take issue with the fact that the vast majority of NASCAR tracks are little more than a series of left turns. This is for you, roundy-round jokers. The official sport of the South is mixing in some right turns and working the brakes a bit more in 2010 with a pair of road courses. The first race, a June 20 Sprint Cup affair at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, was already on the books, and now the truck racing series has added a second road course on June 19. The Nationwide Truck Series race will be held at Road America near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where a scenic 4.04 mile, 14 turn course awaits tailgate-loving NASCAR drivers.

We joke about NASCAR and right turns, but Wisconsin native Paul Menard thinks the biggest challenge will come courtesy of the brake pedal. "Braking will be the hardest aspect. Strategy will play a big part in this race." NASCAR hasn't run a national cup race at Road America since way back in1956, back when race cars ~~used carburetors~~ weren't as fast. Racing Road America will likely be a challenge for drivers who participate in both NASCAR Series, as a trip from Wisconsin to California inside of 24 hours sandwiched between a pair of tough races doesn't sound at all easy to us.

Whether you love NASCAR or you can't stand it, we're thinking middle America's racing sport of choice deserves hats off for mixing it up a bit this year.

[Source: NASCAR | Image: Road America]

NASCAR turns right, headed to Road America in 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: Danica Patrick joining NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2010

Chris Paukert — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Chevrolet, Celebrities

Danica Patrick No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet - Click above for high-res image gallery

The "Will she, won't she" debate is over - Danica Patrick is headed for closed-wheel racing in 2010. Patrick will race a partial schedule in next year's National Nationwide series in the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, and she will also participate in one ARCA race. As a driver on the No. 7 team, she will be signed through 2011 to the JR Motorsports team that's owned by Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Rick Hendrick, Kelley Earnhardt and Tony Eury, Jr. through 2011.

This bit of news is not to say that Danica is eschewing her open-wheel career - she will also continue to race her similarly day-glo green Andretti Autosport IndyCar, also in full GoDaddy.com regalia. The NASCAR events that she will race in will be interlaced with her IndyCar schedule, before, during, and after the open-wheel season.

Danica's first stock car race will be a February 6 ARCA race in Daytona, the day before the Super Bowl. As usual, her primary sponsors will feature Patrick in a slate of new commercials during the big NFL game, and we're willing to bet that they'll have a bit of NASCAR flavor. High-res gallery of her new ride below, official press release after the jump.

Gallery: Danica Patrick NASCAR

[Source: GoDaddy.com]

Continue reading Officially Official: Danica Patrick joining NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2010

Officially Official: Danica Patrick joining NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"Victimized" F1 driver Nelson Piquet Jr. reportedly headed to NASCAR truck series

Noah Joseph — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Rumormill

Crashing in Formula One is taken pretty seriously. Especially if you did it on purpose. Which goes a long way towards explaining why the motorsport community is calling for the blood of Nelson Piquet Jr. The disgraced Renault driver was, in the end, the perpetrator of the so-called Crashgate affair. But while his boss and manager Flavio Briatore was kicked out of Formula One (and any involvement in any FIA-sanctioned racing series) as a result, and technical director Pat Symonds received a five-year ban. For his part, Piquet walked as part of the whistle-blower deal brokered with the FIA. So it may be a little hard to appreciate the young driver's standpoint that he's suffered the most out of the affair.

On this side of the Atlantic, however, stock cars crash all the time. It's just part of the spectacle. So while Piquet, Jr. may have a hard time finding a race seat in Formula One or any other Euro-centric racing series, he may - like Juan Pablo Montoya, Jacques Villeneuve and Scott Speed, to name just a few - try his hand at stock car racing. Well, stock truck racing, more specifically.

According to new reports, Piquet is scheduled to test a Toyota Tundra race truck fielded by the Red Horse team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series over the next couple of weeks. The report, originating from Brazil's Globo television, further suggests that Piquet has a strategy in place to spend one year in trucks and another year in the second-tier Nationwide Series before graduating to the top-tier Sprint Cup in 2012. The question is, how will American racing drivers - and just as importantly, American racing fans - greet the embattled grand prix driver?

[Sources: AutoWeek and Autosport | Image: Robert Cianflone/Getty]

"Victimized" F1 driver Nelson Piquet Jr. reportedly headed to NASCAR truck series originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Circuit Logic: Pocono Raceway going solar powered?

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Technology

The greening of motorsport continues with NASCAR, which has a program to plant 20 acres of trees at race tracks every year. Individual tracks are doing their own things as well, with Pocono Raceway the latest to go a step further: The New York Times reports that it is planting 25 acres of solar cells, equaling about 40,000 panels, to create three megawatts of its own power.

The track's power bill was about to go up to $500,000 per year, and they figured a better way to spend the money would be investing in renewable energy. The solar farm, being built by enXco and planned for completion next year, will cost up to $17 million but it will eventually pay for itself. In addition to the money the Raceway will save by using its own power, it can sell the excess production back to the regional grid operator for "seven figures" each year.

True, it doesn't exactly make motorsports green, but it's a good step. And we have to admit - it makes a lot more sense than KERS. Thanks for the tip, Deepa!

[Source: The New York Times via Green Launches]

Circuit Logic: Pocono Raceway going solar powered? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bucket List: McGriff, 81, reportedly becomes oldest driver to race NASCAR

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.

Herschel McGriff has been racing since the fifties, winning four NASCAR Cup races in 1954, and doing a few stints at Le Mans as well. In 2002, McGriff set a record for being the most chronologically advanced driver to run in a NASCAR-sanctioned event. Last weekend, he broke his own record.

Piloting a 2003 DEI Chevy, McGriff ran in the Camping West World Series at Portland International Raceway and came in 13th out of 28 drivers. And that's after starting at the back of the pack and a lap down because of a carburetor change after qualifying.

Said McGriff: "I did not want to go out there and flop around." Mission accomplished, Mr. McGriff... and well done at that. If he gets his way, he'll break his record again at the race in Tooele, Utah on August 1.

[Source: News & Observer | Image: McGriff Motorsports]

Bucket List: McGriff, 81, reportedly becomes oldest driver to race NASCAR originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Off to the oval in the sky: NASCAR's Bill France passes

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 07:15:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

The man that moved NASCAR into the 21st century and into the lives of more fans than his father ever could have imagined, lost his eight-year battle with cancer yesterday at the age of 74. Bill France Jr. took the reigns from Bill Sr. in 1976, and in the ensuing three decades transformed the once beleaguered sport into one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the U.S.

Several automotive news outlets have penned some compelling obits for the "ultimate general manager," who will be sorely missed by his family and friends. They've done a far better job than we can, so we'd ask you to check their stories out here, here and here.

[Source: NASCAR]

Off to the oval in the sky: NASCAR's Bill France passes originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Jun 2007 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Schumacher offered open invitation to drive a NASCAR

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:03:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

It's easy to scoff at NASCAR as a sports car enthusiast and fan of other types of motorsports. Heck, even to a British TV presenter, NASCAR offers a lot to ridicule. But as a recently retired seven-time Formula 1 champion, Michael Schumacher seems uniquely qualified to critique this type of automotive entertainment. So he stepped up and said he didn't understand how former competitor Juan Pablo Montoya could be drawn to stock car racing. Perhaps Schumacher's view of NASCAR is a bit naïve, as he was quoted as saying, "What do you do in NASCAR? What is exciting there? I can't see that, running around on ovals."

Obviously Schumacher is unaware that only 90% of NASCAR actually involves running around on ovals. The other ten percent is split between drinking beer, pitching beer, and judging wet t-shirt contests. So there is at least SOME obvious reason to like it. But in answer to Michael's criticism, NASCAR team owner Ray Evernham has extended an open invitation to MS to try a stock car and see what it's like. Evernham apparently thinks some seat time would help change the champ's mind and show off the huge technical strides NASCAR has made in recent years. He wasn't referring to SPEED in HD, and believe it or not, he was serious.

Thanks for the tip, Judd!

[Source: itv]

Schumacher offered open invitation to drive a NASCAR originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Casting call for all wanna-be Cole Trickles

Damon Lavrinc — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 11:55:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Since the popularity of stock car racing seems to gain more momentum as every NASCAR season passes, it seems only natural to bring another spin-off to market. "Reality Racing - The Rookie Challenge," will begin its 13-part series sometime in 2007, where 15 drivers will compete for a chance to drive in a 'NASCAR sanctioned event' and gain the much-needed name recognition to score a sponsored ride.

Tryouts are set to begin within the next few months (the dates haven't been disclosed), with the final 15 drivers assigned a series of challenges that will make up the hour-long episodes. Bobby Allison and other ex-racers will man the judging stations, where they'll be on the lookout, not just for raw racing skills, but also desire, appearance and personality.

Whatever your feelings are towards stock car racing, it's about time we showcase America's real talent.

[Source: The Auto Channel]

Casting call for all wanna-be Cole Trickles originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 02 Sep 2006 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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