X Games 16: Rally practice day reveals new challenges
July 31, 2010
Filed under: Motorsports
The practice day for the X Games 16 Rally competitors is in the books, and despite plenty of preparation the teams face some unexpected challenges at the new venue. The drivers first took to the makeshift dirt track at the L.A. Coliseum early yesterday afternoon and quickly found that the setup isn’t ideally suited to cars - or at least anything with bumpers. The course features… Continue reading
X Games 16 Preview: Autoblog rides shotgun with the stars of Rally Car [w/video]
July 31, 2010
Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Hatchback, Ford, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Celebrities, Racing
It was just a short time ago - five years, to be exact - that rallying was introduced as a competition in the X Games. The first event started out in spectacular fashion, with Travis Pastrana beating out the late… Continue reading
Video: Sunday! Sunday!! Sunday!!! Witness the incredible ManEater funny car!
July 30, 2010
Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Safety, Videos, Racing
If you aren’t terrified on some primordial level of the funny car drag racing class, odds are it’s only a matter of time before natural selection comes a-callin’. Most funnies run a variation on the 500 cubic-inch, supercharged big-block formula while slurping down nitromethane/methanol fuel by the… Continue reading
Ivan ‘Ironman’ Stewart moving from off-road trucks to… electric bikes?
July 30, 2010
Filed under: Motorsports, Truck, Motorcycle, Electric, Racing
Off-road racing fans will no doubt be familiar with the name Ivan “Ironman” Stewart, winner of 17 Baja 500s and three Baja 1000s over his 37-year career. Apparently, even an iron man can only take so much pounding and Stewart has decided it’s time to ride off silently into the sunset.
Stewart has decided to auction virtually all of his off-road racing memorabilia, race… Continue reading
Unlikely Pacer: Ford Fiesta to lead the field at CarFax 400
July 29, 2010
Filed under: Motorsports, Budget, Sedan, Ford
Sure enough, the upcoming Sprint Cup Carfax 400 will be paced by none other than the Blue Oval’s tiny 2011 Fiesta Sedan. With less than a third of the displacement of the tube-frame beasts lapping Michigan International Speedway, we wouldn’t quite anticipate lightning-quick pace laps, but hey - safety first. While pace cars are typically some sort of performance product, manufacturers aren’t past parading less than muscular new… Continue reading
V8 Supercar champ in Australia wants kids to learn to drive at age 12. How about you? [w/poll]
July 29, 2010
Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Government/Legal, Safety, Australia
Albert Einstein has commonly been quoted as saying that stupidity (or insanity, depending on your source) is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Which begs the question, with over 100 years of traffic enforcement behind us, why are we still relying on the same methods of catch and punish to alter driver behavior? If it hasn’t worked over…… Continue reading
BREAKING: Porsche approves 918 Spyder for production
July 29, 2010
Filed under: Concept Automobiles, Convertible, Hybrid, Porsche, Electric
As expected, the Porsche supervisory board has approved the development of the 918 Spyder concept into a series production model. The 918 debuted as a concept at this year’s Geneva Motor Show with a plug-in hybrid powertrain claimed to provide 78 miles per gallon. The concept used a…… Continue reading
Report: Jack Roush in serious but stable condition after (second) plane crash [w/ video]
July 28, 2010
Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Safety, Videos, Celebrities
NASCAR titan Jack Roush appears to have survived his second plane crash. Roush was piloting his company’s Raytheon/Beechcraft Premier jet when something went wrong on the approach to Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin last night. According to reports, Roush’s plane appeared to come in too low on landing approach… Continue reading
Austin F1 track location revealed
July 27, 2010
Filed under: Motorsports
Back in May, Formula One Group CEO Bernie Ecclestone announced that the racing organization had secured a deal with the city of Austin, Texas to bring the series to America for 10 years. All of that sounded great to American racing fans, but there have been lingering questions as to whether it was possible to get the city ready for F1 by 2012, which is when the contract is scheduled to go into effect. At least one piece of the puzzle… Continue reading
Ferrari fined $100,000 for transgressions in German Grand Prix
July 27, 2010
Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Ferrari
If you followed yesterday’s 2010 German Grand Prix, you’ll remember that Felipe Massa mysteriously (not really) slowed late in the race, allowing his teammate Fernando Alonso to take the lead and the eventual win. Although this type of teamwork has been going on since the first two-chariot entry at the Circus Maximus, team orders are technically… Continue reading
