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2006 Chevrolet WTCC Ultra Concept

(from General Motors Press Release) Chevrolet WTCC Ultra: Exciting Driveable Race car Concept

• Muscular: Strikingly fresh design, outside and in
• Powerful: 190 hp common rail diesel
• Efficient: Modern lightweight materials


Paris. "It’s a wild thing": The Chevrolet WTCC Ultra has got what it takes to be the star of the Paris Motor Show – and not just because its rear spoiler shoots so brashly up towards the heavens. The bold and aggressive design of the racecar study takes the Chevrolet body language to the extreme. "We wanted to explore the concept of a Chev-rolet muscle car reinvented for Europe," says David Lyon, Executive Director GM Asia-Pacific Design. "A concept that celebrates Chevy’s racing heritage with a very forward looking design."

The ready-to-drive concept car set to premiere in Paris was developed by a GM team around the globe (for more details, see page 4). It is the vision of a new generation of touring car- a design icon that bends the present WTCC regulations. "In addition to the premiere of the Chevrolet WTCC Ultra, we are also celebrating our second victory in the World Touring Car Championship," says the boss of Chevrolet Europe, Wayne Brannon, referring to Rob Huff’s success in Brno in Czech Republic on September 3. "Our com-mitment to the WTCC is of enormous value for emotionalising the brand."

In line with Chevrolet's diesel offensive, the compact WTCC Ultra (length/width/height with spoiler: 4,324/1,906/1,569 mm, wheelbase: 2,650 mm) is equipped with a powerful 1,991 cm3 diesel unit generating 139 kW/190 hp. The basic version of the four-cylinder engine is the common rail unit with four-valve technology and variable turbine blade geometry currently powering the Chevrolet Captiva and due to go into the Epica from spring 2007. The increase in performance was achieved by raising the turbo boost pressure.

The WTCC Ultra has a sophisticated independent wheel suspension on McPherson struts on both axles. The lower wheel control at the front is taken care of by an A-frame arm, while at the back, two additional wishbones and one trailing arm link the wheels precisely to the chassis.

To keep the unladen weight as low as possible, the designers of the WTCC Ultra have made plenty of use of modern lightweight materials. The body parts are finished in "Stealth Blue", a further development of the familiar Chevrolet blue, and are made of a glass fibre and carbon fibre laminate. The flat underbody of the fully functioning touring concept car, which also graphically divides up the vehicle because of its dark colour, and the front and rear spoilers are made of a plain weave carbon fibre composite. The window frames and the air inlet grilles at the front are finished in semi gloss dark grey. They make an attractive contrast with the glossy silver-painted wheels and the polished alu-minium door handles, number plate and centrally positioned tailpipes.

Another aerodynamic feature apart from the flat underbody and the spoilers is a rear dif-fuser to create additional downforce.

© Source: original article on seriouswheels.com

Toyota Auris

It's a new name, but Toyota's Auris is still very recognisable as the successor to the Corolla small hatch.

With styling derived from the outgoing Corolla, the Auris is still very much a traditional five-door small hatch, albeit with a more pronounced snout to help with pedestrian impact crash tests.

The engine range is also drawn from the Corolla, comprising 1.6- and 1.8-litre petrol units and a 2.2-litre turbodiesel.

Toyota insiders tell us a hot hatch version will follow about a year after the Auris goes on sale at the start of 2007 in the UK.

© Source: original article on topgear

Mother trucker

They just can't help themselves. Just when we were beginning to think US car companies were getting a handle on the environment and making fuel-efficient cars, they go and drop the F-450 on us.

Jeez, is this the daddy of all pick-ups or what?

There's no messing about with this beast, and Ford proudly proclaims it as the leader of its Super Duty trucks.

Hard to argue with that when it comes with a 6.4-litre Power Stroke V8, although at least it's a diesel-fuelled engine to keep the greenies happy.

With 650lb ft of torque and 350bhp, this monster can be had with a six-speed manual or five-speed auto.

All F-450s come with the dual rear wheels and a four-door crew cab to take the family to the local tractor pull.

For the sissies, there are F-250 and F-350 pick-ups, but who wants one of those when you can have this monument to steel, chrome and apple pie?

© Source: original article on topgear

Alfa leaves Competizione standing

Alfa Romeo's PR people needed mops and buckets to slop up the drool left by the world's media at the unveiling of its 8C Competizione.

Utterly gorgeous in every detail, this 380bhp coupe was one of the show-stoppers at Paris, even taking much of the limelight away from the Audi R8 that will vie for customers with the Alfa.

The 8C's 4.7-litre V8 engine is borrowed from Maserati, so we know it's a screaming beauty.

Alfa says its already taken a fat lot of orders in advance of the 8C's on-sale time of next summer and we're not in the least surprised because we were among the throng drooling over it.

© Source: original article on topgear

Renault Tiny dancer

Size zeros may be causing controversy in the fashion world, but Renault obviously still reckons small is beautiful.

The French manufacturer chose Paris to unveil its latest small concept - the Twingo.

The original Twingo has been hanging around Europe for more than a decade now, but Renault says this is what the replacement for the current model will look like when it hits the UK in late 2007.

The Twingo will be powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine developing 100bhp - the same unit to be found in the next generation of the Clio and Modus. The concept also boasts twin chromed exhausts, and a mixing deck built into the dashboard.

Incidentally, the name Twingo comes from an amalgamation of 'twist', 'swing' and 'tango'. Which, bizarrely, is exactly the dance that TopGear.com editor Paul Regan performs after a long evening of 'networking' at the Paris motor show.

© Source: original article on topgear.com

ALMS releases 2007 sked

Mosport loses its traditional ALMS Labour Day race as Detroit lands that date. Moving a week forward might actually work for Mosport, given that that weekend prior to Labour Day used to be the Champ Car weekend in Montreal, but that conflict no longer exists.

2007 AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES SCHEDULE
March 12, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, SPEED
March 31, St. Petersburg, SPEED
April 14, Long Beach, SPEED
April 21, Houston, CBS Sports
May 19, Salt Lake City, CBS Sports
July 7, Lime Rock Park, CBS Sports
July 21, Mid-Ohio, CBS Sports
August 11, Road America, NBC Sports
August 26, Mosport, SPEED
September 1, Detroit, SPEED
October 6, Road Atlanta/Petit Le Mans, SPEED
October 20, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, SPEED

The full press release is here.

2006 Ford iosis X Concept

(from Ford Press Release) Ford of Europe's Design team has interpreted the Company's distinctive new 'kinetic design' form language in an exciting new crossover concept - the iosis X – which makes its debut at the 2006 Paris Motor Show.

"We're calling this car iosis X as a deliberate link to our 'kinetic design' concept car lineage started last year," said Martin Smith, Ford of Europe's Executive Design Director. "The link is not just in the name – there's a strong visual relationship between the two cars, and the 'X' signals the new vehicle's crossover capabilities."

"The iosis X is an exciting five-door sports-crossover that proves we can extend the boundaries of kinetic design into a niche market vehicle,” added Smith. "It takes our 'energy in motion' philosophy even further and shows how different Ford cars will be in the future."

One of the specific purposes of iosis X is to prepare the public for the introduction of a future Ford of Europe niche model.

"There's been a lot of speculation about Ford producing a compact crossover or Sport Utility vehicle," said John Fleming, President and CEO, Ford of Europe. "The iosis X is intended to send a very strong message that we will be entering this market in around eighteen months from now, and that our new model will be both stylish and individual."

Fordiosis X is very clearly a concept and is not intended to be representative of this future production model. Instead, it sets out to explore the ways in which Ford's kinetic design form language and detailing can be applied to a niche vehicle in a rugged and exciting way.

"Customers will be able to get a feel for the design direction our production model will take, and when we do reveal that model next year the relationship between it and the iosis X will be immediately apparent," Smith explained.

In a stunning concept at Frankfurt 2005, Martin Smith and his team revealed the new form language that ultimately will be applied in varying levels across Ford's future European vehicle portfolio. The original iosis presented all of the key elements of what Ford identified as 'kinetic design' in their purest form.

“The iosis Concept has been a great ambassador for Ford design,” said Smith, adding “the reception it received from the public and the media gave us the confidence to stretch our design team even further for future Ford vehicles.”

Part of the task since iosis has been to widen the audience for this new look, and to generate a heightened expectation for what Ford is going to do next and demonstrate how 'kinetic design' could translate into other market segments.

The signal for that future direction is now revealed in iosis X. This dramatic concept car sends a clear message that the look of Ford’s European products is changing. Already, elements of kinetic design are appearing in Ford's latest new production models such as the Ford S-MAX and the all-new 2007 Ford Mondeo.

But, as with its concept predecessor, iosis X is not intended to be a future Ford production vehicle.

"What iosis X does do is to move our customers' understanding of our new design language on further," Smith concluded. "It demonstrates that 'kinetic design' is becoming a consistent and enduring reality in Ford's future and it assures them that when Ford enters this particular sector of the market, it will be with an individual and dynamic product that shares much of the excitement of this Concept."

© Source: original article on seriouswheels.com

Family Ford-tune

Perhaps kicking off our Paris coverage with the latest iteration of the archetypal family runabout wasn't the most glamorous move. Nevertheless, Ford's new Mondeo is looking pretty sexy for a five-seat estate.

Admittedly that's a bit like saying that Theresa May is pretty sexy for a Conservative politician, but you catch our drift.

In an effort to rev up the shrinking family car market, Ford has allowed much of the Iosis concept's styling to filter through to the Mondeo.

The show car is an estate, but we're promised saloon and hatch models for the car's launch next spring.

From launch, the engine options are 1.6-, 2.0- and 2.5-litre petrol units, and 1.8- and 2.0-litre turbodiesels.

That's exactly the same as for the S-Max. The reason is the Mondeo shares the same platform as the MPV, so we can already surmise that the Mondeo will be good to drive.

© Source: original article on topgear.com

2008 Galmer Arbitrage GT

(from Galmer Press Release) The Galmer Arbitrage GT (www.arbitragecars.com) will prove to be the car that everyone would like to own. It has been designed and engineered to hold up to the most intense scrutiny of the motor sports enthusiast. It is being constructed with a carbon fiber monocoque chassis and mostly carbon fiber body that will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars less than the nearest competitor in it's class. The secret lies within Cobra International Co., Ltd's experience in lightweight composites and simply the cost of manufacturing in Thailand .


The Galmer Arbitrage GT is a car designed to be everything that a sports car should be without the complexities that exist in other sports cars today. It is a back to basics approach while still using the best of available technology. This concept has given the Galmer Arbitrage GT it's three words that the team lives by everyday; PURE DESIGN, POWER AND PERFORMANCE. The words were prefaced by the understanding the car must be strikingly beautiful to the eye, be as light weight as possible, have a cockpit designed large enough to accommodate a basketball player, and most importantly, the owner should never be afraid to service or repair it. It is with these ideals that the Galmer Arbitrage GT was created.

DESIGN

The original design that inspired the Galmer Arbitrage GT came from Togay Yuvanc, a self taught, 3d designer and highly knowledgeable race car enthusiast. The baseline design was then redesigned for practical purposes and eye appeal, before being sent to Galmer for pre-engineering approval. From the origination of the design, aerodynamics always remained at the forefront. CFD testing was done to screen out any serious airflow and aerodynamic issues. After several corrections to body curves due to headlight clearance issues, window opening issues and wheelbase adjustments due to the powertrain change to the LS7, The design remains fixed at what you see in the gallery section of the website. The worldwide feedback after the release of the design was overwhelmingly positive. Indeed all of us breathed a little easier after daily checks of the hundreds of websites that reviewed the press release and pictures of the car.

PERFORMANCE

The Galmer Arbitrage GT has been designed and engineered for extremely high speed track stability. The underbody of the car is completely unique and never seen on a road car or any available "out of the box" sportscar ever produced. The suspension is particularly unique with every piece specifically designed for the Galmer Arbitrage GT. Until the track testing is completed, we will not make any performance claims. But sure you will see this car at a 24hr race in the near future. Basically this car is "race ready" with everything in it's place. At the same time, tame enough to drive around town.

COMPONENT KIT CAR?

Because of the enormous cost of homologation for the USA market, the Galmer Arbitrage GT will be exported into the USA without the powertrain and many of the parts that have been sourced outside of thailand . All cars will arrive at a staging area in the USA that will do the final consolidation of all parts and process the final “packaging” for each individual car. Once the packaging is complete, it is our goal that the buyer or the buyers chosen assembler, can assemble the car in less than 100 man hours. A complete assembly dvd and manual will be included with each car. Cobra International Co., Ltd. does not provide the engine or transaxle, but a list of prefered suppliers will be posted on the website at a later time. The Galmer Arbitrage GT will indeed set the bar for modern kit cars of this generation. nothing is from a donor car. nothing from a salvage yard. Everything is new and specific for each car. Every part is numbered accordingly. Every part that is to be painted is painted already according to the customers instructions. There is only the assembly of each beautifully crafted part. The wiring harness is preinstalled. This makes the everything just plug and play, with no hassles.

POWER

Back in the beginning, the VW/AUDI 3.2 liter V6 twin turbocharged engine mated to a DSG gearbox was the drivetrain of choice for the Galmer Arbitrage GT. Indeed at that time we were very excited about this match-up. But after several months it was clear that neither VW and the potential buyers were that interested in this drivetrain being put into the Galmer Artbitrage GT. So the team went back to the drawing board and selected the most powerful small block V8 ever made; the 7 liter, 505 horsepower, Chevrolet LS7 . It was the best "second" choice we have made on this project. Firstly, this engine has 505 horsepower out of the box. The tuning potential is enormous, not to mention that Chevrolet is talking about a LSX 800+ horsepower engine that will be able to go into the Galmer Arbitrage GT without any problems. Another factor that aided in our decision was emissions. Being a tuner of European cars for many years in the USA, Kevin Gallahan understood that the VW/AUDI 3.2 liter V6 twin turbocharged engine would not pass emissions requirements in most states. The LS7 in the Galmer Arbitrage GT, will be able to pass through 50 USA states' emissions control.

To get the power to the wheels, The Galmer Arbitrage GT will be using a custom made, GEARFOX, 6 speed transaxle. Look for specifications for this transaxle in the upcoming days on the website.

INTERIOR

The interior was another very serious issue for the team. Many, many designs were submitted and consequently rejected for one reason or the other. The important factors involved with the interior was style, flexibility, left hand drive/right hand drive changeability, and overall access to gauges, HVAC, and accessories. The current interior design gives the owner an infinite number of choices for color and texture of materials as well as easy change-outs for gauges and data loggers or Motec type dashboards. Weight savings was also constantly considered during the design process. A digital touchscreen interface provided by I Squared will be used for many features of the electronics, while still using some tactile switches when necessary. The Galmer Arbitrage GT will come standard with a Pioneer AV unit and navigation system. The rear view mirror can be replaced with a triple LCD screen version for left/right/center rear view cameras as seen in the gallery. Another available option will be fingerprint recognition for secure entrance into the car as well as starting the vehicle. Seating options will be numerous with fully adjustable to fixed carbon fiber racing seats available. Look for these choices on the website later. Although carpeting may be available, we just don't understand why someone would want to cover all that carbon fiber. Instead, we recommend using the custom made Galmer leather floor mats.

© Source: original article on seriouswheels.com

The luxury Le Mans racer ?

The folks on the Peugeot stand looked like the cats that got the cream after unveiling the 908 RC concept car.

The 908 itself was looking more like an angry lion, with its bold muscular face and 'whiskers' ahead of the front wheel.

Well, it's a concept car and flights of fancy are the order of the day.

At the back of the 908 RC things are more serious, as the 700bhp V12 turbodiesel engine is the same unit that will power Peugeot's Le Mans racer in 2007.

Mid-mounted, the engine still leaves plenty of space in the cabin for four generously spaced seats and all the luxury you could point a baton at.

We love the way the windscreen arcs up and over to flow into the roof, which Peugeot says will be something to feature on future production models.

However, the same people say the 908 is very unlikely to be anything other than a concept.

© Source: original article on topgear

NEWALTA: LM Chall. Series // Saskatoon Super Sunday!

SASKATOON, SK (September 28, 2006) – The championship round and final race of the 2006 NEWALTA Late Model Challenge Series season, the Border Challenge 150, is part of a busy race weekend in Saskatoon that includes two full days of racing, a very special Border Challenge Grand Marshall and off track festivities at other city venues.

The weekend's events start Friday night at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway with the final round of the Trader Publications Super Late Model class. Driver Trent Seidel #70 Propane Plus Automotive Chevrolet Monte Carlo is the current points leader. Also on the Friday race schedule are the Canadian Forces CASCAR and Tiger Automotive Street Stock classes.

The Border Challenge festivities kick off Saturday evening with Driver's Reception at the Shark Club Bar and Grill (Sandman Hotel) 310 Circle Drive West. There is no cover charge and the event is open to public.

Race day rumbles to life with a show and shine hosted by the Saskatchewan MOPAR Club from 9.30am to 11.30am at the Husky Travel Center 315 Marquis Drive across from the Motel 6. At 11:30pm, the Auto Clearing Chrysler Superstore 2006 Dodge Charger Official Pace Car will pick up the field of vintage Chargers, Barracudas, Challengers and other Chrysler vehicles and lead the club members to Auto Clearing Motor Speedway for parade laps around the track and other on track activities.

Giving the command to Start Your Engines will be the mayor of Saskatchewan's largest city as Saskatoon Mayor Donald Atchison will be on hand as Grand Marshall for the Border Challenge 150.

The Border Challenge is bringing together cars from three western provinces and include Seidel and teams from host Trader Publications Super Late Model series from Saskatoon, teams from the Edmonton, AB based NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series including event winners Greg Moir #07 Parkland Cycle Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Kevin McMillan #41SFE Global Pontiac Grand Prix, Fred Whiteman #5 KPS & Associates Chevrolet Camaro and Wes Ratzlaff #12 Fast Track Signs Dodge Avenger, Clint Habart #9 RE Truck Collision Ford Taurus of the Kootenay Auto Racing Association from Cranbrook, BC and the NEWALTA Late Model Challenge Series championship contenders Dean Craig #67 WeatherShield Insulation System Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Gary Lister #55 Viking Installations Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Craig Ball #54 Mac's Motorsports/ Pepsi/ Super 8 Pontiac Grand Prix.

Also part of Sunday's show will be the Saskatoon Hyundai Mini Stock championship and events for NAPA Auto Parts Pro Truck and the Hertz Equipment Rentals Thunder Stock classes.

Spectator gates open at 12.30pm. Qualifying starts at 1pm. Green Flag at 2pm.

ADVERTISER SPOTLIGHT: SH Karting

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STICKY POST: This will be the top post until Friday, Sept. 29. Check below for current news.

Champ Car releases 2007 schedule

The 15-race 2007 Champ Car schedule doesn't include the obligatory race in Korea that never happens. They do say they're going to China, however, so give them points for creativity.

July will be Champ Car month in Canada, with races at Mt. Tremblant (July 1), Toronto (July 8) and Edmonton (July 22).

Photo: In a switch from the past two seasons, Champ Car took pity on its Korean racing fans by not even pretending that they're going to race there in 2007.

*************

From Champ Car

The Champ Car World Series will venture into a new era in 2007 with a brand-new car, an influx of new teams, and now a new-look schedule that will see the series visit a number of exciting markets throughout the world.

The 15-race slate will open and close with inaugural events in Las Vegas and Phoenix respectively, will see the Champ Cars visit historic Mont Tremblant in St. Jovite, Canada for the first time since 1968, and features a groundbreaking event in Zhuhai, China - marking the first time that a major American sports organization will hold a regular-season event in mainland China.

"We have put together a solid schedule of events for 2007 that will provide great racing for our fans and strong challenges for our teams and drivers," said Champ Car President Steve Johnson. "This schedule, combined with the new DP01 and the arrival of new Champ Car teams, gives us great momentum as we build toward a bright future."

"Champ Car is one of the top international racing series in the world with a focus on driver and team performances and we are proud to bring it to China," said France Corbeil, CEO FRC USA LLC. "The on-track racing resulting from strategies related to pit stops, power-to-pass, tire choice and driver's skills, is surely the most fun. We believe the Chinese racing fans will embrace the full Champ Car World Series and a high number of them will watch each race on their preferred TV channel starting next year."

The 2007 campaign will begin April 8 with the inaugural Vegas Grand Prix, to be run on a downtown street course in the Gaming Capital of the World. The Vegas event kicks off a slate of three races in three weeks, as Vegas is directly followed by the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach April 15 and the second running of the Grand Prix of Houston on Sunday April 22.

"We are excited to open the Champ Car season with this new world-class event in Las Vegas," said Vegas Grand Prix CEO Jim Freudenberg. "This will be a festival of speed like no other. In a city where first-class events happen every day, we will be expected to maintain that caliber and are prepared to do that."

Champ Car makes its groundbreaking trip to Zhuhai, China on May 20, before heading back stateside for the June 10 Portland Grand Prix and the 26th running of the Grand Prix of Cleveland. The Cleveland race, which is the longest-running event in the series, launches a second stint of three races in three weeks as teams travel from Cleveland to Circuit Mont Tremblant for a July 1 event on Canada Day. The Mont Tremblant race also starts a run of three consecutive Champ Car races in Canada.

"Canadian Champ Car fans are among our most ardent supporters and we are excited about running three consecutive events in Canada," said Champ Car Vice President, Venue Development John Clagett. "But our entire schedule is one that all of our fans can be excited about. From exciting new venues to great traditional events, the 2007 Champ Car season will be one to remember.

The July 8 Grand Prix of Toronto follows the trip to Mont Tremblant, with the third running of the July 22 Grand Prix of Edmonton next on the slate. The third annual trip to Silicon Valley for the Grand Prix of San Jose follows the three-race Canadian swing on July 29, with August featuring events at Road America on the 12th and in Denver the following weekend.

The 17th running of the Lexmark Indy 300 on the streets of Surfers Paradise, one of the highest-attended races anywhere in American auto racing, will take place on October 21 while the season wraps with a November 11 sojourn to Mexico City's Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and a new event in the streets of Phoenix, Arizona on December 2.

"We are prepared to end the Champ Car season with another incredible event in Phoenix," Freudenberg said. "Stay tuned to http://www.grandprixarizona.com/ to all the exciting announcements this event will be making in the coming months."

The series is also exploring options for adding events during the month of September with details to be released in the near future.

2007 Champ Car World Series Schedule

Date Venue

April 8 Las Vegas, Nevada - Street Course

April 15 Long Beach, California - Street Course

April 22 Houston, Texas - Reliant Park

May 20 Zhuhai, China - Road Course

June 10 Portland, Oregon - Portland International Raceway

June 24 Cleveland, Ohio - Burke Lakefront Airport

July 1 St. Jovite, Canada - Circuit Mont Tremblant

July 8 Toronto, Canada - Exhibition Place

July 22 Edmonton, Canada - City Centre Airport

July 29 San Jose, California - Street Course

Aug. 12 Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin - Road America

Aug. 19 Denver, Colorado - Pepsi Center

Oct. 21 Surfers Paradise, Australia - Street Course

Nov. 11 Mexico City, Mexico - Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez

Dec. 2 Phoenix, Arizona - Street Course

* - Events in BOLD are new races for the 2007 season

OSCAAR: Fletcher to make 200th start

Milton, On - This Sunday October 1st John Fletcher will make his 200th stock car start and in doing so may lock up the 2006 OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Model Series Title with a finish of 21st or better.

John debuted in a Canadian Vintage Modified in 1989 running limited a schedule each year until 1992. John became the 1992 Canadian Vintage Modified Champion running the series that year completely. 1993 saw a little change in John’s driving career as he continued to run a the races ho chose for the CVM, John also made one start in the Flex-Mor Series driving Bill Snowdon’s Super Late Model.

Over the next few years John and Bill continued to run a few race’s each year, winning along the way. 2004 Team JNE Consulting was formed to take on the full OSCAAR Series Schedule with the goal to win the title.

2004 saw a tough battle with then 3 time Champion Rob Clarke in which the title came down to 8 laps to go in the final race of the year with John leading the race, the championship and in one lap it all changed with a flat tire. The team changed the tire and John raced is way back to within two spots of the title losing by ten points.

After back to back runner up spots for the OSCAAR title it is a start away. Marking this milestone start will also be the goal to capture John’s 40th win as well, 199 starts along with 39 wins and a title on the line there would not be a better race track to do it then Flamboro Speedway the very track John started his first event, first win, first title, first Super Late Model win and on Sunday perhaps Team JNE Consulting’s first OSCAAR title.

Sundays event at Flamboro Speedway will get under way at 2:00PM with a full card of racing action. Please visit http://www.oscaar.ca/ of http://www.fletchjr61.com/ for more details.

The OSCAAR Outlaws have a unique body style and can boast the greatest horsepower of any Ontario stock car divisionThe unique Outlaw body style features a hood and nose combination which slopes to the ground on a steep angle, rear side panels which are flat and an alternative roof style. There is also allowance in the series for a larger spoiler at the back. Inside the car the chassis is offset to the left or drivers side which allows for better cornering on the oval tracks. The engine department has plenty of rules but the bottom line is that these Outlaw cars carry a lot of horsepower. The overall result is plenty of action and excitement on the track!

Photo courtesy of www.oscaar.ca

Montoya To Debut In Food World 250 ARCA RE/MAX Series Race

CONCORD, N.C. --- Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) announced today Juan Pablo Montoya will drive the No. 4 Texaco/Havoline Dodge in the ARCA/REMAX Series event on Friday, October 6 at Talladega Superspeedway. Montoya and the CGRFS team tested at Talladega earlier this week in preparation for the ARCA event, as well as his first start in a stock car.

In July CGRFS announced that Montoya would be piloting the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge Charger in 2007. The 31-year-old Colombia, South America native will become the first Formula One driver in the 58-year history of NASCAR to compete on the circuit full time. He returns to the CGRFS organization with 137 starts competing in CART, IndyCar and Formula One, where he’s tallied 18 wins, 26 poles, 60 top-five and 79 top-10 finishes. Over his five complete seasons in Formula One, Montoya has finished sixth or better in the standings.

Montoya previously worked with team owner Chip Ganassi in the CART Series in 1999 and 2000. He captured the CART Championship and Rookie of the Year honors in 1999 while visiting Victory Lane 11 times in those two years, including a win at the prestigious Indianapolis 500 in 2000.

The Food World 250 is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. (CST) and will be broadcast at 8 p.m. on Speed Channel.

- From Talladega SuperSpeedway

Bourque Heads To Lime Rock

LAKEVILLE, Connecticut (September 27, 2006) - - Canadian NASCAR driver Pierre Bourque heads to the final event of the 2006 NASCAR BUSCH EAST Series with significant optimism as the series turns from the short tracks and superspeedways and switches to the tricky road course of Lime Rock Speedway, in picturesque Connecticut.

It’s been a solid learning year for the Ottawa, Ontario native, Canada's only full-time NASCAR racer, in this, his rookie season.

“From one week to the next,” said Bourque, who pilots the No. 10 DRIVING.CA CANADA.COM, WORKING.COM, and DOSE.CA Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Charlotte-based Fast Track Racing.

“Everything is new. From practice, to qualifying and tense racing conditions, I've experienced it all.”

Nevertheless, there is still one goal on Bourque’s mind, a top-ten finish. Luckily, Bourque won’t head to the road course empty handed. Earlier this season, he competed in three CASCAR (recently purchased from NASCAR) events with two 12th-place finishes to show for his efforts.

Now, Bourque is looking for that extra push that will give him a top-ten this Saturday. “I’m looking forward to Lime Rock,” said Bourque, who has spent the 2006 racing season competing in three different racing sanctions. “Road Racing is tough, but fun. It demands so much, but I enjoy the challenge. I had some good runs in the CASCAR series earlier this year, so I’m looking for that momentum to follow into this weekend.”

Thankfully, Bourque won’t arrive at the track in the dark, as he spent Tuesday testing at Lime Rock Speedway with Fast Track Racing. A bright sunny day awarded the team’s on-hand an afternoon of solid testing.

“The track is fast,” said Bourque afterwards, “and the driving will be furious during the race. We ran laps in the 58-second bracket and we’re happy with our time, given we’d never been to the track before, so we have a benchmark and something to improve on later this week.”

“The seat time today was incredibly valuable. We’re going to be in the hunt this weekend, it’s going to be a great race!” Driving.Ca, (http://www.driving.ca) Canada’s No. 1 Automotive website continues as primary sponsor this weekend.

In addition, Canada.com (http://canada.com) Canada's biggest online community, Working.com, (http://www.working.com) one of North America's top career sites, and_Dose.Ca, (http://www.dose.ca) a cool site that caters to hip Canadian urbanites coast-to-coast, will all serve as secondary sponsors on Bourque’s machine this weekend.

All four sponsors are part of Canwest-Global, Canada's largest media company with interests in television, radio, newspapers and the internet.

Full Metals Minerals and Pollara Strategic Public Opinion remain as associate sponsors for this weekend’s season finale.

“It’s been great to have the sponsorship package we’ve had this season,” mentioned Bourque, who will run a limited schedule in the NASCAR BUSCH SERIES next year.

“I think we’ve given the fans a lot of input about our sponsors and I think our sponsors have received some great exposure this season. We’re all looking for a powerful finish to officially close out my NBES season.”

Before heading to the Lime Rock test, Bourque spent Monday tackling the 2.666-mile Superspeedway of Talladega preparing for his restrictor plate debut next week in the ARCA RE/MAX Series.

Bourque maneuvered a lap of 51.300 seconds at 186.667 mph good enough for 12th on the speed charts.

“We had a great test,” Bourque added. “The car was awesome and we were fast and competitive. I’m really upbeat about next week’s race and I think we have a good chance of really making some noise in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, I can’t wait!”

In addition to running the full NASCAR Busch East Series in 2006, Pierre Bourque and Fast Track Racing are making limited starts in the ARCA RE/MAX Series.

Bourque also made three CASCAR Series races with Wyoming, Ontario's Whitlock Motorsports.

For further insight on Canwest-Global and its associates please log onto Driving.Ca (http://www.driving.ca), Canada.com, (http://canada.com) Working.com, (http://www.working.com) and Dose.Ca http://www.dose.ca)

For more information on Full Metals Minerals, please visit http://www.fullmetalminerals.com For additional input on Pollara Strategic Public Opinion, please logon to http://www.pollara.ca To learn more about Pierre Bourque please click onto http://www.pierrebourque.com

By Chris Knight, Bourque Racing

Advertiser Spotlight: Deman Motorsport

Deman Motorsport

STICKY POST: This will be the top post until Wednesday, Sept. 27. Check below for current news.

Russian Attack: Tuner Twists 6 Series Into Classic Volga

MOSCOW — When one thinks of road-racing superstars, the Soviet-era Volga probably does not come to mind. Nevertheless, in weekend racing on the streets of Moscow, Russian tuning company A:Level turned out a BMW 6 Series convertible reclothed to look like an old Volga.

One dead giveaway that the car was something, well, better than it appeared is that there never was a production open-top Volga.
A:Level's custom car resembles the 1960s Volga bestseller M21, which was exported outside Soviet territory to Western European countries including Belgium and France.
A:Level was inspired by a wave of nostalgia when it applied the design cues of the old sedan to a BMW 6 Series convertible. The German luxury car's 368-horsepower 4.6-liter V8 engine and interior were left unchanged.

The A:Level team published a series of photos depicting the project that you can see on the cardesign.ru forum.
The car made its public debut over the weekend at the Formula Don-Stroy race, an event for "two-door sports cars with power not less than 300 hp and acceleration to 62 mph in not more than 5 seconds."
The Volga-look BMW convertible appeared among a slew of Lamborghinis, Ferraris and other much more serious hardware and caused a stir there.

The people behind A:Level created an earlier Volga look-alike a few years ago, from a BMW 850i coupe. More recently, the company exhibited an ultra-luxury sports car, under the resurrected Russo-Baltique brand name.

© Source: original article on insideline

Mercedes Promises Legal Diesels for SUVs in 2008

MONTVALE, New Jersey — Mercedes-Benz said it will offer diesel-powered editions of its sport-utility triplets — the M-, R- and GL-Class vehicles — in calendar-year 2008 that will meet the EPA's stringent new Bin5 emissions standards in all 50 states.

All three vehicles have been introduced over the past year, and all three are assembled in Alabama.

The SUVs will be equipped with the automaker's new Bluetec clean-diesel technology. One of the processes that Mercedes will introduce is a urea-injection system that it says will help reduce nitrogen-oxide emissions by up to 80 percent.

This fall, Mercedes will launch the E320 Bluetec sedan, fitted with a Bluetec 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel, which it says is the only diesel in the U.S. market certified to meet the EPA's Bin8 standards.

© Source: original article on insideline

New Wrangler set for Paris debut

As US car makers try ever harder to understand European tastes and build vehicles to suit us limeys and surrender monkeys, it's good to see Jeep is keeping faith with Uncle Sam.

Slap bang in the middle of cheese-eating territory, Jeep is launching its new Wrangler at the Paris motor show later this week (read our Paris preview).

The Wrangler will be on display in traditional two-door form and new four-door, long-wheelbase Unlimited guise.

One concession Jeep has made to Europe is a new diesel engine for the Wrangler. The 2.8-litre turbodiesel unit is said to be ideally suited for off-road work, but those who like hanging around petrol stations can still opt for the 3.8-litre petrol version.

Yes, we know it's about as subtle as Tarzan on heat, and as American as drive-by shootings, but we still like it. Pass me my Stetson, maw, I'm off to hunt me some hobos.

© Source: original article on topgear

Cayden Lapcevich: Another win at Oswego

After missing several races due to his commitments on a CASCAR Super Series crew, Cayden Lapcevich returned to the Oswego Quarter Midget Club September 24 to pick up where he left off a month earlier.

Lapcevich lined up in the 5th position to take the green for the Jr. Honda class heat but would take the lead before the completion of the second lap and pull away from the field in the 15 lap race that was slowed twice for cars spinning. Cayden maintained his posture through the caution periods and drove off for the heat victory.

The 25 lap A- Main event would play out much like the heat. Lapcevich powered to the front of the pack and pulled away from the field in dominant fashion. The caution flew on lap 22 for an incident on the front straight diminishing the Caistor Central School second graders straightaway lead. After a lengthy clean-up, Lapcevich held off second place runner Kyle Perry to take the win; his third feature win in his last four starts.

This weekend Cayden will travel to the Miami Valley Quarter Midget club near Cincinati, Ohio on Saturday and the Michigan Midget club on Sunday in Waterford, Michigan.

Cayden is supported by Dansway Transport, B&J Electric, Desert Refined Products Transport, Reinhart Trailers, Fastline Motorsports, Joel Robinson, and family in his racing endeavours.

From proud papa Jeff Lapcevich....

Quebec to host IRL and Champ Car races in 2007?

A story on Autosport, quoting the Toronto Sun, says that the IRL could be the Sunday (Aug. 5) show at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The Busch race will be on Saturday, Aug. 4 so that the Cup ringers can get back to Pocono for their own race, leaving open the potential for a big race on the Sunday.

But don't cry for Champ Car, as they're set to announce a race, next July 1, at Mt. Tremblant. The Canada Day race (in Quebec!) will precede by one week the street-course Grand Prix of Toronto, which will be followed on July 22 by the third annual airport race in Edmonton.

In the Canada.com Champ Car story above, it also included the information that NASCAR's Busch Series announcement - which was planned for today in Montreal - has been put off.

"In fact, Legault and a number of NASCAR heavyweights and at least one driver were tentatively scheduled to hold a downtown news conference this afternoon to formally announce the arrival of the Busch Series stock cars. But that media event was postponed Monday for perhaps a week, even though NASCAR last Friday published a 2007 Busch schedule with an Aug. 4 Montreal date."

Hmmmm. What would make NASCAR cancel/delay its announcement? The mind races.

You don't think that Legault spooked NASCAR by springing this 'IRL on Sunday' thing on them at the last minute, do you? If that's the case - and it's just speculation - I wouldn't imagine that NASCAR would appreciate having its Canadian touring series debut positioned as a 'support class'.

Or maybe they just couldn't get the flights....

I guess we'll find out.

Video: Stock Car Brawl

Some guys punch. Some guys roll around. Others whip their helmets, gloves and head restraints.

But if you want to make CNN, you have to come up with something really creative.

And that's exactly what this stock car racer at Toledo did when he 'went Jackie Chan' on the gentleman he had a disagreement with, earning a 10.0 from the Canadian judge. Click here to see the video.

The story is here.

2007 Rinspeed Imola based on Porsche Cayman

(from Rinspeed Press Release) The Swiss Porsche tuner Rinspeed transforms the Porsche Cayman also optically in an more bitingly reptile. The effect-orange color paint exclusively mixed by the German paint manufacturer Lesonal lets the ducked reptile appear to be even more aggressive and dynamic.

The already outstanding road performance is joined by a sophisticated aerodynamic package which doesn't leave any wish unfulfilled. Rinspeed has modified the Cayman characteristics with a low front skirt which takes design clues from the Indy look which was introduces for the 997 model series.
The big carbon air intakes with the integrated parking lights remind of the current 997 Turbo model. New side skirts let the power house from Stuttgart appear lowered and sleeker. The complete rear skirt features a carbon difusor insert.
Special attention was given to the exchangeable rear skirt inserts which allow either center or a dual exhaust systems. Headers, metal catalytic converters and stainless steel exhaust systems round up the exciting program.

The contact to the road is taken care by the well established five spoke aluminum wheels C5/1 in the format of 8.5 x 20" with tires of the dimension 235/30-20 at the front axle and 11 x 20" with tires 305/25-20 at the rear. The suspension is lowered by 25mm by an especially laid out and engineered suspension kit which is adapted to the serial PASM system. Four way adjustable coil over suspension kits are also available.

The interior is enhanced by a sporty steering wheel in F1 look, aluminum shift knob, aluminum pedals sets, emergency brake lever as well as velour floor mats.

© Source: original article on seriouswheels.com

Pink Smart strikes a pose

Buy a Smart, pull the ladies. Not the first thing we'd have thought of when marketing a Smart ForTwo.

The visionary thought behind this picture is London Fashion Week, so we suppose the real message is that the Smart is an essential fashion accessory for the clinically skinny.

Anyway, can you pull in a pink Smart ?

© Source: original article on topgear

Aston is 'UK's coolest brand'

Ah well, it was nice while it lasted.

For a fleeting moment there, Aston Martin was the most desirable sports car manufacturer in the universe. We knew, you knew, anyone who loves cars knew, but we all kept schtum for fear of it being hijacked by trend-spotters wearing jeans that sit too low on their waists.

Well, it's happened, and you can tell this lot take it way too seriously when they call themselves the CoolBrands Council. Announced at their CoolLive - obviously doing away with the spaces between words is cool - Aston Martin was named the UK's coolest brand.

So, it's all over for Aston.

Maybe Ford had advance knowledge of this award and decided to put Aston up for sale before the judges of CoolBrands shattered its credibility.

We can only hope that the new James Bond flick will help redress the balance and dignity of Aston.

© Source: original article on topgear

2007 Lincoln MKX Marked at $35,000

DEARBORN, Mich. — Lincoln has announced that its front-wheel-drive 2007 MKX crossover will carry a starting price of $34,795, including a $675 destination charge, when it makes its debut in November. The all-wheel-drive MKX starts at $36,445.

The MKX is considerably cheaper than such Japanese competitors as the redesigned 2007 Acura MDX, which has a starting price of $40,665, including a $670 destination charge.

The MKX is equipped with a 265-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 linked to a six-speed automatic transmission. Standard features include 18-inch aluminum wheels, eight-way power front seats, dual climate control, antilock brakes and side curtain airbags.

Options on the MKX include adaptive headlights, heated and cooled front seats, a power liftgate, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system and Sirius Satellite Radio.

© Source: original article on insideline