Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Seventh Annual Dale Earnhardt Day Set for April 29th
Dale Earnhardt Inc. will host the seventh annual Dale Earnhardt Day at its corporate headquarters in Mooresville, N.C. on Tuesday, April 29th.
Monday, June 11, 2012
34 down, 2 more to go
That’s right the 2008 season is winding down. �With only two races left, it’s Jimmie’s championship to lose. �Carl did cut down some of Jimmie’s lead in Texas, but Jimmie and Chad have been here before. �I have to admit since Talladega I haven’t been all that excited about the racing. �I guess it’s because [...]
Dave Zackary?s Cadillac Eldorado Funny Car
Dave Zackary's experiment with a steel body, flip-top Cadillac funny car was great match-race draw, but ended in tragedy.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Wayne Gapp and the Super Cat Ultra-Stock Cougar
When nearly all his contemporaries were embracing nitro and superchargers, Wayne Gapp bucked the system with a new, gasoline Cougar funny car he called The Super Cat.
Why Do The PCM Die?
The PCM is a car computer elected to organize and control the engine control system of a vehicle. The module contains electronics resided in a circuit board which had many layers. The work of PCM is to keep an eye on air/fuel mixture and to fine-tune it accordingly. PCM also employs the catalytic convertor to [...]
Saturday, June 9, 2012
CoTA Construction Progress, Detailed Numbers
Here’s the latest progress report form Circuit of The Americas, with solid, detailed numbers & facts (our thanks to AutoWeek.com): Construction is ongoing at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.� Several upgrades are being made, and the project is expected to be finished in the fall. Here are a few of the updates [...]
34 down, 2 more to go
That’s right the 2008 season is winding down. �With only two races left, it’s Jimmie’s championship to lose. �Carl did cut down some of Jimmie’s lead in Texas, but Jimmie and Chad have been here before. �I have to admit since Talladega I haven’t been all that excited about the racing. �I guess it’s because [...]
Friday, June 8, 2012
Shameless Begging: Help Us Reach 100,000 Likes on Facebook
We’re so close! Not that our self esteem depends on the approval of others or anything (Note: Totally does, be nice to us) but we noticed this week that our Facebook likes are up to 97,526, awfully close to 100,000 which is a better number because it’s bigger and easier to remember. Can [...]
KICKER Stop of HOT ROD Magazine Power Tour Moving to Oklahoma State University.
Due to heavy rain and wet grounds, the KICKER stop on the HOT ROD Magazine Power Tour will be re-routed to a parking lot on the northwest end of the Oklahoma State University campus. The paved lot is located on West Hall of Fame Avenue, directly west of the OSU Droke Track and Field Center, [...]
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Dave Zackary?s Cadillac Eldorado Funny Car
Dave Zackary's experiment with a steel body, flip-top Cadillac funny car was great match-race draw, but ended in tragedy.
Kurt Busch Is In The 51 For A Reason
There was a post yesterday over at SB Nation, written by Jordan Bianchi, that was titled “If I Were A NASCAR Owner, I’d Hire Kurt Busch.” In it, Bianchi makes a case for why a big time owner should hire Kurt Busch, despite his very recent and past problems. His main point is that Busch [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Pastrana To Debut With RAB Racing?
When Travis Pastrana, who was in attendance at Texas Motor Speedway, makes his NASCAR debut next weekend at Richmond International Raceway, it may be in a car associated with RAB Racing. Pastrana’s Pastrana 199 Racing has an alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing, but the team hasn’t run it’s #99 Nationwide car since last season and [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Replacing Powertrain Control Module
Many different works and functions of a vehicle are performed by ?the power train control module?. Information is acknowledged by the module from different engine sensors and then module calculates the fuel flow rate necessary for protection of right quantity of air or fuel ratio during operational range. PCM, on the basis of information received [...]
CoTA Construction Progress, Detailed Numbers
Here’s the latest progress report form Circuit of The Americas, with solid, detailed numbers & facts (our thanks to AutoWeek.com): Construction is ongoing at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.� Several upgrades are being made, and the project is expected to be finished in the fall. Here are a few of the updates [...]
Brad Sweet and Danica Patrick Crash ? 2012 5 hour Energy 200
thanks to nascar.com #7 Danica Patrick #38 Brad Sweet Technorati Tags: 2012, Brad, crash, Danica, Danica Patrick, Energy, Hour, nascar, Patrick, sweet
Monday, June 4, 2012
How Voltage Regulator Works In Vehicle
Today too modern charging system is just as same as it was 40 years ago. It has same features of alternators, regulators, and the interconnecting wiring. Aim of this charging system is to manage the charge in battery of vehicle and to supply the electrical energy with main source so that engine can get started [...]
Power Tour Chassis Dyno session: Sunday at Muskegon
The Lucas Oil/E3 Spark Plugs-sponsored mobile dyno has been a popular attraction at Power Tour. The guys from Dyno Tune Performance have run more hot rods on the rollers than we’ve ever seen at a mobile dyno event and a few have put up some huge numbers. Our favorite test subject to watch though was [...]
Mr.Goodin
Formula D driver Patrick Goodin and his LS1 powered s13 will be competing in this year’s Formula D series.
Check out Patrick Goodin on facebook and like his page!�https://www.facebook.com/PatrickGoodin and dont forget to check out www.enjukuracing.com.
Big thanks to v2lab for the great feature and make sure to check them out! v2lab
Check out Patrick Goodin on facebook and like his page!�https://www.facebook.com/PatrickGoodin and dont forget to check out www.enjukuracing.com.
Big thanks to v2lab for the great feature and make sure to check them out! v2lab
Mr.Goodin
Formula D driver Patrick Goodin and his LS1 powered s13 will be competing in this year’s Formula D series.
Check out Patrick Goodin on facebook and like his page!�https://www.facebook.com/PatrickGoodin and dont forget to check out www.enjukuracing.com.
Big thanks to v2lab for the great feature and make sure to check them out! v2lab
Check out Patrick Goodin on facebook and like his page!�https://www.facebook.com/PatrickGoodin and dont forget to check out www.enjukuracing.com.
Big thanks to v2lab for the great feature and make sure to check them out! v2lab
Sunday, June 3, 2012
A Brief About ECU
The electrical system is collection of different subsystems that help you automobile run more smoothly and efficiently. This system is also controlled by excellent device in your automobile, which also takes care of other systems in automobiles, known as engine control unit, or ECU. An ECU is a device that finds out amount of fuel, [...]
Saturday, June 2, 2012
From Racedriven ? Win a $25 BP Gas card photography Contest.
I?m sure most of us have seen the every changing gas prices daily over the past several months including hitting $4 for a gallon for gasoline at one point this year, so thanks to M80 on behalf of BP, I am running an automotive photography contest with each winner receiving one $25 BP Gift Cards. [...]
Friday, June 1, 2012
NASCAR?s 2008 ?Regular Season? Ends
Cross posted from Rev’ Jim’s RantsnRaves: NASCAR’s regular season for 2008 ended with a great shootout between two of the best drivers in the sport. The entire season had its share of similar exciting moments, as well as some huge disappointments. Dodge started out on a high note, with the Penske and Gillett-Evernham teams making [...]
You Too Can Be Fast And Fabulous!
Hey race fans- just wanted to let you know that you can win a $25.00 BP gas card from TheFastandTheFabulous.com. Just fill out the form located here. And while you are there poke around- it’s a great racing blog!
Thursday, May 31, 2012
1st F1 Race Watch Party in San Antonio!
San Antonio Formula 1 race fans – finally, this is what we’ve been waiting for!� This coming Sunday (March 18th, 2012) will be the first F1 race watch party in San Antonio.� It was a challenge to find a sports bar location that already had DVR capability & watcher friendly TV screens with good audio [...]
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
The Buckpasser: B/G Willys Coupe
The Buckpasser Willys coupe was campaigned by Tinney and Tignanelli and competed in the B/Gas Coupe and Sedan class
Monday, May 28, 2012
Richard Petty's 50th Anniversary Celebration
Hard to believe it's been 50 years since Richard Petty made his first start racing in NASCAR, in what was then the Grand National division (later to become Winston Cup)...
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Pastrana To Debut With RAB Racing?
When Travis Pastrana, who was in attendance at Texas Motor Speedway, makes his NASCAR debut next weekend at Richmond International Raceway, it may be in a car associated with RAB Racing. Pastrana’s Pastrana 199 Racing has an alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing, but the team hasn’t run it’s #99 Nationwide car since last season and [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Martinsville Qualifying Rained Out
Sorry if I havn’t been on here in a while, I’ve been a bust little kitten! Martinsville qualifying got rained out last Friday, so everyone at this point knows the drill after all that mess goes down. The starting grid goes in order by points. Surprise, surprise! Why don? we just serve Jimmie Johnson his [...]
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Understanding About Charging And Discharging of Car Batteries
There are two standards set for the measurement of the power of the car battery. The more popular of these two is the cold cranking power. This standard is very well known for measuring the amount of current which is being delivered by a battery in 30 seconds time in certain conditions. These conditions include: [...]
Friday, May 25, 2012
Mr.Goodin
Formula D driver Patrick Goodin and his LS1 powered s13 will be competing in this year’s Formula D series.
Check out Patrick Goodin on facebook and like his page!�https://www.facebook.com/PatrickGoodin and dont forget to check out www.enjukuracing.com.
Big thanks to v2lab for the great feature and make sure to check them out! v2lab
Check out Patrick Goodin on facebook and like his page!�https://www.facebook.com/PatrickGoodin and dont forget to check out www.enjukuracing.com.
Big thanks to v2lab for the great feature and make sure to check them out! v2lab
Rolex Series on the rise, Austin F1 race sinking fast.
On Tuesday I watched, with great interest and enthusiasm, the Grand-Am press conference introducing the new Corvette-ish bodywork for all the 2012 Chevy-Powered Daytona Prototypes in the Rolex Series.
I take back every doubt or slam ever uttered about sports car racing owned and operated by NASCAR. This car looks great. The manufacturer ?specific visual concept is going to work, just like it does in Cup, NNS and trucks to built interest and expand the fan base. I can?t wait to see what Ford reveals to clearly reference ? what? The Mustang? The Focus? (Naaah.) The Fusion? What will Ganassi or BMW come up with for their cars? Are there any Porsche-powered cars left now that Action has become a bow tie team?
That was Tuesday. It was the best of times.
On Wednesday I felt like the Dickens when I scanned the latest F1 headlines on SPEED: Ecclestone ? Austin Race Set To Be Called Off and US GP Now In Doubt, (Texas State Comptroller) Combs Letter Promised Advanced Payment for Austin Race.
For F1 fans, this is the worst of times.
I?ve been worried about the Austin F1 race at the new Circuit of the Americas ever since it was announced because I didn?t believe Uncle Sam?s international reputation, to say nothing of what we see when we look in the mirror, couldn?t take another hit after the USF1 Team fiasco.
Yet here we are again.
As I understand this, Tevo Helmund negotiated the deal as the race promoter which involved a money group headed by billionaire Rex McComb to help develop the property . The whole project was based on a $25 million dollar per year commitment from the Lone Star state, with the first payment promised by July 31 of this year.
The check didn?t arrive, payment deadlines were missed, the race date was bumped four months and suddenly there were reports of rancor between Helmund and the developers even as construction of the very expensive but clearly first class Herman Tilke ?designed track and facility complex had begun.
This threesome gone bad apparently still has a couple of weeks to get their act together before F1 officially toe tags the race. I don?t know what kind of arrangement misunderstandings have caused the rift between the promoter and the track developers but I?ll bet the fact that the $25 million, which was promised in writing, is now being withheld until after next year's hanging-by-a-thread race has a lot to do with it.
The race contract between Helmund?s Full Throttle Productions and Formula 1 has been cancelled and the track wants to renegotiate with Ecclestone, good luck with that, rather than accept a simple transfer of the agreement.
You?d think their existing investment in the new Circuit of the Americas track would be so great they really have no choice other than to make this work.
But I don't have a lot of optimism. So I will look forward to the first Grand-Am test session featuring the new DPs in January and the 50th running of the Rolex 24 a few weeks later and just wait and see what happens with the Austin deal.
Wait. And hope.
I take back every doubt or slam ever uttered about sports car racing owned and operated by NASCAR. This car looks great. The manufacturer ?specific visual concept is going to work, just like it does in Cup, NNS and trucks to built interest and expand the fan base. I can?t wait to see what Ford reveals to clearly reference ? what? The Mustang? The Focus? (Naaah.) The Fusion? What will Ganassi or BMW come up with for their cars? Are there any Porsche-powered cars left now that Action has become a bow tie team?
That was Tuesday. It was the best of times.
On Wednesday I felt like the Dickens when I scanned the latest F1 headlines on SPEED: Ecclestone ? Austin Race Set To Be Called Off and US GP Now In Doubt, (Texas State Comptroller) Combs Letter Promised Advanced Payment for Austin Race.
For F1 fans, this is the worst of times.
I?ve been worried about the Austin F1 race at the new Circuit of the Americas ever since it was announced because I didn?t believe Uncle Sam?s international reputation, to say nothing of what we see when we look in the mirror, couldn?t take another hit after the USF1 Team fiasco.
Yet here we are again.
As I understand this, Tevo Helmund negotiated the deal as the race promoter which involved a money group headed by billionaire Rex McComb to help develop the property . The whole project was based on a $25 million dollar per year commitment from the Lone Star state, with the first payment promised by July 31 of this year.
The check didn?t arrive, payment deadlines were missed, the race date was bumped four months and suddenly there were reports of rancor between Helmund and the developers even as construction of the very expensive but clearly first class Herman Tilke ?designed track and facility complex had begun.
This threesome gone bad apparently still has a couple of weeks to get their act together before F1 officially toe tags the race. I don?t know what kind of arrangement misunderstandings have caused the rift between the promoter and the track developers but I?ll bet the fact that the $25 million, which was promised in writing, is now being withheld until after next year's hanging-by-a-thread race has a lot to do with it.
The race contract between Helmund?s Full Throttle Productions and Formula 1 has been cancelled and the track wants to renegotiate with Ecclestone, good luck with that, rather than accept a simple transfer of the agreement.
You?d think their existing investment in the new Circuit of the Americas track would be so great they really have no choice other than to make this work.
But I don't have a lot of optimism. So I will look forward to the first Grand-Am test session featuring the new DPs in January and the 50th running of the Rolex 24 a few weeks later and just wait and see what happens with the Austin deal.
Wait. And hope.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Martinsville Qualifying Rained Out
Sorry if I havn’t been on here in a while, I’ve been a bust little kitten! Martinsville qualifying got rained out last Friday, so everyone at this point knows the drill after all that mess goes down. The starting grid goes in order by points. Surprise, surprise! Why don? we just serve Jimmie Johnson his [...]
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
A brilliant start, with more to come for Summit Rally Team
Story by Peter Whitten Australia?s Summit Rally Team had almost the perfect start to their Rally America campaign this month, with Will Orders finishing fourth outright and first in the two-wheel drive category of the Oregon Trail Rally. His team-mate, Ross Allan, had been third in the two-wheel drive class on the final day, only [...]
Own Kyle Petty's '06 Victory Bike and Ride Across the US
A special online auction give you the chance to own Kyle Petty's 2006 Victory motorcycle and join Kyle on the 2009 Ride Across America. But hurry, the auction runs July 15-25, 2008. All proceeds benefit two extremely...
Monday, May 21, 2012
This Week in the NASCAR Blogosphere
By the end of the race at Lowe’s Motorspeedway the Chase will be half over. When the heck did that happen? I don’t know. Last weekend’s race at Talladega provided Tony Stewart with his first win of the season, his first win there in a sprint cup car and ended his 43 race winless streak. [...]
Dave Friedman Collection of Auto Racing Photos Now Available on Flckr
By Brian Wilson, Benson Ford Reseach Center, The Henry Ford
In 2009, The Henry Ford acquired the collection of well-known photographer Dave Friedman. The collection documents over 60 years of automobile races and racecars across a wide variety of race types including Formula 1, Sports cars, Trans-Am, Can-Am and stock cars.
Now, over 10,000 images from the collection are available for viewing on Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thehenryford/collections/72157628488413505/
So far we have posted images from races at iconic tracks like Laguna Seca, Riverside, Sebring, Watkins Glen, Indianapolis and Bridgehampton. We also have some of the early races at Pomona, Nassau, and even Dodger Stadium.
All the cars that defined international automobile racing are here too: Cobra, Lola, Ferrari, Porsche, Corvette, McLaren, Ford GT, Mustang and more.
Be sure to visit the site and then check back often as we add more images from this great collection.
Courtesy of the Benson Ford Research Center, The Henry Ford
In 2009, The Henry Ford acquired the collection of well-known photographer Dave Friedman. The collection documents over 60 years of automobile races and racecars across a wide variety of race types including Formula 1, Sports cars, Trans-Am, Can-Am and stock cars.
Now, over 10,000 images from the collection are available for viewing on Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thehenryford/collections/72157628488413505/
So far we have posted images from races at iconic tracks like Laguna Seca, Riverside, Sebring, Watkins Glen, Indianapolis and Bridgehampton. We also have some of the early races at Pomona, Nassau, and even Dodger Stadium.
All the cars that defined international automobile racing are here too: Cobra, Lola, Ferrari, Porsche, Corvette, McLaren, Ford GT, Mustang and more.
Be sure to visit the site and then check back often as we add more images from this great collection.
Courtesy of the Benson Ford Research Center, The Henry Ford
The Physics of Carl?s Restart Penalty
A late race penalty on a restart for what some think was a questionable caution at Richmond set into motion circumstances that likely shifted the outcome of the race Saturday night. Once again, NASCAR’s restart rules claimed a victim – this time, Carl Edwards. Angry after the race, Edwards said NASCAR had repeatedly told his [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
New IndyCar Spec Chassis is Making Progress
by John Oreovicz
After some challenging early testing, the new Dallara DW12 Indy car chassis is finally showing signs of progress.
Through INDYCAR Series development and initial manufacturer testing last autumn with Chevrolet and Honda, the DW12 was considerably slower than expected on high-speed ovals, and reportedly very difficult to drive.
But a series of modifications, including lighter components and alternate suspension geometry designed to reduce the weight at the back of the car, have transformed Dallara?s first new Indy car design since 2003 into a basic platform that teams are confident they can whip into shape prior to the season opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 25.
The late Dan Wheldon handled the initial shakedown work for the car that would eventually be named after him. But other top Indy car drivers were far from impressed with the new machine in its initial oval configuration during manufacturer testing in October and November.
Under the direction of INDYCAR Vice-President of Technology Will Phillips, Dallara enacted a series of fixes, including the modified suspension along with altered rear view mirrors and rear wheel fairings introduced in an effort to cut drag.
In the most recent round of oval testing at Texas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway in California, drivers were much happier with the feel of the DW12.
Following his run at Fontana, Rahal tweeted: ?I?ve got good news for IndyCar fans out there, the car is good on an oval! We made huge improvements today, lots of fun in the end? Everything ran perfect ? Honda Racing did an awesome job, and I expect things to only get better!?
Meanwhile, after running an exploratory test at Texas along with Tony Kanaan and Alex Tagliani, Team Penske?s Ryan Briscoe was also pleased. ?Things felt really good,? he told SpeedTV.com. ?We tried the offset suspension configuration, and in terms of car balance, everything felt normal, which is sort of what we were looking for all along.?
The car is still not producing the expected speeds, though that could be because the engine manufacturers are not pushing the envelope. The deadline for submitting final specifications for engine homologation is February 24.
Although the Lotus engine did not hit the track until January (five months behind Honda and three months after Chevrolet), the powerplant has proven reliable so far in testing. Lotus is supplying BHA Barracuda (formerly Bryan Heta Autosport), Dragon Racing, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and HVM Racing.
Meanwhile Honda has expanded to supply twelve cars while Chevrolet could add more to its projected ten. Sarah Fisher Racing, Michael Shank Racing and Conquest Racing have still not secured an engine supply.
Phillips projects there will be 28 cars on the grid for the season opener and he is confident the DW12 will be race ready.
?We expect the car to achieve 225 mph at Indianapolis with a projected power of 550 horsepower,? said Phillips. ?With approximately 700 horsepower for road and street courses, we expect lap times 1-2 second quicker.?
That has been borne out so far in testing, where the drivers have been very positive about the DW12.
Rahal paced the latest round of road course testing at Barber Motorsports Park with a lap almost two seconds faster than Will Power?s 2011 pole time.
?The car is impressive,? Rahal said. ?It has a lot of grip and there?s still a long way to go.?
?You can feel everything is continually improving with the car and especially with the engine,? added defending Barber race winner Will Power. ?I still wish we had more power like the old Champ Car days, but it?s been good to work on the development of the engines and I?m very impressed with the job Chevrolet has done.?
Given the troublesome early development of the DW12 in speedway applications, the IndyCar Series is perhaps fortunate that the 2012 schedule features only five ovals. An open test at Texas on March is the last opportunity the series will have to tweak the basic oval specification prior to the month of May at Indianapolis.
The Dallara DW12 generated a lot of grumbling about its appearance, and even though it is now appearing in painted liveries rather than carbon black, the design still polarizes Indy car fans. But the positive reaction the car is now generating from drivers is nothing but good news for the season ahead.
John Oreovicz is a veteran motorsport writer and columnist whose work appears in various places, including ESPN.com.
After some challenging early testing, the new Dallara DW12 Indy car chassis is finally showing signs of progress.
Through INDYCAR Series development and initial manufacturer testing last autumn with Chevrolet and Honda, the DW12 was considerably slower than expected on high-speed ovals, and reportedly very difficult to drive.
But a series of modifications, including lighter components and alternate suspension geometry designed to reduce the weight at the back of the car, have transformed Dallara?s first new Indy car design since 2003 into a basic platform that teams are confident they can whip into shape prior to the season opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 25.
The late Dan Wheldon handled the initial shakedown work for the car that would eventually be named after him. But other top Indy car drivers were far from impressed with the new machine in its initial oval configuration during manufacturer testing in October and November.
Under the direction of INDYCAR Vice-President of Technology Will Phillips, Dallara enacted a series of fixes, including the modified suspension along with altered rear view mirrors and rear wheel fairings introduced in an effort to cut drag.
In the most recent round of oval testing at Texas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway in California, drivers were much happier with the feel of the DW12.
Following his run at Fontana, Rahal tweeted: ?I?ve got good news for IndyCar fans out there, the car is good on an oval! We made huge improvements today, lots of fun in the end? Everything ran perfect ? Honda Racing did an awesome job, and I expect things to only get better!?
Meanwhile, after running an exploratory test at Texas along with Tony Kanaan and Alex Tagliani, Team Penske?s Ryan Briscoe was also pleased. ?Things felt really good,? he told SpeedTV.com. ?We tried the offset suspension configuration, and in terms of car balance, everything felt normal, which is sort of what we were looking for all along.?
The car is still not producing the expected speeds, though that could be because the engine manufacturers are not pushing the envelope. The deadline for submitting final specifications for engine homologation is February 24.
Although the Lotus engine did not hit the track until January (five months behind Honda and three months after Chevrolet), the powerplant has proven reliable so far in testing. Lotus is supplying BHA Barracuda (formerly Bryan Heta Autosport), Dragon Racing, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and HVM Racing.
Meanwhile Honda has expanded to supply twelve cars while Chevrolet could add more to its projected ten. Sarah Fisher Racing, Michael Shank Racing and Conquest Racing have still not secured an engine supply.
Phillips projects there will be 28 cars on the grid for the season opener and he is confident the DW12 will be race ready.
?We expect the car to achieve 225 mph at Indianapolis with a projected power of 550 horsepower,? said Phillips. ?With approximately 700 horsepower for road and street courses, we expect lap times 1-2 second quicker.?
That has been borne out so far in testing, where the drivers have been very positive about the DW12.
Rahal paced the latest round of road course testing at Barber Motorsports Park with a lap almost two seconds faster than Will Power?s 2011 pole time.
?The car is impressive,? Rahal said. ?It has a lot of grip and there?s still a long way to go.?
?You can feel everything is continually improving with the car and especially with the engine,? added defending Barber race winner Will Power. ?I still wish we had more power like the old Champ Car days, but it?s been good to work on the development of the engines and I?m very impressed with the job Chevrolet has done.?
Given the troublesome early development of the DW12 in speedway applications, the IndyCar Series is perhaps fortunate that the 2012 schedule features only five ovals. An open test at Texas on March is the last opportunity the series will have to tweak the basic oval specification prior to the month of May at Indianapolis.
The Dallara DW12 generated a lot of grumbling about its appearance, and even though it is now appearing in painted liveries rather than carbon black, the design still polarizes Indy car fans. But the positive reaction the car is now generating from drivers is nothing but good news for the season ahead.
John Oreovicz is a veteran motorsport writer and columnist whose work appears in various places, including ESPN.com.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
34 down, 2 more to go
That’s right the 2008 season is winding down. �With only two races left, it’s Jimmie’s championship to lose. �Carl did cut down some of Jimmie’s lead in Texas, but Jimmie and Chad have been here before. �I have to admit since Talladega I haven’t been all that excited about the racing. �I guess it’s because [...]
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Does Danica Patrick really have NO Talent?!?!?!?
Ok… This is for all the stupid ignorant haters out there that are hating on Danica. You think NASCAR lets her race because of her looks. You call her overrated and you say she has NO Talent! Well you lonely fucking TROLLS are wrong! This is an debatable video on why you think Danica Patrick [...]
Ford Armada Invades Daytona
I happen to be a Ford guy, simply because the first car I remember was the old blue Ford my dad bought brand spankin' new in Memphis, TN to move our family out to Phoenix, AZ in the summer of 1956. It was a six-cylinder, impossible to stop tank that doubled as a solar-powered, all-metal, mobile convection oven from May through September.
That was one great car.
My interest in racing started about the time Jimmy Clark and his Lotus Fords were changing the face of Indy car racing and when Don Prudhomme, Connie Kalitta and Sneaky Pete Robinson were running SOHC Ford top fuel dragsters; when Carroll Shelby created his Cobras and when Mario won the Daytona 500 and when Dan Gurney showed everyone the real way to celebrate with champagne.
We had a Ford. Fords were winning races. So I became a Ford racing fan.
Today, almost fifty years later I remain a staunch supporter of Ford Motor Company and I certainly follow Ford's racing endeavors with great interest.
Like this Saturday's 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 at Daytona, where Big Blue will be competing in all four Grand-Am Road Racing Series divisons.
I'm both hoping and expecting the Roush-Yates Ford-powered Daytona Prototypes do well, and not just because I started a bunch in my fantasy league. Yes, I'd like to see bodywork that says Mustang or Fusion or Focus the way the new Corvette sheetmetal screams Chevrolet's performance brand but I'll take a win anyway, from either the Doran, Krohn, Michael Shank or Starworks teams.
I like the fact that Rick Ware, former NASCAR stalwart who runs "The Biggest Little Team in Motorsports" has entered a Mustang in the Rolex GT class to compete against the best from BMW, Ferrari, GM, Porsche and Mazda. It may not contend for the win but it'll definitely get some press as the only Mustang in the field with Jeffrey Earnhadt, grandson of the Intimidator, as one of the drivers.
Ford Racing's best chance at an overall victory this weekend might be in the Continental Tire Series 200 on Friday, when more than a dozen Grand Sport Mustangs, either Boss 302Rs or GTs, will take the green flag for 200 miles of close-to-what-we-actually-drive racing action on Friday. After the first practice session two Roush Performance entries are at the top of the speed charts, one of them driven by Billy Johnson and Jack Roush Jr., last year's runnersup in the Grand Sport championship. I'm picking them too.
The ST class, which runs with the GS cars the same way the GT's race with the Daytona Prototypes in the Rolex Series, has a newcomer this year -- the Multimatic Motorsports Ford Focus ST-R driven by James Gue and Gunnar Jeannette. A win would definitely be an upset but how cool that the series finally has an American 'Street Tuner' entry to compete against the (so far) all dominant riceburners and European cars.
Ford is the only manufacturer that's entered in each class in both Daytona races this weekend.
I like that. I want them to do well. Just like I want the new Fusions and Mustangs to win in NASCAR; like I want a Mustang to win another Funny Car championship and a Wally for a Pro Stock Mustang. And I especially want to see John Force Racing's new Ford-powered Top Fuel car start making runs in competition. Almost as much as I want to see Ford back in IndyCar.
Like I said. I'm a Ford guy.
That was one great car.
My interest in racing started about the time Jimmy Clark and his Lotus Fords were changing the face of Indy car racing and when Don Prudhomme, Connie Kalitta and Sneaky Pete Robinson were running SOHC Ford top fuel dragsters; when Carroll Shelby created his Cobras and when Mario won the Daytona 500 and when Dan Gurney showed everyone the real way to celebrate with champagne.
We had a Ford. Fords were winning races. So I became a Ford racing fan.
Today, almost fifty years later I remain a staunch supporter of Ford Motor Company and I certainly follow Ford's racing endeavors with great interest.
Like this Saturday's 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 at Daytona, where Big Blue will be competing in all four Grand-Am Road Racing Series divisons.
I'm both hoping and expecting the Roush-Yates Ford-powered Daytona Prototypes do well, and not just because I started a bunch in my fantasy league. Yes, I'd like to see bodywork that says Mustang or Fusion or Focus the way the new Corvette sheetmetal screams Chevrolet's performance brand but I'll take a win anyway, from either the Doran, Krohn, Michael Shank or Starworks teams.
I like the fact that Rick Ware, former NASCAR stalwart who runs "The Biggest Little Team in Motorsports" has entered a Mustang in the Rolex GT class to compete against the best from BMW, Ferrari, GM, Porsche and Mazda. It may not contend for the win but it'll definitely get some press as the only Mustang in the field with Jeffrey Earnhadt, grandson of the Intimidator, as one of the drivers.
Ford Racing's best chance at an overall victory this weekend might be in the Continental Tire Series 200 on Friday, when more than a dozen Grand Sport Mustangs, either Boss 302Rs or GTs, will take the green flag for 200 miles of close-to-what-we-actually-drive racing action on Friday. After the first practice session two Roush Performance entries are at the top of the speed charts, one of them driven by Billy Johnson and Jack Roush Jr., last year's runnersup in the Grand Sport championship. I'm picking them too.
The ST class, which runs with the GS cars the same way the GT's race with the Daytona Prototypes in the Rolex Series, has a newcomer this year -- the Multimatic Motorsports Ford Focus ST-R driven by James Gue and Gunnar Jeannette. A win would definitely be an upset but how cool that the series finally has an American 'Street Tuner' entry to compete against the (so far) all dominant riceburners and European cars.
Ford is the only manufacturer that's entered in each class in both Daytona races this weekend.
I like that. I want them to do well. Just like I want the new Fusions and Mustangs to win in NASCAR; like I want a Mustang to win another Funny Car championship and a Wally for a Pro Stock Mustang. And I especially want to see John Force Racing's new Ford-powered Top Fuel car start making runs in competition. Almost as much as I want to see Ford back in IndyCar.
Like I said. I'm a Ford guy.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Nostalgia: The CKLW All-Time Top 300 from 1967
In 1967, CKLW Radio asked it's listeners to vote for their favorite all-time records, Here is the complete list of the top 300:
PMI and Roush Yates Form Alliance
Performance Motorsports Incorporated (PMI) and Roush Yates announced today a newly formed technical alliance that will focus on product development in national and international markets. The announcement was made during...
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Knowing About Car Batteries and The Fluid Level
There must be a daily refilling of water in car batteries because there is a specific amount of water loss, whenever there is an electrolysis process under every charging cycle. This water loss can be reduced by the regular change of the alloying element of calcium which is the main feature to reduce the water [...]
The Buckpasser: B/G Willys Coupe
The Buckpasser Willys coupe was campaigned by Tinney and Tignanelli and competed in the B/Gas Coupe and Sedan class
Serve from American Express Enters Global RallyCross Championship
David Binks to drive Best Buy Racing Ford Fiesta Mk7 MINNEAPOLIS, MN (May 15, 2012) ? American Express announced today that it will enter the Global RallyCross Championship through its Serve brand. Serve will be the primary partner of Best Buy Racing?s #17 Ford Fiesta Mk7 driven by Englishman David Binks. Serve is a reloadable [...]
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Miller to Unveil Revolutionary TIG Welder at 2008 SEMA Show
Get hands-on experience and expert demonstrations of MIG welding, TIG welding and plasma cutting. Test Miller TIG and MIG welders that make it easier to learn to weldperfect for enthusiast-level motorsports applications.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Newgarden jumps back atop Indy speed chart
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – American rookie Josef Newgarden is staying on top of Indianapolis’ speed charts. View full post on NBCSports.com: NASCAR / Motors Technorati Tags: atop, Back, chart, indy, jumps, Newgarden, speed
Goings on at Amy?s Bad Groove
Here are a couple of excerpts from Amy’s Bad Groove this week: In I Have Stupid (NASCAR) Questions, I laments over the fact that she has questions about NASCAR she is afraid to ask…for fear of looking stupid: Anyway I have been a NASCAR fan for years (as in since childhood)?and I have a couple [...]
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Mr.Goodin
Formula D driver Patrick Goodin and his LS1 powered s13 will be competing in this year’s Formula D series.
Check out Patrick Goodin on facebook and like his page!�https://www.facebook.com/PatrickGoodin and dont forget to check out www.enjukuracing.com.
Big thanks to v2lab for the great feature and make sure to check them out! v2lab
Check out Patrick Goodin on facebook and like his page!�https://www.facebook.com/PatrickGoodin and dont forget to check out www.enjukuracing.com.
Big thanks to v2lab for the great feature and make sure to check them out! v2lab
Blog Comment of the Year
This was a comment we received on the blog that announced that Drag Week 2012 registration was closed. We thought it deserved its own post: “What a crock! Pre-registration last year was much closer to the event. And now it?s cut off after a about a week nearly six months before the event? I didn?t [...]
Why Do The PCM Die?
The PCM is a car computer elected to organize and control the engine control system of a vehicle. The module contains electronics resided in a circuit board which had many layers. The work of PCM is to keep an eye on air/fuel mixture and to fine-tune it accordingly. PCM also employs the catalytic convertor to [...]
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Petty Holdings Announces Richard Petty's Driver Search
Training Camp & Competition Will Award Opportunity in ARCA Racing
Series and Marcos Ambrose and Randy LaJoie have joined the staff of
Richard Petty's Driver Search.
Series and Marcos Ambrose and Randy LaJoie have joined the staff of
Richard Petty's Driver Search.
SASCA 03/2012 Novice School & AutoX, by Eric
Once again, my contributing blogger Eric, has done a very nice job of autocross journalism.� Here he reports the trials & tribulations of SASCA‘s March 2012 Autocross Novice School & Event.� These both took place on the same weekend, March 3rd & 4th, 2012. (I apologize for the delay in getting this posted.� I had [...]
Friday, May 11, 2012
So Long SceneDaily and Rowdy
This week is a sad week for the sport. As has unfortunately become all too routine, we are forced to accept the prospect of decreasing quality NASCAR coverage and analysis. This time it’s the loss of the American City Business Journal owned SceneDaily.com and Rowdy.com. The end for Rowdy came earlier this month with a [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Richard Petty 50th Anniversary
This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of Richard Petty's first race, which occurred on July 12, 1958. In celebration of his half-century of involvement in NASCAR, here is a reproduction of a Petty Enterprises race report...
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Tony Stewart Misses Out Again
Once again Mother Nature conspired to keep Tony Stewart out of victory lane...
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
?13 RTR Mustang Renderings Just Released
Just released are the ’13 Ford RTR Mustang renderings, and they look killer. A dealer-installed package, the RTR Mustang is the brainchild of drifting champ Vaughn Gittin Jr., who started designing the RTR Mustangs in 2010. They include the RTR-C which you can currently buy and the ’69 RTR-X Fastback Mustang (Feb. 2012 HOT ROD [...]
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
This Weekends Race?
I just got this email through NASCAR.com Due to inclement weather from Tropical Storm Hanna, tomorrow?s Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway has been postponed until 1 p.m. Sunday. The Nationwide event will now be run at 7 p.m. Sunday.
How To Maintain The Starting And Charging System of Vehicle
Part of electrical system responsible for starting the vehicle is called the starting system. The system starts the vehicle in two steps. Firstly, you need to insert and then turn the key of vehicle in ignition switch to start the vehicle. Second step is taken when the action of turning key in ignition button closes [...]
The Physics of Carl?s Restart Penalty
A late race penalty on a restart for what some think was a questionable caution at Richmond set into motion circumstances that likely shifted the outcome of the race Saturday night. Once again, NASCAR’s restart rules claimed a victim – this time, Carl Edwards. Angry after the race, Edwards said NASCAR had repeatedly told his [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Monday, May 7, 2012
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Take A Peek About The Functions Performed By PCM
The system that monitors power train gears (engine, transmission, drive shafts, differentials, etc) and make the gears to work together in order to keep vehicle moving efficiently is called Power Train Control Module, abbreviated as PCM. If all gears are working properly then you improve the car to better shape but if any one gear [...]
SPEED Victory Lane: Trevor Bayne ? 2011 Daytona 500
20 year old Trevor Bayne, becomes the youngest NASCAR driver to win the Daytona 500 since it started 53 years ago. He won in only his 2nd start. Technorati Tags: 2011, Bayne, daytona, Lane, speed, Trevor, Victory
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Ford Armada Invades Daytona
I happen to be a Ford guy, simply because the first car I remember was the old blue Ford my dad bought brand spankin' new in Memphis, TN to move our family out to Phoenix, AZ in the summer of 1956. It was a six-cylinder, impossible to stop tank that doubled as a solar-powered, all-metal, mobile convection oven from May through September.
That was one great car.
My interest in racing started about the time Jimmy Clark and his Lotus Fords were changing the face of Indy car racing and when Don Prudhomme, Connie Kalitta and Sneaky Pete Robinson were running SOHC Ford top fuel dragsters; when Carroll Shelby created his Cobras and when Mario won the Daytona 500 and when Dan Gurney showed everyone the real way to celebrate with champagne.
We had a Ford. Fords were winning races. So I became a Ford racing fan.
Today, almost fifty years later I remain a staunch supporter of Ford Motor Company and I certainly follow Ford's racing endeavors with great interest.
Like this Saturday's 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 at Daytona, where Big Blue will be competing in all four Grand-Am Road Racing Series divisons.
I'm both hoping and expecting the Roush-Yates Ford-powered Daytona Prototypes do well, and not just because I started a bunch in my fantasy league. Yes, I'd like to see bodywork that says Mustang or Fusion or Focus the way the new Corvette sheetmetal screams Chevrolet's performance brand but I'll take a win anyway, from either the Doran, Krohn, Michael Shank or Starworks teams.
I like the fact that Rick Ware, former NASCAR stalwart who runs "The Biggest Little Team in Motorsports" has entered a Mustang in the Rolex GT class to compete against the best from BMW, Ferrari, GM, Porsche and Mazda. It may not contend for the win but it'll definitely get some press as the only Mustang in the field with Jeffrey Earnhadt, grandson of the Intimidator, as one of the drivers.
Ford Racing's best chance at an overall victory this weekend might be in the Continental Tire Series 200 on Friday, when more than a dozen Grand Sport Mustangs, either Boss 302Rs or GTs, will take the green flag for 200 miles of close-to-what-we-actually-drive racing action on Friday. After the first practice session two Roush Performance entries are at the top of the speed charts, one of them driven by Billy Johnson and Jack Roush Jr., last year's runnersup in the Grand Sport championship. I'm picking them too.
The ST class, which runs with the GS cars the same way the GT's race with the Daytona Prototypes in the Rolex Series, has a newcomer this year -- the Multimatic Motorsports Ford Focus ST-R driven by James Gue and Gunnar Jeannette. A win would definitely be an upset but how cool that the series finally has an American 'Street Tuner' entry to compete against the (so far) all dominant riceburners and European cars.
Ford is the only manufacturer that's entered in each class in both Daytona races this weekend.
I like that. I want them to do well. Just like I want the new Fusions and Mustangs to win in NASCAR; like I want a Mustang to win another Funny Car championship and a Wally for a Pro Stock Mustang. And I especially want to see John Force Racing's new Ford-powered Top Fuel car start making runs in competition. Almost as much as I want to see Ford back in IndyCar.
Like I said. I'm a Ford guy.
That was one great car.
My interest in racing started about the time Jimmy Clark and his Lotus Fords were changing the face of Indy car racing and when Don Prudhomme, Connie Kalitta and Sneaky Pete Robinson were running SOHC Ford top fuel dragsters; when Carroll Shelby created his Cobras and when Mario won the Daytona 500 and when Dan Gurney showed everyone the real way to celebrate with champagne.
We had a Ford. Fords were winning races. So I became a Ford racing fan.
Today, almost fifty years later I remain a staunch supporter of Ford Motor Company and I certainly follow Ford's racing endeavors with great interest.
Like this Saturday's 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 at Daytona, where Big Blue will be competing in all four Grand-Am Road Racing Series divisons.
I'm both hoping and expecting the Roush-Yates Ford-powered Daytona Prototypes do well, and not just because I started a bunch in my fantasy league. Yes, I'd like to see bodywork that says Mustang or Fusion or Focus the way the new Corvette sheetmetal screams Chevrolet's performance brand but I'll take a win anyway, from either the Doran, Krohn, Michael Shank or Starworks teams.
I like the fact that Rick Ware, former NASCAR stalwart who runs "The Biggest Little Team in Motorsports" has entered a Mustang in the Rolex GT class to compete against the best from BMW, Ferrari, GM, Porsche and Mazda. It may not contend for the win but it'll definitely get some press as the only Mustang in the field with Jeffrey Earnhadt, grandson of the Intimidator, as one of the drivers.
Ford Racing's best chance at an overall victory this weekend might be in the Continental Tire Series 200 on Friday, when more than a dozen Grand Sport Mustangs, either Boss 302Rs or GTs, will take the green flag for 200 miles of close-to-what-we-actually-drive racing action on Friday. After the first practice session two Roush Performance entries are at the top of the speed charts, one of them driven by Billy Johnson and Jack Roush Jr., last year's runnersup in the Grand Sport championship. I'm picking them too.
The ST class, which runs with the GS cars the same way the GT's race with the Daytona Prototypes in the Rolex Series, has a newcomer this year -- the Multimatic Motorsports Ford Focus ST-R driven by James Gue and Gunnar Jeannette. A win would definitely be an upset but how cool that the series finally has an American 'Street Tuner' entry to compete against the (so far) all dominant riceburners and European cars.
Ford is the only manufacturer that's entered in each class in both Daytona races this weekend.
I like that. I want them to do well. Just like I want the new Fusions and Mustangs to win in NASCAR; like I want a Mustang to win another Funny Car championship and a Wally for a Pro Stock Mustang. And I especially want to see John Force Racing's new Ford-powered Top Fuel car start making runs in competition. Almost as much as I want to see Ford back in IndyCar.
Like I said. I'm a Ford guy.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Starting System Of A Vehicle
Consider battery as a heart of your car?s electrical system. Without battery system cannot be started. To start it, a key is entered in ignition switch and turned. Then some specific quantity of current is passed through the neutral safety switch to a starter relay or starter solenoid. This permits high current to pass all [...]
New IndyCar Spec Chassis is Making Progress
by John Oreovicz
After some challenging early testing, the new Dallara DW12 Indy car chassis is finally showing signs of progress.
Through INDYCAR Series development and initial manufacturer testing last autumn with Chevrolet and Honda, the DW12 was considerably slower than expected on high-speed ovals, and reportedly very difficult to drive.
But a series of modifications, including lighter components and alternate suspension geometry designed to reduce the weight at the back of the car, have transformed Dallara?s first new Indy car design since 2003 into a basic platform that teams are confident they can whip into shape prior to the season opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 25.
The late Dan Wheldon handled the initial shakedown work for the car that would eventually be named after him. But other top Indy car drivers were far from impressed with the new machine in its initial oval configuration during manufacturer testing in October and November.
Under the direction of INDYCAR Vice-President of Technology Will Phillips, Dallara enacted a series of fixes, including the modified suspension along with altered rear view mirrors and rear wheel fairings introduced in an effort to cut drag.
In the most recent round of oval testing at Texas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway in California, drivers were much happier with the feel of the DW12.
Following his run at Fontana, Rahal tweeted: ?I?ve got good news for IndyCar fans out there, the car is good on an oval! We made huge improvements today, lots of fun in the end? Everything ran perfect ? Honda Racing did an awesome job, and I expect things to only get better!?
Meanwhile, after running an exploratory test at Texas along with Tony Kanaan and Alex Tagliani, Team Penske?s Ryan Briscoe was also pleased. ?Things felt really good,? he told SpeedTV.com. ?We tried the offset suspension configuration, and in terms of car balance, everything felt normal, which is sort of what we were looking for all along.?
The car is still not producing the expected speeds, though that could be because the engine manufacturers are not pushing the envelope. The deadline for submitting final specifications for engine homologation is February 24.
Although the Lotus engine did not hit the track until January (five months behind Honda and three months after Chevrolet), the powerplant has proven reliable so far in testing. Lotus is supplying BHA Barracuda (formerly Bryan Heta Autosport), Dragon Racing, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and HVM Racing.
Meanwhile Honda has expanded to supply twelve cars while Chevrolet could add more to its projected ten. Sarah Fisher Racing, Michael Shank Racing and Conquest Racing have still not secured an engine supply.
Phillips projects there will be 28 cars on the grid for the season opener and he is confident the DW12 will be race ready.
?We expect the car to achieve 225 mph at Indianapolis with a projected power of 550 horsepower,? said Phillips. ?With approximately 700 horsepower for road and street courses, we expect lap times 1-2 second quicker.?
That has been borne out so far in testing, where the drivers have been very positive about the DW12.
Rahal paced the latest round of road course testing at Barber Motorsports Park with a lap almost two seconds faster than Will Power?s 2011 pole time.
?The car is impressive,? Rahal said. ?It has a lot of grip and there?s still a long way to go.?
?You can feel everything is continually improving with the car and especially with the engine,? added defending Barber race winner Will Power. ?I still wish we had more power like the old Champ Car days, but it?s been good to work on the development of the engines and I?m very impressed with the job Chevrolet has done.?
Given the troublesome early development of the DW12 in speedway applications, the IndyCar Series is perhaps fortunate that the 2012 schedule features only five ovals. An open test at Texas on March is the last opportunity the series will have to tweak the basic oval specification prior to the month of May at Indianapolis.
The Dallara DW12 generated a lot of grumbling about its appearance, and even though it is now appearing in painted liveries rather than carbon black, the design still polarizes Indy car fans. But the positive reaction the car is now generating from drivers is nothing but good news for the season ahead.
John Oreovicz is a veteran motorsport writer and columnist whose work appears in various places, including ESPN.com.
After some challenging early testing, the new Dallara DW12 Indy car chassis is finally showing signs of progress.
Through INDYCAR Series development and initial manufacturer testing last autumn with Chevrolet and Honda, the DW12 was considerably slower than expected on high-speed ovals, and reportedly very difficult to drive.
But a series of modifications, including lighter components and alternate suspension geometry designed to reduce the weight at the back of the car, have transformed Dallara?s first new Indy car design since 2003 into a basic platform that teams are confident they can whip into shape prior to the season opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 25.
The late Dan Wheldon handled the initial shakedown work for the car that would eventually be named after him. But other top Indy car drivers were far from impressed with the new machine in its initial oval configuration during manufacturer testing in October and November.
Under the direction of INDYCAR Vice-President of Technology Will Phillips, Dallara enacted a series of fixes, including the modified suspension along with altered rear view mirrors and rear wheel fairings introduced in an effort to cut drag.
In the most recent round of oval testing at Texas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway in California, drivers were much happier with the feel of the DW12.
Following his run at Fontana, Rahal tweeted: ?I?ve got good news for IndyCar fans out there, the car is good on an oval! We made huge improvements today, lots of fun in the end? Everything ran perfect ? Honda Racing did an awesome job, and I expect things to only get better!?
Meanwhile, after running an exploratory test at Texas along with Tony Kanaan and Alex Tagliani, Team Penske?s Ryan Briscoe was also pleased. ?Things felt really good,? he told SpeedTV.com. ?We tried the offset suspension configuration, and in terms of car balance, everything felt normal, which is sort of what we were looking for all along.?
The car is still not producing the expected speeds, though that could be because the engine manufacturers are not pushing the envelope. The deadline for submitting final specifications for engine homologation is February 24.
Although the Lotus engine did not hit the track until January (five months behind Honda and three months after Chevrolet), the powerplant has proven reliable so far in testing. Lotus is supplying BHA Barracuda (formerly Bryan Heta Autosport), Dragon Racing, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and HVM Racing.
Meanwhile Honda has expanded to supply twelve cars while Chevrolet could add more to its projected ten. Sarah Fisher Racing, Michael Shank Racing and Conquest Racing have still not secured an engine supply.
Phillips projects there will be 28 cars on the grid for the season opener and he is confident the DW12 will be race ready.
?We expect the car to achieve 225 mph at Indianapolis with a projected power of 550 horsepower,? said Phillips. ?With approximately 700 horsepower for road and street courses, we expect lap times 1-2 second quicker.?
That has been borne out so far in testing, where the drivers have been very positive about the DW12.
Rahal paced the latest round of road course testing at Barber Motorsports Park with a lap almost two seconds faster than Will Power?s 2011 pole time.
?The car is impressive,? Rahal said. ?It has a lot of grip and there?s still a long way to go.?
?You can feel everything is continually improving with the car and especially with the engine,? added defending Barber race winner Will Power. ?I still wish we had more power like the old Champ Car days, but it?s been good to work on the development of the engines and I?m very impressed with the job Chevrolet has done.?
Given the troublesome early development of the DW12 in speedway applications, the IndyCar Series is perhaps fortunate that the 2012 schedule features only five ovals. An open test at Texas on March is the last opportunity the series will have to tweak the basic oval specification prior to the month of May at Indianapolis.
The Dallara DW12 generated a lot of grumbling about its appearance, and even though it is now appearing in painted liveries rather than carbon black, the design still polarizes Indy car fans. But the positive reaction the car is now generating from drivers is nothing but good news for the season ahead.
John Oreovicz is a veteran motorsport writer and columnist whose work appears in various places, including ESPN.com.
Freiburger Makes First 200-mph Pass in Camaro ZL1
Our boss, David Freiburger, piloted�Lingenfelter Performance Engineering’s new Camaro ZL1 to the first 200-mph pass in a ZL1, running�202.67 mph at Continental/General Tire’s Proving Grounds in Uvalde, Texas. This was the same ZL1 that was the first to dip into the 10′s in the quarter-mile. The 200-plus-mph number didn’t come easy, as the team edged [...]
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Chevy High Performance to Host X275 Drag Racing
If you’ve got a Chevy-powered drag car and you’re itching for some drag radial action, Chevy High Performance has the event for you. We’re a little hurt that CHP is running their event the same time we’re on Power Tour, but I guess we’ll get over it. Here’s the press release: The inaugural Chevy High [...]
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
This Weekends Race?
I just got this email through NASCAR.com Due to inclement weather from Tropical Storm Hanna, tomorrow?s Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway has been postponed until 1 p.m. Sunday. The Nationwide event will now be run at 7 p.m. Sunday.
Take A Peek About The Functions Performed By PCM
The system that monitors power train gears (engine, transmission, drive shafts, differentials, etc) and make the gears to work together in order to keep vehicle moving efficiently is called Power Train Control Module, abbreviated as PCM. If all gears are working properly then you improve the car to better shape but if any one gear [...]
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Richard Petty 50th Anniversary
This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of Richard Petty's first race, which occurred on July 12, 1958. In celebration of his half-century of involvement in NASCAR, here is a reproduction of a Petty Enterprises race report...
Speed City Podcast, Motorsports Resource
For all sorts of information about the interaction of Formula 1, Circuit of The Americas (CoTA) & other motorsports-related activities in the Austin & South/Central Texas area, this is the podcast (weekly, more or less) you will need to listen to.� Go to:� http://speedcitypodcast.com Les & Jon do a great job of describing automotive/racing happenings, [...]
Monday, April 30, 2012
Dave Friedman Collection of Auto Racing Photos Now Available on Flckr
By Brian Wilson, Benson Ford Reseach Center, The Henry Ford
In 2009, The Henry Ford acquired the collection of well-known photographer Dave Friedman. The collection documents over 60 years of automobile races and racecars across a wide variety of race types including Formula 1, Sports cars, Trans-Am, Can-Am and stock cars.
Now, over 10,000 images from the collection are available for viewing on Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thehenryford/collections/72157628488413505/
So far we have posted images from races at iconic tracks like Laguna Seca, Riverside, Sebring, Watkins Glen, Indianapolis and Bridgehampton. We also have some of the early races at Pomona, Nassau, and even Dodger Stadium.
All the cars that defined international automobile racing are here too: Cobra, Lola, Ferrari, Porsche, Corvette, McLaren, Ford GT, Mustang and more.
Be sure to visit the site and then check back often as we add more images from this great collection.
Courtesy of the Benson Ford Research Center, The Henry Ford
In 2009, The Henry Ford acquired the collection of well-known photographer Dave Friedman. The collection documents over 60 years of automobile races and racecars across a wide variety of race types including Formula 1, Sports cars, Trans-Am, Can-Am and stock cars.
Now, over 10,000 images from the collection are available for viewing on Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thehenryford/collections/72157628488413505/
So far we have posted images from races at iconic tracks like Laguna Seca, Riverside, Sebring, Watkins Glen, Indianapolis and Bridgehampton. We also have some of the early races at Pomona, Nassau, and even Dodger Stadium.
All the cars that defined international automobile racing are here too: Cobra, Lola, Ferrari, Porsche, Corvette, McLaren, Ford GT, Mustang and more.
Be sure to visit the site and then check back often as we add more images from this great collection.
Courtesy of the Benson Ford Research Center, The Henry Ford
The Physics of Carl?s Restart Penalty
A late race penalty on a restart for what some think was a questionable caution at Richmond set into motion circumstances that likely shifted the outcome of the race Saturday night. Once again, NASCAR’s restart rules claimed a victim – this time, Carl Edwards. Angry after the race, Edwards said NASCAR had repeatedly told his [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Chevrolet Victorious At Long Beach Grand Prix
Will Power won for the second consecutive week, piloting his Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet Indy car to the checkered flag in Long Beach, marking the third win for Chevrolet and their new turbo V6 that debuted this season. For more on the Indy car race, visit Chevrolet’s racing page. Chevrolet also nabbed the top podium [...]
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Pit Stop USA Announces New Retail Store and Catalog
Pit Stop USA, a leading online retailer to the circle market, will be opening a new retail showroom in March and also announced the release of their 2011 catalog.
2011 Nascar Sprint Cup Daytona 500 Big One
2011 Nascar Sprint Cup Daytona 500 Big One Technorati Tags: 2011, daytona, nascar, sprint
Own Kyle Petty's '06 Victory Bike and Ride Across the US
A special online auction give you the chance to own Kyle Petty's 2006 Victory motorcycle and join Kyle on the 2009 Ride Across America. But hurry, the auction runs July 15-25, 2008. All proceeds benefit two extremely...
Saturday, April 28, 2012
The Buckpasser: B/G Willys Coupe
The Buckpasser Willys coupe was campaigned by Tinney and Tignanelli and competed in the B/Gas Coupe and Sedan class
Friday, April 27, 2012
Tony Stewart Misses Out Again
Once again Mother Nature conspired to keep Tony Stewart out of victory lane...
The Buckpasser: B/G Willys Coupe
The Buckpasser Willys coupe was campaigned by Tinney and Tignanelli and competed in the B/Gas Coupe and Sedan class
NASCAR Team Owner For Senate
In recent years, politics and NASCAR have played hand-in-hand. Presidents from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush (First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden were at Homestead last season) have come to races and candidates for the office have made it an obligatory stop – Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum were at [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Bristol, Bruton and The Changes Coming Our Way
Before I begin, let me just say how much I enjoy Bruton Smith. He’s a non-stop source of unforgettable quotes and over the top bluster – oh and we can’t forget the Liz Taylor sunglasses. I seldom get more excited than when there’s going to be a Bruton press conference. “I have built more speedways [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
The Buckpasser: B/G Willys Coupe
The Buckpasser Willys coupe was campaigned by Tinney and Tignanelli and competed in the B/Gas Coupe and Sedan class
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Video: A Look at the 2013 Viper Exterior Design
Learn how the SRT design team changed the direction of Viper styling and made a functional, aggressive body to fit its street and race persona.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Hey Kenny, Tone It Down A Bit
We first reported this week that Travis Pastrana would be making his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut with RAB Racing�(or the team’s points at least). The deal was an obvious one for Pastrana 199 Racing to secure a guaranteed starting spot for the rookie driver. This, and other deals, leave Kenny Wallace out of a ride, [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
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The Race to the 10s!
When you get an email asking if you can be at the track tomorrow to photograph the first 2012 ZL1 Camaro breaking into the 10s, you don’t ask too many questions. When we rolled into Milan Dragway in Milan, Michigan, and met up with Mike Copeland of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering (LPE), the questions we figured [...]
Monday, April 23, 2012
Biffle or Edwards? Roush drivers split on No. 1
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) – Greg Biffle thinks Carl Edwards is the leader of Roush-Fenway Racing. Edwards has pretty good reason to think Biffle is the guy in charge now. View full post on NBCSports.com: NASCAR / Motors Technorati Tags: Biffle, drivers, Edwards, Roush, split
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
BRC increases its reach on Sky Sports
Sky Sports, the broadcaster that shows Greenlight Television?s excellent coverage of the MSA British Rally Championship, has increased its reach by eleven percent from 2011 now going out to ten million homes across UK and Ireland. And to compliment the attraction of the championship to drivers and fans alike around the world, the inclusion of [...]
Friday, April 20, 2012
New Hampshire Weekend Review
There is never any way, in the US at least, Formula One is going to steal NASCAR’s thunder. The racing world was amazed as 21 year old Sebastion Vettel became the youngest driver ever to win a points Grand Prix race in the history of that series. He did it at Monza in Italy, driving [...]
Engine Compression Check Made Easy
Keep tabs on your engine's compression ratio and performance with this cool new compression tester from Katech Performance...
Vintage Pic of the Day: San Fernando Drag Srip
Here?s how San Fernando Drag Strip looked in 1956, the second season for the suburban Los Angeles track. HOT ROD photographer Eric Rickman dropped by for a July event billed as the California State Championships. Though we can?t identify a single car or bike, every one looks like a winner 56 years later (including the [...]
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Richard Petty's 50th Anniversary Celebration
Hard to believe it's been 50 years since Richard Petty made his first start racing in NASCAR, in what was then the Grand National division (later to become Winston Cup)...
SASCA 03/2012 Novice School & AutoX, by Eric
Once again, my contributing blogger Eric, has done a very nice job of autocross journalism.� Here he reports the trials & tribulations of SASCA‘s March 2012 Autocross Novice School & Event.� These both took place on the same weekend, March 3rd & 4th, 2012. (I apologize for the delay in getting this posted.� I had [...]
TICKETS JUST $20 TO SEE INTERNATIONAL RALLY STARS IN ACTION
TICKETS for the Brakes Direct International Rally of Queensland will go on sale from tomorrow, offering spectators the chance to see some of the world?s best driving talent in action for as little as $20. In addition to the traditional forestry competition stages around Imbil in the Mary Valley, new stages at Caloundra and Pomona [...]
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
New IndyCar Spec Chassis is Making Progress
by John Oreovicz
After some challenging early testing, the new Dallara DW12 Indy car chassis is finally showing signs of progress.
Through INDYCAR Series development and initial manufacturer testing last autumn with Chevrolet and Honda, the DW12 was considerably slower than expected on high-speed ovals, and reportedly very difficult to drive.
But a series of modifications, including lighter components and alternate suspension geometry designed to reduce the weight at the back of the car, have transformed Dallara?s first new Indy car design since 2003 into a basic platform that teams are confident they can whip into shape prior to the season opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 25.
The late Dan Wheldon handled the initial shakedown work for the car that would eventually be named after him. But other top Indy car drivers were far from impressed with the new machine in its initial oval configuration during manufacturer testing in October and November.
Under the direction of INDYCAR Vice-President of Technology Will Phillips, Dallara enacted a series of fixes, including the modified suspension along with altered rear view mirrors and rear wheel fairings introduced in an effort to cut drag.
In the most recent round of oval testing at Texas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway in California, drivers were much happier with the feel of the DW12.
Following his run at Fontana, Rahal tweeted: ?I?ve got good news for IndyCar fans out there, the car is good on an oval! We made huge improvements today, lots of fun in the end? Everything ran perfect ? Honda Racing did an awesome job, and I expect things to only get better!?
Meanwhile, after running an exploratory test at Texas along with Tony Kanaan and Alex Tagliani, Team Penske?s Ryan Briscoe was also pleased. ?Things felt really good,? he told SpeedTV.com. ?We tried the offset suspension configuration, and in terms of car balance, everything felt normal, which is sort of what we were looking for all along.?
The car is still not producing the expected speeds, though that could be because the engine manufacturers are not pushing the envelope. The deadline for submitting final specifications for engine homologation is February 24.
Although the Lotus engine did not hit the track until January (five months behind Honda and three months after Chevrolet), the powerplant has proven reliable so far in testing. Lotus is supplying BHA Barracuda (formerly Bryan Heta Autosport), Dragon Racing, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and HVM Racing.
Meanwhile Honda has expanded to supply twelve cars while Chevrolet could add more to its projected ten. Sarah Fisher Racing, Michael Shank Racing and Conquest Racing have still not secured an engine supply.
Phillips projects there will be 28 cars on the grid for the season opener and he is confident the DW12 will be race ready.
?We expect the car to achieve 225 mph at Indianapolis with a projected power of 550 horsepower,? said Phillips. ?With approximately 700 horsepower for road and street courses, we expect lap times 1-2 second quicker.?
That has been borne out so far in testing, where the drivers have been very positive about the DW12.
Rahal paced the latest round of road course testing at Barber Motorsports Park with a lap almost two seconds faster than Will Power?s 2011 pole time.
?The car is impressive,? Rahal said. ?It has a lot of grip and there?s still a long way to go.?
?You can feel everything is continually improving with the car and especially with the engine,? added defending Barber race winner Will Power. ?I still wish we had more power like the old Champ Car days, but it?s been good to work on the development of the engines and I?m very impressed with the job Chevrolet has done.?
Given the troublesome early development of the DW12 in speedway applications, the IndyCar Series is perhaps fortunate that the 2012 schedule features only five ovals. An open test at Texas on March is the last opportunity the series will have to tweak the basic oval specification prior to the month of May at Indianapolis.
The Dallara DW12 generated a lot of grumbling about its appearance, and even though it is now appearing in painted liveries rather than carbon black, the design still polarizes Indy car fans. But the positive reaction the car is now generating from drivers is nothing but good news for the season ahead.
John Oreovicz is a veteran motorsport writer and columnist whose work appears in various places, including ESPN.com.
After some challenging early testing, the new Dallara DW12 Indy car chassis is finally showing signs of progress.
Through INDYCAR Series development and initial manufacturer testing last autumn with Chevrolet and Honda, the DW12 was considerably slower than expected on high-speed ovals, and reportedly very difficult to drive.
But a series of modifications, including lighter components and alternate suspension geometry designed to reduce the weight at the back of the car, have transformed Dallara?s first new Indy car design since 2003 into a basic platform that teams are confident they can whip into shape prior to the season opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 25.
The late Dan Wheldon handled the initial shakedown work for the car that would eventually be named after him. But other top Indy car drivers were far from impressed with the new machine in its initial oval configuration during manufacturer testing in October and November.
Under the direction of INDYCAR Vice-President of Technology Will Phillips, Dallara enacted a series of fixes, including the modified suspension along with altered rear view mirrors and rear wheel fairings introduced in an effort to cut drag.
In the most recent round of oval testing at Texas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway in California, drivers were much happier with the feel of the DW12.
Following his run at Fontana, Rahal tweeted: ?I?ve got good news for IndyCar fans out there, the car is good on an oval! We made huge improvements today, lots of fun in the end? Everything ran perfect ? Honda Racing did an awesome job, and I expect things to only get better!?
Meanwhile, after running an exploratory test at Texas along with Tony Kanaan and Alex Tagliani, Team Penske?s Ryan Briscoe was also pleased. ?Things felt really good,? he told SpeedTV.com. ?We tried the offset suspension configuration, and in terms of car balance, everything felt normal, which is sort of what we were looking for all along.?
The car is still not producing the expected speeds, though that could be because the engine manufacturers are not pushing the envelope. The deadline for submitting final specifications for engine homologation is February 24.
Although the Lotus engine did not hit the track until January (five months behind Honda and three months after Chevrolet), the powerplant has proven reliable so far in testing. Lotus is supplying BHA Barracuda (formerly Bryan Heta Autosport), Dragon Racing, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and HVM Racing.
Meanwhile Honda has expanded to supply twelve cars while Chevrolet could add more to its projected ten. Sarah Fisher Racing, Michael Shank Racing and Conquest Racing have still not secured an engine supply.
Phillips projects there will be 28 cars on the grid for the season opener and he is confident the DW12 will be race ready.
?We expect the car to achieve 225 mph at Indianapolis with a projected power of 550 horsepower,? said Phillips. ?With approximately 700 horsepower for road and street courses, we expect lap times 1-2 second quicker.?
That has been borne out so far in testing, where the drivers have been very positive about the DW12.
Rahal paced the latest round of road course testing at Barber Motorsports Park with a lap almost two seconds faster than Will Power?s 2011 pole time.
?The car is impressive,? Rahal said. ?It has a lot of grip and there?s still a long way to go.?
?You can feel everything is continually improving with the car and especially with the engine,? added defending Barber race winner Will Power. ?I still wish we had more power like the old Champ Car days, but it?s been good to work on the development of the engines and I?m very impressed with the job Chevrolet has done.?
Given the troublesome early development of the DW12 in speedway applications, the IndyCar Series is perhaps fortunate that the 2012 schedule features only five ovals. An open test at Texas on March is the last opportunity the series will have to tweak the basic oval specification prior to the month of May at Indianapolis.
The Dallara DW12 generated a lot of grumbling about its appearance, and even though it is now appearing in painted liveries rather than carbon black, the design still polarizes Indy car fans. But the positive reaction the car is now generating from drivers is nothing but good news for the season ahead.
John Oreovicz is a veteran motorsport writer and columnist whose work appears in various places, including ESPN.com.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
A Brief About ECU
The electrical system is collection of different subsystems that help you automobile run more smoothly and efficiently. This system is also controlled by excellent device in your automobile, which also takes care of other systems in automobiles, known as engine control unit, or ECU. An ECU is a device that finds out amount of fuel, [...]
Flight4Life expedition leader heading home in more ways than one.
Canadian philanthropic adventurer Mark Jennings-Bates will be heading back to Kelowna this week after a successful expedition in Australia. But rather than flying a paramotor, he?ll be arriving commercially at YLW Kelowna Airport on Thursday morning, April 19. ?It has been a fantastic trip? explained Jennings-Bates, adding ?Other than not being able to personally fly [...]
Voltage Regulators In Vehicles
The gears that regulate the steady voltage output are known as Voltage Regulators. Steady voltage outputs cannot be maintained by electronic gears as they are manufactured to recognize low maximum voltage and on giving high voltage they can be dented. Low voltage can also not be able to give sufficient power for the gears. This [...]
Monday, April 16, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012
50-State Legal Camaro Headers From Hedman
TPI and LT1 GM F-Bodies are inexpensive and have great aftermarket support in both engine and suspension bolt-ons and now you can add Hedman headers to the list. Their ’82-’97 headers with 1-5/8-inch primaries carry a CARB E.O. number (D167-33), making them 50 state legal. Part numbers 66471 and 66481 provide Gen3 F-Body owners a [...]
Understanding About Charging And Discharging of Car Batteries
There are two standards set for the measurement of the power of the car battery. The more popular of these two is the cold cranking power. This standard is very well known for measuring the amount of current which is being delivered by a battery in 30 seconds time in certain conditions. These conditions include: [...]
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Why Believe The Penalty PR Game?
Next week in a room at NASCAR’s R&D facility in Concord, N.C., retired General Motors executive John Middlebrook will hear the final appeal of Hendrick Motorsports. The crime of course being “c-posts” that, according to NASCAR, did not meet specifications. Soon after, we’ll learn what Middlebrook’s decision is. Given his past, there is a chance [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
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So Long SceneDaily and Rowdy
This week is a sad week for the sport. As has unfortunately become all too routine, we are forced to accept the prospect of decreasing quality NASCAR coverage and analysis. This time it’s the loss of the American City Business Journal owned SceneDaily.com and Rowdy.com. The end for Rowdy came earlier this month with a [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
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