Thursday, October 21, 2010

SEMA, Las Vegas 2010


SEMA Show Preview
The Show will take place November 2 - 5, 2010

Located in the Las Vegas Convention Center, the SEMA Show represents the fastest growing segment of the specialty automotive aftermarket industry.

The show features eleven miles of aisles packed with profit-making products for several niche markets including, light truck, street rod, wheel/tire, restoration, on-board technology, street performance, off-road, restyling, racing, mobile electronics, import/sport compact performance, powersports and paint and body equipment. For more information, visit http://www.semashow.com/

Look for news and stories right from the SEMA Show here as the show goes on.

Our entire staff: Dicken Wear, Ed Jenks, and our contributors. Lawrence, Brian, Sheryl, Michelle, and Chris will have news and updates from the floors of the Las Vegas Convention Center. I sure hope we can park in the empty parking lot at the corner of Paradise and Sahara so we can ride the Monorail.

See you all in Vegas. Dicken Wear, Editor-in-Chief (SEMA Member).

Out of town Members of: MPG, PAPA, AARWBA, NMPA that need help getting around town, need a recommendation on where to stay, or a place to Eat, Drink and be Merry feel free to contact this office for insider help.

More Problems for Toyota

Image credit: AP file photo

More Problems for Toyota
By MALCOLM FOSTER, Associated Press Writer

Toyota is recalling 1.53 million Lexus, Avalon and other models, mostly in the U.S. and Japan, for brake fluid and fuel pump problems, the latest in a string of quality lapses for the world's No. 1 automaker.

Toyota Motor Corp, said Thursday it will call back for repairs about 740,000 cars in the U.S. and 599,000 in Japan. The remainder are in Europe and other markets around the world.

Over the past year, Toyota has recalled more than 10 million cars and trucks worldwide for a variety of problems, from faulty gas pedals and floor mats that can trap accelerators, to braking problems in its Prius hybrid. In August, Toyota recalled 1.33 million Corolla sedans and Matrix hatchbacks in the U.S. and Canada because their engines may stall.

The majority of vehicles this time around need to be fixed for a problem with the brake master cylinder which could lead to weaker braking power, said spokesman Paul Nolasco in Tokyo. Some models in Japan and elsewhere — but not in North America — have an electrical problem with the fuel pump which could cause the engine to stall, he said.

No accidents have been reported from the two defects, he said.

Nolasco said the recall decision was made under Toyota's new quality control regime instituted over the last several months in response to criticism that the company was slow in dealing with the slew of safety problems earlier this year. Changes include naming a chief quality officer to head up regional quality control teams that have more autonomy and can contribute directly to decisions on whether recalls are required.

Toyota received initial complaints about both problems five years ago, but that didn't mean there was documentation of a pattern that would trigger a recall, Nolasco said.

"It takes a while to compile the evidence for a recall," Nolasco said. Once the evidence pointed to a need for a recall, the company moved quickly to announce one, he said.

Analysts said the recall decision, coming just two months after the Corolla and Matrix recall, seems to suggest that Toyota is trying to be more forthcoming about safety issues. American regulators hit Toyota with a $16.4 million fine for failing to promptly tell the government about its car defects.

"Toyota's image suffered because it was slow and so it is trying to be quick with its response," said Ryuichi Saito, auto analyst with Mizuho Investors Securities in Tokyo.

The models affected by the latest recall in the U.S. include the 2005 and 2006 Avalon, 2004 through 2006 non-hybrid Highlander and Lexus RX330, and 2006 Lexus GS300, IS250, and IS350 vehicles, the company said in a statement from its U.S. headquarters in Torrance, California.

Toyota will notify owners around the world by mail to come for repairs at no charge, Nolasco said.

In a letter to U.S. regulators, Toyota said it first received reports of leaking brake fluid in February 2005, and found they involved aftermarket fluid that was different from the Toyota fluid installed in new vehicles. Toyota attributed the problems to the fluid and changed the rubber seals used in the brake's master cylinders to be the same as in other Toyota vehicles, it said.

From 2006 to 2010, Toyota said it received reports of the problem "sporadically" and found in all cases that the rubber seals had curled and the brake fluid was not the original Toyota fluid. After receiving more consumer reports, mostly from Japan, Toyota found that certain brake fluids contained only a small amount of polymers, which could cause the seal's lubrication to deteriorate, it said.

More tests last summer found the amount of leakage from the brake master cylinder was "very small," it said. Even if the brake warning lamp went off, Toyota said the vehicle could be driven for another 185 miles (300 kilometers) before a driver noticed any difference in the brakes. If brake fluid was not added, brake performance "could begin to gradually decline," it said.

Toyota said even with the problem, sufficient braking force remained to stop the vehicle safely. It said after another 93 miles (150 kilometers), one of the brake circuits could stop working but because of the location of the seal, no more leakage could occur that would affect the other brake circuit.

Based on that assessment, Toyota said the condition didn't present an "unreasonable safety risk." But since the condition failed to comply with a Japanese regulation that prohibits leaking brake fluid, Toyota was required to conduct a recall in Japan.

"For other countries, including the U.S., although Toyota has not determined that a safety-related defect exists, in order to alleviate potential customer concerns and avoid confusion, Toyota has decided to conduct a voluntary recall campaign in the U.S. and other countries," the automaker said.

The models affected in Japan include the Crown, Crown Majesta, Harrier, Mark X, Alphard, Kluger, Lexus GS350, Lexus IS250, and Lexus IS350. The production date of the models ranges from May 2002 to November 2005.

Two models in Japan — the Lexus GS350 and the Crown — are affected by both problems.

In Japan, Toyota's image has taken less of a beating. And despite the safety woes, the Prius has been Japan's top-selling model this year.

From January through August, Toyota sold 5.6 million vehicles globally, up 13 percent from a year earlier.
(article re-posted by Dicken Wear)

Saturday, October 16, 2010

33 Indy 500 Winners Line Up At The Brickyard For Their "Close Up"

The display on the Speedway’s front straightaway was part of the ongoing Centennial Celebration; the 2011 Indianapolis 500 will mark the event’s 100th anniversary. Each car present on Tuesday was a former race winner, and each has a story. Image Credit: IMS/Ron McQueeney

33 Indy 500 Winners Line Up At The Brickyard For Their "Close Up"

On Tuesday of this week, 33 winning Indy 500 cars were pushed to the front straight for the photo opportunity of a lifetime. Most of the Indy open-wheel racers came from the Hall of Fame Museum leaving the museum about half full, while other cars were on loan for the shoot from as far away as California. One car was a replica because the original is on view at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. where as all other cars are the actual winning steeds.

Director of the Hall of Fame Museum, Ellen Bireley introduces us to this effort to capture a unique moment in time and the staging of this historic "close-up" beauty shot in celebration of this upcoming centennial season!


This excerpted and edited from AutoWeekRacing.com -

The “pole” car was the Marmon Wasp that won the first 500 in 1911. Next to it on the “front row” were the cars driven by Dario Franchitti (2010) and A.J. Foyt (1961). Foyt’s car represented both his first 500 win and the winner of the 50th-anniversary event.

The rest of the legendary machines were positioned in a way that revealed an interesting evolution of race cars. Every row included front-engine and rear-engine cars in a pattern. Each decade was represented.

The four double winners were included along with the first winner after World War II. Twenty-seven of the cars are owned by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Foundation.

The rows and the years the cars won:

-- Row 1: 1911 (Ray Harroun), 2010 (Dario Franchitti), 1961 (A.J. Foyt)

-- Row 2: 1979 (Rick Mears), 1939-40 (Wilbur Shaw), 1970 (Al Unser)

-- Row 3: 1963 (Parnelli Jones), 1990 (Arie Luyendyk), 1947-48 (Mauri Rose)

-- Row 4: 1980 (Johnny Rutherford), 1953-54 (Bill Vukovich), 1968 (Bobby Unser)

-- Row 5: 1964 (A.J. Foyt), 1965 (Jimmy Clark), 1922 (Jimmy Murphy)

-- Row 6: 1969 (Mario Andretti), 1957-58 (Sam Hanks, Jimmy Bryan), 1983 (Tom Sneva)

-- Row 7: 1912 (Joe Dawson), 1982 (Gordon Johncock), 1952 (Troy Ruttman)

-- Row 8: 1972 (Mark Donohue), 1962 (Rodger Ward), 2000 (Juan Montoya)

-- Row 9: 1928 (Louis Meyer), 1995 (Jacques Villeneuve), 1950 (Johnnie Parsons)

-- Row 10: 1977 (A.J. Foyt), 1951 (Lee Wallard), 1992 (Al Unser Jr.)

-- Row 11: 1946 (George Robson), 1978 (Al Unser), 1932 (Fred Frame)


... notes from The EDJE


Thursday, October 14, 2010

California: The Worst Place To Drive ... Or Be A Driver?

The Good - California has some of the best drives available in the world. Image Credit: googleguide.com

California: The Worst Place To Drive ... Or Be A Driver?


Conclusions in a article from Forbes Magazine suggest that cheap gas and insurance make South Carolina the best and that California, with high costs and bad infrastructure, is the worst.

The Bad - City traffic and the politics ... California State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner is proposing legislation that would allow insurance companies to lower rates for drivers that cut back on drive time, which could come in effect as early as next year. Image Credit: Examiner/Getty Images

This excerpted and edited from Forbes Magazine -

The Best And Worst States For Drivers
No Surprise California sucks the most, (all you have to do to know that is to drive here).
Forbes Magazine - William P. Barrett, 10.08.10, 01:00 PM EDT

With its politicians hiking the Appalachian Trail or facing sex charges, South Carolina draws more than its share of bad publicity nationally. So here's some good news about South Carolina: By our reckoning, the heart of the Old South is the best state to drive in, by far. The country's lowest average gas price, plus cheap insurance, good legal protections and the sixth-best rating for infrastructure/safety, make the Palmetto State a dreamland for motorists.
Using the same measures, California is the worst state to be a driver--also by far. The Golden State has the third-lowest rating for infrastructure/safety, the third-highest gas prices and the fifth-highest insurance. Legal rights for drivers aren't so hot either. (Not to mention all drivers in CA think they all must drive in the left lane. (Jerry Brown is part of the reason for all this mess. Meg Whitman are you listening?)

Forbes put together its ratings of the best and worst states to drive using a number of published studies evaluating different elements of the driving experience. All the studies touched in major ways on pocketbook issues. Giving the studies equal weight, we used their 1-to-50 rankings to figure out which states were friendly to motorists, and which were not.
Here are the criteria Forbes used, and the sources:

Gas Prices

For many motorists, this is the single most important factor in the driving environment. Numerous sources provide regular updates on average fuel costs, which can vary among states by as much as 36%. We used data from GasBuddy.com. South Carolina and New Jersey have the lowest average prices, and Hawaii and Alaska the highest.

Insurance Rates

According to Insure.com, the average cost of coverage moves around even more than gas prices, with rates in some states nearly three times those of others. The cheapest are found in Maine and Vermont; the highest are in Louisiana and Michigan.

Infrastructure/Safety

For 19 years the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank, has cranked out a lengthy study--the latest is 109 pages--assessing each state on road and bridge infrastructure and safety-related indicators. Obviously better roadways reduce a motorist's costs in all kinds of ways, such as fewer gas-wasting delays and costly accidents. The latest study puts North Dakota and Montana at the top, and Rhode Island and Alaska at the bottom.

Legal Protections

The National Motorists Association periodically rates the states on 17 criteria it says look at whether police and courts are "exploiting" motorists. Areas include enforcement practices, speed traps per capita, treatment of traffic ticket defendants and whether radar detectors are banned. The study concludes Wyoming and Idaho afford the most legal protections to motorists, and New Jersey and Ohio the least.

Eating South Carolina's dust on the best list are Nebraska and Missouri. Inhaling California's fumes on the worst list are Illinois and New York.
Generally the more populous states fare worse than those with low populations, but there are exceptions. Giant Texas ranks No. 6 on the best list, while tiny Rhode Island comes in No. 7 on the worst list.

Our compilations produced some surprising results. New Jersey misses being in the 10 worst list---it ranks 13th--only because the state's many oil refineries help give it the nation's second-lowest average gas prices. North Carolina, home of NASCAR, misses being in the 10 best list--it ranks 13th--because of a low score on legal protections.
Generally thought to be a good place for motorists, Montana lands right in the middle of the 50 states. High ratings for infrastructure/safety and legal protections are offset by low rankings for gas and insurance prices.
Worst 5 States For Drivers

No. 1 California Despite its reputation as a car-culture haven, the Golden State is by far the worst of the 50, with low rankings in each of the four categories. From highway congestion and poor legal protections to the high cost of gasoline and insurance, the nation's most populous state has it all. No. 2 Illinois The Land of Lincoln is also a Disaster for Drivers, garnering low marks, like California's, in all four categories. The lowest grade is in legal rights for motorists. No. 3 New York The Empire State fares a lot better than California and Illinois in insurance rates, which were pretty close to the national average. But that is more than canceled out by rock-bottom expenditures on road maintenance and sketchy legal motorist protections.
Reference Here>>

Editor's Note:

I don't live or Vote in California, but I do drive, and work in California. Also, I read the paper, and I pay attention to the Traffic laws (I didn't say I obeyed them all). I have also watched what was going on in California for the last 30 years while living in various States around the Country. I can say that while I don't know which politician can fix California, I can say for sure that Boxer and Brown cannot, will not, and do not have a clue how to fix it. These two politicians represent a couple of the main reasons California is so screwed up.

My position on the California Election is anybody "BUT" Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer. These two could be the reason California dies an awful death, and they for sure would add the last nails in the coffin before the state of California is buried once and for all.

Dicken Wear, "Keep Right Except To Pass".


Sunday, October 10, 2010

NASCAR Sprint Cup at Auto Club Speedway

Image Credit: Dicken Wear
Image Credit: Dicken Wear

Tony Stewart fought off Clint Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson for his first Auto Club Speedway win on Sunday, taking the checkered flag at the Pepsi MAX 400 for his 39th career Sprint Cup win and second in 2010.

In a race that had 14 lead changes, Stewart (No. 14, Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet) took the lead coming off a caution on lap 189 while Bowyer (No. 33, The Hartford Chevrolet) and Johnson (Lowe’s/Jimmie Johnson Foundation Chevrolet) battled behind him finishing second and third in one of the most exciting Auto Club Speedway races in years.

“I’m glad to finally win one in California,” Stewart said. “I can now check it off the list of tracks I’ve never won at.”

Following the victory, Stewart jumped five positions in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings and now sits in fifth place, only 107 points back of leader Johnson.

Added Stewart, “We’re doing everything we can do (to win the Chase). We’re going to need some help but we’re doing everything we can do. I’m just so happy with these guys. They refused to give up and refused to back down.”

Bowyer managed to take the lead earlier in the race leading with 16 laps to go until caution was called for debris on the track.

“The cautions had a lot do with so many guys having a chance today,” Bowyer said. “The more you have the more you get bunched up it’s going to breed more cautions. The tire/grid track combination whatever it may be made for a good race up high and down low. Mark Martin was the class of the field for awhile running from the bottom and then from the top. And then everyone was running all over. And when you can do that on a track this size, I think it’s going to make for some good racing.

“I was frustrated I didn’t get a win. I really wanted to get a win. We’re capable of winning races and if we keep doing what we’re doing we’re going to win again.”

Johnson was seeking his fourth straight victory at Auto Club Speedway. He maintained his Chase Cup lead by 36 points over Denny Hamlin. Three drivers are within 85 points of Johnson.

“I think if it would have stayed green you would have seen the No. 48 car in victory lane,” Johnson said. “We were really catching Tony fast on the top side. I just didn’t have anything on the bottom down on three and four. And on that restart that’s where I let Clint get on the inside of me and get by me. Wish we could have finished in victory lane but if you’re going to finish in the top three week in and week out you’re going to have a shot and that’s all we’re after.”
Story & Interview: Joann Young & ACS.

NASCAR invades California

Kyle Busch’s dominance at Auto Club Speedway continued on Saturday with his record-extending 12th victory in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2010 as he took the checkered flag at the CampingWorld.com 300 despite a speeding penalty that forced him to play catch-up at the most crucial stages late in the race.

“Maybe I need to do it more often,” said Busch (No. 18, NOS Energy Drink Toyota), who was assessed a speeding violation coming out of pit road for the third time this season where he’s gone on to win the race. The speeding violation dropped him to 15th place.

“I don’t like doing it that late in the race,” he continued. “Obviously, it makes it a little bit harder and you never know what can happen. Especially those late cautions can happen at a point in which I get a speeding penalty and I’d have to go to the back and get caught in another one of those. Fortunately it all worked out our way and played out.

“Pit road probably won this race. I can’t thank these guys on pit road enough.”

To say the race was simply won on pit road would be a huge overstatement. The crafty Busch, who also won last February’s NNS Stater Bros. 300 at ACS, zigged in and out of traffic late in the race, ultimately claiming eight spots in 12 laps. He moved to second place after the third caution and passed Brad Keselowski for the lead with 38 laps left.

“You know we just worked our way through traffic, going high, going low, going where they weren’t and being able to get up through there,” Busch said. “Once you get up to seventh or sixth you kind slow and stop. I wasn’t making as much progress as I wish I could have. It was still some decent progress and then the caution came out and I got up there. The guys on pit road really helped me out today.”

Busch, who captured the pole position with a lap of 182.039 mph on the two-mile oval track, recorded his 42nd victory in 198 NNS races. He has now won 82 times in NASCAR national series competition.

It was Busch’s fourth victory and ninth top-10 finish in 12 races at Auto Club Speedway. He has won four of his last five starts here.

Busch held off Keselowski, who maintains his points standings lead by 384 points over Carl Edwards and finished second. Keselowski (No. 22, America’s Tire Dodge) posted his third top-10 finish in nine races at Auto Club Speedway and recorded his 24th top-10 finish in 2010.

“We just needed a little bit of speed to be able to beat the No. 18 and 33,” Keselowski said. “We slightly out-executed the 33 in pit stops on that last restart. I wish we had a little bit more speed on these track but we’re working on it. All in all, it was a decent and respectable day with a second-place finish.”
He continued: “That’s what we had to work with today. These races come down to short runs on the Nationwide side here in California. One of the things about California that has made this a great race on the Nationwide side is you don’t have the restrictor plate on it. California has turned into the new Daytona, some great racing, some great drafting.”

Kevin Harvick (No. 33, Jimmy John’s Chevrolet) had some excellent long runs, but some crucial pit stop errors prevented him from earning the victory. He finished third and posted his 13th top-10 finish in 16 races at ACS.

“I think you just look at the positive and you look at how fast my Jimmy John’s Chevrolet was and it was two weeks in a row where we’ve come with something different probably took the best car and gave it away on pit road,” Harvick said. “We’re going to make some changes on pit road this week and come back with something different. Our cars are just tremendously better then what they have been and obviously we’ve got to take the next step on pit road because they’re just doing a terrible job so we’ve got to fix that. That’s not what our operation is all about. If they can’t stand the pressure they’re going to have to go find something else to do.”

It was a nice run for Danica Patrick (No. 7, Tissot/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet), who started the day 14th for her best qualifying run in her eighth NNS race. She was headed for a top-15 finish when a hard wreck with two other cars ended her day with 10 laps to go. She finished 30th.

“I was really happy that the car was good on the long run,” Patrick said. “I was really happy with that. I was settling at the middle and really came on at the end. I’ve been really confused as to what it’s going to take to be good from the beginning to the end and I think that we’re getting closer. I really do. We’re going to have a lot of confidence going into Charlotte I think. It does make a difference to come back for a second time. It’s a bummer there aren’t going to be any others.”

Colin Braun (No. 16, Con-way Ford) was 13th and was the highest finishing rookie.

NASCAR invades California

Auto Club doesn't just sponsor the Track or the Teams, they come help when their Race Car won't start.
A real Road Service call at Auto Club HQ.

Kyle Busch’s dominance at Auto Club Speedway continued on Saturday with his record-extending 12th victory in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2010 as he took the checkered flag at the CampingWorld.com 300 despite a speeding penalty that forced him to play catch-up at the most crucial stages late in the race.

“Maybe I need to do it more often,” said Busch (No. 18, NOS Energy Drink Toyota), who was assessed a speeding violation coming out of pit road for the third time this season where he’s gone on to win the race. The speeding violation dropped him to 15th place.

“I don’t like doing it that late in the race,” he continued. “Obviously, it makes it a little bit harder and you never know what can happen. Especially those late cautions can happen at a point in which I get a speeding penalty and I’d have to go to the back and get caught in another one of those. Fortunately it all worked out our way and played out.

“Pit road probably won this race. I can’t thank these guys on pit road enough.”

To say the race was simply won on pit road would be a huge overstatement. The crafty Busch, who also won last February’s NNS Stater Bros. 300 at ACS, zigged in and out of traffic late in the race, ultimately claiming eight spots in 12 laps. He moved to second place after the third caution and passed Brad Keselowski for the lead with 38 laps left.

“You know we just worked our way through traffic, going high, going low, going where they weren’t and being able to get up through there,” Busch said. “Once you get up to seventh or sixth you kind slow and stop. I wasn’t making as much progress as I wish I could have. It was still some decent progress and then the caution came out and I got up there. The guys on pit road really helped me out today.”

Busch, who captured the pole position with a lap of 182.039 mph on the two-mile oval track, recorded his 42nd victory in 198 NNS races. He has now won 82 times in NASCAR national series competition.

It was Busch’s fourth victory and ninth top-10 finish in 12 races at Auto Club Speedway. He has won four of his last five starts here.

Busch held off Keselowski, who maintains his points standings lead by 384 points over Carl Edwards and finished second. Keselowski (No. 22, America’s Tire Dodge) posted his third top-10 finish in nine races at Auto Club Speedway and recorded his 24th top-10 finish in 2010.

“We just needed a little bit of speed to be able to beat the No. 18 and 33,” Keselowski said. “We slightly out-executed the 33 in pit stops on that last restart. I wish we had a little bit more speed on these track but we’re working on it. All in all, it was a decent and respectable day with a second-place finish.”
He continued: “That’s what we had to work with today. These races come down to short runs on the Nationwide side here in California. One of the things about California that has made this a great race on the Nationwide side is you don’t have the restrictor plate on it. California has turned into the new Daytona, some great racing, some great drafting.”

Kevin Harvick (No. 33, Jimmy John’s Chevrolet) had some excellent long runs, but some crucial pit stop errors prevented him from earning the victory. He finished third and posted his 13th top-10 finish in 16 races at ACS.

“I think you just look at the positive and you look at how fast my Jimmy John’s Chevrolet was and it was two weeks in a row where we’ve come with something different probably took the best car and gave it away on pit road,” Harvick said. “We’re going to make some changes on pit road this week and come back with something different. Our cars are just tremendously better then what they have been and obviously we’ve got to take the next step on pit road because they’re just doing a terrible job so we’ve got to fix that. That’s not what our operation is all about. If they can’t stand the pressure they’re going to have to go find something else to do.”


Colin Braun (No. 16, Con-way Ford) was 13th and was the highest finishing rookie.

News and interview courtesy Auto Club Speedway. Image credit: Dicken Wear

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Skid Plate Racing ... Irwindale's Toyota Speedway's Latest Motor Culture Craze

Over 20 cars and drivers showed up for a Memorial Day Weekend Saturday night race at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale – the home race track of Skid Plate racing. When the green flag dropped the field charged and slid down the front straight at maximum possible velocity. Perhaps a little too hot. Caption & Image Credit: Clunkbucket.com

Skid Plate Racing ... Irwindale's Toyota Speedway's Latest Motor Culture Craze

When one first hears the words, Skid Plate Racing, one immediately asks "WHAT?" At least that is what this reporter was left with.

There are many forms of automobile competition ... but none are as accessible as a series that is based upon the most available junker car platforms with the most common powerplants. All cars are mandatory STOCK save for one Teensy-Weensy specified modification ... the Skid Plate.

This racing platform and oval racing series is the brainchild of Auto Soccer and Demo Derby Master of Mayhem, Robert Rice. He developed, created, and tested the rear skid plate wheels for use in this unique to Irwindale style of 1/3 mile banked oval motor racing.

Part race car driver, part car owner, and all “mad scientist”, Rice and his intrepid crew of hardworking, hardcore, honest-to-Iaccoca team of car nuts designed, built, tested, and now race the heck out of a division that’s aptly-named “Skid Plate Cars” … because THAT is what they do.

SPARKS - what looks like track destruction is actually not harmful at all to the third-mile racing surface at Toyota Speedway where 30 of 40 of these machine can be seen racing at one time. The beveled lip and the large flat surface allow the plates to glide over the expensive asphalt showering copious sparks, but not damaging the track in the least. Caption & Image Credit: Toyota Speedway/Stokes Communications

The formula is simple: Take one front wheel drive compact or sub-compact car, remove the rear wheels, remove the tires from those wheels, weld a ¾” thick 10” x 20” steel plate to it, weld in some angle iron braces, drill a couple of holes in the inside of the rim and rattle-can the whole thing whatever color you’ve got a can of (oh yes, remember to bevel the front edge of that plate please!).

Take those wheel arrangements and bolt them back on the vehicle (that’s been race-prepped by having all window glass removed and the doors bolted shut on both sides).

Open the trunk and drill a 3/8” hole midway down each wheel arch, do the same thing in the rear seat area. Insert eye-bolts, cinch up and then do the same with both sides (front and rear) of the skid wheel. Attach a suitable length of strong chain on both sides and you are ready (as you’ll ever be) to go Skid Plate Racing.



Driving a Skid Plate Car is like driving on snow or ice with a cafeteria tray under each rear wheel or the park brake on while traversing a patch of glare ice. In other words, control is a sometimes thing, any and all driver inputs: steering, braking, gas pedal down (or up), even swearing at the thing, seem to have a mind of their own as to when something resembling what the driver asked for might actually happen.

A strong sense of pre-deja'vu and very limited imagination are two of the best things to have if one is thinking about any sort of pro career in one of these machines. Think of Skid Plate Racing as go-karting with a roof, a man-sized cockpit, with none of that pesky traction and cornering g-forces to contend with ... you will still spin, really, that's guaranteed!

Any 1980 or newer, four or six-cylinder, front wheel drive car with a 90-inch or longer wheelbase is OK. No secret reinforcements or buttressing is allowed. No added weight. However, hitting the buffet a few times to add weight to the driver before the race is way OK.

A Skid Plate Race car must be stock at its core. If you are going to run a V6, two of its cylinders must be disabled.

The skid plates are available from the House of Irwindale, and cannot be modified.

Big horsepower, a $500 paint job on your GFORCE or BELL brain bucket, neon piping on your fire suit, your race car’s body mounted with50 or 60 thousand out-of-pocket, and/or a $109,000.00 motorhome are all of no help here. On the other hand, a product sponsorship from a supplier Harbor Freight could be a big plus.

Thursday evening, October 7, 2010, fresh from Kansas Speedway, Penske Racing South and Mobil One are going Skid Plate Racing as a fun warm-up to this weekend's fourth NASCAR race for the ten event Sprint Cup Chase at Auto Club Speedway. There are no promises but participants will all be “members of the Penske stock car teams” which have as its drivers Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman. Since all of NASCAR is in town for the Chase ... who really knows just who might show up. This should be a good time for some friendly competition, after-all, it's only Skid Plate Racing!
(ht: Toyota Speedway/Stokes Communications)

... notes from The EDJE