CES is the world's gathering place for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years — the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace.
Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, it attracts the world's business leaders and pioneering thinkers.
Future-Focused Automakers Turning to Startups
CES 2020 cemented its role as the most important show for automotive technology, with a handful of new car introductions (and re-introductions) plus lots of standalone technologies this week. Most US auto shows other than perhaps LA don’t generate a critical mass of tech-oriented auto company people, analysts, and journalists. CES certainly did.
Automakers are preparing for the future of mobility by investing in and partnering with all sorts of technology and mobility-focused startups, which allows them to expand their knowledge, capability and expertise to remain relevant in an industry on the verge of massive transformation.
Some might snicker when Byton CEO Daniel Kircher called the M-Byte EV “the first smart device on wheels,” but not the people attending this show. Of the vehicle introductions and concept cars, all were electrified – EVs or plug-in hybrids – with no gas-engine-only vehicles introduced.
Enjoy this visual overview gathered on an overnight boomerang run from Los Angeles to Las Vegas Wednesday January 7th and Thursday January 8th, 2020. What a way to begin a year of exciting possibilities.
Drivers for the final and 40th Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race held on April Former racers: Al Unser Jr., Jimmy Vasser (not in photo), Eddie Lawson, Rod Millen, Max Papis, Mike Skinner and Ken Gushi. Actors: Stephen Baldwin, Ricky Schroder, Alfonso Ribeiro, Chris McDonald, Frankie Muniz, Brian Austin Green, William Fichtner, Adam Carolla and Brett Davern. Also: NBC Sports personality Rutledge Wood, swimmer Dara Torres, Toyota Senior Vice President Bob Carter and business executives Dave Passant and Doug Fregin Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2016)
Tribute To The Final Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race #TPCR40 After 40 Year Run
So just how does an annual charity event that lasts 40 years and raises more than $2.3 million to the “Racing for Kids” organization on behalf of this race and its participants by Toyota Motor Company get started?
According to Chris Pook, founder and organizer of the Grand Prix of Long Beach, through a simple gathering of motorsport competitors at a pre-race C-300 volunteer organization cocktail reception. A party where a prodding and joking attitude spurs the wish to see famous world champions and motor culture standouts racing side-by-side on a young, newly formed street race course.
The gathered group with Chris Pook included Theodore Racing Formula One car constructor from Hong Kong - Teddy Yip, INDY500/CART/NASCAR car builder, team owner, driver, and 11 year world Formula One competitor - Dan Gurney, former world Formula One champion - Phil Hill, and world Formula One champion - Graham Hill. The conversation that had Teddy Yip mention how great it would be to see these famous people perform in a demonstration race was shared with the Toyota Motor Company's Marketing Director for the Toyota offices in Torrance - Al Hagen ... and the rest, as they say, is history (see video above).
Another ex-F1 driver, Bob Bondurant, showed up and in 1975, four Toyota Celica cars, outfitted with Simpson 5-way driver harnesses, performed a five lap exhibition race on the track through the streets of Long Beach.
The race-ready, identically-prepared Toyota Scion FR-S cars will produce 210 horsepower, and are equipped with performance enhancements - VIDEO. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2016)
This final edition here in 2016 was raced with equally race-prepared 210-horsepower Toyota Scion FR-S 2-door sport coups.
The 40th Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race “Racing For Kids” charity all-star participants were a field of intensely competitive personalities who laid it all out for the final trophy and bragging rights. Listed in order of their first win in the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race and the years they performed in the race as follows:
Al Unser, Jr. (@AlUnserJr) 1985, 2009 and 2014
Pro/ Overall winner in 1985, 2009, Pro winner in 2014. Dubbed “King of the Beach,” as the winningest driver in Long Beach, with six Indy Car wins and three Pro/Celebrity wins. Also a 2-time Indy 500 winner, and 2-time IndyCar Champion.
Ricky Schroder 1989 and 1996
Celebrity/ Overall winner in 1989. Most recently starred in “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors.” Golden Globe winning actor best-known for roles in “Silver Spoons,” “NYPD Blue” and “Get Him to the Greek.”
Eddie Lawson 1993
Pro/ Overall winner in 1993. Motorcycle Hall of Famer and four-time 500cc World Champion. He also earned back-to-back AMA 250 Grand Prix Series, AMA Superbike Series Championships, won the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hour race, and was a two-time winner of the Daytona 200.
Alfonso Ribeiro (@Alfonso_Ribeiro) 1994, 1995, 1996 and 2015
Celebrity/ Overall winner in 1994 & 1995, Pro/ Overall winner in 2015. Currently the host of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” on ABC and “Unwrapped 2.0” on the Cooking Channel. Known for his iconic role of Carlton on “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and in 2014, he took home the coveted Mirror Ball trophy on “Dancing With the Stars.”
Rod Millen (@LeadFootNZ) 1992 and 1995
Pro winner in 1995. Winner of three-consecutive Grand National Sport Truck titles, 5-time Toyota Pikes Peak Unlimited class winner, and 3-time Toyota off-road stadium truck champion.
Sean Patrick Flanery (@SeanFlanery) 1997 and 1998
Celebrity/ Overall Winner in 1997, Pro/ Overall Winner in 1998. A television and film actor, best-known for his roles in “Powder,” “Boondock Saints” and Showtime’s “Dexter.” His second book, Jane Two: A Novel, drops in April.
Dara Torres (@DaraTorres) 2002, 2004 and 2015
Celebrity/ Overall winner in 2002. 12-time Olympic medalist swimmer, who was named as one of the “Top Female Athletes of the Decade” by Sports Illustrated. In 2002, she was the first woman to win the Toyota Pro/Celebrity race.
Max Papis (@MaxPapis) 2004
Pro/ Overall winner in 2004. “Mad Max,” a stock car race driver has competed in many top-level motorsports events including the Le Mans 24 Hours, Formula One and Champ Car. He has three Champ Car victories.
Chris McDonald (@YesItsChrisMcD) 2001, 2004 and 2005
Celebrity winner in 2004. Currently co-starring in HBO’s “Ballers,” after a stint on CBS’s “The Good Wife.” He has starred in over 100 movies, but is best-known for playing ‘Shooter McGavin’ in “Happy Gilmore.”
Frankie Muniz (@FrankieMuniz) 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2011
Celebrity winner in 2005. Starred in “Sharknado: Heart of Sharkness,” and best-known for his role in “Malcolm in the Middle.” His diverse resume also includes race car driver, drummer of pop-rock group’s Kingsfoil, and Ambassador for the Armed Forces Foundation.
Mike Skinner (@SkinnerRoundUp) 2007 and 2008
Pro winner in 2007 & 2008. 1995 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion, and the 1997 Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year. He has competed in over 550 races in NASCAR’s top three divisions.
Doug Fregin 2009, 2012 and 2014
Charity auction winner in 2009, 2012 & 2014. He has donated over $320,000 to “Racing For Kids.” Co-Founder of Research in Motion (now Blackberry) and Quantum Valley Investments Fund.
Brian Austin Green 1997, 2010 and 2011
Celebrity winner in 2010. An actor, director, and producer, who came to fame on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” recently starred on “Anger Management” on FX. He’s also known for roles in “Desperate Housewives,” “Smallville” and “Las Vegas.”
Jimmy Vasser (@JimmyVasser) 2010
Pro/ Overall winner in 2010. Former Toyota Atlantic Series and IndyCar driver. 1996 IndyCar World Series Champion. He is an IndyCar team owner, and owns three Toyota dealerships.
Ken Gushi (@KenGushi) 2011
Pro winner in 2011. He was once the youngest, most successful drift competitor in Japan, and in the U.S. With numerous Top 3 finishes in national and international drifting competitions, his racing career has just begun.
William Fichtner 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2012
Celebrity/ Overall winner in 2011. A television, theater and film star, he will be seen in the June releases of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” and “Independence Day: Resurgence.”
Adam Carolla (@AdamCarolla) 2003, 2010, 2012 and 2013
Celebrity/ Overall winner in 2012, Pro winner in 2013. He is best known as a comedian, actor, radio personality, television host and New York Times bestselling author. He can be heard daily on his podcast “The Adam Carolla Show.”
Rutledge Wood (@RutledgeWood) 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015
Celebrity/ Overall winner in 2013. A NASCAR analyst for NBC Sports, he can also be seen in History Channel’s “Lost In Transmission,” and as co-host of “Top Gear USA” which just finished filming its sixth season.
Brett Davern (@BDavv) 2013, 2014 and 2015
Celebrity/ Overall winner in 2014. Actor who stars as ‘Jake Rosati’ in MTV's hit series “Awkward.” He recently appeared in the Beach Boys bio-pic “Love & Mercy” and “The Stanford Prison Experiment.”
Dave Pasant 2001, 2002, 2003, 2010, 2013 and 2015
Celebrity winner in 2015, and 7-time charity auction winner. A retired insurance executive, he has participated in this race six times, donating a total of $417,000 to “Racing For Kids.” He is also an executive producer of “Road Hard,” starring Adam Carolla.
Bob Carter
Carter is the Senior Vice President of Automotive Operations for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.
The race, itself, was as raucous a contest as was predicted ... damaged cars, YELLOW Flags, and a FULL Course Red Flag stopping the field during the race due to the potential injuring of a course worker that could have ended up a lot worse than it looked on the broadcast ... which was bad.
Alfonso Ribeiro (L), already having obtained the lead was pursued heavily by Max Papis (M), currently a Race Steward for the Verizon IndyCar Series, with Rod Millen (R), 5-time Toyota Pikes Peak Unlimited winner, riding his tail. This trio rounded out the top three finishers. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2016)
In the end, Alfonso Ribeiro won the 40th and final Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, truly a fan favorite event at the Grand Prix of Long Beach that will be missed more than Toyota or the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, at this moment, knows.
"I owe an awful lot to the city of Long Beach, they've been so supportive, and to Toyota, 40 years putting on this fantastic Pro/Celebrity Race and promoting Long Beach the way they have," Ribeiro said.
Max Papis won the Pro category by finishing 4.872 seconds behind Ribeiro.
"It is just an amazing event and who won was the kids this event supports," said Papis. "This is the best street course in America, maybe the world."
Rod Millen, the Pro winner in 1995, was third and followed by Adam Carolla and Mike Skinner, the Pro winner in 2007 and 2008. (ht: abcnews.go.com)
Race Overview Here >>>
(contains photos of the drivers at race's end performing donuts for the crowd)
From Left to Right: Max Papis P2 celebrates with the last and 40th winner of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, Alfonso Ribeiro and P3 Rod Millen during their victory lap around the track at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2016).
“The pace of this race was extremely fast and the drivers were very competitive at the start,” said President and CEO of the Grand Prix Association Jim Michaelian. “There was some exciting action in the field that had the fans on their feet, and we are glad everyone will walk away unscathed.
Congratulations to Alfonso Ribeiro on his victory. A special thanks to all this year’s participants who helped make the final race exciting. All their enthusiasm is, ultimately, for a great cause, and the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race was proud to be able to make it happen one last time.”
Trophy celebration for one last time for this enjoyable TGPLB event fan favorite. Standing on the Victory Circle Podium is (L to R) Max Papis P2, Alfonso Ribeiro P1, and P3 Rod Millen. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2016)
Toyota will donate $5,000 to Racing for Kids in the name of each participant, for a total of $100,000, and an additional $5,000 to Fresh Start Surgical Gifts on behalf of Ribeiro. Fresh Start Surgical Gifts is a national nonprofit program benefiting infants, children and teens with physical deformities caused by birth defects, accidents, abuse or disease through the gift of reconstructive surgery.
The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race is scheduled to be broadcast on CBS Sportsnet on May 8 at 6 PM ET, and will re-air numerous times. (Check your local listings for details)
Fans can follow the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on Facebook at GrandPrixLB, Twitter @ToyotaGPLB (#TPCR40) and Instagram at ToyotaGPLB.
TAGS:Al Unser Jr., Jimmy Vasser, Eddie Lawson, Rod Millen, Max Papis, Mike Skinner and Ken Gushi, Stephen Baldwin, Ricky Schroder, Alfonso Ribeiro, Chris McDonald, Frankie Muniz, Brian Austin Green, William Fichtner, Adam Carolla and Brett Davern, Rutledge Wood, Dara Torres, Bob Carter, Dave Passant, Doug Fregin, Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, #TPCR40, Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach, #TGPLB42, Chris Pook, Teddy Yip, Dan Gurney, Phil Hill, Graham Hill, Bob Bondurant, Al Hagen, Toyota,
The
2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup season promises to be a year of exciting change
for Clint Bowyer. The former paint-and-body man at Kansas car
dealerships has moved up in the world. Image Credit: 5-hour ENERGY
Racing (2014)
K&N PRO SERIES RETURNS TO IRWINDALE! NAPA AUTO PARTS 150 MARCH 22 - Special Guest: 'Cup' Driver Clint Bowyer
Irwindale, Calif. - - After a two-year absence, all the short track
action and excitement of the K&N Pro Series West will be back at
"LA's Half-Mile Superspeedway" when the Napa Auto Parts 150 championship
series event roars to life on Saturday night, March 22, 2014!
"We're all very pleased to have this top pro series back at Irwindale
... we really missed them," said Race Director Mike Atkinson. "These
these drivers and their teams are some of the most competitive in the
business.
If you haven't witnessed twenty-six K&N West drivers mixing it up
on a fast half-mile track like Irwindale, you've really missed some
very exciting short-course stock car racing."
This event will be the first race on the busy Irwindale Speedway
calendar for 2014 and will feature a very special guest appearance by
Clint Bowyer, driver of the #15 5-Hour Energy Sprint Cup Toyota for
Michael Waltrip Racing.
Irwindale
Speedway and Dragstrip has announced that it will honor its 2013 NASCAR
and NHRA champions at a special dinner and awards ceremony at the
Courtyard by Marriott Monrovia. The event is set for Friday evening,
March 7 and will begin with an informal reception at 6:30pm followed by
dinner at 7:00pm, with the awards presentations following directly
thereafter.Image Credit: performanceracing.com (2012)
Tickets for the March 22 K&N event are now available on the
website: www.irwindaleeventcenter.com as well as by telephone at the
Speedway ticket office: 626-358-1100
SPECIAL NOTE: This year's season ticket package gives fans all 18
races on the Irwindale 2014 NASCAR calendar for the incredibly low price
of only $99 and that includes the above K&N Pro race. Fans can
further enhance their Speedway experience by adding close-in VIP $99
reserved parking at all 18 NASCAR events. There's even a "bundled"
price of $189 for tickets and special parking at every event. More
info. 626.358.1100
IZOD IndyCar
Series race car driver, and three-time champion, Scott Dixon shares his
good emotions about capturing the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series Championship
for Target Chip Ganassi Racing at the MAVTv 500 Auto Club Speedway's
press conference. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2013)
Scott Dixon Post 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series Season Interview
33
year old Scott Ronald Dixon, is a New Zealand race car driver who
became the most successful all-time driver in the Indy Racing League
(IRL) championship in the United States when he won the Honda Indy 200
at Mid-Ohio in August 2009. This took his total to 20 wins.
Competing
for Chip Ganassi Racing since joining IndyCar, Dixon has won the
championship three times, in 2003, 2008, and just this weekend in the
MAVTv 500 at Auto Club Speedway, and he won the 92nd Indianapolis 500 in
2008 from pole position.
Among notable awards won by
Dixon are the Jim Clark Trophy (1999, 2001, 2004) and the Bruce McLaren
Trophy (2003, 2008). In 2012 he was appointed Member of the New Zealand
Order of Merit.
IndyCar Series
Race Director, Beaux Barfield, waves Scott Dixon out to take his
qualification run for the MAVTv 500 at the Auto Club Speedway in
Fontana, California. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2013)
Scott, you are with Edmund Jenks - welcome to Motorsports Unplugged and Race Talk Radio.
1)
At the Auto Club Speedway's post race press conference, it was pointed
out that the French sports publication L'Equipe wrote that your latest
accomplishment would have your legacy move ahead of the likes of Denny
Hulme and Bruce McLaren as New Zealand's most successful driver in terms
of annual titles. I heard your response to L'Equipe's assertion --- Now
that you have had time to digest this assertion for about 36 hours,
what do you make of this hearlding that you are New Zealand's most
successful race car driver?
2) It was reported that Max Papis put out a 'Tweet' (a 140 character communication message on Twitter) ... Watching
yesterday @IndyCar race if they don't change something on those Ovals
is just a matter of time before one of my friends will die!! Max
seems to be concerned about how long it will be when a driver might
pass away due to injuries with the rules package used at a superspeedway
like Auto Club Speedway. Do you think open-wheel racing is safe enough
running 3-wide at over 200mph?
Scott Dixon
takes his #9 Honda-powered Dallara DW12 race car out under a full moon
practice run at Auto Club Speedway. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2013)
3) This 2013 championship is the first one
earned within the merged and integrated field of drivers and racing
venues from ChampCar - with the variety of racing venues presented in
the present day IndyCar series, which type of track do you enjoy the
best? You have shown accomplishment on all types.
4)
In the not so distant past, it was obvious who the top 2 or 3 contenders
would be for the title by the season's halfway point, but this year a
driver would emerge and then have issues - was this part of the learning
curve of year two with the new DW12 Dallara car and engine combos?
5)
Speaking of engine combinations - how involved with the motor engineers
do you become - what is your habit? Working with Japanese racing
engineers, first at Toyota, then at Honda for these last dozen or so
years ... how do you anticipate working with the engineers at Chevrolet
will go - any differences?
6) There has been a lot of
background discussion on the introduction of a road race at Indianapolis
Motor Speedway and the timing of the race in the schedule - Do you care
if the Indy road course is raced in the same month - the Month of May -
as the Indy 500? Does it matter?
A beaming team
owner, Chip Ganassi (right) discusses the meaning of being competitive
with the support of Target Chip Ganassi Racing's managing director, Mike
Hull. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2013)
7) For 2014 - What do you think of the new
Tudor road racing series? I assume you'll be driving in it ... any idea
as to which car Ganassi Racing will go with? The Daytona Prototypes or
the ALMS style P2 cars?
8) Do you have an opinion on the Indy Lights series and the troubles they're going through?
9)
The last time we talked, just before your going to Valencia to receive
some instruction from Olympian Skeet Shooter, Kim Rhodes, we discussed
the options for the community service that was going to be asked of you
as a driver for the penalty assessed post Baltimore for comments made
out of frustration. Now that the season is over and are now a three-time
IndyCar champion, do you expect to be awarded a modification taking in
the time served over the next few months due to the additional
promotional appearances based on this 2013 IndyCar Championship
accomplishment?
Book category finalists for the Motor Press Guild's Dean Batchelor Award. The annual award banquet singles out individuals demonstrating outstanding achievement in the profession of automotive journalism. Each year MPG presents the Dean Batchelor Award to the journalist judged to have produced the single piece of work which best represents the professional standards and excellence demanded by Dean Batchelor during his life as an editor, writer, and chronicler of the automotive industry. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)
2012 Dean Batchelor Award Is Snagged By "Porsche - Origin of the Species"
Every year since 1995, when the Motor Press Guild decided to bestow it's true highest honor by naming the prestigious process of recognition on the efforts of its community of communications professionals after Dean Batchelor, the Dean Batchelor Award has set the standard of automotive journalistic recognition.
Dean Batchelor's career spanned many disciplines, from aircraft builder, B-17 flyer, to race car driver and automotive journalist and through it all he proved to be the consummate historian, editor, racer, designer, and hot rodder.
The award builds from a series of awards honoring three publishing categories defined as Best Article, Best Book, and Best Audio/Visual.
The three finalists in each category are culled from potentially tens of nominations submitted by Motor Press Guild members who have seen an outstanding published effort and thought it worthy of recognition with in the year of the honor.
Best Article Dean Batchelor Award 2012 presentation. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)
This year, the following finalists for Best Article were "Tambay: The Phoenix" By Thomas Stahler (Vintage Motorsport, May/June 2012) | "The Dillinger Trail" By Peter Egan (Road & Track, March 2012) | "The World's Fastest Hot Rod" By Greg Sharp (The Rodder's Journal, Spring 2012) with the Article of the Year Award going to "The World's Fastest Hot Rod" By Greg Sharp.
Best Book Dean Batchelor Award 2012 presentation. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)
The following finalists for Best Book were "In The Red" By Jade Gurss (Octane Press) | "Porsche - Origin of the Species" by Karl Ludvigsen (Bentley Publishers) | "The Stainless Steel Carrot: An Auto Racing Odessey - Revisited" By Sylvia Wilkinson (Brown Fox Books) with the Book of the Year Award going to "Porsche - Origin of the Species" by Karl Ludvigsen.
Best Audio/Visual Dean Batchelor Award 2012 presentation. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)
The following finalists for Best Audio/Visual were "Corvette ZR1 Review - Exotic Driver" By Todd Deeken and Paul Schmucker (EverydayDriver.com, September 27, 2012) | "A Look At London's BMW Art Drive" By Alistair Weaver (InsideLine.com, August 6, 2012) | "KBB Races A Mazda Miata" By Micah Muzio and Michael Delano - Kelley Blue Book (KBB.com, February 22, 2012) with the Audio/Visual of the Year Award going to "KBB Races A Mazda Miata" By Micah Muzio and Michael Delano - Kelley Blue Book.
The 2012 Dean Batchelor Award is bestowed upon a choice from one of these three category award honorees Article of the Year Award going to "The World's Fastest Hot Rod" By Greg Sharp | Book of the Year Award going to "Porsche - Origin of the Species" by Karl Ludvigsen | Audio/Visual of the Year Award going to "KBB Races A Mazda Miata" By Micah Muzio and Michael Delano - Kelley Blue Book with the 2012 Dean Batchelor Award going to Book of the Year Award going to "Porsche - Origin of the Species" by Karl Ludvigsen.
Book of the Month at Bentley Publishers becomes Book of the Year for Motor Press GuildImage Credit: Bentley Publishers (2012)
This edited and excerpted from Bentley Publishers (and was included in the presentation from the podium during the award presentation) -
Classic and Sports Car - December 2012 BOOK OF THE MONTH
Porsche - Origin of the Species by Karl Ludvigsen It's hard to imagine that there's a Porsche stone unturned for respected marque historian Karl Ludvigsen. But, inspired by an early 356 - comedian Jerry Seinfeld's treasured Gmünd coupe 2-040 - the American historian set out to reveal the story of the landmark 1950s sports model. And top studio photographer Michael Furman provides a superb set of the historic survivor. Ludvigsen's journey of fastidious research took him from factory archives to owners and specialists while unravelling this fascinating tale. This hefty, 344-page title covers the evolution of pre-war streamliners through to the early operations in the wooden sawmill in Gmünd, Austria. Putting Porsche's development in context, the book also covers VW Beetle-based specials and coach built variants. Ludvigsen's writing style is a captivating joy to read, plus the main text is accompanied by fascinating panels including Robert Cumberford on styling, Miles Collier on preservation and Alex Finigan on ownership. The final pages are devoted to a complete reproduction of Porsche's trial reports on '040', and an early 1949 356 Betriebsanleitung (operating manual).
[Reference Here]
A wonderful time spent with like-minded folks and meeting new friends. The Petersen Automotive Museum provided the backdrop for the evening's presentations and all of the finalists from all categories were equally honored to be mentioned along side of the eventual 2012 Dean Batchelor Award honoree.
Sponsors for the evening included Hyundai, Mothers, Jaguar, Land Rover, Honda, Ford, Audi, General Motors, Infiniti, Mazda, Porsche, Subaru, and Toyota - Thanks. ... notes from The EDJE ** Article first published as 2012 Dean Batchelor Award Is Snagged By "Porsche - Origin of the Species" on Technorati **
The Motor Press Guild board of directors in a moment of recognition during the presentation of the Dean Batchelor Best of the Year Award. The award was bestowed upon a book titled "Porsche - Origin of the Species" By Karl Ludvigsen CIMechE MSAE. The 2012 Dean Batchelor Awards banquet was held on Tuesday evening Dec. 11, 2012 at the Petersen Automotive Museum. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)
Real Automotive Journalists, Past and Present Why do we read what they have to say, and trust them?
I would say that a Journalism degree is helpful, but knowledge of Automobiles, some sort of real experience in the Automotive Industry, as a Driver, Mechanic, Engineer, Designer, Crew Person, or maybe as a Race Official would surely be an important requirement. There are far too many people these days that get jobs as PR people, Writers, or Reporters doing stories about Automobiles now that have no real understanding of the automotive industry, and automobile design. We had a Ranking Officer in the largest Automotive Media Group in the USA that did not know who Brock Yates was.
Now I never met William Shakespeare or Ernest Hemingway, but I knew who they were. We have lost Chris Economaki, David E Davis, Dick Dixon, John Fitch, and Jon Knapp. Some we all knew, some a few of us knew well. But what made them readable and credible was we knew, they knew what they were talking about. Brock Yates, Csaba Csere, Rich Ceppos, Pat Bedard, Aaron Robinson, John Reite, Wes Raynal, Mark Vaughn, John Dinkel, Tom Cotter and Aaron Robinson are real Automotive Journalists that have a real Automotive knowledge most based on years of designing, building, fixing, racing, testing real automobiles. Where will the next Brock Yates or Csaba Csere come from?
Honda has a TV commercial that states, anyone can have a Blog. Sadly this is true. Time magazine will stop being a printed publication at the end of this year. The Media World is changing daily. New Media (as my colleague Edmund Jenks calls it) is the future. Internet based publications, newsletters, updates are all used by AutoWeek, Car and Driver, Road & Track, Motor Trend, etc. And all use the Internet to get the latest news out to it's subscribers.
Time Magazine becomes an Internet Publication next year. Soon other Paper and Ink Publications will transition to the Internet. One day new publications will start online and have their entire presence Internet based. Some of the best Karting Publications once paper and ink, mailed to subscribers and members of Race Series have been converted to e-publications only. Automotive Publications change often, and in some cases it for the better. But if all good Automotive Publications go from paper and print to online publications, what will we read at the Doctors offices, Discount Tire stores, and on Southwest Airline flights?
So while the world of Automotive Media has changed, will continue to change over the years, the changes will come more often and sooner than in the past. But the one thing that should not change, is where we get our Automotive Journalists. They should come from MIT, Chrysler, NASCAR, USAC, Service Departments, Race Teams, and years of love for the cool cars. Hot Rods, Muscle Cars, Sports Cars, Exotics, 4X4 Trucks and all the rest.
Larry Reynolds, Brian Till, Chris Neville, Tommy Kendall are the guys who know what's real, they know all the players, drivers, crews, series, sponsors and the fans. These are the guys we want to tell us the stories, take the pictures, keep the history alive. I'm not sure if the all have Degrees in Journalism, but these are the guys we need to tell us what's real and good.
Maybe a good automotive journalist is a person that can talk to the newsmakers, watch the crews and drivers, take the pictures, listen to their stories and write it all down. But then again if you don't know what it takes to drive, what it takes to build them, fix them and race them, how will you ever know if what they tell you is the truth? (The above re-posted from a question seen on FB)
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)
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.
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
The very exclusive $375,000.00 Lexus LF-A sports car. Image Credit: Autoweek via Toyota Motor Corporation
Lexus-Toyota Safety: When a Million Dollars an hour is not enough! (Commentary from The Motorsports Report - Lexus is owned by Toyota - from a report in Autoweek)
Hiromu Naruse, the chief test driver for the Lexus LF-A sports car, was killed on Wednesday in a crash on a public road near the famed Nürburgring where a prototype of a special Nürburgring edition of the car has been undergoing testing.
The 67-year-old Naruse apparently collided with a test car driven by two BMW test drivers outside the 'Ring. The BMW drivers were injured, with one reported to be in critical condition, but are expected to survive.
The LF-A supercar was revealed in production trim at the 2009 Tokyo motor show and is expected to go into production late this year as a 2012 model. The company plans to build just 500 copies of the $375,000 cars over a 24-month period. The $70,000 Nürburgring option will be offered on 50 cars, featuring a 562-hp version of the car's 4.8-liter V10 and other exclusive features. Reference Here>>
Toyota chief test driver, Hiromu Naruse, the Godfather (creator) of the LFA and personal driver to Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s President, dies in a crash behind the wheel of a Nurburgring Edition Lexus LF-A prototype. Image Credit: AutoBlog via Rhein-Wied, Rhein-Zeitung, Spiegel
Editor’s Note: Toyota has come out with an Ad campaign this month that claims it spends, “A Million Dollars an Hour on Safety”. I’d like to know is that 24/7 or just Monday thru Friday 8 to 5?
A million dollars an hour may sound like a lot of money to some, but in the real world of many things it not very much. It is costing BP more than that every day in lost stock value, disaster clean up, lost lives and lost product, (and I’ll bet they are spending that much on lawyers and legal fees every day).
The US Government wastes that much money every day on paper and ink. A top Funny Car or Formula One Team can spend that much money per hour at a Race.
And, to be clear, all Auto Companies spend that much and sometimes more (I’ll bet Mercedes and BMW does).
Judging from the photos of the damage this was not a High Speed incident but did appear to be the sort of accident damage you would see when any two cars hit head-on while trying to change lanes to avoid collision (someone Zigged, when they should have Zagged).
Perhaps it is time to have all countries use the same side to drive on, and adopt “Keep Right Except To Pass” laws worldwide. I know this would solve many of the traffic flow problems in many states and cities. It would even make California a great place to drive once again instead of the worst.
DG-Spec and Scion Win Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Robert Stout Drives Number 18 Car to World Challenge Touring Car Victory
In front of one of the largest crowds at any race in the world, the DG-Spec Scion road racing team showed they have what it takes for World Challenge gold. Robert Stout drove the number 18 Scion tC to a decisive victory through the historic streets of Long Beach. The win brings Scion their first in the Touring Car category.
The event began with positive signs during the first practice on Friday. Team owner and driver Dan Gardner was the fastest Touring Car, with Stout taking second position. Neither driver had ever driven the course before, showing just how fast the two can come up to speed. Things were looking good, despite Gardner and the 36 car getting drilled by a GT Porsche early in the session. Most of the damage from the incident proved to be cosmetic, and the team had it fixed in a jiffy.
The second and final practice session of the event would take place on Saturday morning, so teams had little time to make any preparations. The 18 and 36 cars took to the track, but on the first complete lap on the front straight of Shoreline, something clearly was wrong with the 36. Gardner looked in his mirrors and saw them filled with a thick cloud of smoke. He radioed in that he thought the car was on fire, but heard over the radio that it might be oil. As he pulled his finger away from the fire button, Gardner tried to assess the situation. Further down the straight, Gardner saw the oil pressure warning going off. As he limped the car down the straight, he shut the engine off, and coasted past Turn 1 into the runoff.
The team would find a severed oil cooler line, and it was time to find out if the motor could be salvaged. The motor shut-down had kept it from grenading, but other damage still may have occurred. The team did their due diligence, and all signs were positive. Unfortunately, when they finally started the motor back up, the gut-wrenching sound of rod knock dashed all hope for the engine.
The second practice did, however, yield some good news as Stout was now the fastest Touring Car, nipping the RealTime Honda Civic Si by two-tenths of a second.
Huge logistical challenges stood in the team’s way, as their rig was a mile away, and because the track was constantly hot, they couldn’t easily get their spare motor over to their pit in the convention center. But with the dedicated crew of Brad Allen, Sean Morris, John McNulty, David Fredrickson, and special addition Merritt Johnson, they figured out a way. A furniture dolly and a lot of pushing took care of the motor, and the great guys at CRP Racing loaned their engine hoist.
The crew’s blood, sweat, and tears took them into 4 in the morning, but they got it done, and the 36 car would be ready for Qualifying, which would take place just four hours later.
Bleary eyed and filled with caffeine, a few hours later the crew began staging the cars for Qualifying. The entire session had been shortened, as it was to be split, with the GT cars going the first 12 minutes, and the TC and GTS cars heading out for the second 12. As they went out on track, Gardner constantly watched his gauges, radioing back to the crew the status. Things were looking good, but the entire session was spent with an eagle eye on the dash, looking for anything that could cost the team another motor.
Gardner was working on a decent flier when he caught the Mazda RX-8 of Eric Meyer doing a cool down lap going into Turn 1. That would put an end to the flier, but the car looked to be in good shape…frustrating, but some good news was to come. When the results came in, Stout had barely gotten edged out by Nick Wittmer in the RealTime Civic Si. The difference was the same two-tenths from the second practice, but this time it had gone RealTime’s way. Still, the team now sat with the 18 and 36 cars, second and fourth on grid respectively.
Image Credit: Dicken Wear (2010)
The race was to take place that afternoon. The 18 car was looking good, but the 36 showed some minor signs of detonation. World-Class tuner Shawn Church of Church Automotive Testing sprung into action, analyzing the logs and emailing Gardner a tweaked map for the new motor. This was to be the final step of the motor swap.
As the race approached, both cars took their starting spots and prepared for the standing start. The light boxes extinguished and both Scions churned their front tires, boiling a bit, but launching hard forward. Stout mostly held his line, as Gardner made a move to the inside up against the wall. He passed a few cars and then situated on the back bumper of the 18 car, on the outside of Turn 1. GTS and TC cars were now intermingled and it looked like the cars would go 3 or 4 wide into the first turn. Gardner moved to the inside, and then moments later got rammed by Meyer’s Mazda, putting a hole in the Scion, and tearing off the RX-8s front bumper.
Stout stood his ground and followed Wittmer’s Civic through the mayhem, holding onto the second spot, as Gardner moved up into third. Coming back around and entering the hairpin, the RealTime Civic got a bad exit, allowing both Stout and Gardner to make a run on the leader. Stout motored by before start-finish, but Gardner would see Wittmer make his one move hard to the inside to thwart Gardner from getting around. As Gardner swung to the outside, the Civic made another move down the straight to block that lane, then weaved a bit, until bailing out to go track right in preparation for Turn 1.
Image Credit: Dicken Wear (2010)
Gardner stayed inside, late-braked, bounced of the apex and moved track right. On the way to the Fountain, Wittmer crashed into Gardner, causing the Scion to lose a mirror, but Gardner stood his ground and took the position. Stout and Gardner were now 1-2. The Civic started to slow, and the team would later learn heheh had flattened his tire after making contact with Gardner. As the Civic pulled into the pits, Meyer took over third and began hunting down Gardner. All the while, Stout started to pull away.
A call came in from the crew to the 36 car that race control thought it may again be leaking oil. Gardner noticed some strange behavior with the oil pressure and became concerned that they may have another motor problem. He watched the gauges relentlessly, all the while trying to keep the gap between his car and the Mazda.
Most of the rest of the race was spent keeping a close eye on GT cars as they pushed their way back up through the TC cars several times. Gardner kept an eye on the dash, and Stout just drove smart. Late in the race, Stout would report that the car was wandering on the straight, but he kept in all in check.
Unfortunately for Gardner, on Lap 15, as Turn 9 approached, he turned in a hair early, clipped the apex, and then felt the car go to an evil push condition. Gardner saw the wall at the exit fast approaching. He turned the wheel harder right, but still glanced the wall. The incident would unfortunately bend a lower control arm, forcing Gardner to retire. Stout, however, would hold onto the lead, taking the number 18 DG-Spec Scion tC across the finish line for the big win.
Image Credit: Dicken Wear (2010)
“It’s quite obviously a huge win for the team,” said Gardner. “We just won Long Beach, and that’s a major accomplishment. My hat’s off to Robert for a good, clean drive. I’m a bit disappointed in myself. It just goes to prove what all racers know…small errors on a street course have major consequences. It’s my first DNF that’s entirely my fault. It’s hard when you know you were sailing to a 1-2 finish, but you have to get over it, move on, and go kick some butt next time.”
Stout, at just 18 years old, became the youngest driver in World Challenge history to win a race. The win brings the team, Stout, and Scion their first TC victory.
“I’m on the top of the world,” Stout said. “I’m not sure I dreamed of winning a World Challenge race so soon, especially not Long Beach. Dan and the DG-Spec crew gave me a great car to drive, and I just put my head down to get the job done. Right now I’m still filled with excitement, but soon it will be time to put the game face on and get ready for Mosport. Anything can happen in racing, and I’m not going to take anything for granted.”
With the victory, Stout moves into first place in the season points standings with 350. Gardner holds his fourth place standing, and is just a single point out of third and 18 out of second. The team’s performance pushes Scion into the lead for the Manufacturers’ Points, ahead of second place VW and third place Honda.
The team now readies for a double-header at Mosport and the Victoria Day SpeedFest, in Ontario, Canada. The event will take place May 21-23. Saturday’s race will begin at 2:50 p.m. Eastern, and Sunday’s race will begin at 12:45 p.m. (HT: Story with permission from Dan Gardner | Edited by Dicken Wear/Ed Jenks)
Photo Journalist holding Credentials from MPG, PAPA & AARWBA, | Memberships (past & present): IKF, WKA, CIK, SKUSA, SEMA, PAPA, SAE | Licenses (past & present) IMSA, NASA, SCCA-PRO, FIA, NASCAR, EMRA, ASRA | Secretary: Kart Industry Council (KIC) | CEO: American Indoor Kart Racing Series | COO: Amateur Karting Association | Entrant / Driver: Pirelli World Challenge Racing Series. Member: LinkedIn. (Apologies for typos and errors in grammar, I was not an English major in school).
Edmund Jenks: Memberships - Motor Press Guild (MPG) Professional Journalist | AARWBA | PAPA | NMPA | ibnma - International Blogging & New Media Association - Founding Member | Pajamas Media (MAXINE) - Blog Roll, Citizen Journalist | NowPublic - Editor, Feature Page Manager (Motorsports, Tech & Biz) | EXAMINER - LA Conservative Examiner & LA Motor Culture Examiner | Blog: ... notes from The EDJE
The
2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup season promises to be a year of exciting change
for Clint Bowyer. The former paint-and-body man at Kansas car
dealerships has moved up in the world. Image Credit: 5-hour ENERGY
Racing (2014)
Irwindale
Speedway and Dragstrip has announced that it will honor its 2013 NASCAR
and NHRA champions at a special dinner and awards ceremony at the
Courtyard by Marriott Monrovia. The event is set for Friday evening,
March 7 and will begin with an informal reception at 6:30pm followed by
dinner at 7:00pm, with the awards presentations following directly
thereafter.Image Credit: performanceracing.com (2012)
