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Motor Authority - blog Tag: Racing

  • Driving Shoes For Life In The Fast Lane

    Driving Shoes For Life In The Fast Lane September 30th, 2009 By Robert Dillman Robert Dillman, September 30th, 2009 Robert Dillman 2 Comments

    Driving Shoes For Life In The Fast Lane

    The art of driving has been around since before the days of alcohol bootleggers and even the first Le Mans race. To some, it’s a sacred skill passed down from prior generations, while to a rare few it just comes naturally.

    For the average auto enthusiast, there are many modifications that can be made to your car and driving skills--all the way down to your feet. Special driving shoes have become quite popular amongst the car community. From rally drivers to morning commuters and everyone in between, almost everybody has their favorite shoes for driving.

    In fact, today there are shoe companies that specialize only in driving shoes and...

    The art of driving has been around since before the days of alcohol bootleggers and even the first Le Mans race. To some, it’s a sacred skill passed down from prior generations, while to a rare few it just comes naturally. For the average auto enthusiast, there are many modifications that can be made to your car and driving skills--all the way down to your feet. Special driving shoes have become quite popular amongst the car community. From rally drivers to morning commuters and everyone in between, almost everybody has their favorite shoes for driving. In fact, today there are shoe companies that specialize only in driving shoes and apparel. Companies like Piloti, Sparco, G-Force, Simpson, and even skateboard brand D.C. are all cranking out different styles and colors of racing-type shoes. So why are these shoes so popular and what do they offer? For starters, they look great. Most are made from stylish leather, suede, Alcantara and even carbon-fiber. Also, the manufacturers provide many color schemes and designs to match any vehicle. The biggest luxury that driving shoes offer is their light weight, slim design and comfort--huge details for somebody that uses heel to toe downshifting on a regular basis, or constantly needs to throw down those left-footed braking techniques. To meet these needs, most driving shoes are constructed with rounded heels and springy toes to help drivers better maneuver through the pedals. The arch and heels are also reinforced with plastics so your feet won’t get tired during long drives. Don’t worry though, these things are actually pretty comfortable and can be worn outside of the car. The only downside to specialized driving shoes is the cost. While there are some bargains in the $50 range (for older or discontinued styles), most will set you back $80 to $200 for a pair. If you take care of them, however, they should last the lifetime of your car. For a complete list of different styles and prices of driving shoes, do a quick internet search or you can check out SafeRacer (www.saferacer.com) or Amazon (www.amazon.com) for some specials. Read More

  • GM reveals Corvette ZR1-based C6.R GT2 race car

    GM reveals Corvette ZR1-based C6.R GT2 race car August 4th, 2009 By Nelson Ireson Nelson Ireson, Author, August 4th, 2009 Nelson Ireson 1 Comment

    GM reveals Corvette ZR1-based C6.R GT2 race car The Corvette C6.R GT1 car had its last hurrah at the Long Beach leg of the American Le Mans Series GT1 championship, but today General Motors unveiled the car that will be replacing it - the C6.R GT2, based on the Corvette ZR1.

    With the season half over already, Corvette Racing will be using the final five rounds to test and develop the car for next year. The decision to run the car in GT2 is based in part on an upcoming move to a unified GT category in ALMS racing, which will pit the ZR1-based racer against the likes of Aston Martin, Ferrari, Porsche, Viper, Jaguar, BMW, Panoz and Ford.

    "The global movement toward a single GT class will... The Corvette C6.R GT1 car had its last hurrah at the Long Beach leg of the American Le Mans Series GT1 championship, but today General Motors unveiled the car that will be replacing it - the C6.R GT2, based on the Corvette ZR1. With the season half over already, Corvette Racing will be using the final five rounds to test and develop the car for next year. The decision to run the car in GT2 is based in part on an upcoming move to a unified GT category in ALMS racing, which will pit the ZR1-based racer against the likes of Aston Martin, Ferrari, Porsche, Viper, Jaguar, BMW, Panoz and Ford. "The global movement toward a single GT class will allow us to compete head-to-head with more marketplace competitors while increasing both the production content of the Corvette C6.R race cars and the relevance of racing to our customers. This is a step that positions Corvette for the future of production-based sports car racing worldwide, and a move that is perfectly aligned with GM's marketing and business objectives in racing," said Mark Kent, GM Racing manager. This radical change in GT regulations precipitated the redesign of the Corvette C6.R package. The new car uses the production aluminum hyrdoformed frame complemented with an integrated tubular steel safety cage instead of a ground-up steel frame as in the GT1 car. In addition, ZR1 production-style fenders replace the GT1's wide, louvered units and the rear wing is cut back by 25% in width, while the rest of the car's aero is also reduced or limited to production levels. For the remainder of 2009, the new C6.Rs will get their power from a 470hp 6.0L GM small-block V8 based on the 7.0L LS7.R under the hood of the GT1 version. For next season, the displacement will be cut even further to 5.5L. Both engines run on E85R racing ethanol. The first race for the new GT2 car will be the Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio this coming Saturday, August 8. It will be televised on ABC at 2:30pm Sunday, August 9.Corvette C6.R GT2 race car Read More

  • Reiter Debuts New Lamborghini, Fit for Francorchamps

    Reiter Debuts New Lamborghini, Fit for Francorchamps July 27th, 2009 ByKenneth Hall Kenneth Hall, Author, July 27th, 2009 Kenneth Hall 5 Comments

    Reiter Debuts New Lamborghini, Fit for Francorchamps The latest version of the Lamborghini Murcielago doesn't come from the factory. Maybe from hell instead? It's Reiter's newest race-ready version of the outgoing Lambo supercar, and it's headed for an FIA-sanctioned event next year.

    The new Reiter Lamborghini LP670 R-SV has been shown at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Built to GT1 standards, the new version of the Murcielago is tuned by the racing specialists with a more powerful 6.5-liter version of the Lamborghini V-12 that produces more than 650 horsepower. The skin of the car is recast in carbon fiber, and aerodynamic improvements make it suitable for Formula One racing as well. It... The latest version of the Lamborghini Murcielago doesn't come from the factory. Maybe from hell instead? It's Reiter's newest race-ready version of the outgoing Lambo supercar, and it's headed for an FIA-sanctioned event next year. The new Reiter Lamborghini LP670 R-SV has been shown at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Built to GT1 standards, the new version of the Murcielago is tuned by the racing specialists with a more powerful 6.5-liter version of the Lamborghini V-12 that produces more than 650 horsepower. The skin of the car is recast in carbon fiber, and aerodynamic improvements make it suitable for Formula One racing as well. It weighs in at 2535 pounds after the modifications, before any race-required ballast is added. Reiter says their Lambo P670 is ready for the world's most popular auto racing league. While the FIA only allows 6 makes to compete, this version's being pitched for the GT World Championships. Read More

  • Decisive win at German GP despite penalty

    Decisive win at German GP despite penalty July 12th, 2009 ByAlex Kaufmann Alex Kaufmann, Author, July 12th, 2009 Alex Kaufmann 1 Comment

    Decisive win at German GP despite penalty With reigning Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton starting at fifth on the grid at this weekend’s German GP at the Nurburgring, and team mate Heikki Kovalainen just one position behind, many were expecting McLaren to achieve its best result of the season. Unfortunately for fans of the Brit team, the drivers of the four cars in front had other plans.

    Even after having to serve a drive-through penalty, Mark Webber dominated the German grand prix, becoming the first Australian in 28 years to win a formula one race. The Red Bull driver was penalized during the race by stewards for bumping from pole position into Rubens Barrichello,... With reigning Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton starting at fifth on the grid at this weekend’s German GP at the Nurburgring, and team mate Heikki Kovalainen just one position behind, many were expecting McLaren to achieve its best result of the season. Unfortunately for fans of the Brit team, the drivers of the four cars in front had other plans. Even after having to serve a drive-through penalty, Mark Webber dominated the German grand prix, becoming the first Australian in 28 years to win a formula one race. The Red Bull driver was penalized during the race by stewards for bumping from pole position into Rubens Barrichello, who led the race early on. It meant he visited the pitlane more than any of his rivals at the Nurburgring but still won by nearly ten seconds from his teammate Sebastian Vettel, closing his points gap to the local German to just 1.5 points. "Mark was unbeatable," said Vettel, who nonetheless moved past Rubens Barrichello in the drivers' championship and now trails leader Jenson Button by 21 points. An emotional Webber, just one of three grand prix-winning Australians including Alan Jones and Sir Jack Brabham, said: "I wanted to win so badly." The 32-year-old, who had pins removed from his healing right leg last week, nervously batted off his collision with Barrichello at the start but admitted the overly-aggressive move is "not normally my style". Felipe Massa and Nico Rosberg finished third and fourth, following a difficult race for the Brawns, whose Button finished just fifth ahead of Rubens Barrichello. The Brazilian driver led early but had a fuel rig problem, a disturbed race strategy and tire degradation problems, finally losing fifth place to Button at the third pit stop. He furiously slammed his Brackley based employer after getting out of the car, moving Eddie Jordan to describe the outburst as a "grave mistake" while Sir Frank Williams told the BBC it was a "red card offence". Adrian Sutil and Force India's rare hopes of points, meanwhile, were dashed with a collision with Kimi Raikkonen, and Lewis Hamilton's chance of a podium vanished at the start, when following a KERS-assisted charge he sustained a puncture. Running last, the McLaren driver pleaded with the pits to "save this engine and gearbox" with a voluntary retirement, but was told to "concentrate on the driving and leave the strategy to us". Sebastien Bourdais retired from what was probably his last grand prix after 19 laps. Read More

  • Porsche bringing collection of legendary 917 race cars to Goodwood

    Porsche bringing collection of legendary 917 race cars to Goodwood July 2nd, 2009 ByAlex Kaufmann Alex Kaufmann, Author, July 2nd, 2009 Alex Kaufmann 0 Comments

    Porsche bringing collection of legendary 917 race cars to Goodwood The Porsche 917 is one of the most stark raving mad automotive creations ever dreamt up by humanity, offering a performance level that remains as impressive today as it was during the 1970s. That historic car and its success at Le Mans will be playing a central role in Porsche's activities at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend.

    Many variations of the 917 were produced, and in some iterations the car's turbocharged flat-12-cylinder engine generated up to 1,580hp (1,180kW) - enough to rocket the car to 60mph in 2.7 seconds and on to a top speed of more than 240mph (390km/h).

    Alongside the winning cars on display will also be some... The Porsche 917 is one of the most stark raving mad automotive creations ever dreamt up by humanity, offering a performance level that remains as impressive today as it was during the 1970s. That historic car and its success at Le Mans will be playing a central role in Porsche's activities at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend. Many variations of the 917 were produced, and in some iterations the car's turbocharged flat-12-cylinder engine generated up to 1,580hp (1,180kW) - enough to rocket the car to 60mph in 2.7 seconds and on to a top speed of more than 240mph (390km/h). Alongside the winning cars on display will also be some of the drivers that took them to victory, including Richard Attwood, former F1 driver and 1970 Le Mans winner for Porsche, driving a 917; sports car racing legend Brian Redman will be behind the wheel of the 917/30 CanAm racer; David Piper, who bought a 917 new from the factory in 1969, will be driving his own car; and Jackie Oliver, who won Le Mans in 1969, will be reunited with an evocative Gulf-liveried 917. Perhaps the most evocative design on a 917 on display at Goodwood this year is a 917/20 Coupe affectionately known as the 'Pink Pig'. It features a pink livery with the German names for various cuts of meat and their outlines all across the bodywork, and was designed largely as an aerodynamic exercise to decrease drag, explaining its somewhat odd-ball looks. The 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed kicks of July 3 and runs through the weekend.Porsche 917s on display at 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed Read More

  • Nurburgring grandstand named after Sebastian Vettel

    Nurburgring grandstand named after Sebastian Vettel June 27th, 2009 ByAlex Kaufmann Alex Kaufmann, Author, June 27th, 2009 Alex Kaufmann 0 Comments

    Nurburgring grandstand named after Sebastian Vettel After winning at Monza last year, Sebastian Vettel's former school changed its name to honour the young German. Now, the 21-year-old's arrival at his home grand prix at the Nurburgring next month as a three time race winner, most recently in dominant style at Silverstone, will reveal a similar tribute.

    According to German reports, the Nurburgring is offering spectators a 'Sebastian Vettel' GP package, including a weekend pass to sit in the newly-renamed Sebastian Vettel grandstand - formerly known simply as T6.

    "That is a big honor," Vettel, who won with his Formula BMW and F3 cars at the circuit in 2004, told the Cologne newspaper... After winning at Monza last year, Sebastian Vettel's former school changed its name to honour the young German. Now, the 21-year-old's arrival at his home grand prix at the Nurburgring next month as a three time race winner, most recently in dominant style at Silverstone, will reveal a similar tribute. According to German reports, the Nurburgring is offering spectators a 'Sebastian Vettel' GP package, including a weekend pass to sit in the newly-renamed Sebastian Vettel grandstand - formerly known simply as T6. "That is a big honor," Vettel, who won with his Formula BMW and F3 cars at the circuit in 2004, told the Cologne newspaper Express. You may recall that seven-times F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher was given a similar honor back in 2007 when one of the actual corners of the Nurburgring circuit was named after him. Read More

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