On the Racetrack at SEMA 2009!
November 7, 2009 by GreaseGirl · 2 Comments
Today I left the hub-bub of Las Vegas and SEMA to head out to Spring Mountain Ranch racecourse. In preparation for Saturday’s Optima Invitational, myself and the others from the auto-blogging crew got a chance to get behind the wheel ourselves. Spring Mountain Ranch is almost like a country-club for speed seekers. People who are members get use of the track. In addition, they have certified race-driver training programs. While we didn’t get the whole training program in one day, we did get the opportunity to go very fast in a few different situations.
The day started out with the road course. If you’re not familiar with racing (like me) think of the video game “Grand Prix”. After a short orientation we headed out to driving machine #1: the Lotus. Although I may have been a little jittery that I would do something wrong – it was surprisingly easy! As we followed our guide, Rick, around the racetrack things got faster and faster. After the first few 1.5 mile laps I began feeling comfortable with the car and trusting of the squealing tires as I rounded a turn between 40 and 60 mph.
It wasn’t until my second time out that I encountered a little issue. As I was preparing to turn out of the main straightaway, my car did a full 180 degree spin! At first I was stunned at what was happening, then I had a slight second of fear, and then I realized everything would be fine. For the most part my Lotus stayed on the track and I just readjusted and kept on going. The spin really cemented the feeling that this race course was really just an adult go-cart track… and I say that to mean that it was really, really, really fun!
Once we had the Lotus’ parked it was on to the Radical Sportscar. These aren’t as user-friendly as the Lotus, so these we didn’t drive we just rode in. With your butt practically on the ground and no windshield, speed can really be felt in these babies. Reaching 130mph only added to the speed-bug I caught while at 2009 Bonneville Speed Week this year.
As if all this speed wasn’t enough, the group then headed to the autocross track. Autocross is the track full of cones that you navigate in a competitive time. Looking at the course I had no faith in my driving abilities. But once I sat in the seat of my supercharged Mini Cooper I felt ready to tackle the road ahead. I felt that this course was like practice to be a really slick, kick-ass driver on the everyday road – and I loved that it was timed, bringing out that competitive edge in all of us. Running the track twice, I improved upon my time by over 2 seconds on the second run – leaving my time just above 50 seconds.
(You can also watch the instructor doing a lap along with some directional commentary here)
Getting a chance to drive the course today makes me all the more excited about tomorrow…theOptima Ultimate Street Car Invitational. Cars from the SEMA show will get to prove their stuff out on the track at Spring Mountain
Ranch… the same tracks I was on today. Part of me is a little curious how my own 1955 Studebaker would handle on that autocross track. With a little more work it could be a fun and interesting experiment. Who knows, with all the info I’ve learned at SEMA maybe Stude’s ready to raise to a higher level of driving. Only time will tell.
Don’t miss our coverage of the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitation Race! What car would you love to take out on the autocross???
Please leave your comments below.
Beautiful ’55 Chevy “Hot Rods by Dean” at World Finals 2009
October 29, 2009 by Hechtspeed · 2 Comments
Bonneville Salt Flats World Finals Pictures
I took a couple hundred pics at World Finals at the Bonneville Salt Flats a few weeks back. I thought I should start sharing some of my favorites.
This 1955 Chevy Bel Air Post built by Hot Rods by Dean was absolutely gorgeous. I don’t know squat about the car. It runs in the B/CGC (B engine size is 373 cu in to 439 cu in, and is a competition gas coupe) class. I dig the yellow interior too. It gives the cockpit some pop.
The first thing that grabbed me is that two-tone paint. Cream and grey is not the usual color combo for a hot rod, but it works perfectly. The paint is a smooth, matte or flat finish, it goes nice with those moondiscs.
The car is run by Sidney Allen and ran a 172 MPH in the first Mile. Then on Friday it actually spun, according to the Results page on SCTA-BNI.org.
Check out this cool reflection in the crazy chrome bumper. The bumper was the second part of this Chevy that caught my attention. This car oozes CLEAN. Hot Rods by Dean does sneak in some racecar design. Check out the front airdam, the moondiscs, and that roll cage!
Check out that yellow dash and roll cage. An unusual color choice, but it looks great. I love the classic dash from the 50′s. Still has the horn ring on the steering wheel. Tons of details on these racecars…look at that front windshield bracket. Don’t need windshields flying off at 172MPH when the car in stock trim probably didn’t go 3 digits.
It’s actually hard to get good pics of cars at the Salt Flats. Half the problem is all the light. Lots of sun against a white background. But, when you get it right, it pops. The other problem is its hard to get these cars off on their own. They are either in their pits feverishly wrenching and when they’re not wrenching, they’re waiting in line. I was able to grab this picture by cropping out the other cars waiting in line in front and behind him. Man, when you look at the aerodynamics of this “shoebox” as they were known, 172 MPH is pretty impressive.
Leave us a comment below and tell us what you think of this ride.
Hechtspeed
Bonneville Bound – My Traveling Buddy’s go 250mph!
Bonneville Salt Flats Race Car:
Traveling along sucks. That’s why I’m glad to have a traveling buddy for the long drive from Phoenix to Wendover, Utah for Speedweek on the Bonneville Satlt Flats. I’m towing my 1927 roadster, so I can’t drive that fast so I fit right in with my 250mph partners on the road, “Bonnieville Bob” and his son Rocky.
Their B/GMR modified roadster is a stretched 1927 roadster that’s been as fast as 251 mph at Bonneville and that’s just 4 mph off the record.
Much more to come on these guys since I’ll be shooting lots of pictures of all the race cars and picking Bob and Rocky’s speed-brain for all they’re worth!
Look for us on the salt! And if you know Bob, say hi right here by leaving a comment.
Video: Viper Chases Porsche on Nurburgring
May 7, 2009 by pikesan · Leave a Comment
When’s the last time you held onto the edge of your seat watching a small format racing video like what you see on Youtube? You’re in for a treat.
I found this video while surfing NAGTROC.org, the North American GT-R Owners Club website. It’s not a video of the GT-R, but it’s the kind of stuff anyone who loves fast cars would really get into.
The video is made by Race Media TV, a German website that specializes in track race videos (from what I can see) and I’m guessing they have the Nurburgring right in their back yard.
Give the video just 1 minute to get past the short into that precedes a Dodge Viper chasing at Porsche GT3 around the twists at the Nurburgring. Some serious driving skills shown by all!
Most Wicked Shelby Cobra Ever – the Daytona Coupe
How rare is your chance to lay hands on a car a rare and historic as the CSX2601 Shelby Daytona Coupe? I had a chance thanks to the folks at Mecum Auctions, but the great people of Maricopa county thought it better for me to be in jury duty.
Here’s Mecum’s press release and info about the car. They also provided a fantastic gallery of pictures. I’ll be watching to see how high into the “8 Figures” this car rises. 1 of 6, fully restored, arguably the most famous/historic of the six, this American Legend has it all!
Phoenix kicked of the national tour in style over at Bob Bondurant’s Racing school of High Performance Driving. After carefully pulling the car out of the shipping truck, Bondurant relived the 1965 FIA clinching victory in Reims, France by taking a hot lap with the near priceless car.
Special thanks to David NewhardtPhotography and Mecum Auction for these pictures.
MECUM AUCTION PROUDLY PRESENTS AMERICAN RACING’S CROWN JEWEL
1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe Beat Ferrari to Capture First U.S. Victory
in World Manufacturer’s Championship
MARENGO, Ill. – High performance collector car specialists Mecum Auction will offer collectors a chance to own a piece of American race history when they auction the 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe CSX2601 at the 22nd Dana Mecum Original Spring Classic Auction taking place May 13-17, 2009, in Indianapolis, Ind.
And when this Crown Jewel of American Racing powers across the auction block, Mecum anticipates the championship race car to garner the highest bid ever paid at public auction for an American automobile – eight figures and counting. The Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe will be sold on live national TV Friday, May 15, 2009, at 8:00 p.m. during the company’s series, “Mecum Auto Auction: Muscle Cars & More,” on Discovery Communications’ popular HD Theater.
The 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra was one of six cars built by Carroll Shelby to compete against the dominating Ferrari in the F.I.A. (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) World Manufacturers Championship for GT race class. An experimental coupe body designed by Pete Brock was built on an existing Cobra chassis, immediately increasing the top speed by 25 mph. That car won its first race, the 1964 Daytona Continental (prompting Shelby to adopt the name), and five more coupes were built, including CSX2601.
After competing at Daytona, Monza, Spa and Nurburgring, CSX2601 made history when it clinched the 1965 World Manufacturers Championship for the United States and Shelby American on July 4 in Reims, France.
“Many vintage race cars have a strong American racing history to share – including this vehicle’s sister car CSX 2299 – but no car can claim a finer race hour than the Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe CSX2601,” said Dana Mecum, president, Mecum Auction. “The legacy of its World Manufacturer’s Championship win stays with us more than four decades later, reminding us of one the proudest moments in U.S. race history and a competitive spirit of victory against all odds.”
Driving the car – and America – to victory on that fateful July afternoon was legendary driver Bob Bondurant.
“I won a lot of races with this Daytona Cobra Coupe, but when I crossed the finish line at the Reims race track I yelled ‘Yes!’ It was a fantastic feeling,” Bondurant shared. “I always wanted to race in Europe against the world’s best drivers. Winning that World Championship was the crowning achievement of my career. I think it’s wonderful that the car is being showcased 40 years later.”
The Daytona Cobra Coupe didn’t just race, however. At one point, a North Dakota businessman with six gas stations owned the car, and each day, he’d drive the 300-mile round trip to collect station receipts in this race-trimmed Cobra.
“This car is a true slice of Americana, representing a different time in America’s past when driving a full-blown race car on the roads didn’t turn heads,” added Mecum. “The Daytona was also leased to Paramount Pictures for use in the Howard Hawks cult classic ‘Redline 7000′.”
Now fully restored and wearing its famous Reims livery, the Shelby Daytona Cobra CSX2601 headlines the Original Spring Classis Auction, which is expected to feature 1,250 vehicles.
Held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, the auction is open to the general public with tickets are available at the door for $10. It will be broadcast live on Mecum’s popular television series, “Mecum Auto Auction: Muscle Cars & More” on HD Theater – Discovery Communications’ first 24-hour high-definition cable network, offering compelling real-world and motorized content.
The Mecum Auction Company has been specializing in the sale of collector cars, muscle cars and Corvettes for more than 20 years. In spring 2008, the company sold its 50,000th car. Consignment, Bidder, event and accommodation information is available online at www.Mecum.com or by calling 815.568.8888.
# # #
Schedule:
Original Spring Classic Auction
Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, Ind.
May 13-17, 2009
Price: $10
Vehicle check-in: Monday & Tuesday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Wednesday 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Preview: Gates open Wednesday through Sunday at 9 a.m.
Vehicle Auction: Wednesday – 2 p.m.
Thursday through Sunday – 10 a.m.
* Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe to be auctioned live on national TV May 15 at 8 p.m.
