Tag Archives: Auto Racing

Auto Factoids – Week of May 31, 2015 – Ford, Olds, Model T

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Here are your Auto Factoids #AutoFactoids for the beginning of June, 2015.

May 31, 1927 – Ford produced the last Model T.    There is some debate as to actual date and it’s said that the 15th million Model T rolled off the production line on May 26th, 1927 and the Henry and Edsel drove it off the line.    The Model T was one of the major factors for governments push for the develop of our road system.  And did you know that Henry Ford was green?  Yes, he recycled the scrap wood from the production of the Model T and turned it into charcoal.  It was originally call Fords Charcoal.  It was later renamed for Henry’s brother-in-law who selected the charcoal plant – his last name was Kingsford – as in Kingsford Charcoal.

The 15 Millionth Model T!!!

The 15 Millionth Model T!!!

 

June 2, 1899 – Locomobile Co. was founded.   The company was formed by the editor of Cosmopolitan John Walker, after he purchase a design plan for a steam car from the Stanley brothers ( who didn’t being production of their Stanley Steamer until 1902).   Their plant was first located in Watertown,  Mass and moved to Bridgeport, Conn in 1900.   The first car bodies were just runabouts with steam engines. Loc-SteamThe company was the first to have their automobiles used in a war – The Boer War.  It was used as the tractor and chuck wagon of sorts.  The production of steam cars continued until Locomobile began R&D with internal combustion engines.  By 1902 they had seven body styles and had sold over 4000 cars.   Production of gas powered engined in 1904.  Their honors included the first U.S. built car to win an international race.

Vanderbilt Cup Winner

Vanderbilt Cup Winner

Powered by a 60hp, straight 4 cylinder engine it won the Vanderbilt Cup in 1908.

 

In 1919 they produced their most enduring car, the Model 48.  The 48 was a large car and powered by a side valve straight 6 cylinder with 525 cubic inch displacement and producing  48.6-hp.

Company was purchased by Durant Motor (Billy Durant of GM fame) and continued to operate as Locomobile, selling cars under that name until 1929.

Model 48

Model 48

 

June 3, 1864 – Ransom Olds was born in Genvea, Ohio – Founder of the now defunct Oldsmobile car manufacturer.  Although Henry Ford often get credit for inventing the assembly line production – Ransom was the first to use the assembly line.  (Ford gets credit for improving it and adding universal parts.)

1905 Olds

1905 Olds

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#AutoFactoids.

 

See Photos of the Ford Model T During Its Decades of Dominance

For years, Henry and Edsel Ford had been denying that the day was approaching. Asked whether they were working on a new model of car, after nearly two decades of producing the famous Model T, they kept mum. But, as TIME noted back then, “in the U. S. …
Bothell Park gets Ford Model T sculpture, dedication Saturday

Bothell Park gets Ford Model T sculpture, dedication Saturday. This Ford Model T Sculpture at Red Brick Road Park in Bothell was created by local high school students. — image credit: Contributed photo. 0 …

ransom olds assembly line

 

Locomobiles Logo

Locomobiles Logo

What Makes A Bulletproof Racing Starter? – Chevy Hardcore

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There are some areas of your drag, oval or road course beast that are weak areas for the stress of 420 hp and 400 ft-lbs of torque.  Here is a great way to eliminate one.  Chase the link at the bottom for the complete story from Chevy Hardcore!!

When considering the essential parts list for a race car build, we tend to think of exhaust headers, cylinder heads, turbochargers and so on. While it might not be the most glamorous piece of the puzzle, the starter is an absolutely vital component in your build – if it kicks the bucket, you’re dead in the water. And though it may not see the same sort of prolonged stresses that a driveshaft or set of tires sees on race day, it’s still contending with plenty of abuse from heat exposure and demands of high performance components which typically operate far outside the design specifications of an OEM starter.

Source: What Makes A Bulletproof Racing Starter? – Chevy Hardcore

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

F1 and the Nürburgring – hope dies last

But it was Dreyer’s government which plumped for an unlikely Nürburgring buyer: auto racing parts company Capricorn with a head office not far north of the circuit in Düsseldorf. Her transport minister, Roger Lewentz, said at the time that it was …
Roo Motorsports leaps into NASCAR truck series from Salisbury

Roo Motorsports, the new Aussie NASCAR team based in Salisbury, plans to enter the truck-racing series next year and perhaps the Nationwide series in the future. Roo held an event, complete with satellite link to owners in Australia, earlier this month …

Auto Factoids for Week of May 24 2015 – Mauri Rose

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Here are your Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids) for the last full week of May 2015.

 May 26, 1906 Mauri Rose was born in Columbus, Ohio.   Rose still holds the 2nd spot for the most Indiana 500 wins.  His first win was in 1941 but he didn’t finish in the car he left the starting line in. The first car was a Maserati and developed mechanical issues and he moved to a Wetteroth/Offenhauser car.   He managed two back-to-back wins in 1947 and 1948, driving one of a Deidt/Offenhauser  Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials.

RoseMas

Mauri in the Maserati were he started in pole position in his first win.

Wetteroth-rose

Muari in Wetteroth/Offenhauser car

Mauri in the Blue Spark car!

Mauri in the Blue Spark car!

May 29, 1946 Kaiser-Frazer produced its first vehicles.  Kaiser-Frazer’s plant was located in Willow Run Ypsilanti, Michigan.  The company was formed when the two purchased the defunct Graham-Paige (of which Frazer was once Present, prior to WWII).  There first cars were called the Frazer and Kaiser, one a mid-level luxury car and the other an innovative front wheel drive model.

kaiser-frazer

The two parted ways in 1951 and the company name was changed to Kaiser.  They went on to design some fantastic cars like the Darrin (named after one of the designer – Dutch Darrin.  Bill Tritt was the other part of the team.) and on to the Jeep fame with Willys-Overland.

1953 Kaiser Darrin

1953 Kaiser Darrin

Thanks for reading.

Tim

mauri rose

Indianapolis 500 Winners

1950 — Johnnie Parsons. 1949 — Bill Holland. 1948 — Mauri Rose. 1947 — Mauri Rose. 1946 — George Robson. 1942-45 — No races, World War II. 1941 — Floyd Davis and Mauri Rose. 1940 — Wilbur Shaw. 1939 — Wilbur Shaw. 1938 — Floyd Roberts.

1954 Kaiser Manhattan – Dare To Be Different

The Manhattan has been honored by the community and is the first hot rod to win the people’s choice award two years in a row at the annual Kaiser Frazer Club National Convention. Share This Article. Facebook Twitter Google+ Email. Author: Christopher …

From city leader to classic cars, Founder’s Day Celebration kicks off host of …

Members of the Binghamton Kaiser Frazer Club will bring vehicles, Reilley said. The Seward House Museum, at 33 South St., will showcase several cars, including the Seward family’s own Packard. There will be automotive memorabilia for sale and, if you …

 

Why Is Paddle Shift Killing the Manual Transmission, and is it a good thing?

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I’m a bit old school about driving like feeling the road (yeah even the pot holes!!) and not floating, making a car hit the curve just right and shoving the clutch pedal to the floor and find the next gear! That’s all part of the enjoyment for me. But paddle shifting is here to stay and I’ll be disappointed if the clutch pedal disappears from all new cars.

I’m sharing this article from Mind Over Motor as it hits on some key points I can relate too when it comes to this “new fangled”  🙂  way of changing gears.

 

Mind Over Motor

I am someone who has publicly lamented the decline of the manual transmission. But I’m also someone who has enjoyed the merits of modern paddle shift gearboxes in many cars.

I find myself very much split on this issue, so lets take a look at the various reasons why shifter paddles are replacing a gear lever and a third pedal in some of our favorite cars.

Note: To clear this up right away, by “paddle shift” I mean cars with automated manual gearboxes, either dual-clutch or single-clutch. I am in no way talking about anything like a Toyota Camry with the “sport package”, which has paddle shifters as a marketing gimmick.

1. More versatile on the road. (Having your cake and eating it too)

If you had something like a Lamborghini Diablo back in the mid 1990s chances are you had a lot of fun out on the open road. However, when you got into town and hit traffic, the heavy clutch made driving the car more of a $250,000 chore than an enjoyable way to spend a weekend afternoon. Considering the average speed of traffic on most roads is around 25-30mph, you’d be spending far more time putting along slowly than stretching the car’s legs. It’s a wonder why most owners hardly ever drove their exotic cars.

Today, Lamborghini only offers their cars with a paddle shift transmission. The sales numbers spoke for themselves, once paddle shift was offered back around 2004, demand for manual Lambos simply fell off.

Paddle shift basically solved all the issues described above with the Diablo. Now, in an Aventador, you can rip your way into town and then just put the car in automatic mode when you hit traffic. You have a car that is a ferocious supercar when you want one, but is also just as easy to drive as a Toyota Camry when you don’t. You are no longer writing a six-figure check to put yourself through misery. And I agree, that is a major plus, especially in cars that had very difficult manual gearboxes like most supercars did.

Chase the link below for the rest of the article and come back and let me know what YOU think!!

Thanks for reading

Tim

Source: Why Is Paddle Shift Killing the Manual Transmission, and is it a good thing?

 

 

Maserati

Maserati

Ferrari

Ferrari

 

 

Paddle Shifting the 997 | Autometrics Motorsports

Paddle Shifting the 997. Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Paddle Shifter. Created by Holinger, supplier of gearbox components to Porsche AG, this paddle shift system is designed specifically for the 997 GT3 Cup, replaces the tunnel-mounted sequential …
Agency Power’s Makes Paddle Shifting Look Good – Vivid …

Paddle shifters are the ultimate “cool factor” of a car. For people who experience paddle shifting for the first time, you might as well be Mario Andretti. They look super cool on the car, and are functionally genius. However, there …
2016 Cadillac ATS-V: A Track-Ready Cadillac? You Bet!

The automatic features several shift modes, as well as manual paddle-shifting, and the manual transmission features automatic rev-matching for drivers who haven’t yet mastered the heel-toe shift method, and it has a no-lift shift feature allowing you …
Test Drive: 2015 Audi Q3 Quattro Technik

Nestled in the engine compartment is Audi’s familiar, silky-smooth direct-injected 2.0L TFSI turbocharged four-cylinder engine, mated to a traditional six-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic paddle shifting. The engine churns out 200 horsepower …

Idris Elba breaks “Flying Mile” speed record from 1927

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Okay, at first blush, this seems kind of like a meaningless publicity stunt: TV star and multiple People Magazine “Sexiest Men Alive” honoree Idris Elba hops into a brand-new, immensely powerful super-coupe and obliterates a speed record set when George V was still king and Charles Lindbergh had just landed in Paris.If it seems silly, it’s because this was not in any way a fair fight. Look, Idris Elba is a certified badass, but the 626-hp Bentley Continental GT Speed he was driving benefits from 88 years of automotive evolution that Sir Malcolm Campbell absolutely didn’t have at his disposal back in 1927. That’s a sizable advantage in favor of the British star.Stick with us here, though, because there’s a very cool parallel to all of this, and it’s something that even Bentley didn’t think to highlight.See, if you read Bentley’s press release, it lays out the bare facts: The undeniably attractive Elba, star of Luther and The Wire, sought to break the “Flying Mile” record, a top speed run that takes place on a seven-mile stretch of smooth, firm beach on the shores of Carmathen Bay, Wales, known as Pendine Sands. The defending champion of the Flying Mile was Sir Malcolm Campbell, whose two-way average of 174.8 mph has gone unchallenged since 1927.

He used this!!!

He used this!!!

So I’ve got to think that the only reasons this record still existed is that no one bothered to drive there since 1927.  Seriously!!!  You can read more by chasing the link below…I’ve got to run, I’m going to break the speed record for a one way trip to the end of my driveway.  Don’t worry, I’ll send Road and Track some PR shots and a pic of my C6 sitting at the end of my driveway!!

Source: Idris Elba breaks “Flying Mile” speed record from 1927

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

bentley

Bentley sets new ‘Flying Mile’ speed record with actor Idris Elba

The ‘Flying Mile’ is a historical high-water mark, a thing of legend. In 1927, Sir Malcolm Campbell drove a modified Bentley—the Napier-Campbell Blue Bird—to a U.K. land speed record of 174.8 mph. That’s faster than most of today’s sports cars, just …

Auto Factoids for the week of May 3rd 2015 – Willys, Packard and Le Mans

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Here are your Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids) for the first full week in May 2015.

 

Dateline May 3rd, 1948 – Willys Jeepster Phaeton debuts.

The production was only a 3 year run with a total units produced was  19,132.  The engines ranged from a  134.1 cu in (2.2 L) I4 and two I6, a 148.5 cu in (2.4 L) I6 and 161 cu in (2.6 L) I6.

1948 Jeepster Phatheon

1948 Jeepster Phatheon

 

Same day one year later (May 3rd, 1949 )  – Packard has its 50th Anniversary and to commemorate it they offered up 2,000 Gold Packard’s from Utica Proving Grounds. Yes that did happen.  They were painted in a special paint code of Gold.  Each were powered with 327 c.i.d., 150 hp engine.  Only 600 were convertibles.

This isn't, of course Gold, but only 600 Gold Convertibles were made.

This isn’t, of course, Gold, but only 600 Gold Convertibles were made with that special paint code.

 

Packard's Utica Proving Grounds.

Packard’s Utica Proving Grounds.

 

 May 4th 1923 – The first Le Mans 24 Hour race was held just outside Le Mans, France.  Initial the race was limited to ‘production’ cars  and  two drivers, now they require 3 drivers per car and the of course these cars aren’t in your dealers show rooms.  The race was won by one of the French teams  – André Lagache and Léonard driving a Chenard et Walcker  with  3.0L I4 engine.

This is an awesome looking car!!!

This is an awesome looking car!!!

 

May 6th and 7th, 1928– Chrysler debuts the De Soto for the 1929 model year and completes the purchase of Dodge, in part for its dealerships to sell the new De Soto.  In the course of the marque’s run (1929-1961) it set several sales records for Chrysler and the auto industry.  It’s first year (1929) saw 81,065 unit sold and it held the record unit 1960 when Ford beat it with the Falcon.

1928 Chrysler De Soto

1928-29 Chrysler De Soto

Thanks for reading.

Tim

(#AutoFactoids)

AGCarRestore

Auto Factoids for Week of April 26, 2015 – Lamborghini and Willys http://t.co/WYzhUBDaxE #AutoFactoids http://t.co/ajOpYWuAdW
Auto Factoids for Week of April 26, 2015 – Lamborghini and …

Here are your Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids) for the last week of April 2015! Light week for Auto Factoids unless you are Lamborghini or Ford fan. Ferruccio Lamborghini was born on April 28, 1916 in Renazzo di Cento, Italy.

 

 

 

Indy Driver Sam Schmidt hits the track again piloting a C7 Corvette!!!

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You’ll love this story!!!

 

Sam Schmidt, who has been paralyzed below the shoulders since slamming into a wall 14 years ago, always believed he’d never drive again. On Sunday, he will–in a Corvette he will control by shaking his head and gnashing his teeth.

Schmidt was a promising driver with 27 Indy Racing League starts when he went into the wall at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Florida on January 6, 2000. He knew he’d never race again, but one year later he returned to motorsports with his own team, now known as Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. He’s enjoyed a measure of success as a team owner, but driving seemed out of the question.

via This Quadriplegic Racer Drives a Corvette by Tilting His Head | WIRED.

 

Thanks for reading

Tim

sam schmidt

IndyCar team owner Sam Schmidt drives nearly two laps on Long Beach course …

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Sam Schmidt took a spin around Indianapolis Motor Speedway last spring, his first time behind the wheel since being paralyzed in a racing accident in 2000. He had a tougher challenge Sunday: Navigating the twists and turns of the …

A Look At Drifting Clutch Technology With Spec

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Thought I’d share this technology.  I have a Stage 2 Spec in my Corvette and has served me well on the street and auto cross.  Chase the link below to get all the details.

For most of us, we like our Mustangs to be well-rounded. Many of us can only afford one, so it needs to be able to do a few things other than just getting us from Point A to Point B. Fortunately, we can make a Mustang be good at a couple different types of performance without making wholesale changes. It’s pretty hard to make it great at several things at the same time, but we’re willing to make concessions in order to make it more than a one trick pony. We can take it to the drag strip, that’s easy. We can also take it road racing – which isn’t as easy – but we can still have a blast provided we have outfitted it accordingly with the right brakes. We can even take it drifting.

SPEC Clutches is a company that knows after the act of drag racing, drifting is something that comes natural to a Mustang. SPEC’s David Norton has been involved with drifting since the sport’s beginnings, and knows V8 power mixed with a tail-happy suspension, getting a Mustang to drift isn’t difficult.

Spec/s Drift clutch

Spec/s Drift clutch

via A Look At Drifting Clutch Technology With Spec.

Thanks for Reading.

Tim

spec clutches

2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – The Bird Doc

… the track kicking butt and taking names. Big thanks goes out to London Chassis Dyno, Kenne Bell, Lund Racing, Revan Racing, Trucarbon, TruFiber, Viking Performance, SPEC Clutches, Jack Hart Body Shop, Bischoff Engine Service, and Bivins Racecars.

Auto Factoids for the Week of April 5, 2015 – Lotus and Tires

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It’s a light week for the automotive history.

 

April 5, 1923  Firestone introduces balloon tires.  Everything we’ve accomplished with our rides has greatly depend and relied on Mr. Firestone’s improvement.   It was a combination of cotton cords infused with rubber that allowed for long distance driving without punctures.

Pneuamtic Tire

Pneuamtic Tire

Balloon tire ad.

Balloon tire ad.

 

April 9, 1957 – Lotus’ first single seat race car.  As far as I’ve researched Lotus had a single seat race car concept either in 1954 or 1955.  The 1956 Lotus was a two-seater but usually had a single roll cage on the right side (drivers side).   It seems clear that the 1957 Lotus 11 (or Lotus 13 unofficially) race car didn’t actually race in a Grand Prix until 1958.

 

1955 Lotus MK IX

1955 Lotus MK IX

1956 Lotus 11

1956 Lotus 11

 

1958 Lotus 11

1958 Lotus 11

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#AutoFactoids

 

lotus racing

Ron Scott’s 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Has a Split-Window Personality

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Emulation is probably one of the most commons things in the car hobby. We see a car at a show or race and are instantly entranced by its siren song of looks, performance, and imagination-stimulating allure. And after enough exposure, commitment to building a duplicate becomes irresistible.

Ron Scott Jr. had always loved the vintage race look on classic Corvettes. Wide wheel flares, spoilers, race-style wheels and brakes, the growl of a powerful V-8 through headers and race exhaust, they all had him entranced to the point he wanted to build one of his own. He wanted a car he could not only show, but also take to track days and autocross events as well. After searching online, he found a suitable candidate on eBay to start his build with.

“I found the car on eBay for $35K. It was rough, with some bodywork completed and a second-gen LT1 out of an early fourth-gen Camaro sitting in the frame. It was pretty much a roller with no interior, wiring, or anything special. It was perfect for what I was looking to do, as we didn’t want to modify anything that was nice.”

See the rest of the images and store @  Ron Scott’s 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Has a Split-Window Personality.

 

1963-chevrolet-corvette-drivers-side-view

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

super chevy show 2015super chevy show 2015