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Friday, Dodge Motorsports revealed its Dodge Challenger entry for next year’s NASCAR Nationwide Series. The new car will make its track debut with the July 2nd Daytona race and appear next at Michigan on August 14th. In total, the Challenger will be campaigned at four races in 2010, then compete with the full schedule in 2011. This Challenger is also part of an announcement that Dodge is expanding its partnership with Penske Racing. Next year, Penske will support two cars in the Nationwide Series and three teams in the Sprint Cup. The Challenger isn’t the only muscle coupe to move to the big track. Ford is making a similar move with the Mustang. (Read “ Unveiled: 2010 Ford NASCAR Mustang .”) General Motors will not make this a three-way competition by moving the Camaro to NASCAR. Read our Dodge Challenger review for our take on the street version. Expand your NASCAR knowledge with: NASCAR - Common Terms and Phrases Defined NASCAR Basics - Understanding NASCAR
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In an interesting turn, Ford is introducing the Mustang to the Nationwide NASCAR Series in four races next year. Based on the Nationwide version of the Car of the Tomorrow, the templated car is given a Mustang front fascia and decal treatment. The number 16 example shown here will be driven by Truck Series 2008 Rookie of the Year Colin Braun for Roush Fenway Racing . We previewed the NASCAR Mustang in July, but this marks the first official unveiling of the car. Mustang has a storied history in motorsports and can claim more than 2,000 professional race wins worldwide. Ford hopes to further the legacy with visits to victory lane in 2010. It will first compete next July at Daytona International Speedway. Racing has long been about selling cars on Monday, though there hasn’t been the direct showroom connection in recent years. (When was the last time you saw a Fusion with full race livery?) It remains an open question what Mustang’s race involvement will mean to enthusiasts, who typically picture their pony car competing one quarter mile at a time. Read our 2010 Ford Mustang review for our take on the street version. Expand your NASCAR knowledge with: NASCAR - Common Terms and Phrases...
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Richard Petty successfully raced Fords to nine NASCAR wins during just one season in 1969. Now, after 40 years, the "King" of Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) has signed a deal to join forces with Ford and Ford-sponsored Yates Racing. "This is a pretty big deal for us. We're thrilled to partner with Ford," said Petty. While a lot of details need to be worked out, including moving RPM from its Statesville, North Carolina garages to Yates Racing in Concord, NC, the merger will be completed in time for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The four-car team of drivers Kasey Kahne, Elliot Sadler, Al Allmendinger, and Paul Menard will race Ford Fusions under the Richard Petty Motorsports flag. "I am very pleased that Richard Petty Motorsports has made the decision to switch to Ford for the 2010 season," said Brian Wolfe, director of Ford North America Motorsports. "We believe we can provide them with superior analytical tools and powertrain, and we will work with them closely on the technical front to help them become even more competitive than they are." RPM's team managing partner, Foster Gillet, believes "the power of Richard Petty is hard...
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Burger King has teamed up with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Tony Stewart in a national racing promotion featuring the two-time Sprint Cup champion and the famous Whopper sandwich. The campaign will feature a consumer sweepstakes, in-restaurant merchandising, and an online engagement program and runs from September 7th to October 16, 2009. The campaign supports the multi-year sponsorship agreement announced earlier this year between Burger King and Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart launched the partnership in July with a win at Daytona (Florida) International Speedway driving the No. 14 Burger King Chevrolet Impala SS. Stewart's No. 14 Burger King Chevrolet Impala SS will hit the again during the September 25-27 AAA 400 race weekend at Dover (Delaware) International Speedway. The ad campaign, titled "The Tony Stewart School of Endorsements," features Stewart advising other celebrities on how to successfully endorse products. In the quirky ads, Stewart explains to his class that they should "only endorse things you believe in" and that they must be as authentic as his own love for the Whopper to be successful. Stewart's famous students include actor Erik Estrada...
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Ford Motor Company announces that it has signed a multiyear agreement with NHRA, designating the legendary automaker as the official car and truck of the world's largest motorsports sanctioning body....
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If you've always wanted to be a Honda racer, Honda Performance Development, Inc. (HPD), has just announced a new initiative targeted at expanding its presence in the grassroots motorsports market....
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The Ford Mustang will be campaigned in the 2010 Nationwide Series , marking the first time the famed pony car has competed in NASCAR . The Fusion will continue to represent Ford in the premier Sprint Cup Series and the F-150 will compete in the Camping World Truck Series. Since its 1964 mid-year introduction, the Mustang has been a dominant force in motorsports, from drag racing and Trans Am, on to Grand-Am Cup and Formula D drifting. Ford Racing has gone through the official NASCAR submission and approval process for the new car, and, once templates are finalized, production of Mustang parts will start so teams can build the first cars for testing later this fall. It is expected that the NASCAR Mustang will make its race debut in the spring at Talladega. NASCAR officials say that this Mustang will look and drive differently than the Cup Series’ “Car of Tomorrow” cars, thereby better distinguishing the two series. “We had been talking with NASCAR for some time about Mustang as part of its vision for a ‘ muscle car ’ rollout for the Nationwide Series. We both saw it as a way of differentiating the series from Sprint Cup,” said Wolfe. “We loved the idea, so we jumped on the chance to...
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John Hennessey and his horsepower-crazed merry men at Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE) have put their wrenches to the all-new Chevrolet Camaro to create the 562-horsepower HPE550 Camaro. At the heart of the potent pony car is a supercharger system making six psi of boost added atop the 6.2L V-8. Combined custom engine management calibration and a Corsa stainless-steel exhaust system, the result is a total output of 562 horsepower and 557 lbs.-ft. torque. For those who crave even more power, Hennessey will offer a twin-turbo 1,000 horsepower package. The Camaro is further transformed with an adjustable coilover suspension system, lightweight 20-inch wheels, a Hennessey graphics package, and embroidered seat headrests. Other options available from HPE include larger brakes, suspension upgrades, a further upgraded interior, and even larger wheels and tires. Hennessey claims the HPE550 races 0-60 mph in just 4.1 second and soars through the quarter-mile in 12.1 seconds at 119 mph. “The HPE550 upgrade package gives 2010 Camaro owners the kind of power and performance they want to match the true muscle car look and spirit of the new Camaro,” says John Hennessey, President and CEO of...
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PlayStation-fueled driving fantasies have materialized at Nissan dealers nationwide as the Nismo 370Z is now on sale, starting at $39,130. Sadly, floor mats ($115) are extra, but endless machismo is standard. Developed by Nissan's Specialty Vehicles Group, the Nismo Z boasts an 18 horsepower advantage over the standard Z , with 350 horsepower and 276 lb.-ft. of torque. The gains from in part from an exclusive free-flow dual exhaust system, muffler tuning, and an optimized engine control module. The Nismo is offered with only with a close-ratio, rev-matching six-speed manual to transform any driver into a heel-toe master. The Nismo-tuned suspension includes specially tuned springs, shock absorbers, and stabilizer bars. Wider, unique five-spoke 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels are mounted with Yokohama ADVAN Sport Y-rated tires. Sport Brakes and a viscous limited-slip differential are also standard. The Nismo is visually distinguished by its bold body work, including an extended nose with a canard design at each corner for improved downforce and a fully integrated chin spoiler. Special side sills and a unique rear fascia help manage airflow under the vehicle, while the functional rear...
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Watching monster truck racing on television or even in person, one cannot help but crave driving one of those behemoths. The sheer power (often north of 1,300 horsepower!) massive tires, and torque-multiplying gearing means little can slow down these juggernauts. Activision has just launched the latest monster truck video game, enabling enthusiasts to get behind the thumbstick and live out their own city-crushing fantasies. Monster Jam: Urban Assault takes the trucks out of the arena and sets them loose onto city streets across the globe. The game features the most famous monster trucks in the world, including Grave Digger , Maximum Destruction, Monster Mutt, Blue Thunder, and Captain's Curse and newer stars such as Stone Crusher and Backwards Bob. There are 27 trucks in all to choose from. There are 26 new urban tracks compared against the previous Monster Jam game, with 12 stadiums packed with things to demolish, seven different game modes, and 12 skill competitions. Purists will appreciate that long-time monster truck announcer Scott Douglass is the voice in the game. Not likely to instill good driving habits, Monster Jam: Urban Assault should provide enthusiasts with welcomed...
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Car-crushing fans, Activision has announced its latest monster truck video game title, Monster Jam: Urban Assault . This title for the DS, PS2, PSP, and Wii breaks the trucks out of the typical arena setting to wreak havoc in city settings. Players will be able to conduct urban assault in popular trucks, such as Grave Digger, Maximum Destruction, Monster Mutt, El Toro Loco, and Blue Thunder. Newer trucks such as Air Ford A-10, Stone Crusher, and Backwards Bob are also represented. For purists, Monster Jam: Urban Assault will still offer stadium racing and stadium freestyle competitions with game play much improved over the original game. Mini games have also been added, including ones brand new to the franchise like Monster Jump, Truck Trickster, Skee Ball, and Air Strike. The game ships late October, in time for Halloween and the holiday season.
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When adversity struck, Jay Blake struck back. It was May of 1997. Blake was working as the head mechanic for a transportation company out east. Suddenly a horrific industrial accident left Blake without vision, smell and taste. At the age of just 31, Blake was faced with a cruel new reality: Learning how to live as a completely blind person. Refusing to give up on life despite the hand he’d been tragically dealt, Blake pursued rehabilitation aggressively. After being released from Massachusetts General Hospital, he enrolled in an intensive program at The Carroll Center for the Blind in Newton, Mass. Despite his devastating disability, Blake was determined to make his life’s dream come true: Owning a professional auto racing team. When you have a laser-like dream since childhood, you don’t give up on it easily. "I have a picture in my office that my mom took when I was three or four years old next to a pedal car on its side with a tool kit at hand," said Blake. Following his accident, Blake spent more than three weeks at Massachusetts General Hospital and two weeks recovering at home. While in therapy at the Carroll Center for the Blind, Blake was asked to write an essay about...
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Shelby SuperCars (SSC) earned the distinction of building the fastest, street-legal car last year with a Guinness-verified top speed of 257 mph. For an encore, SSC has announced it is developing an electric version of the Ultimate Aero, with a prototype due in February 2009 and a production model scheduled for year’s end. No relation to Carroll Shelby , SSC’s American-made Ultimate Aero features a V-8 producing a Bugatti Veyron-shaming 1183 horsepower and 1094 lb.-ft. of torque. The Ultimate Aero can rocket 0-60 mph in just 2.78 seconds and completes the quarter-mile in 9.9 seconds at 144 mph. A cool car that can keep rarified company, the more interesting story for the Ultimate Aero lies ahead when SSC focuses its engineering might on an electrified version. The goals are ambitious. SCC says the car motivated by a 500-horsepower could deliver supercar-grade performance. And it is exploring using two 500-hp motors in an all-wheel-drive configuration. Oh, yeah. This small upstart, lead by namesake Jerod Shelby, accomplished the near-impossible with its first record-setting model, and we look forward to seeing this firm’s second act. Read about today’s super hybrids in the Civic Vs. Prius...
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Dodge has taken the covers off its Challenger Drag Race Package, showing two Mopar-built examples at the 29th Annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals last weekend at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colorado. They had been previously run down the quarter-mile for NHRA certification. The Challenger Drag Race Package Car will be eligible to run in three Eliminator categories—Comp, Super Stock and Stock—and potentially 40 classes. The first factory-prepped, drag-race package cars built in 40 years, these special cars are based on the Challenger SRT8 and finished in Stock Eliminator configuration. Mopar dropped approximately 1,000 lbs. off the production Challenger SRT8 by eliminating major production components and systems. When production begins, major production component and systems will be eliminated including: windshield wiper assembly, complete HVAC system, all air bag components, rear seats, power steering system, exhaust system and underbody heat shields, cross-car and side impact door beams, rear bumper beam, and rear deck lid spoiler. To accentuate the weight savings, composite, polycarbonate and lightweight components designed for drag racing that will be part of the new Package Car...
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