HSPN News

Rally America Rebrands to RallyCar; New 2011 Rallycross Championships!

2010-07-30T20:46:00Z

The action-sport of auto racing, Rallycross is a blend of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition. Debuting at X Games under the name SuperRally, the sport promises intense crowd-pleasing action in a fan-friendly track environment. Five drivers line up to start at once, piloting high-horsepower compact cars through race traffic over a challenging short course that features jumps, unbanked turns, hills and transitions between pavement and gravel.

“It’s an incredibly challenging and aggressive sport,” said driver Foust, who has been competing in European championship events this season. “The action is non-stop and the fans can’t get enough of it.”

Fans get close to the action with trackside viewing of aggressive door-to-door action and the sliding and jumping that makes rally car events unique among motorsport.

In conjunction with the new series, Rally America is also rebranding to RallyCar. The new identity for the organization reflects its increased scope as the premier sanctioning body for rally car racing events in the United States. In addition to the introduction of the Rallycross events, the organization will continue to sanction its traditional stage rally series in 2011 where the Rally America name will continue.

“We’re expanding as an organization and we wanted to make a change that reflects our commitment to rally car events in 2011,” said RallyCar president JB Niday. “The introduction of Super Rally presents a perfect opportunity for us to change our name to reflect what we’re about: racing rally cars – whether that’s on endurance-based Special Stage courses, or through the new Rallycross short-course format.”

It is expected there will be two classes of cars in this initial year of Rallycross competition. The faster, all-wheel-drive cars will resemble those used in current Rally America competition including the all-wheel drive Subarus used by four-time American rally champion Pastrana and BMX legend Mirra, and the Ford Fiesta cars piloted at X Games in 2010 by Foust, Indy 500 winner Kenny Brack, motocross and short-course off- road driver Brian Deegan and gymkhana star Ken Block.

The second category of Rallycross cars will be two-wheel-drive and include various body styles from manufacturers such as Dodge and Honda boasting 450+ horsepower, highly modified engines and rally-style suspension.

Both categories include vehicles currently being used in the Rally America National Rally Championship.

Promotion for the Rallycross series will be undertaken by the youth motorsports specialists at Gale + Co.

“Rallycross offers an excellent platform to showcase the power and durability of mid-size and compact vehicles in America,” said Gale and Company President Brian Gale. “It’s a sport that appeals to an audience hungry to see production based cars driven at the edge.”
About Gale + Co

Gale + Co is a multi-disciplinary business development agency with a leading position in youth and alternative targeted motorsports marketing.

The company’s activities include talent management and representation to championship-level motorsport athletes and racing teams, brand-building and strategic partnerships, marketing communication and brand image programs.

Company founder Brian Gale has a unique background with key experience in the finance, automotive and action sports industries. With close ties to auto manufacturers, athletes and key industry partners, his ability to forge authentic partnerships enables meaningful programs driven by integrity and authenticity.

About RallyCar
Based in Golden Valley, Minn., RallyCar sanctions the premier performance rally series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2010, RallyCar is conducting six National Championship events at venues across the country, from Olympia, Washington to Newry, Maine. RallyCar competitors reach speeds of well over 100 mph in modified strett cars on natural-terrain courses consisting of gravel, dirt or snow. Additionally, through a partnership with ESPN, qualifying RallyCar drivers are invited to compete in ESPN’s Summer X Games 16, the annual leading action-sports event that’s broadcast live on ESPN. For more information, be sure to visit http://www.rally- america.com.

2010 Lexus RX350 Gets Performance Air Filter Option

2010-07-29T20:50:00Z

K&N filters are constructed with strict quality standards in mind so you can rest assured that your engine is protected from harmful contaminants and road debris. K&N’s 33-2443 is environmentally friendly and is designed to be washed and re-used with service intervals up to 50,000 miles depending on driving conditions. Like all K&N replacement air filters for street passenger vehicles the 33-2443 is covered by K&N’s industry leading Million Mile Limited Warranty.

Find K&N products for your Lexus RX350 or any other vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.

MONSTER ENERGY ANNOUNCES WORLD-CLASS TEAM COMPETING AT X GAMES 16

2010-07-27T16:53:00Z

Hitting the track as defending 2008-2009 Super X Gold Medalist will be John Hansen, who’s playing triple duty as a competitor in Super X, Speed & Style, and Best Whip—it should be a great show. Also lining up in Super X is Nick Wey, a rider with speed and perseverance that’s always a force on the track.

A methodical trick machine, Nate Adams will hit the Speed & Style course as the event returns to the X line-up. He’ll also do work in Freestyle Motocross, joined by the defending gold-medalist “Bilko” and serious threat Adam Jones, who’s already won at X Fighters this year.

Sarah Price will battle as she combines speed and rhythm on July 29 in Super X Women, a semi-new event that’s gaining more interest, fans, and excitement constantly—these girls are powerhouses!

In BMX Vert the number one threat will be Monster’s Jamie Bestwick, who’s often called the best BMX Vert rider ever and is a five-time X Games Vert gold medalist.

In BMX Park two time X Games gold medalist and four-time medalist Scotty Cranmer will be back for more hardware, but he’ll have to contend with the legendary Dave Mirra,
a medal-collector who’s been practicing hard lately and contest-mainstay Ryan Guettler. Andy Buckworth, a young buck from Australia with loads of flip variations like the double front, will battle in BMX Big Air.

Mirra and Ken Block are playing double duty behind the wheel as they both compete in Rally Racing and the all-new Super Rally, which sees four cars on the track at the same time. Mirra, known for his legendary BMX career, has become a threat as he pushed a different pedal to the metal. And Block, now a WRC driver, will be hot off the line and nimble through the turns as he seeks redemption and his first-ever Gold in the event he’s medaled in every single year.

Expect more major action as Skate Big Air and Skate Big Air Rail Jam competitors take to the MegaRamp inside the iconic Coliseum. Jake Brown will come in with big plans after the memorable gold medal last year and perhaps more-memorable slam two years ago, while his Monster teammate Pierre Luc Gagnon (PLG) will translate his vert skills and smoothness to the Big Air ramp. The Quebec tech-wizard will also compete in Skate Vert Trick (as the defending Gold medalist) and also Skate vert alongside Alex Perelson, a young force on the ramp with a proven 900. Perelson will also look to make a big impression as he competes in Skate Park.

Visit monsterenergy.com for more on all these athletes as they compete in X Games 16, plus the coverage of Monster’s activities during the four-day event.

Ken Block At The DC Melrose Store 7/28!

2010-07-27T16:42:00Z

Pat Moro and Ole Holter Win 2010 Super Production Class Title

2010-07-23T21:48:00Z

Throughout the season the SP Class became harder and harder to predict the outcome, but it was Dublin, Ohio’s Pat Moro driving a 2005 Subaru WRX STI that prevailed as the Super Production Class winner as well as 5th overall in the Rally America National Championship.

Early in the 2010 season, Hanson Motorsports’ father and son team, Terry, from Michigan and his son Travis Hanson, from Littleton, NH, were the team to beat when they took significant wins at January’s Sno*Drift Rally in Atlanta, Michigan and 100 Acre Wood Rally in Salem, Missouri in March and set the tone in Super Production.

It appeared that the Hanson’s were unstoppable as other competitors in the class struggled to string along consistent finishes. The Super Production Class podium saw a mixture of drivers in 2nd and 3rd place during the first two events of the season with Travis Hanson the only consistent finisher in 1st place.

However a string of mishaps plagued Hanson Motorsports thereafter. The team secured a 2nd place finish at the Oregon Trail Rally in Portland, Oregon in May, but they weren’t able to finish the other three events remaining in the season.

“I was happy for Travis (Hanson) with his early wins,” said Moro, “I seriously thought Travis was going to walk away with the SP Championship this year and we were already in the mindset of winning 2nd place.”

But the SP winds changed drastically and Patrick Moro saw his chance materialize following a successful West Coast tour combined with Hansons’ unfortunate difficulties. Moro went on to secure a class win at the Oregon Trail Rally, gain 2nd place points at the Olympus Rally in Washington and Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally in Pennsylvania, and secure the points needed to secure the class championship at the New England Forest Rally in Maine.

“This SP Championship was won by perseverance. This is what makes this season so special,” reflected Moro. “Last year we were just 1 point away from winning the Super Production title. We were so close that we worked even harder this year building our own cars and running the whole team by ourselves. This win validates everything we worked so hard for.”

“We could not have gotten through this Championship without the support of Subaru’s contingency program,” continued Moro. “The award money really helped, but we also owe Rallyspec a lot of credit for crewing with us and providing technical expertise. Exedy Racing Clutches also stepped in with parts, that was a big help.”

The Super Production Class is only two years old, but it has seen a slew of notable and extremely competitive team entries that Pat Moro had to fend off for his title. At the end of the season a spread of only 3 points separated 2nd through 4th place!

Last year’s returning SP Champion, Jimmy Keeney from Colorado Springs, Colorado, used consistency to win his 2009 SP title and relied on the same strategy again this year. Though, Keeney only finished once on the podium all year, he was reasonably within striking distance of Moro at the New England Forest Rally. At season’s end, Keeney settled for third overall in class and 10th in the Rally America National Championship.

Rally America’s Super Production class attracted new teams this year that challenged the podium, most notably ex-Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ramana Lagemann, who returned to competition after a two year absence driving a Subaru WRX STI for the RallyTire.com team from Maryland.

Lagemann from Boston, MA, arrived almost halfway through the 6-event season and immediately began nabbing SP 1st place finishes at the Olympus, STPR, and New England Forest Rallys. He suffered mechanical problems at the Oregon Trail Rally, which could have cost him the SP Championship, instead settling in for 2nd overall in class for the year. Lagemann’s strong showing in an SP car got him on the overall Rally America Championship podium at the final two events of the year. Though, Lagemann came in 2nd to Moro in the Super Production Championship, he beat Moro in the overall standings by taking 4th place overall.

The Super Production class will be well represented at the Summer X Games 16 in Los Angeles this year as well. Returning to ”Rally Car Racing”, Moro, Hanson, and Keeney will rely on previous X Games competition experience to challenge for an X Games medal. New to X Games in 2010 will be fellow PMR Motorsports teammate and Subaru WRX STI driver Timothy Rooney from Dublin, Ohio, making his X Games debut in “SuperRally”.

SuperRally is a new rally event being added to the X Games docket featuring 4 cars racing wheel-to-wheel in fast 4-lap heat races on the L.A. Memorial Coliseum floor. Fans can catch the live Rally Car Racing and SuperRally action LIVE on ESPN, Saturday, July 31st from 4:00pm – 7:00pm PT, and 7:15pm – 8:00pm PT.

L’Estage and Richard: 2010 Rally America Champions!

2010-07-22T17:14:00Z

L’Estage led the 2010 Championship heading into the season’s final round with a 13 point advantage over New England hometown favorite, Bill Bacon a full-time Firefighter from Nashua, NH, and just needed 5th place or better to gain enough points to become Rally America’s third ever title holder. Bacon, who has doggedly pursued L’Estage on the podium all season, was the only driver within striking distance of L’Estage, but he had to win the event outright and rely on L’Estage finishing outside of 5th place to snatch the Championship for his own. But Bacon suffered a devastating flat tire on Stage 9 that pushed him back to an overall 6th place finish.

Luck was on L’Estage’s side though as he faced the return of 4-time Rally America Champion, Travis Pastrana from Davidsonville, Maryland, and Monster World Rally Team’s Ken Block from Encinitas, California. Pastrana missed two crucial rally events when he was in Australia for two months performing in a Live Nitro Circus television show, thus costing him valuable points and relegated him to a 3rd place position in the overall Championship points.
Early on, Ken Block led the New England Forest Rally in his Monster Energy-backed Ford Fiesta until he went too wide in a sweeping Stage 4 corner and ditched his car damaging his rear suspension. That left Pastrana in the overall lead by nearly 3 minutes until Stage 11 when he lost oil pressure in his 2010 Subaru WRX STI and was forced to retire. L’Estage and Richard then cruised to the end, winning the New England Forest Rally and stepping into the record books as the new 2010 Rally America National Champions!

It was not an easy season for L’Estage and Richard. At the start of 2010, they planned to compete in just four Rally America events in addition to their Canadian Rally Series schedule with just one car – a 2010 Mistubishi Lancer Evolution X prepared by US Rally legend John Buffum and his team at Libra Racing. But once the two Canadians found themselves at the top of the overall Rally America points in early spring and with two West Coast Rally America events looming, they mustered enough energy and funding to trek across the country from Quebec to see if they could maintain their overall points lead.
“I’ve never rallied in the West Coast, so it was a huge gamble for us,” said L’Estage following the Olympus Rally. “I came to the West Coast with the goal of maximizing recce at Oregon Trail and winning this rally. At Olympus there was no point in catching Pastrana. I just wanted to save my 2nd place for the big picture.”

L’Estage also placed his West Coast finishes in perspective: “Travis Pastrana has been out here rallying for years and should know these roads. I suppose it would be the same situation if Pastrana came to the Canadian Baie Des Chaleurs Rally where I know those roads and he just showed up for the first time.”
Antoine L’Estage has even more on the line competing in two North American Rally Championships with a single car making his run for a title even more special and improbable. Each event L’Estage entered he hoped for a smooth and problem-free run. Any catastrophic failure meant throwing away his season in both the Rally America Championship as well as the Canadian Rally Series, not to mention the coveted North American Rally Cup.

With the Rally America Championship secured, he and Nathalie can now focus their efforts on finishing the Canadian Rally Series season where they currently sit in 4th place overall.
Before he returns to his homeland, L’Estage has one more stop on U.S. soil at the Summer X Games 16 in Los Angeles where he plans to compete in both Rally Car Racing and the newly added discipline for Rally cars, SuperRally.
An experienced X Games competitor, L’Estage has even more momentum on his side heading to the big show in Los Angeles to win his first X Games medal. Plus, he will be part of motorsports history as a participant in the first-ever SuperRally competition featuring four rally cars at a time battling wheel-to-wheel on the L.A. Memorial Coliseum floor.

This has been the dream season that has validated Antoine L’Estage’s talent as one of North America’s best rally drivers. There are many ways to win a Championship and L’Estage, along with his co-driver, Nathalie Richard, have shown that consistency pays huge dividends in the world or rally. With that, L’Estage and Richard have cemented their place in rally history as the duo who broke Travis Pastrana’s run of four consecutive Rally America Overall Championships. And now he joins his co-driver’s brother, Patrick Richard, as only the second Canadian rally driver in history to win the Rally America Overall Championship.

NOVITEC TRIDENTE Tunes the Maserati Quattroporte

2010-07-21T22:40:00Z

The specialists of the German company adapted a cogged-belt-driven mechanical charger to the 4.7-liter eight-cylinder four-valve engine. Maximum boost pressure is limited to 0.35 bar. A water-to-air intercooler with dedicated water circulation ensures healthy operating temperatures for the engine. The NOVITEC TRIDENTE SPORT compressor conversion is rounded out by a custom intake manifold and larger injectors. Newly calibrated engine electronics ensure optimal power yield, longevity and compliance with strict Euro IV emission limits.

After the engine conversion, which starts at 19,900 Euros, the Italian luxury sedan delivers high-end performance figures: Rated power output of the Quattroporte S jumps from standard 430 hp / 318 kW to 590 hp / 434 kW at 7,300 rpm. Simultaneously peak torque grows from 490 Nm to 572 Nm.

In combination with the six-speed automatic transmission the NOVITEC TRIDENTE luxury sedan delivers excellent driving performance as well: A sprint time of just 4.6 seconds from rest to 100 km/h and 14.9 seconds to 200 km/h are truly exceptional in this class. Just as impressive is the car’s new top speed of 295 km/h.

To transfer this tremendous performance potential to the road as safely as possible NOVITEC TRIDENTE have developed a custom-tailored tire/wheel combination for the Quattroporte. The three-piece alloy wheels with five double spokes perfectly fill out the available space in the wheel wells. The size 9Jx21 wheels on the front axle are mounted with Pirelli P Zero high-performance tires in size 255/30 ZR 21. In the rear size 295/30 ZR 21 tires on size 11Jx21 wheels provide optimal traction.

The new wheels play a large part in the sporty yet elegant appearance of the upgraded luxury sedan. For added sporty emphasis NOVITEC TRIDENTE offers an understated rear spoiler made from clear-coated carbon fiber.

The NOVITEC TRIDENTE sport suspension is specifically calibrated to the 21-inch high-performance tires. It allows owners of the Quattroporte to dial-in a setup that suits their individual preferences. The suspension is continuously height-adjustable and features multiple settings for compression and rebound.

NOVITEC TRIDENTE also offers numerous options for a stylish customization of the interior of the luxury sedan. The options range from a custom-tailored interior crafted from the finest leather or Alcantara to a state-of-the-art multimedia equipment package with TV, Blu-Ray player and high-speed internet connection on wheels.

BFGoodrich® Tires Takes a Drive on the Wild Side with Bolt On Ad Campaign

2010-07-21T17:09:00Z

This national broadcast, print and online advertising campaign heralds a new approach for BFGoodrich Tires, providing consumers with a series of unconventional and obviously fictitious situations to help clearly visualize key tire benefits. The campaign illustrates that while consumers cannot literally bolt on a cheetah’s “legs” for acceleration or a tree frog’s “hands” for grip, they can achieve the grip, acceleration and toughness for their vehicles by simply bolting on a set of BFGoodrich tires.

“Although not all consumers aspire to be race car drivers, rally pros or drifting champions, they can get a more exhilarating driving experience by owning tires with the same attributes of those used by these driving experts,” said Tom Jupena, marketing communications manager for BFGoodrich Tires. Among the BFGoodrich Tires’ records and accolades touted in the advertising:

• Grip: The first street tire to pull a 1g turn
• Acceleration: The first street tire to run a sub-eight second quarter mile
• Toughness: 20 straight SCORE Baja 1000 victories

While the animal kingdom captured the spotlight for this campaign, it was supported by two stars in the automotive world. Both are members of BFGoodrich Tires’ TeamBFG program, a diverse coalition of auto enthusiasts who share BFGoodrich Tires’ passion for motorsports. Two-time Formula Drift champion Samuel Hübinette did the stunt driving for the spots and Rally pro Lars Wolfe provided technical and special counsel. The vehicles featured in the ads include a Ford Mustang GT with BFGoodrich g-Force™ Super SportA/S tires and a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution with BFGoodrich g-Force Super SportA/S tires.

The BFGoodrich Tires team led the development of the new campaign in cooperation with a senior level team from The Martin Agency, located in Richmond, VA. The new campaign features a media plan that includes a variety of television, print and Internet advertising mediums.
Online and television advertising featuring the tree frog metaphor will launch on July 14. This first television spot will also be introduced on BFGoodrich Tires’ Facebook page and YouTube channel. Print versions of the tree frog will begin appearing in September issues. Cheetah and “toughness” print ads will get rotated in later in the year. Dealers are also supporting the campaign with point-of-sale materials and advertising materials designed to extend and enhance their own local marketing plans.

Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 35 years, BFGoodrich® Tires is involved in every type of racing, including oval, sports car, drifting, drag, desert, dirt, rally and extreme rock crawling. BFGoodrich Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high-performance tire for every type of vehicle. Visit BFGoodrich Tires at http://www.BFGoodrichTires.com.
BFGoodrich Tires’ enthusiasm has extended on-line as well, with a gathering place for auto enthusiasts to upgrade their passion for driving through Nation of GO, where people can celebrate and share what they love to do best at http://www.NationofGo.com.

Attack Cold Air Intake for the 2006-10 Honda Civic SI

2010-07-20T20:33:00Z

TA-1004P utilizes specially designed 1-piece clear coat anodized polished aluminum intake tube to guide the air into the motor and provide an aggressive style. Takeda air intakes use the brand new Pro Dry S filter from aFe, which uses a progressive synthetic media, requiring no oil to recharge for maximum convenience and filtration. The Pro Dry S filter is 99.2% efficient so it prevents all of the dirt and debris from entering the motor.

TA-1004P comes complete with polished aluminum tubes, Pro Dry S performance air filter, Urethane couplers, clamps and all hardware necessary for a simple installation. This intake is also available in a wrinkle black powdercoated finish, part number TA-1004B. In recent testing, the TA-1004P produced an astonishing 21hp and 23lbs. x ft. torque and outflows the factory intake by 63%. Part Number TA-1004P and TA-1004B retails for around $249.00 and are available in stores For more information on this or any other Takeda product, please visit our website at http://www.takedausa.com or contact our Power Professionals at 1-951-493-7155.

Rolls-Royce Bespoke Design at Salon Privé

2010-07-20T20:12:00Z

“The creation of a bespoke picnic set was always a question of entertainment, not just functionality. You choose to eat outdoors and you want to do it in an entertaining and elegant way, to make an occasion of the experience. Our design encapsulates that approach.”

Gavin Hartley – Rolls-Royce Motor Cars bespoke design manager

Background:
The 1920s. A golden age for picnicking. An era in which dining al fresco was an event to be savoured, not just a convenience on a long journey.

For Rolls-Royce owner’s opulence was the order of the day. As well as Rolls-Royce designed hampers, names like Asprey, Coracle, Vickery and Drew & Sons could be found straddling the running boards of cars, as drivers and passengers prepared to dine out in style. Frequently the centre-piece of a day, the picnic was an event in itself, to be enjoyed in the presence of an automotive work of art to complement the most delightful English view or the highest society event.

Today the golden age of picnicking promises an exclusive return thanks to the skill of designers and craftspeople at Goodwood, England. The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars bespoke programme has delivered an exclusive four person picnic set, taking cues from the past and translating them into a modern and exclusive interpretation for 21st century.

A picnic set developed for the Phantom Drophead Coupé
The idea had been considered during the development of the Drophead Coupé. However, the launch of this hands-on variant of the Rolls-Royce Phantom in 2006 presented the perfect canvas for work to begin. Here was a car that drivers and their guests would truly embrace - with a trunk operation that replicated the opening of a picnic cabinet. It echoed some early coach-built models, where the cars themselves were an integral part of the dining experience.

What was the starting point for the design?
Extensive research was key. The aim was to understand the past and encapsulate the essence of early 20th century designs. Back in the day, diners could choose from an array of products from suitcase, wicker or front-folded trunks. Then there were the features included to accommodate the type of picnic experience – hot or cold for example – as well as the number of guests to be considered.

But a 21st century Rolls-Royce picnic set was not a question of mimicking past design, Far from it. Nor was it a case of benchmarking against picnic set designs today – however exclusive. For the design team at Goodwood the brief was clear; create the Rolls-Royce of picnic sets, with a design benchmarked against the stunning cars themselves - starting with the Phantom Drophead Coupé.

How long did the process take?
Research began early in 2009. Then in the autumn, the design started to take shape. From the first pencil sketches, a further three months were taken to develop a computer aided design scheme, then three more to make a working prototype. In total, around six months and 1,500 hours went into the design and creation of the four person picnic set, before its first appearance at Villa D’Este, Italy in April 2010.

What were the design challenges?
There were practical challenges of course, such as considering how a modern picnic set might be used by its owner. Then there was question of identifying suppliers for the contents. But, fundamentally, there was a deeper issue: the Rolls-Royce of picnic sets had to possess the wow factor.

Alex Innes explained, “We wanted to make sure this wasn’t just going to be another box filled with other people’s products; it had to be designed from the ground up. And we wanted to come up with engineered solutions, demonstrating our innovation.”

“A degree of theatre was particularly important too,” added Gavin Hartley. “We wanted to explore the way the trunk opens in the Drophead Coupé. The way things open out, you appreciate a sense of unpacking. It’s exciting and surprising and exceeds expectations. You might think it’s a box, but when you open it out, it presents owners with useful surfaces like drop-down tables.”

What is it made of?
The set blends attributes of traditional wicker hampers, but in a leather front-folded unit that facilitates air flow while offering the solidity of a trunk.

The team started with oiled teak, a material that complements decking commonly selected as an option by Drophead Coupé owners. Saddle tan leather originates from a small tannery in Germany while polished aluminium and stainless steel complete the unit to be presented at Salon Privé this week.

After opening the set and folding out Indian rosewood tables, owners are presented with Goodwood designed hand-blown and cut stemware, cutlery made by David Mellor CBE
and clever design touches like magnets inside chopping boards to hold knives in place.

But while designed to a recommended layout and configuration, the set can be personalised through veneer, leather and individual requirements; this is a bespoke picnic set after all.
Oak might be chosen as an option by the owner of a Phantom saloon to match a vehicle interior. And leather can be dyed to match the colour of an owner’s Rolls-Royce luggage set – another exclusive design developed in the Goodwood studio.

How much of the picnic set will be made at Goodwood?
Like all Rolls-Royce bespoke designs, the picnic set has been brought to life by skilled craftspeople working in bespoke wood and leather shops at the Rolls-Royce plant in Goodwood. Only metal work and contents of the set are sourced from carefully selected partners to exacting Rolls-Royce standards.

Are there any customer orders?
The four person picnic set is a commissionable item, made to order. And while the team’s focus was for Drophead Coupé, the first firm customer order came from a Phantom saloon customer in the UK. Further orders are expected, following a number of serious enquiries worldwide and its UK debut at London’s exclusive Hurlingham Club.

STOPFLEX® BRAIDED BRAKE HOSE KITS FOR FORD SHELBY GT 500

2010-07-19T21:32:00Z

Check out all of CLASSIC TUBES’s brake, fuel, transmission, vacuum and choke pre-bent tubing at http://www.classictube.com. Industrial applications are also available.

For complete information on these ’07-’11 Ford Shelby GT 500 STOPFLEX® kits, and all their other fluid transfer products for late-model Mustangs or other classics, contact CLASSIC TUBE, 80 Rotech Drive, Lancaster, NY 14086, 800-882-3711, Fax; 716-759-1014.

Antoine L’Estage Wins New England Forest Rally And 2010 Rally America Championship

2010-07-19T19:50:00Z

L’Estage’s weekend almost ended abruptly when his car experienced turbo failure, which dropped him from 2nd to 5th overall. On the verge of losing the Championship L’Estage dug deep and advanced back into 2nd place until NEFR rally leader, Subaru Rally Team USA’s Travis Pastrana, lost oil on Stage 11 and failed to finish. L’Estage gained the lead and held on for the win.

Antoine L’Estage then became the newest Rally America Champion driver breaking Travis Pastrana’s run of four consecutive Championships in a row!

“It has been a hard road getting here,” said L’Estage, “we only planned to run four events in America this year, but when we found ourselves in contention for a title after the Olympus Rally we mustered up more funds. I am very thankful for my team and the incredible work they put in, especially our Team Manager John Buffum.”

Winning the title gives L’Estage much needed momentum when he heads to ESPN’s Summer X Games 16 on July 31st to compete for a gold medal in the “Rally Car Racing” event.

It was another difficult event for the Monster World Rally Team’s Ken Block, who led the event during the first few stages in his 2010 Ford Fiesta, but Block’s crash on SS4 knocked him out of the race and surrendered the lead to Travis Pastrana before he DNF’d near the end of the day. You can view Block’s crash video here: bit.ly/bm4uzW

NOS Energy Drink’s Andrew Comrie-Picard suffered a tough setback this weekend as well, driving his Mitsubishi Evolution X for the first time on U.S. soil. Comrie-Picard was off his normal pace but within striking distance to land on the podium until an exhaust leak melted his shifter cables and wiring on SS10 putting him farther behind.

The Super Production battle was the highlight of the rally as crews encountered drama and fierce competition on Maine’s unforgiving forest roads. Ramana Lagemann and Chrissie Beavis took the lead early in the rally and had a consistently smooth run to finish first in class by 1:58.8 minutes and placing second overall. Joseph Burke and Alex Kihurani had a remarkable performance despite losing time on Stage 9 after having alignment issues caused by landing on a rock. Nineteen-year-old Burke finished second in class and placed on his first-ever National podium taking third overall after Pastrana’s DNF. Rounding out the SP podium was Roman Pakos and Maciej Sawicki. Pakos had an excursion on Day One that set the crew back by 45 seconds, but they managed to make up time on Day Two finishing third overall.

The fight for the 2010 Super Production title unfolded at NEFR as Pat Moro and Ole Holter drove to maintain a slight points lead against Travis and Terry Hanson. The Hansons were forced to retire on Day One of the rally after cutting a corner and breaking a wheel on Stage 6, giving Moro the advantage to secure the SP Championship bid on Day Two. Moro lost throttle at the start of Stage 10 and had to be towed 16 miles to the end of the stage by his teammate Tim Rooney, but was able to get started back up and finish the rally. Pat Moro and Ole Holter are now Rally America’s 2010 Super Production Champions.

In the 2 Wheel-Drive, rally veteran and ex-Mitsubishi Factory Team driver Lauchlin O’Sullivan and co-driver Karen Wagner won with a dominating performance from the very beginning and ended with a 3:37.5 minute cushion over New England favorite, Chris Duplessis. O’Sullivan’s finish also won the MaxAttack! 2 Wheel-Drive Series competition; a separate Series run at NEFR dedicated to promoting 2 Wheel-Drive rally cars.

Chris Duplessis from Bethel, ME had mathematically secured the Rally America National 2 Wheel-Drive Class Championship at last month’s STPR® Rally in Wellsboro, PA. He did not need a win at NEFR, but a fierce competition brewed between him and last year’s 2WD Champion, Dillon Van Way. Both traded times until Van Way’s Ford Focus experienced intermittent power failures and had to withdraw from the race.

Mitsubishi driver Tom Lawless won Day One’s Mexico Regional Rally with co-driver Brian McNamara. Joey Kale and Scott Nickerson placed second and Matt Gottlieb and co-driver Austin Gager took third place. Lawless also won the Day Two regional, the LL Cote Rally, but this time he had Martin Brady in the right seat instead of Brian McNamara. Lawless finished 4 minutes ahead of Maciej Przybysz and Carrie Wilburn. Last Ditch Racing’s John Cassidy and Dave Getchell claimed the third spot on the podium.

About Rally America, Inc.:

Based in Golden Valley, Minnesota, Rally America sanctions the premier rally racing series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2009, Rally America will conduct nine National Championship events at venues across the country, from Portland, Ore., to Newry, Maine. Rally America competitors reach speeds well over 100 mph in modified street-legal rally cars on natural-terrain courses consisting of gravel, dirt or snow.

Rally America is introducing “Rallycross” to America for the first time on August 27-28, October 9-10, and November 6-7 at the New Jersey Motorsports Park. Fans will be able to watch two-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive rally cars compete wheel-to-wheel on a closed-loop 1.3 mile tarmac and gravel circuit in timed heats from the comfort of grandstands and special viewing areas.

Rally America is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., BFGoodrich Tires, the Team O’Neil Rally School, Able Planet, Hawk Performance Brakes, Rally-Tire.com, RaceWatches.com, Exedy Racing Clutches, RECARO, Mazda and the Danza del Sol Winery.

Late Rally Drama Thwarts Certain Win for Pastrana at New England Forest Rally

2010-07-19T19:47:01Z

“The rally went 100% our way up until the very end,” explained Pastrana. “My Subaru was set up well, we were able to get a nice lead after the first day and then extend and maintain that lead on the second day very easily. Plus a few other teams were slowed with their own problems. The win was nearly in sight when our engine began to hit trouble, but that’s rallying and we put on a great show for the fans all weekend.”

The New England Forest Rally, the sixth and final round of the 2010 Rally America National Championship, marks the end of Pastrana’s four year reign as the Rally America Champion (2006-2009). Due to a schedule conflict with his Nitro Circus Live Tour in Australia, Pastrana was unable to attend two of the six Rally America rounds this year thus making it difficult to amass sufficient points towards a title defense. Multi-time Canadian Champion Antoine L’Estage, who had entered every round of the 2010 series, was crowned the 2010 Rally America National Champion. “I’m so happy for Antoine (L’Estage) and (his co-driver) Nathalie (Richard), they are probably the most friendly team in the series, and I really enjoy competing against them. They had a great year and deserve to be the Champs.”

“Although our result coming away from New England [Forest Rally] was less than ideal, Travis drove a brilliant rally and showcased the competitiveness of our STI at one of the most difficult rounds on the Rally America schedule,” said James Han, motorsports marketing manager at Subaru of America, Inc. “Going into this season, we were well aware of the massive challenge facing Travis to retain the national title missing fully a third of the championship. To think that he joined Subaru in 2005 with virtually no rally experience to go on and win four consecutive titles with SRT USA is a testament to Travis’ driving talent and development, the quality of work by our partner Vermont SportsCar, plus the strong performance base in the Subaru Impreza WRX STI in which each and every one of our rally cars is built from. My heartfelt congratulations go out to both Antoine and Nathalie for a solid championship run.”

Subaru Rally Team USA driver Dave Mirra sat out the New England Forest Rally in order to train for BMX Freestyle competition at ESPN’s upcoming X Games 16. Mirra will enter BMX events as well as the two rally events, Rally Car Racing and the newly introduced SuperRally, which is based on the wheel-to-wheel format of European Rallycross.

Subaru Rally Team USA will attend X Games 16 with a three-car lineup that includes Pastrana, Mirra and Sverre Isachsen, the defending FIA European RallyCross Champion. Competition will air live on ESPN Saturday July 31, 2010.
Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), DC Shoes, BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, Vision X, Alpinestars, Motul, Exedy, VP Fuels and Vermont SportsCar. For more information on Subaru Rally Team USA, as well as exclusive photo and video galleries visit rally.subaru.com and for the latest news follow the team on Twitter: twitter.com/srtusa.

H&R Lancia Alfa Giulietta: Design and Dynamism

2010-07-18T20:31:00Z

Soon to be available H&R TRAK+ Wheel Spacers of high tensile aluminium regardless of whether they are combined with works or tuned wheels.

The often unsightly gap between the wheel arch and the edge of the wing thus also now belongs to the past.

The full range of H&R products, available for over 1,350 different vehicle types, is available at all good dealers and along with the expected H&R quality naturally always come with a general operating permit (ABE) or TÜV certificate of conformity for parts (Teilegutachten).

H&R Porsche Panamera 4 V6 4WD: Dynamic Luxury Class Sportscar

2010-07-16T21:13:00Z

An ETS (electronic lowering system) for the air-suspension cars will soon be available, too.

A further highlight can be obtained from the H&R TRAK+ Wheel Spacers made of high tensile aluminium. The small gap between the wheel arch and the edge of the wing can thus be visually perfected, which results in an even more powerful appearance.

The full range of H&R products for more than 1,350 vehicle types is available at all good specialized dealers and along with the expected H&R quality naturally always come with a general operating permission (ABE) or TÜV certificate of conformity (Teilegutachten).