Tag: daytona

Ferrari Daytona of royal, Top Gear provenance up for auction at Brooklands

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Ferrari, Celebrities

1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona - chassis #16531

1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona chassis #16531 – Click above for high-res image gallery

With examples from the 250 series fetching earth-shattering prices, the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 “Daytona” is quickly becoming a classic favorite. The wedge-shaped GT from the late 60s and early 70s was a clear separation from the bulbous models that proceeded it, and is today regarded as one of the definitive classic Ferraris of all time. But even among the 1,400+ built, some are more special than others.

For starters, this particular example – which is going up for auction in May under the auspices of Historics at Brooklands – is one of only 158 right-hand-drive models. But chassis #16531 is set apart from the other 157 by its fate once arriving in the UK.

Its first owner was HRH Charles, Prince of Wales, who only drove it for about a week before selling it. A few owners of varied stature owned the car since, until it appeared on the BBC’s ever-popular car show Top Gear. You may recall the episode (twelfth in the fifth season) when James May set sail for Saint-Tropez from Portofino in a speedboat, while Richard Hammond took the coastal road in a Daytona? Well this is that very same car.

Resplendent in metallic blue, tan leather interior and Borrani wire wheels, this 365 GTB/4 has only 26,281 miles on the odometer, and was verified on the dyno shortly before the Top Gear filming to have lost none of the 352 horsepower with which it left the factory. It’s a beauty. Details in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona – chassis #16531

[Source: Historics at Brooklands]

Continue reading Ferrari Daytona of royal, Top Gear provenance up for auction at Brooklands

Ferrari Daytona of royal, Top Gear provenance up for auction at Brooklands originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final laps of 2011 Daytona 200 lead to controversy, Ducati’s first victory [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Motorcycle, Racing

Jason DiSalvo, 2011 Daytona 200

Jason DiSalvo wins the 2011 Daytona 200 – Click above for high-res image gallery

While this year’s Daytona 200 was a great day for Ducati and its 848 EVO, it left something to be desired for everyone else. The race was blighted by tire issues, a bad final-lap crash that the riders were lucky to walk away from and a controversy stemming from Ducati’s win.

The controversy started with a red flag late in the race and a mandatory tire change for all riders. On the same lap, Ducati rider Jason DiSalvo blew a cylinder on his machine. Eventually, race officials decided to re-start around 3:30 and run the rest of the 200 as a 15-lap sprint to the finish. Besides angering fans who paid to see a 200-mile single race and would end up with 147 miles over two races, the delay allowed DiSalvo’s team time to change his blown engine.

With permission from the AMA, DiSalvo was back in the race. In the final seconds of the all-out 15-lap sprint to the finish, DiSalvo passed Cory West on a draft to take the win. That wasn’t the end, though. Since there had been a red flag, there was some confusion as to who should be crowned the victor.

There was talk of letting the results from the lap before the red flag stand. That would have meant the race ended with Josh Herrin out front, JD Beach in second and Jake Zemke third. Officials decided, however, that since the top six riders had crossed the line before the red flag fell and everyone else was still on the previous lap, the results from the 15-lap sprint would decide the winner.

That meant that Jason Di Salvo, who before the red flag was out of the race, was crowned race winner, followed by Cory West and Jake Zemke. The result was no doubt a great moment for Ducati and DiSalvo, but left the guys who were ahead before the red flag and the fans who saw a shortened race feeling understandably spurned.

Click past the jump for a press release from Ducati celebrating the victory and a video of the closing laps of the 2011 Daytona 200.

Gallery: Jason DiSalvo wins the 2011 Daytona 200

Jason DiSalvo leads the Daytona 200Jason DiSalvo leads the Daytona 200Jason DiSalvo wins the Daytona 200Jason DiSalvo wins the Daytona 200Jason DiSalvo wins the Daytona 200

[Source: Motorcycle USA, Axis Of Oversteer, Ducati]

Continue reading Final laps of 2011 Daytona 200 lead to controversy, Ducati’s first victory [w/video]

Final laps of 2011 Daytona 200 lead to controversy, Ducati’s first victory [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: New Transformers 3 commercial hits during Daytona 500

Filed under: Etc., Videos

Transformers 3 Jimmy Johnson Car

Autobots in NASCAR… who knew? Click above to watch the video after the jump

Excuse us if we’re not all that excited about Transformers 3. The novelty of seeing fantastically animated versions of the toys we played with as youngsters died off right about the same time an SR 71 Blackbird turned into old man Decepticon in T2. But hey, at least we can consider watching any movie featuring Megan Fox. Oh wait, she was replaced.

You know what could get us jacked for T3? NASCAR Transformers.

We kid, of course, but it appears we’re going to receive exactly that – Autobots with numbers on the doors – even if we didn’t ask for them. Hit the jump to watch the latest commercial for the July blockbuster. We’re told the ad was aired during the Daytona 500… can’t say we were watching. Then again, if NASCAR allows Jimmie Johnson’s car to be fitted like the T3 car pictured above, they’d have our attention in 2012.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: New Transformers 3 commercial hits during Daytona 500

Video: New Transformers 3 commercial hits during Daytona 500 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 19:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spoiler Alert: Daytona 500 winner makes history

Filed under: Motorsports

2011 Daytona 500

If you’re saving your 2011 Daytona 500 viewing experience for a later date, you’ll want to go ahead and skip this post all together.

Still with us? This year marked the 53rd running of the biggest race in NASCAR, and thanks to a completely re-paved track, the event saw a record 74 lead changes between 22 drivers. The new sticky asphalt also led to plenty of side-by-side racing with more than a few pile ups as a result. But all of that carnage happened to open the door for one very unlikely winner.

Wood Brothers Racing took home the checkered flag for the first time since 1976 with 20 year-old Knoxville, Tennessee native Trevor Bayne behind the wheel. Never heard of him? We aren’t surprised. This Daytona 500 only marked his second Sprint Cup series start. Bayne led the last six laps and successfully fought off a last-minute rush by Carl Edwards to take home the $1.46 million purse and become the youngest-ever winner of the Daytona 500. While Bayne was only scheduled to run five races with Wood Brothers this year, this win just might change his schedule.

[Source: ESPN | Image: Glenn Smith/AP Photo]

Spoiler Alert: Daytona 500 winner makes history originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 10:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR marks 10-year anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s death at Daytona 500

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Celebrities

Dale Earnhardt Senior

It was 10 years ago today that racing legend Dale Earnhardt Senior died while competing at the Daytona 500. It’s no secret that not every motorsports afficianado is a fan of the NASCAR scene, but there’s no denying the outright skill and presence that racers bring to the game both on and off the track. Nowhere was that more evident than with Earnhardt, who sprang from a long-line of circle track racers. Even if series fans rooted for a different driver, they respected Earnhardt for his down-to-earth nature and old-school approach to racing. When Earnhardt was behind the wheel, it was clear he wasn’t there to make friends or play nice. He was there to win.

While Earnhardt’s death was a tragedy on many levels, we can’t help but feel that NASCAR lost more than an icon when he passed. Today’s field is populated by overly polished, nameless media machines that lack the heart and human emotion that the old-timers brought to the table. Maybe that’s why we just can’t bring ourselves to flop down in front of the TV for 500 laps anymore.

For an excellent (and tear-jerking) retrospective on The Intimidator’s fatal accident, check out Dale Earnhardt’s Last Ride from ESPN.

[Sources: Yahoo Sports, Kansas City Star, USA Today | Image: Bruce Ackerman/AP]

NASCAR marks 10-year anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s death at Daytona 500 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Hurley Haywood details Porsche’s fond relationship with Daytona

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Porsche

Porsche 911 cup car at Dayona

Porsche 911 and Daytona go way back – Click above to watch video after the jump

Porsche and Daytona have a long history dating back to 1968, when the automaker won its first 24 Hours at Daytona. Porsche has spent the last 43 years dominating the event, leading all other manufacturers with 22 overall wins (38 victories total, when you add in class wins). Its closest competitor is Ferrari, which has managed five.

Hurley Haywood knows a thing or two about driving Porsche racing cars. He’s responsible for putting five of the company’s 22 overall Daytona wins on the board (as well as a class win, to boot). Before the 2011 Rolex 24 Hours at Dayona, Haywood discussed the long history between the racetrack and Porsche’s sports cars. Click past the jump to watch the clip.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Hurley Haywood details Porsche’s fond relationship with Daytona

Video: Hurley Haywood details Porsche’s fond relationship with Daytona originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 05 Feb 2011 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blind man tackles the road course at Daytona on his own

Filed under: SUV, Etc., Technology, Ford

Mark Riccobono's blind lap of Daytona

Mark Riccobono’s blind lap of Daytona – Click above for high-res image gallery

Another year, another Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona champion. Something interesting happened before the prototypes took to the track, though, when a Ford Escape Hybrid took on the 1.5-mile road course. The driver, Mark Anthony Riccobono, didn’t break any speed records… but he did successfully maneuver the Escape without the help of a very crucial driving aid – vision.

Riccobono is blind, and with the help of non-visual technology, he completed the Daytona road course. Beyond simply making lefts and rights, Riccobono also had to avoid a variety of obstacles. Some were stationary while others were thrown randomly from the back of a van. Riccobono avoided them all, and then he passed the van before crossing the finish line.

The event marks the first time a blind person has driven a vehicle around a course without the aid of a sighted person. It was a major milestone for the Blind Driver Challenge, which aims to improve blind-interface technology. Check out the press release after the break.

Gallery: Mark Anthony Riccobono’s blind lap of Daytona

Mark Anthony Riccobono's blind lap of DaytonaMark Anthony Riccobono's blind lap of DaytonaMark Anthony Riccobono's blind lap of DaytonaMark Anthony Riccobono's blind lap of DaytonaMark Anthony Riccobono's blind lap of Daytona

[Source: National Federation of the Blind | Images: Terry Renna and John Raoux/AP]

Continue reading Blind man tackles the road course at Daytona on his own

Blind man tackles the road course at Daytona on his own originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Chevrolet Camaro SS Daytona 500 Pace Car with wings

Filed under: Motorsports, Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet, GM, Specialty

Chevrolet Camaro SS Daytona 500 Pace Car

Chevrolet Camaro SS Daytona 500 Pace Car – Click above for high-res image gallery

Spoliers and skirts and lights, oh my! Chevrolet is preparing one highly customized Camaro SS to pace the upcoming Daytona 500, and it appears that the Bowtie brand has thrown every accessory at its disposal to see what would stick.

At the rear, there’s a ducktail spoiler the likes of which we haven’t seen on a Camaro since the late 1970s. The profile view is dominated by a ground-effects package that makes the pony car’s already slab-sided, Coke-bottle appearance even more pronounced. We also note a set of wheels reminiscent of the units fitted by Hurst. And it’s easy to miss the new chin spoiler and slightly modified grille.

The most noticable updates, though, are surely the lights, which have to be bright enough for the entire field at Daytona to spot them. There’s an aerodynamic light bar up top and a pair of orangey-yellow lamps out back that the spy photographer says could practically be seen from space. See for yourself in our high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Chevrolet Camaro SS Pace Car

Chevrolet Camaro SS Indy 500 Pace Car spy shotsChevrolet Camaro SS Indy 500 Pace Car spy shotsChevrolet Camaro SS Indy 500 Pace Car spy shotsChevrolet Camaro SS Indy 500 Pace Car spy shotsChevrolet Camaro SS Indy 500 Pace Car spy shots

[Source: KGP Photography]

Spy Shots: Chevrolet Camaro SS Daytona 500 Pace Car with wings originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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