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Filed under: Etc., Motorcycle

If you have even a passing interest in the world of two-wheeled transportation, you likely already know all about Ace Cafe. The place started as a roadside diner, but quickly evolved into a haven for young London bike nuts after World War II. As a result, the name is now synonymous with the café racer phenomenon. Mark Wilsmore took the reins at Ace in 1993 and completely restored the structure in 2001. Now, the little diner serves as a hub for thousands of riders from around the world every day.

Today, Ace Cafe is planning to open outlets here in The Land Of The Free. A total of ten locations are set to spring up across the country soon, and to mark the occasion, Dime City Cycles is throwing a grand-opening celebration in Tampa, Florida on Saturday, May 14.

We typically recoil from the commercialization of something as unique and special as the Ace Cafe, but if anyone can do this and do it right, it’s Wilsmore. The man knows a thing or two about putting together a custom bikers, which leads us to believe the new Aces may actually be a place real riders want to spend time instead of a glorified t-shirt stand. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Legendary London icon Ace Cafe heads to the States

Legendary London icon Ace Cafe heads to the States originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 May 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Etc., Videos, Racing

Dario Franchitti drives Jim Clark's Lotus

Dario Franchitti drives Jim Clark’s legendary Lotus 38 – Click above to watch video after the jump

We’re sure that open-wheel hero Dario Franchitti has managed to realize quite a few of his four-wheeled dreams over the years, but he’s only just managed to top them all with a drive of Jim Clark’s legendary Lotus 38, a car that Clark piloted to victory in the 1965 Indy 500.

Franchitti, like Clark, was born in Scotland and the two share a love of going fast. Jim Clark’s Lotus 38, with its four-cam V8 pumping out around 500 horsepower, is a very different vehicle then the modern day IndyCar that Franchitti pilots for Chip Ganassi Racing. Regardless, the Lotus is a pure racing machine and a true piece of motorsports history, and it’s a treat to listen to Dario discuss his experience behind the wheel of the Lotus. His insight is important but his excitement is palpable – this is a rare opportunity and he appears to treat the opportunity with the appropriate level of respect and admiration for Clark and Lotus.

How’d this all come to pass? Dario Franchitti, working together with Road & Track, reached out to The Henry Ford Museum, Lotus Cars USA and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to make this event happen. It’s all captured on the video after the jump, and it’s just the first in a series of events designed to celebrate the Indy 500. In the near future, we will get to see Bobby Rahal drive the 1912 winning National and Sam Posey hop behind the wheel of Roger Ward’s 1962 Leader Card Special.

For now however, it’s all about Franchitti in Clark’s Lotus 38 at the Brickyard. Stop reading and start watching (and listening!) by clicking past the jump.

[Sources: Road & Track, YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Dario Franchitti drives Jim Clark’s legendary ’65 Lotus at Indy

Video: Dario Franchitti drives Jim Clark’s legendary ’65 Lotus at Indy originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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