Tag: weekend

Motorsports: New NASCAR tire tech to debut in Atlanta this weekend

Filed under: Motorsports, Safety, Technology, Racing

Goodyear Eagle Multi-Zone Racing Tire for NASCARAside from the antics of the Busch brothers and Tony Stewart’s uncensored comments, some of the biggest controversies in NASCAR are directed at the tires used on the cars. Goodyear can’t do anything about Kurt, Kyle or Tony, but it is looking improve the quality of its rubber by introducing a new type of racing tires for this weekend’s event at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Developed from the same technology behind Goodyear’s Assurance TripleTred passenger tire, the new Multi-Zone Tread Technology debuting in NASCAR uses multiple rubber compounds in the hopes of optimizing performance, safety and durability. Goodyear says that Atlanta is a good test track for the new technology since it has an abrasive surface, long race length and high vehicle speeds. The new compound will only be used on the right-side tires only (click on the image for a larger view of what’s a work here).

Scroll down for the official press release about the new tires, and check out how they perform this weekend at the Nationwide Great Clips-Grit Chips 300 tomorrow and the Sprint Cup Advocare 500 on Sunday.

Continue reading New NASCAR tire tech to debut in Atlanta this weekend

New NASCAR tire tech to debut in Atlanta this weekend originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Aug 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exclusive: Amazing Scion FR-S Soapbox car ready to roll in Red Bull race this weekend

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Scion

Scion FR-S Soapbox Derby Car

Scion FR-S Soapbox Derby Car – Click above for image gallery

Remember the good old days when you and your dad spent countless hours in a dimly-lit garage to piece together an old ramshackle Soapbox Derby car for an upcoming downhill race? It probably was constructed out of ancient materials, rocked wagon wheels and had a cable brake that may or may not have stopped you before kissing something solid. Well, my friends, just like the rapture of tomorrow, those days are over.

Scion FR-S Soapbox Derby CarRenowned concept car builder Five:Axis is ready to throw down with a truly outstanding build for an upcoming Soapbox Derby. Being put together by Red Bull, this ain’t your regular Soapbox Derby, and this certainly ain’t your average backyard special. This is a custom one-off fiberglass micro-body based on the super stylish Scion FR-S Concept unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April. Since Five:Axis is well intertwined with Toyota, Lexus and Scion, it looks like they got some design studio CAD files to design the shell and the same slinky red metallic paint that the FR-S was wearing for its first stage appearance.

Think the underpinnings are still ’50s Soapbox technology? You couldn’t be further off because the custom aluminum space frame features a TEIN coilover suspension and Wilwood disc brakes. But all that technology isn’t going to be worth jack if there isn’t a ringer behind the wheel. The Five:Axis Scion FR-S will be piloted by none other than Dai Yoshihara, the Formula D drifter who slides the Falken Tire Nissan 240SX. Dai knows a thing or two about grip as well since he also competes in the Redline Time Attack Tuner Car Championship in an imported Civic Type R.

However, at this point we’re not sure what part of Dai’s expertise is really applicable for the upcoming Redbull Soapbox derby race. The only race on the calendar in the U.S. this year, it’s slated to be held tomorrow, May 21 at 5th & Grand in downtown LA and promises to be nothing like what you might envision a traditional Soapbox derby to be. There are sharp 90-degree turns, NASCAR-style banks and myriad of sweet jumps. Although it appears the Five:Axis build will hold together during the abuse, we are not sure that Dai’s run will be crash or injury free.

Amazing Scion FR-S Soapbox car ready to roll in Red Bull race this weekend originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fast Five ushers in summer with $84 million opening weekend

Filed under: Videos, Earnings/Financials, Celebrities

fast five trailer

Fast Five trailer – Click above to watch the video after the jump

We were hoping Universal’s Fast Five would be a watchable installment to the Fast and Furious franchise, and while we didn’t see the flick ourselves, it appears many Americans did. According to Hollywood Reporter, the movie raked in $83.6 million over the weekend, easily giving the fifth installment of the franchise the top opening weekend of all the Fast and Furious flicks to date. The movie fared especially well at 243 Imax theaters nationwide, with sales of $8.3 million. The blockbuster film also hit the jackpot overseas, with $45 million in receipts.

The film also garnered an A from CinemaScore, which means audiences are leaving the theater satisfied. The film brought in plenty of young moviegoers, with 53 percent of viewers under the age of 25. If Universal wasn’t sure what The Rock was cooking before, we’re thinking they’re catching a whiff now. Hit the jump to watch the Fast Five trailer one more time, and if you went and saw the movie, let us know what you thought about it in the Comments.

Continue reading Fast Five ushers in summer with $84 million opening weekend

Fast Five ushers in summer with $84 million opening weekend originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 May 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Weekend time-waster: Cadillac CTS-V Coupe configurator

Filed under: Coupe, Cadillac

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

The first production examples of the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe are hitting dealer showrooms as you read this, and whether you’re seriously considering buying your own 556-horsepower coupe or just feel like killing a little time dreaming, Cadillac now has a fully-functional configurator online.

It takes at least $63,465 (plus another $825 for destination) to get your own super-Caddy, which comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission, navigation and premium sound system. Another $3,400 nets you a set of race-ready Recaro performance seats, and if you opt for the up-level thrones, a suede-rimmed steering wheel and shift knob combo is available for another $300. If rowing your own gear isn’t appealing, you ought to be ashamed of yourself the six-speed automatic is a $1,300 option. Check every conceivable box, including an up-level paint job and you’re looking at a $72,560 sticker. That’s a lot of cheddar no matter how you slice it, but a quick comparison against the other mega-performance coupes on the market shows that this Caddy is a relative bargain. Have fun configuring your own blown two-door Caddy. Thanks for the tip, Khalid!

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

[Source: Cadillac]

Weekend time-waster: Cadillac CTS-V Coupe configurator originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Jul 2010 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Seat touring car flips into crowd at Brands Hatch over weekend

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Hatchback, SEAT, UK, Racing

That’s not gonna buff out – Click above to watch video after the jump

If you’ve ever found yourself as a spectator at a race track, it’s easy to lull yourself into believing that you’ll be as safe as can be just so long as you keep a crash barrier between your brittle bones and the lightspeed chunks of metal blasting by. Thing is, that’s not always the case. The interwebs are full of videos of cars gone airborne, leaping guard rails and tire walls by leaps and bounds to come crashing down in the middle of a passel of spectators. We can officially add the video after the jump to that list of horrors.

According to our English cousins, Portugese driver Francisco Carvalho had a bit of a mishap at this weekend’s World Touring Car Championship event at Brands Hatch. Carvalho was competing in the Seat Leon Euro Cup Race when he received a nudge from a fellow racer. Instead of losing a position, Carvalho’s car was sent veering off of the course and into a crash barrier before bouncing end-over-end and vaulting back over the wall. The crash sent a crowd of race marshals fleeing before the car came to a stop, but amazingly enough, no one was injured. Not even Carvalho. Hit the jump to see the devastation for yourself.

[Source: YouTube via Autoblog UK]

Continue reading Video: Seat touring car flips into crowd at Brands Hatch over weekend

Video: Seat touring car flips into crowd at Brands Hatch over weekend originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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