Autoblog

Phil Hill, the only American-born driver to win a Formula One title, passed away last night of complications associated with Parkinson's disease at the age of 81. Aside from his success with Ferrari in F1 during the 1961 season, Hill was also the first American to win at the 24 hours of Le Mans, taking the title twice more and winning the 12-hours of Sebring three times.

Described by friends and colleagues as reserved and genteel, Hill was a breath of fresh air in the international racing scene and finally inducted into the International Motorsport Hall of Fame in 1991.

He is survived by his wife Alma, son, two daughters and four grandchildren, all of whom have our heartfelt condolences.

[Source: Autoweek]

We're not terribly surprised that the Dodge Viper ACR has apparently made it around the famed German racing circuit faster than pretty much anything else you'll find on a dealer's lot. After all, the ACR is a race car, as evidenced by the video that Motor Trend has posted. The most venomous Viper has done the deed in 7:22, fast enough to make grown men cry. To this blogger, the Viper is dead gorgeous, even with that yucky-but-functional rear wing on the ACR, and it definitely carries the spirit of hairy-chested cars of yore. The shifter wobbles around horrendously when the driver kisses the rev limiter a few times, and there even appears to be a flubbed shift near the end, so the ACR may have faster laps left in it. We're waiting on confirmation on whether or not this is an official lap, but it's certainly creating a stir, and the Viper wants to know, V-Spec who? Thanks for the tip, Rob.

[Source: Viper Alley]



Thanks for the tip, Rob!

video of run at MotorTrend

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Audi R8 GT3 car

The courtship between Audi and GT3-class racing teams has officially begun with the automaker's announcement that it has developed a GT3 version of the R8 sports car dubbed "R16" internally by its project overlords at Audi Sport . The rear-drive racer (GT3 regulations prohibit AWD) features a six-speed sequential gearbox, mostly production-spec suspension components, plus an updated front end and a large rear wing designed to keep it planted to the tarmac. No additional tech specs have been revealed at this time. Factory driver Frank Biela was at the wheel for the prototype's roll-out, and customer deliveries are expected to take place next fall. Look for the car to see wheel-to-wheel action against the likes of the Aston Martin DBRS9 and Jaguar XKR GT3 during the 2009 European racing season. We patiently await its inclusion in a future Gran Turismo update so that we can try it out, too.


[Source: Audi]

Every year towards the end of the season, the world of Formula One racing plays a big game of musical chairs as drivers' contracts come up for renewal and seats open up. Sometimes drivers end up in the same chair they were in before, but this season we've got reason to believe there'll be a big switch. And the key to that switch depends on Fernando Alonso more than anyone else, according to Ross Brawn.

The former Ferrari technical guru and current head of Honda's F1 racing program points towards the lackluster performance of Renault this year as clear evidence that Alonso will seek out a new team. Where he will end up remains a big question mark, however, as almost all the teams would welcome the two-time world champion to their ranks, and would be willing to hold off signing their other drivers until Alonso has sat down.

[Source: Autosport, Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty]

Click above image for high-res gallery of Grand Prix of Sonoma

Motor racing is, of course, highly competitive, and the logistics highly complicated. The higher the level of racing, the more competitive and the more complicated. But racing fans expect to see it duked out on the track, not on the way there. That's why it was so disappointing when the transporter carrying Penske's Indy racing team to Infineon (formerly known as Sears Point) in Sonoma, California, went up in flames on the interstate.

For any other team, even a lesser incident would have called the curtain on their race weekend. But as we reported on Thursday, Penske has a history of turning adverse circumstances like these into victory. Was the team able to perpetuate the legacy, or did it succumb to the circumstances? For the sake of those who have this past weekend's Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma County cued up on TiVo, we'll keep the results after the jump. Follow along to read on.

In the world of Hollywood where so many people are vacuous prima donnas, Paul Newman is one of the great exceptions. He is considered one of the greatest American actors and one of the classiest human beings. However, after 83 years, the Newman era is drawing to a close. About 18 months ago, Newman was diagnosed with lung cancer and he's not expected to live past the end of September.

Many fans of his acting are not aware of Newman's nearly four-decade long involvement in motorsports. Over the years he has racked up a second place finish at the 24 hours of Le Mans and a GTS class victory at the 1995 Daytona 24 hours... at the age of 74. For the last 25 years he and Carl Haas have owned one of the most successful IndyCar/ChampCar teams of the era, as well. Off the track and sound stage he has also raised over $200 million for charity through the Newman's Own brand of foods.

On August 13, the Lime Rock Park race track near his Connecticut home shut down for a couple hours so that Newman could take a few final laps in his GT1 Corvette. The world will certainly be a poorer place with his passing. If you haven't watched The Hustler, The Sting, or Butch and Sundance recently, now's probably a good time to put them in your NetFlix queue. Thanks for the tip, Luke!

[Source: SpeedTV]

Last weekend, Emily Miller of Rod Hall Racing was out to become the first Ironwoman in the history of the TSCO Vegas to Reno off-road race to finish the grueling competition solo. To do so, she'd have to drive the her H2 the entire 457-mile distance. She did it in a time of 16:40.30 after having lost the front passenger wheel at mile 80 and having to rebuild the front end. And she still came in third in the stock-full class. Teammate Chad Hall took first in an H3 Alpha, and was the first production vehicle to cross the line. The other Halls -- Rod and Josh -- also took first in their respective classes. Congratulations to Emily, -- and if you're looking for her at future races, she'll probably be the one wearing a cape. Thanks for the tip, 4x4 King!

[Source: Hummer Guy]

Click above to view a high-resolution gallery of the new Ferrari A1GP car

It was an ambitious target to design, develop, shake down and launch an all-new spec car across the series in less than a full year, but that's what the organizers of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport set out to do. Unfortunately, the first major setback inevitably meant that the series would have to be postponed, and that's just what happened.

The new car has been under development with Ferrari for the past ten months or so – based on Ferrari's Formula One racing car design – and things had been going well. However, when test driver Patrick Friesacher was injured after a vital suspension component failed, it was back to the drawing board. The delay means that the start of the fourth season, which was originally scheduled for September 21 at the Mugello track in Italy, will now be pushed back to Zandvoort, Holland, for October 4, which was initially planned as the second race of the season.

Check out the press release after the jump, and the new high-resolution gallery of the Ferrari-developed and -powered A1GP spec racer by clicking the thumbnails below.

[Source: A1GP]

Click above for high-res gallery of the European Grand Prix

There are many grands prix in Europe, but there is only one European Grand Pix. Although the title was originally awarded as a badge of prestige to one race on the continent each year, over the last quarter century the name has allowed a second round in the Formula One World Championship to be held in a country that already hosts a race under its own name. With the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix already behind us, this year's European Grand Prix was held at the new street course in Valencia, Spain.

Not to be confused with the Circuit de Valencia that is often used as an F1 test track, the new Circuito Urbano Valencia was designed by prolific track architect Hermann Tilke and is lauded for combining a highly challenging set of 25 turns with a Monaco-like atmosphere – complete with views of the Mediterranean and a marina – and a unique bridge straight. The new location made for a an exciting setting for this past weekend's race, jam packed with race action to throw this year's championship further into flux. Follow the jump to see how it unfolded.

Officials have confirmed that the newly reunified IndyCar series is contemplating a move to turbocharged engines by 2011. The move could entice more automakers – aside from Honda, which is the only engine manufacturer currently participating in the series – to join on as well. In a meeting held this past June, IRL officials spoke with a dozen automakers about joining the series, and several sounded enthusiastic at the prospect of switching from the current naturally-aspirated V8s to smaller turbocharged engines. The new formula would call for either four or six cylinders and either one or two spools, producing as much as 750 horsepower instead of the current 650. Officials expect three or four manufacturers to sign on to the new formula, which could be announced as early as December to give the manufacturers enough time to develop the new engines.

Turbochargers had been common in American open-wheel racing, but after the IRL and Champ Cars split, the former switched to non-boosted V8s while the latter continued with turbos. The bulk of the formula for the reunited series, however, was based on the IRL regulations. Many of the drivers competing in the series have been pushing for the switch, and responded enthusiastically to the news.

[Sources: Autosport and The Indianapolis Star, Photo by Jon Ferrey/Allsport/Getty]