THE LINE

October 20, 2010

  The World Challenge Series. A major auto manufacturer will return to the World Challenge GT Series in 2011 giving the series a high-visibility shot in the arm. It will be huge for the series and a real treat for the fans, too, as we can expect to see some of the most beautiful racing cars ever to turn a wheel on a racetrack.

Brant James. Read Brant's excellent, in-depth piece on Travis Pastrana in SI.com here. Sometimes a picture takes more than 140 characters to paint.

(Ron McQueeney/IMS)
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway gathered 33 Indy 500-winning cars on the front straightaway on October 12. The iconic cars were aligned in the traditional 11 rows of three that comprise the starting lineup of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The incredible array of machinery ranges from the Marmon “Wasp” that Ray Harroun drove to victory in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911 to the Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda-powered Dallara that Dario Franchitti drove to Victory Circle last May. The photo-op celebrates the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 29, 2011. Really cool idea.

(Daniel Incandela/IMS)
Mario Andretti's 1969 Indy 500 winner.

(Ron McQueeney/IMS)
Parnelli Jones (1963), Arie Luyendyk (1990) and Mauri Rose (1947/'48).

(Ron McQueeney/IMS)
Ray Harroun (1911), Dario Franchitti (2010) and A. J. Foyt Jr. (1961).

(Daniel Incandela/IMS)
Jim Clark's 1965 Indy 500-winning Lotus Powered by Ford.

(Ron McQueeney/IMS)
Johnny Rutherford (1980), Bill Vukovich (1953) and Bobby Unser (1968).
 

(Ron McQueeney/IMS)
A.J. Foyt's 1961 Indianapolis 500-winning Watson Roadster.

(Daniel Incandela/IMS)
A.J. Foyt's 1961 Indianapolis 500-winning Watson Roadster.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Check out Gordon Kirby's latest in a series of interviews about the future of motorsport, this time looking at the sensational Porsche 911 GT3R Hybrid. Porsche has delivered a challenge to every other automaker with its new hybrid racer and it's a glimpse at the future of racing. Read about the thinking behind the car here.   - PMD

(Danyella Prilika)
10 World Challenge teams gathered at High Plains Raceway in Colorado on October 6th to begin testing of the new Pirelli P Zero Racing Slick, the official tire of World Challenge starting in 2011. Teams and drivers representing the GT, GTS and Touring Car classes - including 2010 Team Champions K-PAX Racing and RealTime Racing - participated in the test. The move from a street-legal tire to the P Zero racing slick enabled World Challenge competitors to experience three to four second improvements over base tire comparisons. World Challenge and Pirelli recently signed a five-year partnership.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: If you really must keep up on all of the latest F1 developments and the potential U.S. GP in Austin, Texas, go here. - PMD

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Check out Michelin's racing website - "Michelin Alley" - and get in on all of the behind-the-scenes buzz. Go here. - PMD

WE'RE OPENING THE VAULT!

The AE wearables are back - and only in extremely limited quantities and sizes, we might add - and once they're gone, they're gone! We're starting with our most popular items, the classic AE Sweatshirt and AE Hat. Click on a PayPal button below to order yours now! (If you prefer to pay by check, please send us an email with AE STORE in the subject line, and we'll reserve your item.)

AE Sweatshirt - Crewneck, sturdy 80/20 cotton/poly, in black with throwback lettering - the original AE logo in our Chiller typeface shown above. Size XL only. 40 bucks, including shipping. US orders only.

AE Hat - Black with throwback lettering - the original AE logo in our Chiller typeface shown above. 25 bucks, including shipping. US orders only.

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