THE LINE

December 8, 2010

(Image © 2010 - John Thawley)
Editor-in-Chief's Note:  Each year we've been pleased and privileged to bring the scintillating images by photographer extraordinaire John Thawley to the pages of AE. I always say out loud at some point during the racing season that John couldn't possibly top himself, but then he inevitably does. Here, then, are the best of John's images from 2010. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. - PMD

(Image © 2010 - John Thawley)
BMW will return for a third consecutive season of American Le Mans Series competition in 2011 in a bid to defend its 2010 GT Manufacturer and Team championships. BMW of North America and Rahal Letterman Racing partnership will also change the name of its partnership to BMW Team RLR, to align with BMW Motorsport’s global racing nomenclature. Two new BMW M3 GT race cars are being constructed for returning drivers Bill Auberlen, Joey Hand and Dirk Mϋller. BMW Motorsport driver Dirk Werner will replace Tommy Milner who has left the team to pursue other opportunities. Werner co-drove with Auberlen and Milner at the Twelve Hours of Sebring and the Petit Le Mans in 2010. In other BMW news, Martin Birkmann, former BMW of North America Motorsport Manager is moving to Munich to become Manager, Powertrain Strategy for BMW Group as of January 1, 2011. Larry Koch will become responsible for management of BMW of North America’s racing programs in 2011. The 2011 American Le Mans Series starts with the 12 Hours of Sebring on March 19, 2011.  BMW Team RLR will begin testing the new race car chassis at the end of January, also at Sebring.

(Photo Credit: Gateway Classic Mustang)
The Darrell Gwynn Foundation will auction a custom built replica street version Wood Brothers Racecar at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale event at Westworld of Scottsdale on Friday, January 21, at approximately 4 p.m. The car is a replica of the one that Hall of Fame Elect David Pearson drove to win the memorable 1976 Daytona 500. Hall of Fame Elect Driver David Pearson will appear at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale event for the car’s auctioning along with Leonard Wood and Champion Drag Racer Darrell Gwynn, founder and president of the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. This car being auctioned by the Darrell Gwynn Foundation is a tribute to the historic Daytona 500 race finish, the career of David Pearson and the legacy of Wood Brothers Racing and will be a treasure for any car collector or fan of motor sports. The car was built by Gateway Classic Mustang and donated to the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. It was recently unveiled at the Phoenix International Raceway prior to the WYPALL 200. Notables Leonard Wood and Richard Petty, whom lost to David Pearson in the ’76 Daytona 500, attended the unveiling. The Wood Brother’s Ford Mercury Montego features a Ford 521 cid, 8-cylinder engine, 5-speed transmission and Sherwin-Williams Barrett-Jackson Collector Color Series paint job. The Darrell Gwynn Foundation’s mission is to provide awareness, prevention, support and ultimately a cure for paralysis.

(Ford Racing)
First introduced at the NHRA Winternationals in 1968, Ford’s Cobra Jet Mustang has been a legendary performer ever since. When Ford Racing unveiled the 40th Anniversary Cobra Jet Mustang back in 2008, it lived up to the legacy of the original version delivering a NHRA Winternationals victory in its inaugural race. The subsequent 2010 Cobra Jet, built on the 2010 Mustang platform, has continued the Cobra Jet's competitive legacy. Ford Racing unveiled the 2012 Cobra Jet Mustang at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show in Orlando, Fla., and announced the intention to build fifty 50 turn-key 2012 CJ’s. Like its predecessors in 2008 and 2010 it's a factory-built race car intended for NHRA Stock and Super Stock racing that can also be campaigned in other racing sanctioning bodies such as NMRA, NMCA, PSCA and IHRA. The 2012 CJ will come with all of the features of the 2010 car including a full race-prepared automatic transmission, drag race-specific shocks and springs, manual steering and brakes, 8.50 certified rollcage, and an Aeromotive return-style fuel system with trunk-mounted fuel cell. The 2012 the Cobra Jet features a 5.4L supercharged engine based on the 2011 SVT Mustang with two supercharger options, a 2.3 liter TVS unit or a 4.0 liter Ford Racing Whipple supercharger.  Each vehicle has an aluminum block engine, double keyed crankshaft, Manley H-beam connecting rods, low-drag racing brakes and optimized spring rates for the front and rear.  Additionally the Cobra Jet will feature black anodized Cobra Jet wheels from Weld Racing and a new compound tire with unique Cobra Jet branding from Goodyear. The MSRP for the M-FR500-CJ is $91,900 with a fully loaded Cobra Jet priced at $103,980.For racers that want to build their own cars, there is a Mustang Competition Roller based on the Cobra Jet that is serialized and complete, minus the power train.  The third option would be to start with a Mustang Body-In-White or a donor car since nearly all of the CJ components can be found in the Ford Performance Parts catalog found online at fordracingparts.com. The limited production 2012 Cobra Jet Mustang is available on a first come order, first delivered basis through Ford dealers, and for the first time the Cobra Jet will be available in three color options - Race Red, Grabber Blue and Winner White - and coordinated graphics.

(Ford Racing)
Ford Racing also announced the latest addition to its line of turn-key ready to race Mustangs in Orlando – the BOSS 302S. The limited production BOSS 302S will be the third competition car in Ford Motor Company’s history to be built at a Ford production facility and made available for racers to purchase through authorized Ford Racing dealers. The Mustang FR500S was the first race car built on a modern Ford production line followed by the NHRA legal FR500CJ, a.k.a. "Cobra Jet." "Ford Racing is excited to add an additional turn-key ready to race car to our stable, which includes the highly successful FR500C, FR500S, BOSS 302R and Cobra Jet," said Mark Wilson, Engineering Manager Ford Racing. "The enthusiasts who purchase the BOSS 302S will be competitive in both the World Challenge GTS and the NASA American Iron Series. We look forward to adding their names to the BOSS 302's racing history.” The 440-hp Ford Mustang BOSS 302S was developed by Ford Racing engineers and is based on the street legal 2012 Mustang BOSS 302. The BOSS 302S is powered by a Boss 5.0-liter 4-valve Ti-VCT V-8 engine and includes a 6-speed transmission sourced directly from the BOSS 302 parts bin. Power is transferred to the rear wheels via a T2 Torsen differential and 3.73 gears. The BOSS 302S suspension features two-way adjustable coil-over dampers and Ford Racing anti-roll bars in both the front and rear. The BOSS 302S uni-body starts as a Mustang body-in-white to reduce weight, with the factory seam sealer, sound deadener and interior panels deleted prior to body build.  In addition to body reinforcement, a 6 point FIA legal roll cage is installed for driver safety and chassis rigidity.  The interior features a RECARO HANS Pro-Racer lightweight race seat, 6-point safety belt, quick release steering wheel and AIM data acquisition system with GPS. BOSS 302S aerodynamic updates include a unique fiberglass heat extracting hood, adjustable front splitter and adjustable carbon fiber rear wing. A "retro" styled BOSS 302 graphics package is included with each car that mimics the graphics from the original 1969 BOSS 302 program. Production is scheduled for the second quarter of 2011 and orders are now being taken at Ford dealers that participate in the Ford Racing Performance Parts program by ordering part number FR500-B302S (performance white paint) or M-FR500-B302SO (orange paint). MSRP for the BOSS 302S is $79,000.00. For more information on Ford Racing Performance Parts, go here: www.fordracingparts.com

 IndyCar, Mazda. Mazda has announced a multi-year partnership with the INDYCAR developmental ladder. As the title partner of the Mazda Road to Indy, Mazda will provide scholarships to the 2011 champions of the three affiliated series - the Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda, the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear and Firestone Indy Lights - to graduate to the next level of the sport. "We want to strengthen our ladder system to further develop, reward and advance the best-of-the-best," said Randy Bernard, CEO of INDYCAR. "The Road to Indy was designed to cultivate young talent for the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500. In Mazda, we've found a partner that not only has a history of nurturing such drivers, but also shares our desire to groom the future stars of INDYCAR racing through its commitment of providing driver scholarships.  The addition of Mazda to the Road to Indy rounds out the formula car side of our ladder system in addition to our recently announced sprint car program." Two new scholarships have been added to the Mazda Road to Indy program, which provides a defined path for career-minded drivers seeking to compete in the IZOD IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 both on and off track. The Star Mazda Champion will receive a scholarship to compete in Firestone Indy Lights, while the Firestone Indy Lights champion will receive a scholarship to race in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Mazda will continue to offer a scholarship to the USF2000 National Champion to race in Star Mazda. In 2011, Sage Karam will drive a Star Mazda car for Andretti Autosport. Karam won the 2010 USF2000 National Championship as a Mazda-supported scholarship driver. This is all in addition to the support Mazda provides to the BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda, and the karting shootout that rewards a pair of Skip Barber National scholarships each year.

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

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