THE LINE

July 18, 2012

(ALMS)
Tommy Kendall, who is coming out of semi-retirement, will complete the driver lineup for the SRT Motorsports Viper American Le Mans Series program. Kendall will join Kuno Wittmer, Marc Goossens and Dominik Farnbacher on the Viper team. Ryan Hunter-Reay will join the team for Petit Le Mans. Kendall has an illustrious road racing history, including eleven wins in his 1997 Trans-Am championship season. SRT’s new Viper GTS-R will make its debut in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón during the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge on Saturday, Aug. 4.   

(BMW)
BMW M GmbH – formerly known as BMW Motorsport GmbH – is marking its 40th birthday in 2012 and BMW Classic is celebrating the anniversary with an array of highlights at this year’s edition of Germany’s largest classic car race at the Nürburgring, which is also celebrating its 40th birthday this year. Organizers are once again expecting in excess of 60,000 spectators to flood the circuit in the Eifel mountains from August 10-12, for the double anniversary event. BMW is a partner of this year’s AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix and BMW Classic will have a prominent presence at the Nürburgring and offer visitors an extensive program of attractions. Hans-Joachim Stuck (with Chris Amon) is pictured above at the Nürburgring in 1973.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: DC and Ken Block have released Gymkhana FIVE, the 5th installment of the award winning, record-breaking viral video franchise, via the DC Shoes YouTube channel. Filmed on the actual streets of San Francisco, California, Gymkhana FIVE builds on the ultimate playground concept of Gymkhana THREE, with a focus on fast-paced, raw action and Block's driving skills, all while utilizing the topography of a real-life urban playground. For the first time ever, all of Block’s driving was done on real streets. “"San Francisco was absolutely amazing for Gymkhana," said Block. "It’s such a unique location for this kind of driving and allowed me to do some things that I never thought I’'d ever be able to incorporate into one of my Gymkhana videos —like jumping a table top or doing a jump drift! I’m stoked with how this project turned out and I’m truly a lucky bastard to have been able to do the things I was able to do on the streets of San Francisco. To all of the residents and people who allowed us to make this happen, thank you!” Block tackled extreme angles and terrain through such iconic locations as Russian Hill, Potrero Hill, Twin Peaks and the San Francisco Bay itself, thanks to a barge. Motocross legend Travis Pastrana makes an unforgettable appearance in the video with Block as well. This trick was the first time Travis had been on a motorcycle since his injury at X Games nearly a year before. Check it out 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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