THE LINE

August 15, 2012

(Photos by Nigel Kinrade - Autostock, 2012)
Marcos Ambrose (No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Stanley Ford Fusion) clawed his way from third to first in a sensational last lap duel with Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Penske Racing Miller Lite Dodge) to deliver the second win of his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career and second straight in the Finger Lakes 355 at Watkins Glen International on Sunday. Keselowski tapped leader Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs racing M&Ms Toyota Camry) going into the Esses and all hell basically broke loose as Busch spun and Keselowski and Ambrose slipped by and went after each other for the win. Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Lowe's Chevrolet Impala) finished third. Check out the wild highlights from the race in the NASCAR "race rewind" video here.

(Brian Czobat - Autostock USA, 2012)
Carl Edwards (No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing Subway Ford Mustang) took the lead from Brad Keselowski (No. 22 Penske Racing SKF/Discount Tire Dodge) after a restart with 10 laps left to win Saturday's Zippo 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at The Glen.

(BMW)
BMW Classic celebrated 40 years of BMW M GmbH at the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix 2012, held at the Nürburgring last weekend. BMW M GmbH – formerly known as BMW Motorsport GmbH – is marking its 40th birthday this year. The event itself also celebrated its 40th birthday this year. Over 60,000 spectators attended the event.

 

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Our friends Dan and Evi Gurney passed along this wonderful remembrance of Jerry Grant, who passed away over the weekend. - PMD

Jerry Grant - The first Indy car racer to top 200mph

The summer of goodbyes continues.  Our friend, co-driver and AAR racing teammate Jerry Grant, age 77, passed away over the weekend.  Battling a variety of health issues over the last months, Jerry joined his friends Colonel Russ Schleeh, Carroll Shelby and Frank Arciero in the pit-lane in the sky.  The ranks of the old guard who have put their stamp on American motor racing in the 60’s and 70’s are getting ever thinner.

Jerry Grant’s career was marked by many highs and lows and a few unforgettable “almosts.”

He co-drove a Cobra with Dan Gurney at Le Mans and the Targa Florio, where they achieved a class victory in 1964.  He was Dan’s teammate driving a Ford MK-II at Le Mans and Sebring in 1966 leading both races for a long time.  In Sebring they broke down a few hundred yards before the finish line after 12-hours with a sweet victory in sight.   Jerry joined AAR on the Indy car circuit, he drove various Eagles in the Indy 500 as a teammate to Bobby Unser and almost tasted milk in 1972 when he was leading the race in lap 188 but then came into the pits for an unscheduled pit stop with the memorable lilac colored Mystery Eagle No 48.  At Ontario Jerry had his star hour; he became the first driver ever to do a lap topping 200 mph.  On the USRRC Sports car circuit in 1966 he drove AAR’s Cam Am type Lola garnering 4 pole positions in 7 races and winning the Bridgehampton road race.

Dan Gurney:  “Jerry Grant was a natural; he was brave and playful and always could rise to the challenge.  Apart from being an excellent racer, he was an accomplished story teller and after dinner speaker, an ability which served him well in his business career after his retirement from active driving.   In the middle 60’s we shared many adventures on and off the track here in the US and in Europe.  We stayed friends ever since and many Sundays went riding our motorcycles in the Southern California countryside.  We extend our condolences to his wife Sandy and his family.  Farewell Jerry, we will miss you.”

Also see Robin Miller’s post from August 13, 2012 on Speedtv.com: INDYCAR: 10-Time Indy 500 Starter Jerry Grant Passes Away

(McClaren Automotive)

From the McLaren Automotive Press Release:

McLaren GT, the new race car manufacturing arm of the McLaren Group, is presenting a track-focused concept at the Pebble Beach Concours this Sunday, the 12C Can-Am Edition. The one-off design study is the debut appearance of a 12C racing variant outside Europe. The track-only design concept weighs 1,200kg (2645.5lbs) and features a unique aerodynamic package developed by McLaren Racing using Formula 1 technology and simulation resulting in a 30 percent increase in downforce. The optimized aerodynamic package includes a carbon fiber front splitter, carbon fiber dive planes, and a carbon fiber wing which dominates the rear of the car. The wing is held in place by polished aluminum mounts. A carbon fiber diffuser helps to further maximize the aerodynamic package, fitted beneath the two-tone rear bumper. The 12C Can-Am Edition is finished in McLaren Orange, in tribute to the famous Can-Am cars of Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme which dominated major league sports car racing in the 1960s and early 1970s. The revised version of the familiar 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 engine features a unique engine calibration and optimized cooling system, which allows a power output of up to 630hp, making it the most powerful 12C derivative ever shown.

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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