APRIL 22, 2020
Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 03:08PM 
Ford is touting a one-off Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 prototype drag racer, a purpose-built battery electric vehicle projected to deliver over 1,400HP and over 1,100 ft.-lbs. of instant torque to demonstrate the capabilities of an electric powertrain in one of the most demanding race environments. It is projected to cover the quarter-mile in the low eight-second range at more than 170 mph. The car was designed, built and developed by MLe Racecars. The roll cage builder was Watson Engineering, which also handled chassis support and development. Software and calibration controls were provided by AEMEV. And the inverter and motor supplier is Cascadia. Expect Ford to show it off at drag racing events throughout the summer. Watch a video here.
Legendary Brazilian racer Ayrton Senna took his maiden F1 win in a Lotus 97T on April 21, 1985, in the Portuguese Grand Prix. Senna also set the fastest lap in the pouring rain at the Estoril circuit. Lotus marks the 35th anniversary of this momentous event with an exclusive podcast interview with Senna’s mechanic Chris Dinnage on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and ShoutEngine. “His concentration levels were unparalleled – I’ve never met anyone like him,” says Dinnage. Rare Senna images from a private collection, plus a new US LOT blog can be found at media.lotuscars.com
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Teams, drivers and fans have begun sending their tributes to Sir Stirling Moss, who passed away at 90 years old on Sunday. This article about Sir Stirling from Motor Sport Magazine is worth the read. -PMD
Editor-in-Chief's Note: The Sports Car Digest tribute to Sir Stirling Moss is worth a look, and it includes many outstanding photos. Check it out here. -PMD
(WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca)
The much-anticipated letters of acceptance into the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion have been issued. Owners of some of the world’s most historic race cars are gearing up to compete August 13-16 at Monterey County’s WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. This year’s Rolex Reunion is comprised of 13 popular run groups spanning a century of motorsports history. Historic cars from the Trans-Am and Can-Am era will be present, as always. Chevrolet Camaros, Dodge Challengers, and Ford Mustangs will run in Trans-Am, while in Can-Am the McLarens, Shadows and Lolas will compete on the nine-turn 1.9-mile circuit. Also featured this year is the ever-popular IMSA GTO/GTP run group, including two All American Racers Toyota Eagle MkIII GTPs alongside Porsche, Jaguar, and Nissan GTPs. The Chevrolet vs Ford rivalry will continue in the 1963-1966 GT over 2500cc run group, which includes Corvettes, Mustangs and Cobras battling once more for manufacturer supremacy. A Monterey Car Week milestone takes place this year, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Pebble Beach Road Races. To honor this anniversary and Laguna Seca’s beginnings, over 30 historic cars from the 1947-1955 Sports Racing and GT era have been selected. Fans watching will be able to imagine the sights and sounds that once filled the narrow roads winding through Del Monte forest. For those looking to enjoy more of Laguna Seca Recreation Area, premier campsites are still available. For complete advance pricing and availability for ticket packages, VIP hospitality, and preferred parking, please visit WeatherTechRaceway.com or call the Tickets and Accommodations Office at 831-242-8200.
(Trans Am Presented By Pirelli))
COVID-19 has put most Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli drivers, teams, fans and the industry on hold from the pursuit of competition. But longtime Trans Am sponsor 3-Dimensional Services Group is running flat-out, defining and coordinating its response to the U.S. government’s call for assistance to manufacture medical supplies for COVID-19 patients. Located near Detroit in Rochester Hills, Michigan, Urgent Plastic Services, a branch of 3-Dimensional Services Group, put its typical prototype and component assembly on hold to produce protective respirator housings for mobile respirator machines. The respirator housings made by Urgent Plastic Services will be sent to another company to assemble the new battery-operated respirator design that will be issued to urgent care and hospitals nationwide to aid in the treatment of coronavirus patients. The effort is led by Trans Am driver and team principal Doug Peterson, owner of 3-Dimensional Services. “I feel pretty special for Urgent Plastic Services to be chosen by our customer for this project,” said Peterson. “Our employees are sacrificing time and Easter with their families to make a difference in the coronavirus fight.” The Urgent Plastic Services employees are working ferocious hours to meet the first 100,000-piece order, manufacturing the housings in record time. “Literally everyone is on the shop floor working, from sales people to managers,” explained Peterson. “We started the project last week. We’ve split up crew into two 12-hour shifts, working around the clock to meet the national demand for the respirator machines. The initial order was for 100,000 covers. That type of project would typically take us five weeks to manufacture, but we are doing it in eight days. It’s a monumental effort and I am very proud of our people for stepping up to make this happen." Recently, Ugent Plastic Services was sought out to add an additional COVID-19 project to its workload. Starting this week, the Michigan-based plastics company will manufacture 50,000 tool-injected molded headbands per week. The plastic bands are made to fasten to protective shields that will be worn by first responders and medical staff nationwide. “This project is similar to racing,” Peterson continued. “We want to do it quickly and safely, and everyone wants to win. This is what we do, this is who we are.” For additional information on 3-Dimensional Services and Urgent Plastic Services, visit http://3dimensional.com/.
The INDYCAR calendar is being updated by the minute. The latest? Established events at Iowa Speedway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will become doubleheaders. The Iowa 300 event weekend will add a race on Friday, July 17, along with the previously scheduled race on Saturday, July 18. The Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey event weekend will now feature a race on Saturday, Sept. 19, in addition to the previously scheduled race on Sunday, Sept. 20. And racing fans also will be treated to a third INDYCAR event at the Racing Capital of the World - The Indianapolis Motor Speedway - with the INDYCAR Harvest GP on the IMS road course taking place on Saturday, Oct. 3. This event is in addition to the GMR Grand Prix, already scheduled for Saturday, July 4, and the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, Aug. 23. With these additions, there are now fifteen races on the 2020 INDYCAR calendar, an increase of one event from the fourteen races announced on March 26.
Road America has announced that it has been forced to postpone the Spring Vintage Festival Weekend featuring SVRA event scheduled for May 15-17 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. A new date for the event is under discussion and will be announced at a later time. "Above all else, we support our partners and we believe this is the right decision at this time," said Road America President and General Manager, Mike Kertscher. "However, it is our hope that at some point we will be able to begin our regular season, and we will continue to keep you informed as the situation changes and evolves. At this time, our regular season will begin with the MotoAmerica Superbike Weekend featuring Vintage MotoFest, May 29-31 and the rest of our season will continue as scheduled."