This past week, the Pacific Northwest experienced a snow storm which left thousands without power. I was even stranded at home for a little while! I can’t even remember the last time Washington got so much snow! However, as I pondered the situation more, I realized that this could be one of those “lemons into lemonade” moments (or, is that “ice into ice cream“). (more…)
The Olympus Rally is a legendary event that people used to hear about in the advertising campaigns of big car manufacturers. In the 1980s, big car companies like Toyota, Nissan, Audi and Lancia had factory backed rally teams racing through the backroads surrounding Seattle Washington. It even used to be a leg of the World Rally Championship! That’s right – WRC on US soil!
If you love the glory days of WRC like I do, watch this video, which features cars like the Lancia Delta Integrale, Audi Quattro, Nismo S12 200SX, Toyota Team Europe‘s MA70 Supra and a privateer AE82 Corolla FX-16 GT-S! There’s even a few short clips of Rod Millen driving a Mazda 323 GTX (Mazda Familia) all wheel drive rally car! (more…)
When it comes to car shows, judging criteria is usually based on how the car looks or what kinds of modifications it has. Having attended tons of the same old car shows, our good friend Tony Lee from ItsJDMYo had an idea to make a different type of contest within the car scene.
While driving up or down a driveway may seem like a mundane everyday task for most, it obviously requires a certain amount of technique when you have a lowered car. Tony took that idea and decided to make it into a different form of driving competition, with the help of certain friends. Our own Editor-in-ChiefAntonio was selected to be the emcee of the event, while judging duties were handled by Yogi from Fatlace, Noel from Canibeat, and ItsJDMYo's own Keychain. Read more...
In the United Kingdom, Time Attack is the only ‘new’ motorsport to be given official recognition by the MSA (Motor Sport Authority) in over 40 years. I think we can all agree that is an achievement in it’s own right! The Time Attack UK events really are packed with some of the finest highly modified production vehicles from Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions to Subaru Imprezas to R35 Nissan GTRs and many more. Lest we not forget the people that make it happen, the people that drive the vehicles and the women that promote the sponsors, they all add to that feel good factor which I had not experienced in the UK for a long time until I began coming to these events. (more…)
During the 2010 Formula Drift Pro-Am Nationals, up and coming drifter Kyle Pollard from Portland, Oregon earned his Formula D license behind the wheel of a white F20C-poweredAE86 Levin - in tandem with guys like Pat Cyr and Walker Wilkerson. Since then, he has opted to build a car that is fully Formula D legal and more easily competitive. Because of all the aftermarket support available, he chose an S13 Silvia... of course! Read more...
Some people get into motorsports because they think that modifying their cars with aftermarket parts will allow them to drive faster. Others prefer to invest their time and money into seat time, realizing that any car can only be driven as fast as the skill level of the driver permits. These people realize that training and practice are thereal keys to winning races - not adding more horsepower or braking to a vehicle.
Enter the B-Spec Series, an SCCA sanctioned racing class that was created for compact street-stock cars that racers could drive to and from the racetrack if they wanted. The idea was to create something similar to the SCCA Spec Miata class, with rules against hardcore modifications to equalize the playing field for the vehicles. In B-Spec competition, the ability to win races really boils down to the driver's skill and preparation.
When our friends at Mazdaspeed and Honda Performance Development invited us to attend a private track testing of their B-Spec Mazdaspeed 2 and an HPD-prepared Honda Fit, we just couldn't pass up the offer! Read more...
Crashing into water barriers with tandem drifting missile trains through an obstacle course of buildings, fences and concrete walls with their signature don’t give a damn attitude… This is the type of stuff that would NEVER be allowed at a real race event.
The first official installment from Bloodmasters is finally here! Words can’t even describe how amped this video makes me. I can’t decide if I want to break something, or go hit the track and crash into my friends. Perhaps both is in order! Either way, this video is raw, FUN, and awesome. Throw on some denim, grab some sort of weapon, and enjoy the madness! (more…)
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to experience the 24 Hours of Le Mans from a driver’s point of view? I have. This video, sent to me by esteemed British motorsports photographer John Brooks, shows the first lap of the 1995 Le Mans 24 hour race at France’s Circuit de la Sarthe, with Yannick Dalmas at the wheel of the race winning #59 Ueno Clinic McLaren F1. (more…)
Just a typical weeknight in Los Angeles... I received an invite to a special party that The McLaren Group was throwing to celebrate the opening of their newest showroom. McLaren Beverly Hills is situated on some prime real estate; it's on Wilshire Blvd next to The Auto Gallery, only blocks away from the high end boutique shops on Rodeo Drive.
With red carpets and media walls lining the sidewalk leading up to the building, McLaren's newest supercar was undoubtedly the belle of the ball. Invited guests were given the chance to get up close and personal with the 592 brake horsepowerMcLaren MP4-12C; a car that just about anyone can drive home at the bargain price of $229,999. Read more...
I’m Kyle Mohan, and I drive the Nexen Tires/Mazdatrix RX8 in the Formula Drift Championship. It’s hard to believe that 2011 was already the fifth season for Kyle Mohan Racing (KMR) in Formula Drift. We started with an FC3S RX-7 that I built from the ground up with my dad in his driveway, and now we have our team, a title sponsor, and our first top ten finish in the Formula Drift Championship!
It’s been a very fun year for us! We achieved our best championship result in Formula Drift and won the Team Drift competition at the Long Beach Grand Prix, but we’ve also had a lot of setbacks. Read more...
