Old and new will butt heads during 12 Hours of SebringThis weekend kicks off the 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup with the 12 Hours of Sebring. And two of its toughest competitors, Audi and Peugeot, will be there. What may be missing in early reporting though is Audi’s new R18. Audi has left it behind. Last season’s R15TDI will make its final racing appearance this weekend. Audi says the R18 is not race ready. Disappointing, to say the least. It would have been great to see both cars meet for the …

Defending the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup is the priorityPeugeot announced their 2011 motorsports campaign by introducing their much anticipated endurance car, the 908. Winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans is, of course, a priority as the automaker takes on the likes of Audi in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.
In 2010, the series was just three races but for the 2011 season, it has been expanded to seven. There will be Sebring and Petit Le Mans Road/Atlanta in the U.S., Spa-Francorchamps, Imola and Silverstone in Europe and one race in China. And, …

Surprisingly, a prototype from FerrariFerrari is known for one kind of racing and that’s Formula 1. How many fans of the brand know the auto maker developed racing prototypes? Probably not many. This Ferrari, the 333 SP, was the last sports racing prototype developed by Ferrari. To be blunt, the 333 SP is a significant car for a company that typically didn’t compete in prototype racing series.
Ferrari has been very successful in Formula 1 as well as Le Mans-style series racing their production-based sports cars. With the urging of enthusiasts, …

A hybrid beast for the trackOn the opening day of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Porsche introduced the 918 RSR, a hybrid race car that could easily appear on any Le Mans-style starting grid.
Utilizing the same drive train as the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, the 918 RSR packs 563HP 6.2L V8 which will bump the rev limiter at an unsightly 10,000RPM. In addition to the V8, the 918 RSR has two 75 kilowatt electric motors, one positioned at each of the front wheels. Combined, this gasoline/hybrid power …

New car may be in the worksNot much to go on but Peugeot has announced the start of their endurance campaign begins in February. According to a very brief press release, “Peugeot Sport will reveal details of its 2011 programme and take the wraps off its new endurance racing challenger.” Sounds pretty certain there will be a new car.
The announce date is February 3rd in Paris. Stay tuned racing fans!

So one day after announcing the Pastrana-Subaru split, the X Games star has announced what’s next. And what next is NASCAR.
Along with Michael Waltrip Racing, Pastrana announced today the creation of a new NASCAR team, Pastrana-Waltrip Racing. The team will begin fielding cars in the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series, with Pastrana taking the seat for seven of those races. He’ll drive in twenty races in 2012.
“I’ve been following NASCAR closely for years as a fan of the sport with competing in the sport a life-long dream,” Pastrana said. “I decided …

One of the most recognized faces of extreme sports is parting ways with Subaru.
Travis Pastrana and Subaru of America have decided not to continue their relationship, which began in 2004. Pastrana joined the Subaru Ralley Team USA in 2006 racked up over 150 stage wins, 40 podium finishes and 22 event victories, earning four consecutive Ralley American National Championship titles.
Subaru’s press release follows.

Ford is preparing their new Focus to enter the competitive fray enthusiasts know as touring car. What’s exciting is that Ford will work together with private teams to develop the car to be race-ready for the various touring car categories that have grown around the world.
It looks like Ford is targeting the 2011 British Touring Car Championship as their starting point.
“There has been tremendous interest from the racing world about the new Focus, and it’s the perfect fit for a global touring car,” said Jost Capito, director of Global Performance …

Currently available in Europe, Ford Racing is bringing their competition-ready R2 rally package stateside to let enthusiasts turn their five-door Fiesta into a Fiesta R2.
With the R2 package, teams would be ready to compete on the roads of RallyCar’s Rally America National Championship.
“The spirit of One Ford is making it possible for us to bring the best of European rally racing to competitors in the U.S.,” said Jamie Allison, director, Ford North America Motorsport. “The Fiesta R2 has already proven itself in Europe as a great platform for aspiring rally …

Just from the photography you can tell that today’s World Rally Championship is much different than it used to be.
Back in 1970 when this Ford Escort won the London-Mexico 16,000-mile rally, racing technology was far less than what you see today. So to see this little car achieve such a remarkable feat is almost unbelievable.
This Escort is set to make a rare public appearance November 12-14 during the Classic Car Show at the NEC, Birmingham in the UK. Automotive history can be hard to come by, especially well cared …