Category Archives: performance

Palou Takes Fourth IndyCar Drivers’ Championship

Posted on 11 August 2025 by Ken Zino

Alex Palou’s third-place finish yesterday at the Bitnile.com Grand Prix of Portland resulted in his fourth NTT IndyCar Series drivers’ championship in five years, as well as his third-consecutive title. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver now has eight victories on the season with two races left of the 2025 season. Honda as a result took manufacturers’ championship. This is Honda’s seventh NTT IndyCar Series manufacturers’ title, and 11th in American Open Wheel Racing. Continue reading →

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Avoidable Contact – IndyCar Penalizes Kyffin Simpson

Posted on 8 August 2025 by Ken Zino

IndyCar today announced a six-position starting grid penalty for the No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing entry for avoidable contact involving driver Kyffin Simpson during the Sunday 27 July 27 race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca during the Grand Prix of Monterey The penalty comes after a post-race review of the Lap 1, Turn 6 incident with the No. 60 entry of Meyer Shank Racing driven by Felix Rosenqvist. Continue reading →

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Hypercar, Hyper Price – 2026 Corvette ZR1X

Posted on 6 August 2025 by Ken Zino

Chevrolet (NYSE: GM) said today that the 2026 Corvette ZR1X, inarguably the most advanced Corvette ever, will be available with an exclusive, limited production Quail Silver Limited Edition model. It will debut at this year’s “The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering,” in Carmel, California on August 15. There will also be the debut of GM Design’s concept car for the future C9 Corvette. Continue reading →

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Corvette Claims Production Car Records at Nürburgring

Posted on 4 August 2025 by Ken Zino

A Chevrolet Corvette Z06, ZR1 and ZR1X recently ran the 12.9-mile Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit where it’s said, for the first time in the track’s history, an automaker brought three different cars with three non-race-car drivers to record three lap times in a single visit. Three of the Chevrolet engineers who helped develop these cars drove the so-called Green Hell. While amateurs of a sort, all have extensive experience and advanced driving credentials.

“No auto manufacturer has done a Nürburgring lap attempt like this before,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “From development through production, and now at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the Green Hell, we have clearly shown there is no limit to what our GM engineers and vehicles can accomplish. These are the best Corvettes in history, period.” Continue reading →

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IndyCar – Palou 8 wins for 14 Taking Grand Prix of Monterey

Posted on 28 July 2025 by Ken Zino

Alex Palou driving the #10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda continued his IndyCar dominance yesterday at Laguna Seca by taking his eighth victory in fourteen races at the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey. Palou set the fastest lap time of the race at 70.7851seconds and 113.821 mph. Christian Lundgaard driving the number 7 Arrow Mclaren with Chevy power finished second. McClaren was also having a banner day in Formula One. McLaren Formula One drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, finished first and Second at the Belgian Grand Prix. Pato O’Ward in the other Arrow McLaren finished fourth after starting second. O’Ward is the reserve driver for the McLaren Formula One team.  

“Amazing day. Number one! Almost one-two for Honda, but two podium finishes is still great,” said Palou. “We had amazing speed all weekend and got our 8th win of the season. I couldn’t have asked for more from this year. I’m ready and hungry for more, of course, but I couldn’t be more proud (sic) of everything this #10 team has achieved.” Continue reading →

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Another Corvette C9 Concept from SoCal

Posted on 24 July 2025 by Ken Zino

“Our Advanced Design teams are dedicated to shaping the future, driving innovation, and exploring what’s possible,” said Bryan Nesbitt, vice president of global design. “The California Corvette concept is another example of forward-thinking design. We invited multiple GM studios to envision Corvette-inspired hypercars, the first of which was revealed by our UK studio in March. The California team has now delivered a complementary study that honors Corvette’s legendary performance, while infusing it with their own distinctive vision.” Continue reading →

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Milltek Performance Exhausts Debut for BMW, Porsche

Posted on 11 July 2025 by Ken Zino

Milltek* is debuting high-performance exhausts for BMW and Porsche Hybrids at the Goodwood Festival of Speed now underway. Both exhausts for the BMW and Porsche fit after the standard particulate filter. Therefore there is no change to their official emissions certification numbers. Continue reading →

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Nürburgring – BMW M2 CS Beats Audi RS-3 Record

Posted on 3 July 2025 by Ken Zino

BMW said today that the new BMW M2 CS setsa new benchmark on the legendary Nordschleife racetrack of the Nürburgring on 11 April 2025. Driven by BMW M development engineer Jörg Weidinger, it completed the 12.9-mile Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit in 7:25.5, beating the previous best time for compact cars by eight seconds. In March Audi set a new record lap in the compact vehicle class on the Nordschleife at 7:33.123 minutes. Depending on the ongoing Trump tariff wars, Audi might still retain the lower price entry point for a top Nordschleife runner., depending on who you value – in currency units – the ~8 seconds in elapsed times. Continue reading →

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First Look – Explorer Tremor Off Roader

Posted on 24 June 2025 by Ken Zino

“When we set out to develop an Explorer Tremor, we challenged ourselves to do something different. We wanted to build an off-road machine engineered to handle challenging terrain,” said Matthew Duffield, Explorer brand manager.

“Working closely with Brian Naspinsky, our Explorer Vehicle engineering manager, and his team, we set out to create an Explorer that could confidently tackle muddy trails, sandy beaches, and rocky mountain passes. We looked at every aspect of the vehicle, from its suspension and drivetrain to its underbody protection and technology, and made targeted improvements to enhance its off-road performance,” claimed Duffield. Continue reading →

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First Look – the 2026 Corvette ZR1X Hypercar

Posted on 17 June 2025 by Ken Zino

Chevrolet (NYSE: GM) said this morning that it is introducing an all-wheel drive Corvette with the ZR1 designation.* The 2026 Corvette ZR1X is GM rated at 1250 horsepower [footnote 1] and has electrified all-wheel drive. This makes the ZR1X the most advanced Corvette ever. With ZR1 and ZR1X, Chevrolet now has the most powerful American performance car duet of any auto manufacturer.

“From day one, we designed the mid-engine Corvette architecture with ZR1X in mind,” said General Motors senior VP Ken Morris. “This is the most revolutionary platform in Corvette history, supporting the widest range of American sports cars [3] and delivering world-class performance at every level.” Continue reading →

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Ford Updates Nascent WEC Hypercar Program

Posted on 13 June 2025 by Ken Zino

Today Ford Motor (NYSE: F) during opening events prior to the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans announced its chassis partner, ORECA, and its program lead, Dan Sayers. The Ford WEC Hypercar program will debut at the season-opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in less than two years.

“Bringing Ford back to the top class at Le Mans has always been a dream for many of us including our Executive Chair Bill Ford,” said Ford Motor Company President and CEO, Jim Farley. “To be able to partner with ORECA is a proud moment for Ford. We are coming back to Le Mans to win, and we aren’t making that a secret. On Sunday, it will be exactly 56 years since we last took the top step of the overall podium here. That is long enough. In 2027, we are coming with the same level of expectation, and we are entrusting ORECA to help us take on Ferrari and the other top-class teams as we did back in the 1960s.” Continue reading →

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Annals of Marketing – Hilfiger Joins Cadillac Formula 1®

Posted on 3 June 2025 by Ken Zino

“Two icons. One vision. A bold new era of American motorsport,” said Tommy Hilfiger. “We’re proud to continue our Formula 1® story alongside TWG Motorsports and Cadillac. We share a vision to honor the heritage of F1® while pushing it forward – celebrating where we come from, and re-imagining where we can go. As the sport’s presence around the globe continues to soar, there’s never been a better time to dream big, and show the world what an American team can bring to the grid.” Continue reading →

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Newgarden Leads Final Indy 500 Practice

Posted on 23 May 2025 by Ken Zino

Josef Newgarden led the final practice for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” with a top lap of 225.687 mph in the No. 2 Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Team Penske Chevrolet. Newgarden is trying to become the first driver to win three consecutive Indy 500s. However, due to the Team Penske Cheating Scandal, he’ll need to do it from the 33rd starting spot. Newgarden and Team Penske teammate Will Power were moved to the rear of the field Monday due to a modified attenuator on their respective cars that violated IndyCar rules Sunday during PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying. The record for the deepest starting spot of a “500” winner is 28th, by Ray Harroun in the inaugural race in 1911 and Louis Meyer in 1936. Continue reading →

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Mobil 1 is Le Mans Sponsor of Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing

Posted on 20 May 2025 by Ken Zino

Cadillac Racing* said today that the Mobil 1™ brand is its primary sponsor of the No. 101 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R** for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Cadillac will contest the 93rd edition of the twice-around-the-clock race on the 8.467-mile course with a four-car factory lineup with drivers who have accumulated 21 Le Mans podiums. The livery has the Mobil 1 logo across the sides and front of the blue and white Hypercar in the top class in endurance racing. Earlier this year, the Mobil 1 team announced an extension of its technical alliance with Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), now making it the Official Motor Oil of Cadillac Racing. Continue reading →

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Autonomous Racing League Season 2 Opens at Yas Marina

Posted on 19 May 2025 by Ken Zino

Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) via Aspire today announced the return of its flagship event, the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL). The 2025 edition will take place on 15 November at Yas Marina Circuit with a $2.25 million prize pool and the launch of a global virtual racing series. The announcement was made during the Make it in the Emirates Forum in Abu Dhabi.

“The Emirates Autonomous Vehicle (EAV 24), A2RL’s upgraded autonomous racecar, represents a significant leap in performance and engineering. Assembled and autonomized in the UAE, the vehicle reflects the nation’s growing capabilities in AI, robotics, and high-performance mobility. Built on the proven Super Formula SF23 platform, the EAV-24 has been reengineered to incorporate enhanced sensor arrays, upgraded compute systems, and refined control logic, optimized for the demanding conditions of autonomous racing,” said Aspire. Continue reading →

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