THE LINE

May 11, 2011

(Ford)
Mikko Hirvonen (FIN) / Jarmo Lehtinen (Ford Fiesta RS WRC, above) finished second in the 2011 Rally Italia Sardegna. Seven-time World Rally champion Sébastien Loeb dominated the event in his Citroën DS3 WRC. Petter Solberg finished third in his privately entered Citroën DS3. The winner of the two previous WRC rounds, Loeb's Citroën teammate Sébastien Ogier, finished fourth after suffering a broken shock on the third stage.

 Sports Illustrated, Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The magazine has created a special issue commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500. Filled with outstanding pictures, anecdotes and classic stories from previous issues over the years, it is superbly done and well worth getting. A bonus? Included with it is a copy of the program for this month's race. If you're a fan of the sport you won't want to miss it. It's available at newsstands and bookstores everywhere right now.

 Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Another don't miss event this month at The Speedway is the display of 67 Indy-winning cars at the IMS Hall of Fame Museum. This is the largest collection of Indianapolis 500-winning cars ever assembled and this incredible exhibit, which will be on display through June 1, provides fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see cars representing 71 Indianapolis 500 victories. Among many other noteworthy winning cars on display, each winning car driven by the three four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears, are showcased in the exhibit. The display includes the 31 winning cars owned by the IMS Hall of Fame Museum and 36 privately owned cars that have been loaned for this unique display, including all of Roger Penske's collection of winners. Museum admission is $5 for adults, $3 for youths 6-15, with under 6 free.

(Photos by Ron McQueeney/IndyCar)
The 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series oval concept car and its companion road/street course model were unveiled to the public on May 10 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway so that race fans might get an idea of what they'll see sometime in 2012 on the series' diverse set of racetracks. The mock-ups, exactly what 2012 car project manager Tony Cotman wanted to display, will be in the Pagoda Plaza at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway through the 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29. A rolling chassis - dubbed the IndyCar Safety Cell - will be the universal feature of the next-generation car, with bodywork open to development and sale by any approved manufacturer. Three engine manufacturers - Honda, Chevrolet and Lotus - are committed for 2012 and will augment the IndyCar Safety Cell and aero kit programs, creating its own buzz. "The idea behind these is to show two totally different-looking vehicles that underneath are the same chassis," Cotman said. "There is a lot of room for aerodynamic kit development and that's what this platform is about - allowing people the freedom to design as they wish, dream as they wish and come up with a superior product than others. That's what drives competition. So will these be exactly what Dallara's kits are going to look like on road courses and ovals next year? No." Dallara Automobili's aero components for the prototype car that is scheduled to undergo initial testing the first week of August are currently being finalized through wind tunnel testing at the company's headquarters in Parma, Italy.

 

Editor-in-Chief's Note: If you really must keep up on all of the latest F1 developments and the potential U.S. GP in Austin, Texas, go here. - PMD

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

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE AE STORE

See another live episode of "Autoline After Hours" with hosts John McElroy, from Autoline Detroit, and Peter De Lorenzo, The Autoextremist, and guests this Thursday evening, at 7:00PM EDT at www.autolinedetroit.tv.

By the way, if you'd like to subscribe to the Autoline After Hours podcasts, click on the following links:

Subscribe via iTunes:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=311421319

Subscribe via RSS:

http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/podcasts/feeds/afterhours-audio.xml



If you would like to read previous Autoextremist issues, click on "Next Entry" below.