THE LINE

October 17, 2012

Editor-in-Chief's Note: The Nissan-powered DeltaWing continues to be all the buzz at Road Atlanta in preparation for Petit Le Mans. We have three video links for you including an in-car lap of the track, see the DeltaWing get punted off the track in practice by a GTC Porsche, and a time lapse view of the subsequent all-night repair. Check them out here, here and here. - PMD

(Chevrolet)
Chevrolet has confirmed that the seventh-generation Corvette will debut on Sunday evening, January 13, 2013, in Detroit, in a special unveiling for the media in conjunction with the Detroit Auto Show. To start the countdown to 1.13.13, Chevrolet is showing the new Crossed Flags logo for the new 2014 Corvette. “The all-new, seventh-generation Corvette deserved an all-new emblem,” said Ed Welburn, GM vice president of global design. “The new Crossed Flags design reflects the character of the next Corvette. The flags are much more modern, more technical, and more detailed than before – underscoring the comprehensive redesign of the entire car.” The new Crossed Flags logo was unveiled at Road Atlanta, where Corvette Racing celebrated a sweep of the 2012 production-based American Le Mans Series GT championships.

 Chevrolet secured the manufacturer’s championship, Corvette Racing secured the team championship, and Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner captured the drivers’ championship with four wins in the nine races preceding Petit Le Mans, the 2012 ALMS season finale. Corvette Racing is the most successful team in ALMS history, with a total of 77 class wins, eight drivers’ championships, and nine manufacturer and team championships since 2001. The team has also taken seven class victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2001. Corvette Racing will campaign the C6.R for the 2013 ALMS season. The C7.R is expected to make its racing debut in 2014.

“With the new Corvette, we set out to build a world-challenging sports car with design, refinement, efficiency and driver engagement that is second to none," said Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer. "The result is a truly all-new Corvette. There are only two carryover parts from the C6 used in the C7 – the cabin air filter and the rear latch for the removable roof panel.”

The Crossed Flags logo has been a hallmark of the Corvette since its 1953 introduction. It has always incorporated a pair of flags, one a racing checkered flag and other featuring the Chevrolet “bowtie” emblem and a French fleur-de-lis. The design has evolved over the years, and has been featured on more than 1.5 million Corvettes built between 1953 and today.  

 Over coming weeks, more information and video content about the seventh-generation Corvette will be unlocked on www.one13thirteen.com. Enthusiasts can join the conversation about the next-generation Corvette, as well as keep track of new announcements on Facebook (facebook.com/corvette) and Twitter @Chevrolet(#Corvette). Fans that follow the #one13thirteen hashtag on Twitter can look forward to exclusive updates.

The first Corvette debuted as a concept car on Jan. 17, 1953 at the GM Motorama in New York City. That car originally featured an emblem with a checkered flag crossed with an American flag.  Because use of the American flag was prohibited as part of a commercial property, the logo was changed to the fleur-de-lis/bowtie design when the Corvette went into production in June 1953.

(Nigel Kinrade, Autostock, 2012)
Concord, North Carolina, October 13, 2012. Greg Biffle (No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing 3m/IDG Ford) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Best Buy Ford) race through turn Three at Charlotte Motor Speedway during the Bank of America 500 Saturday night. Clint Boyer (No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing 5-Hour Energy Benefiting Avon Foundation for Women Toyota) took the win after Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Penske Racing Miller Lite Dodge) out of fuel with 58 laps to go. Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing FedEx Ground Toyota) finished second, Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports MyLowe's Chevrolet) was third and Biffle was fourth. Keselowski ended up finishing eleventh. Keselowski leads Jimmie Johnson by just seven points in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, followed by Hamlin, who is fifteen points back, and Clint Boyer, who is now 28 points back.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: But the big news in Charlotte? In the heart of the stock car racing industry in the U.S. the grandstands were half-empty. I had an email exchange with a colleague, Matt Cleary, discussing this fact, and he referenced a excellent piece by Mike Mulhern, who discussed a wide range of issues facing NASCAR. But the reality is that Mulhern covered things I've been writing about for at least five years in AE. Too many races on the schedule means NASCAR isn't special anymore in too many markets. Too much redundancy in the schedule is also a huge issue, and NASCAR visiting tracks twice in a season is looking more stupid by the minute. I've proposed shortened schedules. I've proposed going to on-board jacks and fuel rigs - for pit crew safety. I've proposed dramatically smaller engines for the big tracks with no restrictors, so the drivers actually have to think while going around the track instead of having their feet flat on the floor for hours on end. I've proposed a dramatic uptick in the number of road races. I've written about everything facing NASCAR over and over and over again. The problem remains that NASCAR and its operatives fundamentally refuse to change, and it is now catching up with them in no uncertain terms. The malaise threatening NASCAR started back in 2007 and the France family has done nothing - not one thing - to change course or look for ways to improve in hopes that it would secure a brighter future. What about the 2013 cars, you ask? That idea originated with the manufacturers, and NASCAR had to be dragged into it. Charlotte attendance was a flat-out embarrassment, shocking even - in the center of the NASCAR universe no less - and if this doesn't suggest the sport is in deep, deep trouble, I don't know what will. The lack of true leadership and the stunning lack of vision at the top of NASCAR is finally taking its toll. The sport needs swift and decisive change, but that just isn't part of the France family makeup. I can easily see NASCAR returning to a regional sport in five years because of the continued ineptitude by the France family. - PMD

The WRC. The World Rally Championship suffered two blows this week with MINI and more significantly, Ford pulling out. The situation is a direct result of the dire financial conditions facing automakers doing business in Europe. As in Not Good.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: With the broadcast rights to Formula 1 in the U.S. going to NBC and its extended networks, speculation is rampant as to what will happen, who will be the broadcast team, will it be any better, etc., etc., etc. The thing is that it's way too early to tell. It's clear that with two new U.S. races (Austin and NY/New Jersey) on the schedule, F1 has a chance to become buzz-worthy again in this country, but to what degree I have no idea. This is a giant "we'll see," folks, for NBC's coverage and for acceptance of the sport itself here. I just hope they don't screw it up. - 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

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