THE LINE - FEBRUARY 12, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014 at 09:14AM 
(Ferrari North America/newspressUSA)
John Surtees, one of the all-time great drivers, turned 80 on February 11th. A World Champion on two and four wheels - and the only man to accomplish that feat - Surtees had a distinguished driving career, to say the least. He won the 500cc World Championship for motorcycles in 1956, 1958, 1959 and 1960. And he won the Formula 1 World Championship driving a Ferrari in 1964. Surtees also recorded two wins in the Nurburgring 1000 Kilometers (1963 and 1965) and one in the 1963 Sebring 12 Hours and the Monza 1000 Kilometers (all in Ferrari racing cars). “First of all, he was an extraordinary motorcycle champion before doing the same in motor sport, taking a fantastic Formula 1 World Championship crown with us in 1964,” President Luca di Montezemolo told www.ferrari.com. “He is a dear friend to me and he has always maintained an excellent relationship with our company. On behalf of the entire Ferrari family, I send John all the very best wishes for his birthday!” Surtees also won the 1966 Can-Am Championship driving a Lola T70-Chevrolet.
(Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance)
A pair of popular seminars will offer "backstage passes" to the history and the business of American motorsport at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. A celebration of Offenhauser-powered vehicles will begin in the Talbot Ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island on Friday, March 7 at 3:00 PM with the Great Offy Drivers and David Hobbs Seminar. Indy 500 winners Johnny Rutherford (above), Parnelli Jones, and Al and Bobby Unser will comprise The Great Offy Drivers Seminar. Together these drivers have five Indianapolis 500 wins and 35 National Championship victories with Offenhauser's legendary racing engines. They will be joined by sometimes Offy racer David Hobbs and Louis "Sonny" Meyer, Jr., son of three-time Indy winner Louis Meyer, co-founder of Meyer & Drake Engineering builders of Offenhauser racing engines after WWII. Sonny's engines and cars won 19 Indy 500 poles and 24 500s. In 2013 he was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's Hall of Fame. The 90-minute Merchants of Speed Seminar is a first person look at not just on-track race management, but the sharp-edged business of racing that rarely sees the light of day. The 10:30 AM Saturday seminar in the Ritz-Carlton's Talbot Ballroom will feature five men who helped create the template for modern American motorsport. Ray Evernham will discuss running a championship-winning NASCAR Cup team as well as the complexities of creating one from the ground up. Alwin Springer managed Porsche Motorsport North America, and has been a pivotal part of that program since the days of the mighty Porsche 917/10 and 917/30 Can-Am turbos in the 1970s. John Mecom will discuss running Corvette's racing program back in the day when General Motors disavowed any motorsport involvement. Indy 500 winner and IndyCar team owner Bobby Rahal will explain the difficult challenges of managing his son's Indy Car career while running two racing teams. Tyler Alexander will discuss the creation of McLaren Cars, the only marque to win the Formula 1 World Championship, the Indy 500, the Can-Am Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. And Group 44's Bob Tullius will explain the complex and intricate mission of transforming a manufacturer's championship-winning national club racing program into an international championship caliber professional sports car racing team. Admission to each seminar is $30.00. To order tickets to either or both The Great Offy Drivers and The Merchants of Speed seminar visit www.ameliaconcours.org.
Red Bull Global Rallycross has announced the launch of a multi-year partnership with NBC Sports Group, beginning with the 2014 season. Nine Red Bull Global Rallycross events will be broadcast on NBC in 2014, with rebroadcasts taking place on the NBCSN. “This is a great step forward for Red Bull Global Rallycross,” says series CEO, Colin Dyne. “Partnering with NBC will allow us to bring our events to millions of our existing fans, and welcome new fans as well. We look forward to delivering unparalleled, high-octane race action.” This year’s X Games Austin will continue to be broadcast on ESPN.
The 2014 Red Bull Global Rallycross broadcast schedule:
Top Gear Festival Barbados: Saturday, May 24 (tape delay), 1-2PM ET, NBC
X Games Austin: Saturday, June 7 (live), ESPN
Washington, DC: Sunday, June 22 (live), 2-3PM ET, NBC
New York, NY: Sunday, July 20 (live), 2-3PM ET, NBC
Charlotte, NC: Saturday, July 26 (live), 2:00-3:00PM ET, NBC
Detroit, MI: Sunday, August 3 (live), 2-3:30PM ET, NBC
Daytona, FL: Saturday, August 23 (live), 3:30-4:30PM ET, NBC
Los Angeles, CA: Saturday, September 20 (live), 5-6PM ET, NBC
Seattle, WA: Sunday, September 28 (tape delay), 2:30-3:30PM ET, NBC
Las Vegas, NV: Sunday, November 16 (tape delay), 2-3PM ET, NBC