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Written by Jeff Zurschmeide
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People who don't participate in motorsports often wonder what it is that draws people to motor sports and keeps us fascinated by "driving around in circles." It's difficult to put it into words that other people will understand, but the whole sport was recently brought into sharp focus for me. A local racer of my acquaintance remarked to me a couple weeks ago that he was planning to attend the SCCA National Championship Runoffs this past week in Topeka, KS. As it happened, I was going to be there as well covering some of the 25 separate races that make up that event for SportsCar magazine.  Eddie Nakato Eddie Nakato races a 1999 Acura Integra coupe in Showroom Stock B class. In this class, almost everything about the car must be absolutely stock - the idea is that you're racing the cars as they are when they come off the showroom floor. At 10 years old, Eddie's car was by far the oldest car entered in the race. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 14 October 2008 )
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Written by Jeff Zurschmeide
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Mazda Motor Corporation has confirmed that the sedan version of the all-new Mazda3 (known as Mazda Axela in Japan), fully redesigned for the first time in 5 years, will be revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19, 2008.  The All-New Mazda3
The covers will be pulled off during Mazda’s press conference from 12:20 to 12:45 (local time) revealing the all-new Mazda3, the latest evolution of Mazda’s Zoom-Zoom spirit.
Mazda says, "Every element of the all-new Mazda3 has been developed for heightened exhilaration, with a more refined sporty ride, top class fuel economy and quietness. Environmental and safety features, based on Mazda’s long-term “Sustainable Zoom-Zoom” vision, aim to achieve a balance with fun-to-drive. Add in a new expressive face and Mazda’s dynamic design elements, and the all-new Mazda3 is everything a driver could ask for in a sports compact."That's a lot to claim, but Mazda has a good history with this car, so it'll be worth a look. The new Mazda3 will certainly be on display in January when the auto show season comes to the Portland Convention Center.
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Written by Jeff Zurschmeide
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Tire Rack Street Survival and Sports Car Club of America Foundation Have Joined Forces to Help Teach Oregon Teen Drivers How To Be Safe this Fall Tire Rack Street Survival, a national "hands-on" driver educational program that teaches teens the skills they need to stay alive behind the wheel, and Sports Car Club of America Foundation (SCCA) are teaming up to host a teen driving program on Sunday, October 5 at Portland International Raceway. The class will run from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.  Don't Let This Happen To Your Teen Students will learn from highly skilled volunteer instructors from the SCCA's Oregon Region how their actions govern a car's responses, what the limits of their vehicles are and how to avoid accidents. Students will be given a short classroom session and then be taught, hands-on, how to manage everyday driving hazards, obstacles and challenges. Unlike other advanced driving schools, students will use their own vehicles they are most familiar with, which is usually their family or personal car, truck or SUV, so that the skills they learn can be directly translated to their own daily driving experiences.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 14 August 2008 )
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Written by Jeff Zurschmeide
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It was either the 25th anniversary of Champ Car in Portland, or the first in a new series of events spotlighting rising stars in minor league professional racing. Either way, the Mazda Grand Prix of Portland featured several exciting races and showcased the next generation of “clean diesel” automotive technology.  VW Jetta TDI Cup Action
The event was born out of the ashes of the Champ Car World Series. When the last big-time pro series with a Portland date folded its tent in February, PIR manager Mark Wigginton and Mazda Motorsports manager Jim Jordan put their heads together and decided to throw a 25th anniversary event with as much action as they could pack into a long weekend. “It’s a mosh pit of motorsports,” Jordan said.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 28 July 2008 )
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Written by Jeff Zurschmeide
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With the departure of Champ Car from the world of motorsports, Portland had to scramble to find a big racing event this year. None of the major pro series could change their schedule so late in the game, so we decided to throw a big motorsports party and invite enough people to turn it into a major event in its own right.  Brad McAllister of the Playboy MX-5 Cup When you think about it, what did Champ Car really have? Yeah, OK, they went real fast and made a lot of noise, but where was the wheel-to-wheel racing? It was all about fast pit stops and holding the engine together. When did you last see three Champ cars side by side through the Festival Curves chicane on the front straight? What we have next weekend (July 25-27) at Portland International Raceway is a show tailor-made to please automotive and racing enthusiasts. For those who like formula car racing, we've got the Star Mazda series. This group of young drivers was formerly a support race for Champ Car, and it includes about 40 young drivers who are hungry for success and eager to get noticed. The result is that they race hard for every corner - with spectacular results. For my money, they're the best show in open wheel racing, even wihout the million-dollar cars and billion-dollar egos of Champ Car. |
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