AutoWeek articles from August 2008

AutoWeek archives from August 2008

TV; AUG. 8-10.
August 4, 2008... Friday, Aug. 8 * NASCAR Sprint Cup practice from Watkins Glen, N.Y., noon, ESPN2 (L) * Inside Grand Prix: Hungary, noon, Speed * Formula One from Hungary, 12:30 p.m., Speed * NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying from Watkins Glen,...

A HOME FIT FOR A LEGEND; FINALLY, HARLEY HAS A MUSEUM IT CAN CALL ITS OWN.
August 4, 2008... Byline: ROGER HART Harley-Davidson has been producing motorcycles and three-wheelers for 105 years, but until July 12, the iconic American brand never had a museum it could call its own. The more-than-acentury wait was well worth it. ...

CAMARO COME LATELY; IS GM'S COUPE TOO LATE TO CATCH THE WAVE?
August 4, 2008... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER One school of thought says the Chevrolet Camaro will arrive in spring 2009 in a market already saturated with sport coupes and full of buyers seeking fuel economy, not fuelish muscle cars. A contrary opinion...

Parochial Schooling.
August 4, 2008... Byline: NATALIE NEFF Jennifer Granholm, the governor of Michigan, rode the bus to work the other day. The assembled cameras and reporters recorded her clinking quarters into the fare box, accompanied by an audible flourish: clink, "one!''...

It's Still Fun.
August 4, 2008... Byline: KEVIN A. WILSON Enough with the doom and gloom about cars, already. It's summer, and cars are still fun. Going places and doing things with cars got more expensive this year, but the cars and the things didn't suddenly become...

Blockbuster Sirius-XM merger OK'd; WHAT'S IT MEAN FOR YOUR FAVORITE CHANNELS?
August 4, 2008... Byline: GREG MIGLIORE What does the long-anticipated union of Sirius and XM mean for consumers? Initially, more choices and a chance to cherry-pick some of your favorite channels from each lineup. But long-term, the outlook is murkier. ...

DRIVER'S LOG; 2008 Subaru Impreza 2.5i.
August 4, 2008... IN FLEET: July 7-21 AS-TESTED PRICE: $17,737 DRIVETRAIN: 2.5-liter H4; AWD, five-speed manual OUTPUT: 170 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 170 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm CURB WEIGHT: 3,064 lb FUEL ECONOMY (EPA/AW): 23/23.6 mpg * * * ...

MARKET; 1975 Aston Martin Series III V8 Coupe.
August 4, 2008... Byline: DAVE KINNEY Bonhams Greenwich Concours d'Elegance June 8, 2008 Left-hand drive, 5.3-liter V8, automatic transmission. Gold with tan leather. Some fade to the good-quality repaint, good-to-very-good brightwork could...

TIME MACHINE; TRIPPING IN THE ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM COUPE.
August 4, 2008... Byline: DENISE MCCLUGGAGE What do I know about Rolls-Royce? I am landing at Heathrow to be whisked southward for a rendezvous with the new coupe version of the Phantom. That meeting will be effected in Goodwood, where the Rolls works lie...

Weekend in Monterey.
August 4, 2008... Byline: MARK VAUGHN & LARRY EDSALL Going to Monterey for the big weekend Aug. 15-17? There are three things you have to do and then a whole bunch of other stuff you can do, and there's really nothing at all on the list that you shouldn't...

LONDON CALLING; 2008 BRITISH SHOW PACKS IN PREMIERES.
August 4, 2008... Byline: JULIAN RENDELL The sight of General Motors' new midsize Insignia sedan plummeting earthward in a Mission Impossible-style stunt, set up in the shadow of London's iconic Tower Bridge, may have had some of the GM brass sweating. ...

RESULTS; TRACK: Indianapolis Motor Speedway; 2.5-MILE OVAL; DATE: July 27.
August 4, 2008... 1. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 160 laps at 115.117 mph avg. speed; 2. Carl Edwards, Ford, 160; 3. Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 160; 4. Elliott Sadler, Dodge, 160; 5. Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 160; 6. Jamie McMurray, Ford, 160; 7. Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 160;...

SEA HORSE.
August 4, 2008... Ferrari driver Miguel Julia gets a taste of the new street circuit in Valencia, Spain, as part of the Spanish International GT Open, which along with Spain's Formula Three series, christened the harborside track ahead of Formula One's inaugural...

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August 4, 2008... Camera-wielding Chevrolet Camaro fans can't seem to get enough of General Motors' hot new coupe, due on the market next spring. Time will tell whether early enthusiasm will translate into sustained Camaro sales.

AutoWeek's Olympians.
August 4, 2008... Olympic-caliber athletes share our enthusiasm for high-performance machines. Visit autoweek.com/ Olympians for a complete list of AutoWeek's Olympians. Mariel Zagunis Sport: Fencing Age: 23 HOMETOWN: Beaverton, Ore. ...

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August 4, 2008... If there's a car suspended above London's Tower Bridge, this must be the British International Motor Show. The show, which moved two years ago from Birmingham to London, offered enough product news and intrigue this year to make quite a splash...

Monterey Historic Automobile Races.
August 4, 2008... The Historics celebrate their 35th anniversary at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with Mario Andretti as guest of honor and a special display featuring the 1930 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Mille Miglia that Phil Hill drove to the win in the Del Monte Trophy...

RM Monterey Sports & Classic Car Auction.
August 4, 2008... More than a dozen Ferraris and this 1930 Duesenberg Model J Barrel-Side Dual-Cowl Phaeton will be among the 180-plus vehicles offered at this auction at the Portola Plaza Hotel in downtown Monterey. Aug. 15-16 www.rmauctions.com

Hyperventilating Hyperlinks.
August 4, 2008... Danica and Milka. Handbags at dawn! http://tinyurl.com/5ukkgf Never lift! http://tinyurl.com/5hd5ll

What's Next, `Bite My Buick'?
August 4, 2008... Saturn has launched an online photo contest called "Kiss My Astra.'' No, really. The winner gets a new 2008 Astra. All you have to do is submit a photo of yourself kissing your own Astra, a friend's Astra or any Saturn dealer's Astra. The...

WHAT NEXT? SCOTT DIXON SCORES WIN NO. 5 AMIDST PLENTY OF ACTION IN EDMONTON.
August 4, 2008... Byline: CURT CAVIN For a race seemingly void of significant passes, there was a lot to talk about following the Rexall Edmonton Indy, the first Canadian race in IndyCar Series history. The event formerly was part of the now-defunct Champ...

MOSLEY WINS LAWSUIT.(FIA president Max Mosley)
August 4, 2008... FIA president Max Mosley won his case for breach of privacy against News of the World, the British tabloid newspaper that claimed there was a Nazi element to Mosley's activities. Mosley did not deny that he was involved in a sadomasochistic...

EXTRA.(A1GP's Team Italy wanting Valentino Rossi for current season)(Ben Bostrom testing a Grand-Am Daytona Prototype)(FIA to revive Formula Two series )
August 4, 2008... ROSSI IN A1GP? A1GP's Team Italy wants multiple MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi, 29, to race its car in the 2008-09 season. Rossi impressed on several occasions when he tested Ferrari Formula One cars. Ferrari will supply all A1GP...

EXTRA.
August 4, 2008... VW Microbus livesuagain Volkswagen is once again resurrecting the Microbus, this time as inspiration for a lifestyle vehicle aimed at the North American market. Volkswagen had planned to reintroduce a stylish re-creation of the...

TRADING UP; AUCTION OWNER FINDS A NICHE- FOR HIS CLASSICS AND HIMSELF.
August 4, 2008... Byline: PHIL BERG "I don't have faith in the stock market,'' says Phil Kuhn, owner of a public-auction company in Chicago. "You can't control it. I want to build barns and garages and have a portfolio of cars that I can control and enjoy....

The C.
August 4, 2008... This is the restaurant overlooking the bay at the new InterContinental, the Clement Monterey Hotel on Cannery Row. The restaurant opened June 14; reviewers are raving. 750 Cannery Row (831) 375-4500 www.ichotelsgroup.com ...

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August 4, 2008... This is another in a series of articles on AutoWeek readers and their garages. For more photos, visit autoweek.com.

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August 4, 2008... Marco Andretti and Tony Kanaan (below) were involved in another AGR controversy, while Paul Tracy and Justin Wilson (bottom) impressed.

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August 4, 2008... A perfect final pit stop (opposite page) handed Johnson, who led from the start (top), the race lead and the win. Kurt Busch got loose coming out of turn one and collected Kevin Harvick (above), but both continued. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (below)...

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August 4, 2008... Even Indy was not immune to NASCAR's declining attendance, and the farcical race did nothing to help promote future events.

Corporate Morons of the Month Award.
August 4, 2008... When automotive-events company Page One Automotive in San Francisco needed 20 jackets for an event, it called outdoor clothing specialist Patagonia to place an order. The response? "Thank you for considering Patagonia . . . due to our...

A FAITHFUL RENDERING; 1934 ROLLS-ROYCE 20/25 PARK WARD TOURING SALOON.
August 4, 2008... Byline: JOHN F. KATZ Possibly one of the most elegantly handsome Rolls-Royce motorcars ever was the Phantom II Continental close-coupled Sport Saloon exhibited by coachbuilder Park Ward on its London show stand in 1933. This is not...

NO SURE THING; MIKKO HIRVONEN LEADS SEBASTIEN LOEB IN THE WRC POINTS.
August 4, 2008... Byline: ANTHONY PEACOCK After Ford's World Rally Championship star Marcus Gronholm retired at the end of last year, pessimists predicted picking anyone other than Citroen driver Sebastien Loeb to win the 2008 championship would be like...

V-Rod Revolution Engine; Porsche and Harley make air and water mix.
August 4, 2008... Byline: GEORGE P. BLUMBERG Motorcyclists often wave to one another in camaraderie. Many bikers greet all others, but some hard-core Harley-Davidson riders won't acknowledge another brand. Harley itself confused traditionalists when it...

RESULTS; TRACK: Edmonton City Centre Airport; 1.937-MILE STREET CIRCUIT; DATE: July 26.
August 4, 2008... 1. Scott Dixon, 91 laps at 96.967 mph avg. speed; 2. Helio Castroneves, 91; 3. Justin Wilson, 91; 4. Paul Tracy, 91; 5. Oriol Servia, 91; 6. Ryan Briscoe, 91; 7. Dan Wheldon, 91; 8. Ryan Hunter-Reay, 91; 9. Tony Kanaan, 91; 10. Darren Manning,...

TWO-WHEEL LOWDOWN; 2008 Harley-Davidson VRSCAW V-Rod.
August 4, 2008... Byline: GEORGE P. BLUMBERG Harley's drag-style power cruiser, with more displacement and optional ABS. 1,250-cc, 121-hp, liquid-cooled, 60-degree V-twin; 637-lb dry weight; quarter-mile in 11.8 seconds @ 114 mph (est). COMPETITIVE SET:...

RUBBER MATCH; JIMMIE JOHNSON WINS SECOND BRICKYARD; TIRE WOES MAR RACE.
August 4, 2008... Byline: AL PEARCE NASCAR, Goodyear and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway probably did the best they couldas they said repeatedly all weekendunder difficult circumstances surrounding the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. But the problem of tires...

CRISTIANO'S COMEBACK; Da Matta races on, two years after a life-threatening crash.(Cristiano da Matta)
August 11, 2008... Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH When he talks, the tracheotomy scar on his throat peeks out just above the collar of his T-shirt. It is the only visible hint of what happened to Cristiano da Matta two years ago this month, when a deer ran in...

A YEAR WITH THE UN-CAMRY; We tried to kill our Altima, but it wouldn't die.
August 11, 2008... Byline: WES RAYNAL We added a Nissan Altima to the long-term fleet because we saw the then-new car as a potential antithesis to the Camry, something crisper and hopefully more fun to drive than the midsize sedan cliche that the Toyota or...

SCOTT SPEED IMPRESSES IN STOCK CARS.
August 11, 2008... Former Formula One driver Scott Speed has won three ARCA Re/Max Series races and a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event. He leads the ARCA standings and ran well in a recent Sprint Cup test at Nashville Superspeedway. So, when is Team Red Bull...

Horsing Around.
August 11, 2008... Byline: Cory Farley An old saying about fighter pilots applies to good drivers, too, I think. As if I'd know. But if an ordinary person were spinning out of control, it's said, he'd think, "Oh, God, I've got 10 seconds to live,'' and...

MARKET.
August 11, 2008... Byline: DAVE KINNEY 1949 Austin A-90 Atlantic Convertible Bonhams Greenwich Concours d'Elegance June 8, 2008 Left-hand drive. 2,660-cc, 88-hp, inline four-cylinder. Column-shift four-speed manual. White with burgundy...

CALL IT MAZDACRAZYFAST 3; OUR LONG-TERM MAZDA HATCH WAS ANYTHING BUT BORING.
August 11, 2008... Byline: BOB GRITZINGER Whether we were wailing through winding back roads or making weekend warehouse-store runs, we found very little we didn't like about our long-term 2007 Mazdaspeed 3. To a person, we were deeply saddened to see this...

SIX CARS, FOUR HOURS, 2,303 HP.
August 11, 2008... Byline: MV Even in our little sliver of car-world reality, things like this don't happen every day. As part of a program put on by World Class Driving, we spent the better part of a recent morning tooling around in $1.2 million worth of...

RESULTS.
August 11, 2008... TRACK: POCONO RACEWAY 2.5-MILE TRI-OVAL DATE: AUG. 3 1. Carl Edwards, Ford, 200 laps at 130.567 mph avg. speed; 2. Tony Stewart, Toyota, 200; 3. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 200; 4. Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 200; 5. David Ragan,...

ASK, OR BEG, AND YE SHALL RECEIVE; BMW de-Bangles and de-iDrives the 7-series for 2009.
August 11, 2008... Byline: NATALIE NEFF The 2009 BMW 7-series is a welcome sight. While not an entirely handsome designthe large, pedestrian-friendly front end, with its jumbo kidney grille, can look bulbous from some angles, and the taillights are downright...

DRIVERS LOG.(Product/service evaluation)
August 11, 2008... KEEBLER: I am always delighted by the interior lighting in these Mercedes-Benzes; it's truly special and adds a touch found in no other cars I can think of. Speaking of lighting, the "active curve illumination'' for the headlights is just so...

Take Me to the River.
August 11, 2008... Byline: Dutch Mandel I'm in favor of multitasking tools, and the gear I champion now for its dexterity is the Chrysler Town & Country Limited in our long-term fleet. This frost-white boxNorge, as she's affectionately calledis the...

THE PAIN AND ITCHING OF SUPERCAR LUST! WE OFFER SOME CURES.
August 11, 2008... Byline: MARK VAUGHN It used to be that you had two choices when it came to mega-powered supercars: you could buy one and try to keep it running better than your marriage, or you could look at pictures of supercars in car magazines. Now...

FLEET STREET.
August 11, 2008... AUDI S6 Even with close to 30,000 miles on the clock, the car is as solid as ever and generally without flaw. And it's still a handful when under a tight leashit's so much more suited to reaching and running at high speeds than holding...

ON THE (GULL)WING; New Mercedes-Benz SLC coupe spied.
August 11, 2008... Byline: Greg Kable The latest photographs of the Mercedes-Benz gullwing sports car show a newly constructed prototype of the upcoming SLC, known under the internal code name C197. The pictures show production bodywork and signature...

VW unveils new Golf.
August 11, 2008... According to Volkswagen, there is no guarantee that the sixth-generation Golf will come to the States, but we don't see how the German automaker could afford not to bring it here. Whether it comes or not, a range of four-cylinder engines...

OPEN-TOP SCREAMER.
August 11, 2008... The latest supercar from Bugatti, the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, will make its debut Aug. 16 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The car, which has a removable roof, gets the Veyron's eight-liter, 16-cylinder double-V powerplant, making a...

AutoWeek's Olympians.
August 11, 2008... Olympic-caliber athletes share our enthusiasm for high-performance machines. Visit autoweek.com/Olympians for a complete list of AutoWeek's Olympians. Ian Crocker Sport: Swimming Age: 25 Hometown: Portland, Maine years...

MONEY CALL; CARL EDWARDS WINS POCONO AFTER A PIT-STOP GAMBLE.
August 11, 2008... Byline: AL PEARCE Carl Edwards and crew chief Bob Osborne sat atop their pit box, waiting out a heavy rainstorm just past the halfway point of the Sunoco Red Cross 500 at Pocono Raceway. They were growing publicly cantankerous, each...

MEN ON FIRE; LOEB AND HIRVONEN ARE UNTOUCHABLE IN FINLAND.(Sebastien Loeb)
August 11, 2008... Byline: ANTHONY PEACOCK CitroEn's reigning World Rally champion, Sebastien Loeb, became only the third non-Nordic driver to win the legendary Rally Finland, following in the footsteps of Didier Auriol and Carlos Sainz. The event is...

EXTRA.
August 11, 2008... KALITTA HIRES AREND Kalitta Motorsports chose veteran driver Jeff Arend, 45, to pilot Scott Kalitta's Toyota Solara Funny Car for the rest of the season. Kalitta died June 21 in a crash at Englishtown, N.J. Arend has 12 years of Funny...

2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG.
August 11, 2008... 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG in fleet: July 14-28 as-tested price: $72,145 drivetrain: 5.5-liter V8; RWD, seven-speed automatic output: 355 hp @ 5,750 rpm, 376 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm curb weight: 3,472 lb fuel economy...

specs.
August 11, 2008... ON SALE: Now BASE PRICE: $33,000 DRIVETRAIN: 3.8-liter, 290-hp, 264-lb-ft V6; RWD, six-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT: 3,748 lb 0-60 MPH: 7.0 sec (est) FUEL ECONOMY (EPA): 21 mpg

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August 11, 2008... What started out as basically a farmer's tool that retailed for $880 evolved into the luxury fashion statement the $78,450 Range Rover is today (below).

WRAP-UP.
August 11, 2008... MILES DRIVEN (QUARTER/YEAR): 5,987/19,969 FUEL MILEAGE (QUARTER/YEAR): 23.5 mpg/23.75 mpg FUEL COST (QUARTER/YEAR): $660.03/$2,571.88 DAYS OUT OF SERVICE (QUARTER/YEAR): One/two MAINTENANCE: Unscheduled maintenance to replace...

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August 11, 2008... Brian Frisselle and Mark Wilkins won the closest race in Daytona Prototype history, by 0.064 second.

WRAP-UP.
August 11, 2008... MILES DRIVEN (QUARTER/YEAR): 3,765 /12,542 FUEL MILEAGE (QUARTER/YEAR): 22.7 mpg/21.3 mpg FUEL COST (QUARTER/YEAR): $595.55/$1,883.53 DAYS OUT OF SERVICE (QUARTER/YEAR): none/32 MAINTENANCE: Scheduled 3,000-mile service...

NASCAR DRIVER RUMORS.
August 11, 2008... NASCAR's seemingly endless "silly season'' is in full bloom. Among the oft-heard speculation: Martin Truex Jr. soon will decide whether to stay at Dale Earnhardt Inc. or jump (maybe) to Richard Childress Racing or Penske Racing. Casey Mears is...

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August 11, 2008... Kovalainen's first win came in his 28th Formula One start, while Massa (below) was denied his ninth career victory.

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August 11, 2008... Toyota is set to reward Timo Glock's recent strong performances by retaining the driver next season.

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August 11, 2008... Grand-Am team boss Bob Stallings (left) might be the first to take a chance on Cristiano da Matta (right), but he likely won't be the last if the driver's form remains consistent with what he has shown so far.

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August 11, 2008... Press Release We Didn't Finish: Ford Racing teams up with Barbasol shaving cream for unique Mustang Challenge Promotion . . .

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August 11, 2008... The former Indy Lights (1998) and CART (2002) champion also spent the better part of two years in Formula One, but for now, da Matta is focused on closed-top rather than open-wheel racing.

Society Notes: Not all fuel is created equal.
August 11, 2008... The Associated Press reports that police arrested a 20-year-old man after he entered the grounds of a San Diego-area airport and attempted to fill his gas tank with airplane fuel, said Jim Meide, who works at Reid-Hillview Airport. "It's really...

The Truly Awful Will Have to Wait.(auto shows)(Brief article)
August 11, 2008... We were ready to break this year from the stodgy, rich man's self-congratulatory happy fest that is the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, but we're sad to report that the first Concours d'Ignorance won't happen soon. "We have decided to...

THE NEXT GENERATION; THE HYUNDAI GENESIS BOLDLY GOES WHERE NO KOREAN CAR HAS GONE BEFORE.
August 11, 2008... Byline: NATALIE NEFF Nothing in Hyundai's lineup has recalled the 1986 Excel in a long time, and thank goodness for that. From the ashes of that less-than-stellar entree into the American market, the Korean automaker has forged a...

HAPPY 60TH, LADS! LAND ROVER CELEBRATES SIX DECADES OF SUVS.
August 11, 2008... Byline: MARK VAUGHN The first Land Rover was not simply inspired by a Jeep, it was a Jeep, underneath. This was in 1947, and there were plenty of old Army Jeeps in England. At that time, Maurice Wilks, whose day job was engineering...

TV AUG. 15-17.
August 11, 2008... Friday, Aug. 15 NASCAR Sprint Cup practice from Brooklyn, Mich., noon, Speed (L) NASCAR Nationwide Series practice from Brooklyn, Mich., 1:30 p.m., Speed (L) NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying from Brooklyn, Mich., 3:30 p.m., Speed...

RESULTS.
August 11, 2008... TRACK: HUNGARORING 2.722-MILE ROAD COURSE DATE: AUG. 3 1. Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren-Mercedes, 70 laps at 117.308 mph avg. speed; 2. Timo Glock, Toyota, 70; 3. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 70; 4. Fernando Alonso, Renault, 70; 5. Lewis...

RESULTS.
August 11, 2008... TRACK: RALLY FINLAND DATE: AUG. 1-3 1. Sebastien Loeb, Citroen C4 WRC, 2h 54m 5.5s; 2. Mikko Hirvonen, Ford Focus WRC 07, +9s; 3. Chris Atkinson, Subaru Impreza WRC 2008, +3m 17s; 4. Daniel Sordo, Citroen C4 WRC, +3m 30.9s; 5. Henning...

FIFTH TIME'S A CHARM? VOLKSWAGEN CONSIDERS A COUPE AND ROADSTER TANDEM-AGAIN.
August 11, 2008... Byline: GREG KABLE Volkswagen has resurrected plans for an affordable, mid-engine coupe and roadster tandem as part of an image-building campaign aimed at highlighting the company's design and engineering prowess. VW chairman Martin...

Young at Heart; Neither fake nor replica, the BLS1 Sport Speciale is a modern tribute to an old Ferrari.
August 18, 2008... Byline: LARRY EDSALL You've watched TV programs focused on vintage vehicles and wished you could own and drive such machines. But for Barry Smith, a former ad-agency owner in Scottsdale, Ariz., it became more than a wish. Smith owns a...

KANAAN SIGNS NEW AGR CONTRACT.(Tony Kanaan)
August 18, 2008... IndyCar Series veteran and 2004 series champion Tony Kanaan signed a contract to remain with Andretti Green Racing for the next five years. The deal caps four months of negotiations, but a handshake in Milwaukee essentially sealed it, Kanaan...

1-2, AGAIN; Nothing could stop Audi at Road America.
August 18, 2008... Byline: GARY WATKINS Road America is Audi territory, and drivers of the R10 turbodiesel prototypes were able to exploit their power advantage down three long straights during the American Le Mans Series Generac 500 at Road America. Even a...

AUSTRALIAN HOLIDAY; MARCOS AMBROSE IS IMPRESSIVE AT WATKINS GLEN.
August 18, 2008... Byline: AL PEARCE NASCAR would do wellahem, wink, winkto make sure Marcos Ambrose stays around. Pull some strings in Daytona Beach. Call him a "diversity driver.'' Guide some sponsorship his way. Whatever it takes, make sure the...

EXTRA.
August 18, 2008... RALLYING RAIKKONEN? Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen, 28, says he will consider a rally career once his F1 days are over. He has not decided whether to renew his Ferrari contract beyond 2009. But the Ferrari driver is reluctant to...

DAY AT THE SPA; Belgium offers one of Europe's best-kept racing secrets.
August 18, 2008... Byline: GARY WATKINS Close your eyes and listen. The orchestra of V12s, V8s and flat-sixes doesn't give the game away. Smell the air a mix of oil, rubber, French fries and sweat tells you no more. Squint through the fence, dazzled by...

LAST LAP, LAST LAUGH; HELIO CASTRONEVES GAMBLES, BUT SCOTT DIXON WINS AGAIN.
August 18, 2008... Byline: CURT CAVIN Dario Franch-itti's championship moment from a season ago essentially was replayed in the IndyCar Series race at Kentucky Speedway. With Helio Castroneves set to win the Meijer Indy 300, his car coughed on its last gasp...