AutoCulture Videos Volume 1 (Featuring OH2K9)
June 30th, 2009 by Elusive MediaPre-Order your copy today!!!
Link to pre-order dvd – http://www.isfanatics.com/forums/showthread.php?p=494121
Showtime AutoSports @ Orange County Choppers
June 30th, 2009 by Elusive Media
Date: 06/28/09
By: Erik
Gallery: Click Here
The front of OCC’s new shop. Through the front doors you enter their huge gift shop with many of their theme motorcycles and other custom bikes for sale.
panoramic of the new shop… the right hand side is where all the tv bikes are kept…sadly no pix allowed, but i did see them wit my own eyes! Did i mention the tour was free? — click for larger img!
Not sure if anyone told ya Jeff, but they don’t make snow during the summer! Lose the rack! — Car looks good!
Always had a thing for the 280Z’s …this one sure does grabs your attention.
G35 Coupes representing!
9/11 – we will never forget!
Ms. Planet Beach International Spokesmodel Search
June 29th, 2009 by Elusive Media
Gallery – http://www.elusivemedia.com/gallery/v/Meets/2009/foxnhounds
More info – http://www.planetbeach.com/spokesmodels/
Selling in High Volume—Top Products for the 4-Cylinder Crowd
June 26th, 2009 by Elusive Media
Scion’s second-generation xB shares Toyota’s 2AZ-FE engine with the Camry, Camry Solara, Corolla, Matrix and the Scion tC. Source - http://www.sema.org/
Six of the top 10 best-selling engines are four- or five-cylinder engines. According to Ward’s Auto, these engines are included not just in some of the top-selling vehicles in North America, but are also spread across models without many significant changes.
In economics, the economies of scale depict this scenario as essentially profitable since the average costs to produce these non-unique items are reduced as their volume increase. This is tantamount to the “bulk buy” phenomenon for purchasing, and commonly used in many forms of mass production and vehicle manufacturing.
For specialty-equipment manufacturers, this level of consistency over a wide range of products helps reduce costs downstream as well.
For 4- and 5-cylinder vehicles, the most numerous engines come from Asian and German manufacturers, many of which are relatively unchanged between models. There are always variations, but the foundations are highly related.
Source - http://www.sema.org
Honda’s K-series engines, for example, have been used in models ranging from the Honda Civic to the Element as 2.0-liter through 2.4-liter iterations. The architecture and characteristics come in a multitude of varieties but their similarities often allow for engine modifications to be shared within the engine-family.
Lumped together, the primary units used in Toyota, Volkswagen, Honda and Nissan vehicles were available in over 2.6 million vehicles in 2008 and many have been carried over for 2009. Domestic engines from General Motors, Ford and Chrysler do make the top 10 in units and accounted for about 600,000 units in 2008.
Both the GM 2.4-liter and Chrysler 2.4-liter engines were crammed into the engine bays of half-a-dozen models each.
Source - http://www.sema.org
It is not always just about engine modifications, though. SEMA market research collects enthusiast data for vehicle modifications and always builds in a provision for engine-size classifications. From the annual surveys of 3,000 or more enthusiasts, the most common and first modifications purchased help underscore the primary motivations for those within the hobby.
The most common upgrades were performance tires (54.93%) and 15 of the top 20 products purchased were not directly related to engine modifications. Perhaps the initial purchase of a small-displacement vehicle lends itself to approaching vehicle customization differently than the V8 crowd. It also speaks towards the overall perspective of vehicle ownership, regular use (“daily drivers”) and affordability.
Many of the most common items purchased by this crowd address vehicle handing and comfort: polish/wax, suspension, lighting, mobile electronics and brakes. — SEMA Research & Information Center
Source - http://www.sema.org/
Monster Energy’s off road truckers McGrath, Huseman Greaves back in TORC action Sat/Sun
June 23rd, 2009 by Elusive Media
Monster Energys Rick Huseman. Source - http://www.monsterenergy.com/
The M-claw logo should rock the Pro 2 amp; Pro 4×4 division podiums as Wisconsin local Johnny Greaves leads the Monster assault at the legendary Crandon track
CORONA, Calif., (June 18, 2009) – Monster Energy off road racers are going to get a big dose of ‘Whoaa!’ this weekend, namely Crandon International Raceway first-timer Jeremy McGrath (Monster/Toyota), when the gate drops, so to speak, on the off road Mecca’s famous “Land Rush Start” and the king of supercross finds himself battling side-by-each for the first turn with the rest of the 15-truck PRO2WD field at rounds five and six of the 2009 Traxxas TORC Truck Series, presented by AMSOIL.
“I’ve heard a bit about it from the other drivers, seen it on TV of course and honestly can’t wait to get after it,” said McGrath, who should draw some added fans from the region that followed him during his 1990s run of supercross wins at the nearby Minneapolis Metrodome. “(I’m) hoping it’ll be a bit less painful to have a truck door up against mine versus a set of handlebars stuck in my ribs (laughter).”
While McGrath (currently 3rd overall in his PRO2WD Toyota) will no doubt draw some additional fans to the already popular facility dubbed off road racing’s “Big House,” it’ll be local Wisconsinite Johnny Greaves (Monster/Toyota/Potawatomi), running 2nd overall in the PRO 4×4 Truck standings, that’ll fill the most seats. A two-time winner of the Crandon “Brush Run” (Crandon’s 1.25-mile short course race, which’ll be run this weekend), Greaves hopes to re-create his recent top-of-the-box efforts from 2003 and ’06.
“Nothing like coming home to race Crandon,” said Greaves. “This’ll be a great chance for me to make up some points on Rick.”
The “Rick” Greaves speaks of is Monster Energy’s Rick Huseman (Monster/Toyota). Huseman has dominated the opening California and Texas rounds of the PRO 4×4 class, winning three races in four rounds and leading Greaves by 15 points (99-77). In addition, Huseman is the leading driver the Oakley Bomb Run Award for the fastest lap time of the race.
The Monster Energy-backed racers contesting the Traxxas TORC Truck Series will be in action this weekend at Crandon International Raceway in Crandon, Wis. (June 20-21). For more information on the series check out its website at: www.torcseries.com
Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it off road, MX, rally, insane distance jumping, SX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, FMX, skate, MTB, rock crawling, wake, mini bikes, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD, the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee amp; cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend, along with the new Monster Energy “Hitman” energy shot. The Monster Energy guys running the Traxxas TORC Truck Series dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterarmy.com and www.monsterenergy.com
Vettel untouchable as Red Bull dominate British Grand Prix
June 22nd, 2009 by Elusive Media
Race winner Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull Racing and second placed Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull Racing soak Adrian Newey (GBR) Red Bull Racing Chief Technical Officer on the podium. Formula One World Championship, Rd 8, British Grand Prix, Race, Silverstone, England, Sunday, 21 June 2009 Source - http://www.formula1.com
What seemed to be a foregone conclusion after qualifying became one almost the moment Sebastian Vettel launched his Red Bull RB5 into the lead of the British Grand Prix. In a crushingly dominant drive, which underlined the major step forward that the Milton Keynes team have made on high-speed circuits, Vettel pulled away from Rubens Barrichello’s Brawn by as much as a second a lap in a series of quick tours, and never looked remotely challenged.
Team mate Mark Webber finally got ahead of Barrichello during the first round of stops and likewise had no trouble staying ahead thereafter. But Vettel was still 15.1s ahead when the chequered flag fell.
The Brazilian held on to take third place, 25.9s adrift, while the race was enlivened in the closing laps as Jenson Button’s Brawn began to develop decent tyre temperatures. The world championship leader had run between seventh and ninth places for much of the race but vaulted ahead of Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and Toyota’s Jarno Trulli during the two pit stops, and launched a blistering attack from sixth place on Felipe Massa in the other Ferrari and Williams’ Nico Rosberg, who were running fourth and fifth respectively. By the last lap 0.8s separated the Ferrari from the Williams and 0.3s the Williams and the Brawn.
On a day when damage limitation mattered the most, Button lost only three of his 26-point advantage over Barrichello. He now has 64 to the Brazilian’s 41, Vettel’s 39 and Webber’s 35.5s.
Trulli hung on for seventh for Toyota, while Raikkonen fended off the Italian’s team mate Timo Glock, but only just. Behind them, Giancarlo Fisichella took a fighting 10th place for Force India ahead of Kazuki Nakajima in the second Williams.
Lewis Hamilton had a terrible race. It was compromised early on as Renault’s Fernando Alonso slid off the track ahead of him but obliged him in turn to go off in avoidance as he jerked back on to the tarmac. That left him embroiled in a fight with the Renaults and the BMW Saubers, which saw all of them lapped.
In the end, Nelson Piquet emerged in 12th place, just ahead of BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica and Alonso. Nick Heidfeld in the second BMW Sauber was 15th, some way ahead of Hamilton after he spun his McLaren at Vale on the 43rd lap.
Adrian Sutil and Sebastien Buemi completed the finishers after Sebastien Bourdais misjudged an overtaking move at Abbey on the 34th lap on McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen, and both subsequently retired because of the damaged caused.
WRC: Loeb aiming to put Greece behind him
June 19th, 2009 by Elusive Media
Source - http://www.autosport.com
By David Evans
Sebastien Loeb’s crashed Citroen, Acropolis Rally 2009Sebastien Loeb says his biggest challenge at next week’s Rally Poland will be to forget the crash which ended his Acropolis Rally on the last round.
The Frenchman rolled his Citroen C4 WRC six times while pursuing the lead of the Greek event. He admits the he could have been distracted by changing a pace note in the middle of the corner.
After winning the first five rounds of the World Rally Championship, Loeb arrives in Poland – the first time the WRC has been there since 1973 – with only five points from his last two events.
Loeb said: “With six rolls, this is the first time [I have had such a big accident] and I hope this is the last. I make no secret that since it happened, I have thought a lot about it. The hardest part now will be to successfully ignore it the next time I take off at the wheel of my C4.
“My accident [in Greece] is difficult to explain. I made a small mistake in swerving at a right turn, as can happen, except that here, as I was slightly off line at the entrance to the following left turn and cut the corner a little, there was a stone hidden by a bush that I had not noticed during recce.
“This stone threw us to the outside of the corner, tearing off the wheel and that is where we started to spin [roll]. What is certain is that this was a driving error. But at the same time, I missed it [the rock], I was in the process of changing a note for the second pass.
“I asked Daniel to replace a ‘minus – minus’ with a ‘minus’ to just make this section a little faster in the afternoon. Is this what I was distracted by? I do not know.”
Loeb added that the fight for this year’s world title, where Ford’s Mikko Hirvonen trails him by seven points, remains wide open.
“Do not believe that because I won the first five rallies of the season, the story is over,” he said.
Le Mans – Porsche celebrates LMP2 success
June 19th, 2009 by Elusive Media![Elgaard/Poulsen/Collard - Essex Racing Porsche RS Spyder [Pic credit: Porsche]](http://pix.crash.net/motorsport/360/AU513410.jpg "Elgaard/Poulsen/Collard - Essex Racing Porsche RS Spyder [Pic credit: Porsche]")
Source - http://www.crash.net
Having finished second last season, Team Essex secured class honours with a 14 lap winning margin over its closest challenger in the hands of Casper Elgaard, Emmanuel Collard and WTCC racer Kristian Poulsen.
“After claiming second last year we are absolutely over the moon with our victory today,” Elgaard said. “This is a huge success for our Danish team, which only began competing in long distance racing last year.”
Porsche had looked good for a 1-2 finish in class, with the NAVI Team Goh entered car running second place before Seiji Ara was caught out on oil heading into the first chicane on the Mulsanne Straight and went off heavily into the barriers.
“I had no chance,” he said. “Two wheels hit the oil that I couldn’t see while braking. It’s a bitter end of a great race. I’m pleased that the RS Spyder is not only fast, but also safe.”
GT2 however turned into a race of disappointment for Porsche, with none of the 997 RSRs entered in the race classified at the finish as Ferrari dominated. Indeed, the lone Spyker was the only non-Ferrari running at the finish.
Amongst the main disappointments was the performance of the Felberymayr-Proton entered car shared by factory drivers Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz and Wolf Henzler which stopped with a fuel problem on the entrance to the pit lane and refused to restart in the early hours of the event.
“Of course I’m very disappointed,” Lieb said. “But we are looking ahead and already looking forward to the next race in the Le Mans Series, where we want to extend our championship lead with another victory.”
Ford: Featured Automaker of the 2009 SEMA Show
June 18th, 2009 by Elusive Media
A longtime partner with the specialty-equipment industry, Ford is the Vehicle Manufacturer of Show for the 2009 SEMA Show.
Ford Motor Company will be the featured automaker of the 2009 SEMA Show, taking place November 3–6 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
“Ford has always been a strong supporter of SEMA and our industry,” said Christopher J. Kersting, president and CEO of SEMA. “We are pleased to announce their participation as Vehicle Manufacturer of the Show and to be collaborating with them on several branding and technology programs.”
Ford has long recognized the benefits of partnering with the specialty-equipment industry. The automaker participates with SEMA members on several technology sharing programs.
In recent years, Ford received several of SEMA’s prestigious design awards for creating accessory-friendly vehicles. Ford also paved the way for other automakers in the SEMA Technology Transfer Program and also participated in the annual OEM Tech Talks and measuring sessions.
“Ford Motor Company is pleased to be the featured manufacturer for the 2009 SEMA Show,” said John Felice, General Manager, Ford and Lincoln Mercury Marketing. “The SEMA Show provides us with the opportunity to showcase the flexibility of our vehicles for personalization and accessorization and ultimately drive sales of our new cars, trucks, crossovers and SUVs.”
“Ford’s involvement this year is much more than a Show sponsorship,” adds Kersting. “SEMA will be making some exciting announcements in the coming weeks about several “first-ever” programs at the 2009 Show. These programs will further demonstrate how the SEMA Show represents one of many year-round activities that help us all do better business.”
Details about and registration for the 2009 SEMA Show are available at www.SEMAShow.com.
Red Bull Energy Drink; USA – Travis Prastrana
June 18th, 2009 by Elusive Media
Source - http://www.redbullusa.com
Racing / Freestyle Moto
“With me, what you see is what you get,” says Travis Pastrana. What you see and get is a genuinely great guy who is also – let’s just say it – freakishly talented on both two and four wheels.
Pastrana’s accomplishments are already legend: world freestyle champion at age 14, five-time U.S. amateur motocross champion, two-time Canadian amateur motocross champion, youngest rider ever to represent the United States at the Motocross des Nations in France, 125cc pro national outdoor champion, 125cc East Supercross Series champion, and most successful competitor in the history of X Games freestyle motocross.
He’s pretty amazing on four wheels, too, as he demonstrates with his back-to-back championships in the Rally America Series. But despite Pastrana’s success and the considerable adulation that accompanies it, the lanky superstar has maintained a reputation as being just like the guy next-door – maybe nicer.
Emerging as champion
Pastrana was born in Maryland in 1983, and by age four he was riding a Honda one-speed. Although he excelled in mountain biking (placing first in dual slalom at U.S. Junior Nationals) and his studies (graduating high school three years early), the youngster found his calling in motocross, winning five Loretta Lynn National Amateur crowns beginning in 1992, plus a deuce of Canadian titles for good measure.
When the fourteen-year-old captured the world freestyle championship in 1998, he served notice of his versatility; but 1999 was even better. “I won the first pro race I ever entered (125cc) and also won a gold medal in freestyle at the X Games even though I was the youngest person there,” Pastrana recalls. Other accomplishments that year included winning two gold medals at the Gravity Games, capturing his fifth national amateur title, and being honored with the Horizon Award for best amateur motocross racer.
In 2000, Pastrana devoted his full attention to pro competition, emerging as the 125cc national champion and taking three wins – including the East/West Supercross Season Shootout championship – to capture third overall in the national supercross series. Besides being the AMA Rookie of the Year, he was named to America’s Motocross des Nations team and took a repeat freestyle gold at the Summer X Games.
As the millennium continued, so did Pastrana’s dominance. In 2001 alone he captured the 125cc East Supercross Series championship and was awarded Motocross Rider of the Year at the ESPN Action Sports & Music Awards. By 2005, he had accumulated a career total of five X Games gold medals, five golds from the Gravity Games, and additional wins at events including the Dew Tour and Red Bull X-Fighters.
Seeking a broader stage
Pastrana’s charisma is as natural as his riding. Never one to posture, Number 199 lets the drama of his sport speak for itself; and he’s known as one of the friendliest, most approachable athletes in the pro ranks.
But Pastrana’s career hasn’t been a complete fairy tale. Tackling a variety of contests has inflicted a variety of injuries. His worst – in 1998 – was a spinal trauma that had been reported only twice before in medical history, and Pastrana’s recovery was so remarkable that it was documented on television. Characteristically, the athlete looks on the bright side: “I had to learn to walk again, but in the meantime my dad got me a great wheelchair with full suspension. I had about three months of fun with that,” he remembers.
In other words, nothing is going to keep this superstar from exploring every possibility, whether it’s racing, freestyle, step-up, making videos, or even a new favorite – BASE jumping. At home in Maryland, Pastrana’s landscaping includes a freestyle park, a foam pit, a motocross track, a supercross track, a BMX course, a rally car track, a rock-climbing wall, a mechanical bull, and a skatepark. “Not that I’m there all that much,” he admits, “but my friends enjoy it, too.”
Pastrana seems to be on the road more than ever these days: While he remains a dominating force in the world’s top freestyle motocross contests, he also has a new stunt/reality show on Country Music Television called Travis TV. “It’s Kenny Bartram, Special Greg, Cam McQueen, and I thinking up a stunt that is truly nuts, then building whatever we need and hucking it,” Pastrana reports. “It should be a lot of fun.”
And then there’s rally car racing. After testing the waters in 2004, Pastrana embarked on his first full season in the Rally America Series in 2005 and landed on the overall podium three times, for a season finish of fourth in his class and fifth overall. Completely stoked, he returned for Team Subaru’s Rally America effort in 2006, and became one of the youngest drivers ever to win a Rally America Championship. Insiders hint that Pastrana may soon take his seemingly unlimited talents to an even broader stage: the World Rally Championship, but not until after he locked up his second Rally America Championship in 2007!
Contributers
