From the Private Collection of Racing Legend “The King” Richard Petty

WALWORTH, WI – Moments ago, Mecum Auctions unveiled an iconic piece of Indy 500 history owned by racing legend “The King” Richard Petty during their auction at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana. The STP-sponsored Lotus Type 56/3 Turbine Indy racecar, driven by Graham Hill at the 1968 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race was revealed in a glass case and will remain on display all week before heading to auction during Mecum at Monterey, California in August.

For the 1968 Indy 500, STP boss Andy Granatelli commissioned Colin Chapman and Team Lotus to build four cars utilizing Pratt & Whitney turbine engines and Ferguson four-wheel drive systems. Chapman and his team developed the Lotus 56, which was the most technologically advanced racecar of its era. The popularity and attention that the Lotus Turbine cars received during the Indy 500 helped to turn STP into a household name, and solidified the synergy between racing and brand marketing. After the 1968 racing season concluded, chassis 56/3 made its way to First Brands (STP) corporate headquarters where it remained in their lobby until 1996, and was then acquired by Richard Petty, who owns the car to this day.

This will be the first time an original, authentic Lotus Type 56 has been offered for sale at public auction. The 1968 Lotus Type 56/3 Turbine Indy racecar driven by Graham Hill and owned by Richard Petty will cross the auction block Friday, August 17, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on Del Monte Golf Course. For complete auction information visit Mecum.com or call 262.275.5050.

Schedule:
Mecum at Monterey, The Daytime Auction
August 16-18, 2012
Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa
On Del Monte Golf Course
One Old Golf Course Road
Monterey, Calif. 93940
Gates open daily at 8:00 a.m. Thursday thru Saturday
Auction will begin at 10:00 a.m. daily
Live on Velocity 12:00-6:00 p.m. Thursday thru Saturday
(All Times Pacific)

Source: Mecum

Keselowski, the 2010 Nationwide Series champion, finished third, which marked his fifth top-five performance of the season. Hornish was just behind his Penske Racing teammate in fourth, to record his second top-five finish of the season. For both drivers, it marked a career-best showing at the historic 1.366-mile track.

In the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Darlington on Saturday, May 12, Keselowski finished 15th in his Mopar-powered Dodge Charger. The native of Rochester Hills, Mich., made contact with the wall on lap 64 and ran most of the race two laps down, before taking advantage of the wave-around following two of the cautions, which put him back on the lead lap in the late stages of the 367-lap event. Keselowski’s teammate A.J. Allmendinger finished 33rd, after having to make a trip to the garage area for repairs late in the race.

Keselowski is currently 12th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings, just 11 markers out of the top-10, while Allmendinger is 22nd. The Mopar-powered pair returns to action on May 19 in the NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Hornish, who is fourth in the Nationwide Series standings, is back on track May 20 at Iowa Speedway.

For more information on NASCAR, visit http://www.moparspeed.com or http://www.nascar.com.

Source: Mopar

Keating opened the weekend as the top qualifier, earning the pole position for the 25-minute timed event on Saturday. The native of Port Lavaca, Texas, would lead all 10 laps in that contest to earn a nearly four-second win over Louis-Philippe Montour. Ralph Gilles came from the sixth starting spot to finish third in his first start of the season.

In the 40-minute timed finale on Sunday, the entire field was inverted, with Keating starting in the 10th spot. He was up to second after just two laps and took the lead on the third circuit. Keating would pace the final 11 laps to win for the fourth consecutive race and fifth time in the last six series events dating back to last season. Richie Hearn finished second, with Jeff Courtney third.

Next up for the SRT Viper Cup Presented by Pennzoil Ultra is a stop at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Va., July 7–8. For more information on the SRT Viper Cup Series, visit http://www.moparspeed.com or http://www.drivesrt.com.

Source: Mopar

Automotive legend and racing icon Carroll Shelby Passes Away at 89. Our condolences to the Shelby family!

Automotive legend and racing icon Carroll Shelby Passes Away at 89. Our condolences to the Shelby family!

Mecum Auctions 2012 Spring Classic Spotlight: 1967 Chevrolet Camaro 383 CI, 4-Speed (Lot T182)

There is no mistaking the mission of this fully-tricked 1967 Chevrolet Camaro coupe, whose striking White paint and Hugger Orange stripes recall the 1969 Pace Car edition. The Hilborn-style scoop thrusting from the cowl induction hood trumpets a 383 CI stroker small block sporting twin Holley 4-barrel carburetors atop a tunnel-ram intake manifold and Dynomax headers, its power flowing through a Muncie 4-speed to a narrowed 3.90 12-bolt rear with Moser C-clip 30-spline axles. M/T rubber, Weld wheels, power disc brakes, racing seats and harnesses, a fuel cell and roll bar round out the list of features.

Mecum Auctions will celebrate its Silver anniversary at Dana Mecum’s 25th Original Spring Classic Auction. More than 2,100 vehicles will cross the auction block May 15-20, 2012, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Ind.

Dana Mecum’s 25th Original Spring Classic Auction is open to the general public with tickets available at the gate for only $15. Gates open daily at 8 a.m. Eastern Time. Discovery’s Velocity Network will broadcast 32 hours of live coverage from the Indiana State Fairgrounds. For more information, and to learn how to become a registered bidder go to:

http://www.mecum.com
http://www.facebook.com/mecumauction
http://www.twitter.com/mecum
http://www.youtube.com/mecumauction

or call 262.275.5050.

Source: Mecum Auctions

Mecum Auctions 2012 Spring Classic Spotlight: 1964 Buick Riviera 2-Door Hardtop 425/340 HP, Automatic (Lot T152)

Legendary GM Design Chief Bill Mitchell claimed the Buick Riviera as one of his most successful designs- and that’s from the man who also penned the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray. Examples such as this restored and tastefully modded 1963 model demonstrate the timelessness of Mitchell’s vision. Cosmetically upgraded with Corvette Torch Red base/clear coat paint and American Racing Torque Thrust wheels, this eye-catching 2-door hardtop retains its original 425/340 HP engine backed with an automatic transmission, and offers power steering and brakes, power windows and driver’s seat and air conditioning. Rare factory wheels are included.

Mecum Auctions will celebrate its Silver anniversary at Dana Mecum’s 25th Original Spring Classic Auction. More than 2,100 vehicles will cross the auction block May 15-20, 2012, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Ind.

Dana Mecum’s 25th Original Spring Classic Auction is open to the general public with tickets available at the gate for only $15. Gates open daily at 8 a.m. Eastern Time. Discovery’s Velocity Network will broadcast 32 hours of live coverage from the Indiana State Fairgrounds. For more information, and to learn how to become a registered bidder go to:

http://www.mecum.com
http://www.facebook.com/mecumauction
http://www.twitter.com/mecum
http://www.youtube.com/mecumauction

or call 262.275.5050.

Source: Mecum Auctions

COVINA, Calif. — GTS points leader Justin Bell of Los Angeles will try to post his fourth podium finish in five races in the SCCA Pirelli World Challenge division when Paul Brown/Tiger Racing visits Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, Calif., for a 50-minute race Friday at 12:10 p.m. local time/3:10 p.m. Eastern.

Bell drives the No. 50 Ford Mustang Boss 302S that is sponsored by eBay Motors and Kenny Brown Performance. He will have a teammate for this race, as Dane Moxlow of Grosse Ile, Mich. has joined the team for the balance of the season. Moxlow drives the No. 48 Ford Mustang Box 302S sponsored by Trenton Forging, Bard’s Tale Beer Co. and Detroit Motion Co.

Team owner Paul Brown won the GTS race at Laguna last September, and clinched the division’s driver, team and manufacturer championships that weekend. He qualified on the pole with a new track record for the class of 1:34.178 (85.548 miles per hour), and led every lap of last year’s race.

Bell would like nothing more than to back up the team’s victory last year and stay in the lead of the GTS points race. “After a predicable but disappointing round at Miller Motorsports Park, I am very enthusiastic about heading to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca,” said Bell. “We dropped over 70 pounds in penalty weight for this race, which is a welcome move and the team always has a good set up here.

“Laguna Seca happens to be a racetrack that has been very good to me,” Bell added. “I won the world championship for Dodge there; I won in Trans-Am there, and it’s probably my favorite racetrack in America. For me to win this year’s GTS championship I need to win as many races as I can, so this will be a good time to get back on top of the podium.”

“Adam [Cox, the team’s crew chief] and everyone else on the team have been working very hard to give me as fast a car as they can, which we need because the Kias and Acuras are finally proving their full potential,” Bell added. “It’s going to be a very busy weekend for me. We race on Friday, and I’ll be a booth announcer for the 6-hour ALMS race on Saturday.”

“Laguna Seca is one of the most recognized tracks around the world, and for good reason,” said Moxlow. “I love driving here, mostly because of its topography and location. The Corkscrew is absolutely fantastic and the area surrounding the course is breathtaking.”

“While this track is familiar to me, the car is not,” Moxlow added. “My main goal at Laguna is to shake down the car and set some new benchmarks. I look forward to working with the engineers and picking the brains of Paul and Justin, who really know how to throw these Mustangs around. I love to learn, and there is no better chance than with a brand-new car and some of the best in the business on my team.

“Paul Brown/Tiger Racing has these Fords well-sorted, which makes me extremely confident in my return to professional motorsports,” Moxlow continued. “They really had to thrash to get the car together for me in time and I cannot thank them enough for the hard work and the opportunity. Paul Brown/Tiger Racing is a championship-caliber team and as long as I hold up my end of the deal, we will certainly be seeing great results sooner rather than later.”

Paul Brown’s father is Mustang legend Kenny Brown, and Paul Brown/Tiger Racing and Kenny Brown Performance are engaged in a technology-sharing program. Kenny Brown’s vast technical experience supports Paul Brown/Tiger Racing and in turn, lessons the race team learns find their way into Kenny Brown Performance Group’s best-in-class street and track-day Mustangs. All of Kenny Brown’s advanced geometry suspension systems were developed on the racetrack first, and then refined for daily driving.

Kenny Brown was one of the pioneers who paved the way for the World Challenge series in its infancy and established the Mustang as a viable competitor in a series that was primarily dominated by Porsche. Kenny Brown’s Mustangs sat on the pole more than 50 percent of the time and won more than 70 percent of the races in the Escort Endurance Series before it became World Challenge. He will be at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend to cheer on his son’s team, and provide extended technical support.

The race will be streamed live on-line Friday at world-challengeTV.com starting at 12:10 p.m. Pacific/3:10 p.m. Eastern time.

Live timing and scoring will be available on world-challenge.com; click on the event heading on the right-hand side of the home page, and then click on the live timing window. This service is offered for Thursday’s practice sessions (8:40 a.m. and 11:20 a.m. Pacific); Thursday’s qualifying session (2:50 p.m. Pacific) and Friday’s race (12:10 p.m. Pacific).

This race as well as the recent race in Utah will also be shown on the NBC Sports Network from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Eastern time on Sunday, May 27.

More information can be found on Tiger Racing and Kenny Brown Performance’s Facebook pages, and at Justin Bell’s website at JustinBell.com. The series tweets updates @WCRacing and posts news on world-challenge.com.

Tiger Racing is proud to be partnered with eBay Motors, Kenny Brown Performance, Lucas Oil, Ford Racing, K&N Filters, Eibach, Baer Brakes, Hawk Performance, One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning, G-Stream, ERP/JRZ, Tremec Transmission, Bassani Xhaust and Wellendorf Performance.

About eBay Motors: eBay Motors, a part of eBay Inc., is the Internet’s largest marketplace for buying and selling all things automotive. The site offers everyday cars for everyday drivers as well as collector cars, motorcycles, auto parts and accessories. eBay Motors is consistently ranked the No. 1 automotive site on the Web by Nielsen/NetRatings. Nearly 4.5 million new and used vehicles have been sold on eBay Motors, and there are more than 22 million automotive parts and accessories available on eBay Motors at any given time.

About Kenny Brown Performance: Kenny Brown, a 25-year veteran in the Ford Mustang performance aftermarket, is legendary for building some of the most technically advanced Mustangs in North America. His critically acclaimed AGS (Advanced Geometry Suspension) high-performance suspension components for street and track-day Mustangs are some of the best and most innovative in the aftermarket. Brown is a well-known celebrity in the Ford aftermarket and has played a critical role in Mustang racing heritage and new product development since 1986. For more information see KennyBrown.com and visit Kenny Brown Performance on Facebook.

About Paul Brown/Tiger Racing: Paul Brown/Tiger Racing won the 2011 SCCA Pro Racing Pirelli World Challenge GTS team championship and propelled its owner/driver Paul Brown to the driver’s championship and Ford to the manufacturer’s title. Based in the Los Angeles suburb of Covina, Calif., it is also involved in the NASA AIX, VSCDA, SVRA and VARA series. It specializes in race car prep, transportation and trackside support as well as exotic and luxury car maintenance and repairs. It is a popular source for carbon fiber and fiberglass work as well as race car parts for Mustangs and other high-performance cars. Please visit its Facebook page at Tiger Racing.

About Justin Bell: “Exuberant” describes Justin Bell. Whether he’s chasing down the race car that’s just ahead of him or chasing down a story, hosting a TV show or developing fresh content for TV or the Web, Bell attacks everything with enthusiasm and expertise. He can be seen behind the microphone regularly on SPEED co-hosting Barrett Jackson, doing race commentary and on the new show ‘Shut up and Drive,” as well as being a special correspondent for jaylenosgarage.com. Bell is very excited about the second season of his show for eBay Motors, the “World’s Fastest Car Show,” for which he’s up for a Webby this year. His racing resume is also quite impressive, as he won the GT2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1998 and he has second-place finishes at Le Mans, the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Petit Le Mans as well. He was the 1997 FIA GT2 world champion driving a Team Oreca Viper. He also has a pair of Trans-Am victories. The son of five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell, he and his family live in Los Angeles. For more information see JustinBell.com.

Source: Restart Communications

GARYSBURG, N.C. — Project Libra announced today that Duarte Félix da Costa from Cascais, Portugal will join Andrew Prendeville and Rusty Mitchell behind the wheel of its Radical Ford in Saturday’s 6-hour American Le Mans Series race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, Calif.

“We are pleased to introduce another new driver to the series,” said Ian Dawson, owner of the team that competes in the LMP2 class. “Duarte tested with Andrew back in 2010 at our base at the North Carolina Center for Automotive Research [NCCAR]. He is an accomplished GT driver. This will be his first race in the United States.”

“It will be a new experience for me, as I always raced in GTs and touring cars in Europe, but I am confident that I will get used to the car quickly,” said da Costa, 26. “In the past I raced single-seaters, and this will be useful for me as I adapt to the Radical. I would like to thank Project Libra for this opportunity.”

Da Costa finished third in the Blancpain Endurance Series Pro-Am last year. In addition to driving he is also a TV commentator for Eurosport.

The race will be shown on ESPN2 beginning at 5 p.m. on Sunday. Live streaming will start on ESPN3 at 4:15 p.m. Saturday. Qualifications will also be carried live on ESPN3 at 7:40 p.m. Friday. All times are Eastern.

Additional information can be found at americanlemans.com, imsaracing.net, mazdaraceway.com and Project Libra’s Facebook page.

Source: Restart Communications