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Road Rumblings

NASCAR Reveals 75th Anniversar y Logo

NASCAR has revealed a new logo that will commemorate the organization’s 75th anniversary in 2023, the sanctioning body recently announced Racing fans will find a lot to appreciate amid the design elements of the new logo. The overall oval shape is reminiscent of a racetrack and was inspired by the brand’s second logo introduced in 1956. The diamond in the center has five stripes representing the five different logos throughout Nascar history. They also reference racing stripes, while the colors were derived from the previous logos’ primary hues (red in the 1948 logo, yellow in 1956 and blue in 1964). The font is proprietary, developed by Nascar during its 2017 identity refresh. Known as “Big Bill,” the font was named after Bill France Sr., who founded the sport in Daytona Beach in 1948.

Shelby American to Offer Limited Edition GT500 CODE RED

Shelby American recently unveiled Shelby GT500 CODE RED, a limited edition model powered by a twin-turbocharged V8 pumping out up to 1,300 horsepower. Only 10 per model year will be built. For the first time in its history, the company turned an experimental car into a limited edition vehicle, Shelby said. In addition to the replacement of the factory supercharger with a twin turbo setup, each hand-built CODE RED Shelby GT500—the first twin turbo limited edition car offered by Shelby American—will receive suspension, braking, cooling and aesthetic upgrades. “Shelby American has built cutting-edge experimental versions of the Shelby GT500 since the model was launched in 1967,” said Joe Conway, CEO of Shelby American. “While these testbeds for innovation never became production cars at the time, they helped make our vehicles better. For the first time in our 60-year history, we’re turning an experimental car into a limited-edition vehicle. The enormous demand for a CODE RED edition is an opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities, as well as the enormous potential of Ford Motor Company’s marvelous Shelby GT500 as a dedicated straight-line performer.” Shelby American replaced the supercharger with a pair of turbos on the experimental 2008 CODE RED Shelby GT500. The 5.4liter V8 re-engineered by Nelson’s Racing Engines had a dual-feed fuel system that blended in high-octane racing gas as needed. Shelby American enhanced the cooling capacity to handle the heat and worked with AMS to develop a speed-sensitive boost controller for the car. Along the way, the drivetrain was reworked to include a new transmission, a one-piece aluminum driveshaft, Currie 9-inch rear end, Air Locker differential and 35-spline axles. The car boasted Shelby/Eibach adjustable suspension, Shelby/Baer brakes and rotors, 20-inch wheels shod with Pirelli P Zeros on front and stickier Nitto NY555R drag radials at the rear. “CODE RED is designed to be the pinnacle of Shelby Mustangs,” said Gary Patterson, president of Shelby American. “While we never put it into production during 2008, many were keen to own one. The current generation Shelby GT500 is so robust and spectacular that many of the issues we encountered 14 years ago no longer exist. It’s so perfect for CODE RED transformation that we began quietly building a few for insiders who asked. Though we did not initially intend to offer a formal edition, demand was so strong that we elected to build a very small number of them.” “CODE RED’s drivetrain was engineered in collaboration with Fathouse Performance, an official development partner of Shelby American. “We worked closely with Shelby American to develop a robust, powerful and reliable package based on our 50 years of combined experience in the highperformance auto industry,” said Ben Stoner, vice president of Fathouse Performance. “The 5.2L engine now features all-new high-performance components boosted by an intercooled premium twin turbo system, a new fuel system, engine management system and more. CODE RED boasts 1,000+ horsepower and 780-foot pounds of torque on 93 octane pump gas with up to 1,300 horsepower and 1,000-foot pounds of torque on E85 Ethanol.” CODE RED also features a widebody package with new wheels, tires, axles, suspension tuning, interior, badges, carbon fiber hood, and more. The package MSRP starts at $209,995, not including the base car.

Custom Steering Column Mounting Made Easy With IDIDIT

When you are building a hot rod, sometimes, bolt-on, aftermarket parts are, unfortunately, not compatible with a custom build. Let’s face it, custom means just that, custom. But luckily, the situation is usually not insurmountable. Take for instance installing a steering column in a custom-built ride. Finding a column mount to securely attach the column to the car was at one time, an exercise in futility. The folks at IDIDIT have been designing and building custom steering columns and mounting accessories for classics and street rods for decades. To say they understand the frustration is an understatement. That is why IDIDIT developed this allnew High Angled Swivel Ball Floor mount designed for more complex, unusual installs that require steeper angles where the column meets the firewall. If you’re working on a non-traditional build, IDIDIT’s new high-angle floor mount provides up to 35 degrees of articulation of the column tube. In case you are wondering, that is 10 degrees more than other designs. This column mount is manufactured from billet aluminum and offers a sleek, more refined appearance. What’s more, it is available in either a machined or blackanodized finish. This floor mount accommodates 2- and 2-1/2-inch steering columns.

Dodge Reveals ‘Last Call’ Challenger Shakedown

Dodge has revealed the first of the brand’s “Last Call” lineup of seven special edition 2023 models, the automaker announced. The 2023 Dodge Challenger Shakedown pays tribute to the original Dodge Shakedown Challenger concept, which appeared at the 2016 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas. The special-edition 2023 Dodge Challenger Shakedown follows the original’s theme of a black-and-red interior and exterior that fuses a modern and vintage feel. Six special edition Challenger and Charger models will be revealed through September. The seventh and final 2023 Dodge model will be revealed at the 2022 SEMA Show. “Dodge Speed Week may be over, but our brand is far from finished in shaking up the muscle car world,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand chief executive officer – Stellantis. “We’re following up Speed Week reveals of the future of electrified muscle in the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept and our first electrified vehicle in the 2023 Dodge Hornet R/T by announcing six special, commemorative-edition models in a little over a month.” Only 1,000 special-edition models are planned for production: 500 Dodge Challenger Shakedown R/T Scat Pack (in Destroyer Grey) and 500 Challenger Shakedown R/T Scat Pack Widebody (in Pitch Black) vehicles will be produced. Special-edition Dodge Challenger Shakedown models will come with the Plus Group, Technology Group, Navigation, Carbon/Suede and Dynamics Packages (for Challenger R/T Scat Pack).

Features of the Dodge Challenger Shakedown model include: Mopar Shaker hood, Mopar Shaker intake, “Shaker” underhood decal, Red “392” fender graphics, “Shakedown” spoiler graphic, Shakedown stripe with red accent, Black “Challenger” grille badge, Unique R/T grille badge, 20-by-9.5-inch Low Gloss Black Slingshot wheels, 20-by-11-inch Carbon Black Warp Speed wheels (Widebody), Red six-piston Brembo brakes, “Shakedown” instrument panel (IP) badge, Black Nappa/Alcantara seats with red stitching, Red interior accent stitching on IP, console, steering wheel, seats and Demonic Red seatbelts

NSRA REVEALS THE 2023 GIVEAWAY VEHICLE

If you are a participant, with your vehicle at the 54th Annual National Street Rod Assoc. Street Rod Nationals in Louisville Kentucky next Aug 3-6, 2023, you could be the big winner of the Giveaway Vehicle. This rendering by Eric Brockmeyer shows the Chevy Square Body C/20 that will be built by Harrisons' Rod & Custom for one lucky NSRA member and participant. The chassis has been completed by Hot shoe Hot Rods as of the recent NSRA Street Rod Nationals and you can follow along with the progress in the NSRA Street Scene magazine. This giveaway vehicle represents the first time the NSRA wont give away a pre-48 hot rod. The times they are a changing

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