Autoweek USA – March 11, 2019

2020 POR SCH E 9 1 1

HOND A M ON K E Y A ND S UPE R CUB + D AY T ON A 500 + 5 0 Y E A R S OF IM S A + D AV ID B R A BH A M

C A R C U LT U R E

MARCH 11, 2019

SINCE 1958

MADE IN DETROIT

ONLY A RACE? NOT TO US. BMW M8 GTE RACES TO EMOTIONAL VICTORY AT ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA. 8IFO SBJO GPSDFE PGñƒ€™ DJBMT UP XBWF UIF SFE ñƒ€ BH BOE FOE UIF *.4" 3PMFY "U %BZUPOB SBDF XJUI NJOVUFT SFNBJOJOH BO FMBUFE #.8 5FBN 3-- DFMFCSBUFE POF PG UIF NPTU FNPUJPOBM WJDUPSJFT JO #.8ѳT TUPSJFE IJTUPSZ %VSJOH UIF SBDFѳT IPVST BOE NJOVUFT XF XFSF JOTQJSFE CZ UIF /PSUI "NFSJDBO SFUVSO PG "MFY ;BOBSEJ 8F XFSF UISJMMFE CZ "VHVTUP 'BSGVTѳT NJMF QFS IPVS QBTT JO QPVSJOH SBJO UIBU TFDVSFE UIF XJO "OE QFSIBQT NPTU JNQPSUBOUMZ PVS WJDUPSZ IPOPSFE UIF QBTTJOH PG POF PG UIF HJBOUT XIPTF TIPVMEFST XF TUBOE PO ,BSM Ѷ$IBSMZÑ· -BNN 0OMZ B SBDF /PU UP VT #.8 5IF 6MUJNBUF %SJWJOH .BDIJOF ®

©2019 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

ONE FOR THE COVER LOOK AT THAT! An honest-to-goodness modern production car

on the cover of Autoweek. It’s been a minute. There are a number of reasons why it’s been a minute, but I’ve only got a few hundred words here, so I’ll spare you the grim details.

What’s important is that besides the fact that a new 911 is always going to be reason for a cover story, this one is a pretty good marker for where the car business stands today. I can’t think of many companies that have done a better job maintaining a connection to their history, and of building their legend, than Porsche has lately. But back in Stuttgart, they’re also preparing the Taycan and a whole portfolio that would be wholly unimaginable to Ferry and Butzi.

There’s so much tension there, between the richness of the past and the uncertainty of the future. Between what we enthusiasts say we want—Lighter! Louder! Cheaper! More visceral!—and what people will actually pay for in numbers that make sense. And that’s on top of normal concerns about what’s legal to sell, what’s serviceable, etc.

And it’s got to be inarguably a 911. I still remember showing up at a 356 Registry event for work years ago, beaming with pride for my new-to-me air-cooled 911, only to get endlessly ribbed about it not being a “real Porsche.” No matter what Porsche builds, there are going to be people who take grave personal offense to it. With this one, I’ll reserve judgment until I drive it. Vaughn says it’s great— good enough for the cover anyway.

RORY CARROLL PUBLISHER

You can reach me directly on Twitter @rory_carroll or at rcarroll@autoweek.com

ABOUT THE COVER Our cover photo of the new Porsche 911 posing in cold winter relief reminds us that this icon of performance is forever a four-season sports car, both in our hearts and under our keisters in any weather, especially in its AWD form. We and—we are certain—you have always loved the 911, even back in the days when we had to be soooo very careful not to lift off the throttle in turns (those who know, know). And as spring starts thawing and thoughts turn to green fields and winding mountain roads of summer, take heart, frozen America, that your new Porsche is just as much fun as every generation you’ve loved so far. Now go forth and drive! (But first read our review, starting on page 12.)

2 | AUTOWEEK MARCH 11, 2019

Driven from within.

Manifest the power of the legendary 3.5L VQ V6 300 HP engine in the 2019 Nissan Maxima. Its sculpted, streamlined design is impossible to ignore.

With Nissan Intelligent Mobility, like available Safety ShieldŽ 360 technology, you’ll have a new sense of confidence.

Availability of features varies by vehicle model year, model, trim level, packaging, and other options.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE MARCH 11, 2019

28

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE IMSA celebrates its 50th anniversary with renewed vigor by taking an overview of its history, ups and downs, and where it’s headed

BY PETER HUGHES

PHOTO BY IMSA

CAR LIFE

COMPETITION PRESS

08 WILD RIDES

24 A FITTING TRIBUTE

Fun, sprightly and sporty, the new Honda Monkey and Super Cub throwback bikes are worth welcoming back

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing go 1-2-3 at Daytona 500 after the death of team president J.D. Gibbs

BY MARK VAUGHN AND JOHN L. STEIN

BY AL PEARCE

10 MARKET

34 KEEPING THE NAME ALIVE

1972 Intermeccanica Italia Spyder

David Brabham is getting the Brabham brand back on the track with an entry for the 2021-22 WEC season

DRIVES

BY SAM HALL

12 STILL ICONIC The new 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S and 4S retain the classic looks and add a ton of power

38 THE WIRE 40 RACING ON TV

B Y M A R K VA U G H N

DEPTS/COLUMNS

20 UNDER THE SKIN

06 OFFSIDE UNDO

The new Porsche 911 Carrera might seem familiar, but it has plenty of new tech and improvements

BY DUTCH MANDEL

B Y R O B I N WA R N E R

48 BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE

O N LY O N A U T O W E E K . C O M

SURPLUS CORVETTES?

MVP ON NASCAR

More than 9,000 C7 Chevrolet Corvettes are sitting on dealer lots; is it planned or a problem? bit.ly/aw-vettesupply

Patriots’ Julian Edelman says NASCAR drivers are short some hardware: bit.ly/aw-edelman

Autoweek (ISSN 0192-9674), Volume 69 Issue 5 is published semimonthly, at Crain Communications Inc, 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit MI 48207-2997. Periodicals postage paid at Detroit, Mich., and at additional mailing offices. Subscription and Customer Service, (888) 288-6954.

Subscription price is $34.95 per year. Postmaster: Send address changes to Autoweek, 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, MI 48207-2912. Canadian Post International Publications Mail Product (Canadian Distribution) Sales Agreement No. 40012850, GST No. 136760444. Canadian return address: 4960-2 Walker Road, Windsor, Ontario N9A-6J3. Printed in the USA. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Autoweek welcomes unsolicited manuscripts and photographs but cannot be held responsible for their return. © All contents copyright 2019 by Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved. Autoweek allows its columnists the fullest latitude in expressing opinions on controversial subjects so its readers will be better informed. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publication.

GET UP TO A

$

VISA PREPAID CARD ®

WITH THE PURCHASE OF 4 QUALIFYING GENERAL TIRES

MArch 1 - April 30, 2019

$70

Mail-In Rebate

G-MAX AS05 ™

Ultra High Performance All-Season 55 sizes in 16"-22" Developed for the drivers of sports cars, coupes and sedans looking for all-season performance prowess in the dry and wet. A silica-enhanced tread compound and wide, circumferential grooves provide wet traction and hydroplaning resistance, while strategically-designed block edges and sipes deliver light snow traction.

Large, stable shoulder blocks for lateral grip through turns and a continuous center rib for solid on-center feel and responsive turn-in.

$50

Mail-In Rebate

AltiMAX RT43 ™

Standard and Grand Touring All-Season 106 sizes in 16"-20 " Designed to deliver impressive value through long tread life, a comfortable ride and all-season traction, even in light snow. A Twin Cushion Silica Tread Compound combines a foundation layer that absorbs road vibrations with an all-season compound for year-round traction and long wear.

Visit WWW.TIRERACK.COM/SPECIALS for redemption form and complete offer conditions and restrictions.

MAIL-IN REBATE WITH PURCHASE OFFER: Valid only with qualified purchase made in the 50 United States, D.C., or Puerto Rico between 03/01/2019 and 04/30/2019 or while supplies last. Void where prohibited by law. No rain checks. Valid with the original, dated, paid receipt for the purchase of four (4) new qualifying General Branded Tires from a participating retail dealer and a completed redemption form. Offer may not be combined with any other offer, discount, rebate, or promotion.

Tires must be purchased in a single transaction. Offer form must be postmarked or submitted online by 05/31/2019. Offer not valid on purchase by wholesalers, dealer, fleets, oem customers, or other commercial entities or on returned merchandise.

Requests from those with an invalid or undeliverable mailing address will be denied. Limit two (2) General Tire Visa Prepaid Cards per person, household, email or address. Visa Prepaid Card is given to you as a reward, refund, rebate or gift and no money has been paid by you for the card. Card is issued by MetaBank®, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. No cash access or recurring payments. Can be used everywhere visa debit cards are accepted. Card valid for up to 12 months: unused funds will forfeit after the valid thru date. Card terms and conditions apply. Not responsible for late, lost, stolen, misdirected, illegible, mutilated, or postage due mail or inability to connect to the website. Any taxes, fees or costs are sole responsibility of the recipient. Allow 8-12 weeks for fulfillment. Each time you use the card, the amount of the transaction will be deducted from the amount of your available balance. Card will be issued in the name on the redemption form only. Expiration date of card is stamped on the front of card. Subject to applicable law. Card is non-transferable and non-refundable. Additional terms and conditions apply to the card. See card program website for details. Warning: tampering with, altering, or falsifying purchase information constitutes fraud and could result in state and federal prosecution. Fradulent submissions will not be honored. ©2019 Tire Rack

888-378-8473

M-F 8am-8pm EST SAT 9am-4pm EST

FAST FREE SHIPPING

ON ORDERS OVER $50 tirerack.com/freeshipping

COLUMN

OFFIDE UNDO

BY DUTCH MANDEL

SCHOOL’S OUT A piece of me died late last year when news came that the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving was closing.

It’s not histrionic: Bob likely did more for driving safety, and for teaching novices and pros alike the right and proper way around a track, than anyone else. He did it with charm and humor and childlike enthusiasm. No doubt a number of you learned to drive on a farm, on a tractor or in a work truck, with hay bales and field ruts to avoid.

Or you traversed country roads or mall parking lots while perched on your father’s lap, sawing at the wheel, unable to touch pedals. In the summer of ’73, my dad decided Bob would teach me to drive from scratch, with no bad habits to overcome. I was 15.

I went to Ontario, California, for a week—a large lump of a kid at 6 feet 1, I could be mistaken for driving age. But Bob knew better; he kept me on the wide, black tarmac sea of the Ontario Motor Speedway infield.

Can’t blame my dad for this move. We both knew he didn’t have the patience—or want—to teach me himself. That alone probably added a few years to his too-short life.

Bob put me in the passenger seat of a white Datsun 510, the Ontario Motor Speedway pace car, and told me to watch his feet. Calmly, carefully he showed me what it meant to “heeltoe” a brake-throttle-clutch. We went through the gears—just sitting there—not grabbing at it like a hungry man destroying a drumstick, but with the gentle touch of a maestro and baton.

6 | AUTOWEEK MARCH 11, 2019

He talked about the shift pattern and its flow, the gearing, the detent and clutch; his tone was warming and warning—do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal because any pressure will adversely affect it. Be direct. Keep eyes forward. Bob’s instructions were hypnotic and effective; it might well have been the first use of neuro-linguistic programming of a teen driver.

It worked. I drove that Datsun through the infield and on a skidpad, with ease and grace and nary marred anything but my ego when I inevitably stalled. Two days later, I moved to a Porsche 914, and my final drive had me hunkered down in the cockpit of a Formula Ford! Huzzah! Upon graduation, I got a bright orange plastic wind jacket with the school’s name on the back. I wore it once and then put it away, only taking it out when I heard the sad news. It still fits, like the instruction itself.

At the time, my dad said sending me to learn from Bob was the “cheapest insurance money could buy.” No distractions, eyes sweeping, attention a quarter-mile ahead and a quarter-mile behind, a light touch on the wheel and using every part of me—eyes, nose, ears—to know what is going on with the car at speed. On more than one occasion, Bob Bondurant’s instructions saved me and those traveling in and around my car of heartache, pain and insurance deductibles. Or worse.

Bob is 85, and his legend and legacy is intact. These days, the state of driver’s education is woeful at best. With autonomous vehicles looming in the wings, perhaps Bob’s school was one of those Right-Place-For-The-Right-Time deals. That said, I’m sorry for those who did not have the fortune to learn from a master. Me, I will cherish that every time I get behind the wheel.

Executive Editor At Large DUTCH MANDEL took plenty of us staffers to school over the years, and we’re the better for it.

He can be reached on Twitter @Dutch_Mandel

AUTOWEEK.COM

Trust ...V1 earns it one ambush at a time.

1155 GRATIOT AVE., DETROIT, MI 48207-2997 EDITORIAL (313) 446-0324 ADVERTISING (313) 446-6048 CLASSIFIED (800) 722-7798 SUBSCRIPTIONS (888) 288-6954

PUBLISHER EDITOR DIGITAL EDITOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR WEST COAST EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR ROAD TEST EDITOR FEATURES EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITORS MOTORSPORTS EDITOR ASSOCIATE MOTORSPORTS EDITOR SENIOR MOTORSPORTS WRITER MOTORSPORTS CORRESPONDENTS

COPY CHIEF COPY EDITOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR ASSISTANT ART DIRECTORS CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR AT LARGE SENIOR EDITOR AT LARGE SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITORS CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

UK CORRESPONDENT EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT MEDIA SERVICES MANAGER CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER

KC Crain Rory Carroll Wes Raynal Andrew Stoy Natalie Neff Mark Vaughn Robin Warner Jake Lingeman Graham Kozak Jay Ramey, Wesley Wren Mike Pryson Matt Weaver Al Pearce Bruce Martin, Joe Saward, Steven Cole Smith, Gary Watkins Chris Langrill Carrie Riles Tara Klein Nick Booms, Emily Trexler LAT Photographic, Jim Fets, Action Sports Photography Inc. Marty Davis Dutch Mandel J.P. Vettraino Cory Farley, Jay Leno Brett Berk, Peter Hughes, Murilee Martin, Dave Kinney, Ben Stewart Julian Rendell Darleen M. White Alan Luckwald Anthony DiPonio Wesley Shasko

Glenna R., Dallas, TX Love the arrows! Where’s the radar?

They tell me every time. A detector without the arrows is like a car without headlights.

“

”

Ahead

Beside

Behind

www.valentine1.com ©2018 VRI

PRESIDENT/ CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Call toll-free 1-800-331-3030

Valentine One Radar Locator with Laser Detection - $399 Carrying Case - $29 Concealed Display - $39 V1connection™ - $49 V1connection™ LE - $49 SAVVY® - $69 Plus Shipping / Ohio residents add sales tax 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

Valentine Research, Inc. Department No. GZB 10280 Alliance Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45242

Ph 513-984-8900 Fx 513-984-8976

Valentine One is a registered trademark of Valentine Research, Inc.

SA LE S & MA RK ET IN G NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR MARKETPLACE SALES MANAGER SHOWROOM SALES REPS SALES SUPPORT SPECIALIST SALES AND MARKETING COORDINATOR SOUTHEAST SALES MANAGER EVENTS & PARTNERSHIPS EAST COAST SALES MANAGER MIDWEST SALES MANAGER DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PUBLISHER EMERITUS EDITOR EMERITUS

Theresa Le Angela Schutte Sara Hartman, Denise Sheldon Lauren Impastato Blythe Kim Wheeler Morrison Jimmy Pelizzari Alex Núñez Kathy Thorpe Melissa Yonemura

Keith E. Crain Leon Mandel (1928-2002) Denise McCluggage (1927-2015)

FOR ADDRESS CHANGES, SUBSCRIPTIONS & CUSTOMER SERVICE Autoweek, Subscription Dept., P.O. Box 07916, Detroit, MI 482079975, (888) 288-6954, fax (313) 446-6777, customerservice@autoweek.com. Current subscribers, please include account number in correspondence.

LICENSING/REPRINTS

For information, contact Lauren Melesio at lmelesio@crain.com or at (212) 210-0707.

SINGLE-COPY SALES

Contact Customer Service at (888) 288-6954.

CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS INC CHAIRMAN Keith E. Crain VICE CHAIRMAN Mary Kay Crain PRESIDENT KC Crain SENIOR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Chris Crain SECRETARY Lexie Crain Armstrong CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Robert Recchia FOUNDER G.D. Crain Jr. (1885-1973) CHAIRMAN Mrs. G.D. Crain Jr. (1911-1996)

MARCH 11, 2019 AUTOWEEK | 7

CAR LIFE

B IK E S

H O N DA MO NK EY & S U P ER C UB C12 5 A BS

FOR FUN’S SAK E! Two throwback Honda motos strike just the right chords

I

T ’S EASY TO FLIP through the corporate history books and find a cool old vehicle

from which to steal—er, borrow—some retro style. It’s a lot tougher to imbue a new car or bike with the same spirit that made its predecessor so lovable in the first place.

Maybe that’s why it took Honda so long to bring new takes on its classic Mini Trail and Super Cub back to market in the United States—it wanted to make sure it got them right. After riding both, we’re pleased to report that it was worth the wait.

8 | AUTOWEEK MARCH 11, 2019

HONDA MONKEY IN 1968, HONDA’S novel Mini Trail

captured the imagination of red-blooded American kids. With its genial 49cc kickstart engine, three-speed gearbox, front suspension, front and rear brakes and Honda build quality, it vastly outperformed typical minibikes with their lawnmower engines and rigid frames.

Since legions of young riders started on Mini Trails back then, it’s perplexing why Honda took a half-century to reimagine the Mini Trail’s mojo as the 2019 Monkey. Thankfully, the wait is now over; a new Monkey can be yours for just $3,999.

Based on the little Grom streetbike, introduced for 2014, the Monkey has a 125cc single cylinder with a laydown cylinder and head to lower overall height and center of mass. This enduring aircooled SOHC two-valve engine is low-

tech in the motorcycle world nowadays, but it’s fine in this application. The catalyzed exhaust tucks under the motor, then upward to a retro- styled silencer.

The engine spins through a smooth multiplate wet clutch, easy-shifting fourspeed crashbox and chain drive—wellestablished motorcycle tech. Unlike the original Mini Trail, though, the Monkey has electric starting, fuel injection, a bright LED headlight and disc brakes with optional ABS. Just as current Mini Coopers are larger than the original, the Monkey is bigger than that first kid-size Mini Trail. The seat is a reasonable 31 inches off the deck, and the 232-pound curb weight is light for a streetbike. Bottom line: Anyone from 5 feet to over 6 feet tall can manage this one.

Performance might charitably be called “perky.” It’s adequate for city use; the bike’s not freeway-legal, although I do manage to coax it to 62 mph. Handling is neutral at speed, but the steering lacks feel, thanks to the 12-inch balloon tires.

If there are downsides, it’s the mediocre suspension—unlike the single shock/ swing-arm setup found on the Grom, the Monkey gets twin nonadjustable rear shocks—and LCD instrumentation (inset) is hard to read in daylight. Making up for this, though, I net 88 mpg, giving the Monkey real credibility as a “second car.”

The new Honda is hardly just a clone of a classic design: It’s a faithful reimagination of its 1968 forebear, and one that far surpasses the original without losing its charm.

The basic equation that made the Mini Trail such a hit a half a century ago is still valid in 2019; this Monkey is ready to introduce (or reintroduce) you to easy-tolove two-wheel fun. JOH N L . S T E I N

HONDA SUPER CUB C125 ABS QUICK: NAME THE best-selling motorized vehicle in history! Ford Model T? Toyota

Corolla? Not even close. No, the greatest-selling motorized vehicle in the history of the world is the Honda Super Cub, which surpassed 100 million sales in 2017 and is still going strong. Even the Vespa scooter has only sold 18 million and change.

Why has the Honda Super Cub done so well? Simple: It’s efficient, reliable and cheap.

“Nifty, Thrifty, Honda 50” read the ad in New York Magazine back in the day. Plus, it’s cute as heck. And the Beach Boys wrote a song about it, “Little Honda.”

I was alive when that song came out. I lived one beach down from the Beach Boys, and I wanted a Honda. Everybody wanted a Honda. But the first Honda motorcycles in America, the Benly and the Dream, were problematic, with failing clutches and blowing head gaskets. While Honda was sorting those troubles out, the small staff at the fledgling subsidiary noticed that everyone liked the little Super Cubs they were scooting around on. So they decided to sell those, too, and soon after, America fell in love.

Now, after years off the U.S. market, the Super Cub is back. It looks just like the original, with the front fairings, the scooter-cute handlebars and the enclosed back half. But where the original had a 50cc engine, the new one has an electronically fuel-injected 125.

It’s mated to a four-speed semi-automatic transmission—there’s no clutch lever; you just shift the toe-heel lever all the way down for neutral then up through the four gears.

A centrifugal clutch automatically disengages the driveline when you pull up to a stop and engages when you throttle away. A separate spring-loaded clutch pack then operates as you shift up and down through the gears. How smoothly you hit the shifter with your left foot translates directly to how smoothly the bike responds. Since you have to shift for yourself, the Super Cub is technically a motorcycle, not a scooter.

The front brake has ABS, something even the brightest Honda engineer couldn’t have fathomed in 1958 when the Super Cub debuted in Japan. Same with the new bike’s MARCH 11, 2019 AUTOWEEK | 9

CAR LIFE

MARKET

1972 INTERMECCANICA ITALIA SPYDER

M A R K VAUGH N

10 | AUTOWEEK MARCH 11, 2019

RM Sotheby’s Arizona Phoenix Jan. 17-18, 2019 Red with black vinyl interior, 351-cid (Windsor) Ford V8, four-speed manual transmission. Single four-barrel carb. This is a U.S. delivery example with air conditioning and power windows.

So-so paint, flaws are easy to find close-up, but overall, a presentable example. Underhood is clean; the interior follows the theme of the car— nice, but far from crisp.

Intermeccanica built about 500 Italias, both coupe and convertible. As the product of a small specialist builder, each Italia was essentially a hand-built car. Made in Italy with American powerplants, they were originally called the Omega, then Torino, before another rather large car builder laid claim to the name.

SOLD AT $123,200 The appeal of an “exotic” European car with an easy-to-service American V8 was quite appealing in the 1950s and 1960s, when a handful of specialist builders were active. Few of these companies survived after federal safety and emission rules came into play in 1968, as the American market was their bread-and-butter.

Intermeccanica is one of those rare companies that continues to survive. That’s correct—Intermeccanica is still in business, but in a different form. Now located in Vancouver, the company builds a wide range of cars, from a well put-together Speedster replica and a modern version of Volkswagen’s Kübelwagen to even electric-powered, retro-styled vehicles.

The founder of Intermeccanica, Frank Reisner, moved from Italy to Mexico and then the United States before settling north of the border. Reisner’s son Frank has overseen daily operations for many years with the help of his mother.

The price achieved with this sale was in the range of what could be expected. Better examples might be expected to bring close to $185,000. DAV E K I N N E Y

RM SOTHEBY’S

LED lighting, keyless Smart Key ignition and tubeless tires. But it looks like an original, with its step-through chassis, round headlight and neo-retro twin rear shocks. Even the colors are similar to early Super Cubs.

To show it off to the press, Honda took us all to its original corporate headquarters in a nondescript storefront building on Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles. The original place is now an acupuncture college in front and a marijuana dispensary in back. How times have changed.

We jump onboard the Super Cubs and head for the beach, passing not far from what used to be the Hawthorne home of the Beach Boys. At 125cc, the new Super Cub makes a lot more power than the original 50. The extra power is most noticeable at the top end of the tach. But even 125 fuel-injected cc has its limits. While you will have no trouble maneuvering around in urban and suburban traffic on one of these, the displacement is not enough to allow you on the freeways of California (for that, you legally need 150cc or more). Besides, while one rider claims 65 mph, most of us agree that 50 mph is a more comfortable velocity on this particular bike.

I am just over 6 feet tall and I feel fairly large on the Super Cub. Gearwise, I always go out in all the gear I have, since I like my skin. So in Dainese D-Air jacket and pants, Red Wing motorcycle boots and a carbon-fiber AGV helmet, I am the epitome of overkill. The people in those 1963 ads were wearing seersucker suits and fur hats. Yikes.

Nonetheless, I am completely comfortable during the day’s ride. The tires are narrow, only a little bigger than bicycle tires, mounted on 17-inch cast wheels, but I never feel like I wanted a wider tire. Leaning the 240-pound bike into corners, even though the photos show that the fixed peg is close to scraping, I never scrape during the day’s ride. But I always feel too big. Perhaps I’ve just been spoiled by CBR1000RRs and Gold Wings.

While you wouldn’t want to take a Super Cub on a serious, long-distance ride, you could use it as a commuter scooter in a city environment. You could also use it as a pit bike if you drive an IndyCar. Or keep one at your beach house in Balboa.

The limits are those of your imagination. It’s a larger and more serious conveyance than a Honda Monkey or Grom. At $3,789, it’s among the cheapest transportation purchases you can make. And if you make it, chances are you will be smiling the whole time you ride it. Maybe even while singing that Beach Boys song.

DRIVES

YOUR EYES DECEIVE YOU 20 20 POR S CHE 91 1 CA R R E R A S A ND 4S

One session in the driver’s seat makes clear the 911 is all-new and still plenty dreamy

DRIVEN BY

M A R K VA U G H N

T

HE NEW 911 REALLY IS ALL-NEW.

One of the greatest sports car icons of all time is all-new, but you might not be able to tell—at least not at first glance and probably not from 40 feet away. You’d have to notice the more rounded tail end, the raised, 3D “PORSCHE” script across the car’s keister and, if you have laser catlike vision, the 1.8-inch-wider track in front. But it is all-new. It has a prodigious amount of aluminum, for instance (read more about the engineering and tech on page 20). It has a new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission that guarantees you’ll be in the right spot of the powerband when you need it most. And while the displacement of the flat-six remains at 2,981cc, almost everything else about the engine is new, including its higher peak power output of 443 hp.

But it sure looks like previous Porsches.

That’s not a bad thing. The car it is replacing was also one of the best in the world—and this one is simply better, if a bit too familiar.

Compare the evolutions of, say, Ferraris from the 308 to the 488.

Each one was distinct from its predecessors and easily recognizable as such. Even the Chevrolet Corvette changed more in each of its lives than this 911 has since 1964. But Porsche owners might not CON TIN UE D O N PAG E 16 MARCH 11, 2019 AUTOWEEK | 13

DRIVES

want something radical, so a nice, safe, minor styling evolution, coupled with entirely reasonable power and performance upgrades, may calm the fears of the faithful who fret that with every new-model 911 that comes along—this is the eighth— Porsche will somehow have messed up their dream car. Worry not, Porschephiles, your dream car is still dreamy, and now it’s even faster.

I know it’s faster because I spent a day hammering on a Carrera S and 4S over the roads and passes of eastern Spain— and during several laps of the 14-turn Circuit de la Comunitat Valencia Ricardo Tormo, and all I can say after that is, “Ay, Chihuahua!” which is new-world Spanish, not old. Your beloved 911 is still great and is, in fact, better in almost every way you could measure it.

Let’s start from the inside and work our way out. Yes, displacement—the bore and stroke—is the same, but the latest engine has new pistons, a higher 10.2:1 compression ratio, more efficient piezo injectors that cram the fuel into the combustion chamber at 2,900 psi and different valve lifts on the intake cams to accommodate high and low loads. One intake valve can open farther than the other to tumble the fuel/air mix in the chamber for better burn and a bigger bang.

“So the mixture is much, much better and more homogeneous,” said Matthias Hofstetter, director of powertrain on the 911 and the 718.

The exhaust manifold goes from sheetmetal to cast steel in the new engine.

“This means you have much better behavior concerning pressure drop and pulse in front of the turbine,” said Hofstetter.

“When you have a higher pulse on the turbine wheel, a higher 16 | AUTOWEEK MARCH 11, 2019

speed from the turbocharger wheel, you have much, much better response.”

The turbo wastegate is operated electrically instead of by vacuum, also resulting in increased precision and control. The result is the aforementioned 443 hp at 6,500 rpm and 390 lb-ft from 2,300 to 5,000 revs. That’s 148 hp per liter, for those keeping score at home. That power and torque go through a new eightspeed dual-clutch PDK transmission. A seven-speed manual is coming and will be available when the car launches in late summer. A hybrid 911 is coming, though not at launch. There is space inside the new PDK transmission to accommodate an electric motor. The decision hasn’t been made yet as to whether it will be a plug-in hybrid or just a hybrid, so hybrid production is far from imminent. Cabriolet production will come first.

On the all-wheel-drive Carrera 4S, there is a new front driveshaft with a liquid-cooled differential that can handle up to 500 Newton metres, or 369 lb-ft of torque, which is almost 95 percent of the total torque output.

“You can provide more torque for longer before overheating,” said Hofstetter. “You could take the car for a spin on an ice lake and keep drifting. We did in winter tests and in sport driver tests and training.”

So, in the 4S, you will have no excuses for not exiting corners quickly every time. Under normal driving conditions, the front axle gets 30 percent of the torque. For the suspension, let’s start on the outboard portion and work in. The fronts get 20-inch wheels; the rears get 21s. The rear Pirelli P Zeros are “significantly wider,” according to Porsche.

“This results in a track that is 1.8 inches wider at the front of both models, as well as a 1.5 inches wider track width at the rear,” Porsche said.

With wider tracks front and rear, Porsche felt confident in making the steering more direct. Thus, steering ratio is 14.1:1 with the optional rear-wheel steering and 15.0:1 without it. The electric rear steering cants the rear wheels up to 2 degrees with the fronts at high speeds and 2 degrees opposite the fronts at slow speeds.

“Up to this generation of 911, we didn’t want to make the steering any more aggressive than it was,” said Ulrich Morbitzer, head of chassis development for the 911 and the 718. “But now that we have the bigger wheels, we got more stability in the rear, and now with the extra traction and lateral grip added at the contact patch, it allowed us to sharpen the steering ratio even more.”

Suspension is MacPherson strut front and aluminum multilink rear. The dampers are all-new inside, controlled by software that Porsche wrote in-house.

“We have a 4D chassis controller, which connects all the major chassis systems in real time,” said Morbitzer. “All of those individual systems are routed and connected to a driving dynamics controller, a special ECU just for that, and because it’s coordinating all those inputs, it can react faster.”

In spite of the increased use of aluminum, curb weight has risen more than 150 pounds on both the S and the 4S—yet the weight-to-power ratio is actually better: 7.6 lb/hp on the Carrera S and 7.9 on the Carrera 4S. Life is full of tradeoffs, but this is a good one.

Can you feel all that from behind the wheel? I set out in a reardrive Carrera S to find out. First thing you’ll notice is the new seats—they grip well without suffocating you. There is lateral grip, as you’ll find out almost immediately, but you’ll discover there is still plenty of comfort for a daylong drive. The dash is nicely laid out in what Porsche calls a “more horizontal” alignment. There is a row of five old-school toggle switches: one for traction control, one for PASM and three that you can program yourself. The gearshift looks like—I am not making this up—an electric shaver (wouldn’t it be cool if you could pop it off, shave yer smirking mug and pop it back on? Porsche? Norelco? Anybody?). The shifter/shaver toggles down for drive and up for reverse. Park is a push button. Paddle shifts perch on the wheel.

To start the car, you twist a fake key on the dash, left of the steering wheel, of course, and you’re off. My first experience was from the passenger seat while my co-piloto drove, and I can tell you that it is a much quieter car, as Porsche has engineered it to be. In addition to both active and passive engine and transmission mounts, the rear engine ones are moved about 9 inches forward. The result is less acoustic intrusion into the cab. Likewise, the newly tuned suspension in normal mode is as comfy as a GT in this icon of a sports car.

My turn to drive came way up in the hills between two mountainous national parks: the Parque Natural de Chera-Sot de Chera and the Parque Natural del Turia. Both Spain and Portugal have a tradition of building mountain roads that are way narrower than what we in the States would call “two lanes.” These are mostly one lane—sometimes as much as one and a half lanes wide—but they are open to traffic in both directions. The outside temp gauge was reading just above freezing and sported an artsy snowflake to remind us that, in addition to head-on collisions, we would also be skating off the cliff to our doom. That was helpful.

So in these conditions, my co-piloto was amused at my near-continuous use of expletives as we rounded each blind

“YOUR BELOVED 911 IS STILL GREAT AND IS, IN FACT, BETTER IN ALMOST EVERY WAY YOU COULD MEASURE IT.”

MARCH 11, 2019 AUTOWEEK | 17

DRIVES

like a regal procession up the graph. Indeed, a curve, our lives hanging in equal balance with subsequent look at a power and torque graph the truck driver I knew was barreling around in confirmed what I felt on the road: a nice, diagothe opposite direction. So I slowed to a crawl nal line from 1,500 rpm to 6,500 rpm, where it as I approached each death-turn, ready to slam barely fell off as it hit the 7,500-rpm redline. on the mighty and optional Porsche Ceramic Still one of the most thrilling Five laps around the Circuit Ricardo Tormo Composite Brakes and save us all. But soon sports cars on the planet, even only increased my appreciation for all those enenough, the road got a little less dangerous, and in its entry-level form gineers working all those hours on what maybe on the parts where I could see far enough ahead, More power! More torque! doesn’t look like all that new a car. But it is. On I opened it up. Ah, yes, this is why everyone 911 Carrera S and Carrera 4S prices increase to $114,250 and the track, again in sport-plus, the new 911 was a loves Porsches! $121,650, respectively blast, rocketing down the front straight and hunI had already wound the little round knob on Maintains the classic 911 profile kering down through all 14 corners. Fast, slow, it the steering wheel from normal mode to sporttook them all and never faltered. I would’ve liked plus, and I must say the performance jumped acmore track time, but it wasn’t my car and it cordingly. While I could still feel some jounce in wasn’t my track. Those drives had been in a rear-drive Carrera S. the front end, the car remained remarkably stable. The pavement was smooth and new, with only a few undulations here and there, So later that day, I weaseled an AWD Carrera 4S out of the German fleet managers and attacked some traffic circles near and the Carrera S took them all in stride, all four P Zeros feeling the Circuit, looking for understeer, oversteer or just better front equally grippy. I kept waiting to feel some hint of understeer. In previous 911s, I’m sure that, as hard as I was pushing this car, grip. I found a little of the front grip, but I wasn’t really pushing it understeer would have crept into the front end. But it never did. hard enough in those conditions—empty roundabouts with curbs and guardrails everywhere—to really find the limits. That Likewise, the slight bobbing of the front end that comes from will require a nice, long-term loan of one of these. Maybe a year. hanging the big heavy engine out aft of the rear axle never really Maybe three? I’m sure my friends at Porsche will agree. appeared, at least not as much as it did in the 991.2, the previous This is an enjoyable car to spend not just a day in, but an enPorsche. And the dreaded oversteer that came with 911s of old, where you panicked and lifted off the gas to find yourself hur- tire three-year lease or even a lifetime of ownership. If you’ve been waiting for the right time to buy, this could be it. So, should tling backward through time and space? It never showed up. you turn in your current 911 and get one of these? Of course. It’s The power from the flat-six was never lacking. While I’m sure there will be far more powerful Porsches coming in this new con- comfortable, you can drive it every day and you can race it on figuration of 911, I never once felt that I wanted more for the ag- weekends. I don’t see any downside to any of this. So it’s agreed.

I’ll see you at track day in my long-termer. ¡Adios, amigos! gressive canyon-carving cruise I was on. Likewise, I never felt like I was waiting for the turbos to spool up. The power curve felt

DRIVER NOTES

18 | AUTOWEEK MARCH 11, 2019

DRIVES

TA LKING 992 T ECH The 2020 911’s familiar looks hide a slate of advances B Y R O B I N WA R N E R

P

ORSCHE’S SPORT S CAR ICON is

now 55 years old. What’s the secret to the 911’s seemingly eternal youth? In the case of the new 2020 model, designated the 992, the answer is—at least partially—technology. Simply put, there’s a lot going on underneath the familiarlooking skin, and much of it is intended to make the car quicker, more responsive and more efficient despite increased size and mass.

20 | AUTOWEEK MARCH 11, 2019

01

THE BONES

It starts with a lighter bodyin-white. The bare chassis has had, at about 530 pounds, 5 percent of its weight cut through a more extensive use of aluminum alloy.

It now makes up most of the body and a good chunk of the structure.

Steel made up 63 percent of the predecessor 991’s chassis; for the 992, it’s 30 percent. Among that smaller percentage, the A and B pillars, as well as side roof frame

and components directly around the passenger cell, are ultra-highstrength steel, giving the 992 5 percent more torsional rigidity than the 991. Despite the lighter body-in-white, the new Carrera S is more than 150 pounds heavier than the 991 thanks to several new systems—some optional, some required to keep up with the latest global safety regulations.

CONT INUED ON PAGE 2 2

THE BEST SEAT AT IMSA The lead car always has the best view, and more and more often, that car is the NSX GT3. It’s a feat made possible by such a powerful production car that its chassis and engine went straight into the GT3. With shared technology, whether you purchase your own GT3 race car or the street-legal NSX, you’ll enjoy the same driver-centric exhilaration.

NSX GT3 Race Car shown. ©2019 Acura. Acura, NSX, and the stylized “A” logo are registered trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

DRIVES

02

03

AERODYNAMICS

Beneath the new LED headlights (so-called matrix LED lights, which move as you turn the wheel, are optional) you’ll find flaps that open and close automatically at different speeds. When open, they provide cooling air to internal components—and add a little downforce. If the driver puts the Carrera S in the sport or sport-plus driving mode, they stay open. Closed, the 911 slips through the air better; they’re usually closed at interstate speeds.

In back, the adaptive rear spoiler is much larger than the 991’s. It automatically lifts at 56 mph but raises early if the computer deems it necessary—in addition to downforce, there are cooling advantages to keeping it deployed.

04

THE BRAKES

Porsche replaced vacuum brake assist with an electric brake booster, often called EBB. EBB uses an electric motor-driven pump to assist in pushing brake fluid in the master cylinder to the calipers. This allowed engineers to reduce pedal travel, drop the force required to reach maximum deceleration and make response and control more precise for easy modulation from the driver.

Of course, this also allows for more brake control independent of the driver—read: automation, or at least semi-autonomous safety features—and paves a smoother path for hybridization as well.

22 | AUTOWEEK MARCH 11, 2019

05

THE TRANSMISSION

06

DRIVING ASSISTANCE

INTERIOR TECH

Porsche likens the 992’s interior to that of the 1970s-era, G-series 911. While it is clean and minimalist, it’s also chockfull of tech. Gone are the five raised circular gauges that made up the instrument panel, replaced with a center tachometer and two 7-inch screens on either side, as in the Panamera.

These are customizable in terms of the information displayed (and yes, they re-create the traditional five-gauge setup, if only digitally). Screens replacing gauges is happening everywhere, but this is still a significant step away from the 911’s traditional sports car style.

The main touchscreen increases to 10.9 inches (from 7); it’s center stage for the socalled Advanced Cockpit. This includes wireless Apple CarPlay, USB, SD and Wi-Fi interfaces and systems to listen to online radio and perform Google searches on navigation maps.

You know, sports car stuff.

A new eight-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission comes with a top gear taller than the last-gen seven-speed’s; the first seven gears are shorter. Why? Quickness and efficiency. The new Carrera S’ 0-62-mph time, has, at 3.5 seconds, improved by 0.4 second. The 4S is better still at 3.4 seconds. Fuel economy, not yet announced, should be similar or a bit better than the 2019 911 Carrera S and 4S at 22 city (21 for the 4S), 28 highway and 24 combined.

The 992 offers available lane keep assist, lane change assist and night vision, and a standard system called wet mode. It slows down the throttle map and speeds up response from traction and stability control systems. What’s really clever is that acoustic sensors “hear” water splashing in the front wheel wells, alert the driver of a wet road and turn on some of the system automatically. Sure beats hydroplaning.

07

THE ENGINE

Bore, stroke and the 2,981cc displacement remain the same in the 992, but the engine uses a more advanced VarioCam valve system (variable timing and lift), bigger turbos with electric wastegates, larger intercoolers and piezo fuel injectors.

In addition to the advanced valvetrain described in Vaughn’s review, the piezo—short for piezoelectric—fuel injectors further improve fuel and air mixing for more power and efficiency. Without going too far into the science, these injectors can open and close much faster than conventional units: Each cylinder actually gets five minishots of fuel sprayed into it every cycle, allowing for a more precise and complete burn during the power stroke.

Naked Eye

Night-LiteÂŽ graphic simulation

If You're Over 50 and Driving at Night,

Night-LiteÂŽ Night Driving Glasses May Save Your Life... Mine Too

Drivers’ Alert: Night driving is a top cause of car accidents. Your ability to perceive and judge distance is severely impaired at night. Do you know how to protect yourself?

“Nationwide, 49% of fatal crashes happen at night, with a fatality rate per mile of travel about three times as high as daytime hours.� — Forbes Magazine

T

he National Safety Council says nighttime is “The most dangerous time to drive.� The new technology making headlights brighter and more blinding than ever is a key contributor to making it even harder to see while driving at night.

Safe driving is serious business, so we did our research and looked to the very best in optic innovation and technology... Eagle EyesÂŽ.

Night-LiteÂŽ lens technology helps filter out high-intensity glare and softens harsh lights from high beams and overly bright LED signage. Exclusive micro-infused yellow lenses with optical grade anti-reflective backside coating are designed for optimal clarity and definition to create a better visual experience. And, 2x scratch guard inner and outer lens coating helps keep the lenses in pristine condition, longer.

Prescription? No problem. FitOnŽ Night-LitesŽ are premium, high-performance night driving glasses designed to fit comfortably over your existing prescription eyewear. The Techlon™ Polycarbonate frames provide durability and a comfortable featherweight feel.

Own the road all night long. Don’t compromise your safety and the safety of others. Eagle EyesŽ Night-LiteŽ lens technology can improve your night vision and help you see things in a whole new light.

Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. If you don’t experience a positive difference in your night vision, send the Eagle EyesŽ NiteLitesŽ back within 30 days for a complete refund of the item price. “You are likely to experience poor vision when night driving due to the intermittent brightness of headlights and streetlights on the road.� — Vision Eye Institute

A.

Night-LiteÂŽ Classic Aviators helps filter out high-intensity glare while stainless steel frames define a sleek silhouette.

+++++

FitOnÂŽ Night-LitesÂŽ fit over your regular glasses

Night-LiteŽ Aviators “They definitely improved my night vision and significantly reduced eye strain, especially in rainy conditions. I don’t drive nights without them.� —K. P.

B.

ƒ‰Ž‡ ›‡•Ž Night-LitesŽ A. Aviator Night-LitesŽ (Gold)

$49†Save $50 B. FitOnŽ Night-LitesŽ (Tortoise) $49†Save $50 You must use the insider offer code to get our special price.

1-800-333-2045

‘—” Â?•‹†‡” ˆˆ‡” ‘†‡ǣ ͕͖͔nj͔͕Ǥ

Rating of A+

Please use this code when you order to receive your discount.

• Stainless Steel Frame • Night-LiteÂŽ Yellow Non-Polarized Lens Technology • Â?–‹nj ‡ƪ ‡…–‹˜‡ ‘ƒ–‹Â?‰ • ƒ””›‹Â?‰ …ƒ•‡ ™‹–Š …—•–‘Â? Ž‡Â?• ’‘…Â?‡–• • ‹…”‘Ƥ „‡” …Ž‡ƒÂ?‹Â?‰ …Ž‘–Š †Special price only for customers using the offer code versus the price on Stauer.com without your offer code.

Stauer

ÂŽ 14101 Southcross Drive W., Ste 155, Dept. ENL120-01, Burnsville, Minnesota 55337

Stauer‌ Afford the Extraordinary.Ž

www.stauer.com

C OM PE TI TI ON PR E S S

‘THIS ONE Denny Hamlin wins his second Daytona 500 after the death of Joe Gibbs Racing’s team president

BY AL PEARCE

IS FOR J.D.’ season-opening Daytona 500 featured an emotional, feel-good story even hardened cynics could embrace.

A year ago, massive underdog Bubba Wallace’s second-place finish for beleaguered Richard Petty Motorsports gave fans a reason to cheer. This year, Denny Hamlin’s win for Joe Gibbs Racing gave virtually everyone an even better reason to smile—and to maybe shed a few tears.

Hamlin’s second 500 triumph came soon after team president J.D. Gibbs, 49, died on Jan. 11. The husband and father of four boys, and team-owner Joe Gibbs’ eldest son, was among NASCAR’s most popular, well-respected and socially conscious figures. He had gone from student-athlete at William and Mary (football/Class of ’91) to his father’s right-hand man when Gibbs created JGR in 1991 and went Cup racing in 1992. J.D. fell ill several years ago with a degenerative neurological disease that eventually took everything except his spirit and faith.

Heartbroken but unbowed, Joe Gibbs spent much of Speedweek ’19 speaking emotionally of J.D.’s roles within the company. (He raced briefly but realized he was better behind a desk than behind a wheel; occasionally, he was an over-thewall crewman). Specifically, Gibbs told how J.D. had once met this young, ambitious, cocky short-track driver from Virginia.

The kid had started racing in high school, wheeling a familyfinanced purple No. 11 Mini-Stock with great success. He eventually became a weekly Late Model star with an impressive résumé and a huge ego.

The kid’s name was Denny Hamlin.

The backstory: Late in 2003, J.D. Gibbs and team executive Curtis Markham went to Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina to buy Late Models for JGR’s driver development program. J.D. asked Hamlin to set up and shake down the cars and to make them as equal as possible for the candidates. When J.D. and Markham realized Hamlin was clearly the best driver on the grounds, J.D. called his father and encouraged him to hire Hamlin. JGR gave their new employee five Truck Series starts and one Xfinity start in 2004, a full-season Xfinity ride in 2005 and a full-season Cup ride in 2006. Hamlin got the first two of his 32 career wins that Rookie of the Year season, and he’s been a front-running star ever since.

This year’s season opener was the first time Joe Gibbs and his personal and professional families had ever raced without J.D. Despite everything he’s done in his NFL and NASCAR Hall of Fame careers, Gibbs was overwhelmed when Hamlin beat teammates Kyle Busch and Erik Jones in the crash-marred 500.

“This is the most emotional and the biggest win I’ve ever had in my life in anything,” Gibbs said. “J.D. built our race team. He was the guy who ran day-to-day operations for 27 years (Joe was gone for four of them, coaching the Redskins). He invested his occupational life in our race team. This whole thing is a special memory for me, one I’ll never forget. It’s the most important night of my occupational life.”

Hamlin’s win in the No. 11 Toyota brought the number and the Gibbs family full circle. “As far as the Gibbs family, hearing that Joe and everything he’s accomplished in his life saying this is the biggest win of his career is special,” Hamlin said. “I mean,

MOTORSPORT IMAGES-LAT (2)

F

OR THE SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR, NASCAR’s

MARCH 11, 2019 AUTOWEEK | 25

C O M P ET I T ION P R E SS

26 | AUTOWEEK MARCH 11, 2019

RYAN PRE E CE

PREECE LIGHTNING THE STRANGEST THING happened during the closing stages of the 61st Daytona 500.

Specifically, during the lengthy red flag period preceding the decisive overtime finish, with a top 10 including the likes of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Jimmie Johnson, a “Let’s go, Ryan!” chant broke out among the frontstretch bleachers.

No, not Ryan Newman, although he was still in the mix, too. This very loud group of diehards was chanting for rookie Ryan Preece.

Preece is among the best stories to come from NASCAR’s most recent offseason of driver musical chairs, embodying pure talent prevailing over the buy-a-ride culture so common in motorsports.

The 28-year-old Preece races full time for JTG-Daugherty Racing in the No. 47 Chevrolet, replacing veteran A.J. Allmendinger, and made an immediate impact at Daytona. Preece spent much of the race midpack, but he miraculously dodged both multicar melees to rocket up the leader board.

Miraculous is an understatement: With 15 cars sideways in front of him, Preece remained on the throttle and simply drove through the smoke unscathed. If that didn’t endear him to the audience, his humble background certainly has.

Stock car superfans know Preece as “Preece Lightning,” the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion and one of New England’s most successful short track aces. NASCAR fans were first

introduced to him in 2016 when he overachieved in the Xfinity Series for midtier JD Motorsports. December that year, he decided to return to short track racing, because he would rather win in a Tour Modified than run midpack in Xfinity.

Preece did, however, buy a fourrace deal with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Xfinity team in 2017, winning once and finishing no worse than fifth in the other three starts. That earned him 15 more starts with Gibbs in 2018, where he posted seven top5s and 10 top-10s.

He bet on himself and caught the attention of JTG-Daugherty co-owner Tad Geschickter.

With the No. 47, Preece likely isn’t going to contend for Cup Series wins, but the hope is, the short tracker turned prospect can elevate JTG-Daugherty into a playoff team with teammate Chris Buescher.

With Allmendinger, JTG-D hedged its bet on a road course ace who could keep his car out of trouble on ovals. With Preece and an alliance with Hendrick Motorsports for increased horsepower, Geschickter is going all-in. With a radical new rules package for the 2019 season (Ed. note: See Autoweek, Oct. 22, 2018), everyone is a rookie of sorts, making this the perfect time for Preece to emerge.

Preece’s upset bid in the Daytona 500 fell short on that final restart, a failed block on Erik Jones relegating him to eighth place.

But to the fans chanting “Let’s go, Ryan!” even after the race, it didn’t matter. Their new hero had arrived.

M AT T W E AV E R

MOTORSPORT IMAGES-LAT (2)

he’s an NFL Hall of Famer and (three-time) Super Bowl champion. It’s special for me to be able to deliver that (victory) to him in a special way. I know he’d have been happy with any of his cars getting a victory, but obviously one with his son’s name on the door and (W&M football jersey) number is probably a little more special.”

Even fourth-place Joey Logano, who began his Cup career with four years at JGR, appreciated what the latest 500 means to the Gibbs family. “I’m not a Gibbs driver, but what J.D. did for my career is the reason I’m sitting here,” he said.

“As bad as I wanted to win it (for a second time), it’s pretty cool to think that the first race after his passing, to see those JGR guys finish 1-2-3, says that J.D.’s up there watching. Maybe he gave them a little extra boost at the end.”

Hamlin’s victory ended a 47-race skid dating to September 2017, when his Southern 500 victory at Darlington was “encumbered” because of inspection issues. And while he wasn’t terrible in 2018—four poles, 10 top-fives and 11th in points—he was shut out for the first time in his 13-year career. “Some of the greatest drivers have had winless seasons,” he reminded. “Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon and those guys. I never doubted I was capable of winning, and I’m still not doubting because we were competitive. This year is a whole new ball of wax, a complete reset (with new crew chief Chris Gabehart). We’re going to be successful and win races.”

But this Daytona 500 was more about J.D. Gibbs than Denny Hamlin—so much so that on lap 11, regardless of their team affiliation, many crewmen stood atop the pit road wall in silent tribute to their deceased friend. “This one is for J.D.,” Hamlin said moments after the checkered flag. “The whole family ... they did so much for me over the course of my career. We are desperately going to miss him over the rest of our lives.”

Joe Gibbs has his own take. “You know, you’re thinking about things, and I guess everybody could say, ‘Well, that victory just happened,’” he said. “I don’t believe that it just happened. I honestly believe it was—I think the Lord looked down on us. It was an unbelievable night.”

FASTER. SMARTER. SAFER.

3 Weight Capacities: 3,500 • 5,000 • 7,000 lbs.

See it on YouTube

QuickJack is the ultimate replacement for old-fashioned floor jacks and stands.

Durable mounted wheels make it easy to place your frames, but there’s nothing light about QuickJack’s performance beneath your vehicle. Smart features include automatic locks and one-touch button controls. Let us do the lifting, so you can do the work.

GREAT FOR THE TRACK, SHOP OR HOME

FREE SHIPPING!

Free shipping on all QuickJack Products to most areas in the 48 contiguous states.

quickjack.com/smarter • 1-888-262-3880 QuickJack is protected by one or more patents in the United States, China, Europe, and other countries. © 2019 QuickJack, LLC. A subsidiary of BendPak Inc.

C OM PE TI TI ON PR E S S

FORWARD MOTION

IMSA charges into its golden anniversary with new energy—and a familiar spirit

BY PETER HUGHES

IMSA (2)

T

HERE WAS A palpable buzz

at the Rolex 24 at Daytona this year, a collective rubbing of eyes and looking around in wonderment, lots of talk of “golden ages” and measuring of our current moment against past eras, and lots of people coming to the same, jolting conclusion: Don’t look now, but we might just be in the middle of another one.

Cars representing a record 19 carmakers filled the grid. Journalists accustomed to VIP infield parking had to take the tram like everyone else, their old spots newly occupied by midway manufacturer displays so elaborate and jampacked, they only served to underscore how sad traditional car shows have become by comparison. Grid walk was a sea of humanity; even the stands overlooking turn 1 were packed. Neither IMSA nor Daytona publishes attendance figures, but that doesn’t stop observers from getting excited about a trend.

IMSA president Scott Atherton speaks with the carefully considered cadences of a White House press secretary.

Addressing a media center overflowing with journalists, he put it plainly: “It hasn’t always been like this.”

As you might have heard, IMSA is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

It’s a milestone for sure, but if you were around for any significant part of those five decades, you know it doesn’t represent quite the same kind of institutional consistency demonstrated by sporting events using, say, Roman numerals after their names. “There’s been some tall peaks and some really deep valleys,” Atherton admits. But despite the ups and downs, the International Motor Sports Association finds itself in a very good place these days, and the reasons for that have more to do with what made it great in the first place than its sometimes turbulent history might suggest.

Sports car racing in the United States was in its infancy when John Bishop fell under its spell at Watkins Glen in 1950.

An industrial designer from nearby Cortland, New York, Bishop traded his job at Martin Co. for one with the SCCA, where he found himself at the center of a philosophical battle between old-school “gentleman drivers” concerned with keeping their sport untainted by money and a new generation of hungry racers eager

John Bishop and Bill France Sr. in the early ’70s; opposite: 1984 Daytona 24

to compete professionally. Sensing the future lay with the latter, Bishop led the charge, creating the United States Road Racing Championship in 1963, a series of races with prize money rather than a shot at the SCCA Runoffs as the draw.

One of those contests was the Continental 3-Hour at Daytona International Speedway, the predecessor of today’s 24-hour event. To hear Jim France tell it, his father, Bill Sr., had more than NASCAR in mind when he broke ground on the site five years earlier: “He was a global motorsports guy, and he truly wanted this track to be an international icon for motorsports when he built it.” It’s right there in the name, see? Bill France was hip enough to the road-racing scene that when he got word that Bishop—who had since added Can-Am, Trans-Am and Formula 5000 to his credits—had finally been ousted by SCCA traditionalists, he invited him down to Florida for a night of drinking. In the morning, they had a deal. France would put up the money, Bishop would run the show. IMSA would do for sports car racing in the U.S. what NASCAR had done for stock cars.

It was a prescient move on France’s part. “Our game was dominated by stock cars, Indy cars and drag racing,” says IMSA senior director of race operations Mark Raffauf. “Sports cars didn’t really even have a role. Well, that changed in the ’60s.” By decade’s end, the populari-

ty of Bishop’s SCCA pro series had made them a magnet for drivers and manufacturers alike, with factory-backed pony cars slugging it out in Trans-Am and CanAm’s unrestricted free-for-all attracting a combination of homegrown and international talent, from Jim Hall’s radical Chaparrals to Bruce McLaren’s eponymous 7-liter beasts.

Raffauf knows IMSA’s story as intimately as anyone. Besides co-authoring—with Mitch Bishop, John’s son—a definitive new history, “IMSA 1969–1989: The Inside Story of How John Bishop Built the World’s Greatest Sports Car Racing Series,” he was physically there for most of it. As a teenage race fan in 1974, Raffauf was recruited as a tech inspector and quickly found himself absorbed into what he calls “the IMSA family,” and what would become his life’s work. Sporting a Florida tan today, he speaks with an appealingly gruff candor that betrays his northeastern roots.

“It became kind of visionary when people figured out what he did,” Raffauf says, explaining Bishop’s decision after an abortive season of open-wheel racing to shift IMSA’s focus to small sedans. “He basically found a place for all the new import manufacturers who had no place to showcase their stuff.” Alongside the Pintos and Gremlins, entry lists from the era CONTINU ED ON PAG E 32 MARCH 11, 2019 AUTOWEEK | 29

Watch the Action!

MAR 13 - 16 MOBIL 1 TWELVE HOURS OF SEBRING Sebring International Raceway APR 12 - 13 BUBBA BURGER SPORTS CAR GRAND PRIX Long Beach Street Circuit MAY 3 - 5 ACURA SPORTS CAR CHALLENGE Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course MAY 31 - JUNE 1 CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX Raceway at Belle Isle Park

FLOORLINER™ The most advanced concept in custom-fit floor protection.

Laser Measured

Accessories Available for

Acura · Alfa Romeo · Aston Martin · Audi · BMW · Buick · Cadillac · Chevrolet · Chrysler · Dodge · Ferrari · Fiat Ford · Genesis · GMC · Honda · Hummer · Hyundai · Infiniti · Isuzu · Jaguar · Jeep · Kia · Land Rover · Lexus Lincoln · Maserati · Mazda · Mercedes-Benz · Mercury · Mini · Mitsubishi · Nissan · Oldsmobile · Plymouth Pontiac · Porsche · RAM · Saab · Saturn · Scion · Smart · Subaru · Suzuki · Tesla · Toyota · Volkswagen Volvo and more!

Order Now: 800-441-6287

American Customers WeatherTech.com

Canadian Customers WeatherTech.ca

European Customers WeatherTech.eu © 2019 by MacNeil IP LLC

C OM PE TI TI ON PR E S S CO NT IN U E D FRO M PAGE 2 9

From top: Derek Bell inspects his Porsche 917K during the ’71 6 Hours of Watkins Glen qualifying; ’89 Laguna Seca 1 Hour GTO; opposite: ’03 GP of Atlanta; ’19 Rolex 24 at Daytona

they only swelled further in 1981, when a new and even less restricted class debuted: the prototypes, or GTPs. Developed in cooperation with the Le Mans-governing ACO and its Group C initiative, IMSA’s GTP cars differed from their European counterparts in one fundamental way: a simple displacement-to-weight formula, rather than fuel-consumption limits, governed them.

The lack of constraints encouraged a

IMSA (2); MOTORSPORT IMAGES-LAT (2)

teem with marques struggling to establish toeholds in the U.S. market: Datsun, Toyota, Mazda, BMW, Audi, Volvo, Saab.

And then there were the GTs. “By ’71 he’d conceived the idea of running what ultimately became the Camel GT, a mix of the American pony cars— Mustang, Camaro, Javelin, a lot of which were remnants from the Trans-Am, which was being dominated by factory teams—and Porsches and BMWs and Alfas and (other) European imports,” Raffauf continues. “We had races with Ford Cortinas, MGBs, big-block Corvettes, Porsches—I mean, just this mishmash of stuff.” Within that chaotic mixture lay the key to IMSA’s enduring appeal. American V8s sound great and so do German flat-sixes, but nothing beats the sound of them singing together.

With Camel’s promotional muscle starting in ’72, the series quickly became a premier attraction. This was the era of box-flared “Batmobile” BMW CSLs and wide-body Greenwood Corvettes, when wildly bespoilered Chevy DeKon Monzas lined up across from slant-nosed, whaletailed Porsche 935s, GTX cars that could only be described as production-based if you squinted—hard. Fields grew as events and spectators multiplied, and

dizzying array of engineering solutions, from the initial big-block Chevy-powered Marches and turbocharged Porsche 962s to Bob Tullius’ graceful V12 Jaguars and the radical, Bob Riley-penned, front-engined Ford Mustang GTPs with tiny, turbocharged Cosworth fours.

There were Mazda rotaries, Buick turbo V6s, midengined Corvettes, Nissans, Toyotas, you name it. Raffauf, again: “Even up through the ’80s, you know, if you were anybody other than the Detroit brands, you couldn’t go IndyCar racing, you couldn’t go stock car racing, you couldn’t do anything. We had the environment that made ’em like mushrooms—they just popped out of the ground and started growing.”

The GTP years also produced among the more ignominious—or colorful, depending on your point of view—chapters in IMSA’s history. It’s baffling, given our cultural obsessions with all things ’80s and morally ambiguous protagonists, that nobody’s made a prestige TV miniseries about Randy Lanier, John Paul Sr. or the Whittington brothers. Capable, competitive drivers, they all found in the sport a convenient way to make cash disappear—and subsequently saw their careers cut short by convictions related to the importation and sale of illegal substances. The joke at the time was the

32 | AUTOWEEK MARCH 11, 2019

name stood for International Marijuana Smuggling Association.

By the early ’90s, the party was over.

A global recession put the squeeze on manufacturer involvement, and when Camel pulled out at the end of its contract, IMSA was left without a national sponsor. Heart surgery sidelined Bishop, who sold the company in 1989—the first of four ownership changes the series endured over the ensuing decade. By 1996, it wasn’t even called IMSA anymore; a rival series, Grand Am—backed by, among others, Bishop and Bill France Jr.—arrived to confuse the issue even more.

The American Le Mans Series was the name Don Panoz chose when he relaunched the series in 1999 in partnership with the ACO. Under his stewardship, the ALMS regained some of the stability its predecessors had squandered, but, in much the same way the IRL/CART split had divided IndyCar audiences, it was clear sports car racing in the U.S. would never recapture its former stature as long as its appeal was split between two competing series. After a decade of race fans watching one set of cars at Daytona, a second set of cars at Sebring and not quite knowing what they were watching for the rest of the time, Panoz and Jim France announced a merger in 2012.

When the new series arrived two years later, the name was obvious.

The reborn IMSA represented a full circle in many ways. Bishop died in 2014, but the seed Bill France Sr. planted all those years before had returned to the NASCAR family. And the spirit of community that animated those early years remained surprisingly intact. As Mitch Bishop put it at Daytona: “When IMSA first got started, it had very much a family atmosphere. ... My brothers and I all worked at IMSA for years. When we interviewed folks for our book, a common theme in all of the quotes was, you know, it felt like family. In fact, my parents were surrogate parents to a lot of the drivers. What’s interesting about the current IMSA is it feels like a lot of that is carried forward. We haven’t lost that.”

The appeal of the racing itself hasn’t changed, either. Raffauf recalls IMSA’s ’80s heyday, when people came out in droves despite extensive TV coverage: “The experience was still pretty visceral.

(The cars) spit flames, they made weird noises, they were stupid fast, (there were) great drivers—it was everything

“I THINK THEY’RE GOING TO SUSTAIN THIS FORWARD MOTION FOR A LONG TIME,” - HU R L EY H AY WOOD

you wanted to have. And people liked it. And I think we’re back there with the same thing. Cool cars, they make different noises, they spit flames, they do all that stuff again, so when you come, people go, ‘Wow—that’s pretty cool.’”

There are still complaints, of course.

Everybody hates BoP—balance of performance, the impenetrable and ever-changing formula resulting in V8 Corvettes, twin-turbo Ford GTs and normally aspirated Porsche 911 RSRs turning in near-identical lap times. “Just set it at the beginning and then reset it once midseason,” says five-time Daytona winner Hurley Haywood, echoing the protests of his old mentor and teammate, Peter Gregg, who in 1975 actually sued IMSA over late-season rules changes outlawing his

Porsche Carrera’s fender flares. It would seem even the controversies are in keeping with IMSA’s past.

As for the future, Haywood is optimistic. “I think they’re going to sustain this forward motion for a long time,” he says, pointing to ongoing efforts to align with the ACO to further broaden IMSA’s reach.

“They genuinely would love to have a DPi represented at Le Mans. I think when the folks from the ACO come over here and look at how competitive they are and how interested the fans are in them, it’s a plus-plus opportunity for them to accept these cars. As of the moment, they’re saying no, but that could change. I’m going over as grand marshal this year for Le Mans, so I’m gonna hammer on ’em!”

MARCH 11, 2019 AUTOWEEK | 33

CO MP ET IT IO N PR E SS

WEC

CATCHING UP WITH DAVID BRABHAM Legendary racing name sets sights on the WEC in 2021 DAVID BRABHAM is ready to go racing again.

The Brabham brand—a once-dominant Formula 1 franchise that won constructors’ championships in 1967 and ’68—is back on the road and will compete in the 2021-22 FIA World Endurance Championship season with its Brabham BT62.

The Brabham WEC entry is pegged for the GTE class; one stipulation for that to happen is Brabham Automotive needs to produce and make available a road version of the car.

And if you’re lucky enough to be approved to purchase one of the 72 BT62 hypercars expected to be available, plan to dig deep. The car is projected to have roughly a $1.5 million price tag—with an additional $191,000 needed to make it street ready (after all, you’ll want air conditioning, door locks and interior upholstery).

The BT62 is already proving its mettle on the track. In February, with 2017 Bathurst 1000 winner Luke Youlden at the wheel, the BT62 set a closed-car record of 1 minute, 58.69 seconds on the 6.21-kilometer (3.86-mile) Mount Panorama circuit.

The mark was set during the Bathurst 12-hour race weekend in Australia.

Youlden and the BT62 beat Christopher Mies’ previous mark of 1:59.291, set in an Audi R8 GT3 in November. Jenson Button holds the overall mark at the circuit, 1:48.8 in a McLaren F1 car, set in 2011. Brabham Automotive founder David Brabham—a

34 | AUTOWEEK MARCH 11, 2019

former Le Mans 24 winner and, at 53, the youngest son of the late Jack Brabham, a three-time F1 champion—talked to Autoweek in the U.K. about the challenges faced, those yet to come and how plans for the BT62 link back to a 2014 crowdfunding campaign for Project Brabham that reportedly raised more than $500,000.

AUTOWEEK: You plan to enter the Brabham BT62 in the 2021-

22 World Endurance Championship season in the GTE class. To make that happen, you have to back-develop a BT62 car for the road. What does that process look like?

DAVID BRABHAM: Obviously, to start up a road car project straight away was a big ask. We needed to bring the brand back with something in line with racing in its DNA and so forth; so obviously, the BT62 fits that criteria.

It’s got fantastic aesthetics in terms of shape and profile, and that will follow through. A lot of the design features have actually come from what it started off to be, and we worked ourselves backwards to work forwards.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

Live Life without pain

Plantar Fasciitis • Arthritis • Joint Pain • Heel Spurs • Back & Knee Pain

I‘ve had lower back pain for years. Walking in these shoes was life changing for me. I feel like I’m walking on air.

PATENTED VERSOSHOCK® SOLE

– Bill F.

SHOCK ABSORPTION SYSTEM

Enjoy the benefits of exercise with proven pain relief.

85 91 92 75 %

LESS KNEE PAIN

%

LESS BACK PAIN

%

LESS ANKLE PAIN

%

Ultimate Comfort Renewed Energy Maximum Protection Improve Posture

LESS FOOT PAIN

*Results of a double-blind study conducted by Olive View UCLA Medical Center.

G-DEFY MIGHTY WALK $150 Men Sizes 7.5-15 M/W/XW - Gray TB9024MGS - Blue/Black TB9024MLU - Black TB9024MBL

$ 30 OFF

AVAILABLE

Women Sizes 6-11 M/W/XW - Gray TB9024FGS - Salmon/Gray TB9024FGP - Purple/Black TB9024FLP

YOUR ORDER

Promo Code PP2CLL2 www.gravitydefyer.com Free

Expires June 30, 2019 Exchanges • Free Returns

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed Call 1(800) 429-0039 Gravity Defyer Corp.

10643 Glenoaks Blvd. Pacoima, CA 91331 VersoShock® U.S Patent #US8,555,526 B2. This product has not been evaluated by the FDA. Not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease. $30 off applies to orders of $100 or more for this limited time offer. 9% CA sales tax applies to orders in California. Shoes must be returned within 30 days in like-new condition for full refund or exchange. Credit card authorization required. See website for complete details.

CO MP ET IT IO N PR E SS racing name. How do I turn it into a global brand? How do I bring a race team back? How can I support that race team with another business?

At the time, I wasn’t sure how this was going to turn out other than that I had a vision. I had a dream, and then it was a case of when we launched Project Brabham, we found people still loved the brand. They bought into the project from 64 countries. We broke a record for a crowdfunding campaign in sporting funding, but it was a drop in the ocean in terms of money raised for what we needed. What it did was it got us noticed.

To go and raise millions of pounds around a crowdfunding campaign is very difficult, as you can imagine.

People were interested but said, ‘Once you get to this level and you’re looking for extra funding, come and find us.’

We got to a point with Project Brabham that you say, ‘OK, we’ve got to change tack here because we’re not getting the traction we would like.’ Let’s focus more on the brand and find avenues that we can resurrect the name, perhaps in another space that will give us the money to resurrect Project David Brabham shows off Brabham again—that was the thinking.

Brabham Automotive’s BT62.

As it was, we found the partnership with Fusion Capital in Australia. They’ve got advanced manufacturing in Adelaide, and they’ve been in that industry for a long time, supplying to the automotive companies down there like Holden, Ford and Toyota and we talked about bringing Brabham back through Brabham Automotive. We want to build road cars in AW: Is the Brabham name something that you’re leaning on to the future, but we need a product like a BT62 to showcase the get the funding needed for this project? brand and the car with the racing DNA. DB: Obviously, there’s not many iconic racing names like And, of course, with an automotive group like Brabham, Brabham, so you don’t just walk down to the grocery store and you’ve got to go racing. grab one. I’ve had to spend a lot of time and money to secure the name and get it to a point of securing it with trademarks, finding the right partners to bring it back onto the world stage, and that was the process that I’ve had since, I guess, the court case (to gain back the Brabham naming rights) in 2007. It’s been quite a long journey to get to this point.

AW: You’re named as the chief test driver. Would you consider It’s about finding the right partners with the right vision, returning to racing when the time comes? As a former winner with the right finance behind it to bring something to market, of the Le Mans 24 Hours, your return would be a story in itself. which is what I’ve done.

DB: You know, whoever drives has to be able to give their all, in terms of driving. Having been a professional driver for 30odd years, I know what it takes, I know the commitment that you have to give to be at that level, to win those kind of races.

Where I would be in the future, who knows? But right now, I don’t even think about it. I enjoy testing—it keeps me sharp.

AW: The process to bring Brabham back included a Project I’ve got the most experience to be able to direct the team in Brabham crowdfunding campaign that was originally designed terms of where the car needs to be with setup and efficiency, so to help the team get on track for the 2015 WEC schedule and I still keep my hand in, that’s for sure.

Le Mans. Where you are now?

It’s racing. Who knows? SA M H A L L DB: Years ago when I started thinking, ‘What am I going to do when I’m 50?’ I thought we had this iconic name, this iconic 36 | AUTOWEEK MARCH 11, 2019

10 CIGARS +HUMIDOR only $

19

160 value! $

99

Includes 1 each of: HC • Mark Twain • 5 Vegas • Amati • Ramón Bueso • Bahia La Perla Habana • CAO • Gurkha • Toraño + 40-Capacity Desktop Humidor

Ultimate Humidor Combo #451

www.CigarsIntl.com/SA7571

You’ve landed in cigar heaven! Take advantage of this amazing offer from America’s biggest cigar retailer, Cigars International.

Ten premium handmade cigars from industry giants like CAO, Gurkha, Torano, and many more. That’s not all, we’ll even throw in a gorgeous 40-capacity desktop humidor to store those new cigars in. The whole package is worth $160, but it’s yours for just $ 1999! We here at CI like to bring you the best for less.

You must enter the complete web address for special offer

FREE

1-888-244-2790 Mention code SA7571 *Plus $499 s/h. Purchase may be subject to state or local sales tax where applicable.

First-time purchasers only. One per customer. No sales to anyone under the age of 21.

We do not ship to Utah or South Dakota. For shipping information & restrictions please visit www.CigarsIntl.com/SHIP. Offer expires 5/31/19.

40-CAPACITY DESKTOP HUMIDOR

*

WINS & LOSSES

FROM THE TRACK

THE WIRE wins over all three of NASCAR’s major series combined. Busch also holds the career record in the Xfinity Series with 92 wins.

COTA CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS, this year hosting both Formula 1 and the NTT IndyCar Series, might be out at least $25 million in state funding after the track’s annual application for reimbursement was rejected. According to a Feb. 20 report in the Austin AmericanStatesman, officials from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office said COTA officials failed to meet a deadline for a human trafficking prevention plan as required as part of this year’s request.

The ruling means COTA stands to lose its state funds through the Major Event Reimbursement Program. The state reimbursed COTA $27 million after the 2017 U.S. Grand Prix, $26 million for the 2016 F1 race and $22.7 million following the 2015 race.

As for F1’s future there, track boss Bobby Epstein and then-F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone told the American-Statesman in 2016 even a $5.5 million reduction would jeopardize the race.

WRC TOYOTA GAZOO RACING WRT teammates Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja captured the FIA World Rally Championship’s second round, Rally Sweden, on Feb. 17. The two own the championship lead for the first time in their career.

Tänak won by 53.7 seconds over Citroën Total WRT’s Esapekka Lappi. Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT’s Thierry Neuville finished three seconds behind Lappi.

NHRA NO. 1 QUALIFIER Billy Torrence took home the Top Fuel victory—the second of his career—at the Magic Dry Organic Absorbent NHRA Arizona Nationals near Phoenix on Feb. 24.

Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) were also winners at the second of 24 events on the 2019 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

38 | AUTOWEEK MARCH 11, 2019

MOTORSPORT IMAGES-LAT

NASCAR XFINITY

I-PACE ETROPHY RAHAL LETTERMAN LANIGAN Racing’s Katherine Legge won round 2 of the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy from the pole at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit in Mexico City on Feb. 16 to become the first female driver to win a race during an ABB FIA Formula E weekend.

As for the Formula E race in Mexico City, Lucas di Grassi captured his ninth career win in the series to move past Sam Bird and to within three wins of all-time series leader Sébastien Buemi.

NASCAR CUP SUFFERING FROM A stomach flu that kept him out of Saturday practice, Brad Keselowski held off Martin Truex Jr. in the closing laps of the 325-lap Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway Feb. 24.

Keselowski’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford finished 0.218 second ahead of Truex’s No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. The win was Keselowski’s first this season and the first for the new Ford Mustang in the Cup Series. It was also the 60th race win for Keselowski in Roger Penske equipment (all series combined), breaking a tie with the late Mark Donohue.

NASCAR TRUCK SERIES ONE WEEK AFTER Austin Hill kicked off the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series season with a win at Daytona, Kyle Busch took over the series’ all-time victory lead with his win in the Ultimate Tailgating 200 at Atlanta on Feb. 23.

After a late red flag for rain, Busch held off former series champion Johnny Sauter for his 52nd win to break a tie with NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. The victory, Busch’s fifth in trucks at Atlanta, gives him 195

CHRISTOPHER BELL LED 143 of 163 laps to win the Rinnai 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Feb. 23.

Bell held off Cole Custer by 0.191 second in a three-lap dash for the finish. The win included sweeping all three stages and was Bell’s first this year, his first at Atlanta and the ninth of his career.

The win was the first for the new Toyota Supra in NASCAR competition, as Toyota picked up its 150th victory in the Xfinity Series.

Michael Annett kicked off the Xfinity season one week earlier with a win at Daytona.

INDYCAR A “DEBRIS DEFLECTOR”—instead of a true windscreen—is being added around the cockpit of Indy cars before this year’s Indianapolis 500 to provide better driver protection from flying debris. IndyCar continues to develop a windscreen but admitted it’s not yet ready for competition.

Cars participating in an April 24 open test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be fitted with Advanced Frontal Protection, or AFP, a titanium piece Dallara is making. AFP stands about 3 inches tall and averages three-quarters of an inch wide.

SAM BASS SAM BASS, NASCAR’s first officially licensed artist, and designer of numerous memorable NASCAR paint schemes, died on Feb. 16 at age 57. Bass suffered from Type 1 diabetes and had his left leg amputated in 2008.

Bass was perhaps most famous for designing various Jeff Gordon paint schemes over the years. He also designed cars driven by Dale Earnhardt, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

NEVER MISS

RACING ON TV

ANOTHER RACE

= RAC ES W E’ LL B E WATC HING L = LIV E S = SA ME DAY T = TAPE DELAY A LL TIM ES E ASTE RN , S UBJ E CT TO CH ANG E

SUNDAY, MARCH 10 • ABB FIA Formula E qualifying, Hong Kong; 2:30 a.m., FS1 (S) • ABB FIA Formula E Hong Kong E-Prix, Hong Kong; 3:30 a.m., FS1 (L)

• Formula 1 practice 3, Melbourne, Australia; 10:55 p.m., ESPNEWS (L) • NHRA Friday Nitro Live, Gainesville, Fla.; 11:30 p.m., FS1 (S)

SATURDAY, MARCH 16

• Indy Lights race, St. Petersburg, Fla.; 1 p.m., NBC Sports Gold (L)

• Formula 1 qualifying, Melbourne, Australia; 1:55 a.m., ESPN2 (L)

• NTT IndyCar Series Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Fla.; 1:30 p.m., NBCSN (L)

• IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Sebring, Fla.; 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m., CNBC (L)

• Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series TicketGuardian 500, Phoenix; 3:30 p.m., Fox (L)

• IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Sebring, Fla.; 10:30 a.m.-10:40 p.m., IMSA.tv (L)

• Formula E I-Pace E-Trophy Series, Hong Kong; 5 p.m., FS2 (T)

MONDAY, MARCH 11 • NASCAR America, 5 p.m., NBCSN (L)

TUESDAY, MARCH 12

• Monster Energy NASCAR Cup practice, Fontana, Calif.; noon and 3:30 p.m., FS1 (L) • IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Sebring, Fla.; 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m., NBC Sports Gold (L) • NASCAR Xfinity qualifying, Fontana, Calif.; 1 p.m., FS1 (L)

• NASCAR America, 5 p.m., NBCSN (T)

• NASCAR Race Hub, 2:30 p.m., FS1 (L)

• NASCAR Race Hub, 6 p.m., NBCSN (L)

• IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Sebring, Fla.; 3 p.m.-11 p.m., NBCSN (L)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13 • NASCAR America, 5 p.m., NBCSN (L) • NASCAR Race Hub, 6 p.m., FS1 (L)

THURSDAY, MARCH 14 • IMSA Prototype Challenge, Sebring, Fla.; 12:25 p.m., IMSA.tv (L) • NASCAR America, 5 p.m., NBCSN (L) • NASCAR Race Hub, 6 p.m., FS1 (L) • Kicker Arenacross, Chicago; 8 p.m., FS2 (T) • Formula 1 practice 1, Melbourne, Australia; 8:55 p.m., ESPN3 (L)

• NASCAR Xfinity race at California Speedway, Fontana, Calif.; 5 p.m., FS1 (L) • NHRA Saturday Nitro Live, Gainesville, Fla.; 9 p.m., FS1 (S) • Monster Energy Supercross, Indianapolis; 11 p.m., NBCSN (S)

SUNDAY, MARCH 17 • Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne, Australia; 1 a.m., ESPN (L) • Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400, Fontana, Calif.; 3:30 p.m., Fox (L) • NHRA Mello Yello Series Amalie Oil Gatornationals, Gainesville, Fla.; 7:30 p.m., FS1 (S)

FRIDAY, MARCH 15 • Formula 1 practice 2, Melbourne, Australia; 12:55 a.m., ESPNEWS (L) • IMSA WeatherTech Championship qualifying, Sebring, Fla.; 9:45 a.m., IMSA.tv (L) • IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Alan Jay Automotive Network 120, Sebring, Fla.; 11:55 a.m., IMSA.tv (L) • World Endurance Championship 1000 Miles of Sebring, Sebring, Fla.; 3:30 p.m., Velocity (L) • NASCAR Race Hub, 3:30 p.m., FS1 (L) • NASCAR Xfinity practice, Fontana, Calif.; 4:30 p.m., FS1 (L) • Monster Energy NASCAR Cup qualifying, Fontana, Calif.; 5:30 p.m., FS1 (L)

40 | AUTOWEEK MARCH 11, 2019

MONDAY, MARCH 18 • NASCAR America, 5 p.m., NBCSN (L) • NASCAR Race Hub, 6 p.m., FS1 (L)

TUESDAY, MARCH 19 • NASCAR America, 5 p.m., NBCSN (T) • NASCAR Race Hub, 6 p.m., FS1 (L)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20 • NASCAR America, 5 p.m., NBCSN (L) • NASCAR Race Hub, 6 p.m., FS1 (L)

THURSDAY, MARCH 21 • NASCAR America, 5 p.m., NBCSN (L) • NASCAR Whelen Series, Myrtle Beach, S.C.; 6 p.m., NBCSN (T) • NASCAR Race Hub, 6 p.m., FS1 (L) • Kicker Arenacross, Chicago; 9 p.m., FS2 (T)

FRIDAY, MARCH 22 • NHRA in 30, Gainesville, Fla.; 1 a.m., FS2 (T) • Indy Lights practice, Austin, Texas; 9 a.m., RoadtoIndy.tv (L) • NTT IndyCar Series practice, Austin, Texas; 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., NBC Sports Gold (L) • Indy Lights qualifying, Austin, Texas; 1:20 p.m., RoadtoIndy.tv (L)

SATURDAY, MARCH 23 • Formula E qualifying, Sanya, China; 1:30 a.m., FS2 (S) • Formula E Sanya E-Prix, Sanya, China; 2:30 a.m., FS1 (L) • Indy Lights qualifying, Austin, Texas; 9:15 a.m., RoadtoIndy.tv (L) • NTT IndyCar Series practice, Austin, Texas; 11 a.m., NBC Sports Gold (L) • Monster Energy NASCAR Cup practice, Martinsville, Va.; 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., FS1 (L) • NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck qualifying, Martinsville, Va.; 10:30 a.m., FS1 (L) • Indy Lights Race 1, Austin, Texas; 12:45 p.m., NBC Sports Gold (L) • NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck race at Martinsville, Martinsville, Va.; 2 p.m., Fox (L) • NTT IndyCar Series qualifying, Austin, Texas; 3 p.m., NBCSN (L) • Monster Energy NASCAR Cup qualifying, Martinsville, Va.; 5 p.m., FS1 (L) • Formula E I-Pace ETrophy Series, Sanya, China; 7 p.m., FS2 (T) • Monster Energy Supercross, Seattle; 10 p.m., NBCSN (L)

SUNDAY, MARCH 24 • Indy Lights Race 2, Austin, Texas; 9:10 a.m., NBC Sports Gold (L) • NTT IndyCar Series Classic, Austin, Texas; 1:30 p.m., NBCSN (L) • Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series STP 500, Martinsville, Va.; 2 p.m., FS1 (L) • American Flat Track, Daytona Beach, Fla.; 4 p.m., FS1 (T)

MARCH AUCTION March 22-23 2019 Friday 5PM Saturday 9AM Crawfordsville IN

Friday: Featuring the Danny Dixon collection.

Approximately 250 lots of vintage coin op, arcade games, advertising, pop culture icons and more!

Saturday: Approximately 450 lots of vintage oil cans, signs, gas pump globes, and more!

3097 E. State Rd 32 Crawfordsville IN 47933 - (765) 307-7119 - Route32auctions.com

SHOWROOM

TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION, PLEASE CALL: 800.722.7798

Rating of A+

Not shown actual size.

Tickets go on sale January 11, 2019

Make Your Mark The signature watermark pattern of Damascus steel is the stuff of legends at an epic $79 Damascus Power Blade $179*

Offer Code Price Only $79 + S&P Save $100

1-800-333-2045

Your Insider Offer Code: DMK132-01

Drawing on Saturday, May 11, 2019. Tickets limited to 1,300.

BONUS! free sheath with knife purchase!

You must use the insider offer code to get our special price. *Discount is only for customers who use the offer code versus the listed original Stauer.com price.

Stauer

®

14101 Southcross Drive W., Ste 155, Dept. DMK132-01, Burnsville, Minnesota 55337 www.stauer.com

3" modern Damascus steel blade • Stag antler bolster & tortoise patterned handle • Liner lock• Overall length opens to 7"• free sheath

2018 Winner - Mike S., Grundy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inner need not be present to win :LQQHU ZLOO EH UHVSRQVLEOH IRU DOO IHGHUDO VWDWH DQG RU ORFDO WD[HV DQG DQ\ GHOLYHU\ VKLSSLQJ IHHV An independent accounting firm will supervise the entries and drawing of raffle

CONSIGN OR REGISTER TO BID

TO BE OFFERED AT FORT LAUDERDALE 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari

29–30 MARCH

FORT LAUDERDALE VIEW OUR DIGITAL CATALOGUE ONLINE 29 MAY–1 JUNE

AUBURN SPRING

CONSIGNMENTS INVITED THROUGH 15 APRIL FOR CATALOGUE INCLUSION

HEADQUARTERS +1 519 352 4575 INDIANA +1 260 927 9797 FLORIDA +1 954 566 2209 CALIFORNIA +1 310 559 4575 RM Auctions, Inc. Lic. No. VI/1004739/2; Licensed Auctioneer Brent Earlywine #AU 942 RM Auctions Lic. No. 1800217/Licensed Auctioneer Brent Earlywine #AU 01049489

SHOWROOM

TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION, PLEASE CALL: 800.722.7798

ONE OF AMERICA’S TOP 10

Replicarz is setting the standard for 1:18 scale classic racing cars of the past. All models are accurate reproductions of the actual cars they represent. Our Exclusive Line models are all limited editions.

The difference is in the details!

R18006 $249.99 1980 Chaparral 2K, Winner Indy 500, Johnny Rutherford

Museum Open Daily Corner Lake & Mill Streets Downtown Reno • 775.333.9300 • AutoMuseum.org

R18020 $269.99 1963 Scarab MKII, Final Scarab Victory Continental Divide Raceway, Augie Pabst

R E S E RV E YO U R S PAC E I N AUT OW E E K’ S D R IV E IT, R AC E IT, M O D I F Y IT E M A I L!

166 Spruce Street • Rutland, VT 05701 One Stop Shopping!

AUTOMOBILE MUSEUMS

www.replicarz.com

P. 800-639-1744 • F. 802-775-1981

Over 50 Brands, Over 3,000 models in stock. All the top lines of Die Cast Models, Displays, and Accessories. We Ship Worldwide - We accept PayPal!

THE DRIV E IT, R ACE IT, MODIF Y IT EM AIL W ILL BE SENT ON 4/16/19

showroom@autoweek.com

1.800.722.7798

CONSIGN NOW | APRIL 11-13 | PALM BEACH | REGISTER TO BID CONTACT AN AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALIST TODAY! 561.331.3312

1967 SHELBY GT500 This fully restored matching-numbers ‘67 GT500 features all-original sheet metal and inboard headlights. The original wheels come with the car. Powered by a 428ci engine with an automatic transmission. No Reserve

SELL YOUR CARS WHERE THE BIDDERS ARE BARRETT-JACKSON’S 2018 FLORIDA AUCTION SALES REACHED OVER $39 MILLION AT 99.5% SELL-THROUGH: » As a consignor, you’ll receive several perks, including invitations to the Opening Night Gala, preferred seating, parking pass and more

» Over 1,500 qualified bidders

» Over 48 years of success in the collector car industry

» 18 hours of live television coverage

» Experienced, professional and knowledgeable staff

» 13 world-record sales » Highest sales rate in the industry

Experience the Barrett-Jackson Auctions live exclusively on Discovery Channel, MotorTrend and around the world on Discovery Networks International.

» Industry-leading website traffic to promote your vehicle » World-renowned auctioneer team

ALL THE CARS, ALL THE TIME. Streamed live on Barrett-Jackson.com

Consign. Bid. Experience. Barrett-Jackson.com

SHOWROOM

TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION, PLEASE CALL: 800.722.7798 SPORTS & IMPORTS

MOTORING

HISTORIC

SPORTS & IMPORTS

$0--&$5034

canepa.com 831.430.9940 1998 Porsche C2S ANDIAL 2019 CORVETTES - 15 % Off Select Corvettes Excludes ZR1. Over 150 In Stock & Inbound. Taking Deposits On Mid-Engine Corvette. Call Kevin Will: (313) 724-1424 or Email: Kevin_Will@lesstanford.com

1970 Ferrari Daytona 365 GTS/4 -Miami Vice Replica, Indep Sus, ’80 C3 Chassis, 2000 Mi on ZZ4 350/355 HP Crate Engine, 405 Torque, Auto, 15 In Zenith Center Locks, $25K OBO. Naples, FL (702)617-3300

THINGS TO DO

EVENTS 2005 PORSCHE CARRERA GT - Original, Outstanding Example, 7,890 Miles, Window Sticker, Number 543 Of 1270, Service Records, Luggage Set. Mark (858)459-3500 Or info@grandprixclassics.com

WORLD’S WORLD’S LARGEST LARGEST PORSCHE SWAP SWAP MEET MEET PORSCHE APRIL 20TH 2019 HERSHEY HERSHEY PA PA

cpa-pca.org/swap MISC. MISC.

REAL ESTATE OPPORTUNITIES SYNTHETIC OIL Dealerships w/ High Income Potential. Seeking Self-Motivated Individuals Wanting To Start a Business.

FOR MORE INFO: www.superioroil4u.com 3 ACRES ESTATE FOR SALE - 3550 SF Home, 3 Beds, 3.5 Baths, WBFPs, Pool, 2200 SF Garage w/ Lift & Temp Cntrl, Guest Hse, Priv Dock, Deep Water, Direct Access to Atl. Call Violet B (904)206-3131 Or Email: violet@ameliahomeexperts.com Coldwell Banker The Amelia Group

SERVICES NEED TO TRANSPORT YOUR CAR? Let Us Do The Legwork. Open or Enclosed Carriers, Near Or Far. We Work w/ Over 100 Transport Companies To Get You The Best Price & Scheduling.

TRANSPORT MASTERS (561)482-7789 (FL)

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Want to learn more?

SHOWROOM

TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION, PLEASE CALL: 800.722.7798

CAR CARE

RAFFLES

PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT!

Audi owner

—

Outdoor Cover Kit only $99.95 Select-Fit and Select-Fleece Car Cover Kits include Free Storage Bag, Lock, Cable

BMW owner

—

3 Wind Straps and a limited Lifetime Replacement Warranty

Indoor/Show Cover Kit only $139.95

FREE 2-DAY SHIPPING CODE: AW2DAY

PREVENT FLAT SPOTS Standard $89.95 Wide $154.95 Text your Year, Make & Model to 617-657-4212

Visit MCarCovers.com Call Now! 888-627-1129 MICROBEAD CAR COVERS IS NOW MCARCOVERS.COM

CAR CARE

MADE IN USA © 2019 by MacNeil IP LLC

USA Sourced Stainless Steel Bowls

NO BPA, Radiation, Mercury, Lead or Phthalate

Veterinarian Approved

PetComfort.com | 800-325-2273 Stainless Steel Bowl is Certified Under NSF Home Products P461.

EASY JOKES

•

BAD PUNS

QUESTIONABLE HUMOR

B U T WA I T, THERE’S MORE

H OT O F F TH E V IN YL P R ESS E S

T H E WOR L D’S FIRST LM P1 EP You’ve heard racing legends like Hans-Joachim Stuck, Derek Bell and Walter Röhrl wax poetic about dramatic moments behind the wheel of Porsche’s storied Le Mans racers. But have you ever heard them talking about it all on a record pressed out of old Porsche 919 tires, man?

Well, now you can. Porsche, taking analog format hipsterdom to previously unimaginable heights, has recorded 24 minute-long bits of its motorsports history on limited-edition platters made from tires that were run on the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning 919 prototype.

Porsche is calling the EP “The 24 Minutes of Le Mans.”

Just 200 of these bad boys will be made (gotta keep that exclusivity factor up); two dozen have been auctioned off to benefit French charity Loisirs Pluriel, an organization dedicated to assisting disabled children. If you can’t get your hands on a copy—or if you do manage to score one but can’t bear the thought of dropping a needle on virgin 919 tire-derived vinyl—you’ll be able to stream the contents of the record via services including Spotify, iTunes and ... Napster? Is Napster still a thing?

F U RT HE R ADVE NT URE S IN

THE SL E EPER THAT

BA D G E E NG IN E ERI NG

S LE EPS FOUR

The best way to liven up a 1976 Winnebago Chieftain is to cram a 6.0-liter turbocharged Chevrolet LS V8 underneath it. Regular Car Reviews gives us the downlow on this unlikely sleeper (surprise: It now has a lot more motor than brakes). bit.ly/aw-turbo-winnebago

M E , 4: 59 P. M . F R IDAY V S .

M E , 8:59 A. M . MO NDAY

What horrors hath the Daimler Chrysler era wrought? Posted to Reddit by user Tentaclarm.

Got a BWTM submission? Mail it to Autoweek, 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, MI 48207, Attn: BWTM or email bwtm@autoweek.com 48 | AUTOWEEK MARCH 11, 2019

MOTORSPORT IMAGES-LAT (2)

Corey LaJoie’s self-portrait-liveried No. 32 Go FAS Racing Ford Mustang, shown before and during the Daytona 500, hits a little too close to home.