SRT and Dodge premiered the Challengers in SCCA Trans-Am series today at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

Photo and news found on https://www.facebook.com/moparsunited?ref=stream

Rather than waiting until next year, the Miller Racing team is switching mid-season to the new Dodge Challenger SRT Trans Am racer you see here, just in time for this weekend's race at Mid-Ohio. And not just that – it's lined up a compelling pair of drivers to pilot it, as well.

Miller Racing http://millerracing.org/ fielded two of these racers today, with four-time series champion Tommy Kendall returning to the TA2 class for the first time in a decade. While Kendall will drive Number 11, the Number 1 car will be piloted by Cameron Lawrence, last year’s Mid-Ohio Trans Am race winner. Under the hood is a 6.3-liter naturally-aspirated V8 rated at 499 hp mated to a four-speed manual. http://www.autospies.com/news/Dodge-Returns-To-Trans-Am-Racing-With-Challenger-SRT-200-HP-LESS-Than-A-Hellcat-82422/

Andretti's win helped him close the gap on current points leader and defending TA2 Champion Cameron Lawrence, driver of the No. 1 Miller Racing Dodge Challenger SRT. Lawrence joined four-time Trans Am Champion Tommy Kendall this week in debuting the Dodge Challenger in the TA2 class and still holds the TA2 points lead, with 206 points to Andretti's. "I'm incredibly proud of the team for getting here to the Mid-Ohio track for our first Trans Am race," said Russ Ruedisueli, head of SRT and motorsports engineering, SRT Motorsports. "The team worked incredibly hard to get here when you're coming to the race with a new car and motors. It was pretty brave. I think we're all a little disappointed in the finish, although Cameron did an awesome job getting us up to 10th. Tommy ran a strong race too, even though he was unable to finish just a few laps from the end. Alll in all, it was a pretty good weekend. We'll take a look and regroup for the next race at Brainerd."  http://www.racer.com/latest-stories/item/107486-trans-am-doug-peterson-continues-championship-charge-at-mid-ohio

In other news... the beer company that donates its profits to charity, and invented the Reverse Truck, is creating a dark extra stout

I've never bothered you with Kickstarter campaigns, there are so many, and it seems an odd way to raise money... but a company that gives all its profits to, and collects food for, soup kitchens - gets my respect and what free publicity I can put up for them in hopes that their business is a success, and that they may do lots of good, and inspire others, as I suspect Paul Newman inspired them, to donate profits to charity.

" in the process of creating our limited release Extra Stout for an October 1st release date. We’ve been working with Guinness-trained brewmaster Damian McConn, who is currently the head brewer at Summit Brewing Company in Saint Paul, MN. A fine Irish chap who knows his way around a proper Stout."

Because we give back to the community to help feed the hungry, creating new beers is a challenge. So we need help with the expenses of developing the taste profile, formulating the recipe, and obtaining the ingredients, as well as the costs of brewing, bottling and packaging Dead Irish Poet at the Summit Brewing Company.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/finnegans/finnegans-dead-irish-poet-extra-stout

FINNEGANS is the first beer in the world to donate 100 percent of their profits and with the help from craft brew enthusiasts the Dead Irish Poet can come to life.

Finnegans is the fifth largest beer brand in Minnesota, and it's available in more than 2,000 stores in the Upper Midwest. Its sales grow an average of 30% each year. But Finnegans is not your average craft beer brand. Every bit of profit raked in by the company goes back to the community--specifically, to purchasing produce from local farms and gardens and then giving that produce to local food banks and soup kitchens. In 2012 alone, Finnegans donated 110,189 pounds of fresh produce. This is a beer brand that doesn't just get people tipsy--it feeds the hungry. http://www.fastcoexist.com/3025778/why-this-popular-minnesota-beer-company-gives-away-all-of-its-profits

FINNEGANS - Reverse Food Truck from FINNEGANS on Vimeo.

First posted on http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2014/06/finnegans-begin-again-nursery-rhyme.html

not only was 1906 a year of a lot of transportation killings, but there was a lot of ways to get from A to B

The point of this illustration must be that cars are safer.

Found on https://www.facebook.com/92272678293/photos/a.111905863293.121151.92272678293/10153065890218294/?type=1

Congrats to Brian! Awarded the Chelsey Award for best Illustration from the the Academy of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists

I found Brian's incredible work and book at Comic Con 2013 http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2013/08/an-octopus-on-pennyfarthing-and-riding.html

The award http://www.asfa-art.org/pages/06-currentawardspage.html

A Packer Backer in a 2014 KW T660

Found on https://www.facebook.com/packermemes?fref=photo 

Anyone try all the gimmick spark plugs?

The guys on http://www.fordpinto.com/general-help/anyone-tried-irridium-plugs/msg152447/?topicseen  worked in a lot of parts stores, and agree that all those plugs are junk

the benefit off micro-polishing

A ring and pinion oil will be around 80 degrees cooler if you micro polish them

Source

the 3 stooges and vintage cars

Elevator parking lot behind 2301 Kuhio St, Oahu, Hawaii

Above is looking at the taller building in the center of the photo, behind the short business building

and this is looking at it from Duke Lane

Both images are screen shots from Google Street View, and this parking garage has been roofed and walled in... probably to make it aesthetically appealing as possible



here it is on satellite image, the tan double roof in the center of the image

Thanks to Mark Hann for telling us about it on facebook in response to the often seen Chicago image

But because it's inner structure is covered by the exterior walls, it may not be an elevator parking but instead may be the "pigeon hole parking" system that was featured and explained on The Old Motor http://theoldmotor.com/?p=128118

and on http://www.bycitylight.com/spotlight-archive.php?article=2

it turns out, these are very common in New York City, so common, no one even thinks they are interesting. http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2016/01/another-elevator-parking-garage-has.html for a half a dozen, and they can be found all over Manhattan with Google street view

Automatic parking garage in Manhattan reduces wasted space of normal parking garages

Thanks to Russ!

it turns out, the old fashioned type of pigeon hole parking elevators are very common in New York City, so common, no one even thinks they are interesting.
 http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2016/01/another-elevator-parking-garage-has.html for a half a dozen, and they can be found all over Manhattan with Google street view

B-25 war bird restoration team needs some help... and is driving cross country to pick up donated stuff!

Aircraft Items

 o B-25 Parts /Propellers/ R-2600 engines or parts
o Any aviation related WWII Items
o Static radial engines or core engines
o Other aircraft parts (Aeronca, Cessna, Piper)
o Continental engines or parts
o Surplus AN hardware
o Complete aircraft projects

Tools
o Air drills
o Rivet equipment
 o Clecos
o Mill accessories (bits, fixtures, chucks)
o Non destructive testing equipment (Magnaflux, Eddy current)
o Hand tools

Shop Equipment

 o Four post hydraulic press
o CNC mill (like a Tormach CNC Mill)
o Large metal shear
o Heat-treating ovens

If you have anything you would like to donate please send us an email at pmihalek@sandbarmitchell.org Thank you greatly for your support!

Congrats to Jeff Norwell! Street Rodder Magazine finally has featured Jeff's art!

The art in the magazine and in the online article is identical, so don't waste money buying the hardcopy, this is one magazine I don't recommend.

But it is one of the few that covers customs and hot rods, and it's now absorbing Rod and Custom Magazine, as Source Interlink finally trimmed the fat and combined similar magazines to cut costs

I've been a fan of Jeff Norwell's art since 2009, http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/12/if-i-could-afford-it-id-get-jeff.html and can't imagine what took SRM so long to do a feature of his work! This month is only part one, so there will be more to see and read about next month.  http://www.streetrodderweb.com/features/1410_the_actionpacked_art_of_jeff_norwell_part_1/

Jeff has 2 websites: http://drawnandquarrtered.blogspot.com/ and http://www.jeffnorwell.com/

What keeps Americans from being tested realistically for a drivers license?

I was reading the article in Autoweek magazine August 4th, 2014 issue, Piston Slap by Mark Vaughn, and its written with a lot of humor... and he concludes that to get a drivers license in the USA, you have to A) parallel park without killing 14 people and B) causing 72 million dollars in damages.

It's obvious that other countries with higher speed limits like Germany, and other European countries take driving licenses far more seriously, and the USA will give one to any 16 year old that can pass a 50 question test they can look up online, that has little to do with driving safely, and a operations test that doesn't judge them in the dark, or foggy, rainy, snowy, or icy roads... and auto renews a license without a physical check to verify the drivers health and eyesight.

Mark points out that there are 35,000 deaths from traffic accidents each year, but nothing done to make getting a license more focused on testing for safer driving skills.

He wrote a funny article, and I've been a shill for Autoweek so long they ought to send me a free subscription... but anyway, he got me thinking about the ridiculous idea that a drivers license in the USA is given with little safety testing, and no driving in normal conditions other than whatever the weather happens to deliver for the 20 minutes or so a kid gets behind the wheel with an instructor that focuses on parallel parking and rail road crossings... actually questions 2 and 3 below on the written test as well as my sarcastic example of driving instructors. This is pathetic.

from the California state DMV http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/interactive/tdrive/clc2written.htm

convertible Vipers, via Prefix Corp. Dodge's paint and finish company for Vipers

Called the Medusa (snake headed goddess) and made for 35 thou over the cost of a Viper, 10 are spoken for and will be sold by the Dodge dealership in Tomball Texas

http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/meet-new-viper-convertible

did you hear that a 60 stories skyscraper is being built in Miami for billionaires with Porsches?

with car elevators from street to penthouses, but do you think anyone wants to wait for the automated system to load and unload the car to and from the elevator? No.

132 condos, probably 500 million apiece. For all they've put online about it: http://investinmiami.com/porsche-design-tower/#.U-12p_ldUXw

this years Bonneville speedweek

Should have brought a speedboat

Photo from https://www.facebook.com/les.gardner.12

Does anyone know where the 1000th B29 is?

Becki's grand dad was upper left in this photo, Don Evans, and her family is curious about where the plane is now (if known)

See the comments to learn that though it's been scrapped, it's surprising how much info you can get by using Google. (Thanks John!)

those are dollar bills that are going to get donated to the March of Dimes from the workers at the Boeing plant

Thanks Steve!

Good commercial about being young and having fun with friends

Post by Timelessfashions.

Found on https://www.facebook.com/pages/Timelessfashions/206175259518139?fref=photo

subliminal sex advertising, from 21st century car insurance

Found on https://www.facebook.com/uberdiva?ft[tn]=lC&ft[qid]=6047507833741040476&ft[mf_story_key]=-247731095767469620&ft[ei]=6047507837722157034.6018118193409.16&ft[fbfeed_location]=1&ft[insertion_position]=48&__md__=1 

Speedweek 2013 photos

for a full article and video of this Mercedes: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-bonneville-1954-mercedes-300-sl.html

Found on http://www.sportscardigest.com/bonneville-speed-week-2013-report-and-photos/

the Grand Prix photobomber!

the guy on the far left? pretending to be interested in the hood scoop... is simply jumping into a photo of Enzo and Phil Hill, pretty clever huh!

From Denise McCluggage's article on Hagerty.com http://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/Articles/2014/07/08/Grand-Prix-Photobomber

Bernard Cahier was the go-to guy who knew everybody on the scene and behind it. People with cameras might be clicking away, and Bernard would maneuver to join not the photographers but the group being photographed.

Over time, I noticed other instances and decided Bernard was the most photographed photographer in racing.

both of these are at the 1960 French Gran Prix

He was also the guy who became famous for handing Stirling Moss a coke, on a hairpin turn

Stirling Moss takes a Coke at the Hairpin Turn at Sebring in 1957. Moss had seen some of the photographers at the Hairpin the lap before drinking Cokes so he gave them the classic thirsty sign (pretending to bring a bottle to his lips) as he drove by.

Cahier grabbed a Coke bottle, opened it, and waited for Moss to come around again. As he did, Cahier handed the bottle to Moss. He drank it during the lap, then promptly deposited it in the grass at the hairpin on the next lap and gave them a wave as thanks.  Image by Smith Peter Kerr.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=975708605815695&set=gm.1176266642385154&type=3&permPage=1

Great article about this moment on http://vintagemotorsport.com/2020/04/moss-coke-bottle-incident/

https://revslib.stanford.edu

It turns out, he was a car salesman at a dealership owned by Phil Hill, and French by birth but American by adoption when he married a Californian



here Cahier passes a bottle of water to Harry Schell
http://zona-rapida.blogspot.com/2016/04/fotografia-bernard-cahier.html