10 Tips for Surviving NASCAR Season...When You're Not a Fan

By Heather Clark

It happens every year: NASCAR dominates your life every Sunday (and sometimes other days) from February through November. But what do you do when someone you live with is a Race Fan (RF) and you're not? From coping with the temporarily impaired ability to carry on a coherent conversation (don't worry - it usually is just temporary) to wondering why a 39 year old suddenly starts to behave like a 12 year old every time a race is on, here are some tips to help you cope with your very own RF, whether they're 10 or 90 or somewhere in between.

1. NEVER walk in front of the television if a race is on. If your dog is trying to crawl up the fireplace, let it go. If your arm is falling off, just duct tape it back on for now. Just don't walk in front of the television. Seriously, this piece of advice could possibly save your life.

2. Throw the word "drafting" into anything you need so say to your RF while the race is on. Since drafting is a popular racing term, you stand a small chance of actually being heard.

3. Invest in a drink holder that has a long arm. Why? It makes your RF feel like he's being handed a drink while sitting in a race car, and more importantly, it keeps you out of harm's way.

4. NEVER plan anything on a Sunday during race season – unless you want to go alone. If you do want to go somewhere alone (or with friends), Sunday is the perfect day.

5. Refer to all bathroom breaks as "pit stops". You may actually need to remind your RF to take some pit stops during the race, too.

6. If you're going somewhere during the race and you need to make your RF aware that you're leaving, use the phrase "4-tire change" somewhere in your sentence. You'll at least get a baffled stare.

7. If your RF has some rowdy friends over for the race, you might think about implementing a flag system. In racing, a green flag means the race is on and there are no problems. A yellow flag is a caution, which means all drivers must slow down and use - what else - caution. A red flag means the race has been stopped due to debris or an accident. A black flag means that a specific car must leave the race. These same flag colors can be used as a behavioral barometer for a rowdy NASCAR crowd, and it involves symbols they already understand. If they don't behave, you can always slap 'em with a fine.

8. Make sure the food served during a race is only from NASCAR sponsors. You don't have to serve the food, but unless you want to hear a lot of bellyaching, makes sure the "approved" food is available.

9. Invest in some good earphones. You can listen to music or books on tape and not have to get sucked into a discussion of who really should have won the 1976 Daytona 500.

10. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. And remember: it's perfectly acceptable to choose a favorite driver based on how cute he is or how cool his car looks.

Heather L. Clark is a Web writer and researcher who enjoys birthday cards, NASCAR and basketball.

Society's elite gear up for the Gumball 3000 Rally

By Elisha Burberry

The Gumball 3000 was founded in 1999 by Maximillion Cooper, an ex-Armani model, who was inspired by the “Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash”, an unofficial, almost outlawed, coast to coast road race from New York to Los Angeles that took place four times during the 1970s before being cancelled due to concerns over road safety from police.

Maximllion Cooper set out to revive the spirit of the original Cannonball races in the summer of 1999, combining long drives throughout the day with decadent nightly parties. The original rally featured fifty of Cooper’s wealthiest friends, who drove to Italy in extravagant and customised cars, before arriving in London and crossing the finish line. In an attempt to avoid trouble from the authorities, the Gumball rally was set up with no official timing and no prizes awarded, emphasising that it was a rally and not a race, although this didn’t stop many of the drivers being fined for speeding offences during the rally.

In 2000 the rally returned, this time beginning in Spain. Once again stars from film and music lined up to compete, including drum and bass legend and erstwhile James Bond villain Goldie. The third rally in 2001 garnered tremendous publicity for the Gumball, mostly thanks to several members of the “Jackass” cast taking part and filming the adventure for an MTV special, which earned MTV their highest ratings for the year. The event was also covered by terrestrial British television for the first time in 2001, with BBC 1 broadcasting regular updates of the rally.

In 2002, the spirit of the original Cannonball races was well and truly in the air, as the Gumball Rally competitors raced from New York to the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles, covering the original route from the 1970s. 2002’s Gumball 3000 featured more drivers than ever before, with 175 cars entered into the race.

The Gumball continued over the next three years before 2006 heralded the year of the most ambitious Gumball Rally yet, with drivers scheduled to start in London and finish in Los Angeles just eight days later. Bam Margera and Ryan Dunn of “Jackass” entered the rally as did extreme sports legend, Tony Hawk with the drivers enjoying a post race party in L.A hosted by hip-hop aficionado Snoop Dogg. Unfortunately, the success of this race couldn’t be replicated the following year.

Upon arrival in Amsterdam for the start of the rally on 2007, participants were met by Dutch police with 14 police cars and 7 unmarked cars. Rap star Xzibit had his license revoked for a speeding violation, and two cars were confiscated. Things got worse however, when German police stopped close to 70 cars for speeding offences the following day before tragedy struck just days later when two participants in the rally were involved in a high speed collision in the Republic of Macedonia. The drivers reportedly smashed into another car while they were doing speeds in excess of 200 kilometres an hour. The elderly couple they hit both died on the way to the hospital.

Despite the disastrous events of last year, Maximillion Cooper is running the Gumball 3000 once again this year, scheduled to begin in San Francisco and end in Beijing, China. The 2008 Gumball Rally is also set to feature many regular car enthusiasts with many car credit companies presumably rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of the money motoring fans will splash out on the ultimate car, all of them itching to rub shoulders with the celebrities involved in a true adventure of a lifetime.

Aston Martin Builds New Test Center

By Anthony Fontanelle

Aston Martin may not be filling the Internet’s news sites with updates and new cars almost every day but for some people, they believe that the car brand is certainly taking its time and working on its updates slowly, surely, and silently. And that may be for a good purpose for when they have completed their goal, they should be able to work on their press release and announce to the public the finished product of their months of silence.

We have learned a couple of months back that Aston Martin already had opened the very first design studio which was purposefully built. It was created in their headquarters in Warwickshire and it is already running and is operational. At present, The Auto Channel had reported that they were going to be launching a new project for their brand and that would be through the building of a new test center which they would be able to utilize. The report continued that Aston Martin would be putting in the foundation of the new test center in Germany’s Nurburgring race circuit.

At present, reports have it that the planned test center for their vehicles has already had the foundations put in and work is already going on. A building already in the area would be improved and transformed so as to be able to have their test center ready and available for use by May this year. That would only be a couple of months away but if Aston Martin would be focusing on this project right now, they may complete the test center ahead of schedule.

“When we open the Aston Martin Nürburgring Test Centre at the end of May this will be our second major new facility in less than 12 months since the company entered new ownership. The Nürburgring has played a vital part in improving the performance and durability of all modern Aston Martins. Our new test centre will allow us to further increase the performance of our cars and to share something of the unique Nordschleife experience with our customers,” Dr. Ulrich Bez, chief of Aston Martin, shared.

With the new test center operation by May, Aston Martin may be able to check out all the parts that they vehicles would be having - from the engine to the MSD Pro-billet distributor to the catalytic converters and to everything else in between - without much hassle. The joys of owning a facility such as this.

Geneva Motor Show To House 2009 Chevy Corvette XR1 European Debut

By Anthony Fontanelle

In a few weeks’ time, the European car market is going to meet yet another new vehicle from the United States. This new vehicle is a supercar and it is scheduled to have its European debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show which is happening this March, Auto Spectator wrote. The new supercar? The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.

General Motors, the genius company behind the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, shared that the vehicle has specialized components. Although designed separately, when put together in the vehicle, these components work in smooth harmony so as to allow the vehicle to become the fastest vehicle in the GM range. It is also, at present, the most powerful unit that General Motors has. It can zoom to a high of 320 kilometers per hour as its top speed.

The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 boasts of a better performance compared to all other supercars in the auto market. Behind the creation of this vehicle, General Motors did work on the current Chevrolet ZR1 so as to be able to complete the creation of a supercar like the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. The result is something really good for statistics have it that the latter is better than Porsche’s 911 GT2, Lamborghini’s LP640, and Ferrari’s 599 in terms of power-to-weight ratio.

What makes the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 go that fast and perform that good? General Motors actually put in a new engine - a LS9 V8 engine with 6.2 liters. This new beast has the capacity to create 620 horsepower as well as 807 Nm for its torque. A supercharger that is large and has a four-lobe design for its rotor has been added to the beast’s prowess. Interestingly, the new engine has been assembled by hand at the company’s facility in Wixom, Michigan.

Mated to the engine is yet another piece of equipment that helps make the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 work better and move faster. This is a new six speed transmission that is manual in nature. Along with that, there is also a twin-disc clutch which is capable of providing a strong amount of power.

The vehicle’s Chevy parts all ride on alloy rims that come with 20 spokes. For the front rims, these measure 19 inches while the rear ones measure 20.

BMW M3: Sexy, Powerful, And Comfortable

By Ian Wendt

The new BMW M3 is a fourth generation car and it continues in BMW's quest to build the perfect high-performance sports car. The M3 has been designed to thrill. It is equipped with a completely new V8 engine and drive train, a lightweight body that is very rigid, a lowered center of gravity and a carbon roof that is just as strong as steel but weighs far less. As always, all systems have been tried on the toughest testing ground in the world.

For this car, style is not the main goal; it will always be designed by functionality. The front is designed to accommodate the high-rev engine. The back sports a wider track and four tailpipes. Even the shape of the exterior mirrors enhance the overall aerodynamics. It is this mixture of form and function that guarantee the the final effect. This car provides sports performance that is perfectly suited for everyday driving.

You will immediately see what the high-rev engine is able to accomplish when you turn the key in the ignition. Push this new BMW to its limits and experience the pleasure of driving such a powerful automobile as you shift the gears and put the car into motion. Maintain tight steering as you round the first curve so you don't give up your advantage. The BMW M3 can be individualized with original paint finishes. Listen to the powerful engine as it reaches 8,400 rpm.

The car's exterior features well-designed headlights which are the optimum shape to deflect wind as it moves quickly over the bonnet. The gracefully-curved front section has wide wind intake vents. The long curving lines if its elegant body and sloping roof discourage wind resistance and allow the BMW M3 to accelerate smoothly and fluidly. There's no wonder why the performance of a BMW is unsurpassed anywhere.

One glance inside the cockpit and across the distinctive dashboard and you immediately know that within the BMW 3 Series M3 hides a realm of discoveries: interior trims in fine wood, titanium or aluminum compliment the perfectly combined colors and materials that underscore the generous spaciousness inside the vehicle.

You would be forgiven for overlooking the intelligently positioned instrument dials - they are simply placed where you expect to find them. Their seats are remarkably spacious and comfortable. The optional Sports seats, with their excellent side support, are perfect for dynamic driving, and make the longest journey into a relaxed pleasure.

The new BMW M3 is a fourth generation car. The well-developed rear offers room for the wider track and quadruple tailpipe system. The interplay of each factor achieves the best result: sports car BMW performance. If you start the ignition, you will instantly see what the high-rev engine is capable of. Shift up through the gears to propel this new BMW forward. Brake as you approach the first bend but keep your steering tight. You can configure your BMW using original paint finishes and enjoy the powerful sound of the engine at 8,400 rpm after your BMW tuning.