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Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, May 12 —

Weather Bulletin: springtime in Wisconsin is not the same as springtime in Louisiana, or Georgia.

All three states were on the 2006 One Lap of America tour.

At No Problem Raceway near Baton Rouge, the Lappers were sweating in high humidity 85-degree weather, and at Roebling Road, near Savannah, temps were in the balmy mid-70s.

But at Road America, the final road course test of this year’s campaign, temperatures crept only to the mid-30s, a cold rain made the day’s first time trial particularly hazardous to sheetmetal, and several Lappers reported snow showers during the previous evening’s run up from Indiana.

It took very keen eyesight to see fun in this, particularly for those who found themselves stuck in gravel traps, or worse.

It wasn’t the kind of day a driver would pick for running fast laps on America’s fastest road racing course — unless that driver happened to be behind the wheel of a hotted-up Subaru WRX STi.

That description applies to Luke Russell, the young hotshoe from Fort Myers, Florida, who pedaled his ’04 STi to first place in both Road America runs.

It’s hard to say which of these achievements was more impressive.

The first round was run in a light but steady rain, making for very slick track conditions — so slick, in fact, that nine cars failed to finish their three laps owing to various encounters with gravel, tire walls, and/or concrete barriers.

Yet Russell’s Subie prevailed, setting the fastest time of the day in the process.

At the beginning of the second round, track conditions were even worse, thanks in part to mud and gravel spread by cars that had suffered various misfortunes in the earlier runs.

But as the round progressed, the rain let up, and the track began to dry, circumstances that mirrored events at Putnam Park Road Course a day earlier.

With a dry track, cars that would ordinarily have been far slower on this ultra-fast four-mile layout laid down lap times that made most of the real rockets look a little lame.

This certainly applied to your humble narrator, who slithered his way to what seemed to a respectable time in the early going, only to watch Chevy Cavaliers and Honda Odyssey minivans come prancing home with quicker laps on a dry track.

But even though he was subject to the same circumstances, Russell’s time stood up to all challenges, an outstanding performance in very tricky transitional conditions.

Beyond the frequent need for tow trucks, the day’s action was punctuated by other strange occurrences.

For example, when the Kevin Jones/Mark Donohue Williams Subaru finished posting the third-best time of the second round, it was observed that flames seemed to be coming from beneath the car, and closer investigation revealed that this was because the car was in fact on fire.

Quick work by the Road America fire crew doused the blaze, coating the engine bay with chemical fire retardant in the process. But Jones and Williams were able to get the car cleaned up, and drove it away.

Another car that drove away did so at the invitation of the track management.

At some point during the afternoon the car’s driver — who shall remain nameless — was seized by an urge to perform power "doughnuts" on freshly laid asphalt in the Road America paddock.

There are several newly-paved areas in the track’s expanded upper paddock, and all were marked off limits during our visit, to give the fresh pavement time to cure.

As a result, the track maintenance crew wasn’t at all amused when the rogue Mercedes began its rotations, with clouds of white smoke coming off the rear tires. And the driver was asked, firmly, to cease, desist, pack, and leave the premises forthwith.

While Russell was putting on his wet weather driving clinic, Mark DaVia was quietly putting the finishing touches on his third straight One Lap overall championship, whistling to the fourth fastest time in the morning round, and fifth in the afternoon.

When the day’s tally was done, DaVia’s Porsche held a 495-point edge over second place. This means the Connecticut autocrosser could skip Saturday’s final event — another turn on the Tire Rack skidpad in South Bend, Indiana — and still collect the big trophy.

While Friday’s second run was deflating for the Car and Driver BMW M5 crew — not only were we harassed by Hondas and manhandled by Minis, we finished behind almost every other car in the Luxury Sedan class — the day’s strangely scrambled points left us 11th in the overall standings and solidly first in class.

Next stop: South Bend for the final event, closing ceremonies, and our final report.

See Swan’s report from

Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/features/06q2/one_lap_of_america_2006_day_7-feature

Rick Dees. A Class Act! "Live Fearless with Sam Botta" Clip …

Source: http://www.eurocarblog.com/post/2415/fiat-500c-vs-smart-fortwo-cabrio

It may seem odd to compare the with the cabrio but if you’re in the market for a smaller and economical cabrio, these two are likely on your list to check out and Auto, Motor und Sport did a comparison test. In terms of style, there’s not much competition, really, with the 500C being the sexy, retro model out of the two, and the Smart ForTwo cabrio the less attractive option.

However, the 500C is also 40 kg heavier and a significant 2,800 euros more expensive, than the Smart ForTwo cabrio. In terms of practicality, both models are similar with regards to boot space and roof function. The 500C is apparently noisier though, but being slightly bigger, interior space makes for greater comfort. The Smart ForTwo is more your city choice for parking and manageability, at the cost of a roomier vehicle.

The Fiat 500C has greater fuel consumption than the Smart, meaning that you won’t be buying one based on its environmental qualifications. But, if you want to value driving pleasure over economical city commuting, the 500C has to be your choice. Despite its greater cost, it is the more fun to drive, with better feel and transmission than the Smart, and more comfort. So it comes down to your reason for buying one (mountain roads in summer vs city streets) and how far your budget stretches.

Source | via

smart car crash

(ARA) – Drowsy driving can put anyone at risk for an accident, and NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Carl Edwards wants to make sure motorists know to stay alert while driving.

Edwards, who suffers from allergies, has teamed up with the makers of the non-drowsy allergy medication, CLARITIN, for the “Clear to Drive” campaign.

The campaign aims to make sure people know how important it is to read medicine labels to see if there are any warnings about drowsiness before they get behind the wheel.

As someone who races cars for a living, driver safety is an issue that’s important to me, and that’s why I’m participating in the “Clear to Drive” campaign,” says Edwards.

When I’m driving at 180 miles per hour, I can’t risk taking a medicine that makes me drowsy. I choose CLARITIN because it gives me powerful, non-drowsy relief from my worst allergy symptoms.

As a spokesperson for the “Clear to Drive” campaign, Edwards will record a radio announcement to raise awareness about drowsy driving, which can potentially result from taking medicines that may cause drowsiness.

The radio announcement will be available on cleartodrive.com – a new Web site that will provide valuable information on safe driving. The site will also feature facts about drowsy driving and tips for preventing this growing problem.

The Dangers of Drowsy Driving

Many drivers don’t realize that some common over-the-counter medicines could cause drowsiness. In fact, according to a recent survey, four in 10 Americans (38 %) report that there have been times when they were driving and realized that the medicine they had taken was making them drowsy.

Taking a medication that may cause drowsiness can put people at risk for nodding off behind the wheel and potentially harming themselves or others,” says Marjorie Slankard, M.D., clinical professor of medicine at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. “It’s important to carefully read the labels of medications and understand the side effects.

Tips for Preventing Drowsy Driving

* Always remember to check medicine labels, including allergy medicines, for warnings about drowsiness before getting behind the wheel

* Avoid driving if you’re feeling drowsy

* Schedule breaks during long trips or arrange for a travel companion

* Get adequate sleep

* Stop driving if you start feeling drowsy behind the wheel

For more tips on safe driving and additional information about the “Clear to Drive” campaign, visit cleartodrive.com.

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