The new NASCAR Dodge Charger isn’t set to even make an appearance until next year, but the team out at Penske Racing is already hard at work in preparing it for its racing debut.

Much like the 2013 NASCAR Ford Fusion that was revealed earlier this year, the 2013 Dodge Charger actually looks like a stock car, resembling its factory counterpart. While the cars themselves may increasingly share a great deal underneath, it’s nice to see that a new generation of NASCAR stock cars are inheriting their design from the actual production models.

The photos taken over at Penske Racing also reveal the new fuel injected engines that the Chargers will run in the 2013 race season.

GALLERY: 2013 NASCAR Dodge Charger

[Source: Randy Ayers' NASCAR Modeling via Jalopnik]

Irwindale Speedway just didn’t see many days like the ones in the above photo, taken back in 2006 at a Formula Drift event, the series that has given the track its nickname of “The House of Drift.” Now it appears that no such drifting will be going on this year.

Rumors were flying over the weekend that Irwindale was being closed permanently, or that it was just an ownership swap and that business would continue as usual. But today the track finally released an official statement, albeit a brief one, that they’ll be canceling the 2012 race season.

This past Saturday, the grandstands in the pit area were taken down while the offices at the track were cleaned out and emptied onto moving trucks. The canceling of the 2012 race season marks the end of stock car and NASCAR-sanctioned short track racing in the LA County. It also means that we won’t be seeing an exhilarating season finale for Formula D.

But it appears that Irwindale Speedway will get a new owner in due time, and that the L. A. Racing Experience driving school believes it will have no effect on them. ”It doesn’t,” Jim Cohan, CEO of L.A. Racing Experience said. “We look forward to working with the next owner for sure. I do not see racing finished here. I see too many people that love the sport.”

The biggest blow to the track was when Toyota decided not to continue as the title sponsor at the end of the 2011 season. Hopefully things will turn around for the track over the course of this year.

[Source: ESPN]

North of the border automotive retail giant Canadian Tire has announced a long-term partnership with Mosport International Raceway. The famed motor racing circuit located near Bowmanville, Ontario, east of Toronto, hosts the only Canadian round of the American Le Mans Series (shown above).

The deal, which will see the track renamed Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, includes upgrading the current facilities with such additions as better spectactor stands, improved pit and garage areas for race teams, plus efforts to improve the overall race experience at the track for members of the public, corporate partners and race participants alike.

Upon news of the announcement, Myles Brandt, Mosport’s president and general manager declared, “we are thrilled to partner with Canadian Tire, an important supporter of Mosport and auto racing fans for many years. Together we’re building a world-class facility that will draw racing enthusiasts and grow our fanbase which continues to evolve year over year.”

Visitors to the track are expected to see improvements to the facilities as early as this May, during the annual Victoria Day SpeedFest weekend, which also marks the start of the NASCAR Canadian Tire series.

Ford is the first company to show off its 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup contender, and it is in the form of the all new Ford Fusion that was released just two weeks ago at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

NASCAR is looking for more manufacturer identification between the new cars and the fans, which is why this year’s Fusion is a little more unique than its predecessor. NASCAR officials have been working closely with each of the four manufacturers that build NASCAR-eligible cars to make sure that the newly designed Sprint Cup cars do no stray in design too far from their street legal counterparts.

The NASCAR Fusion shares a lot of styling cues with the street version, notably the hood line, front grill and headlight design.

This time around the design process was very different for the Ford team, “We started going back to our design community and nosed around with guys that have been with the company the longest and we can’t remember the last time designers have been involved with helping NASCAR,” said Ford Racing NASCAR Operations Manager Andy Slankard.  “This time, we have had the luxury of support from the Ford Design Center to give us these sleek shapes and new look. Only designers could do that, not a bunch of engineers or race car guys.”

It is a bit of a departure from the last Fusion NASCAR, which basically only resembled the production Fusion thanks to its graphic package. This was becoming the case with all of the NASCAR contenders, and the result is a NASCAR wide initiative to make better looking and more identifiable cars for the 2013 race season.

GALLERY: 2013 Ford Fusion NASCAR

If you’re a die hard NASCAR or Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan, you may want to start digging around for $79,900. Up for sale is JR Motorsports car number 10, which was also one of Dale’s first stock cars to wear his now infamous #88.

The 2007 Chevy Monte Carlo is a race-ready car, but was retired after only one race to join Jr.’s National Hot Rod Tour. Recently, the Monte Carlo was purchased by a private party. That person then had it serviced and ran it for three laps at Carolina Motorsports Park with the American Vintage Racing Association (AVRA). Now you can own the vehicle, and with it a membership in the AVRA complete with real track time and full track support.

The exterior of the vehicle is pretty self explanatory, but under the hood is a fully built 358-cubic inch SB2 V8 powerplant with 725-hp. Beyond that is just a whole lot of race-ready engineering that’s gone into the chassis (built by Ronnie Hopkins), suspension, and there’s no mistaking the gutted interior full with a NASCAR-spec roll cage.

GALLERY: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s #88 NASCAR Monte Carlo

[Source: RK Motors]

Daytime TV is about to go into overdrive, as 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup runner-up Carl Edwards will co-host LIVE! with Kelly on January 10. Edwards will being making his appearance during a special themed week of sports co-hosts.

This isn’t the first time Edwards has been a guest on LIVE! With Kelly – he starred on the show last June after his win in the Sprint All-Star race, and has also made an appearance with the NASCAR Chase contenders in the past. The January 10th show will mark his first time as co-host.

Just one of the guests scheduled to appear on Edward’s co-hosting gig will include actress Kate Beckinsale – just one more reason to tune in.

Heading to this year’s Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, Arizona auction is a one-of-a-kind prototype NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford Mustang. A custom-built prototype that never saw any track time at all – it has zero miles – it’ll come with a custom-built Roush Racing engine that only has dyno time on it.

There’s no reserve on this race car that has a Tremec four-speed transmission mated to the custom Roush 351 V8 powerplant. The exterior is a nice dark blue, contrasted by white racing stripes and the entire package looks ready to rock on the track.

GALLERY: 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford Mustang

[Source: Barrett-Jackson]

How’s this for putting a breast… er, we mean foot… in your mouth? NASCAR race car driver Kasey Kahne is furiously back peddling after making some objectionable remarks on Twitter about breast feeding.

The comments were made on Twitter after Kahne saw a woman breastfeeding her child in a supermarket. At first, he tweeted: “Just walking through supermarket. See a mom breastfeeding little kid. Took second look because I was obviously seeing things. I wasn’t!” A minute or so later, he added: “One boob put away one boob hanging!!! #nasty” and “I don’t feel like shopping any more or eating.” Those last two were quickly deleted shortly after he posted them, but not before others saw and were appalled with what he wrote.

After being swamped with thousands of comments on his site, he issued an apology on Facebook a few hours later, saying: “I apologize. It was in no way my intention to offend any mother who chooses to breastfeed her child, or, for that matter, anyone who supports breast feeding children. In all honestly, I was surprised by what I saw in a grocery store. I shared that reaction with my fans on Twitter. It obviously wasn’t the correct approach, and, after reading your feedback, I now have a better understanding of why my posts upset some of you.” He also apologized on Twitter to a woman who had objected to his breast feeding comment, whom he called “a dumb bitch” – it’s unclear whether or not he made this remark because he was surprised that someone had something bad to say about him.

His racing-team sponsors Great Clips weren’t amused by his comments, and hours before his apology was made, the hair salon chain tweeted two women Kahne had blasted online: “Our apologies for this. Please know that response was uncalled for & does not reflect our organization.”

We’re wondering if Kahne is going to go the Ashton Kutcher route and hire someone to make sure his tweets aren’t too offensive.

[Source: Toronto Star]

The Ford Police Interceptor has long made its name chasing after speeding cars. However, at the Ford Championship Weekend NASCAR races at Homestead Miami Speedway this November 18-20, the roles are reversed as the 2013 Ford Police Interceptor Utility and Sedan are honored to serve as pace cars to lead the pack for the weekend.

Pacing the grid for the Ford 200, Ford 300 and Ford 400 NASCAR finale events is the Police Interceptor Utility. The first ever pursuit rated utility by Ford, the Interceptor Utility will be serving as the lead pace car, serving pace duty for all three races. The Interceptor Sedan will serve as the split pace car for the weekend. Both vehicles should be capable of performing without a cinch. The police vehicle market leader for the past 15 years, Ford’s latest generation of Police Interceptors are specifically designed and engineered with safety and technology innovations just for the rigors of police duty. How hard could pacing NASCAR be?

Lisa Teed, the brand manager for Ford Police Interceptors is pleased to share, “Having the opportunity to bring our new Police Interceptors to pace what is shaping up to be one of the most exciting weekends in NASCAR history is a great honor. Both of the Police Interceptor vehicles provide the highest level of safety, performance, durability, driver convenience, and comfort, and we’re excited to be able to show off these new vehicles to the millions of fans on site and watching on national television.”

Jamie Allison, the director of Ford Racing, continues, “Using our new range of Ford products to pace signature events like Ford Championship Weekend is an important part of our marketing strategy. We’re thrilled that we’re able to help launch the new Police Interceptors at Ford Championship Weekend, and know that the fans will be excited to see these unique vehicles performing out on track.”

Both the Ford Interceptor Sedan and Utility vehicles are available with a selection of three different V6 engines that deliver both better fuel economy and more horsepower than the discontinued Panther chassis V8 Crown Victoria. The base 3.5 liter TiVCT V6 delivering 280-hp and a top-tier Ford EcoBoost twin turbo V6 producing at least 365 horsepower are available for the all wheel drive Interceptor Sedan.

The all wheel drive Interceptor Utility will also get a 3.7 liter V6, promised to provide at least 300 horsepower.

Both Ford Police Interceptors will be produced in Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant.

GALLERY: Ford Police Interceptors

It’s official – Danica Patrick will be making her NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut in the 2012 season-opening 54th annual Daytona 500.

Patrick’s schedule with Stewart-Haas Racing will begin on Feburary 26 with “The Great American Race.” Other races on her schedule include Darlington, Bristol, Atlanta, Dover, Texas and Phoenix.

“Each year, the Daytona 500 produces unforgettable moments that forever change the lives of fans and drivers,” said Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III. This year’s race sees Patrick as the third woman to compete in the Daytona 500. She follows Janet Guthrie, who made two Daytona 500 starts in 1977 and 1980, and Shawna Robinson, with one Daytona 500 start in 2002.