We’re not even sure why we’re writing any copy. The video and the headline say it all. Below you’ll find some incredibly entertaining video of the amazingly talented rally and drift racer Tanner Foust piloting his Rockstar Energy Drink Scion tC drift car along California’s famous Mulholland Drive.

For those who don’t know, Foust’s tC makes 600 horsepower courtesy of a Toyota NASCAR V8, giving it plenty of torque to light up those rear tires.

Foust and the Rockstar Scion tC kick off their drifting season in Long Beach, CA, April 9-10.

See after the jump for the tire-shredding video:

Going by the name of Mattzel (or FONESupports), his videos have become a YouTube phenomenon. That being said, we couldn’t resist the urge to post up his latest motorsports-related work – a compilation of slowed down clips from some of the world’s premiere racing series including: Formula One, NASCAR, ALMS, WRC and there’s even some touring car and bike racing tossed in. Oh, and there are several amazing crashes included in the clips.

Combined with some subtle music it has a serious TopGear look and feel that we could just put on repeat and watch all day.

Be sure to check out FONESupports YouTube channel here and subscribe for his next masterpiece.

[Source: AxisofOversteer]

See after the jump for the original Racing in Slow Motion video:

After much speculation that IRL star Danica Patrick would enter NASCAR for the 2010 season, the hopes of those wanting to see the racing diva behind the wheel of a stock car seemed dashed when her IRL schedule was confirmed. But now it appears as though Patrick will also race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2010, with a limited schedule. The car will be sponsored by Go Daddy and will be a part of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team. An official announcement is expected later today in Phoenix, where Go Daddy is headquartered.

Patrick is likely to make her NASCAR debut on February 13th in Daytona Beach, FL. She has never actually raced competitively in a stock car but did do testing for the Nationwide Series back in 2002.

The Sporting News reports that earlier this year, every single NASCAR team owner expressed interest in hiring Patrick but said they would like her to get competitive in the Nationwide series before heading to Spring Cup. That seems to be the route she is taking.

We can only imagine the marketing potential that having a woman like Danica Patrick in NASCAR could create.

[Source: SportingNews]

Of all the high profile individuals to attend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series finale this past weekend at Homestead in Miami, none have created a buzz like the appearance of legendary race car driver and head of Volkswagen’s motorsports department Hans-Joachim Stuck.

His attendance at the race and meetings with series officials has obviously led to the speculation that Volkswagen may be entertaining an entry into the high-profile series. Stuck discounted the rumors telling Autosport that, “I’m here number one because I’m a great NASCAR fan and I’m here on holiday. I’m enjoying my visit and I will report what’s going on. But in any way there has been nothing, no serious talks about coming here.” He did continue by saying that, “Of course we investigate everything, ” but then countered with a definitive statement that there is currently “zero” chance of VW joining the series.

That may all change when VW launches its new, made in America, mid-size sedan in 2011. Stuck said that the current NASCAR setup wouldn’t allow for VW to show its engineering expertise and that it would simply have to use the series as a marketing gimmick. That being said, he didn’t think it would fit with VW’s motorsports philosophy.

Then again, with the upcoming Passat replacement, VW has already thrown in the towel on its decades long approach to having American’s see cars the way Germans do and has decided to pander to the demands of the market, with a car that will be bigger, less premium and less expensive. Volkswagen is eager to take on Toyota in the U.S. market and doing so in NASCAR, which Toyota joined just a few years back in an effort to take on the Big Three domestic automakers, would seem a logical decision.

Stuck did, however, confirm that Volkswagen has been in talks with NASCAR over a possible entry into the Grand Am series, likely in the Daytona Prototype Class, using a V10 engine. The car would likely be branded as either an Audi (more likely) or as a Lamborghini.

[Source: AutoSport]

Dodge has officially unveiled its 2010 Challenger NASCAR racer (at least from one angle) with an announcement that it will field a two car team in next year’s Nationwide Series, run by Penske Racing.

“As the performance brand of our new company, we are excited to expand our relationship with Penske Racing and introduce the iconic Dodge Challenger as our entry into the NASCAR Nationwide Series,” said Dodge Car Brand CEO Ralph Gilles. “Motorsports are a significant part of the Dodge brand’s legacy. Penske Racing has such a rich tradition in motorsports, and our partnership in the Nationwide Series will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase the Challenger and offer our loyal Dodge enthusiasts plenty of excitement in this very competitive series next year.”

Along with the two car effort, Dodge has also committed to supporting Penske’s three teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Initially the two Nationwide Series cars will be Chargers, with the Challenger stepping in for four races, starting with Daytona in July. Justin Allgaier will drive the No. 12 Verizon Wireless car, with Brad Keselowski in the No. 22 Discount Tire car.

Dodge expects to make the move the the Challenger for the full season by 2011.

GALLERY: NASCAR Nationwide Series Dodge Challenger

Official release after the jump:

NASCAR racing team Hendrick Motorsports is planning to launch a limited edition run of Camaro SS models to celebrate 25 years in the business. Called the Hendrick Motorsports 25th Anniversary 2010 Camaro SS, each car will be built by famed Corvette tuner Callaway Cars.

The package will include a stylish aerodynamics kit with a front splitter, side skirts, rear spoiler and diffuser all made of carbon fiber. Another very cool item is the ZR1-styled hood that not only makes room for a little extra something under the hood, but lets you take a look at it too. The clear opening gives view to an Eaton TVS supercahrger that raises the Camaro’s output from 426-hp to 582!

Additional modifications include Callaway springs, shocks and anti-roll bars, as well as a stylish set of Callaway wheels.

The vehicle is rated at a 0-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds with a quarter mile pass of 11.89 at 120.1 mph!

Just 25 Hendrick Motorsports 25th Anniversary 2010 Camaro SS models will be built for a price of $76,181 each. The car will officially be unveiled next Tuesday, November 3rd at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

We’ll bring you more on the car with AutoGuide’s live SEMA coverage starting Nov. 3rd.

See AutoGuide’s live SEMA Coverage here!

GALLERY: Callaway Cars Hendrick Motorsports 25th Anniversary Camaro SS

[Source: CamaroBlog]

Ford has officially unveiled the first of the 2010 Mustang race cars that will join the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The car was revealed at Roush Fenway Racing headquarters in Concord, N.C., which it was also announced that 2008 Truck Series Rookie of the Year Colin Braun would drive the No. 16 Con-way Freight Mustang.

The car will enter NASCAR for the first time in July 2010 at Daytona International Speedway.

Ovalo, Texas native Braun moves up to the Nationwide Series after running in the truck series, and his Con-way Freight sponsor comes with him. “I’m so happy that Con-way Freight decided to move up with me to the Nationwide Series for 2010,” Braun said. “They have been a great sponsor for the past two years in the truck series so it means a lot to me that they will continue to support me in the future. I’m also looking forward to driving a Mustang next year. I’ve always thought they are such incredible cars, but have never owned one. Maybe when I win my first race the guys at Ford will want to give me one of my own.”

“This truly marks the start of the next era of Mustang racing,” said Brian Wolfe, director of Ford North America Motorsports. “We fully expect this Mustang, with drivers like Colin behind the wheel, to start to enjoy the kind of success so many other Mustang racing programs have enjoyed throughout the last four decades. Mustang is a proud and historic brand for Ford. This is a car born to race, and NASCAR is the next logical step for its racing pedigree.”

Currently the Mustang competes in numerous other professional motorsports including the NHRA Funny Car and Pro Stock divisions, the Grand-Am KONI Challenge, SCCA World Challenge and the Mustang Challenge Series.

GALLERY: NASCAR Nationwide Series 2010 Mustang

Official release after the jump:

As promised, Ford Racing will bring the Mustang to NASCAR, starting next year in the Nationwide Series.

Looking rather un-Mustang-like, with the exception of a decal strip across the front that bears some resemblance to the narrow grille and headlight assembly on the 2010 Mustang, Ford says the cars will be part of a limited “muscle car” rollout – which will also include the Dodge Challenger.

“We’re excited about being able to race Mustang in front of our loyal NASCAR fan base and know it’s going to win races and championships just like it has in every other series it has competed,” said Brian Wolfe, director of Ford North America Motorsports. “The Mustang created the pony car movement when it debuted in 1964. Now, the NASCAR Mustang has the opportunity to create a whole new look to stock car racing at its highest levels.”

When the story was first reported that both Ford and Doge would bring their pony cars to NASCAR, it was expected that the vehicles would move into the top-level Sprint Cup series, helping boost interest after the series has posted a considerable decline in attendance and TV viewership in the past year. That no longer appears to be the case. Instead, the cars will debut in the Nationwide Series in an effort to help distinguish that series from Sprint Cup.

“We had been talking with NASCAR for some time about Mustang as part of its vision for a ‘muscle car’ rollout for the Nationwide Series. We both saw it as a way of differentiating the series from Sprint Cup,” said Wolfe. “We loved the idea, so we jumped on the chance to extend Mustang’s racing legacy to a new series reaching a huge and loyal audience. Mustang has dominated other forms of racing, including NHRA drag racing, Grand-Am Cup road racing, and Formula D drifting, and now it’s coming to NASCAR Nationwide.”

Surprisingly, while the Ford Mustang is touted as the “most successful single nameplate brand in professional racing history,” it has never competed in NASCAR.

“I think race fans – and Mustang loyalists – will be very pleased when we publicly roll out the first car later this fall,” said Wolfe.

Official release after the jump:

Forget the Fusion and Avenger, the 2010 Ford and Dodge NASCAR racers will be mean street machines and real pony cars. That’s right, the Mustang and Challenger.

Both cars are expected to be closer to stock than any car in recent history, but that’ s not saying much.

The move was made by the NASCAR governing body in an effort to help the series. In the past both GM and Ford warned that the current Cup cars would turn NASCAR into a spec-racing series with every car not only being similar but looking the same. This, they argued, would in turn lead to a lack of brand identification and, therefore, a loss of interest in the series.

It seems they were right.

NASCAR has suffered a significant drop in not only attendance figures and souvenir sales, but also in TV ratings – indicating that the problem is in fact a lack of interest and not a lack of funds.

The new cars actually won’t be all that different, but they will look different, something that NASCAR is most likely hoping will be of interest to manufacturers looking to capitalize on some marketing.

Despite the move by Ford and Doge, GM will continue to run the Impala SS rather than the 2010 Camaro. Also, Toyota is continuing on with its Camry, mostly because it doesn’t have anything else. The sole Japanese automaker in NASCAR recently dropped the two-door Solara from its lineup.

[Source: Fox Sports]

Roger Penske and Daimler Chairman Dr. Dieter Zetsche take a ride in a SMART car. Penske currently distributes SMART cars for Diamler in the U.S. and is rumored to be interested in purchasing Saturn from GM.

A day after General Motors released a vague statement declaring that it is moving to “the next step” in the sale of the Saturn brand it appears as though Roger Penske is one of the interested buyers.

Penske, a former race car driver and now the man at the top of an automotive empire is no stranger to the business, owning numerous dealerships. In fact, Penske’s dealership chain is listed as the second largest in the United States, accounting for 171,872 vehicles sold in the U.S. in 2008.

The Penske dealership network is not immune to the current economic climate, with Q1 profits down roughly 50 percent from the year previous. Still, the company managed a 16.2 million profit.

The Penske Automotive Group even distributes the SMART car for Mercedes/Daimler throughout the United States.

Currently Penske oversees three major racing initiatives in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and the Indy Racing League (IRL). He is also a well-known supporter of the city of Detroit and the U.S. auto industry, having helped bring the racing back to Detroit’s Belle Isle in recent years as well as assisting in bringing the Superbowl to the struggling city.

The Wall Street Journal cited an unnamed source in regards to Penske’s interest. The individual said that while Penske is interested, no offer has been made.

[Source: Automotive News]

[Photo Credit: TheAutoChanel]