#RoadAtlanta

It may be nearly 15-years old, but this Ferrari F2003-GA Formula 1 race car has shattered Road Atlanta’s lap record.

TopSpeed Motorsports and Leh Keen has set a new Nissan GT-R lap record and NASA TTR record at Road Atlanta with a lap time of 1:23.8.

Atlanta’s city council recently passed an amendment that made several changes to the city’s noise ordinance, directly targeting drifting.

Audi‘s LMP team is coming back to the United States, debuting the R18 TDI in American soil for the first time and challenging for victory at the Petit Le Mans race at Road Atlanta.

Any Lotus enthusiast will tell you that the brand would be wise to stop pumping resources into Formula 1 and IndyCar, an instead get more heavily involved in road racing. After all, in many respects it represents a better bang-for-the-buck for the marketing folks, with a direct correlation between the cars that race and the cars sold through dealers.

By now were sure you’ve heard about MINI‘s challenge to Porsche to come out and race at Road Atlanta. A genius piece of marketing no doubt, but it appears two can play at this game as Hyundai has just turned the tables on MINI in a new YouTube video, offering to step in for the timid German juggernaut.

Commenting that “We’d be happy to show you the line at Road Atlanta, where we laid down our Epic Lap” Super Bowl commercial, Hyundai has thrown down the gauntlet and, quite frankly, after the incessant taunting MINI has given to Porsche, we’re not sure the fun British brand can refuse.

Hyundai does admit that they won’t be able to make the planned June 21st even, stating that their hired-hitman racer Rhys Millen will be out attempting to set a Pikes Peak world record in a a Genesis-powered race car. Instead the Korean underdog has suggested July.

We’re sure MINI didn’t foresee this when they cooked up the MINI vs. Porsche challenge and right about now they’re probably regretting they did.

See the video after the jump:

MINI’s challenge to race their Cooper S against a Porsche at Road Atlanta didn’t go over so well. The publicity stunt initiated by MINI USA’s Jim McDowell was met with a terse and dismissive response by Porsche Cars North America CEO Detlev Von Platen today, as he issued a statement where he declined McDowell’s challenge, and invited them to come play with the big boys at places like Sebring and LeMans.

McDowell has previously challenged Porsche to attend a race at Road Atlanta on June 21st, pitting the Mini Cooper S against a Porsche 911 Carrera S. The terms of the race were unspecified, and no further information was given beyond McDowell’s vague challenge.

To view Porsche’s response, hit the jump

[Source: The Truth About Cars]