Tag Archives: 2018

ISM Raceway Speeds Fans to a New High

The ISM Raceway hosted the NASCAR trio of races this past weekend and the premiere turned out to be all that the owners had been predicting. The massive reconstruction took two years but left the historic dogleg mile track intact. The track in Avondale, Arizona was previously known as Phoenix International Raceway (PIR).ISM Raceway Overall View 2

ISM Infield

By shifting the stands counter clockwise they put the fans into the afternoon shade, offered wide stadium seats, a better view of the new finish line and overall the bar was raised for track amenities.

ISM Raceway Fan Access

If the fans opted for the infield admission ticket at ISM Raceway , they had a close up view of the racers’ garage areas plus they could see the driver’s meeting and the walkway leading to it. They could easily walk through an underground tunnel to get to the infield throughout the race day.ISM Raceway Garage

The victory lane area has a sunken pit area where lucky fans who stake out an early spot can enjoy all the victorious festivities. Plus in the infield were seats and shade alongside three sites serving food and “adult” beverages. To maneuver around, nine elevators were added along with four escalators.ISM Raceway Victory Lane

ISM Raceway

Fans could get views never before seen, literally standing within feet of a hard working garage crew. Plus over 400 monitors kept fans up to date on the action. Plenty of space remained in the midway for souvenir purchases and the parking was plentiful and easy to get to.ISM Raceway Garage Area

Wi-Fi (free of course) was available throughout the site with no dead zones. Of course the facility offers 51 upgraded suites plus three suites that overlooked the actual NASCAR garage. All in all getting this project done, without interrupting the racing venue’s schedule, was quite an accomplishment. This two year project cost over $175 million and involved no tax dollars! Quite an accomplishment.

@2018 Route 66 PubCo

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Hero Cards Display Craftsmanship and Ingenuity

It is funny how something as trivial as a hero card display can become a functional expression of the craftsmen involved. Hero cards are those 8X11 color shots of drivers, or their cars, passed out at NASCAR races, drag racing pits and at fan appreciation events. Even if you don’t get them autographed, it allows a connection between the fan and the racing team.

At the recent SEMA Show in Las Vegas, lots of hero cards were signed by celebrities including Brittany and Ashley Force.Hero Card Signing with Force Sisters

NASCAR Hero Cards

At the latest NASCAR race at ISM Raceway in Avondale, (Phoenix area) Arizona all the race teams from each of the three series, Camping World Truck, Xfinity and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup, had hero cards ready to be handed out. But how these hero cards were displayed shows the ingenuity of some teams.

Some were rather bland and basic. A weighted box to hold the hero cards. Ho hum….Basic

Basic Too

Martin Truex’s display had the foresight for a clear cover to avoid rains or strong winds.Truex Display

Paul Menard’s display utilized a Menard storefront to help pass out the hero cards.Menard Display

Menard Display Closeup

Basic Too

The folk’s from Procore and Kasey Kahne, used a fuel can as their prop.Kahne Display

Winning Hero Card Display at NASCAR’s ISM Raceway

But Jimmie Johnson showed he hit the nail on the head with this design. See how it contrasts with his race mate, Alex Bowman?Johnson Bowman Hero Card Display

Funny how a little time and ingenuity can make you stand out in a crowd. Just like in life, right?

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MYCHANIC SK2 Stool 7 Wonderful Things We Love

The MYCHANIC SK2 stool is the perfect accompaniment for anyone working around cars or in a shop. This padded rolling seat will become a vital shop tool for one and all, showcasing a variety of perfectly designed ideas in a Kelly Green stool. Let’s count the top seven ways that this SK2 shop stool excels!sidekick18

MYCHANIC SK2 Stool

First off the SK2 stool is adjustable in height from 17” to 20” with a total of three seat heights. For our 6’1” frame, the full up 20” seat height was perfect. Remove four nuts and bolts and find the perfect height that suits you.

Second, we love the 3” urethane casters that roll right over the deep expansion cracks in our concrete floor. No more getting caught and having the stool fall over!sidekick21

Third, the stool has a green holster on the side to hold any gun like device. Great for holding a drill or impact gun. So nice to have a place to securely hold these bulky tools.

Fourth, the bottom drawer can securely hold the tools that you most often are using on your job. No more trying to find that wrench or socket scattered around the shop floor.sidekick22

Fifth, the tool caddy which rests on the top of the tool drawer has subtle indentations to hold it securely in place but you can easily pull it out to retrieve the tools. And that comfy handle also has a slot to hold a tablet or phone. So not only can you easily answer phone calls while working away, it’s easy to review your favorite repair video or on line shop manual while plugging away late at night.

MYCHANIC SK2 Kelly Green

Sixth, did I mention the folks at MYCHANIC used their Kelly Green coloring here on the rolling shop stool? It makes it easy to stand out and be visible when hunting around for your gear.

Seventh, the two sides of this rolling masterpiece have pockets (or bins) to hold critical pieces you might want ready access to. Great place to hold the nuts and bolts as you assemble or disassemble items.sidekick19

 

The rolling SK2 stool is rated for 350 pounds, so go ahead and squat away on this rolling tool box. It will hold all you behemoths!  The metal is powder coated to help keep it clean and rust free, allowing for years of easy ownership. It comes with a sweet two year warranty, but seriously it is hard to imagine this thing wearing out

 

We were given the SK2 to check out and gave it a whirl in the shop. We’ve been impressed with the design behind all the MYCHANIC products, like their Blade Multi Light. Check out their full lineup and you will be too. But be warned once you try out their tools, you’ll be sold and want more!

 

**Editorial content is not provided by any of the companies mentioned and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are the authors’ alone.

Easiest Car Repair After a Crash

With the technology of today’s car getting more and more sophisticated a motor vehicle crash can end up being a major cost and a time consuming process. But there is one part of a repair that is easy to do and takes less than an hour.Evenflo_EveryStageDLX_FFHarness_Lifestyle_5

Car Seat Replacement

After a major crash, your child’s car seat needs replacing! While it may look safe and undamaged, odds are that it sustained hidden stress and strain while keeping the child safe and unharmed. The car seat did its job, so now you as a parent (or grandparent) needs to do the right thing and get a new car seat for your youngster.

This week, September 23-29, 2018, is Child Passenger Safety Week and several companies are helping to get the message out that after a crash, you need to replace the child car seat.

Car Seat Spokesperson

Shannon SpakeSpokesperson Shannon Spake, from Fox Sports, noted “when your car is involved in a crash, it’s just as important that you take care of your car seat or booster seat as it is to address the car damage.”

Evenflo, a major car seat manufacturer, stresses that even though the seat may look undamaged, it may no longer be usable and safe to save a child in future impacts. This is clearly a case if being “better safe, than sorry.”

Car repair shops, like the nationwide CARSTAR network, commits to reminding car owners that the seats should be replaced and are often covered under the insurance policies.

Obviously not all fender benders would necessitate a replacement, so the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) advises car seats do not need replacement if the car was in a minor crash.

Minor Crash Defined

NHTSA further defines a minor crash as

  • The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site
  • The vehicle door nearest the car seat was not damaged
  • None of the passengers in the vehicle sustained any injuries in the crash
  • If the vehicle has air bags, the air bags did not deploy during the crash
  • There is no visible damage to the car seat

Also just because the car seat was unoccupied during the crash does not mean it can be used again! It likely still suffered stress and strain even without a child in the seat.Evenflo_EveryStageDLX_RFHarness_Lifestyle_3

Shannon Spake Spokesperson

After all as Spake notes, “You always want to make sure your children are protected in the car.”

When replacing the car seat, send it to a recycling center and never give it away or offer it to a charitable group for reuse. Plus don’t forget to register your new seat with manufacturer in case of future safety recalls. If the new seat is different, you may seek out help to ensure it is installed correctly.

So when in doubt, throw it out!

 

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Monterey Auction Results 2018

Now that the excitement of Monterey, CA week has settled down, we can check out the results and trends that have arisen. The combined auctions at Monterey week typically mark the end of the classic car season. Yes there will be plenty of other car auctions like the upcoming Barrett-Jackson Auction in Las Vegas, NV before the close of the year, but the big guns and big dollars are over for 2018. All prices listed are shown with buyer’s commissions and rounded off.1935 Duesenberg

Monterey Auction Results

Of course we already discussed the 1962 Ferrari GTO that sold for over $48 million dollars. The still “infamous” Ford GT owned by John Cena went for $1.5 million at Russo and Steele’s auctions

Gooding’s sold a 1935 Duesenberg for $22 million, which set a record for a pre-war auction sale. They took in $116 million in total sales.RM Sotheby’s garnered a whopping $157 million and that included a 1966 Ford GT40 that went for nearly $10 million.1966 Ford GT40

Monterey Auction Players

Meccum’s daytime auctions brought in a tidy $48 million and had some serious metal moving through the auction block. Worldwide Auctioneers edges into the field with a total sale of $5.5 million. Bonham’s sold over $37 million in one day at their sale. They sold off a 1921 Stutz Bearcat for just under half a million. Shortly after the auction week Bonham’s announced they had been sold to a private equity firm as well.

Monterey Auction Analysis

Now many might tout the current total of $371 million in sales as a great sign for the hobby. After all only 2014’s total of $463 million and 2015’s total sales of $396 million were higher. But subtract only the sale of that one Ferrari and the drop in sales is noticeable. Lately we have seen a hot market for the highest of high end cars and the entry level hobbyist car, priced under $50,000 seem sturdy. But prices creeping over $250,000 are seeing some turbulence. We translate that to mean that the deep pockets have plenty of room in their garages but aren’t rushing to put just “anything” in the stall. The auctions from January 2018 also has a stalling effect so we suspect that the stall want change much through next year’s kick off auctions during Arizona week.

And the Bonham’s sale is probably just the first of many ownership changes in the works among the auction houses. Subscribe and stay tuned for more fiscal shake ups

What do you think?

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Ferrari 250 GTO 1962 – Most Expensive Car

You might have read that this 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO is the most expensive car. Well that is partially right and partially wrong. The world of classic cars is engulfed with superbs and anecdotes, with a large dose of hyperbole thrown in. Read closely to understand more about the Ferrari 250 GTO.Ferrari 250 GTO Driver's Side

Ferrari 250 GTO – Most Expensive

Let’s cut to the chase. This specific model of the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO by Scaglietti as of now is the most expensive car ever bought at a public auction. Period. Now as we previously covered, there is another Ferrari 250 GTO that is generally thought to be the most expensive car purchased but it was a private sale and the exact details are not a public record-yet.

Ferrari 250 GTO – In Demand

So many might ask what causes these models to be so expensive. Well like many classic cars, price is determined by rarity and provenance or background. The Ferrari 250’s are in demand because they are rare with only 36 made in various versions and iterations. Plus these cars were specifically designed and intended for racing. Ferrari 250 GTO Rear view

Ferrari 250 GTO – Racing History

The Ferrari 250 GTO was designed in a wind tunnel to compete for the International Championship for GT Manufacturers.  The hood was lowered and the windshield raked back for better aerodynamics.  This specific car won the 1962 Italian GT Championship and won several class first place finishes between 1962-1965. It last raced in manufacturers racers in 1965 when it won the Redex Trophy at Brands Hatch.  Though it then continued racing in smaller club races and changed hands often.  Strange that these beasts were raced extensively and yet all survived and are accounted for.

Ferrari 250 GTO – Vintage

The race car was entered into numerous vintage races over the years. Eventually Dr, Gregory Whitten in 2000 purchased the car. Whitten is able to collect vintage historic collector cars as he was an early employee at Microsoft and was their chief software architect.

Ferrari 250 GTO- Condition

It is interesting to note that this race car came with the original engine, already pulled and preserved for historic purposes and fitted with an additional 250 GT engine block (V-12 with 3 liter displacement producing 300 HP) that was upgraded to GTO specs.Ferrari 250 GTO V-12

Ferrari 250 GTO – Sold

At the Monterey Auction for RM Sotheby’s the car sold for $48,405,000 (including commission) after an opening bid of $35 million. In ten minutes it was gaveled sold to an undisclosed buyer.  Allegedly Whitten had bought it for less than $5 million, proving that his doctorate degree in Mathematics from Harvard wasn’t a fluke!

Photos courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

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John Cena GT Sold at Russo and Steele

John Cena GT

It must be sad to hear an auction house refer to a Ford GT as the “infamous” John Cena GT. Sigh. But tonight in Monterey, California the Russo and Steele Car Auction sold the John Cena GT. The 2017 Ford GT is touted as being the first “unencumbered” sale of the Ford GT.John Cena Ford GT Passenger Side

History of the GT

The 2017 model of the Ford GT is actually the third version of the Ford supercar. The original model was called the Ford GT40 and was produced from 1964-1969 strictly for racing  Ford dusted off the design and cranked out the second version from 2005-06 to honor their 100th anniversary. Interestingly in a quirk, Ford had never registered the original trademark and so had to call the second iteration the Ford GT.

Ford GT

When Ford announced the latest version of the GT they limited the production to only 1,000 cars and they required potential buyers to apply for the right to buy the car. The Ford folks vetted the applicants and required them to agree not to sale the car for two years. Since they came out, the GT’s have shown up at various events like this yellow GT. Exactly as Ford intended.Yellow Ford GT

John Cena GT

Enter the pro wrestler John Cena who applied and was approved to buy a Liquid Blue GT. He paid $463,376.50 for the car on September 23, 2017 and promptly sold it to a California reseller a month later. Ford threw down the lawsuits suing both the dealership and John Cena. Cena ultimately settled with Ford by agreeing to pay an undisclosed amount to an undisclosed charity through Ford. He also encouraged all other owners to honor their agreement not to re-sell the cars.John Cena Ford GT

John Cena GT Chapter Two

The John Cena GT was purchased by a California farmer (I’m not making this up). He cranked up the odometer to 625 miles before deciding his back was not conducive to the GT supercar. So now Russo and Steele had the chance to auction this car. Ironically the same dealership that Cena sold the GT to is representing the elderly farmer in this auction transaction!

John Cena GT at Monterey

The car auctions held during the week before the Pebble Beach Concours extravaganza mark the end of the “season”. Sure there will be more auctions for the balance of the year, but this week of auctions represents the other bookend to the start up of the classic car season that kicks off in January in Arizona. Russo and Steele is a big player in this arena and brought out plenty of potential bidders.

John Cena GT Sells

After some spirited bellowing by the auctioneers, the John Cena GT sold with a hammered price of $1,400,000 plus commission. Perhaps with that price it will lose the tag of being “infamous”?

Photos courtesy of Russo and Steele

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Nonsense All Purpose Cleaner from Chemical Guys

            Car owners realize that keeping their car clean is important but sometimes life gets in the way. Before you know it, a car interior can get grungy. But it is amazing how simple it can be to bring a car’s interior back to prime looks. A useful all purpose cleaner is Nonsense from Chemical Guys.Bottle of Nonsense All Purpose Cleaner

Nonsense

            I have been a huge fan and user of Nonsense ever since the main guy behind Chemical Guys recommended it to me. It comes full strength and I usually get great results diluted to a 10:1 ratio. Nonsense pulls up the grime, leaves no sticky residue and doesn’t engulf the air with perfume odors. We love that it just does the job and gets great results.

Nonsense to the Test

            These seats on a 2007 Toyota Camry are a soft fabric, but the light gray coloring will attract dirt quickly. I was wondering if the dirt was ground in too much, so I did a test strip first. A simple spray of the cloth, followed by a brisk scrubbing with a hand held brush and the results showed up! Dirty Car Seat Half Cleaned with Nonsense

A few more minutes of scrubbing and the whole car seat came back to new. I especially like the fact that the cloth maintained the original feel and shape with no soapy residue left behind.Cleaned with Nonsense Close Up

Nonsense from Chemical Guys

            Nonsense is part of a complete set of boutique car detailing products offered by Chemical Guys. You can also get it at their franchised retail stores- Detail Garage. It works on a variety of stains and never lets me down. For a super tough stain you could amp up the dilution level but 10:1 seems to be the perfect stain removal solution for me. Try some and let us know what you think!Cleaned with Nonsense Extreme Close Up of Cloth

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Detailing Rig from MYCHANIC A Rolling Masterpiece

Wow!  The first thing we recognized when checking out this MYCHANIC  Detailing Rig is just how well designed it is. This is not just another one size first most water bucket but a purpose built detailer’s dream.DSCN1163

MYCHANIC

The MYCHANIC brand is an up and coming brand that is making a name for itself with well designed and professional grade materials. This detailing rig is no exception. Dressed out in their iconic Irish Green hue, this detailing rig is eye catching and handy. When offered a chance to try out this detailing rig, we jumped at the offer! They are based in Tennessee and we first met them at the AAPEX show in Las Vegas, NV last year.

Detailing Rig

The box arrived with the partially assembled detailing rig heavily padded and carefully wrapped. Order this and the FedEx man won’t be delivering a banged up, damaged product. When a company puts this much thought into how to package and ship it, you know this is a company you’ll like seeing more of.DSCN5519

This rig is made of powder coated heavy gauge metal pieces that were easy to assemble. It helps if you follow the instructions, but it was easy to assemble.

Detailing Rig Design

This detailing rig comes with FIVE heavy duty urethane casters with roller bearings. The fifth caster on the one end makes it that much harder for it tip over.  Again, well engineered!  DSCN1170

The bucket comes with a removable perforated bottom grid.  You’ve probably seen endless variations on this guard, but the purpose is to let the dirt and grime that accumulates in the water bucket, settle below the grid and not in your bucket water. Many serious detailers use a two bucket method to further reduce the dirt accumulation in your wash water, but again this shows MYCHANIC’s attention to detail. The bucket rim includes two sets of cutouts to hang your favorite detailing product from.DSCN1160

Detailing Rig Components

The metal tray is a great place to store a few rags or tools while detailing your car.  The side beverage holder is a great place to plop a drink, cuz’ we all know detailing is hard work.DSCN1159 The padded seat is form fitting and provides for a comfortable pad for your aching butt. Best news is the seat pad is easily detachable, so it can serve as a kneeling pad or you could even plop your rear end even lower to the ground.DSCN1166

The detailing rig is a good height and will put you up along the belt line of the car if you need to do some serious work along the sides of the car. Plus with the bucket it is a great tool for general car washing duties.

Useful Detailing Rig

Of course this rig is not just reserved only for detailing duties. It would be a great overall mechanic seat when working on brakes, front end and other car parts. It is heavy duty and will stand up to some serious work duty.  You can check out the seat here or look over their entire product lineup. They are good folks with some great ideas.DSCN1172

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Most Expensive Classic Car -Ferrari 259 GTO

Records are meant to be broken and in the world of classic cars and tons of money, the records fall quickly.  For a spell this 1936 Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic was thought to be the most expensive car. It is owned by Rob Walton (yes of the Wal-Mart Walton’s) and allegedly sold for $40 million dollars in 2010.1936 Bugatti

1936 Bugatti

We had the chance to see it up close and in person at a local Concours show and it certainly was a classic. But like we say, records fall fast around classic cars. It had the reputation as being the most expensive car ever sold.  It is a ‘reported” price as it was a private sale and not subject to any public certification or event. A co-owner is listed as Peter Mullin who runs the Mullin Automotive Museum. It is a featured car at the museum when not in shows.1936 Bugatti Front

 

1963 Ferrari 250 GTO

Earlier this year that record for most expensive car was shattered, again “reportedly”, when a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO was sold for $70 million in a private sale. It was bought by David McNeal who founded WeatherTech- the rubber mat company. This Ferrari has a great racing pedigree, including coming in fourth at 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1963 and won the Tour de France course in 1964.Ferrari 250 GTO

 

1962 Ferrari 250 GTO

Next up? Potentially this red 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO .  It is offered up at the Monterrey Auction by RM Sotheby’s with an estimated price tag of between $60-45million, which is quite a range. Now auction houses are now for hyperbole but they probably have nailed the low end for this Ferrari.1962 ferrari 250 gto

Only 36 GTO’s were built, so this becomes a pretty exclusive car. It also has a good racing pedigree and was one of four upgraded by Scaglietti with the Series II coachwork, which features a wider aerodynamic body. the new bodywork lowered the car, crafted a better balanced car and allowed for better handling on the road courses.  Interestingly the original engine was removed from the car and preserved with a different 250 GT block presently in the car. So an owner could drive the red racer and still have the original engine for history and originality.

Will it exceed $60 Million? Hard to say but the scarcity of the Ferrari’s suggest that some company stock might be sold off to allow for a new car in somebody’s stable.

Some photos courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

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