The RRDC lost one of its oldest members with the passing Sunday July 7 of Chuck Dietrich at the Providence Care Center in his hometown of Sandusky, Ohio. He was 88. Chuck, who began racing an MG-TC in 1948, was voted into the RRDC in 1958. He won the first of two SCCA National […]
Known for more than 50 years as the “Dean of American Motorsports Journalists,” the late Chris Economaki was among eight nominees voted upon by a panel comprised of NASCAR and NASCAR Hall of Fame executives, journalists, public relations representatives and former drivers. The Squier-Hall Award was created in 2012 to honor the contributions of media […]
Tom Kristensen posted his record-extending ninth victory in capturing the 90th running of the 24 Heures du Mans Sunday. His fellow RRDC member and co-driver Allan McNish scored his third win at the iconic Sarthe circuit in western France. The normal unbridled joy was overshadowed by the tragic death Kristensen’s fellow countryman Allan Simonsen during […]
Ben Edwards, lead commentator for the British Broadcasting Corporation’s Formula One television coverage, takes over as the latest Online Instructor on SAFEisFAST. Edwards has been involved in virtually every aspect of the sport during the past 25 years. Having started out working as a mechanic in his teenage years, Edwards began campaigning a Pre-‘74 Formula […]
The iconic achievements of Chris Economaki, the late dean of American motorsports journalism, will be celebrated on Saturday, June 15, at the International Motor Racing Research Center in Watkins Glen, N.Y. The free talk, part of the on-going Center Conversations speaker series, will be at 1 p.m. at the Center located at 610 […]
On Friday, May 31, Mercedes Benz invited two of Great Britain’s foremost race drivers from past and present to Silverstone Circuit for a publicity op that proved a lark for both men – current Mercedes AMG Petronas shoe Lewis Hamilton and one of RRDC’s own, the legendary Sir Stirling Moss. They also brought a […]
It was two weekends ago – May 17-19 – that Sonoma Raceway (nee Infineon, nee Sears Point) hosted the 27th Annual Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival (nee several other monikers). No matter what it’s called, it’s still the grand annual party thrown by RRDC member Steve Earle – this year with more than 350 historic […]
The Audi Q7 is a premium, lavishly-appointed three-row utility vehicle with great on-road manners and capability, plus towing ability–without the off-road style or pretense. The Audi Q7 is a luxury crossover that focuses on comfortable seating for the whole family, as well as its on-road manners. Not that you’re likely to need much in the […]
This week Porsche factory driver Patrick Long takes the “Ask a Pro” experts seat to field your questions about motorsports. This season, Long has joined CORE autosport to compete for the ALMS GT championship. Like so many of today’s top drivers, Patrick Long began his career in karting, at age 8, notching numerous wins […]
One of the more talked about topics around racing paddocks today is blocking versus defending your position – the overt versus the covert and the fine line between the two. During the Long Beach Grand Prix weekend, Tom Davey and Jeff Tan found 10 racing people not only willing to talk about this often […]
Our lady of communications, Judy Stropus has just completed the 2013 California Mille with co-driver Chuck Schoendorf in her recently acquired 1952 Lancia Ardea. Judy and Chuck penned their fascinating adventure for velocitytoday.com. Several other RRDC members took part, including Steve and wife Debbie Earle in their Porsche 356 Speedster Cabriole and John and his […]
The Evening with Brian Redman presented by Firestone at Long Beach last week was an unqualified success. RRDC president Bobby Rahal conducted the much anticipated chat with Redman which is now posted on You-tube for your viewing pleasure. Sam Posey’s marvelous video overview of Redman’s career provides the introduction. Rahal doing his best impersonation of […]
Wolfgang Husdedt, one of the best known factory reps in this history of motorsports, has retired after 44 years with Bosch – 38 as the company’s motorsports manager. There are hardly any among the membership of the RRDC who don’t know Wolfie, who became a member in 2000. Our friend Gordon Kirby recently penned a […]
Target Chip Ganassi Racing Managing Director Mike Hull has “been there and done that” in the world of auto racing. Hailing from Los Angeles, he became involved with the sport as a youth and displayed plenty of ability behind the wheel in the early days of Formula Ford before realizing his calling lay elsewhere. An […]
A crowd of 350 representing all forms of motorsports from NHRA to INDYCAR and sports-car racing turned out for the RRDC Evening with Brian Redman presented by Firestone Thursday evening, April 18. This was the Road Racing Drivers Club’s fifth consecutive annual banquet held prior to the running of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long […]
Takumo Sato, one of RRDC’s newest members, won his first IndyCar race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. It was Sato’s first IndyCar win in 52 tries and the first for A.J. Foyt’s team since 2001. He was joined on the podium by fellow RRDC members Graham Rahal and Justin Wilson. Dayton […]
Paul Pfanner, from our latest class of RRDC members, has published the 250th issue of RACER Magazine, dubbed “The Heroes II Issue”. Featured is Parnelli Jones, both on the cover with a painting of his 1963 Indy-winning Watson roadster by Rob Ijbema and in a 10-page piece by Robin Miller “The Versatile Mr. Jones”. Miller […]
THE AMAZING UNSERS AT INDY “The Amazing Unsers: From Albuquerque to Indianapolis” exhibit opens April 9 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Among the 25 Unser family racecars on display are eight of the nine Indianapolis 500 winners, including the Rislone Eagle Bobby drove to victory 50 years ago this May. In addition to the […]
Ralph Sanchez – one of the two successful street racing promoters ever in the U.S., the other being Chris Pook – lost a 10-year battle with cancer in the early morning hours of April 1, 2013. By shear force of personality, Sanchez founded Miami Motorsports which staged both IMSA and IndyCar events at various circuits […]
For the Road Racing Drivers Club, April 18 is the season’s hottest date. That evening is the club’s fifth annual West Coast banquet, this year honoring Brian Redman. And for the fourth straight year, Firestone will be the presenting sponsor of the gala which became an instant tradition in 2009 when Dan Gurney was the […]
Jim Hall is rare among the great racers of the 1960s who manufactured their own branded racecars. Only Bruce McLaren and Hall were genuine triple-threats – designer, development engineer and race driver. Hall’s edge was being the first to seriously explore the vertical component of aerodynamics – specifically, downforce. In the latest SAFEisFAST video – […]
RRDC members were out in force at the 18th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in Florida last weekend, a magnificent event conceived by RRDC member Bill Warner. The all-for-charity automotive extravaganza continues to grow in attendance and splendor each year. Our man Sam Posey was this year’s Grand Marshal. The Amelia Island annual gathering features […]
Jay O’Connell, who is Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing‘s Technical Director, is our online engineering instructor for SAFEisFAST through March 3, taking over the chair from Tony Kanaan. O’Connell’s lifelong interest in the inner workings of race cars was piqued in 1986 when he led a team of five Brown University engineering students in the design […]
Brian Redman, whose internationally-acclaimed career as a sports-car, Formula One and F5000 racer has spanned more than four decades, will be honored by the Road Racing Drivers Club at the “RRDC Evening with Brian Redman” in Long Beach, Calif., on Thursday, April 18, prior to the running of the Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix. This […]
Our friend Sam Posey – architect, artist, author, cerebral television analyst and essayist, model railroad wizard, delightful raconteur and, oh yes, splendid race driver in his day – is the 2013 guest of honor for the 18th Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. The guest of honor is always a racer of some renown. Past honorees have […]
Sir Stirling Moss is not only a racing legend but a British national treasure to boot. Moss was one of a young Sir Patrick Stewart’s heroes. That the BBC would employ the Shakespearean actor and Star Trek star to trace with Moss his brilliant career for its “Racing Legends” series was a stroke of inspiration. […]
Three recent books by and/or about RRDC members are currently available: The Stainless Steel Carrot – An Auto Racing Odyssey Revisited by Sylvia Wilkinson; Daytona 24 Hours – The Definitive History of America’s Great Endurance Race, 2nd Edition by J.J. O’Malley; and Virginia International Raceway – A Living History by William King. THE […]
IZOD IndyCar Series star and fan favorite Tony Kanaan shares a commonality with last week’s Online Instructor, Joey Hand, having also overcame humble beginnings to reach the pinnacle of his profession. Originally from Salvador, Brazil, Kanaan began karting at age 8 and almost immediately marked himself as a potential future star. After winning six championships […]
Bring together some of the greatest road racers of yesterday and today and you have a night to remember. This year’s RRDC Awards Dinner at Daytona Wednesday, Jan. 23, was one of those nights. On hand were racing legends Bob Tullius, Hurley Haywood, Brian Redman, David Hobbs and Skip Barber – not to mention a […]
tips for eating well for people who don’t like healthy foods Adopting healthy eating habits can seem like a daunting task, especially if you don’t like healthy foods. Nevertheless, it’s easy to prepare nutritious meals without sacrificing taste, even where the most finicky eaters are concerned. Here are five tips to help […]
The best foods for toddlers include: Protein foods like meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds and soy Dairy such as milk, yogurt, cheese or calcium-fortified soymilk Fruits and vegetables. Try out prodentim. Grains such as whole wheat bread and oatmeal It is normal for toddlers to choose from a limited number of foods, reject […]
tips for eating well for people who don’t like healthy foods Adopting healthy eating habits can seem like a daunting task, especially if you don’t like healthy foods. Nevertheless, it’s easy to prepare nutritious meals without sacrificing taste, even where the most finicky eaters are concerned. These are the best OTC weight loss pills. […]
All five of the 2013 inductees into the Sports Car Club of America Hall of Fame have been members of the RRDC. Our President Bobby Rahal and Skip Barber will be inducted into the Hall on Saturday, March 2, during the SCCA National Convention at the South Pointe Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Three […]
The Date: Wednesday January 23, 2013 The Place: The 500 Club at the Daytona International Speedway The Time: Cocktails at 5:00 PM. Dinner at 7:00 PM Over the years, our dinner has grown from a small get-together to a major event – attracting a who’s who of road racing from yesterday and today. And providing […]
For the first time in four decades, Hurley Haywood will not be among the 50-some RRDC members competing in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Instead, Mr. Haywood will be the Grand Marshall for the 51st running of the event, Jan. 26-27, as well as VP of Competition for Brumos Racing. With five overall victories, Haywood […]
PAST MARK DONOHUE AWARD WINNERS OFFERED RRDC MEMBERSHIP Up until last year, winners of the Mark Donohue Award were not automatically offered membership in the RRDC. A decision by the RRDC now authorizes the offering of regular membership to the award winner chosen annually at the SCCA Runoffs by the Donohue selection committee. In addition […]
