Car FYI

Photo Credit: Pattie Petty/NASCAR When it comes to stock car racing or even auto racing in general, the name Richard Petty ranks alongside the legendary stars of any major sport. The son of early stock car racing icon Lee Petty, Richard’s accolades behind the wheel are marks drivers today struggle to beat. Amassing 200 victories in the NASCAR Grand National/Cup Series including seven championships, Petty would retire from driving in 1992 with the lofty nickname of “The King”. Although his on-track feats would be enough to earn the moniker, professionalism and business sense reflected by a long-term partnership with automotive additive company STP combined with a fan-friendly personality has made Richard Petty a figure that continues to resonate among the motorsport community. Before all the victories and championships, a 1/3-mile oval on Toronto’s Exhibition Place was the site where everything started.  Richard Petty was born the son of Lee Petty who achieved three championships ...

GMC 8000-Pound Electric Truck Taken from 1914 Advertisement in The Saturday Evening Post   Last year, General Motors’ truck division literally generated a buzz of electricity in the air by the announcement of the HUMMER EV . The GMC brand’s trucks and vans have been typically propelled to internal combustion engines running on gasoline or diesel fuel but the changing tides of modern transportation is resulting in the introduction of the high-profile battery electric vehicle with up to 11,500 lb-ft of torque on tap. The GMC HUMMER EV is on track to be a very important product for realigning the public’s attitude of what a tough truck could be in a world in a transition away from fuel-burning engines. However, while the HUMMER EV will make an impact on altering the way we’ll see GMC when initial models end up on driveways in 2022, the sale will not be the first time the truck marque sold fully electric vehicles. Interestingly enough, electric powe...

Photo Credit: Uncredited Photographer/IMS LLC Racing has always been the ultimate proving ground for automobiles. Not only has competition promoted innovations big and small, race cars have also influenced overall vehicle appearance. At the 1967 Indianapolis 500, the STP-Paxton TurboCar fielded by the late Andy Granatelli provided a shocking example of how much racing at the speedway evolved over 56 years. Ever since the first 500-mile event was held at the 2.5-mile rectangular oval Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1911, the winning Marmon Wasp with a rearview mirror paved the way for what would be a grand showcase of automotive development. Accompanying “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” advancements in automobile technology showed greater sophistication with every passing decade in the quest for more speed. During the 1920s and 1930s, American race car designer Henry Miller offered groundbreaking engines to the Indianapolis 500. Miller also gave front-wheel drive technology it...

Photo Credit: Jack Webster Trois-Rivieres (or sometimes translated to 'Three Rivers' in the United States) has been a rich and beloved French-Canadian contribution to motorsports for almost five decades. Often depending upon smaller racing series, the event has provided the opportunity for rising stars of motorsports to claim limelight. Races within the  Grand Prix Trois-Rivieres have been contested by many auto racing legends in the making with past victors including Michael Andretti, Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Ron Fellows and Patrick Tambay. A great deal of other drivers have been deprived a win at the tricky, street race  In recent years, racing has taken place during two weeks as the FIA World Rallycross and Formula Drift Canada compete on a paved/dirt track on the first weekend while a more traditional event on the all-paved street course takes place on the second weekend. Fact #1: The Grand Prix Trois-Rivieres was first held on September 8th and 9th of 196...

  Photo source: IndyCar 　 Individuals born in 10 countries have claimed the great 500-mile open wheel race. In the 98 previous editions of the Indianapolis 500, the majority of winning drivers were American born (consisting of 72 in total). At least two Indianapolis 500 winners can be linked indirectly to Canada. The 1946 race winner George Robson was born in England but resided in Canada for years before again moving to the United States. Robson became an American citizen in adulthood but some Canadian auto racing historians would still consider his Brickyard victory important for our country. Last year’s Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay also shares a connection with Canada through his mother. However, on the May 28 th , 1995 running of the Indianapolis 500, an epic race officially added the nation of Canada’s name to the event’s prestigious history book. “It was such a big race win. It was the way we won it as a team”, said 1995 Indianapolis 500 winner Jacques Vil...