CarRacingBlog.com

Talladega Superspeedway announced a list of HALLOW-DEGA℠ fan activities set for the AMP Energy 500 weekend, Oct. 30 – Nov.1.

“Our plans are coming together for the World’s Largest Halloween Party,” said Talladega Superspeedway President Rick Humphrey. “Best of all, there will be something for everyone. We have activities for the kids and parents too.”

Activities for Saturday, Oct. 31 include:
·The SPEED Scream Contest on the SPEED stage
·The Sprint Costume Contest in the Sprint display
·A haunted maze located in the display area
·A fortune teller that will peer into the future
·A wax hands interactive display
·A Pumpkin Seed Spitting Contest in the display area
·Halloween characters roaming throughout the display area
·A hall of mirrors and much more

More activities will be announced soon. To keep up-to-date on all the latest HALLOW-DEGA activities, fans should visit the new and improved www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.

In 2009, Talladega Superspeedway proudly celebrates forty years of the most competitive racing in NASCAR. While the track has seen changes made to the cars that circle its high-banks, the surface that they race on and the grandstands that thousands of fans fill twice a year, one constant remains; Talladega Superspeedway is authentic NASCAR racing at its finest.

Race fans should make plans now to experience the AMP Energy 500 weekend, Oct. 30 through Nov. 1. This weekend features the Mountain Dew 250 fueled by Fred’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race and Race Number Seven in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the AMP Energy 500. For information on attending HALLOW-DEGA℠, visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 1-877-Go2-DEGA. For our hearing impaired guests, please call TDD 1-866-ISC-TRAK (1-866-472-8725). Tickets also are available in person by visiting the Talladega Superspeedway Ticket Office from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. CDT, Monday- Friday.

If you’re a fan of historic rally cars, and especially the Audi Quattro, then this is a competition not to be missed.

Wrc.com has teamed up with McKlein Publishing to offer three copies of its fabulous new book ‘Audi Quattro - A Rally History’ personally signed by the world renowned rally photographer Reinhard Klein.

The turbocharged, four-wheel-drive Audi Quattro sparked a WRC revolution when it made its competitive debut on the 1981 Rallye Monte Carlo.

After only ten snow-covered kilometres of the first special stage, Hannu Mikkola in a Quattro had caught and passed the helpless Lancia Stratos of Bernard Darniche, the winning combination in 1979.

Superb traction and seemingly limitless power were the keys to its success that made the Quattro legendary and helped Audi to capture the hearts of thousands of fans.

McKlein’s new book provides a detailed record of all the rally cars that Audi launched - from the Audi 80 to the Quattros and the Coupé S2 - as well as a comprehensive statistics section.

Written by John Davenport, a former rally co-driver and team manager, and accompanied by more than 400 beautiful pictures taken by Klein, this high-quality 252-page book would make a terrific addition to any coffee table.

We have three signed books up for grabs. To be in with a chance of winning one, answer the question in the WRC Extra section.

For more information about the full range of McKlein’s motorsport publications visit: www.rallywebshop.com

I realize this is a racing blog but I’ve just got to say that after a LONG season with a lot of high points, low points and, well - a LOT of B.S. - I’m ready for some championship racing, end season highlights and of course, some of my beloved FOOTBALL!

After watching some pretty exciting college football this weekend - and some pretty lame and boring NFL football (with a few exceptions) - I am reminded that it’s not the “premiere” or “center stage” sporting events that are the most fun. It’s the home town, home team, local-level events that have - from my experience anyway - the most heart. Following big series like NASCAR, IRL and F1 where there are a lot of politics, big money and even bigger egos sometimes makes me a little jaded about the world of racing… that is, until I attend a local short track.

If you haven’t been out to your own local short track - dirt, asphalt, off-road or WHATEVER - I suggest you make plans to DO SO. It will change your perspective, give you a renewed love for the sport and get you back “on track” (pun intended). So… whatever your love - rally, stock cars, sprint cars, midget racing, etc. - get OUT THERE, grab some of those under-$20-tickets that are available and see it LIVE.

Already making plans for the 2010 season at my local dirt and asphalt tracks and YES, I am SO ready for some FOOTBALL!

F1 2009™, the official video game of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship, is set to deliver an even more authentic experience for gamers after developers Codemasters announced that a limited edition Race Wheel accessory, styled after an F1 steering wheel, will ship with the Wii™ edition in selected territories.

The F1 2009 bundle box will feature the exclusive white Race Wheel, which the Wii remote slots into, enabling players to steer the Formula One cars in the game, due for release this autumn, like their heroes.

The news comes ahead of this weekend’s European Grand Prix and the Valencia circuit, complete with its unique swing bridge, is playable for the first time in F1 2009. A gameplay video packed with race action from Spanish track is now available at www.formula1-game.com.

F1 2009 will offer a fully authentic Formula One experience, with all the teams, drivers, cars and tracks from the enthralling 2009 season. The Wii version will set new standards for racing immersion and authenticity, while remaining accessible for the entire family, and the PSP version will allow fans the opportunity to enjoy the world’s most thrilling and glamorous sport on the move.