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Aug
18th

ALMS: Klaus Graf tops Road America qualifying (+results)

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Having qualified on pole, Klaus Graf together with his Muscle Milk Pickett Racing teammate Lucas Luhr, will be trying to win two in a row at Road America.

Graf clocked the best lap of the qualifying session, putting the team's HPD ARX-03a in a familiar starting spot. Beside him however, will not be Chris Dyson nor Guy Smith, Grad and Luhr's usual rivals who drive the No. 16 Lola-Mazda of Dyson Racing. The pair was forced out of the session by gearbox problems.

So it was left to the team's sister car, the No. 20 driven by Eric Lux to take second in class.

The GT battle saw a unprecedented 1-2 result for Flying Lizard, Marco Holzer having crushed the track record on way to pole, followed by Jörg Bergmeister in the sister Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 0.013 seconds behind. Bergmeister was on par with Holzer until the very end of the session, making it an even more satisfying result for the team.

Oliver Gavin posted the third fastest lap aboard his Corvette Racing No. 4 C6 ZR1.

In P2, Martin Plowman shined, netting his second pole position of the season in his very first appearance at Road America. Last time the Conquest Endurance Racing driver bested Level 5 Motorsport's two entries, it was at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, where he took his first victory together with co-driver David Heinemeier-Hansson.

Canadian Kyle Marcelli put on show in PC qualifying, topping heavy hitters such as two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans-winner Tom Kimber-Smith, former Champ Car star Bruno Junqueira and last round's winner Marino Franchitti.

Jeroen Bleekemolen, standing in for Leh Keen as Cooper MacNeil's teammate at Alex Job Racing took pole in the GTC class.



Qualifying results* - ALMS (Road America)
1. Luhr/Graf (HPD ARX-03a) - Pickett - 1'50"191

2. Marsal/Lux/Burgess (Lola B11/66-Mazda) - Dyson - 1'53"392
3. Plowman/Hansson (Morgan-Judd) - Conquest - 1'54"218
4. Tucker/Bouchut (HPD ARX-03b) - Level 5 - 1'54"407

5. Tucker/Diaz (HPD ARX-03b) - Level 5 - 1'55"977
6. Marcelli/Ducote/French (Oreca FLM09) - Merchant - 1'57"172

7. Popow/Kimber-Smith/Bennett (Oreca FLM09) - CORE - 1'57"790
8. Junqueira/Gonzalez (Oreca FLM09) - RSR - 1'57"829
9. Dempsey/Foster (Lola B12/86-Mazda) - Dempsey - 1'58"150

10. Franchitti/Junco (Oreca FLM09) - PR1 - 1'58"230

11. Downs/Downs/Downs (Oreca FLM09) - Merchant - 1'59"498
12. Richard/Ende (Oreca FLM09) - Dempsey - 1'59"874
13. Neiman/Holzer (Porsche 997) - Flying
14. Lizard - 2'04"415
14. Bergmeister/Long (Porsche 997) - Flying Lizard - 2'04"428
15. Gavin/Milner (Corvette ZR1) - Corvette - 2'04"871

16. Mueller/Auberlen (BMW M3) - Rahal - 2'04"913
17. Magnussen/Garcia (Corvette ZR1) - Corvette - 2'04"921
18. Sharp/Van Overbeek (Ferrari 458) - Extreme Speed - 2'04"994
19. Mueller/Summerton (BMW M3) - Rahal - 2'05"098
20. Henzler/Sellers (Porsche 997) - Falken - 2'06"640

21. Sweedler/Bell (Lotus Evora) - Alex Job - 2'07"177
22. Miller/Maassen (Porsche 997 Cup) - Miller - 2'07"182
23. Wittmer/Farnbacher (SRT Viper) - SRT - 2'08"556

24. Goossens/Kendall (SRT Viper) - SRT - 2'09"609

25. Brown/Cosmo (Ferrari 458) - Extreme Speed - 2'10"588
26. MacNeil/Bleekemolen (Porsche 997 Cup) - Alex Job - 2'12"773
27. LeSaffre/Faulkner (Porsche 997 Cup) - Green Hornet - 2'12"804

28. Huisman/Wong (Porsche 997 Cup) - Green Hornet - 2'13"339
29. Benitez-Benitez (Porsche 997 Cup) - NGT - 2'14"020

30. Pumpelly/DiGuida (Porsche 997 Cup) - TRG - 2'14"039

31. Cumming/Ragginger (Porsche 997 Cup) - JDX - 2'14"717
32. Faieta/Avenatti (Porsche 997 Cup) - Competition - 2'14"744
33. Sofronas/Welch (Porsche 997 Cup) - GMG - 2'14"891
34. Bennett/Braun (Oreca FLM09) - CORE - no time

35. Dyson/Smith (Lola B12/60-Mazda) - Dyson - no time

*Unofficial


Aug
18th

NASCAR Montreal: Live coverage of the Nationwide race!

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Auto123.com Racing carries today live coverage of the NAPA 200, race of the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide series from the Gilles Villeneuve circuit in Montreal.

Our crew is located in the paddock and the press centre of the circuit.

Auto123.com will provide live comments and analysis of the action while it happends out on the race track.

For technical reasons, the commentaries are provided in both English and French.

Simply click on the box below to access the Live Coverage.


Aug
18th

Grand-Am: Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas extend points lead with Montreal win (+results)

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Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas not only won the Montreal 200 aboard their No. 01 BMW/Riley DP, they extended their points lead in the championship as well, and bagged Chip Ganassi Racing's 150th motorsport victory.

Their pair has enjoyed limited success this season, despite leading the championship. They only had one victory so far in 2012, which happened at Road America. With the win in Montreal, their lead in the standings has stretched to 18 points.

Pole-sitters Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty (No. 99 Corvette DP) failed again to capitalize on a good qualifying, coming home in second place, nevertheless. Action Express's David Donohue and Paul Tracy clawed their way back to third in their No. 5 after a first lap incident.

Ryan Dalziel was the big looser of the race, in the No. 8 Starworks Motorsport Ford/Riley he shared with Alex Tagliani. The pair held on to the lead early on, but fell back when Dalziel collected Ricky Taylor into a spin. A penalty for aggressive driving set the back further to an eighth-place finish.

In GT, Robin Liddell and John Edwards (No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R) put on a clinic.

After grabbing pole the day before, they earned their second win of the season, fourth in Montreal. Following closing in Liddell's strides at the finish was the No. 69 FXDD AIM Autosport Team Ferrari of Emil Assentato and Jeff Segal, who benefited from Leh Keen and Andrew Davis' (No. 59 Brumos Porsche) broken radiator.



Race results* - Grand-Am (Montreal)
1 - Pruett-Rojas (Riley-BMW) - Ganassi - 66 laps 2.00'16"057
2 - Fogarty-Gurney (Corvette DP) - Stallings - 22"902

3 - Donohue-Borcheller-Tracy (Corvette DP) - ActionExpress - 23"073
4 - Barbosa-Law (Corvette DP) - ActionExpress - 25"500

5 - Angelelli-Taylor (Corvette DP) - SunTrust - 29"692
6 - Negri-Pew (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 48"312

7 - Dalziel-Tagliani (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - 1'30"134
8 - Dalziel-Tagliani-Popow (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - 2 laps

9 - Edwards-Liddell (Chevy Camaro) - Stevenson - 2 laps

10 - Assentato-Segal (Ferrari458) - AIM - 2 laps
11 - Cameron-Nonnamaker (Mazda RX8) - Sahlen - 2 laps

12 - Davis-Keen (Porsche 997) - Brumos - 2 laps

13 - Bomarito-Tremblay (Mazda RX8) - Speedsource - 3 laps

14 - Espenlaub-Putman (Mazda RX8) - Dempsey - 3 laps

15 - Curran-Said (Corvette) - Marsh - 3 laps

16 - Long-Maxwell (Mazda RX8) - Dempsey - 3 laps
17 - Norman-Von Moltke (Audi R8) - APR - 3 laps
18 - Nonnamaker-Nonnamaker (Mazda RX8) - Sahlen - 4 laps
19 - Lally-Potter (Porsche 997) - Magnus - 8 laps
20 - Johnson-Della Lana (BMW M3) - Turner - 47 laps

21 - Garcia-Westbrook (Corvette DP) - Spirit of Daytona - 65 laps



*Unofficial

Fastest lap of the race
by Alex Tagliani - 1'33"035

Championship


1. Pruett-Rojas 330; 2. Dalziel 312; 3. Law 303; 4. Popow, Donohue 298.
Aug
18th

NASCAR Canadian Tire: Photo gallery of J.R. Fitzpatrick’s win in Montreal

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Ayr, Ontario's J.R. Fitzpatick won the Autopro 100, round of the NASCAR Canadian Tire race held Saturday on the Gilles Villeneuve road course in Montreal during the NAPA Auto Parts 200.

2012 NAPA 200 NASCAR Canadian Tire
Photos: Sebastien D'Amour

The 23-lap race was delayed on several occasions by full course yellows. Fitzpatrick, who drives the No. 84 Equipment Express Chevrolet enjoyed a race-long battle for the lead against two-time series' champion and second place starter, Andrew Ranger.

The race was yellow flagged for oil on the track with just a hanful of laps to go. It was restarted with just two laps to go. Ranger tried everything to pass Fitzpatrick, without success.

The field got the white flag (one lap to go) but two seperate accidents happened simultenously. Unfortunately for Ranger, one car got stuck in the last chicane, causing the officials to display a full-course yellow.

Fitzpatrick crossed the line in first place behind the pace car, scoring his second victory of the season. Andrew Ranger finished second ahead of veteran Robin Buck.

Aug
18th

2006-2011 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Pre-Owned

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History/Description: The Mercedes-Benz B 200 amounted to a luxurious and sophisticated German attempt at creating a ‘mini-minivan' for Canadian shoppers after a functional, efficient and upscale people hauler. Flexible and big on comfort and utility, this little Benz was sold in Canada, not in the US.

2006 Mercedes-Benz B-Class front 3/4 view
2006 Mercedes-Benz B-Class (Photo: Auto123.com)

Look for front-wheel drive on all models, with motivation coming from a 2.0L, 134-hp four-cylinder engine (B 200) or a 193-hp turbocharged version thereof (B 200 Turbo). Manual or CVT automatic transmissions were both available, depending on the model selected.

A panoramic sunroof, projector lights, heated leather, automatic climate control, Bluetooth and an intelligent key were among the B-Class's available features.

What Owners Like: High levels of build quality, comfort, smooth and effortless performance on turbocharged models, and overall versatility were highly rated by B 200 owners. Maneuverability, outward visibility and a good driving position were also commented upon positively, as was fuel mileage.

What Owners Dislike: Some owners wish for quicker reactions to their stereo system inputs, and a more consistent feel to the B 200's electronic throttle.

Common Issues: Since the B 200 wasn't sold in the US of A, owner forums are populated fairly scarcely. Still, some issues seem to have surfaced that used B 200 shoppers should be aware of.

Have a mechanic inspect the B-Class's brakes, particularly the rear ones, for signs of excessive wear, uneven pad wear or rust. Some owners have complained of various durability-related brake problems, particularly related to the rear brakes.

A clue that the model you're considering is suffering from this problem may be a ‘ring' of rust around the outer portion of the rear brake disc, which indicates that the brake pad isn't seated properly and isn't sweeping the rotor's entire surface.

2007 Mercedes-Benz B-Class engine
2007 Mercedes-Benz B-Class (Photo: Michel Deslauriers)

Continue reading 2006-2011 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Pre-Owned

Aug
17th

Live video from the Woodward Dream Cruise — tonight and tomorrow: Check out our live streaming video feed from the roof of the legendary Vinsetta Garage

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The Woodward Dream Cruise starts Saturday morning, but don't tell that to any of the thousands of cars and spectators lining the Avenue right now.
Aug
17th

Lincoln prepares for fight with Lexus

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Lincoln brand managers are training their sights on a new competitor as they prepare to reboot the marque with a new MKZ sedan this fall.
Aug
17th

Opening day auction results from Monterey

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In results gathered by Hagerty Insurance, $5.8 million worth of cars, trucks and motorcycles were sold Thursday at auctions on the Monterey Peninsula. A total of 190 of 323 lots were sold, for a sell-through rate of 59 percent.
Aug
17th

BMW reveals Zagato Roadster at Pebble Beach

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Earlier this week, we snuck a peak at the BMW Zagato roadster in dark photos sent from BMW.
Aug
17th

500 Turbo to join Fiat’s U.S. lineup: Autoweek TV

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Also in this episode: 2013 Jaguar XF and XJ sedans will receive new engine options and all-wheel drive, and Chrysler shares details of the
Aug
17th

Ford salutes Carroll Shelby with 850-hp GT500 Cobra

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The and#8220;friends of
Aug
17th

Nissan Juke Ministry of Sound edition

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Nissan Juke Ministry of Sound edition front
News 20 Aug, 2012

New special-edition Juke gets black and white styling upgrades

Aug
17th

Nissan Juke Ministry of Sound edition pictures

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Nissan Juke Ministry of Sound edition frontNissan Juke Ministry of Sound edition rearNissan Juke Ministry of Sound edition interior Pictures 20 Aug, 2012
Aug
17th

New Toyota Auris

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Toyota Auris Hybrid front
News 20 Aug, 2012

First pictures and details of the all-new Toyota Auris ahead of its Paris Motor Show debut

Aug
17th

New Toyota Auris Hybrid pictures

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Toyota Auris Hybrid frontToyota Auris Hybrid rearToyota Auris Hybrid interior Pictures 20 Aug, 2012
Aug
17th

Bentley Mulsanne Convertible Concept

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Bentley Mulsanne Convertible Concept profile
News 20 Aug, 2012

Official sketches released following a secret Pebble Beach debut

Aug
17th

Cadillac teases 2013 ‘glamour’ concept car

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Looking to recapture some of its past luster, Cadillac showed renderings of a concept car that will appear at a 2013 auto show.
Aug
17th

Bentley Mulsanne Convertible Concept pictures

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Bentley Mulsanne Convertible Concept profileBentley Mulsanne Convertible Concept roof mechanismBentley Mulsanne Convertible Concept roof up Pictures 20 Aug, 2012
Aug
17th

Fiat adding midlevel 500 turbo model for 2013

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Fiat is adding a midlevel model, the 500 Turbo, to its U.S. lineup for 2013. The car will get a turbocharged 1.4-liter MultiAir engine rated at 135 hp and 150 lb-ft of torque.
Aug
17th

McLaren reveals unique X-1 concept at The Quail

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McLaren introduced a one-off supercar at The Quail on Aug. 17. Itand#8217;s named the X-1 and was built for an anonymous car enthusiast.
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