For Christmas I bought my husband and father-in-law the Audi Sportscar Experience at Infineon Raceway. Like others in the video they said it was one of the most amazing experiences – getting to push the R8 to the max on the track. Plus, the timed auto cross challenge and classroom instruction helped them become better drivers.

From the time I bought the gift, to the time they attended the event in June we got our Audi S4. Although just riding passenger side in the S4, the instructors were taking the cars to their limits and everyone was amazed at the performance of just the stock vehicle.

If you have a true car enthusiast in your family it’s a perfect gift. But be ready, the next year they’ll be asking for the full one-day or two-day class ($1,395 – $3,495)!

An introductory forum ($249 per person) at the Audi facility in Sonoma, California includes:

• Drive the TTS through a timed auto cross challenge
• Drive the Audi R8 on the Infineon Raceway track
• Ride right seat, instructor-driven demonstration laps in the S4

Check out the full Audi Sportscar Experience program.

All Star Bash V from Will Roegge on Vimeo.

Seeing a car drift perfectly through a corner is art in motion. Nuf said!

I recently was lucky enough to attend the Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix at Monza. One of the fun parts of the day was getting to check out the cars that the F1 drivers came to the track in.

Close to our seats which were located at the inside of the Parabolica next to the pit lane entrance, there was a parking lot for “F1 Personnel.” There was a guard at the entrance to the lot so I couldn’t get in to browse around unfortunately. But right up against the fence in the front row sat a number of pretty nice cars parked directly behind placards and one fellow race fan decided to see who was parked there while I was walking by. Behold, it just so happened to by Fernando Alonso’s Maserati GranTurismo.

Hmm…I wonder what other drivers just so happen to be parked here?

Well, just a couple cars down sat Jenson Button’s Ferrari 550 Maranello. I guess he decided the Italian Grand Prix was probably a good place to take this car.

Then there was Michael Schumacher’s new Mercedes-Benz CLS. This car isn’t available in the US just yet, but I must say it is one of the best looking Mercs I’ve seen in a long time.

Lastly, my favorite of the group was Adrian Sutil’s TechArt Porsche 911 GT2. This 580hp beast is extremely rare!

After a 40+ year absence from the World Rally Championship (WRC), MINI has confirmed that they will enter their new Countryman AWD 4-door crossover into the 2011 season. The number of races and its debut event in 2011 is still yet to be determined, but they are set to race the full season in 2012.

Developed in cooperation with Prodrive, the MINI Countryman WRC will use a BMW Motorsport sourced 1.6L turbo engine aligning with the FIA’s new Super2000 regulations which stipulate the use of turbocharged 1,600cc 4-cylinder engines. The car has been in development since 2009 and will be tested starting this fall. MINI will also make the Countryman WRC available to customer teams.

“I am delighted MINI will be represented on one of the most popular stages in international motorsport. The success enjoyed on the rally circuit has made a vital contribution to the image of the brand. MINI customers have always shown great interest in motorsport. I am convinced we will add a few more chapters to our success story in rallying. The MINI Countryman provides an excellent basis, from which to create a competitive racing car for the world championship. In Prodrive, we have a strong and experienced partner. We will work hard together over the coming months to ensure we get the project on track right from the word go,” states Ian Robertson, BMW AG Board of Management member.

It will certainly be nice to see a new manufacturer in the WRC since the current field consists of mainly Fords and Citroens.

So what am I doing October 22-24? I’m definitely going to the Global Tuner Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. And what is the Global Tuner Grand Prix (GTGP) you ask? Well….just about one of the coolest ideas ever.

Europe has the Tuner Grand Prix, Asia has the Super Lap Battle and now the Laguna Seca has the Global Tuner Grand Prix. Europe’s Tuner Grand Prix attracts mostly European cars with a few Japanese and American entries here and there and is held in Germany. The Super Lap Battle events are held in the US, but only Japanese cars are allowed. The new GTGP however is open to all Import, European and Domestic vehicles separated into 3 classes which include Street, Tuner and Unlimited. Each of the 3 classes are bracketed into 3 categories that include FWD, RWD and AWD. So, basically all are welcome.

The event will involve time trials where the fastest lap in each category and class wins. The event will also include the GTGP Challenge Race which will consist of a 50 minute wheel to wheel race featuring some of the fastest GT race cars in the world.

With ticket prices at $35 for the entire weekend, this is a no brainer.

Eric Castro captured what is truly at the heart of motorsport, the girls. Well, that and the pure rush of adrenaline. Getting a thumbs up from two scantily clad hot women while laying down enormous amounts of rubber is my idea of a great weekend.

This is a great shot from the Ferrari Formula One lineup during the 10th edition of the Ferrari Track Days. It was organized by Modena Motorsport at the German Nürburgring and there were 22 Ferrari Formula One cars in attendance:

I got an email today from Formula Drift for the Locked & Loaded drifting competition at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. Warren and I have attended the past 2 years, but this year I expect it to be a lot bigger. They expanded it to 2 days, August 21 – 22nd and paired it with the Indy Grand Prix. A 2-day pass is just $35 per adult and includes access to both events! Plus, get $7 off by using the discount code “newsletter” when you buy online.

Here’s a shot for the photo of the day from the Long Beach event earlier this year to whet your appetite.

In honor of Michael Schumacher’s recently announced return to Formula One today, our photo of the day is dedicated to his return to the track! As you may or may not know, Ferrari driver Felipe Massa was seriously injured on the track and Schumacher has agreed to fill in for him throughout the rest of the race. This is truly bitter sweet.

I don’t know what it is about the Le Mans series that has got me so caught up this year. I’d love to go to the 24 hour race next June, but I just don’t think it’s going to happen in 2010. Instead, I’m marking my calendar for the 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida that leads up to to 24 hour historic endurance race. It will be held March 17 – 20, 2010 at the Sebring International Raceway. Tickets go on sale August 3, 2009.

The great thing about endurance racing is that there are so many variables it makes each race vastly different. Even though the same drivers can be in the same car on the same track year after year, they’ll face some new obstacle they have to overcome. Whether it’s competition from a faster car, a run in with the elements like rain and heat, or crew performance in the long grueling hours, every team has to expect the unexpected.

In 2009, Audi debuted it’s new car, the R-15 TDI, which took the Kristensen, McNish, and Capello team to victory at the Sebring event. Kristensen earned his 5th overall win and the team won Audi’s 9th Sebring victory in 11 attempts. Audi covered a distance of 1,417 miles at an average speed of 118 mph, both of which were new event records. However, even with their record setting win at Sebring, the Audi team faced new challenges at Le Mans and finished 3rd to Peugeot at the 24 hour race in France.

Check out this battle between Audi’s Capello and Peugeot’s Sarrazin at the 2009 12 Hours of Sebring race.