The 2018 ARCA Menards Series season started with Salt Lake City, Utah native Michael Self (No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota) celebrating in victory lane. Self, driving for Venturini Motorsports, cemented his reputation as one of the series best superspeedway racers with a dominant performance on Daytona’s legendary high banks and he only furthered that reputation with a second win later in the year at Chicagoland Speedway.
Self ran a partial schedule last year, and thanks to an increased commitment from his sponsor he’s running the full schedule for the first time in his career. With the championship now in play, Self has to maximize his bad days while still chasing wins.
He took the momentum of the sponsorship announcement into the 2019 season opener at Daytona looking to repeat last season’s success. His day was cut short on lap three, however, when contact with another competitor send him sliding – and literally flying – out of control down the backstretch. While the Venturini team affected repairs and Self returned to the track he finished a disappointing 31st. Not the start he wanted for his first run at the ARCA championship.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA — After a successful decade of developing and producing the Ford Mustang RTR—as well as RTR’s line of aftermarket parts that compliment Mustang owners who want to stand out from the crowd—the new Ford F-150 RTR becomes RTR’s second publicly available vehicle model outfitted with RTR’s signature modern-aggressive design and enhanced performance that is available to consumers from RTR Vehicles. The F-150 RTR package is now available at select Ford dealers in regions where the F-150 is sold. The F-150 RTR launch follows the soon to be released collaboration with Ford performance, ‘The Series 1 Ford Mustang RTR Powered by Ford Performance’.
Inspired by the incredibly popular F-150 Ultimate Fun-Haver and the award-winning F-150 RTR Muscle Truck, the F-150 RTR joins the RTR Vehicles lineup for 2019. Available for all F-150 trim levels (excluding the Ford Raptor), the F-150 RTR increases the functionality and enhances the overall design; offering capability both on and off the road; having fun or making the daily commute.
“Ford’s Iconic F-150 has evolved into so much more than just a pickup truck, with diverse capability on and off road, great technology integration, serious towing capability and an interior that makes any travel with friends and family very comfortable,” said RTR Vehicles’ President and RTR’s resident Professional Fun-Haver, Vaughn Gittin Jr. “RTR felt the time was right for us to bring all the things our Mustang RTR owners have grown to love into the truck market. I cannot wait for my fellow truck lovers everywhere to see just how capable and fun the F-150 RTR is whether you are road tripping with the family, carrying supplies or shopping bags, doing some towing, enjoying the trails and roads less traveled, or spraying roost during some off-road excursions. The goal was to take the already impressive capabilities of the F-150 and enhance the owner and driving experience whether on or off-road.”
TORONTO, ON – INKAS Armored Vehicle Manufacturing has successfully re-engineered its Sentry APC (Armoured Personnel Carrier) to now offer a Right-Hand Drive (RHD) version of its field-proven armored vehicle. The INKAS Sentry APC is a tactical vehicle designed to serve in extreme climate conditions and harsh terrains. It is a unique APC in terms of technical specifications, design and assembly and is one of the only right-hand drive conversions in the world to be carried out 100% in-house, with the same company both designing and armoring the vehicle.
The heavy-duty Ford chassis that powers the Sentry APC is one of the most preferred and widely used platforms within mid-scale APCs and LAPVs with 8-to-10 person capacities. The Ford chassis offers a reliable and easy-to-maintain skeleton upon which to build out the APC. While there is a large need for these types of vehicles within volatile regions, approximately one third of the world’s population is left unserved because a Ford RHD chassis is not commercially available.
Media
Wow is a word you shouldn’t overuse.
It’s only applicable when something truly surprises and impresses you.
But in this case, when talking about the 2019 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400, wow is the appropriate word to use. Because once you start driving this rocketship luxury coupe, you’ll find find yourself saying that word a lot.
Between its stunning looks, truly bold performance chops and tech offerings, it makes a strong claim for the crown of best luxury sport coupe. Read on for a full report.
LOOKS
While it hasn’t undergone a major redesign for a couple years, the Q60 (which is based on the Q50 sedan) remains one of the most attractive luxury coupes available, with its long swooping hood and sleek lines.
The interior is plush and more comfortable to driver than most sporty rides, and offers unique silver styling in the trim. A power sliding tinted glass moonroof is included, a feature that’s a must to truly enjoy this type of vehicle.
To be honest, the back seat is there for show only. As with most coupes, think of the Q60 as a two-seater. The reality is these types of vehicles are about performance, not utility. Nobody will fit in back except maybe small children. It also has a very small trunk, even smaller than most of its competitors, so don’t plan to bring a lot of cargo.
To bring home the performance angle, the Q60 Red Sport features 20-inch aluminum-alloy sport wheels, and all-season performance tires. There are also special exhaust tips and red-painted brake calipers. The Red Sport also includes exclusive aluminum accented sport pedals.
Other options include illuminated kick plates, interior ambient lighting, and a carbon fiber package that offers carbon fiber rear decklid spoiler, exterior mirror covers, fog lamp finishers, and fender vents for just over $2K.
Examples of classy design touches are: Genuine carbon fiber on center console and doors, aluminum front door sill kick plates, chrome INFINITI Double-arch signature grille, welcome lighting on front door handles, and a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel.
It could be argued that there are already enough vehicles in the compact luxury SUV segment, which has been growing like a weed in the past few years.
Good thing Volvo didn’t listen to that school of thought, as their XC40 entry is one recent addition to the segment that delivers both on looks and performance, in addition to safety.
Read on for a full assessment of the 2019 XC40, which has the goods to disrupt this segment and achieve long-term success.
LOOKS
When I got my first look at the XC40, I immediately thought it was one of the sharpest looking rides I have seen in a long time. My test vehicle was a beautiful light blue color, with a white top and a long sunroof. The body was impressively designed with unique deep side lines. And to top it off, a nice little Swedish flag is attached to remind you of Volvo's heritage.
From a distance, it almost reminded me of the look of an classic car from the 60s, a bit of a retro throwback.
Having a strong look is important in this class, as everyone from Audi to Lexus to Infiniti comes with their A-game in terms of design.
AutoTechReviews is your home for In-depth reviews of the latest cars, trucks, and SUVs; information on all the emerging vehicle technology; and breaking news from the world of NASCAR and other motorsports.