The 5 Most Inspirational Racing Drivers

Professional race car drivers inspire awe in most people as they whip around the track at speeds that would make most people lose their minds. It is not a sport for the faint hearted. There are, however, several professional drivers who have inspired fans on a special level with their accomplishments over the years in unique ways. Here are five of the most inspirational race car drivers.

Alessandro “Alex” Zanardi
As an Italian race car driver, Zanardi had a respectable career with two CART championship titles in the late 1990s. He also participated as a Formula One driver. However in 2001 he suffered a horrific crash that resulted in the amputation of both of his legs. Less than two years after the accident, he returned to racing and competed in the FIA World Touring Car Championship. Even more famously, he switched sports and went into handbiking, which is a type of cycling for the Paralympics. In this sport he won gold and silver medals at the 2012 London Paralympics. He is a wonderful example of perseverance in spite of adversity.

Ayrton Senna da Silva
Sadly, Senna was the last driver fatality in Formula One when he was killed in an accident during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, but his legend lives on and continues to inspire many, especially in his native Brazil. Senna made his Formula One debut in 1984, and he won three Formula One world championships during his career. He is popularly considered one of the greatest Formula One drivers in the history of the sport. He also was victorious during the Monaco Grand Prix six time, which continues to be a record. The sheer number of his accomplishments is extraordinary and warrants him mention.

Michael Schumacher
This German race car driver is also popularly regarded as one of the best drivers in Formula One history and statistically is one of the best the entire sport has ever known. He holds numerous records including the most number of championships, points scored, victories within a single season, fastest laps, race victories, and more. In 2002 he gained notoriety for finishing in the top three in every race of the season (and thus gaining the most consecutive podium finishes), the only driver in Formula One history to have done so. He is also known for his involvement with various charities and donations millions of dollars. He is another example of what can be accomplished with the incredible intersection of talent and hard work.

Danica Patrick
One of the most famous names in racing, even among people who do not follow the sport, Patrick has carved a name for herself as the most successful woman in the sport. She is the only woman to have ever won a race in the IndyCar series, and placed third at the Indianapolis 500, which was the highest finish by a woman. She won a NASCAR Spring Cup Series pole as well, the first female NASCAR driver to have done so. She has also been the fastest pole qualifier to successfully qualify for the Daytona 500 since 1990. She is inspirational because of her ability to overcome stereotypes and compete on a level that previously no woman had successfully achieved.

Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton
This British Formula One driver was the youngest to ever sign a contract that resulted in a Formula One drive in 2007. He is also considered the first black driver in the Formula One series, and was the first black driver to win any major race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He is the holder of numerous records, and finished second in the 2007 Formula One Championship, but went on to win the World Championship the next year. He accomplishments at such a young age as well as being a trailblazer in the sport for people of different ethnic backgrounds are two great reasons to be inspired by this young Brit.

Each sport produces athletes and competitors which offer fans and the rest of the population someone to admire. They overcome adversity, achieve amazing goals, and persevere even when the cards seem stacked against them. Race car driving is no different. These five competitors have inspired many who follow the sport of racing around the world.

Article courtesy of www.design911.com.

  

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First Open-Road Muscle Car Experience Launches

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Have you ever wanted to just let loose and drive the most powerful cars on the market in the open road? Well, now is your chance with the American Muscle Car Experience! World Class Driving launched the country’s first open-road muscle car driving adventure in Las Vegas on April 1. The American Muscle Car Driving Experience invites you to get behind the wheel of supercharged hotrods like the 662 horsepower 2014 Ford Shelby GT500 and the 2014 Dodge Challenger SRT8. Get ready to rev the fiercest engines on the winding streets of Red Rock Canyon in an All-American ride like nothing else.

World Class Driving maps out Red Rock Canyon’s most thrilling roads so drivers can unleash the jaw-dropping capabilities of its high-powered muscle cars. This driving experience is available in two packages:

Red Rock Muscle Experience – Drive three muscle cars through 30 miles of the Las Vegas desert in a hair-raising, adrenaline-pumping guided tour ($299 per person).

Red Rock Muscle XL Experience – Anyone needing an extra shot of awesome can take the wheel of four muscle cars in an intense 50-mile excursion ($399 per person).

Drivers rotate automobiles periodically at checkpoints throughout the experience, learning what makes each American muscle car so different.

The top-of-the-line automobiles in the Muscle Car Fleet include:

· 2013 Shelby GT500: 662 horsepower and a 0-to-60 sprint of 3.5 seconds will make your heart race as you attack the open road in one of the most powerful Ford Mustangs ever.

· 2013 Corvette Z06: With a sleek look and astonishing performance, the Z06 combines incredible acceleration and grip with the heart and soul of an American muscle car for a distinctively thrilling ride.

· 2014 Dodge Challenger SRT8: Dodge’s newest muscle car to hit the streets features a supercharged hemi motor in the classic Challenger body with a unique “Crazy Purple” color that will turn heads on the road.

· 2014 Camaro ZL1: Immense anticipation has been built for what will be one of the hottest muscle cars on the streets. You will have the thrill to be one of the first in the country to unleash this beast through the Las Vegas desert.

World Class Driving experiences are designed to provide access to some of the world’s most exciting muscle and exotic cars in unique, open-road driving environments. Bullz-Eye.com plans on making a trip out west to find out just how incredible this driving experience can be for car guys like us.

  

The Light from the TV Shows: A Chat with Megyn Price (“Rules of Engagement”)

After a season on “Lateline,” five seasons on “Grounded for Life,” and seven seasons – so far – of “Rules of Engagement,” Megyn Price ought to know the process of putting together a sitcom inside and out by now, so it’s not entirely surprising to find that she’s decided to step behind the camera and direct an episode of her CBS series. Price chatted with Bullz-Eye about what it took to transition into directing and how her castmates helped her efforts (there’s a bit of a spoiler in the mix, so be wary) while also reflecting on some of her favorite and not-so-favorite aspects of the show’s seven seasons to date. Before getting down to business, however, I’d promised to pass on a message…

Cats & Dogs

Bullz-Eye: First of all, I’m supposed to tell you that Donal Logue says, “Hello.”

Megyn Price: Awwwwwww… I love him! We’ve been going back and forth on Twitter. My former TV husband…

BE: Yeah, he and I just did an interview in conjunction with his debut on “Vikings” for the Onion AV Club.

MP: Oh, you did? Oh, great! That’s fun. He’s such a great guy, isn’t he? Did you have a 400-hour interview with him? ‘Cause he can not stop talking. [Laughs.]

BE: Well, actually, it started out a phoner, and then we ended up doing a bit more by email. It was for a feature called Random Roles, and I wanted to try to cover as many of his roles as possible. Lord knows he’s got enough of ‘em…

MP: Oh, God, I bet he loved that! He has the best stories. He used to tell a story about being on “The Patriot” anytime wardrobe would come up to us on “Grounded for Life,” about how there was this stampede, where everyone was getting run over by horses, and he said that wardrobe would come up to him and fix his collar. He’s, like, “Okay, you don’t need to fix my collar. I’m about to get run over by a horse!” [Laughs.]

BE: Okay, on to the topic at hand: your directorial debut. What took you so long to get behind the camera?

MP: It’s hard to get the shot, y’know? There are no small directing jobs. There are small acting jobs, but no small directing jobs. Somebody’s really got to be generous and kind, like our producers were on this show, and give you a shot. And, y’know, I think I had to earn it a little bit. A) I had to have the experience, but B) I had to do a lot of research and a lot of studying with other directors and prove that I was serious about it all.

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Car Review: 2013 Toyota Avalon XLE Touring

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A moulin rouge mica 2013 Toyota Avalon XLE Touring is a great sight on a cool spring day in the Midwest. Toyota has dramatically altered the chemistry of Avalon’s DNA creating, a new potent and persuasive sedan that helps shift the product’s generational appeal while symbolizing Toyota’s exciting new design and product direction for future sedans. Our test model verified this just from first impressions.

EXTERIOR

As good as the previous Avalon was, the new 2013 model is a much more refined and expressive car, starting with the exterior. For the mission of re-positioning the Avalon brand and shifting consumer perception of the sedan, Toyota fashioned an exterior that offers a much more athletic expression in sheet metal. The new Avalon sedan clearly represents a dramatic styling departure from previous Avalon models. The 2013 Avalon’s elegant and athletic design offers a longer flowing roofline, creating a more appealing side silhouette with a lower vehicle beltline that suggests a sense of motion with a road holding stance. Its chiseled shoulder line sculpted into side sheet metal starts over the front wheels and creates a strong, fluid body side design cue, adding to its athletic stance. The new Avalon exterior is designed to communicate a greater sense of performance and agility to better match the car’s vastly enhanced dynamic capability.

Compared to the 2012 model, the new Avalon offers more compact and athletic exterior dimensions, and with a greater styling sophistication that does not sacrifice interior comfort. The vehicle’s stance has also been improved with more taut and compact exterior dimensions. Overall height has been reduced by 0.98 inch (25 mm), while the overhangs have been reduced by 0.59 inch (15 mm) at the front and 1.77 inches (45 mm) at the rear. Filling the wheel well, the gap between the body and the tires has been reduced by 0.27 inch (7 mm) compared to the previous Avalon model. The new Avalon’s visual stance has been further enhanced by 1.29-inch (33 mm) reduction in width of the rear side rails surrounding the rear glass to tighten the proportions of the greenhouse. Vehicle tread has been increased by 0.39 inch (10 mm) at the front and 0.59 inch (15 mm) at the rear, widening the wheel placement underneath the more athletic Avalon body. Our test model sported heated outside mirrors with turn signals, power tilt and slide moon roof, dual chrome tipped exhaust and quadrabeam headlights with auto on/off.

A stronger, more expressive front-fascia design with larger grille opening creates an aggressive appearance while enhancing cooling air flow and pedestrian impact protection. The new Avalon’s exterior turn signal indicators have been located at the lower section of the front bumper to contribute to the slim and sleek appearance. The 2013 Avalon’s sleek and sculpted rear tail lights utilize LED lamps to help ensure visibility and reduce the gap of unlit dark area between the trunk and rear quarter panel.

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Portable USB Shaver from Shavetech

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This portable electric shaver from ShaveTech is one of the more unique and interesting products we’ve reviewed in a while. It’s a USB shaver, so it’s ideal for traveling as you can charge it anywhere in or out of the US if you have access to a computer or other USB port. When not charging, the ShaveTech USB port flips up directly into the razor itself. The shaver is no bigger than a typical smart phone so it will fit anywhere from your pocket to your briefcase.

The sleek and simple design makes it very easy to use. The top slides on and off revealing the foil shaver head, and the shave with this super-light unit is nice and comfortable.

Anyone who travels often will love this useful gadget. Check it out at ShaveTech.com and also consider it for a gift with Father’s Day approaching.

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