Letarte Discusses the Three Keys to Winning at Martinsville
Steve Letarte recently passed the one-year mark of taking over as crew chief for the No. 24 Chevy Monte Carlo SS team and driver Jeff Gordon. With a less-than-desired finish in Charlotte now in the rearview mirror, Gordon, Letarte and crew head to Martinsville where the team placed second in the spring race.
In this podcast, Letarte talks about the three keys to winning at Martinsville, how each of the Chase for the Championship race venues are "wild card" races, the importance of a solid qualifying run at Martinsville, plus a more personal perspective after one year leading the team.
Posted by Editor at 10:23 AM
Comments (1)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Team Chevy’s Race to the Championship
Alba Colon
By Alba Colon
GM Racing program manager for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series
Throughout the NASCAR Nextel Cup Chase for the Championship I will be writing a weekly blog post about the latest happenings in the NASCAR garage.
As some of you may know, GM Racing’s role is to provide our Chevrolet teams with the engine parts, engineering technology and the know-how to ensure our drivers have the best possible performance in the Nextel Cup Series in their Chevy Monte Carlo SS race cars. During the Chase for the Championship, one of the responsibilities of GM Racing will be to make sure the parts we are supplying to the teams are in good supply and of the highest quality. It’s critical that we make sure our teams competing in the Chase do not experience any performance issues due to parts.
Even with the best plans and extensive preparation, issues can and will arise. Sometimes those issues mean we need testing. We currently have one official test session remaining in October at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the track that will host the final race to determine the 2006 Nextel Cup champion. Some teams contending for the championship may decide that additional testing is necessary at tracks in Kentucky, Nashville and Milwaukee. Our GM Racing team will be proactive in attending those tests and working with teams to help solve any engineering issues they face.
We have seven out of 10 drivers in the Chase, so the mathematical odds are in our favor to win the championship. But I always say it only takes one driver from the opposition to make our lives miserable. Last year, Chevy was the underdog when Tony Stewart took the title. Chevy had its only two drivers in the top two up until the last race, even when the odds were against us. Our strong performance this year and 15 wins this season clearly show the depth of our Chevy teams, and we look forward to contending for more victories throughout the Chase.
As the championship battle gets underway we are still conducting our other usual business with the 2007 engine that we just submitted to NASCAR and our efforts to help develop and test the Car of Tomorrow. Additionally, we’ve been speaking with all of our teams about the upcoming race weekend. Our Chevy teams are prepared and ready for Loudon and will be bringing their best vehicles. We’ve been very good at New Hampshire with Kyle Busch winning there in July. We are prepared as we can be but we’ll also be relying on a little bit of luck to make sure our Chevy drivers are in the right place at the right time.
Stay tuned for further information on the happenings at New Hampshire and other GM Racing developments in my coming blog posts.
Download Denny Hamlin's interview
Download Ed Peper's interview
Download Jeff Burton's interview
Download Jeff Gordon's interview
Download Jimmie Johnson's interview
Download Kyle Busch's interview
Podcast feed
The Chase-only podcast feed
Posted by Editor at 10:24 AM
Comments (10)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Video Podcast with Opel Corsa's Designer
The new Opel Corsa was unveiled at the British International Motor Show recently. In this video podcast, Niels Loeb, chief designer, discusses the car's design:
Niels Loeb, chief designer, Corsa Studio: "It's OK to be daring, especially when it's our striking new coupé-like three-door Corsa. And look at its face — bright eyes with a cheeky grin. That's just what we wanted the design to be — unique both inside and out, giving the owner a lasting sense of feel-good factor. It just cries out to be driven."
Posted by Editor at 9:02 AM
Comments (26)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Podcast: GM to Le Mans Video
Corvette Racing's victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans was the result of planning that rivals the precision of a missile launch and the determination of the D-Day invasion. This time-lapse video shot in Corvette Racing's headquarters in New Hudson, Mich., documents the team's final preparations for the assault on Le Mans as tons of equipment and the two Corvette C6.R race cars were prepared to be airlifted to Europe for the world's most prestigious sports car race. Be prepared; it will take your breath away!
Watch the video
Download the feed
Download the Le Mans-only feed
Posted by Editor at 9:34 AM
Comments (12)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Podcast: Looking Back at Le Mans
The 74th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world's greatest sports car race, is now in the record books. Corvette Racing scored its third straight victory in the GT1 class (and its fifth win in six years) against world-class competition in this grueling twice-around-the-clock endurance race in France. You can hear the comments of driver Oliver Gavin, who piloted the No. 64 Corvette C6.R to victory with his teammates Olivier Beretta and Jan Magnussen, in his audio podcast review of the race. Check out his podcast here.
For a different perspective, read driver Johnny O'Connell's personal blog that he wrote after a star-crossed race in the No. 63 Corvette C6.R that finished seventh in the GT1 division.
Check back to Fast Lane for more Le Mans recaps soon.
Posted by Editor at 11:08 AM
Comments (3)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Podcast: Team Corvette Drives Home Results at LeMans
The final wrap-up of the 24 Hours of Le Mans from Le Mans, France, from Brent Dewar, Mark Kent and Tom Wallace.
Download the Le Mans-only feed
Posted by Editor at 2:20 PM
Comments (11)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Podcast: Team Corvette Is Ready for LeMans
With the 24 hours of LeMans set for Saturday, Team Corvette is finalizing plans. Ron Fellows, a two-time class winner at the 24 hours of LeMans and a three-time American LeMans series winner with Team Corvette, talks about what it takes to get both the vehicle and team members ready for the big day as anticipation continues to build.
Posted by Editor at 5:06 PM
Comments (1)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Podcast: The Countdown to Le Mans Is On
The countdown to the 24 hours of Le Mans continues for Team Corvette and Dan Binks, crew chief.
The countdown to the 24 Hours of Le Mans continues, and Corvette Racing is in the final stages of preparation for the world's most prestigious sports car race. Today's interview features Dan Binks, the championship-winning crew chief for the No. 63 Compuware Corvette C6.R driven by Ron Fellows, Johnny O'Connell and Max Papis. Binks talks about the elaborate technical inspection conducted at Le Mans and describes the challenge of keeping his pit crew sharp for a 40-hour race day.
Posted by Editor at 9:58 AM
Comments (6)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Team Corvette: American Pride at LeMans
Team Corvette continues preparations for the 24 hours of LeMans.
The winning record of Corvette is a source of American pride at the world-famous 24 Hours of LeMans which begins June 17. During a pre-race interview recorded in Detroit, Gary Claudio, Corvette North America marketing manager, says a win at LeMans is very important to the Corvette racing team, to owners, and to the Corvette reputation around the world.
Posted by Editor at 11:56 AM
Comments (9)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Video Podcast: Corvette Team Heads for LeMans
The Corvette Racing team is on its way to France for the June 17 start of the world-famous 24 Hours of LeMans endurance race. Corvette has been the winner four out of the last five years. GM North America Vice President of Sales, Service, and Marketing Brent Dewar talked recently about the significance of a win at LeMans and why GM is into racing at all.
Posted by Editor at 3:45 PM
Comments (1)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Podcast: Team Corvette Finalizes Plans
Corvette Racing Program Manager Doug Fehan speaks from France about preparations for this year's June 17-18 LeMans 24-hour endurance race. A former race driver himself, Fehan is optimistic that the Corvette team can come away with another win, extending the record to five 1-2 finishes in the most recent six years at LeMans.
Download Doug Fehan's interview.
Download feed.
Download LeMans-only feed
Posted by Editor at 4:14 PM
Comments (1)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Podcast: Team Corvette Is Ready for LeMans
The Corvette C6.R.
GM Road Racing Group Manager Steve Wesoloski tells FastLane Radio that Corvette is sending two champion race-tested C6.Rs to France for the 24-hours of LeMans on June 17, 2006. The Corvette C6.R is the most technically advanced sports car ever developed by GM. This year's cars finished numbers 1 and 2 in the most recent American LeMans series race. Competition is tough, but hopes are high that Corvette will continue its winning record at LeMans this year. Wesoloski speaks from experience because he's a key member of the pit crew in addition to his engineering and administrative duties.
Download the MP3
Download the feed
Download LeMans-only feed
Posted by Editor at 5:29 PM
Comments (10)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Video Podcast: Lutz on the Saturn Sky Red Line
GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz discusses the design of the 2007 Saturn Sky Red Line in a walk-around at the New York International Auto Show.
Podcast feed
View the video (56 MB)
Posted by Editor at 11:33 AM
Comments (31)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Two Video Podcasts from Geneva
In the first video, Jan-Åke Jonsson, managing director of Saab Auto, presents the Saab Aero X. In the second, Kurt Beyer discusses the Opel GT, of which he was chief designer.
View the Saab Aero X video (17MB)
Download the Saab Aero X video
View the Opel GT video (20 MB)
Download the Opel GT video
Posted by Editor at 5:25 PM
Comments (12)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Podcast: OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation
FastLane Radio host Bill Betts, the GM Communications web services manager, interviews Chet Huber, president of OnStar, about OnStar's new Turn-by-Turn Navigation service. It works like this: when a subscriber asks an OnStar advisor for directions, the advisor sends directions to the vehicle. The automated service verbally directs the motorist to the destination turn by turn. Huber also discusses how OnStar creates new services for each generation of hardware. OnStar's Turn-by-Turn Navigation will debut on the 2006 Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS in March and the Cadillac STS in the second quarter.
Download the MP3 (14.1 MB)
Posted by Editor at 11:28 AM
Comments (10)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Buick Enclave video podcast
Buick Enclave Concept at the 2006 NAIAS
In this FastLane video podcast, the Wall Street Journal's Detroit Bureau Chief Joe White interviews GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz at the North American International Auto Show about the design of the Buick Enclave concept vehicle.
View the video (45 MB)
Download the video
Posted by Editor at 11:55 AM
Comments (73)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Camaro Concept Video Podcast
Camaro Concept at the 2006 NAIAS
In FastLane's first video podcast, the Wall Street Journal's Detroit
Bureau Chief Joe White interviews GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz at the North
American International Auto Show about the design and heritage of the
Camaro concept vehicle.
Podcast feed
View the video (54.5 MB)
Download the video
GMTV's feed
Posted by Editor at 9:24 PM
Comments (316)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Podcast: MPH Votes Corvette Z06 No. 1 Spin
MPH Magazine
In this podcast, FastLane radio host Deb Ochs interviews Eddie Alterman, editor in chief of MPH magazine about voting the Corvette Z06 as the top spin of the year. Alterman talks about how fast and responsive the car is, and he says it's the best car the domestic auto industry has ever produced.
Download the MP3 (6.96 MB)
Posted by Editor at 9:02 AM
Comments (30)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Podcast: Escalade Preview
2007 Cadillac Escalade
A crowd of celebrities saw the 2007 Cadillac Escalade for the first time yesterday, at a Rodeo Drive party in Beverly Hills, California. In this podcast, Cadillac General Manager Jim Taylor talks about the more powerful but more fuel-efficient Escalade, its new interior features and sound system, and the party. The Escalade will also be shown at the Miami Auto Show today.
Posted by Editor at 1:55 PM
Comments (19)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Podcast: 2007 Cadillac Escalade
Jim Taylor
In this podcast, FastLane radio host Deb Ochs interviews Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager, about the unveiling of the 2007 Cadillac Escalade, being revealed this week in Beverly Hills, Calif. Taylor hints about the new features and talks the vehicle's image, along with celebrity interest. A follow-up podcast will take place after the reveals.
Download the MP3 (7.51 MB)
Posted by Editor at 12:14 PM
Comments (20)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Podcast: GMC Yukon and Yukon Denali
GMC General Manager John Larson stands with the new 2007 GMC Yukon Denali.
In this podcast, FastLane radio host Deb Ochs interviews John Larson, GMC general manager, about the unveiling of the 2007 GMC Yukon and Yukon Denali, revealed today. Larson talks about the new features, fuel economy, gas prices and SUV sales, particularly in California.
Download the MP3 (5.48 MB)
Posted by Editor at 4:35 PM
Comments (45)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Podcast: OnStar's 10th Anniversary
In this podcast, FastLane radio host Deb Ochs interviews Chet Huber, OnStar president, about the innovations at OnStar during the past 10 years. Huber also talks about responses during recent hurricanes, the seventh generation of hardware and how customers use the service.
Download the MP3 (19.1 MB)
Posted by Editor at 2:18 PM
Comments (7)
| TrackBack | Permalink
First Podcast with Bob Lutz
Podcasting
Bob Lutz, GM vice chairman, talks about the
realities of today's market for full-size sport utility vehicles with host
Bill O'Neill, GM executive director of communications. Bob also discusses the fuel-saving technology in the new SUVs, luxury interiors, Displacement on Demand and the future of crossovers. Oh, and blogging, too.
Posted by Editor at 5:39 PM
Comments (50)
| TrackBack | Permalink
SSR Podcast
2006 Chevrolet SSR
FastLane radio host Deb Ochs is joined by Bob Walczyk, Chevy SSR product and marketing manager, who gives us some insight into the Super Sport Roadster and tells us what’s new for 2006.
Posted by Editor at 4:03 PM
Comments (22)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Podcast: GM's $33 Million Rollover Testing Facility
In this podcast, FastLane radio host Deb Ochs interviews Bob Lange, GM's Executive Director of Vehicle Structure and Safety Integration, about the new rollover testing facility at the Milford (Michigan) Proving Grounds. Lange also talks about GM's vehicle stability enhancement systems and other safety advances.
Download the MP3 (11.3 MB)
Posted by Editor at 5:00 PM
Comments (13)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Pontiac Summer Solstice Podcast
In our latest podcast, we hear from the Pontiac Summer Solstice Party at Times Square in New York last night.
Listen to excerpts from the concert by JET, The Vacation, Citizen Cope and Kinky. We also talk to Maxim model Rachel Perry, hang with some big names at a VIP party, and of course, check out the new cars at Pontiac.
Download the MP3 (12.6 MB)
Posted by Editor at 12:07 PM
Comments (15)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Salón Internacional del Automóvil de Buenos Aires
Hoy, General Motors te invita a seguir por Internet su primera transmisión en español directamente desde el Salón Internacional del Automóvil de Buenos Aires, en el Predio Ferial de Palermo.
Vas a escuchar al señor Ray G. Young, presidente de GM Mercosur y a la señora Elizabeth Moscato, directora comercial de GM de Argentina. Ellos van a hablar acerca del desempeño de GM en el mercado argentino y sobre los nuevos vehículos que llegarán pronto a ese país.
También podrás escuchar al señor Maxililiano Laroquette, un ingeniero argentino nacido en Buenos Aires y que desde hace más de 13 años trabaja en el centro de diseño de GM en Warren, Michigan.
Esperamos que disfrutes de esta primera transmisión por Internet desde Argentina y te invitamos a dejar tus comentarios al respecto en el blog Fastlane. Bienvenidos a Radio Fastlane.
[This is our first Spanish language podcast. It's from the GM press conference at the Buenos Aires Auto Show held at Predio Ferial de Palermo on June 16.
Ray G. Young, President of GM Mercosul operations, and Elizabeth Moscato, GM Argentina's sales and marketing director, speak about GM Argentina's market position and future products for the country. The press conference also features GM Lead Engineer Maximiliano Larroquette, who is Argentine by birth and works at GM's Global Design Center in Warren, Michigan.]
Posted by Editor at 3:38 PM
Comments (11)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Corvette Z06 Details
Corvette Z06 Engine
FastLane radio host Deb Ochs talks to Dave Hill, chief engineer for
Corvette, about the 2006 Corvette Z06 launch. The Z06 is the fastest production Corvette ever and the fastest car GM has ever offered. Hill talks about the body structure and aerodynamics, and what's shared between the CR6 and the Z06. He also reveals how fast it is and how much it costs.
Posted by Editor at 9:44 AM
Comments (32)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 podcast
2005 Chevrolet Corvette C6R Race Car
Podcast host Deb Ochs talks to Johnny O'Connell, a factory driver in
General Motors' Corvette Racing program. O'Connell drives the Corvette C6.R racecar and has been doing development test driving for the upcoming 505-horsepower Corvette Z06, the fastest car ever offered by Chevrolet and GM. The 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 was developed alongside the C6.R race car.
O'Connell was critical in helping Team Corvette achieve its first overall victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona and first Le Mans class victory in 2001. He is recognized as one of North America's best racing drivers. Hear O'Connell's thoughts on racing and his experience behind the wheel of the 2006 Corvette Z06.
Posted by Editor at 4:27 PM
Comments (27)
| TrackBack | Permalink
HHR Podcast
In our new podcast, host Deb Ochs interviews Mike Danowski, HHR product manager, about the 2006 Chevrolet HHR, which goes on sale later this year. He talks about its influences, interior, two engines and other options, including a standard auxiliary input jack for an iPod or other audio source. Let us know what you think.
Posted by Editor at 2:35 PM
Comments (59)
| TrackBack | Permalink
GM Performance Is Back!
2006 Cadillac XLR-V
By Mark Reuss Executive Director GM Performance Division
Bob asked if I would post a message here today to discuss a few of the new and exciting products we have coming out of GM’s performance realm. Many people say that Bob has the best job at General Motors, but I disagree. I head up the GM Performance Division, which we created about three years ago to to re-establish GM’s rich history for great performance vehicles.
To date, the GM Performance Division has helped create the Cadillac CTS-V and STS-V, Saturn ION RedLine, Pontiac Bonneville GXP, Chevy SSR and the Cobalt SS Supercharged. We also set a few land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats using GM’s Ecotec crate engine (179.381 mph in the G/BGL class), a record with the Saturn ION RedLine (212.684 mph in the G/BFA class) and posted a speed of 243.127 mph with a Cobalt SS Supercharged.
And we’re partnering with GM Racing on the CTS-V racing program, where we won our debut race at the Sebring International Raceway. In our first year of competition, we came away with four pole positions and three wins, to finish a a close second in the 2004 season. We're looking forward to another great season for Cadillac and a number of new speed records at Bonneville.
But this is only the beginning. This week at the New York Auto Show, we revealed our latest performance vehicles, the Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS and the Cadillac XLR-V. Both vehicles have received significant chassis and powertrain performance upgrades, and have been tested at the famed Nürburgring track in Germany. They have been comprehensively engineered to out-perform the best in class.
I would personally like to get your thoughts -- and I know Bob would as well. I just wish you could all experience them first hand!
P.S. In the latest podcast, listen in as GM's Director of High Performance Vehicles John Heinricy chats with host Deb Ochs about the all new Cadillac XLR-V.
Podcast feed
Or download the MP3
Posted by Editor at 1:28 PM
Comments (159)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Podcast Reveals Solstice Details
2006 Pontiac Solstice
In our new podcast, host Deb Ochs interviews Clay Dean, director of design for small and mid-size vehicles, about the Pontiac Solstice, which goes on sale later this year. He talks about its development process, what colors it will come in, what’s the deal with those bumps on the back, and what the roof will look like.
One new feature of the Solstice is that you won’t need a transmitter or cassette adapter to listen to your iPod through the sound system. Its radio includes an auxiliary input jack for an iPod or other audio source. The radio will also come standard in the Chevrolet HHR, Impala and Monte Carlo, the Saturn Vue and Ion, the Buick Lucerne and the Cadillac DTS. There’s an interesting discussion of it at Autoblog. Tell us what you think of the podcast and the radio.
Paste this URL into your RSS reader to get the podcast:
http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/podcast/gm_fastlane_podcast.xml
Or download the MP3
[Editor's note: In his original interview about the Pontiac Solstice, Clay Dean gave inaccurate information on two aspects of Solstice performance. Its correct 0-60 acceleration time is 7.2 seconds, not 5.4 seconds. And it does not "pull over a g of lateral acceleration when cornering," as he said. The correct number for its lateral acceleration is 0.9 g -- enough to press you back in your seat -- but not close to a full g. The MP3 has been edited to remove the incorrect information.]
Posted by Editor at 12:40 PM
Comments (31)
| TrackBack | Permalink
Cadillac, Buick Reveals in Chicago
Check out our first ever podcast! Gary Cowger, GM North America President, introduces the Cadillac DTS and Buick Lucerne luxury sedans at the Chicago Auto Show. Let us know what you think and if you'd like to hear more GM podcasts in the future. Paste this URL into your RSS reader to get the podcast:
http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/podcast/gm_fastlane_podcast.xml
Posted by Editor at 2:21 PM
Comments (45)
| TrackBack | Permalink
