Lotus incoming Evora GTE with Alex Job race in ALMS

There seem to be no end in view for the quickly increasing Lotus Racing program. In the past couple of years, the team has split into Formula One, Indy, GP2, GP3 and a number of GT racing series around the world. Thing is – while IndyCar runs mainly in the United States and F1 is coming here too – none of those staying power championships in which Lotus has been rival have been American. That is, until now.

Teaming up with Alex Job Racing, Lotus is behind a factory-backed ingress win the GT class of the American Le Mans Series. Together, AJR and Lotus will field a 2012 Lotus Evora GTE running the same black-and-gold livery that has proliferate across the automaker's whole motorsport division.

AJR has a enormous 39 ALMS race wins and three GT titles to its credit, and will put IndyCar driver Townsend Bell and two-time ALMS Founders Cup winner Bill Sweedler behind the wheel for the full season that will kick off at Long Beach on April 14.

Auto Show

There’s an evolution occurrence in the world today. Its occurrence every next, all approximately us. The way we discover, attach and experience the world is altering at a pace like we’ve never seen before.

Welcome to The Next measurement. Here’s where you can find out new and exciting products, connect with each other and with automakers and experience the Auto show in ways like by no means before. State-of-the-art displays, new product launches, great prize giveaways, all less than one roof! For over 38 years, the Toronto Auto Show has established itself to be the biggest and the best in Canada.

Exclusive Automotive Design: Lexus LF-LC Concept

The most complex part about building a car for the future is not engineering. Given adequate resources and commitment, tackling a car’s presentation, superiority and steadfastness issues actually boils down to just a mechanical procedure albeit extensive where the goals are clearly tacit and measured. It is a tough science confront because it can be achieved with scrupulous processes, checked off one by one. If a new car doesn’t meet the criterion, go back and try again. Today, the car engineering expansion process has become so standardized that even the least luxurious models are meeting impressive performance, quality and dependability benchmarks.

Styling is the soft science of trying to understand what connects with the always-evolving taste of the purchaser. And because there are no patent pathways to find the answer, it is a far greater challenge to meet than engineering. No matter how sophisticated the car design process or how contemporary the tools, very few manufacturers can assert to execute styling successfully and consistently.

"Dual apparition" double locomotive Dragster

My Teacher, My Friend

“If she only has 1/10th the effect on her students as she’s had on me, she’ll be the most amazing teacher they’ve ever had.”


One of my oldest friend’s, Celia, finished her master’s program in teaching this Friday. Adam, her boyfriend of three years, threw her a surprise graduation party because the university doesn’t offer graduate ceremonies until December, which is way too long to wait to celebrate such a great accomplishment. He toasted her this evening with the words above. I don’t have to tell you that they made me teary, do I?

Even as I was helping her beautiful parents, Chuck and Evalyn, decorate and set up for this evening’s festivities, I was very aware of how many amazing people Celia is surrounded by. People who are incredibly talented artists, writers and musicians gravitate towards her. Gifted architects, engineers and craftsmen are in her incredibly large circle of friends. People would do anything for her, at any time and consider themselves privileged to be able to. It’s a testament to who she is that so many great people love her.

Celia is one of the most phenomenal women, and in fact, people, I have ever known. She loves with a pure and open heart, without fear of exposing too much of herself or expecting anything in return. She’s vivacious, passionate and intelligent. She’s firm in her convictions and accepts others who hold opposing positions and encourages their independence.

She will be an amazing teacher. I can’t imagine a truer calling for her. She has touched the lives of everyone who’s known her to this point. As a teacher, she’ll have the ability to not only touch lives, but brighten futures and build people. I am honored to count her among my best friends.

Celia, I wish you all the best as you begin your new career. I love you. You are a bright light and I am so happy that you are choosing to share even more of yourself with others.

Planes, trains and automobiles

Of the past 48 hours, I've slept for five of them. That's too few, y'all. This weekend made catching the red eye back to DC worth it though. The entire weekend was boring and unproductive. We spent hours sitting on the big sofa with too many cushions, watching football and eating delicious, terrible food. We sat around on the basement's concrete floor, trying to get a far too complicated train set working so the four year old would be amused. He was bored with the project ten minutes in, but we were determined. We also failed. I won his attention back though by admiring his new haircut and plotting the death of his newly created Playdough monsters with him.

But reality strikes back: from Playdough monsters to monster in-boxes. Egads. (That's one of those words that Colin mocks me for using, says I sometimes talk like I'm 80 years old. Mmmhmm, I see his point, I just don't care that much!)


Thinking about:

    "The cure for everything is salt water, be it sweat, tears, or the sea." ~Isak Dinesen

via Blue Poppy.

Merry Christmas

I believe it was four years ago this Christmas Eve that I heard one of the most moving sermons of my life.

A 14 year old girl delivered the Christmas message that year at my church. As she crossed the stage to its center, I’ll be honest, I inwardly rolled my eyes that the pastors had chosen a teenager to give the sermon. “Why did they think cutesy was the way to go on Christmas Eve, of all days, for God’s sake?” I was annoyed and already in the process of letting my mind wander elsewhere.

The girl was pretty, sweet-looking and at least she is dressed appropriately, I bitchily thought. She was probably 5’3” and looked tiny on stage. She began by relaying the Christmas story, the well-worn tale of Jesus’ birth to Mary, the virgin mother. However, this 14 year old girl shared a new perspective on the story, one that resonates with me even today, and brought me to tears that night.

Mary was a young unmarried woman. She was not rich or of high social standing. She had Joseph, a simple but honorable man who loved her. They were planning a simple but honorable life together. Then the Holy Spirit seeks out Mary, tells her she’s been chosen to carry the Son of God. The Virgin Mary is of course stunned to find that she is indeed pregnant.

Surely, at the time this occurred to Mary, none of this was good news. During Mary’s lifetime, an unwed, pregnant woman was viewed with great disfavor, shunned by her family and community for the shame her status brought upon them. In addition to losing her family’s love, respect and affection, she stood to lose Joseph, her beloved. An honorable man deserved a woman of honor; Mary’s pregnancy brought her shame in the eyes of others.

The world’s greatest blessing certainly didn’t appear to be that when it was initially given to Mary.

I think the message that often the greatest blessings are disguised in traumatic, painful and sometimes shameful occurrences is a wise one to remember. God wants happiness for His children. He will not put anything in our paths that we are not able to grow and achieve something substantial and positive from. He does not wish us ill, for He loves us.

There is much in our lives that we are not seeing for the blessings that they will likely one day reveal themselves to be. So this Christmas, as you count your blessings, I encourage you to look at your trials and tribulations as well and I hope that you feel some peace in your heart, knowing they are likely blessings as well and that one day you will see why.

I wish all of you the Merriest of Christmases, full of love and peace. May the New Year bring you more blessings than the one prior, and more time with those you love.