Dope. #117

Image courtesy of Spiller Photography.

What to watch this weekend (Aug 16th - Aug 22nd)

• Mecum Auto Auctions. Muscle Cars and More 2012. From Montery, CA (Part 1 & 2). Thursday @ 3pm - 9pm (VelocityHD) new - replay @ 9pm
• Mecum Auto Auctions. Muscle Cars and More 2012.  From Montery, CA (Part 3 & 4). Friday @ 3pm - 9pm (VelocityHD) new - replay @ 9pm
• Mecum Auto Auctions. Muscle Cars and More 2012.  From Montery, CA (Part 5 & 6). Saturday @ 3pm - 9pm (VelocityHD) new - replay @ 9pm
• Mazda Motorsports Hour. MX-5 cup from Mosport in Ontario, Canada (Episode #10). Saturday @ 12pm - 1pm (VelocityHD) new
• American Le Mans Series - Road America Road Course Showcase. From Road America in GA. Saturday @ 3:15pm - completion (ESPN3.com) live; delayed replay Saturday @ 2pm - 4pm (ESPN2)
• Rolex Sports Car Series. Montreal 200. From Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec. Saturday @ 7pm - 9:30pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) same-day delayed broadcast; replay Saturday @ 11pm
• Top Gear (UK). Marathon of past seasons. Monday @ 4pm - 5am (BBC America/BBC America HD) replays
• Motorweek. Lexus ES. Tuesday @ 8pm - 8:30pm (VelocityHD)
• Chasing Classic Cars. Mini-marathon. Tuesday @ 8:30pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) replays 
• Top Gear (US). Small Cars. Tuesday @ 9pm - 10pm (History Channel/History Channel HD) new
• Wheeler Dealers. Citroen DS. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (VelocityHD) replay
• Wheeler Dealers. 944 Turbo. Wednesday @ 10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) replay

Full weekend ahead with a wide variety of things to see. Mecum Auto auctions startup on Thursday night and run straight through Saturday. A little MX-5 cup action on Saturday, but more importantly ALMS at Road Atlanta and Rolex Sport Car Series in Montreal. Top Gear America is back with their newest season, episode 2 airing next Tuesday night. Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of Richard7son.

Web Entertainment Intro: Depth of Speed

The latest in ROTL's listing of portals for entertainment on the web is from an outfit running a site called Depth of Speed. The story of this creative venture was apparently a road trip over a years time showcasing/interviewing/covering people's car obsessions, across the continental United States. Years have passed and thankfully the party seems to be still going. These dudes travel everywhere chasing leads and taking cool video and pictures along the way. We tip our collective hat to these dudes as this is what it's all about. This is why we cross oceans to go to shows and visit automotive museums. This is why we frequent race events to see engines scream and puff smoke. Obsessive carnuts keep our world spinning. Check out a sample of their work then visit their site(s).

Depth of Speed - The Bond from Josh Clason on Vimeo.

Motorsport Workshop: How To Race BTCC (Shakedown)

Leo is back with us again, this time hosting a special on racing in the British Touring Car Championship series. Enjoy.

Video courtesy of Drive.

Motorsport Pron: Audi RS Moments of Truth - 1989: 5 cyl

Audi takes us on a nostalgic trip down memory lane to see the bloodlines of the current day Audi TT-RS. We love the Audi 90 IMSA GTO, as you've probably noticed, and more archival footage is always good to see. I'd love to have a beer with Hans-Joachim Stuck, Hurley Haywood, Scott Goodyear, and Walter Röhrl just to talk about their 1989 IMSA experience.

Video courtesy of AudiofAmerica.

Upcoming Show: Bimmerfest East 2012

The inaugural Bimmerfest East in 2011 was so successful that the organizers had to come back to Maryland for seconds. It's easy to understand why Bimmerfest has been such a successful event over the years, as the fans of BMW are not only into trick modifications, they're more importantly into the brand history of Bavaria's finest; this includes the unquestionable motorsport legacy that BMW has built over the last 60+ years. In football terms, BMW fans 'travel well' - plainly apparent after seeing the wide variety of unique models last year. From Alpina B7's to Euro E28's to mint 1600 & 2002ti's, just about all years, makes and models were represented. There were still some logistics that could be improved upon, so for all of us who went last year I hope they streamline the showcar parking operation and add a few more staff members (and lines) to speed up the concession stands.

This year will be bigger than ever, adding even more vendors including some of ROTL's friends and supportees. Racing/Tuner outfits like Turner Motorsport will not only be in full force once again, but will be sponsoring the entire event. Bimmerfest East 2012 will be held on August 25, 2012 at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Maryland. Here are the details:

• Time: August 25, 2012 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. General Admission Gates open at 10:00 AM. 
• General Admission: $20 per car to park in the show -- $10 per person to walk in -- kids 12 and under are free.
• Register for Bimmerfest East 2012.
• See the current registration stats for Bimmerfest East 2012. 

Here are some of the highlights from last year: