Pete Thomas Outdoors

Formula One driver takes Lincoln Tunnel at 190 mph (video)

 

Not everybody is a fan of Formula One racing, but a race is scheduled to be held next year in New Jersey and David Coulthard got a lot of people fired up by driving Red Bull's F1 show car through the Lincoln Tunnel, reaching a top speed of 190 mph.

Thanks to several well-placed cameras, footage from the nighttime stunt enables viewers to get a sense of what it's like to be inside one of these incredible cars.

The Lincoln Tunnel, named after Abraham Lincoln, spans 1.5 miles beneath the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey, to Manhattan in New York City.

Presumably, Coulthard has set a Lincoln Tunnel speed record that will never be broken.

Fan risks life and becomes nuisance at Baja 1000 (video)

Congratulations are in order for the son-and-father team of Andy and Scott McMillin, who won the overall 4-wheel title during the recently-concluded Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race.  Cheers also go out to the drivers and motorcycle riders who displayed incredible skills and conducted themselves in a professional manner.

As for the many fans who lined strategic points along the grueling course in the northern Baja California desert, not all of them acted supportively or wisely. One fan in particular was singled out by Off-Road.com for foolishly positioning himself on the course, in front of a rut, hoping to photograph buggy drivers as they jumped the rut (see video).

The fan, being cheered by other fans, was jumped by one buggy. But Zac Langley, the driver  of another buggy, had to stop to avoid hitting the fan. He then was given what looks like a one-finger salute by the fan as he drove off.

This is a dangerous race to begin with. Dimwitted fans should not be among the obstacles drivers must contend with. Hopefully next year this particular fan will have other plans during the race weekend.

James "Bubba" Stewart charged with impersonating a cop

James "Bubba" Stewart, a supercross icon in the midst of a post-injury comeback, was arrested Monday in his home state of Florida and charged with impersonating an officer.

Stewart, a former champion who is widely regarded as the sport's fastest rider, was behind the wheel of a 2008 Toyota Tundra pickup and, according state troopers, tried pulling over another vehicle by using police lights placed on the dashboard. This occurred at about 5 p.m.

Inside the other vehicle were two off-duty Florida Highway Patrol troopers. They identified themselves when Stewart pulled alongside their vehicle, and dialed "911" after Stewart sped away.

Stewart, 25, who is in fourth place in the race for this year's AMA Supercross Series championship, was pulled over by police and a deputy sheriff at Orlando International Airport.

Stewart and his passenger, Quinault Thames Jehrrod, were subsequently booked. Jehrrod, who is from California, was charged with tampering with evidence after stashing the red-and-blue lights in his luggage, troopers said.

 According to the Orlando Sentinel, Stewart was released at about 2:50 a.m. He was greeted by several people and whisked away in a white Ranger Rover. It remains unclear why the incident occurred. A spokesman for Red Bull, which is Stewart's primary sponsor, declined to comment.

Stewart in 2002 was named AMA Supercross and Motocross Rookie of the Year in his debut pro season. He won back-to-back supercross and motocross titles in 2004 and through his career claimed a combined seven titles. In 2008 he became only the second motocross racer to enjoy a perfect season, winning every moto, in claiming the AMA Motocross championship.

Stewart was sidelined most of last season because of various injuries. There are five competitions remaining on this year's supercross circuit. The next event is Saturday in Arlington, Texas. Stewart this year also has starred in the FuelTv reality series, "Bubba's World."

-- Pete Thomas

Top image is courtesy of Red Bull. Bottom image is police mug shot

Ashley Fiolek doesn't let deafness stand in way of greatness

By Pete Thomas

The fastest woman on the track cannot hear the engine roar to life when she kick-starts her motorcycle. But Ashley Fiolek can feel its awesome power--its every vibration--when she shifts into gear and launches into competition.

"I hear it my own way," explained Fiolek, 19, who despite being deaf has emerged as the dominant force in the rollicking sport of women's motocross. "I can feel everything about my bike. I have grown up riding that way so it's nothing new to me."

Fiolek, 19, who was interviewed via email, will be in Texas this weekend for the Freestone National, the second of eight Women's Motocross Assn. competitions.

The petite Floridian, who is campaigning for a third consecutive WMA title, has replaced five-time champion Jessica Patterson as the sport's premier athlete.

Fiolek is coming into her own not only as a superstar, but as a young adult who just bought her first home, and as an author who recently co-wrote the book: "Kicking Up Dirt: A True Story of Determination, Deafness and Daring."

Hers is an inspirational tale about overcoming disabilities and perceived obstacles; she was raised not to regard her condition as a roadblock standing in the way of dreams and ambitions.

"Even if the other people thought, 'Wow, this isn't safe,' we always knew that we could teach Ashley how to ride safely, and how to ride fast," said her father, Jim. "We never saw it as a limitation and I don't think Ashley would have it any other way."

Brian Deegan to climb into stock car and 'march on NASCAR'

News item: Brian Deegan, a freestyle motocross legend who switched to off-road truck racing after cheating death once too often on his dirt bike (three times by his account), has decided to climb into a stock car and try to become a star NASCAR driver.

Reaction: If NASCAR was in need of fresh blood, consider Deegan a qualified donor. It's a logical next step for the married father of three, who apparently cannot shake his addiction to screaming engines and open-throttle competition. It'll be a boost for NASCAR because Deegan, as founder of the Metal Mulisha (a racing team and clothing/product brand), has a cult-like following and will deliver his hard-edged fans to stock car racing. Deegan will join the NTS Motorsports' driver development program with the hope of qualifying for the Sprint Cup Series circuit as soon as possible.

He said to reporters Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway: "When NASCAR chairman Brian France told the world that NASCAR is a contact sport, we're going to loosen it up, I'm not sure Mr. France knew what he was getting into.

"I took that as a personal invitation for guys like me. I love racing, I love going fast, I love pushing the limit and that's what I'm going to bring to NASCAR. I have been designated as the General of the Metal Mulisha and the Metal Mulisha army is going to march on NASCAR."

Deegan will start off with in a Super Late Model race later this month at Irwindale Speeday in Southern California. He'll stick with late models until fall, when he hopes to move up to the Camping World West Series.

He said he'd do "whatever it takes" to make it onto the Sprint Cup Series circuit.

-- Pete Thomas