Latest news with #CircuitOfTheAmericas
Forbes
a day ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
I Took The Maserati GT2 Stradale On The Track. I'm Still Grinning
The Maserati GT2 Stradale on the track Lorenzo Marcinno for Maserati It's nice to see Maserati get its pulse back. An Italian racing original whose DNA is still seen in top performance cars on the road, its return the track started five years ago with the introduction of the MC20 and now, in a surprisingly powerful hypercar that the brand calls barely street legal, the GT2 Stradale. Built on the platform of the MC20—MC for Maserati Corse, the brand's racing arm—the GT2 Stradale carries the refined lines of a classically beautiful hypercar: Toned haunches, a swooping roofline and scissor doors, each exterior line aerodynamic, elegant, muscular. Inside it has carbon sport seats, ultra suede upholstery, classic steering column-mounted paddle shifters and buttons on the carbon and suede steering wheel to power the car on and ignite launch mode. The Maserati GT2 Stradale is powered by a six-cylinder twin turbo Nettuno engine, which at might seem small for a hypercar, but don't let that fool you. It delivers an astounding performance; its power is only part of the story. I just got off the track at Circuit of the Americas where I drove the GT2 Stradale and my adrenaline is shot. On a 'drive as many laps as you'd like' day, Maserati rolled out the GT2 Stradale for journalists, dealers and customers to put it to the task, lapping the track's 3.4 miles of F1 designated-design including 20 incredibly tight turns. Without the right power, balance and precision, a driver can flail embarrassingly off course. Focus is key on this track, but so is the right car. And the GT2 Stradale didn't disappoint. Throughout the day I was able to drive other cars, too, and still, the GT2 Stradale shines. So does hitting more than 150 MPH on the back straight, a nice achievement for a non-pro driver. The rear end of the Maserati GT2 Stradale Lorenzo Marcinno for Maserati If it seems like hypercars are ever-more hyper, you're not wrong. With brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Corvette delivering models that generate more than 1,000 hp, a 631 hp V6 turbo might look like an also-ran in the hypercar category. Press the starter button, however, and your mind will change quickly. Then, pull the left paddle to put it in drive—you can tap the 'D' button if you must, but pulling the paddle is the Italian way—and head out on the road, or better, on the track. The Nettuno engine, the foundation for all of Maserati's performance cars, will gurgle with insistence, anxious for you to throttle up. As you floor the accelerator you'll feel it, the engine screaming behind you in its glass-covered bay, the road blurring beside you, the next turn coming up as fast as you can move your foot to the brake. And when you do, the GT2 Stradale calms quickly and turns tightly, ready to deliver another heady hurtle toward the next turn. Speed is satisfying, but it's not your friend when it comes to tight turns on a track. And that's where the GT2 Stradale excels; tight steering, a 40/60 weight balance that gives the rear end nice grip, carbon-ceramic brakes, all wheel drive and sport mode allow its agility. A steering wheel that's flat on top and bottom and an adjustable sport seat allowed me maximum visibility, another detail I greatly appreciated; there's nothing like flying up to a tight turn and having the steering wheel and side pillar block your view. Still, considering the GT2 Stadale's six-cylinder engine and 631 hp, versus more cylinders and more hp of many of its competitors, you might think the GT2 Stradale would strain to reach top speeds on the straightaways. But its light weight, thanks in part to its carbon fiber structure and other weight strategies, and tweaking of its turbo chargers, allows it all the power it needs to reach frighteningly fast speeds. The interior of the Maserati GT2 Stradale Maserati Italian for 'grand touring' and 'street,' the GT2 Stradale is intended for all the daily routines that can benefit from a blast of fun: a run to dinner, a sunset cruise, an excuse to blow out the day's stress on your favorite curvy road. Practical, it's not; there is barely a place to put a phone or a key fob and forget about your coffee; drink it at the shop, not in the car. With a price tag of $312,000 (that's to start), the focus of this car is this car: customizing it, driving it, tracking it, allowing it to quicken your pulse. It certainly quickened Maserati's.
Edmunds
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Edmunds
The 2025 Chevy Corvette ZR1 Is a 1,064-HP, $200K Bargain
That incredible power makes the ZR1 brutally quick, of course. For context, in a Z06, we recorded 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 10.6 seconds. For the ZR1, Chevy is claiming 2.3 seconds to 60 mph and 9.6 seconds through the quarter mile, but that's with rollout, a drag-racing relic that reduces the time but doesn't make much sense in the real world. Much more startling and significant is the Corvette ZR1's performance in third and fourth gear, where its 828 lb-ft of torque is felt most keenly. The Circuit of the Americas is a huge, flowing racetrack designed for Formula 1, and this tends to minimize the sensation of speed. Thankfully, the Corvette's built-in data recorder doesn't lie. At the end of the main straightaway, I'm braking from 177 mph. At the end of the start-finish straight, which includes a sharp incline, I'm cresting 155 mph. Last time I drove this circuit, I was at the wheel of a McLaren 720S and the Chevy feels appreciably faster in a straight line. If you're going to enjoy this car as its engineers intended, you're going to need to join the track day community. To extract the best from the ZR1, you need a lot of circuit to match a lot of car.
Forbes
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Kaitlyn Vincie And An Epic Journey With Nascar On Fox
Kaitlyn Vincie is a pit reporter for Nascar on Fox, and is also one of the three voices on Kevin's ... More Harvick's Happy Hour podcast. Kaitlyn Vincie Kaitlyn Vincie is a voice every Nascar fan now recognizes. For 14 years, Vincie has diligently worked her way to become one of Nascar on Fox's most reliable and recognized reporters. The 2025 Nascar on Fox season proved to be her greatest yet, and it's not even over yet. She held her head up high as a pit reporter during a Cup Series race for the first time at Circuit of the Americas, showcasing the knowledge she's accumulated over the years. Vincie has become a trustworthy source for drivers, teams and fans, and her work is just getting started. 'This was all I ever wanted to do with my life once I was old enough to figure out a career path, I was dedicated to doing this, and it's been exactly what I had hoped for,' Vincie said. 'Fox has allowed me to do a little bit of everything at this point. I've done pit reporting, I've done pre-race hosting, I've done hosting of the daily shows. I've done awards show and red carpets features. So I've worked across all the different series that we've had.' Vincie often co-hosts a podcast with 2014 Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, called 'Kevin's Harvick's Happy Hour.' 'With Kevin, it's been incredible,' Vincie said. "He's a true character I just admire so much how he's gone about his career, his life, his family, the way he gives back to the sport. So that show has been really fun. It was such a pleasant surprise to be a part of it. And I love the laid back format too. That allows you to show a little more personality and to see his personality, too. Kaitlyn Vincie started her career as a reporter at Langley Speedway. Kaitlyn Vincie 'The storytelling that's come out from that show, I think is really cool when he reflects back on different moments with his family, or race wins or certain things that happened to him at various racetracks. I always find that to be the best part is when he starts to really, dig back in the memory bank and share stuff that maybe people have never heard before. So it's been awesome working with with the Happy Hour group.' Vincie started reporting from Langley Speedway in her early days. Her ascent to the top of Nascar broadcasts came with the SPEED Channel, which shortly thereafter became Fox Sports 1 and 2. 'Sometimes, it feels like it's just a pipe dream when you're working the trenches on Saturday night short track racing, which I still absolutely love,' she explaining. "But it's crazy to see what is has kind of happened." When Vincie first found out she'd be a pit reporter for a Cup Series race, filling in for Jamie Little at Circuit of the Americas earlier this year, she shed tears of joy. 'It's the Sunday show,' she said. 'It was Circuit of the Americas. It was on Fox. I did take a moment before we got going with the pre-race show, I just walked the length of the grid to take it in, take that moment in and think about where I came from and where I've gotten and I'm very proud of my journey.' Going forward, Vincie has modest goals for her growth as a leader in the Nascar media realm. She is an inspiration for many young women who want to have a career in Nascar, frequently giving advice to people looking to break into the industry. As the Nascar on Fox portion of the Cup Series schedule comes to a close in just a few weeks, Vincie wants to play a bigger role for years to come. 'I would love to be a regular fixture on the Sunday show in some capacity, whether it's pit road or a pre-race type role,' she said. Vincie, away from the track, is a creative business owner. She owns cabins in Lake Lureand Black Mountain, N.C. Vincie concluded: 'We've had people go there to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, weddings. We've had people go there to mourn a loss in their family. And you read about all these experiences they're having, and you're realizing that you're creating a positive memory for them. "You know your cabin space is creating a lifetime memory, potentially for a family or a group of friends or whatever it is, and that's really neat. It's neat to know that you created something because I designed and decorated them all myself. It's not like we had company come in and do it. It was strictly done by myself and my business partner.'
