Evan Knoll, the Rise and Fall, in a Nutshell

The life and times of Evan Knoll were mercurial in racing. At one time, he and his businesses, including Torco Racing Fuels, were everywhere you looked when it came to marketing and advertising. There seemed to be no end to his effusive brands and his ability to fund sponsorships, especially in drag racing, for almost anyone.

Torco Racing Fuels and Knoll Gas were relatively small businesses that were run as any small successful operation would. But the friendly and gregarious Knoll loved drag racing and drag racing loved Knoll's almost charitable bounty. As the song from Kool & The Gang said: "Party here, party there, everywhere". It was a party indeed.

It was less than ten years ago that Knoll burst on to the racing scene with what seemed an endless cash reserve, partnering with both small and large teams. The infusion of funds appeared to come out of nowhere. Several millions of dollars were distributed year-in and year-out for sponsorships in every walk of drag racing life with dozens and dozens of teams being supported by Knoll's seemingly generous business.

Then to compound the outwardly wealthy situation, Knoll started purchasing many of the teams he was sponsoring. Knoll was always partying with a lavish lifestyle. Tens of millions of dollars were being pumped out of the Michigan based business - until the end came … and quickly.

The end
About five years ago, monies were getting tight around the same time the Great Recession drew nearer. Then all sponsorships and funding for racing were halted. Many were shocked and upset that funding was pulled out from underneath them. There were no more excesses and for those of us who always wondered where the dollars were coming from, it all started to make 'cents'.

Federal agents raided Knoll's companies four years ago. The IRS stated that he bilked the government for more than $80 million. Last year, the U.S. government filed charges against Knoll for tax-fraud. Knoll pled not guilty. Without getting into the specifics, the alleged fraud occurred when Knoll created a method for producing false accounts to the IRS. He would then receive refunds on an excise tax and in-turn used those funds to achieve bank loans.

The big house
This week in federal court Knoll pleaded guilty to bank fraud, admitting he falsified documents to receive refunds on tax-exempt fuel sales he purportedly made (source - WOOD). In court, Knoll acknowledged he devised the plan himself, deceiving those around him, including employees, accountants, banks and of course the government. Said Knoll: "I take full responsibility for my company. I'm sorry." (Source - WWMT)
Nearly everything that Knoll owned has been auctioned off including racecars, boats, planes and big houses.

Evan Knoll's sentencing hearing will be in November when he'll be facing heavy fines and up to 70 years in federal prison. The party's over.
Source - Associated Press, Michigan Live

Again, Antron Wins Sonoma!

Antron Brown scores again to keep Swing sweep hopes alive!

 

 
Brown raced to the Top Fuel victory Sunday at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals and moved into position to become the first NHRA driver to sweep the three-race Western Swing, twice!

Antron Brown

Brown, who became one of seven drivers in NHRA history to sweep the Western Swing in 2009, outran Spencer Massey in the final to claim his third win in Sonoma, his fourth victory of the season and 35th of his career. Brown’s Matco Tools dragster produced a final-round of 3.814 seconds at 318.02 mph to hold off Massey’s charging FRAM/Prestone dragster, which finished in 3.826 at 323.50. So close, but just enough to take the win.

“The car is just running phenomenal, it’s so easy to drive,” said Brown, who defeated Steve Torrence, Tony Schumacher, and Brandon Bernstein to advance to the final round.

“The boys [crew chiefs Mark Oswald and Brian Corradi] made great decisions each and every round,” Brown continued. “It’s one of those weekends that everything worked out.

It was brutal for us given the [eliminations] ladder we had. We had to take it one round at a time. We kept our head down and kept digging. We aren’t going to talk about [sweeping the Western Swing]. We can talk about sweeping if we get to the final round in Seattle next weekend. First, we have to qualify. Then we have to get past first round. The competition is just that good.”

Brown says he’ll try to remember what worked for him in 2009 as he approaches a second sweep of the Western Swing.

“We’re going to take the same approach this time like we did the last time,” Brown said. “We aren’t going to look into the future, and we’ll just focus on the here and now.”

Due to qualifying bonus points earned by Massey, he and Brown moved into a tie for the series lead. They are 126 in front of third-place Tony Schumacher, the seven-time world champ. So in reality, its too close for any high anticipations next week.

“We’re just trying to shoot for it and win as many races as possible,” Brown said. “We want to go into the Countdown as the points leader, and there’s an extra 20 points on the line if you can do that. That proved to be huge last year in the final race of the season. We are clawing for everything that we can get.” 

As one who has been involved in NHRA drag racing for a number of years, I have yet to understand the neglect major news media seems to skew towards the professionals competing in the sport, and yes, it is a team sport! The driver is just the most visible component on the team. 

For the past few years, Antron Brown has been the most visible in Top Fuel, the fastest class in any motorsport.

Antron Wins Denver, now on to Sonoma!

Antron is eager to build on past success as NHRA heads to Sonoma

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The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to Sonoma for the 25th annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals, July 27-29, and Antron Brown, the defending Top Fuel champ and winner of the most recent tour event in Denver, can’t wait to return to Wine Country, even if he’s not much of a wine drinker.

“I don’t drink wine, but I like looking out at the vineyards and the beautiful countryside that surrounds the track,” Brown said. “It’s just the atmosphere up there and the weather where it can be cool in the morning and then warm up in the afternoon.”

Sonoma’s textbook weather and premier facility have provided great conditions in seasons past, and this year should offer more of the same.
“The sun setting over the mountains is something I always look forward to because then it gets cool and quick, especially in Friday night qualifying, and that’s when it’s time to throw down,” Brown said.
This year, the event in Sonoma is the middle leg of the grueling three-week Western Swing, and Brown has plenty to look forward to as he returns not only as a two-time winner at the track, but also a fan favorite.
“It always feels great to go back to a track where you won at the year before,” Brown said. “Sonoma has been one of my favorite racetracks on the tour since I started racing Pro Stock Motorcycles there. It’s more exciting out there because you have all types of fans that come out, a lot who have followed me from when I was on a Pro Stock Bike to when I moved to Top Fuel.”
Brown’s Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also defending winners of the event that will be telecast on ESPN2.

Brown understands the importance of the entire Western Swing, especially Sonoma, but he also is looking forward to the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s playoffs. With only five races left in the regular season, the Western Swing means that it’s crunch time for teams hoping to secure a place in the top 10, and the Matco Tools team is looking for consistency and to use the Swing to help in the final races of the regular season.
“The Western Swing helps us get ready for the Countdown,” Brown said. “We need to keep focused and be more in line to be ready for the Countdown. We used to really hit the Western Swing hard, but we’ve learned it’s more important to prepare for those last six races than just worry about those three races.”

As much as Brown wants to focus on the Countdown, he would love to defend his win at Sonoma and use success in the Swing to move from second in points to first for the 20-point bonus that the leader receives at the beginning of the Countdown.
“Don’t get me wrong — we always hit it hard and want to win every time we roll our Matco Tools dragster to the starting line, and Sonoma is no different,” Brown said. “But we are working on things that might help us later in the season. We took a brand-new dragster the boys built back at the shop at Don Schumacher Racing to Denver to break in and plan to use that at Sonoma, too. We have to keep working on getting better and get our mindset ready to go for the championship.”

Not only can fans expect great on-track action all weekend in all four NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series categories and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, but plenty of fan-friendly activity is also planned in the pits. The track will host special events throughout the weekend, including the Nostalgia Get-Together car display, winner’s circle interviews, Blast on the Grass car show, and the annual Eric Medlen Ice Cream Social Sunday afternoon after the final round.
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All fans are welcome to head down to the starting line on Sunday morning to be a part of pre-race ceremonies to see the top 16 drivers in each category introduced and for a chance to see their favorite driver up close and personal. After eliminations are complete on Sunday evening, fans can head back down to the starting line for the winner’s circle celebration and enjoy the taste of victory with the weekend’s winners.

Ford issues recall on thousands of Escapes.

July 16, 2012

 

According to a report from the New York Times, Ford is recalling almost 8,300 2013 Ford Escapes in the United States because improperly installed carpeting may interfere with a driver’s application of the brake pedal.

A report by Ford to the National Highway Traffic Safety administration said that the “mispositioned” carpeting “may result in the operator’s foot contacting the side of the brake pedal while transferring the foot from the accelerator pedal to the brake pedal, potentially increasing stopping distances,” the story said.
In Canada, about 2,200 Escapes were also being recalled.

Though the recall is voluntary, Ford is required to inform the safety agency of its recall plan, or they could face a fine.

McKernan named chairman of NHRA museum.

 

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Thomas V. McKernan, chairman of the board of the Automobile Club of Southern California, has assumed the role of board chairman of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California. McKernan succeeds NHRA founder Wally Parks’ longtime friend and So-Cal Speed Shop founder Alex Xydias, who will continue to be an active board member. McKernan has served as a board member since 2010.

“I am truly honored to be taking on this new role for the museum,” said McKernan. “This is a wonderful opportunity to ensure that we are meeting Wally Parks’ dream — to influence, collect, and interpret drag racing’s rich history for a diverse community.”

The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California opened to the public in 1998 based on the vision to preserve the history of NHRA and America’s love affair with hot rods, speed records, and classic automobiles.

“We have a great board of directors, and I’m delighted to have McKernan assume the role as chairman,” said Xydias. “He has demonstrated a genuine commitment to the museum and passion for the sport. He is a tremendous asset for the museum.”

McKernan and the Auto Club have been tremendous supporters of the museum and the NHRA at all levels of the sport. In addition to its presenting sponsorship of the museum, the relationship includes naming rights for Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, entitlement rights of the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, entitlement of the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals in Dallas, entitlement of the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis, sponsorship of the Auto Club Road to the Future Award annually recognizing the sport’s Professional rookie of the year, and presenting sponsorships of the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, Ky., and the popular California Hot Rod Reunion at Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield.

In addition, Auto Club is the presenting sponsor of the NHRA Safety Safari presented by AAA and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA.

Alexis DeJoria-Illustration of what it takes in the Pro Ranks of the NHRA

Heiress Alexis DeJoria intent on succeeding at drag racing

The 34-year-old left the executive suite for the noise, grunge and pulse quickening speed of the drag strip.

                                           Alexis DeJoria

 

Alexis DeJoria can do just about anything in the world she wants to do. And often does.
She vacations in the south of France. She rescues seals on the east coast of Canada. She models, does commercials, sky-dives and even has her own radio show.

But what DeJoria, daughter of billionaire John Paul DeJoria, founder of Paul Mitchell Hair Care Systems and Patron Tequila, wants to do most is race 8,000-horsepower dragsters 300 mph, even though grimy drag strips don’t appear to be compatible with the life of a glamorous heiress.

“That’s the false perception that everybody has of me,” said DeJoria, a rookie Funny Car driver who will compete this weekend at the NHRA Dollar General Summernationals at Heartland Park Topeka. “They see my dad, and they think I’m this Paris Hilton-type girl.
“That’s not how I was raised, and that’s not how I grew up. My dad had a really strong work ethic, and we always believed … you’ve got to go out there and do something for yourself, no matter if you’re a girl or a guy. I had to find my passion, and that was drag racing.”

DeJoria, 34, joined her sister, two brothers and a cousin in the family business for four years before the roar of engines and speed of drag racing beckoned her from a 9-to-5 executive job at Paul Mitchell to a seat in the cockpit of a dragster.

“I’ve always been somewhat of a thrill seeker and when I was 16, I went with a hot-rod buddy of mine to Pomona for an NHRA race and I was hooked,” she said. “The speed and the power of these cars are unimaginable. They’re the fastest-accelerating cars in the world, and that was something that really grabbed me.”

This season, driving the Patron Tequila Camry for renowned Kalitta Motorsports with 2011 Top Fuel champion Del Worsham as her crew chief, DeJoria has won just one round in seven races, but it was a biggie. She upset 15-time Funny Car champion John Force in her third race at Gainesville, Fla.

“I was running excellent numbers and getting down the race track, which is key, especially in qualifying,” said DeJoria, who had lost to Force in the season opener at Pomona. “If it’s your time, it’s your time, and the more consistent car you have, the better your chances are for sure.”

She qualified 10th in the last two races, including a first-round pairing against Force’s younger daughter, Courtney, in what was the first matchup of rookie female Funny Car drivers in NHRA history, but lost by 0.076 seconds. DeJoria is 15th in the points standings, five spots behind Courtney Force for top rookie.

“I’m happy with my progress,” she said. “I’m definitely getting better on my reaction times, but it also comes from me having more confidence in my car when it gets down the track. I’m not so concerned about what I’m going to do to get it down the track. I can focus more on my starting line, my reaction times. Del told me it would happen — just take time, don’t stress out about it so much — but the more confidence you get in a car, the better it runs.”

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DeJoria, a single mother of a 9-year daughter, co-owned and operated her own team for several years in the NHRA’s lower divisions. She famously survived a horrible crash at Englishtown, N.J., in 2009 when her parachutes snapped off before they could stop the car from running into the barrier.

Undaunted, DeJoria continued racing and posted a breakthrough victory in the Top Alcohol Funny Car national division last year at Seattle and also earned her nitro license.
“It’s a part of racing,” she said of the wreck at Englishtown, a track where Scott Kalitta died in a crash in 2008 and Neal Parker died in 2010. “You see guys blow up and crash all the time. It’s something you have to accept and understand that it is possible it’s going to happen. It’s not a matter of if, but when. There are a few drivers who have been pretty lucky and never in an accident before. But it’s a test, for sure. I always prepare myself mentally, ‘OK, if this happens, what are you going to do if you catch on fire?’ … Luckily, I didn’t get hurt. It was easier for me to bounce back.”

DeJoria entered four nitro Funny Car races last year — the maximum in order to retain her rookie status — and though she failed to qualify once, lost two first-rounders to Bob Tasca and one to Mike Neff when she was disqualified for red-lighting at the start, DeJoria picked up valuable experience.

“She brings a lot of energy,” said Worsham. “She’s really upbeat and excited and motivated and wants to do this, and that rubs off on the whole team, including myself, to get somebody who never complains. She always looks to the positive. Even in some of these losses we probably should have won, she’s been awful good about it.”

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Women have found more success in NHRA drag racing than any other form of motorsports. In all, 46 women have competed in the Full Throttle Series over the years, including the legendary Shirley Muldowney, who had 18 career victories and three Top Fuel dragster championships (1977, ’80 and ’82). Hillary Will (Top Fuel) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) are series regulars, and Ashley Force Hood, who is now on maternity leave, won four Funny Car races during 2008-10 and finished second in the points standings in ’09 and third in ’10.

DeJoria’s goals for this year are modest.
“This year, being my first year and a new team … and Del is brilliant, but this is his first time being a crew chief, so we’re all learning right now,” she said. “If we can win rounds, that would be great. Qualify for every race, that would be great. If we would happen to win a race, that would be amazing.”

DeJoria, who sports more than a dozen tattoos, including a dragon around the ankle of her throttle foot, will arrive at Heartland Park with a freshly decorated tattoo on her right forearm.“You’ll see it in Kansas,” said DeJoria. “It’s an F-15 Strike Eagle, two racing flags, and two rods and pistons from my car. In the background it will be this big sunburst. It represents racing, my love, and fighter planes, I wanted to be a fighter pilot when I was a little girl and am obsessed with fighter planes.”

She also has some free hair care advice, courtesy of Paul Mitchell, for the ladies.
“You don’t need to wash your hair every single day or it will dry your hair out,” said DeJoria, who sports a long mane. “It’s much better every other day if you can, but when I’m racing, all bets are off. I have to wash my hair every day.”

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/16/3614438/nhra-summernationals-heiress-intent.html?story_link=email_msg#storylink=cpy

Carroll Shelby Remembered

Carroll Shelby Remembered

Life was a poker game for Carroll Shelby and he played to win with the end justifying the means - as long as you stayed legal, didn't exaggerate beyond what the listener should know better than to believe and you were reasonably kind to women, children and dumb animals. Holding his cards close to his chest and almost always with an ace in the hole, he was a fierce, determined and unrelenting competitor.

He looked and mostly dressed the part he played -  a tall, self-reliant Texas cowpoke ready to take on the world. When he walked on the set of a TV spot he shot for Chrysler, the director said, "He's the perfect Carroll Shelby."

His looks, easy laugh and smile and his unpretentious "good old boy" guise, coupled with his racecar driver-builder fame made him welcome in throne rooms, board rooms, bedrooms and with his eponymous brand of chili seasonings and corn bread mix, even the kitchen. It might have included the bathroom if his Carroll Shelby Pit Stop deodorant had sold.

On the golf course his dissembling took the form of "playing just well enough to win," according to an old friend. Disingenuous or not, it belied the substance behind the warning of lesser, perhaps envious mortals, "Be sure to count your fingers after you shake hands with Shelby." For the unaware, that warning meant being "slickered "by Shelby. More often it was a case of their slickering themselves.

The good old boy had a computer behind his engaging grin. He listened, observed and quickly calculated how a situation affected his interests and how to best respond - without revealing what related irons he had in the fire or what he knew about the other fellow and his proposition.

He let people talk themselves in or out of a deal. Deals that, financially or ego-wise, he didn't need to make - except when others were making money on his name. If money was going to be made on his "brand" he felt he deserved a cut. If nothing satisfactory was forthcoming or he felt his name and brand were being tarnished, he went to court. So often that one journalist complained, "when is it going to end?" It has.

And, he worked to win - a factor often overlooked when limning the story of Carroll Shelby as amplified and embellished by three generations of auto enthusiasts. More importantly, he didn't rest on his laurels. If he didn't have three or four projects going that would make news, it was a bad week. What he could conceive, he had the energy and will to achieve, despite a congenital heart condition. He did not like excuses.

Working with him for 14 years as the 8th or 9th "PR man" of his career was like chasing after the man humorist Stephen Leacock described as, "mounting his horse and riding off madly in all directions." There was lots of fun, particularly since Carroll by that time didn't need a PR man - the automotive writers and an impressive numbers of news, feature, sports and general interest writers he'd met over the years knew and liked him. They could always count on "old Shel" for a good quote, a colorful anecdote or apt homespun analogy. What he needed was a gatekeeper to filter the opportunities, the media and appearance requests that flowed his way - constantly. At least two different bio films came his way but have yet to materialize.

He was the "Ali" of autodom- bold, irreverent and confident. He enjoyed stealing the spotlight by doing or saying the unexpected. Like Ali, he had fans around the world. A thousand or more named one of their newborns, "Shelby." His star rose higher and shone brighter than many of the talented, dedicated people he attracted to his projects. But, as one associate observed, "He made a lot of Southern California mechanics rich. " As the years went by Carroll tried to acknowledge and make amends to those who felt their contributions had been lost in his shadow.

A decade after Carroll left the automotive scene, Lee Iacocca re-introduced him at Chrysler as "The Mr. Excitement of the auto industry." The times and the circumstances that made him so may never return.

If there were a "Hall of Fame for those who got the last drop out of living," Carroll Shelby would have a special niche. Certainly not with the saints or scholars or those born to power or riches - far from it. In fact, he might have to do a little penance in purgatory before ascending to his perch. But you can bet he'll make it.

JR Todd feeling more comfortable in second outing.

Dollar General NHRA SummerNationals will be better for JR Todd

Six years ago, J.R. Todd commanded attention as he made his Professional debut in a Top Fuel dragster, and now, after a hiatus from NHRA competition that spanned more than two seasons, he has returned behind the wheel of a second car out of the Bob Vandergriff Racing stable. With the first two of a handful of scheduled events behind him, the Indiana-based nitro pilot is prepared to make a powerful impression with a strong showing at his sponsor’s event, the Dollar General NHRA SummerNationals at Heartland Park Topeka.

The former Jr. Dragster racer is acutely aware of his potential and is bringing it all to the table, just as he always has. Despite a limited schedule in his debut season, Todd finished in the top 10 in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series standings after tallying three victories in four final rounds and earned the 2006 Auto Club Road to the Future Award as the top rookie driver. Time away from NHRA competition was not time away from drag racing, either. Todd allowed no time for an accumulation of rust and raced a partial schedule in Pro Mod in the ADRL series and traveled to Qatar to run in the Arabian Drag Racing League, where he won the points championship.

“I was definitely nervous when I was waiting to make that first qualifying pass in Houston,” said Todd, who had not piloted a Top Fuel dragster at an NHRA event since the NHRA Sonoma Nationals in 2009. “I had some butterflies because it was the first run back in competition, and I kind of felt like a rookie again. But the more runs I make, the more comfortable I am – and the more comfortable Kurt [Elliott, crew chief] is in his role. Our confidence is building together, and now we’re ready to go out there and race these guys and show them what we’re capable of.”

Although new to the crew chief position, Elliott has had no trouble getting the Dollar General dragster down the racetrack on each run. That first clean streak at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Royal Purple Raceway produced a 3.95 at nearly 312 mph, and on his second pass, Todd clocked a career-best speed of 319.52. The team showed immediate signs of jelling, qualifying 11th and respectably earning a race-day start at its first event together.

The second outing, the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, showed equal promise with another string of straight-down-the-track passes and a first-round match with eventual event victor Steve Torrence. Although Todd did not get the win in the first round, he clocked his quickest and fastest run of the weekend, a 3.859 at a career-best 319.67 mph.

“These last two races have gone really smooth for us, especially being that we are a relatively new team,” said Todd. “The competition is way tougher now than I ever remember it before in Top Fuel. You have to be able to run mid- to low 3.80s at will and in the heat now, and that’s pretty tough to do.
“Even though we haven’t been the quickest and fastest car out there, we’re going down the track, and I have to give it to Kurt for that. I think he was nervous at first, but I kept telling him, 'We’ve got nothing to lose these first few races; why not go for broke and show them what we’re capable of?' We’re learning every run and making improvements each time, and I was proud of him after that first run in Atlanta. I’m happy with the way things are going, and I’m so thankful Bob has given me the opportunity to drive.”

Todd and Vandergriff have been friends since Todd became a Pro in 2006, and the joining of forces is something that they have long been trying to make happen. Initially, the agreement is to race four to five events this year, although they are working to build the funding required to race 10 to 12 this season and a full schedule in 2013.

“When I left in 2008 – that was my last full-time ride – I didn’t know what was going to happen,” said Todd. “I finally got this lucky break with Bob, and I really hope we can build on it. It’s a little like having a carrot dangled in front of me, and I don’t want to have it taken away just yet.

“Hopefully, we can keep this going and do well for everyone at Dollar General this weekend. All of the big execs will be there, and they’ve never been to a drag race before. It will be cool to get them up there on the starting line between two Top Fuel cars, and hopefully we can put that big yellow dragster in the winner’s circle on Sunday. That would be the ultimate dream.” 

Corvette 2014?

Exclusive: This is the 2014 Chevy Corvette

The exclusive images you see here, derived from hours spent secretly poring over the sheetmetal of two seventh-generation Corvettes, show the next step in the supercar's iconic evolution. These aren't photos, but this is absolutely the next-generation Chevy Corvette in ZR1 trim. GM so doesn't want you to see these.

Love it or hate it, the Chevrolet Corvette is an American icon. For most of its 60 years, the 'Vette's shown that a commodity-focused U.S. automaker can confound expectations and compete with the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini. The seventh-generation Corvette — or C7 Corvette — as fan-boys and GM insiders call it — is designed to further confound those expectations.

These renderings were derived from hours this weekend I (and our designer) spent in secret, poring over the completely uncamouflaged "sheetmetal" of two versions of the next-gen Corvette. With limited time, we decided to, rather than show you the first one, a base level Corvette, we focused our rendering efforts instead on the high-performance ZR1 trim level.

None of our sources were willing to go on the record or allow me to run their name for fear they might lose their jobs. That's also why I'm showing renderings rather than actual photos — I don't care if it might cast doubt on the veracity of the styling — but I didn't want anyone losing their job over this.

That said, we showed these images to three different sources at General Motors — and all three confirmed that the images you see here accurately portray the ZR1 trim level for the seventh-generation Corvette. A fourth source — a non-GM employee — confirmed that the vehicle we show here is one of two Initial Vehicle Engineering Release (IVER) vehicles that's been making the rounds at the Milford Proving Grounds.

View the gallery

The ZR1 trim level is expected to come out later than the base model Corvette — which is slated for a 2014 model year and a reveal at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. At first glance, you think this is nothing more than an evolutionary change to America's supercar. But give it a second for that initial enormously deceiving glance to dissipate into a double-take. The changes — like the very Camaro-esque rear taillights, the over-exaggerated side vents, and a new window in the rear quarter — will be absolutely polarizing to any Corvette fan-boy. And other items — like a split-rear window, a la the Corvette Stingray, won't make it into production. ### Jalpnik.com