What Is ‘Roll Racing?’

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Imagine driving along on the freeway and having a car pull up next to you. It matches your speed and through some type of signal from the other driver – like three honks from their horn – the race is on! You nail the throttle and feel exhilaration and possible regret of scooting your car way past the posted speed limit in an all-out, top-end drag race. Ultimately, the other driver pulls away and you get to soak up your loss or bask in the win that you just achieve against a total stranger.

In a nutshell, that’s what roll racing is. But let’s take a closer look.

What is the point of roll racing?

A Subaru and a Corvette Roll Race at a Track | RaceIrra.com

The point of roll racing is to win, or at least beat the other car to 140 mph, or so. To be more specific, roll racing typically happens when two (or more) cars start the race when driving at 40 mph on a freeway. When one of the cars, usually a passenger, gives a three-count signal to start the race and whichever car leaves the others in the dust wins.

The reason the cars start from a roll — as opposed to a standstill like in drag racing – is so that each car can race at the optimal RPM range for maximum power and torque without having to worry about off-the-line traction, Motor Trend reports. Roll racing started around the same time as drag racing did, however, it didn’t gain popularity until the past few years because many racers (and their passengers) started posting videos of their races online.   

As you can imagine, this type of racing is very dangerous and highly illegal. Fortunately, there is a legal way to do it.

Yes, there is an International Roll Racing Association

If you have felt the thrill of roll racing on a freeway and would rather be safer about it, you can. The International Roll Racing Association (IRRA) puts on sanctioned roll race events at different drag strips in the northeastern part of the U.S. During each event, the racers start from a 40-mph roll and then the race ends at the quarter-mile finish line.

There are different classes based on different top speeds that the cars can reach. For example, the “Nippon Power” class is reserved for cars that can hit 119.9 mph or less. While the “Class 1” group is reserved for cars that can compete at over 156 mph. The IRRA has been around since 2017 and is looking to expand to different parts of the U.S. Also, some drag strips hold sanctioned roll races, so be sure to check your local drag strip to find out more.

Roll racing is made for maximum power

Roll Racers in the pits
Roll Racers in the pits | RaceIRRA.com

While many less-powerful cars can overtake more powerful ones in a drag race as long as they get a good launch, that’s typically not the case in roll racing. Since the car is driven in the upper RPM range for the whole race, roll racing is a true testament to a car’s horsepower range. Although, some driver skill is technically involved.

Either way, roll racing is fun, exhilarating, and very dangerous. So if you plan on doing it, we suggest keeping it on the drag strip.

RELATED: DC Police Drag Race Then Total Two Patrol Cars

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Multimillionaire Ferrari Collector David Lee Revealed How He Broke the Rules to Get a LaFerrari

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Ferrari is one of the most recognized luxury supercar brands. These ultra-elite sports cars start at around $222,000 for a new Ferrari Portofino and can skyrocket into the millions for limited-production models. Regardless of the size of your bank account, owning a Ferrari is considered a privilege. The Italian automaker handpicks who will have the honor of driving its prestigious cars.

Multimillionaire Ferrari collector David Lee had his sights set on a LaFerrari Aperta for $2.2 million. Because the automaker produced only 200 examples of this rare car, the enthusiast had to break the rules to purchase one.

Ferrari has strict rules for buying its cars

A Ferrari LaFerrari similar to the one David Lee purchased | GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Purchasing a Ferrari is unlike any other car-buying experience. Potential owners face strict rules and restrictions. To be included on the VIP list, one must agree to purchase at least four Ferraris. 

According to Autoevolution, candidates are subject to thorough background checks. Social status and reputation play significant roles, and successful men over 40 with clean driving records generally take precedence.

Also, owners cannot sell their Ferraris within the first 18 months of taking possession without approval from the automaker. The company wants to make sure only respectable drivers retain ownership.

In addition, because of a longstanding rivalry, owners of limited-edition models cannot simultaneously own a Lamborghini. Ferrari also frowns upon after-market modifications. All customization work must be performed at the factory in Maranello, Italy, before owners can take delivery. 

Plus, body modifications, aftermarket paint jobs, or tampering with the engine are against Ferrari guidelines. And don’t even think about covering or replacing the iconic Prancing Horse badge.

How Ferrari collector David Lee broke the rules to snag a LaFerrari

Lee is among a handful of car collectors who can boast they’ve owned all five halo cars from Ferrari. According to Super Car Blog, parked in Lee’s massive garage is a Ferrari 288 GTO, F40, F50, and Enzo. When the successful jeweler applied for the limited-run LaFerrari Aperta convertible, the automaker denied his request.

With an impressive car collection valued at $50 million, Lee explained on his YouTube channel how he was able to break the rules to snag the highly sought-after car. Determined to add the hypercar to his collection, he discovered that a Shark Tank judge wanted to sell his special-order LaFerrari. Lee contacted Ferrari North America to discuss the transfer of ownership.

(Lee didn’t disclose the name of the Shark Tank star, but we can surmise it’s fellow Ferrari fan Robert Herjavec.)

Because of Lee’s history with the company, Ferrari allowed him to break the rules to purchase the vehicle. He retained ownership and agreed to an 18-month resale restriction clause.

According to Lee, the Shark Tank judge had seller’s remorse and wanted the car back, claiming it had sentimental value. Lee sold it back to him but admitted he misses the LaFerrari and hopes to have another model in his garage soon.

How David Lee made his money

According to the Los Angeles Times, Ferrari would not sell the new sports car to Lee because of his flashy “look-at-me lifestyle,” saying his actions embarrassed the company’s desire for exclusivity. The automaker was not happy with the unwanted publicity he was receiving.

Lee is the owner of Hing Wa Lee Jewelers, a high-end retail superstore specializing in high-priced watches such as Rolex and Cartier. He also has a thriving real estate portfolio, which Forbes values at $350 million.

With a strong social media presence, the wealthy jeweler refers to fellow car collector Jay Leno as “my bro 24/7,” the LA Times reported. When Lee took his Ferrari F12 TdF DSKL to order a meal at In-N-Out burger, Ferrari frowned upon his antics.

“I will keep sharing my experiences as an owner with the public and drive them as much as I can,” Lee told the LA Times. I don’t see how that could be worse than collectors who hide their collections in a garage and never drive them. That’s the real shame.”

RELATED: Ferrari Sent Deadmau5 a Warning After He Made This Hilarious Mod to His 458 Italia

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Ford Bronco Delays: More Bad News About Top Issues

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Perpetuating Ford’s chronic new vehicle launch issues, the Bronco will be delayed once again. This time it is over what has caused hand wringing at Ford for months; those molded-in-color hard tops. All Broncos with this feature will have their tops replaced; those waiting to get to dealers and those already sold. 

The Bronco tops issue is only the latest in a string of bad new-car launches

The Ford Bronco | Scott Olson via Getty Images

Unfortunately, it seems that Ford is singing the same song as it has done with most of its current launches. This includes the Mustang Mach-E, Explorer, F-150, and the continuing saga of the Bronco. Ford says this latest hiccup will delay delivery to owners for months. 

It’s not completely Ford’s fault, however. In a statement, it says the molded-in-color tops for both the two- and four-door Broncos have quality issues. Ford says that it “creates an unsatisfactory appearance when exposed to extreme water and humidity.” 

What is most unfortunate is that it doesn’t expect to take delivery of replacement tops until October. Bronco owners will be notified in September once Ford determines a delivery schedule. Unfortunately, that schedule has already been adjusted numerous times already.

“We’re doing everything we can to get the product to customers”

Ford Bronco assembly
Line workers assemble Ford Motor Company’s 2021 Ford Bronco on the line at their Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan | JEFF KOWALSKY / AFP) (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images

“We’re embarrassed we didn’t catch this sooner,” Jeff Marentic, Ford’s general manager of passenger vehicles, told Automotive News. “We’re doing everything we can to get the product to customers as soon as possible. We understand how unhappy they are but we’re working to get that resolved as fast as we possibly can.”

Most of the blame, if one is pointing fingers, looks to be Webasto, which manufactures the tops. Back in March, it had to hold back production of the “modular painted” hard top and “dual roof.” The only top available then became the molded-in-color tops and soft tops. 

Owners who ordered the dual roof or modular painted hard top were told they wouldn’t be getting their Broncos until next year. Bummer. In spite of the supplier issues, Ford is on record as standing with Webasto. “We remain committed to get this done right and get this done right with Webasto,” Marentic said.

Broncos that have already been delivered to customers get the first replacement tops

A four-door 2021 Ford Bronco model parked on a dirt plain near a forest
The four-door 2021 Ford Bronco | The Ford Motor Company

Those who have already received their Broncos with the hard tops will receive new ones first. The next group to get the tops will be all of the Broncos in holding lots in and around Michigan. And there are maybe thousands of them based on images revealed just today.

More bad news comes to those who have ordered Broncos but have not received them yet. Except for those with First Edition reservations, the rest won’t get their Bronco until 2022. Production for those 2022 models won’t begin until December. 

So for those frustrated over how Ford is handling their orders, they’ll have to hold on for a bit longer. Bronco forums have many reservation holders venting over the on-again, off-again delivery promises. Let’s hope that for those who can hang in there, they’ll feel the wait was worth it once they’re blasting through the Mojave desert.

RELATED: You Might Not Get the Ford Bronco You Ordered

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Make Your Own Parking Sensors, Remote Starters, And More With An Arduino

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Not all cars came with fancy parking sensors or remote starting capabilities, and adding them as options can be expensive. But with a little DIY knowledge, and enough YouTube tutorials, you can make all these nifty add-ons yourself. The key is to pick up an Arduino, a low-cost microcontroller that’s easy to program and build simple systems out of. While that may sound daunting, Arduinos are fairly entry-level into the world of programming.

What is an Arduino?

An Arduino is a microcontroller capable of running small, simple programs and software. Essentially, they’re very tiny computers capable of doing things like turning on and on lights or sending data around. They’re small, require little energy, and are fast enough for performing basic commands.

Arduino has made all their hardware open source, meaning that these little gizmos are everywhere. That makes it a cost-effective way to build whatever you need, from switches to sensors. There are more applications than just automotive, so we’ll start with something simple: lights.

Make color changing LED strip lights for your car’s interior

The best projects to start with are the simple ones, and this LED light strip tutorial is about as basic as it gets. So long as you purchase all the necessities, it’ll be like putting legos together. Although, this project is a little complicated, requiring you to build your own circuit. And it’ll only work if you have an up-to-date Android phone.

After you’re all finished, you can plug your phone in and change the color whenever you please. But with enough Googling, you can also find ways to make this Arduino system wireless, adding a transmitter and a different power source (likely a battery separate from your car). It’s all about finding the right tutorials for you.

But while those interior lights are cool, they’re not exactly practical. Here’s a lighting project that’ll make your blinkers better.

Burnt out blinkers? Just build new ones

Your blinkers don’t even have to be burnt out in order for this DIY project to be useful. These animated blikers and brake lights can be used to simply spruce up your ride. The level of complexity is similar to that fo the LED interior lights, only this time you’re connecting the Arduino setup to your car. Though, if you’re happy with how your taillights work, then maybe this isn’t the project for you.

Now, let’s segway into something a bit more complex. Parking sensors and cameras are incredibly useful and are becoming standard options in a lot of cars. But maybe your car didn’t come with any, and because of this, there wouldn’t really be a place to install them (unless you got brand new mirrors). Rather than making a sensor that’s built into your car, you can build one on the outside.

Build a parking sensor for your garage

If you have a small garage, or it’s just jam-packed with stuff, then this is the perfect solution. Rather than a typical backup camera, this Arduino-based sensor detects when there’s no car in the garage, when you’re getting too close, and even buzzes when you’re about to crash. Just mount it to the garage wall once it’s built.

This project is a step up from the previous one in that it requires soldering, which is a somewhat complex process and can be dangerous. You’re dealing with rapidly heated, then cooled metal in order to conduct a current, so don’t take these projects lightly. There will be a learning curve, but there are ways to overcome it.

Now, for what might be the most complex Arduino project on the list. If you’re technical enough, and are willing to rewire the internals of your car, you can add a remote startup process.

Add remote starting to any car using Arduino

While this “tutorial” isn’t really a tutorial, it demonstrates all the things a simple Arduino is capable of. It’s rudimentary and homemade for sure, and probably voids the car’s warranty, but how cool would it be to remote start a car without a remote starter?

The main takeaway is that Arduino computers have a lot of potentials. DIY tinkerers can have a field day, and if you’re just learning about all this, you can too. Consider if you want to modify your car at all, and do lots of research to make sure the job is done right. But these little Arduino microcontrollers are an excellent starting point for automotive modifications, or just coding in general.

RELATED: Thieves Suck: 7 DIY Ways to Protect Your Car From Theft

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