Congrats to Team B210 Racing for winning the Index of Effluency award at the 24 Hours of LeMons‘ Arse-Freeze-A-Palooza this past weekend. While technically not car that placed first (that honor goes to a Geo Metro powered by a Honda CBR900RR motor), this award is given to “the team that accomplishes most with the crappiest car.” (more…)

We have always admired Honda for charging right into Formula 1 at a time when it barely made any passenger cars at all. That’s why it saddens us to hear that the automaker is pulling out of F1. Honda made the announcement yesterday, citing a faltering economy as the reason. Earlier this year, the Honda-supplied Super Aguri team also ran out of funds. (more…)

Hey Mazdafarians, we just got this in from Kiwi Bureau: photos from last weekend’s Mazda Rotary Summerdrags in New Zealand. Yes, while we’re huddled by the fireplace for warmth in the dead of winter, Nee Zeelanders are enjoying nice warm summer weather, because the Earth is round, or something like that.

Thanks for the pics, Madaz!

And now for your viewing pleasure, some footage of some vintage Toyota Celicas tearing it up at Fuji Speedway. Love that mean green liftback! Beware, by the end you’ll be seeing double.

[Chase the Horizon]

This year, team Lucha Libre Racing’s Datsun 1600 roadster wasn’t the only nostalgic running in Mexico’s vintage road race, La Carrera Panamericana. Check out Francisco Ortiz Rivera’s BRE-replica Datsun 510! Our Spanish is a little rusty (ie, nonexistent), but it appears that it sustained some damage and was a possible DNF. Even if you don’t habla Español, check out photos on Rivera’s blog.

Team Lucha Libre Racing’s Datsun 1600 Sports roadster has once again returned triumphantly from La Carrera Panamericana 2008. As readers know from the article in Japanese Nostalgic Car magazine Issue 2, this was the first Japanese car ever to run the legendary road race, and we are happy to report that it is still in one piece. Car owner and navigator Michael Emery emailed us to say that the Datsun “ran like a dream.” Over the week-long race across Mexico’s open roads, he needed only to adjust the timing once and change the oil. That’s it! Says Emery, “We ran as high as 58th overall out of 100 cars, with 30hp less than the next lowest-powered car. Finished at 70th overall with my lousy navigation the only thing to blame.” Congrats, Michael! You can read more about his adventures at LuchaLibreRacing.com.

[Photo credit: Michael Emery]

Each fall Honda Racing puts on something called Thanks Day at their Twin Ring Motegi complex. Any machine that has fought to bring home a checkered flag for Honda is honored, from MotoGP bikes to SuperGT NSXs to F1 cars. This year it took place on the November 24, just a few days before our Thanksgiving Day, but the weather didn’t cooperate, making it far too risky to run vintage F1 cars on the track. In past years, however, it was not a problem. Check out the 2007 Thanks Day in this Urban Racer article. Best of all, it’s called “Thanks Day” as a show of appreciation for fans of the Honda marque. We know we’d be very thankful if our favorite automakers held events like this stateside.

In any case, we want to wish you, dear JNCers, a very happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for reading JNC and thank you for continuing to carry the old school torch for our rare and often unloved cars!