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Ken Block thrills Gymkhana fans in Austria

Ford action-motorsports star Ken Block says he was thrilled after more than 25,000 fans attended the first stop of his Gymkhana World Tour in Vienna, Austria, on July 17. The American Internet sensation--his Gymkhana series represents some of the most-viewed videos on YouTube--is combining his World Rally Championship campaign with his three-event tour, which will also make stops in Los Angeles and in Melbourne, Australia. "Ever since we filmed the first Gymkhana video, I have wanted to be able to bring this type of action to a place where people can watch it live, and Gymkhana World Tour does exactly that," Block said.

Fun with fiberglass: Petersen exhibit celebrates moldable material

To be an artisan in aluminum or the Stradivarius of steel, you need about 40 years as an apprentice working metal with pinchers and pullers and to spend a lot of time rolling sheets back and forth through an English wheel. To make something out of fiberglass, all you need is resin. The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles is celebrating all things fiberglass--especially the cars--with an exhibit that runs through Oct.

Call for ban on on vehicle-side advertising

ALL ADVERTISING and promotional banners on commercial vehicles should be banned as they are distracting to other drivers and tempt them to use mobile phones while driving. This is the call from Flexed, a car leasing company, which has carried out a survey that shows a quarter (23%) of drivers admit to trying to type a website address into smartphone after seeing an advert on a lorry. A further 10% of drivers admitted they had tried to take a camera phone photo of an advertisement on a commercial vehicle to use later.