Curling Indy

Vroooom.

Check out this speedy little number. It was designed for entry into an online contest run by the folks at IndyCar. Click to zoom in on the car detail.

The contest is still on, so please vote here – click on the fifth star, of course! – and tell your friends, too. C’mon... the racing world won’t know what hit them!

The news of this work – and the sight of it – came as a pleasant surprise. After picking ourselves up from the floor, we asked Steve Lobel – the creative eye behind ProCurler Curling Stuff – what, in tarnation, inspired him to design a car sponsored by yours truly, The Curling News,among others?

Q: What was your inspiration?

A: I just stumbled across the contest site while looking up stats from another favourite sport.

Q: Why a curling theme?

A: Well, I wanted a theme that would get American race fans scratching their heads a little. Perhaps it will drive them to a website to explore the sport further.

Q: Why did you include The Curling News?

I picked The Curling News as a main sponsor because the logo just screams curling, and I hoped you might put it in the paper and on the blog! My company, ProCurler.com was an obvious choice for a “B” sponsor. As for Tim Hortons, other than their generous involvement in curling, I happened to be sipping on my fifth cup of the day when they came to mind.

On a final note, we forgot to ask Steve why he picked number 77... and then, of course, we remembered. His father, Art Lobel, played third for Quebec’s Jim Ursel at the 1977 MacDonald’s Brier.

And won.


Some weekend clickings for you...

• Monday November 26 sees a media launch and reception for the BDO Black Book of Curling, with Glenn Howard and Richard Hart in attendance, as well as authors Dallas Bittle and Gerry Geurts. Location is Toronto’s Granite Club, in the curling lounge, with food (and books) provided ...

• With all the women’s Slam excitement this weekend, don’t forget The Schmirler ...

• First they appeared – along with Randy Dutiaume – in a TV commercial; now Kerry Burtnyk and Jeff Stoughton have been formally unveiled as spokesmen for the upcoming Winnipeg Brier...

• Canada’s Season of Champions event calendar is offering a new ticket package called Rocks in Your Socks ...

• Here’s a report on Tuesday’s news conference announcing the Tylenol Players’ Championship, which is returning to St. John’s ...

• Wheelchair curlers have another championship to strive for: the first Paralympic World Winter Cup will be held in Sweden in 2009 ...

• The Weakerthans’ Tournament of Hearts was the song ’o the day at KEXP in Seattle ...

• Here’s Jessica Goes Curling, part two ...

• Detroit Lakes is rocking ...

• DID YOU KNOW: that Salmon Arm, B.C. gets the Canadian Juniors in 2009?

• Scotland’s NCA is sadly dead... again...

• Here’s a major league update from T-Bay ...

• Hey, wasn’t Dusty Baker a baseball player-turned-manager ...?

• And finally... right back ’atcha, Chris!