NASCAR fans this one's for you! In celebration of NASCAR's 60th birthday a limited edition of 60 motorcycles, specially created to reflect the spirit of NASCAR racing in both design and speed, will be available for purchase first to NASCAR insiders and then to the public. Each bike in the series will be numbered 1-60 and will come with a specially commissioned painting by NASCAR artist Sam Bass. The limited number of motorcycles available to the public will go on sale May 28th, while the 60th model will be designated for a charity auction this summer.

More proof that Nascar is big business comes in the plans for a luxury residential tower in Concord, North Carolina near the Lowe's Motor Speedway. The Arcadian will include penthouses, corporate suites and one-, two-, and three-bedroom units as well as a parking garage,conference rooms, a putting green, theater, fitness center, terrace pool, concierge services, shops and a signature restaurant. According to a report in the Charlotte Observer, buyers have sign contracts on 30 units since sales began in late November. The goal is to have the building ready no later than fall 2012 but that depends on sales. One Charlotte, the 40-story luxury building planned for downtown Charlotte, which we covered last May, has now been delayed. The tower will have 13 stories with 151 units priced from $395,000 to $3 million.

Some day I have to make a pilgrimage to a Red Baron auction in Atlanta, Georgia. Too bad I can't go this year for their auction on June 23-24 they have a wide variety of gawk-worthy items. The auction also features the usual Red Baron lots like massive fountains, stained glass windows and rare cars. One of the most interesting items is the Evinrude Heli-Bout, a one of a kind prototype, that has both an outboard motor and an electric propeller. Another hot lot will be a prop Nascar car used in the movie "Talladega Nights." The race car has a Ford 302 engine with SVO aluminum racing heads. And the car was driven by "Ricky Bobby" in the movie so this is a chance to plant your behind where Will Ferrell has sat.

We've talked before about the fusion between Nascar and fine living. Check out this article on Bloomberg about Nascar wines and the Bennett Lane Winery, the first winery to back a Nascar racing team. Former race car driver Randy Lynch is now a successful winery owner. He and his wife Lisa started off in th Napa Valley with a weekend house and a small vineyard but then picked up a nearby winery. The Lynches are part of an overall wine drinking trend in the Nascar crowd with the numbers of wine lovers rising steadily and wine now being sold at concession stands.

If you are looking for a light summer white wine the recently released 2006 Bennett Lane Maximus Feasting White wine is a nice choice. It is a blend of 87% Sauvignon Blanc, 11% Chardonnay, and 2% Muscat. It's a bit fruity but with a nice mineral snap to keep it crisp and refreshing. It sells for $28.

It would seem that NASCAR isn't just for the Budweiser-drinking, pickup-truck-driving, blue collar folk the stereotypes would have you think.

It's a dream-come-true for any sports fan -- get picked up in a limo, shuttled to the venue by helicpter, led on tours before the event of the pit and garages, then maybe take a trip or two around the track yourself. Then you're rushed up to a private suite overlooking the track by some 80 feet, where you dine on professionally-catered food and drink, trying not to grin like an idiot as the rumble of the vehicles buzzes the floor beneath your feet. Only the best for those who can afford it.

And afford it they do. Not only are luxury boxes available, but several tracks have condominium suites, featuring 8' x 25' windows with a view of the track, complete with bedrooms and baths to the tune of just $23,000 per weekend. NASCAR teams and even drivers own a few of these condos, while corporations and well-to-do fans own the rest.

Even without the condo, life can be good for NASCAR fans depending on the location of the race. The Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, for example, offers up the perfect opportunity for a wine tour and spa package after the checkered flag falls.

[Source: MSNBC]

I am grateful to the aerospace industry for so many things: Airbus, NASA, SkyMall magazine ...

But I am especially grateful to the aerospace industry for its use of titanium, the space-age metal that used in airplane construction. Simultaneously unbreakable, indefatigable, corrosion-proof and ultralight, titanium is also totally dope.

Equally dope is Seven Cycles of Watertown, Massachusetts, which has been making bicycle frames from titanium since 1997.

With summer around the bend, I've got a jones for the IMX, Seven's flagship  titanium/carbon mountain bike. The frame alone is $3,395. Steep, yes. But think of it like the two-wheeled equivalent of a tailor-made suit.

That $3,395 includes custom sizing, yes, but it also includes dialed-in custom handling and ride characteristics (do you want Cadillac comfortable? Formula-1fast?). Decal choice is also part of the deal, as is making sure the frame is compatible with the exact components you choose.

In other words, the aerospace-quality bike frame you get is an honest-to-god one-of-a-kind.

Can you say that for a Boeing 747? I didn't think so.

We've talked about the Ride & Fly’s Motorcycle tours before. The tours let you travel around on motorcycles and then jet to the next location if you choose. This summer's tours offer the chance to follow NASCAR and Formula One races. From May to October, Ride and Fly will offer seven motorcycle trips between NASCAR races. Bikers can also ride between Montreal and Indianapolis for the two North American Formula One races. A guide accompanies each tour, encouraging rider to take the scenic route. Riders’ amenities can include motor homes with drivers, security, child care and catering. Tours are limited to a minimum of four motorcycles and a maximum of six.