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Hot air balloons caught in high winds drag fullsize SUV

A sudden storm front whipped up enough wind to send some hot air balloons flying into the air in Wisconsin over the weekend. One ballon proved so energetic that it was able to drag a fullsize SUV across a field and into a stand of tents. The freak accident occurred at Balloonfest in Waterford, Wisconsin. Spectators were horrified as balloons dragged handlers to the ground and launched with terrified pilots clinging to their baskets. Organizers had started packing up the colorful balloons due to ominous storm clouds when the wind kicked up. "Happened just like that; it was crazy," Nathan Fricke, crew member, told Fox 6. Winds were clocked at 40 to 50 miles per hour. A balloon caught in the wind dragged a large SUV (we think a Suburban or Yukon XL) hundreds of feet and into a cluster of tents on the edge of the staging area where balloons were on display for festival goers. Considering that the SUV surely weighs well over 5,000 pounds, it's lucky that no one was injured in the incident. News Source: Fox6Now Weird Car News Chevrolet GM GMC SUV

Next Corvette ZR1 to get 700 horsepower?

Word has it General Motors may offer as much as 700 horsepower in the C7 Corvette ZR1. Motor Trend reports the next Corvette Z06 will continue to rely on its naturally aspirated 7.0-liter V8 engine for thrust, but the lump will deliver substantially more power. How much more? MT says the engine could deliver up to 600 ponies. That's a jump of 95 horsepower over the current Z06, though no figures have been finalized as of yet. Right now, GM is reportedly waiting to see what sort of grunt it can glean from the next ZR1.
The automaker has already made it clear it will resurrect the LT5 name for the new supercharged V8, and if GM is already pulling 600 from the Z06, the big dog ZR1 would theoretically offer 700 horsepower. Either way, the range-topping Corvette will be suitably insulated from its less potent siblings. Stay tuned. We aren't likely to see the Z06 for at least a year, with the ZR1 trailing along at some point there after.

McLaren and Alonso will use Chevy engines at Indy 500

Fernando Alonso will have a Chevrolet engine in his McLaren when the double Formula One champion attempts to win next year's Indianapolis 500 in his second attempt, the British team announced on Tuesday. The 37-year-old Spaniard led 27 laps last year on his debut at The Brickyard in a Honda-powered Andretti Autosport car before retiring with an engine problem with 21 laps to go. The 2018 Indy 500 winner, Australian Will Power, won with Chevrolet-powered Team Penske last May. "Having Chevrolet power behind me means we're putting ourselves in the best possible position to compete at the front," said Alonso in a McLaren statement. The double Monaco Grand Prix winner, who won the Le Mans 24 Hours with Toyota this year, left Formula One at the end of the season last month and is targeting Indianapolis as the final part of the "Triple Crown of Motorsport": winning the Formula One championship (or Monaco), Le Mans and the Indy 500. The late Briton Graham Hill, also a two-times Formula One champion who died in 1975, is the only one to have done it, completing the triple in 1972.Reporting by Alan BaldwinRelated Video: Motorsports Chevrolet McLaren Racing Vehicles IndyCar