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Scandal-rocked UAW extends Ford, FCA contracts, prepares to strike GM

DETROIT — Leaders of the United Auto Workers union have extended contracts with Ford and Fiat Chrysler indefinitely, but the pact with General Motors is still set to expire Saturday night. The move puts added pressure on bargainers for both sides as they approach the contract deadline and the union starts to make preparations for a strike. The contract extension was confirmed Friday by UAW spokesman Brian Rothenberg, who declined further comment on the talks. The union has picked GM as the target company, meaning it is the focus of bargaining and would be the first company to face a walkout. GMÂ’s contract with the union is scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m. Saturday. ItÂ’s possible that the four-year GM contract also could be extended or a deal could be reached, but itÂ’s more likely that 49,200 UAW members could walk out of GM plants as early as Sunday because union and company demands are so far apart. Picket line schedules already have been posted near the entrance to one local UAW office in Detroit. Art Wheaton, an auto industry expert at the Worker Institute at Cornell University, expects the GM contract to be extended for a time, but he says the gulf between both sides is wide. “GM is looking through the windshield ahead, and it looks like nothing but land mines,” he said of a possible recession, trade disputes and the expense of developing electric and autonomous vehicles. “I think thereÂ’s really going to be a big problem down the road in matching the expectations of the union and the willingness of General Motors to be able to give the membership what it wants.” Plant-level union leaders from all over the country will be in Detroit on Sunday to talk about the next steps, and after that, the union likely will make an announcement. But leaders are likely to face questions about an expanding federal corruption probe that snared a top official on Thursday. Vance Pearson, head of a regional office based near St. Louis, was charged with corruption in an alleged scheme to embezzle union money and spend cash on premium booze, golf clubs, cigars and swanky stays in California. ItÂ’s the same region that UAW President Gary Jones led before taking the unionÂ’s top office last year. Jones and other union executives met privately at a hotel at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Friday. After the meeting broke up, JonesÂ’ driver and others physically blocked an AP reporter from trying to approach him to ask questions.

Watch these videos of an NHRA racer's bodywork blowing off into a crowd

Just a few months ago, fan safety at racetracks was a hot topic following the last-lap NASCAR Nationwide Series crash at Daytona that sent large pieces of racecars into the grandstands injuring 33 fans. Now, a freak incident at a National Hot Rod Association event resulted in a drag racer's bodywork flying into the crowd at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte over the weekend. The carbon-fiber body of Robert Hight's Ford Mustang funny car blew off toward the end of a run when his engine exploded, but fortunately, the two fans evaluated after the incident were later released without serious injury.
As you can see in the image above, the body flew high into the air before landing on a walkway in front of the grandstands, a bit of happenstance that likely gave most fans enough time and space to move out of the way. Scroll down to watch a couple of videos showing what happened, including one from a fan's perspective that also reveals what appears to be part of the body's metal bracing landing dangerously close to the crowd.

Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R-C set to storm Watkins Glen

Ford is bringing its latest high-performance Mustang back to the track with the new 2016 GT350R-C, which will debut and race in this weekend's IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race at Watkins Glen. The spiritual successor to the Boss 302R that's still taking part in the Continental Tire series today, the first GT350R-C will be campaigned by Multimatic Motorsports. It's had its fully independent suspension completely revised for the track, and it gets everything from new spring rates to new anti-roll bars to a lowered ride height. Like the road-going GT350, a 5.2-liter, flat-plane-crank V8 sits under the hood, although Ford didn't release any specifics on power output. In fact, details are in short supply. We're expecting some sort of sequential racing transmission, wildly enhanced brakes, and a thoroughly race-prepared cabin, although Ford hasn't released any info on that stuff. The Blue Oval also hasn't said anything about the aerodynamic package, but strangely, it looks more or less like what's featured on the standard GT350R. The front fascia and rear wing are pretty much identical, and even the side sills seem roughly similar to the production model. "Like so many Mustangs before it, the Shelby GT350R is a car born to race," Ford's director of global performance, Dave Pericak, said in the attached press release. "We're taking it to the track as the GT350R-C and we're ready to see what it can do against the best competition in the world." Scroll down for the official press release from Ford. And if you're so inclined, you can check out the GT350R-C's debut race this weekend at IMSA.com, with coverage starting at 12:25 P.M. If you prefer normal TV, Fox Sports 1 will get around to re-broadcasting the race on July 5 at 10:00 A.M. Related Video: Ford Performance Shelby GT350R-C to Make IMSA Competition Debut at Watkins Glen • All-new Shelby® GT350R-C embodies Ford innovation through performance as race car makes its competition debut this weekend at Watkins Glen • Shelby GT350R-C to compete in the remainder of the 2015 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge with Multimatic Motorsports • Competition version of Shelby GT350R features all-new 5.2-liter flat-plane crankshaft V8 created to extend on-track performance DEARBORN, Mich., June 24, 2015 – There's no mistaking the wicked sound or aggressive looks of the all-new Shelby® GT350R-C that Ford announced today would see its first official track time at Watkins Glen this weekend.