 Scarecrows adorn the entrance to a barren Korean International Circuit |
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/12/journalists_shocked_at_korea_a.php
Philippe Adams Walt Ader Kurt Adolff Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr
dinsdag 31 januari 2012
Journalists shocked at Korea award
Caraviello: This media tour brought ‘talk’ to a new level (NASCAR.com)
Caraviello: This media tour brought talk to a new level
Jean Pierre Jabouille Jimmy Jackson Joe James Carlo Abate George Abecassis
Nissan Juke-R Driven: Riding the Frog-Faced Godzilla Lightning
Question: When is a Nissan GT-R not a Nissan GT-R? Answer: When it’s a fat-fendered piece of lunacy with the face of a Nissan Juke. In other words, when it’s a Nissan Juke-R. Keep Reading: Nissan Juke-R – First Drive Review
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/hfDpbnhq9AQ/nissan-juke-r-first-drive-review
Cecil Green Keith Greene Masten Gregory Cliff Griffith Georges Grignard
Why Michael Schumacher Could Win The 2011 World Championship
Michael Schumacher’s 2010 comeback was somewhat abortive. The results, the driving standard and the overtakes were well below par for the former champion. He even let his team mate beat him for the first time in his career. So why can Schumacher, the fallen Ferrari hero, win the world championship for an 8th time? It’s [...]
Jesús Iglesias Taki Inoue Innes Ireland Eddie Irvine Chris Irwin
Wilson and MSR lead into final hours
Justin Wilson and the Michael Shank Racing team lead the Daytona 24 Hours going into the final six hours. Wilson has been pulling away from the field in his most recent stint, opening out a 38-second gap over the second-placed #01 Ganassi car, currently driven by Joey Hand
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/wilson-and-msr-lead-into-final-hours/
Mark Anthony Martin Jeremy Allan Mayfield James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya
2014 Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra Spy Photos: New Small-Block, Less Weight
Introduced as 2007 models, the current Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickup twins are due for a revamp. Our spy photographers (dressed like snow leopards, we hope) have nabbed several shots of both extended- and crew-cab versions during cold-weather testing. While it’s difficult to make out much in the way of design aside from [...]
Report: Hagerty predicts this year's future classics
Filed under: Car Buying, Classics, Etc., Audi, Buick, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Jeep, Nissan, Porsche, Volkswagen
The world would be considerably less entertaining if we could all predict the future. Even so, the classic car gurus at Hagerty Insurance have cast a few chicken bones in an attempt to figure out which vehicles produced today might eventually turn collectible.
The company restricted entrants to hardware with a price tag of less than $100,000, so the list isn't populated with too many wild exotics. While vehicles like the Nissan GT-R Black Edition, Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca Edition, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and Porsche 911 are low-hanging fruit, the list also featured a few surprises.
For starters, it begins with none other than the mighty Buick Regal GS. Hagerty says the vehicle is a win because it's the first Buick with a manual transmission since the fall of the Holy Roman Empire. The Fiat 500 Abarth also makes an appearance alongside an even hotter hatch, the Volkswagen Golf R. Of course, we're simply thrilled to see the sinister Audi TT RS make a showing. Hit the jump for the full list or view each vehicle in our gallery above.
Continue reading Hagerty predicts this year's future classics
Hagerty predicts this year's future classics originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/30/hagerty-predicts-this-years-future-classics/
Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty
Top 20 Countdown: No. 16 Jeff Burton (Yahoo! Sports)
Coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, Jeff Burton must show 2011 was an aberration.
Source: http://www.nascarracinglive.com/nascar/top-20-countdown-no-16-jeff-burton-yahoo-sports.html
Eddie Irvine Chris Irwin Jean Pierre Jabouille Jimmy Jackson Joe James
maandag 30 januari 2012
Bugatti orders more transmissions, new variants coming?
Bugatti Veyron production is starting to wind down, so it's a little surprising the company has recently extended their dual-clutch transmission contract with Ricardo.Jean Pierre Jabouille Jimmy Jackson Joe James Carlo Abate George Abecassis
MINI Roadster Pricing Announced (US)
The base model will start at $24,350 whilst the the Cooper S Roadster carries a $27,350 sticker price. The top of the range MINI Cooper JCW Roadster will require customers to part with $24,500.Source: http://feeds.worldcarfans.com/~r/worldcarfans/Jxfz/~3/FKVIGJ5hqhM/mini-roadster-pricing-announced-us
James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman
Pro Street Anglia W.I.P
My latest project is a Pro Street 51 Anglia, have started by extending the rear wheel arches and looking at fitting suicide doors( have not tried this before may take sometime) and having opening boot lid, have not yet come up with a colour for project yet.
(Please visit the site to view this media)http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z473/gillsrow7/DSC04553.jpg[/IMG]:550:0]
Rear view
[View:http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/themes/sca/utility/
:550:0]
Front view
[View:http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/themes/sca/utility/
:550:0]
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/984367.aspx
Naoki Hattori Paul Hawkins Mike Hawthorn Boy Hayje Willi Heeks
Cost of Tappan Zee Mega-Bridge Could Cause Tolls to Triple
Building a new structure twice as wide as the current Tappan Zee Bridge could create a financial black hole, where people who never use the bridge end up paying for its construction.
“Rate shock” was the name given to the electricity industry’s financial crisis in the 1970s and 1980s, when utility company finances buckled under the [...]
“Rate shock” was the name given to the electricity industry’s financial crisis in the 1970s and 1980s, when utility company finances buckled under the [...]
Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/01/26/cost-of-tappan-zee-mega-bridge-could-cause-tolls-to-triple/
Nico Hülkenberg Denny Hulme James Hunt Jim Hurtubise Gus Hutchison
Webber wins but Vettel is still the man to beat
If Mark Webber did not sound as if he was jumping for joy after winning the Brazilian Grand Prix - his first win of 2012 in the final race of what has been a tough season for the Australian - it should be no surprise.
There is no artifice about Webber and he knows as well as anyone that, statistically, this has been a disappointing year for him. One win in a race in which his team-mate had one arm tied behind his back does not on its own signify that his fortunes will change next season.
Nor, though, does the manner of victory necessarily mean that they won't.
Eleven wins and a new all-time record 15 pole positions for Sebastian Vettel as against one win and three poles for Webber are numbers that do not make comfortable reading for the older man.
But it should be remembered that the two men were evenly matched in 2010 as they both battled for the title with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.
Webber is determined to recapture that form and there have been signs in the second half of the season that he is heading in the right direction.
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.
Undoubtedly he struggled in the first half of this year. He was hit hard by reliability problems - if there was a problem with Red Bull's troublesome Kers power-boost system at the start of the year, it seemed Webber's car would have it - but also he took much longer than Vettel to adapt to the different demands of the new Pirelli tyres.
By the time he had, Vettel was long gone in the championship. It has, though, been much closer between the two in the second half of the season.
Vettel has still had the upper hand - and his electrifying qualifying pace and consistency has put him in a position to control many of the races.
But Webber has been getting on top of one of his biggest problems this year - higher tyre wear than Vettel, sometimes influenced by problems outside his control - and on race pace the two have been pretty evenly matched, even if it has not always been obvious because of their different positions in the race.
Webber could have won in Korea had not a mystifying pit-wall decision prevented him from passing Hamilton and exploiting a strategy that should have beaten Vettel, too.
In the end, the much-needed win came in Brazil in a race in which Vettel's gearbox problem prevented him having a straight fight with his team-mate.
But as Webber pointed out, these things happen and you take wins however they come. Not only has he himself been on the receiving end of that sort of fortune many a time, it was probably also about time Vettel had some bad luck.
"Even if the win didn't come today there were some positive signs for me in recent races," he said.
"There has been some good pace from me considering some of the things that have been going on. Today was a good grand prix.
"It's not a bad thing to finish the year like this, one of the most important things is I started to feel the car a bit better, to get a bit more of an understanding."
"It's great Mark has won a race," team principal Christian Horner said.
"It would have been very, very tough for him to have not won a race if Seb had won 11.
"Hopefully this win will give him a big confidence boost. He's third in the championship. Hopefully he'll go into the winter, have a bit of time off, recharge his batteries and I'm sure he'll come back stronger in 2012.
"Let's not take anything away from Sebastian, though. He has been operating at such a high level this year. That's what's compounded the issue for Mark. He's been up against a team-mate in the most phenomenal form and operating at the most phenomenally high level."
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.
Webber is under no illusions that Vettel will be formidably tough to beat again next season.
The German's drive on Sunday was yet another from the top drawer in a season that has been full of them.
He drove the first few laps as he has in so many races this year - building a 2.2-second lead in two laps. But after that Webber managed to keep him within three seconds or so - striking distance, in other words - until Red Bull came on the radio at the end of the first stint to warn Vettel of a gearbox problem.
This is not the first time this has happened to him and at first you wondered how he and the team he might react.
Back in Canada in 2010, Vettel also had a gearbox problem while running in fourth place ahead of Webber, who was ordered not to attack him as the team feared what might happen if he did.
But there was to be no repeat of that, as Vettel's engineer Guillaume Rocquelin came repeatedly on to the radio to warn him of the worsening problem. Eventually he had to accept that this was a race he was not going to win, and he let Webber past.
From then on, it was a case of managing the problem, which he did magnificently.
"Despite running a gear taller in each corner and trying to reduce the amount of shifts as much as possible, his pace was still very strong," Horner said. "There must be zero oil left in that gearbox because it went off the scale - a very mature and measured drive."
Inevitably, there were conspiracy theorists who suggested Red Bull were making the whole thing up to provide a convenient excuse to provide Webber with a win he needed and which also lifted him into third in the championship ahead of Alonso by one point. These can be dismissed, however.
For Vettel to still finish second in those conditions was impressive. One doubts, though, whether his performance merits the comparison Vettel himself made with Ayrton Senna's victory here in 1991, when the great Brazilian battled a failing gearbox in the rain to hold off the faster Williams of Riccardo Patrese despite driving the last two laps with only sixth gear.
Red Bull's advantage in Brazil was bigger than it has been in recent races, which is a worrying sign for their rivals.
Jenson Button drove a brilliant season this year to take second in the championship, the first time Hamilton has been beaten by a team-mate, and put in another strong performance on Sunday.
Alonso, too, has been mighty, battling the odds in an uncompetitive car. And Hamilton himself will surely find some equilibrium over the winter and come back stronger in 2012.
All of them, though, can do nothing if Red Bull produce a car next year with the sort of advantage seen from this year's RB7.
"What makes retaining the title so special," Horner said on Sunday, "is the calibre of opponents we are up against is so high.
"We are a stronger team in all areas than in 2010. I'm convinced with continuity we can still improve. We don't know what the other teams are doing. We will keep our heads down and hopefully turn up with a competitive car in Melbourne next year."
The gauntlet has been thrown down and it is up to McLaren and Ferrari to pick it up.
This blog is about the Brazilian Grand Prix and 2011 F1 season. If you wish to read about - and comment on - the BBC's plans for 2012, please do so here
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/11/webber_wins_but_vettel_is_stil.html
Hans Herrmann François Hesnault Hans Heyer Damon Hill Graham Hill
Gurney leads after first hour
Alex Gurney leads the Daytona 24 Hours for GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing at the end of the opening hour of the race.
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/gurney-leads-after-first-hour/
Henry Banks Fabrizio Barbazza John Barber David Carl Allison Gregory Jack Biffle
Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid Prototype Drive: A Highway Hybrid?
While in Japan for the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, we visited Honda’s Twin Ring Motegi racing facility to see some of the company’s future products. Among them was a plug-in hybrid system, a prototype of which was installed in a current-generation Accord. While the car we drove is just a development mule, we can confidently [...]
Carel Godin de Beaufort Christian Goethals Paul Goldsmith José Froilán González Oscar González
Video: AMG takes us behind the scenes of Ducati photo shoot
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Motorcycle, Luxury
Mercedes-Benz has cobbled together a behind-the-scenes video chronicling a photo shoot with two stars: the 451-horseepower C63 AMG Coupe and a Ducati 848 in matching white. Deviating from the behind-the-scenes template, this one is more like a series of rushes set to music. In addition to the mechanical eye candy, a pair of models feature prominently (as suggested by the screencap above). The action takes place on an Iberian runway, and you'll find it after the jump.
Continue reading AMG takes us behind the scenes of Ducati photo shoot
AMG takes us behind the scenes of Ducati photo shoot originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/29/amg-takes-us-behind-the-scenes-of-ducati-photo-shoot/
Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson
Team order rule needs a re-think
 Jean Todt arives for Wednesday's hearing |
“Whether you are for or against team orders, if the FIA could not back up its own rules and nail a competitor in a blatant case such as this the rule really does need reviewing. Perhaps Ferrari’s thinly-veiled threat to take the matter to the civil courts if they were punished too harshly scared the governing body, who as much as admitted the flimsiness of its rule."Paul Weaver, reporting for the Guardian in Monza, was in favour of the ruling which keeps alive Ferrari’s slim chances in an enthralling championship.
“The World Motor Sport Council was right not to ruin a compelling Formula One season by taking away the 25 points Alonso collected in Germany. That would have put him out of the five-man title race. But the council was widely expected to increase the fine and possibly deduct points from the team, as opposed to the individual. In the end, it could be argued that common sense prevailed. But the decision will dismay those who were upset by the way Ferrari handled the situation as much as anything else.”The Daily Mail's Jonathan McEvoy expressed outrage at the FIA tearing up its own rule book by allowing Ferrari to escape unpunished.
"Although the race stewards fined them £65,000 for giving team orders in July, the FIA World Motor Sport Council, to whom the matter was referred, decided not to impose any further punishment. It leaves the sport's rulers open to derision. It was, after all, their rule they undermined. In a statement, the WMSC said the regulation banning team orders 'should be reviewed'."
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/team_order_rule_needs_a_rethin_1.php
Boy Hayje Willi Heeks Nick Heidfeld Theo Helfrich Mack Hellings
Caterham eyes another step forward
Caterham technical chief Mike Gascoyne says it's time for the team to take another step forward this year after finishing as best of the 'new' teams in 2011. On Wednesday, the team unveiled its 2012 challenger, the car with which it is hoping to fight in the midfield after finishing in tenth position in the championship last year
Gerino Gerini Peter Gethin Piercarlo Ghinzani Bruno Giacomelli Dick Gibson
Marussia team revises testing plans
The Marussia F1 team has revised its pre-season plans and will not attend the first test at Jerez in order to concentrate on the development of the new car.
Peter Hirt David Hobbs Gary Hocking Ingo Hoffmann Bill Holland
zondag 29 januari 2012
Partisan Labor Fight Threatens Indianapolis’s Game-Changing Transit Vision
This map shows the planned scope of IndyConnect, Indianapolis's bold new transit plan. The proposal is now in jeopardy because of a legislative rider regarding labor rules. Larger version here. Image: Urban Indy
Over the last few years, greater Indianapolis has been thinking big about transit. They developed a plan to double bus service and add [...]
Over the last few years, greater Indianapolis has been thinking big about transit. They developed a plan to double bus service and add [...]
Dan Gurney Hubert Hahne Mike Hailwood Mika Häkkinen Bruce Halford
Report: Fiat dishes up more information on 500L five-door
Filed under: Budget, Etc., Crossover, Fiat
Fiat has served up a few more tidbits on the upcoming 500L five-door expected to debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. According to Automotive News, the vehicle will feature a taller roof than the thee-door Fiat 500, and while the two sill share a front fascia, the larger vehicle will ride on a widened version of the same chassis that underpins the Fiat Punto. All told, the Fiat 500L will be around 163.38 inches long, which is around 2.36 inches longer than the current 500.
Interestingly enough, Fiat plans to introduce both five-seat and a seven-seat version of the 500L in the near future, though American buyers are only likely to be able to enjoy the former configuration. The 500L is expected to touch down on dealer lots in Europe in July, while Americans will have to wait until early 2013 to plop themselves in the driver's seat.
In Europe, the vehicles will likely be available with with a turbocharged two-cylinder 900cc gasoline engine with 85 horsepower as well as a 1.4-liter four-cylinder good for either 77 or 105 hp depending on configuration. A 1.3-liter diesel will also be an option across the pond with either 75 or 99 hp. Odds are American buyers will simply see the 1.4-liter Multiair four-cylinder on their option sheets.
Fiat dishes up more information on 500L five-door originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/29/fiat-dishes-up-more-information-on-500l-five-door/
Richard Attwood Manny Ayulo Luca Badoer Giancarlo Baghetti Julian Bailey
Roush Fenway to Commemorate “25 Winning Years” in 2012
Jack Roush, owner of Roush Fenway Racing, poses with his team's trophies during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway on Tuesday in Concord, North Carolina. - Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCARProgram to highlight Performance, People, Partners and Innovation heading into Roush Fenway’s 25th Season CONCORD,...more»
Oscar Alfredo Gálvez Fred Gamble Howden Ganley Frank Gardner Billy Garrett
Morgan Shepherd Planning Full NASCAR Nationwide Series Schedule In 2012
Morgan Shepherd - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCARCONOVER, NC - Morgan Shepherd will be celebrating his 45th season in NASCAR in 2012 with plans to compete for the full season in the Nationwide Series. Morgan enjoyed his finest season in points in 2011 by competing in all thirty-four events and finishing...more»
David Hampshire Sam Hanks Walt Hansgen Mike Harris Cuth Harrison
Webber wins but Vettel is still the man to beat
If Mark Webber did not sound as if he was jumping for joy after winning the Brazilian Grand Prix - his first win of 2012 in the final race of what has been a tough season for the Australian - it should be no surprise.
There is no artifice about Webber and he knows as well as anyone that, statistically, this has been a disappointing year for him. One win in a race in which his team-mate had one arm tied behind his back does not on its own signify that his fortunes will change next season.
Nor, though, does the manner of victory necessarily mean that they won't.
Eleven wins and a new all-time record 15 pole positions for Sebastian Vettel as against one win and three poles for Webber are numbers that do not make comfortable reading for the older man.
But it should be remembered that the two men were evenly matched in 2010 as they both battled for the title with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.
Webber is determined to recapture that form and there have been signs in the second half of the season that he is heading in the right direction.
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.
Undoubtedly he struggled in the first half of this year. He was hit hard by reliability problems - if there was a problem with Red Bull's troublesome Kers power-boost system at the start of the year, it seemed Webber's car would have it - but also he took much longer than Vettel to adapt to the different demands of the new Pirelli tyres.
By the time he had, Vettel was long gone in the championship. It has, though, been much closer between the two in the second half of the season.
Vettel has still had the upper hand - and his electrifying qualifying pace and consistency has put him in a position to control many of the races.
But Webber has been getting on top of one of his biggest problems this year - higher tyre wear than Vettel, sometimes influenced by problems outside his control - and on race pace the two have been pretty evenly matched, even if it has not always been obvious because of their different positions in the race.
Webber could have won in Korea had not a mystifying pit-wall decision prevented him from passing Hamilton and exploiting a strategy that should have beaten Vettel, too.
In the end, the much-needed win came in Brazil in a race in which Vettel's gearbox problem prevented him having a straight fight with his team-mate.
But as Webber pointed out, these things happen and you take wins however they come. Not only has he himself been on the receiving end of that sort of fortune many a time, it was probably also about time Vettel had some bad luck.
"Even if the win didn't come today there were some positive signs for me in recent races," he said.
"There has been some good pace from me considering some of the things that have been going on. Today was a good grand prix.
"It's not a bad thing to finish the year like this, one of the most important things is I started to feel the car a bit better, to get a bit more of an understanding."
"It's great Mark has won a race," team principal Christian Horner said.
"It would have been very, very tough for him to have not won a race if Seb had won 11.
"Hopefully this win will give him a big confidence boost. He's third in the championship. Hopefully he'll go into the winter, have a bit of time off, recharge his batteries and I'm sure he'll come back stronger in 2012.
"Let's not take anything away from Sebastian, though. He has been operating at such a high level this year. That's what's compounded the issue for Mark. He's been up against a team-mate in the most phenomenal form and operating at the most phenomenally high level."
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.
Webber is under no illusions that Vettel will be formidably tough to beat again next season.
The German's drive on Sunday was yet another from the top drawer in a season that has been full of them.
He drove the first few laps as he has in so many races this year - building a 2.2-second lead in two laps. But after that Webber managed to keep him within three seconds or so - striking distance, in other words - until Red Bull came on the radio at the end of the first stint to warn Vettel of a gearbox problem.
This is not the first time this has happened to him and at first you wondered how he and the team he might react.
Back in Canada in 2010, Vettel also had a gearbox problem while running in fourth place ahead of Webber, who was ordered not to attack him as the team feared what might happen if he did.
But there was to be no repeat of that, as Vettel's engineer Guillaume Rocquelin came repeatedly on to the radio to warn him of the worsening problem. Eventually he had to accept that this was a race he was not going to win, and he let Webber past.
From then on, it was a case of managing the problem, which he did magnificently.
"Despite running a gear taller in each corner and trying to reduce the amount of shifts as much as possible, his pace was still very strong," Horner said. "There must be zero oil left in that gearbox because it went off the scale - a very mature and measured drive."
Inevitably, there were conspiracy theorists who suggested Red Bull were making the whole thing up to provide a convenient excuse to provide Webber with a win he needed and which also lifted him into third in the championship ahead of Alonso by one point. These can be dismissed, however.
For Vettel to still finish second in those conditions was impressive. One doubts, though, whether his performance merits the comparison Vettel himself made with Ayrton Senna's victory here in 1991, when the great Brazilian battled a failing gearbox in the rain to hold off the faster Williams of Riccardo Patrese despite driving the last two laps with only sixth gear.
Red Bull's advantage in Brazil was bigger than it has been in recent races, which is a worrying sign for their rivals.
Jenson Button drove a brilliant season this year to take second in the championship, the first time Hamilton has been beaten by a team-mate, and put in another strong performance on Sunday.
Alonso, too, has been mighty, battling the odds in an uncompetitive car. And Hamilton himself will surely find some equilibrium over the winter and come back stronger in 2012.
All of them, though, can do nothing if Red Bull produce a car next year with the sort of advantage seen from this year's RB7.
"What makes retaining the title so special," Horner said on Sunday, "is the calibre of opponents we are up against is so high.
"We are a stronger team in all areas than in 2010. I'm convinced with continuity we can still improve. We don't know what the other teams are doing. We will keep our heads down and hopefully turn up with a competitive car in Melbourne next year."
The gauntlet has been thrown down and it is up to McLaren and Ferrari to pick it up.
This blog is about the Brazilian Grand Prix and 2011 F1 season. If you wish to read about - and comment on - the BBC's plans for 2012, please do so here
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/11/webber_wins_but_vettel_is_stil.html
First Toyota 2000GT produced goes up for sale
Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Toyota, Racing
A design and engineering icon, the Toyota 2000GT is the forefather of all Japanese supercars, the ancestor to which the Acura NSX, Nissan GT-R and Lexus LFA must pay homage. It's rare enough to find a 2000GT for sale, but the example being offered by Maine Line Exotics is particularly special.
MF10-100001 is the first Toyota 2000GT produced, and one of the three that Toyota delivered to Shelby American Racing in 1967 to be prepped for the 1968 SCCA season. Two of those cars raced under the Shelby-Toyota banner in 1968. MF10-100001 wore the #23 and was driven by Davey Jordan.
How much does Maine Line Exotics want for this important piece of automotive history? How does $1.7 million grab you? Head over to Maine Line Exotics for more information.
First Toyota 2000GT produced goes up for sale originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 28 Jan 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/28/first-toyota-2000gt-is-for-sale/
Mario Andretti Michael Andretti Keith Andrews Elio de Angelis Marco Apicella
The Bahrain dilemma
While the F1 authorities continue to say that there are no problems with the Grand Prix in Bahrain in April, there continue to be question marks about the event because of unrest in the country. Agence France Presse reported on Wednesday that Bahraini police dispersed anti-government protesters who blocked roads in several villages as tensions [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/the-bahrain-dilemma/
Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth
Costa seeking for drive after setback
Formula Renault 3.5 race winner Albert Costa's prospects of securing a drive in 2012 have suffered a setback in recent weeks owing to an off-track 'managerial' dispute. The Catalan, winner of the final race of 2011 and formerly an FIA Institute Academy young driver, expressed his frustration over the setback that has left him attempting to piece together a new deal from scratch.
Marco Apicella Mário de Araújo Cabral Frank Armi Chuck Arnold Rene Arnoux
Campaign launched to save Team Lotus
 |
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/campaign_launched_to_save_team_1.php
Elio de Angelis Marco Apicella Mário de Araújo Cabral Frank Armi Chuck Arnold
Brooklyn DA’s Office Reviewing Mathieu Lefevre Hit-and-Run
The office of Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes will conduct a review into the death of cyclist Mathieu Lefevre, according to the borough’s top prosecutor for vehicular crimes.
Craig Esswein, chief of the vehicular crimes bureau, told Streetsblog that reviewing deadly traffic crashes is standard procedure. “Any time there’s a fatality the NYPD does their investigation, [...]
Craig Esswein, chief of the vehicular crimes bureau, told Streetsblog that reviewing deadly traffic crashes is standard procedure. “Any time there’s a fatality the NYPD does their investigation, [...]
Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/01/25/brooklyn-das-office-reviewing-mathieu-lefevre-hit-and-run/
Kerry Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Carl Michael Edwards III William Clyde Elliott
zaterdag 28 januari 2012
Bristol Motor Speedway Going Green With Danica Patrick For St. Patrick’s Day Race Celebration With Special Ticket Package
“George “Norm” Wendt of Cheers Fame Lending A Hand With Festivities” Bristol Motor Speedway LogoBRISTOL, Tenn. (Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012) – Bristol Motor Speedway is “Going Green” in a big way with Go Daddy Girl Danica Patrick during a special St. Patrick’s Day celebration for the Nationwide Series event March 17. Breaking a long-standing tradition...more»
Elio de Angelis Marco Apicella Mário de Araújo Cabral Frank Armi Chuck Arnold
LeMons Good/Bad Idea of the Week: 280Z Engine in Datsun 510
Welcome to the first installment of the 24 Hours of LeMons Good/Bad Idea of the Week series, where we’ll share good racing ideas that go terribly wrong, bad racing ideas that go unaccountably right, and the general maelstrom of fabrication genius/madness that one encounters at every 24 Hours of LeMons race. We’ll start off with [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/tMEOvBnyLYs/
William Clyde Elliott Jeffrey Michael Gordon Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick
Porsche 911 Turbo will get tri-turbo system
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Following the spy shots revealed yesterday of the upcoming Porsche 911 Turbo playing in the snow is a fantastic bit of news about what it will be carrying under that luscious hood. Turns out, the 911 Turbo will be powered by a 3.8 liter, horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine, but not equipped with a twin-turbo system as one would expect. Instead, Porsche is following in BMW’s footsteps by offering a tri-turbo system.
This system is currently in the final phase of development and, according to the first details, will help raise the engine’s output from the current 495 HP to somewhere in the region of 525 HP — or the same as that of the current 911 Turbo S. It will include the usual twin turbochargers found in the current engine, but will get a smaller unit mounted close to the engine to boost low-end response. This system will also improve fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions.
Once this tri-turbo system is complete, not only will it fit in with the 911 Turbo, but will also get dropped in the next-generation 911 GT2 and GT2 RS.
Porsche 911 Turbo will get tri-turbo system originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 27 January 2012 12:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/porsche-911-turbo-will-get-tri-turbo-system-ar123760.html
Luca Badoer Giancarlo Baghetti Julian Bailey Mauro Baldi Bobby Ball
New Caterham is first 2012 F1 car to break cover
Here is the first official image of the new Caterham CT-01, issued by the team in response to ‘unofficial’ pictures appearing on the web today. The car was due to be unveiled in F1 Racing magazine, which is supposed to … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/01/25/new-caterham-is-first-2012-f1-car-to-break-cover/
Joe James Carlo Abate George Abecassis Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich
Is Raikkonen worth the risk?
Kimi Raikkonen's return to Formula 1 next season creates a field with as much depth of talent as any in the history of the sport.
Six world champions will be on the grid at the start of 2012, with a total of 14 titles between them.
There are also multiple race-winners in Mark Webber and Felipe Massa, plus what I believe are certain future winners in Paul di Resta and Nico Rosberg.
But while Raikkonen's return will add another fascinating thread to an already rich tapestry, will Lotus get the driver they think they are getting?
Kimi Raikkonen left Ferarri and Formula One in 2009 to pursue a career in the World Rally Championship. PHOTO: Getty
There is no doubt that Raikkonen at his best would be a powerful addition to almost any F1 team, but can the 32-year-old reach again the sort of heights that led to victories such as that at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2005, when the Finn claimed victory for McLaren in arguably the greatest race in Formula 1 history?
Having battled up through the field from 17th on the grid, Raikkonen won with a stunningly audacious move at the start of the final lap, overtaking Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella around the outside at 160mph going into the first corner.
Although Raikkonen would go on to win the world title in 2007, the race in Japan was in many ways the pinnacle of his career. He was certainly never as consistently great again as he had been in 2005.
By the end of the 2005 season, it was widely known Raikkonen had signed a contract to move to Ferrari in 2007 as a replacement for Michael Schumacher.
Raikkonen was expected to take over the role of team leader, with Felipe Massa a dutiful number two, but the Finn's performance fell short of what was expected.
His low-key personality was always going to make it difficult to dominate a team in the way Schumacher did - or Fernando Alonso has done at Ferrari in the last two years - but more of a surprise was Massa's ability to match him on the track.
Raikkonen did take the title in his first year at Ferrari - but it was a somewhat fluky win.
Firstly, title rivals McLaren went into meltdown after the partnership between Alonso and rising star Lewis Hamilton soured.
Secondly, Ferrari engineered the victory Raikkonen needed in the decisive final race in Brazil by swapping positions on the track with Massa, who was dominating.
Having won the title, many thought Raikkonen might step up a level in 2008, but Massa became the de facto team leader. This was not what Ferrari expected of Raikkonen, whom they paid a reputed $50m a year, the highest salary in the history of F1.
Midway through 2009, they'd had enough and decided to terminate his contract a year before it ran out. After paying Raikkonen at least a full year's retainer not to drive for them in 2010, Ferrari took on Alonso in his place, despite not knowing whether Massa would make a full recovery from an accident in Hungary that left him with a fractured skull and forced him to miss the rest of the season.
The difference between the relative performances of Alonso and Raikkonen at Ferrari could barely be more stark. Whereas Raikkonen had been evenly matched with Massa, Alonso has destroyed the Brazilian in the last two seasons.
So many questions arise from this comparison.
Was Raikkonen never as good as some thought he was and Alonso simply in a different league? Has Massa been affected by his accident in 2009 in a way neither he nor Ferrari are either aware of or will admit?
Was Raikkonen increasingly demotivated at Ferrari and therefore performing under-par? Was his legendary 'partying' affecting his driving? (There is a famous YouTube film of him falling off the roof of a boat with a drink in his hand and landing on the deck on his head)
Has Massa been unable to cope alongside the dominant personality of Alonso, but was able to give his best alongside Raikkonen, a man who paid no attention to 'working the team' and simply believed his job was to get in the car and drive?
So damaged had Raikkonen's reputation been by events at Ferrari in the last five years that any return to F1, after a humbling couple of years in world rallying, was never going to be with a top team.
There are too many other good drivers out there, without Raikkonen's baggage, for that to happen. So Raikkonen finds himself in a midfield team struggling to rebuild itself and a long way from finding the form that took Alonso to his two titles in 2005-6.
In theory, Raikkonen could be just what Lotus need. If he returns fully committed, as he says he will, with a raised tolerance of all the things he grew to detest about F1 - the media and PR work - he could be a valuable addition.
But will that motivation remain once the reality of midfield life hits him, when he realises just how much of a struggle he is in for, how far away he is from the top teams where he used to reside?
And will he really help the team progress? On that subject, there's a joke doing the rounds. It's set in the Lotus engineering office at a race some time in 2012. It goes like this: "How was the car, Kimi?" "Good." "How was the car, Vitaly [Petrov]?" "Good." "OK. Debrief over."
On the other hand, put yourself in the shoes of Lotus team owner Gerard Lopez and team boss Eric Boullier. Robert Kubica, who any team would want if he was fit, is still months away from being able to drive an F1 car again - and may never be able to do so.
Having ruled out Rubens Barrichello because there are too many questions about his age - he is now 39 - and motivation, your driver choices are Petrov, Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean. Good, solid drivers all - and Senna, particularly, has shown these last few races that he has potential.
But then you remember Suzuka 2005 and other great drives. You remember Raikkonen's championship challenges in 2003 and 2005; his clinical, error-free consistency; how he was always at his best on the great 'drivers' circuits'; the way he grabbed victory by the throat in Belgium in 2009, the only race that year where Ferrari had any chance of a win.
You remember that great drivers just make things happen and you think what Raikkonen could do in your car, how much of a difference he could make.
Then it becomes easier to see why you might take the risk.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/11/is_raikkonen_worth_the_risk.html
Carel Godin de Beaufort Christian Goethals Paul Goldsmith José Froilán González Oscar González
Spindel Takes Pro Series Finale at Suzuka
In a breathtaking 53 laps around the virtual Suzuka International circuit, Emil Spindel held-off the advances of newly-crowned champion Atze Kerkhof to take his first victory in the iRacing.com Pro Series Road Racing (iPSRR). As the lights went green on the twelfth and final race of the season, CST Ajira’s Spindel saw his pole-position advantage immediately evaporate, as Martin Krönke in the My3id Williams-Toyota FW31grabbed maximum traction off the line to lead the field into Turn One. Also making a good start was Kerkhof, who forced his Team Redline entry beneath Spindel as the pair entered the first corner. However, contact between the duo whilst heading to Turn Two sent the series champion sliding across the track and down to fifth position. With a clear track ahead, Krönke set about [...]
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/iracing-news/spindel-takes-pro-series-finale-at-suzuka/
David Lee Blaney Michael Duane Bliss Kurt Thomas Busch Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton
Latvala puts Monte crash behind him
Ford driver Jari-Matti Latvala says he has put his Monte Carlo Rally shunt behind already, with his focus now firmly fixed on next month's Rally Sweden. Latvala crashed out of the lead of last week's Monte Carlo Rally and was the big loser from the WRC opener, picking up no points because of the event organiser's decision not to run the re-entry regulations known as Rally 2. He has vowed to move on, however, and focus entirely on the next event in Sweden
David Carl Allison Gregory Jack Biffle David Lee Blaney Michael Duane Bliss Kurt Thomas Busch
Breaking: California breaks rank again, demands over 15% of cars sold be non-polluting by 2025
Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Electric
Less than a year after everyone with any sort of say in the matter seemed to agree that 54.5 miles per gallon by the year 2025 was a properly attainable goal, the California Air Resources Board has decided to change things up a bit.
In addition to CAFE requirements of a 54.5-mpg fleet average (using the government's formula, not what you see on window stickers), at least 15.4 percent of all cars sold by any major automaker doing business in California will have to be either fully electric, a plug-in hybrid or be powered by a hydrogen fuel cell by 2025. There are questions about the "over-compliance" section of the bill, which we'll be investigating further.
According to Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board, 15.4 percent is "actually a relatively modest goal, but that's all that we're mandating." Most automakers are on board, says Nichols. "Probably the most heartening aspect of this whole rulemaking was the level of cooperation that we received from the industry... Overall, the degree of support for the package was just extraordinary."
Even if automakers are on board, though, there's still a question of who will actually buy the vehicles. While everyone wants better fuel efficiency, not everyone is willing to pay for it, counters the California New Car Dealers Association, estimating that the plan would add about $3,200 to the average price of a new car or truck. Perhaps to help dissuade such fears, Nichols added that "direct incentives to people who buy these cars (like) rebates and credits" are also in the works.
At least 10 more states are likely to follow California's lead, reports Automotive News. That would put the total number of advanced green vehicles (either with a plug or powered by hydrogen) at around three million total units by 2025, 1.4 million of which would be in California.
California breaks rank again, demands over 15% of cars sold be non-polluting by 2025 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/27/california-breaks-rank-again-demands-over-15-of-cars-sold-be-n/
Peter Ashdown Ian Ashley Gerry Ashmore Bill Aston Richard Attwood
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