As the title says a 24 Hours of Daytona Review of the race. Chip Ganassi/Felix Sabates team won the Daytona 24 hours race overall and Grand-Am Prototype class in their Riley Riley BMW 5.0L V8 with drivers of Charlie Kimball, Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas. Winning a tight battle ahead of the VelocityWW team with Max Angelelli, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Jordan Taylor in their Dallara developed Corvette DP Chevrolet 5.0L V8 who finished second place in the race. Meanwhile last years winners Michael Shank Racing team finished in third place with A. J. Allmendinger, Oswaldo Negri, John Pew, Justin Wilson and Marcos Ambrose in the Riley Ford 5.0L V8 to complete a tight podium. Highlights of the Rolex 24 at Daytona below.
Also. There is a very good YouTube video below of IndyCar Series driver James Hinchcliffe doing a great Kimi Raikkonen impression.
End of post/blog for now, new post soon. Bye.
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Kimi's knows nothing
Lotus F1 Team will launch their new grand prix contender tomorrow (28/1/13) called E21. To give a taste what the 2013 F1 car from Lotus will be like. Former Friends star Matt LeBlanc asks Kimi Raikkonen the difficult questions below.
End of blog for now. New post soon. Bye.
End of blog for now. New post soon. Bye.
Friday, 25 January 2013
Robert Kubica back in a racing car
Yesterday, was the first time that Robert Kubica had driven a high-specification racing car since the horrific rallying accident in February 2011 that left him with multiple fractures and a partially severed right arm. Robert Kubica driven a 2012 spec DTM Mercedes AMG C-coupe around the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia. Kubica completed 114 laps of the Spanish track, in wet conditions before the track dried up.
Recent rumours that Kubica is working towards a European Rally Championship programme this season in selective rounds in a Ford Fiesta RRC, having already won national-level rallies in Italy from last season. Personally if we don't see Kubica back in Formula 1 for the next few years and his doing a few rounds in the ERC and possibly a full time drive in DTM each year, that will not be a bad option for the former F1 race winner. And remember these two things, Robert Kubica is still only 28 still a lot of time to have a career still in Formula 1 if it still happens. And finally remember Paul di Resta did won the DTM championship back in 2010 and went into Formula 1 the next season. That is not bad option for Robert Kubica, if that does happen.
Meanwhile, former Murussia and Toyota F1 driver Timo Glock will be a DTM racer this season with BMW which has been confirmed this morning. After Monday's announcement that Timo Glock was dropped from Marussia team for 2013 for finical reasons, which got him the drive from BMW to drive their race winning BMW M3 DTM race car for this season. So good luck to Timo Glock in his new career.
Things are looking much better from these former F1 stars.
End of blog for now. New post soon. Bye.
Recent rumours that Kubica is working towards a European Rally Championship programme this season in selective rounds in a Ford Fiesta RRC, having already won national-level rallies in Italy from last season. Personally if we don't see Kubica back in Formula 1 for the next few years and his doing a few rounds in the ERC and possibly a full time drive in DTM each year, that will not be a bad option for the former F1 race winner. And remember these two things, Robert Kubica is still only 28 still a lot of time to have a career still in Formula 1 if it still happens. And finally remember Paul di Resta did won the DTM championship back in 2010 and went into Formula 1 the next season. That is not bad option for Robert Kubica, if that does happen.
Meanwhile, former Murussia and Toyota F1 driver Timo Glock will be a DTM racer this season with BMW which has been confirmed this morning. After Monday's announcement that Timo Glock was dropped from Marussia team for 2013 for finical reasons, which got him the drive from BMW to drive their race winning BMW M3 DTM race car for this season. So good luck to Timo Glock in his new career.
Things are looking much better from these former F1 stars.
End of blog for now. New post soon. Bye.
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Confirmed: Timo Glock out of Marussia
The Marussia F1 Team and Timo Glock have agreed to part company with immediate effect, by mutual consent. The former GP2 champion has been with the team since the started in late 2009 and has played an important role in the development of the team.
The reason he has left the team is due to that the team needs another pay-driver in the team to survive, rather than Timo Glock who is a paid driver, he has been asked to stand down to make way for a pay-driver.
There are already rumours that Glock will be now driving this season in the DTM championship with either BMW or Mercedes.
Personally I think this is bad news for Marussia. I really rate Timo Glock talents and so does many people around the world. Dropping him for a pay-driver is a shot in the foot for Murussia at this time of the season.
Early rumours for his replacement could be Red Bull's reverse and former Toro Rosso driver Sébastien Buemi, Former Renault and Caterham driver Vitaly Petrov or 2012 GP2 runner up Luiz Razia. Personally if I was Marussia I would go with either Sébastien Buemi (if he brings in Red Bull money of course) or Vitaly Petrov, my perfer option would be Buemi,the reason why? Because of his experience of driving a Formula 1 car and developing one too, compared to Max Chilton who is the second driver at Marussia this season, who is also a rookie as-well this season, that means he doesn't come with a lot of experience. Two rookies drivers at one team will not help a team like Marussia this season in my opinion to fight for tenth place in the F1 constructors championship. Drivers like Sébastien Buemi or Vitaly Petrov would be a better option than an unknown rookie like Luiz Razia or a Giedo van der Garde in my opinion.
So we lose the likes and talents of Timo Glock, Kamui Kobayashi and possibly Heikki Kovalainen from Formula 1 in 2013 and we replace them with pay-drivers. They better hope their talents are bigger than there wallets can hold. Sad day for Formula 1.
End of blog for now. New post soon. Bye.
The reason he has left the team is due to that the team needs another pay-driver in the team to survive, rather than Timo Glock who is a paid driver, he has been asked to stand down to make way for a pay-driver.
There are already rumours that Glock will be now driving this season in the DTM championship with either BMW or Mercedes.
Personally I think this is bad news for Marussia. I really rate Timo Glock talents and so does many people around the world. Dropping him for a pay-driver is a shot in the foot for Murussia at this time of the season.
Early rumours for his replacement could be Red Bull's reverse and former Toro Rosso driver Sébastien Buemi, Former Renault and Caterham driver Vitaly Petrov or 2012 GP2 runner up Luiz Razia. Personally if I was Marussia I would go with either Sébastien Buemi (if he brings in Red Bull money of course) or Vitaly Petrov, my perfer option would be Buemi,the reason why? Because of his experience of driving a Formula 1 car and developing one too, compared to Max Chilton who is the second driver at Marussia this season, who is also a rookie as-well this season, that means he doesn't come with a lot of experience. Two rookies drivers at one team will not help a team like Marussia this season in my opinion to fight for tenth place in the F1 constructors championship. Drivers like Sébastien Buemi or Vitaly Petrov would be a better option than an unknown rookie like Luiz Razia or a Giedo van der Garde in my opinion.
So we lose the likes and talents of Timo Glock, Kamui Kobayashi and possibly Heikki Kovalainen from Formula 1 in 2013 and we replace them with pay-drivers. They better hope their talents are bigger than there wallets can hold. Sad day for Formula 1.
End of blog for now. New post soon. Bye.
Monday, 21 January 2013
WRC Round 1 recap
This season I will focus on the rally side that is the WRC this season, which will includes the WRC top guys, WRC-2 and WRC-3.
Recap of the last round of WRC from this weekends round 1 of Rallye Monte Carlo in Monte Carlo of course.
This weekends was first round of the World Rally Championship at the Rallye Monte Carlo (16th-19th January) was won by home favourite Sébastien Loeb in the works Citroën DS3 WRC to win the rally overall. While, Sébastien Ogier finished in second place in the all new Volkswagen Polo R WRC, Volkswagen's first WRC event since as a works team since 1987. Ogier was over 90 seconds behind Loeb at the end. Meanwhile, Citroën returnee Dani Sordo, finished in third place the Citroën's B-team in the Citroën DS3 WRC. Sordo was nearly four minutes behind Loeb at the end of the rally.
Meanwhile in WRC-2 class (Group R5, R4, Super 2000 and Group N4 spec cars), that was won by Sepp Wiegand in his Škoda Auto Deutschland backed Škoda Fabia S2000. Sepp Wiegand finished in eight place overall, he was only 29 and half minutes behind Loeb at the end of the rally. While in WRC-3 class (Group R1, R2 and R3 cars) that was won by Sébastien Chardonnet in his Citroën backed Citroën DS3 R3T. Sébastien Chardonnet finished in thirteenth place overall, he was only 45 and half minutes behind Loeb at the end of the rally.
Highlights of the rally bellow, enjoy.
End of blog for now. New post soon. Bye.
Recap of the last round of WRC from this weekends round 1 of Rallye Monte Carlo in Monte Carlo of course.
This weekends was first round of the World Rally Championship at the Rallye Monte Carlo (16th-19th January) was won by home favourite Sébastien Loeb in the works Citroën DS3 WRC to win the rally overall. While, Sébastien Ogier finished in second place in the all new Volkswagen Polo R WRC, Volkswagen's first WRC event since as a works team since 1987. Ogier was over 90 seconds behind Loeb at the end. Meanwhile, Citroën returnee Dani Sordo, finished in third place the Citroën's B-team in the Citroën DS3 WRC. Sordo was nearly four minutes behind Loeb at the end of the rally.
Meanwhile in WRC-2 class (Group R5, R4, Super 2000 and Group N4 spec cars), that was won by Sepp Wiegand in his Škoda Auto Deutschland backed Škoda Fabia S2000. Sepp Wiegand finished in eight place overall, he was only 29 and half minutes behind Loeb at the end of the rally. While in WRC-3 class (Group R1, R2 and R3 cars) that was won by Sébastien Chardonnet in his Citroën backed Citroën DS3 R3T. Sébastien Chardonnet finished in thirteenth place overall, he was only 45 and half minutes behind Loeb at the end of the rally.
Highlights of the rally bellow, enjoy.
End of blog for now. New post soon. Bye.
Saturday, 19 January 2013
Hooning about on the snow with Ken Block
Once again it's winter and once again it's snowing. Found two videos on YouTube with WRC driver and Mr Gymkhana himself Ken Block on pure snow.
The first video was from last year, were Ken Block was hooning around at a Russian ski resort in a 2010 Ford Focus WRC car at the Pirelli Winter Attraction event. Over the six days he took over 150 journalist ride-alongs on a short rally course running through the resort.
And the second video, Ken Block was at New Zealand's Snow Park NZ resort back in September 2007. With some of Ken Block's snowboarding friends combine a 2006 Subaru Impreza WRC car with snowboarding to make this bizarre video below.
End of blog for now. New post soon. Bye.
The first video was from last year, were Ken Block was hooning around at a Russian ski resort in a 2010 Ford Focus WRC car at the Pirelli Winter Attraction event. Over the six days he took over 150 journalist ride-alongs on a short rally course running through the resort.
And the second video, Ken Block was at New Zealand's Snow Park NZ resort back in September 2007. With some of Ken Block's snowboarding friends combine a 2006 Subaru Impreza WRC car with snowboarding to make this bizarre video below.
End of blog for now. New post soon. Bye.
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
2013 Dubai 24 Hours race review
Last weekend was the eight annual Dubai 24 hour race at the Dubai Autodrome in Dubai. Team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon won their second consecutive victory at the Dubai 24. The team of Khaled al Qubaisi, Sean Edwards, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Bernard Schneider won in their Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 car, two laps ahead of second place to give the team the race win after 24 hours of racing in Dubai.
End of blog for now. New post soon. Bye.
End of blog for now. New post soon. Bye.
Monday, 14 January 2013
M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5
Recently M-Sport announced, just like Peugeot they will build a new rally car for Group R rules for the new WRC 2 class for 2013. They will be building a new rally car for Group R called Ford Fiesta R5.
Based on the 1.6 turbo Ford Fiesta ST road car that will come out later in the year. The 2013 Ford Fiesta R5 Rally Car was launch late last year. The Fiesta R5 has a 1.6 litre 4-cylinders turbo engine that produces around 260 bhp and top speed around the 155 mph mark.
Recently at last weeks Autosport International Show. Matthew Wilson is revealed he is driving the new Ford Fiesta R5 in the new WRC2 category. Wilson is planning to begin his campaign in the second half of the 2013 WRC season and will drive M-Sport's new Ford Fiesta R5 rally car, providing he can get together sponsorship to fund it. So good luck to M-Sport to develop the new Ford Fiesta R5 this season.
End of blog for now, new post soon, bye.
Based on the 1.6 turbo Ford Fiesta ST road car that will come out later in the year. The 2013 Ford Fiesta R5 Rally Car was launch late last year. The Fiesta R5 has a 1.6 litre 4-cylinders turbo engine that produces around 260 bhp and top speed around the 155 mph mark.
Recently at last weeks Autosport International Show. Matthew Wilson is revealed he is driving the new Ford Fiesta R5 in the new WRC2 category. Wilson is planning to begin his campaign in the second half of the 2013 WRC season and will drive M-Sport's new Ford Fiesta R5 rally car, providing he can get together sponsorship to fund it. So good luck to M-Sport to develop the new Ford Fiesta R5 this season.
End of blog for now, new post soon, bye.
Thursday, 10 January 2013
Top six Ford rally cars
This will be the first time in many years that Ford will not enter WRC as a Manufacture this season, despite M-Sport will contest a full season with the 2013 Ford Fiesta RS WRC with a little bit of help from Qatar sponsorship. So this post will be top six Ford rally cars starting with Number 6:
Number 6: Ford RS200
Story: Produced for Group B rules, the Ford RS200 produces 250 bhp in street form. But, in Group B rally form the Ford RS200 produces 420 bhp with a mid-engine Ford 1.8 litre in-line 4-cylinder turbo. Only, one podium for the Ford RS200 in 1986, after that podium finish Group B was cancelled at the end of 1986.
Number 5: Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
Story: First of the Ford Group A cars, rear wheel drive, only one WRC win in 1988 for the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth.
Number 4: Ford Fiesta RS WRC
Story: The current Ford WRC car, six WRC wins so far, more wins to come from the Fiesta RS WRC this season.
Number 3: Ford Escort RS Cosworth
Story: Ten WRC wins altogether, eight in Group A form and two in World Rally Car spec. Properly the most iconic of the Ford cars in this list.
Number 2: Ford Focus RS WRC
Story: Replaced the old Escort WRC back in 1999. Took 44 WRC wins in twelve seasons altogether in the WRC in the hands of Colin McRae, Carlos Sainz, Markko Märtin, Marcus Grönholm, Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala. Close to few WRC Drivers titles but not close enough. But, the Ford Focus RS WRC did took Ford to two WRC Manufacture titles in hands of Marcus Grönholm and Mikko Hirvonen in 2006 and 2007.
Number 1: Ford Escort RS1800
Story: The original Ford Escort is possibly the best rally car Ford has ever created. Rear wheel drive, the RS1800 took 20 WRC wins between the mid 1970s through to the early 1980s. One manufacture title in 1979 for Ford and two WRC driver titles in 1979 for Björn Waldegård, and in 1981 for Ari Vatanen.
End of blog for now, new post soon, bye.
Number 6: Ford RS200
Story: Produced for Group B rules, the Ford RS200 produces 250 bhp in street form. But, in Group B rally form the Ford RS200 produces 420 bhp with a mid-engine Ford 1.8 litre in-line 4-cylinder turbo. Only, one podium for the Ford RS200 in 1986, after that podium finish Group B was cancelled at the end of 1986.
Number 5: Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
Story: First of the Ford Group A cars, rear wheel drive, only one WRC win in 1988 for the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth.
Number 4: Ford Fiesta RS WRC
Story: The current Ford WRC car, six WRC wins so far, more wins to come from the Fiesta RS WRC this season.
Number 3: Ford Escort RS Cosworth
Story: Ten WRC wins altogether, eight in Group A form and two in World Rally Car spec. Properly the most iconic of the Ford cars in this list.
Number 2: Ford Focus RS WRC
Story: Replaced the old Escort WRC back in 1999. Took 44 WRC wins in twelve seasons altogether in the WRC in the hands of Colin McRae, Carlos Sainz, Markko Märtin, Marcus Grönholm, Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala. Close to few WRC Drivers titles but not close enough. But, the Ford Focus RS WRC did took Ford to two WRC Manufacture titles in hands of Marcus Grönholm and Mikko Hirvonen in 2006 and 2007.
Number 1: Ford Escort RS1800
Story: The original Ford Escort is possibly the best rally car Ford has ever created. Rear wheel drive, the RS1800 took 20 WRC wins between the mid 1970s through to the early 1980s. One manufacture title in 1979 for Ford and two WRC driver titles in 1979 for Björn Waldegård, and in 1981 for Ari Vatanen.
End of blog for now, new post soon, bye.
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Half the Audi it used to be.
Last year, Sauber F1 Team showed on Youtube, a video of one of their old Formula 1 cars cut in half from one end to the other.
This year its Audi turn with an 2011 Audi R18 cut in half. The image shows the R18 in half just as the Sauber F1 car before. What I didn't know how tight an LMP1 car really is. Also, how tight and compact is Audi's gearbox and Audis 3.7 litre V6 turbo is really is when its cuts in half.
Give massive credit for Audi to cut one of thier winning LMP1 R18s in half.
End of blog for now, new post soon, bye.
This year its Audi turn with an 2011 Audi R18 cut in half. The image shows the R18 in half just as the Sauber F1 car before. What I didn't know how tight an LMP1 car really is. Also, how tight and compact is Audi's gearbox and Audis 3.7 litre V6 turbo is really is when its cuts in half.
Give massive credit for Audi to cut one of thier winning LMP1 R18s in half.
End of blog for now, new post soon, bye.
Thursday, 3 January 2013
Brabham BT52 - thirty years on
Its been 30 years this year that the famous Brabham team won their last F1 Drivers title with Nelson Piquet driving the Brabham BMW BT52 and winning his second F1 drivers championship.
The Brabham BT52 was powered by the BMW four cylinder 1.5 litre turbocharged engine which in 1983 produced about 850 bhp in qualifying, detuned to around 600 bhp for race spec.
So here is the Brabham BMW BT52, in its winning days. Highlights below of the Formula 1 1983 season below.
End of blog for now, new post soon, bye.
The Brabham BT52 was powered by the BMW four cylinder 1.5 litre turbocharged engine which in 1983 produced about 850 bhp in qualifying, detuned to around 600 bhp for race spec.
So here is the Brabham BMW BT52, in its winning days. Highlights below of the Formula 1 1983 season below.
End of blog for now, new post soon, bye.
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
A new design layout and some personal news I've got to discuss
Happy new year to all, first post of 2013. First things first that a quick mention that I have change the design set-out to the Blogger page, due to I fell it needs a change for the first time in two years. However, I still made the layout simple as possible to the audience (you guys) so to make it less confusing. Basically the background has change to dark grey to give it a carbon fibre feel to it, the main text is in white text to make the viewing simple.
And secondly the posts I'm going to writing from the last 18 months, may now not be all the time throughout the first half on 2013 because I'm back at uni now for the next six months focusing on a masters degree, so it won't be all the time, but wait and see things may not change alot. But, I will guaranteed I am still focus on this blog.
End post for now, new post soon. Bye.
And secondly the posts I'm going to writing from the last 18 months, may now not be all the time throughout the first half on 2013 because I'm back at uni now for the next six months focusing on a masters degree, so it won't be all the time, but wait and see things may not change alot. But, I will guaranteed I am still focus on this blog.
End post for now, new post soon. Bye.
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