Need For Speed Shift 2: Unleashed and Rally America

Sorry I haven't written one for a while, Internet troubles and work comments. But here's a new post, I found the audio track from the Dakar Post video called Extraball by Yuksek ft Amanda Blank. So thanks anyway.

Also, changing the game for this post, there is a new Need for Speed game coming coming out called 'Shift 2:Unleashed', game footage below shows contain series from FIA GT1 World Championship, FIA GT3 European championship, Time Attack and Formula Drift and new cars such as Pagani Huayra and tracks including new circuits such as Suzuka and Dubai. I loved the first Shift game, hopes the second game is great with added night races as well. Hopes the game will great as Gran Turismo 5.



Also, found another video from the latest round of Rally America at the 100 Acre Wood Rally. Where current champion Antoine L'Estage in his 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer, won the event (usually Ken Block wins this Rally) contracts to L'Estage. And a return from four time Rally America Champion Travis Pastrana in a 2007 Subaru Imperza, where he crashed on the first stage, shame.



End of blog for now, see ya soon, Bye.

Hiedfied to Reanult, Dubai 24 hours

Hi again everyone, another short post today.

Starting with Renault, they got there replacement with Robert Kubica with the most of this season replacement will be Nick Hiedfied this season. Overall, what I saw with his timing against Bruno Senna at Jerez last week was impressive compared to Bruno Senna. Its more of a logic choice. His experience counts a lot compare to Bruno who only has 18 Grand Prixs' experience. Overall good choice for Renault. Despite I didn't pick him as my choice (a pervious post I pick Nico Hulkenberg). Anyway they need a good driver who can give them podiums or even possibly wins. Good luck for Renault this season.

This week YouTube video. The Dubai 24 hours from The Smoking Tire crew (who have done Car Reviews for such as: Audi R8 V10 and Jaguar XKR 175 from California, USA ). They filmed last months Dubai 24 Hours race at the Dubai Autodrome, were is held. When the Need for Speed by Schubert Motorsport won with their BMW GT3 car, one of the drivers who was driving is BMW WTCC driver Augusto Farfus Jr (I wonder were he be driving this season) other drivers was in the same car with him are Sweden's Edward Sandsrtom, USA Tommy Milner and Germany's Claudia Hurtgen. Anyway here's the video below, enjoy.



End of blog for now. Bye.

WRC, Rally America and Ken Block

Hi everyone not a big blog this week, but some interesting Rally News and Videos.

Due to WRC is now on ESPN in the UK (you have to pay over £10 a month, which I ain't got the money for it), I ain't reviewing the WRC this year. But, Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team Driver MIkko Hirvonen won with his Ford FIesta at first round in this year's Rally Sweden last Sunday. For the meantime. Here's a Video of Ken Block's new Fiesta below enjoy.



Here's also, the first video of the first round Rally America championship recap at the Snow*Drift Rally recap last week, Shame there is no Travis Pastrana (his doing Nationwide Nascar Series) or Ken Block (he will be back for The X Games later in the year) this season.



End of blog for now, That is all, Bye.

Name that track, Dakar Rally

Just a question to ask, this video below, name this music track (first two minutes in) is called for a video from the Dakar Rally this year? Just asking for a project I might used it for a Uni project. Saw this on a fast lane daily episode last week. Anyway see ya soon, bye.

Dakar w klapkach from VTG on Vimeo.

Robert Kubica a big crash, Get well soon

It's gonna be a long blog today, as I said in a pervious blog. Also this could be last long blog for a while. But I am going to discussed what happen to Robert Kubica.

Yesterday Robert Kubica was heavily injured in a crash on the first stage of the Ronde di Andora rally near Genoa in Italy. He was driving a Super 2000 spec Skoda Fabia, his car left the road at high speed, and hitting a church wall and a crash barrier, were the crash barrier penetrating the car's cockpit, and hitting Kubica, while leaving his co-driver unhurt. Kubica was flown by helicopter to Santa Corona Hospital in Pietra Ligure near Savona, where it was confirmed that his injuries include fractures of his right arm, hand and leg. The badness of his injuries were the result of Kubica underwent a seven hours operation last night. While doctors have dismissed concerns that his right hand might be amputated which it hasn't happen and survive. Overall, a possibility that Robert Kubica could miss the whole of this season Formula 1 season or even will be ever race again in a Formula 1 car.

With a leg it usually take a round three months to recover. With an arm and hand injuries different story. Impossible to predict, heard some people say today could take six months, heard some people say over a year. So in my opinion I couldn't predict it, and I wouldn't.

But as for Lotus Renault team why he's rallying between key F1 tests in the first place. And will any other F1 will let Drivers to do rally or Race of Champions. They will possibly say no in future. For the short/mid term for Renault this will effect them this coming season, who will replace Robert.

As for drivers replacements for Kubica until he recovered. First is to look at the Renault test team, If I was team boss Eric Boullier I wouldn't chose either Ho-Pin Tung or Jan Charouz, not good enough for Formula 1 at all. Or either Fairuz Fauzy his good enough as a test driver, but not good enough as a full time driver. Romain Grosjean or Bruno Senna is your best bet, if so the edge on Senna give him a second change from last season with HRT, but both drivers should get another change if I'm being honest.

Outside of Renault, I look at Timo Glock at Virgin. Or raid at Force India for either Adrian Sutil or Nico Hulkenberg. Any of them three could possibly win for Renault. But I doubt it with Glock. Free agents maybe Nick Hiedfied, can give you limited amount of podiums a season. A J-H wild card: Kimi Raikkonen, has won a Drivers Championship, won races, can win races for Renault in the right mind. My pick if its a Renault: Senna, a little raid: Hulkenberg, a wild card: Raikkonen, my overall pick could be Hulkenberg, a driver that sould be in Formula 1 at this moment of time.

Below is a video what may have been if Kubica wasn't in that accident this season for Renault. But overall, it has been a sad 48 hours for Robert Kubica, sad 48 hours for Formula 1 and the fans in general. But overall I hope Robert Kubica gets a full recovery from this horrible nightmare. Bye for now.

Kubica, rear wings and funny photoshop pics

Later Today I will write a longer blog about what happen with the rally accident with Robert Kubica.

But, for now hope for a speedy recovery for Robert Kubica. For now I will show a Youtube video of moving rear wings that will help overtaking, by the Sauber team (by the way thank goodness there are not called BMW Sauber this season when they not own by BMW) for a shakedown to show what the moveable rear wing will look like below.



Also I found a funny Photoshop pic of the New pic of the Mercedes GP car (front nose of the car looks like a platypus) witch the photoshop image made me laugh with the image below.



See ya soon folks.

Fantasy team thirteen (for Formula 1 of course)

I writing this on a plane going on holiday, reading an article in Autosport magazine about American Indy Car/Nascar/Grand-Am team Chip Ganassi Racing (the team won championships for Jimmy Vasser, Alex Zanardi, Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti in Champ cars/Indy cars). Last season Chip Ganassi Racing won the big three races in America, Daytona 500, Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400. And my theory will be what if? ... If Chip Ganassi Racing was the thirteen team in Formula one?

So this is a fantasy, so there will not be another USF1 team. If I'm acting god Chip Ganassi Racing wouldn't be in Formula one until 2013 when possibility of the engines reducing from the 2.4 litre V8s to 1.6 litre, 4 cylinder turbos. My thoughts will be:

• Time to build a team?

• Budget?

• Are they going to build their own chassis or are manufacture going to build the chassis?

• Drivetrain (engine)?

• Sponsors?

• Drivers?

• End of first season?

First of all you need time, to build the right team. Such as chassis, drivetrain, people, base (North Carolina more than likely, also you need a base in Europe) contracts and so forth. You need time to build a Formula 1, need more time to preperate such as a new team like Lotus Racing last season (six months to get ready). So a new team to get ready for a first season you need more than 18 months. So the FIA needs to confirm this team in Sept 2011 to get ready for the 2013 season.

Second is budget, a team like Virgin Racing had the budget in the range of £40million. While a established team such as Williams has a budget around £65million. So for a team like Chip Ganassi Racing a budget of £55-60million will be good for a first season to compete with.

Next is chassis, in the states a team like Chip Ganassi Racing uses Dallara in Indy and for Grand-Am they use a Riley chassis for that series. For Formula one they could goto Dallara chassis or Lola or even ask Former Toyota F1 team to build he chassis. But I doubt that Ganassi will build their own chassis. So more than likely someone else to build their chassis.

Engine deal could a mind-field in this part. With the 1.6 litre four cylinders turbo coming in, it could be any guess. Return of BMW, Honda, Porsche or Toyota (if they ever come back), looking at Mercedes, Renault or Cosworth. Or how about Ferrari, this might shout Ferrari having a customer engine deal with Chip Ganassi Racing with selling Ferrari brand in America giving more profit. So more than likely a Ferrari 1.6 litre turbo in the back of the car.

Sponsors, I wouldn't be surprise that Chip Ganassi Racing will bring in his usual sponsors coming into Formula one which are usually sponsoring his teams in Indy/Nascar/Grand-Am such as Target, Engerizer and Telmex, wouldn't be a surprise there.

Drivers, I doubt it you will see the likes of Dario Franchitti or a driver who got Grand Prix experience such as Juan Pablo Montoya they will possibly too old being in a Formula one car. But I wouldn't doubt that a driver like Graham Rahal or a Charlie Kimbell coming into F1. Or even with sponsorship with Telmex bringing in Sergio Perez. Driver line up more than likely with Graham Rahal and Sergio Perez.

So with a budget of £60million, Dallara chassis, Ferrari engines, big sponsors, Rahal and Perez as drivers. So the end of debut season my fantasy perdition: possibly a few points for Rahal and Perez. And a top 10 in the constructors championship for Chip Ganassi Racing. Now focusing onto their second season into Formula one, focusing getting top 10 finishing more considency.

Maybe we do more fantasy racing into these blogs once and a while. Bye for now.