Last week the news that Lola Cars are no more. On 16 May 2012 it was reported that Lola Cars was entering administration. The administrator, CCW Recovery Solutions, was unable to find a suitable buyer and the firm ceased trading on 5 October 2012, with debts totaling more than £20 million.
With the company established in 1958, Lola cars have been accoated with designing and developing Formula 1 cars, Le Mans Prototype race cars, Indy Cars that won the Indianapolis 500 and Indycar championships and single fourmula classes (such as the A1GP race car above) in its 64 year history. And with the announcement of its closer last week it's a bad day for the British Motorsport industry and the Motorsport industry altogether in my opinion and it will be deeply missed in Le Mans sport car Prototypes (LMP1 and LMP2 race cars) (such as the Rebellion Racing, Lola B12/60 Toyota 3.4 litre V8 that raced at Le Mans this year, image below.)
To celebrate Lola Cars history, I am going to do a Lola's top six race cars of all time staring with....
Number 6: 1990 Lola LC90
Story: The car was designed and built by Lola for the Larrousse Formula 1 team, the car never won a grand prix with its 3.5 litre Lamborghini V12. But, their best race came at the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix were Aguri Suzuki finished third place and became the first Japanese driver ever to be on a Formula 1 podium. The team finished sixth in constructors standings with eleven points.
Number 5: 1967 Lola T130 (Honda RA300)
Story: Based on a previous Lola T90 that won the 1966 Indianapolis 500. The chassis was designed by Lola, Lola called it T130. But, really it raced as the Honda RA300 because Honda was the constructor. This collaboration resulted in the machine being quickly dubbed the "Hondola" by the motorsports press in 1967. Also, with a Honda 3 litre V12 inside the Lola T130 producing over 400 bhp. Only raced for four Grand Prixs, won on its debut race with 1964 F1 world champion John Surtees driving the car at the 1967 Italian Grand Prix. Lola only Formula 1 win (well sort of).
Number 4: 1964 Ford GT40
Story: The original Ford GT40 was designed and developed by Lola designers in 1963 with the Ford 4.2 litre V8 included. Then in 1964, Carroll Shelby took over the project put in his tuned Shelby Ford 7.0 litre V8 to make the Mark IV and the rest is history with four outright Le Mans 24 wins with the Ford GT40 (1966-69) ahead of Ferraris' and Porsches' at that period of time.
Number 3: 1978 Lola T500
Story: A 2.65 litre turbo Cosworth DFV V8 engine under the Lola T500, winning the 1978 Indianapolis 500 with Al Unser Sr. Also, winning the Pocono 500 for Al Unser Sr. and the California 500 for Al Unser Sr. Sweeping the "triple crown" of Indy car racing, making Al Unser Sr. the only driver in history to do this achievement.
Number 2: 1966 Lola T70 MkIII
Story: The Lola T70 was an evolution from the original Ford GT40. The Lola T70 MkIII won the first ever Can-Am championship with 1964 F1 world champion John Surtees at the wheel. The Lola T70 MkIII had a 5.0 litre Chevrolet V8 underneath to won 1966 Can-Am championship. Also, T70 MkIIIb won the 1969 24 hours of Daytona race for Penske Racing that year as-well.
Number 1: 1966 Lola T90
Story: The Lola T90 had a 4.2-litre 4-cam Ford V8 underneath. And In the hands of 1962 and 1968 F1 World Champion Graham Hill gives Lola its first ever Indianapolis 500 win in 1966.
And so here's the History books for Lola cars, never forgotten.
Lola cars 1956-2012
Eight months ago, Mini announced that Prodrive will no longer run its manufacturer entry in the World Rally Championship, now on be a works-supported private team. Mini agreed that time the Motorsport Italia-run WRC Team Mini Portugal will contest the remaining rounds of the WRC as the works Mini manufacturer entry team, with Armindo Araujo (later on the season replaced by Chris Atkinson) and Paulo Nobre driving, with Prodrive reduced to the position of a works-supported privateer.
With today's news, Mini has announced that it is to terminate its works involvement in the World Rally Championship at the end of the 2012 season. Which means the Motorsport Italia-run WRC Team Mini Portugal outfit will no longer be the manufacturer entry team anymore but Mini said that it remains committed to rallying and that BMW Motorsport would continue to develop the car’s 1.6 turbo engine in conjunction with Prodrive. Meanwhile, Prodrive will still development programme for both the Mini Countrymen John Cooper Works WRC and S2000 cars next year and will continue to work towards a full programme with the Mini Countrymen John Cooper Works WRC next year. So next season any Mini's does show up in any rounds will be only privateer teams.
My opinion eight months ago was that "Mini brand is a complete joke, splitting up with Prodrive for WRC program as a works team, a complete shot in the foot for Mini". When you looking a Prodrive WRC history is great, winning with Subaru with both Legacy and Impreza cars. And winning rallies with Tommi Makkinen and Juha Kankkunen. And WRC titles wins with the late Colin McRae, the late Richard Burns and Petter Solberg. A bad decision from Mini in that period of time.
I also said: "I can't see Motorsport Italia-run WRC Team Mini Portugal winning a WRC round let alone a top 6 finish in a WRC round."
Which, they have drove me wrong at Rallye Deutschland when Chris Atkinson finished fifth in the rally.
With todays news this is good news in ways they ain't surportting the WRC Team Mini Portugal team anymore. But, personally a complete and utter joke for that brand not continuing as a works team. At least Citroen, VW, Hyundai and Ford are going no where from the WRC.
But, I wish that Mini and Prodrive didn't split up as a works team early on the season and continue for the 2013 season as-well. Because I feel that the Prodrive and Mini partnership would have worked well, Dani Sordo would have been top six in WRC drivers championship standings at this stage of the season, a few more podiums this season as-well and maybe fighting for rally wins. Next season with the news from two weeks back that Sébastien Loeb having announced that he will go part-time in 2013 before a probable switch to the World Touring Car Championship from 2014. Could be a great time for Mini and Prodrive to win a few rallies and maybe a shot on the WRC drivers and manufactures titles with the right people driving the car.
At the end of the day, Mini is still in rally in some sort of way. But some of the upper management at BMW and Mini are a complete joke with this rally project. Anyway, end of post for now. New post soon. Bye.
Essentially a Formula Ford race car with brake lights, front lights, mud guards, semi-slick tyres, number plates and a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder Ecoboost engine which basically a street-legal Formula Ford race car. So around the Nurburgring Nordschleife how fast than? 7 minutes, 22 seconds that is faster than a Lamborghini Aventador round the Nurburgring Nordschleife!
That's right it clocked a time around the Nordschleife at 7 minutes 22 seconds with an Ecoboost engine and that's faster than a Lamborghini Aventador, Ferrari Enzo and original Pagani Zonda.
The Formula Ford lap was completed by Nick Tandy. The car weighs only 500 kg (only 25 kg heavier than a DeltaWing!), Usually in the Formula Ford race car has a 1.6 litre four-cylinder turbo Ecoboost engine producing 158 bhp. But, this car has a 1 litre three-cylinder turbo with the engine's ECU been modified from 123 bhp to 202 bhp, which means a top speed of 158 mph and 0-62 mph in 4 seconds. Even Ford is claiming that the EcoBoost-1 litre engine in the Formula Ford does 118 mpg at 35 mph and 57 mpg at 75mph. Personal opinion an incredible achievement what they done making it street-legal and then making it faster than a Lamborgini Aventador. And secondly stick that engine into a old skool Mini Copper, that what I like to see. Also, thirdly and last stick it on the Top Gear track too.
There is some YouTube videos below of Ford deeloping and testing at the street-legal Formula Ford car at the Nordschleife.
End of post for now. New post soon. Bye.
Meanwhile at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend, round 30 of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500.
Final lap drama when Matt Kenseth won the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 for Roush Fenway Racing in his Ford Fusion and won his second race win of the season. While, Jeff Gordon finished second and Kyle Busch finished third. Behind that at least 25 cars bagged the Big One (a NASCAR phrase describing any accident involving roughly eight or more cars in NASCAR stock car racing) which includes and started from bore Tony Stewart and Michael Waltrip, when Tony Stewart ending up flying in turn four as cars were oncoming as this YouTube video shows. Thankfully, no one was injured and that's NASCAR for yah.
And yes the title above is a reference to that film called Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby starring Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen and the late Michael Clarke Duncan.
Anyway. End of blog/post for now, new post soon. That is all. Bye.
Review of the V8 Supercars round of the 2012 Bathurst 1000 at the famous Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales. The team of Paul Dumbrell and Jamie Whincup won the 166 lap race overall in their Team Vodafone, Holden Commodore VE2. Second place was Dean Canto and David Reynolds in their Bottle-O Racing Team, Ford Falcon FG, just 0.3 seconds behind the leaders at the end. Meanwhile, the other Team Vodafone of Craig Lowndes and Warren Luff finished third place in their Holden Commodore VE2.
Highlights of last years race below, enjoy.
End of blog/post for now, new post soon. That is all. Bye.
2012 Japanese Grand Prix review of round fifteen of the F1 season at Suzuka, and thoughts on the race, and predictions for this weekends Korean Grand Prix.
Good points
- Sebastian Vettel (a grand slam, pole to finished with a race win and fastest lap too)
- Felipe Massa (finished 2nd, despite starting from 10th)
- Kamui Kobayashi (finished 3rd, third Japanese F1 driver ever to be on a F1 podium after Aguri Suzuki at Suzuka 1990 and Takuma Sato at Indianapolis 2004)
- Jenson Button (finished 4th, despite a gear-box change started from 8th)
- Nico Hülkenberg (finished 7th,despite a gear-box change started from 15th)
- Pastor Maldonado (finished 8th, first point finished since Barcelona)
- Daniel Ricciardo (finished 10th, just ahead of Michael Schumacher)
Bad points
- Fernando Alonso (DNF, first lap tagged with Kimi Raikkonen and also puncture)
- Romain Grosjean (finished 19th, first lap collision with Mark Webber which includes a 10 second stop and go penalty in the middle of the race)
- Mark Webber (finihed 9th, first lap collision with Romain Grosjean without that coullision would have put Mark Webber on the podium)
- Mercedes AMG (Nico Rosberg DNF, collision with Bruno Senna on the first lap; Michael Schumacher finished 11th, just a second behind Daniel Ricciardo despite having a ten place grid-penalty)
- Sergio Perez (DNF, spun out of hairpin corner on lap 20)
- Bruno Senna (finisehd 14th, collision with Nico Rosberg at the start and also, drive-through penalty as-well)
- Narain Karthikeyan (DNF, Vibrations)
- Charles Pic (DNF, Engine)
A dominating race weekend from the current world champion Sebastian Vettel in his Red Bull, pole on Saturday to finished with a race win on Sunday and fastest lap too his third win of the season. And with Fernando Alonso having a first lap tagged with Kimi Raikkonen, which concluded with left rear puncture, which gives Alonso his second DNF of the season. Which, gives Vettel now only 4 points behind Alonso in the driver standings, Kimi Räikkönen now only 37 points behind Alonso and Lewis Hamilton only 42 points behind Alonso in the drivers championship with five races to go.
Also, quick mentions to both Felipe Massa and Kamui Kobayashi. Felipe Massa despite starting from 10th place, finished in a brilliant 2nd place, possibly one of his best races since Brazil 2008 and possibly that result might saved Felipe Massa another season at Ferrari.
Meanwhile, Kamui Kobayashi finished 3rd, on his home Grand Prix to become the third Japanese F1 driver ever to be on a F1 podium (after Aguri Suzuki at Suzuka 1990 for Lola-Lamborghini; Takuma Sato at Indianapolis 2004 for BAR Honda). There is also rumours that Kamui Kobayashi may not have a drive at Sauber next season with rumours of Nico Hülkenberg and Esteban Gutiérrez will be driving for Sauber. Personally, if I was the Sauber team I would keep Kamui Kobayashi for another season, his proof it on his home Grand Prix yesterday.
While in the constructor's championship, Red Bull still leading the standings with Vettel's race win, while McLaren are still second in the constructors standings, from 36 points now 41 points behind Red Bull. Ferrari are now 61 points behind Red Bull in the standings in third place with five races to go.
And so this weekend is the Korean Grand Prix at Korea International Circuit in Yeongam, South Jeolla. Predictions for the race: Sebastian Vettel for the win in the Red Bull, ahead of team-mate Mark Webber in the other Red Bull. while Fernando Alonso will finished in third in the Ferrari. Don't forget the two McLaren drivers, Felipe Massa, the two Lotus drivers,the two Mercedes AMG or the two Sauber drivers as-well for a podium place too.
End of blog/post for how, new post soon. Bye.
Recap of last round of WRC from this weekends round 11 of Rallye de France–Alsace.
This weekends was round 11 of the World Rally Championship at the Rallye de France–Alsace (5th-7th October) was won by home favourite Sébastien Loeb in his works Citroen DS3 to win the rally and to clinched his ninth - and most likely last - World Rally Championship title in a row. With the news last week that Sébastien Loeb having announced that he will go part-time in 2013 before a probable switch to the World Touring Car Championship from 2014, this season turned out to be his rivals last chance to try and beat him to a championship in a full season, and no one could. So, contractions to Sébastien Loab winning his ninth WRC drivers title in a row. But, I do hop Loab does change his mind for one season and go for a tenth WRC title in a row and that will be a great ending in his WRC career.
Meanwhile, Ford rally driver Jari-Matti Latvala finished second in his Ford Feista RS, 15 seconds behind Loab. While, Mikko Hirvonen in his works Citroen DS3 finished third, 44 second behind Loeb at the end. Which also, gives Citroen their eighth WRC manufacturers' championship in ten seasons. So, contractions to Citroen for winning their eighth manufactures' title.
Highlights of Rallye de France–Alsace below, enjoy.
Contracts to the champions for another season. End of post for now. New post soon. Bye.
