No Peeking!

Funny bit of theater at Barcellona with Mclaren personnel trying to get a better look at what's going with Ferrari's diffuser and the Scuderia making their objections clear.

But before you jump on Ferrari for being sensitive about their rear end, understand this is not either anything new or uncommon between them and Mclaren, just check out the second video, from a few year back, after the jump.
(Thanks Alex for the clips!)

It's Not Easy Being Green...

The Ferrari 599 GTB Hybrid Concept is getting all sorts of grief from "enthusiast" web sites but actually, though it gains some 220 lbs, (making it weigh about as much as much as a BMW M6) the weight is distributed so that it maintains very close to the same distribution as on the standard car and presumably similar handling.

It also gains 100HP and 110 lb-ft of torque which added to the standard 620 hp/ 448 lb-ft make for a better power to weight ratio than the one not painted like Kermit.

Still, a 4000 lbs Ferrari?


(photo: autoblog.it)


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Snow Scud

Monster snow day here in the eastern US. To make us feel better, Arthur and Benoit from Carstreetspotters.fr sent us a picture illustrating the proper use of your Ferrari Scuderia in winter...

USF1 Toasters: I'll take two please!

A win from Adam Cooper's blog:

"A source close to US F1 tells me that the factory staff in Charlotte are in the process of making the toaster immortalised by a series of satirical cartoons on YouTube in recent months. And yes, I am serious…

Short of anything else to do related to their F1 car some team members are said to be working on the composite moulds for the prototype toaster, which if true at least demonstrates that the guys on the shop floor have a sense of humour.

Incidentally Peter Windsor has not been seen at the US F1 factory for several days, and apparently was not present when the FIA’s Charlie Whiting paid a four hour visit yesterday.

Meanwhile there are suggestions that following Whiting’s visit the FIA could formally revoke the US F1 entry and re-open the entry bid process – and if that applies to this season rather than next, then of course Stefan GP is the only team in a position to present a 2010 car. It’s a possible scenario but I stress that it is just one of many that are being rumoured at the moment.

It’s also been suggested that negotiations between Chad Hurley’s representative Parris Mullins and the new Campos management have not led to a satisfactory resolution. When asked for a comment, Colin Kolles told this blog, ‘We’ll see…’

If Hurley has given up on Campos then a deal with Stefan – which could yet involve a merger with/takeover of the US F1 entry – could yet come to pass.

As previously reported, a deal between Campos and Indian GP2 graduate Karun Chandhok looks likely to be confirmed soon."



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Oh, I feel it...

Where do I sign up?... Here you go





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Planet Traqmate Wants Your Data!

Traqmate added a useful service on their web site: their global database of tracks, powered by Google Earth, will allow you to not only research and get directions but also download available data files (or add yours for the world to see) and videos.

This would have come in very handy for our CG who recently was desperately looking for Sebring data and videos in advance of his first race there.

Check it out at Traqmate Share and Compare and Planet Traqmate.
Hey, THIS looks familiar!

So here is your chance to contribute to the global tracktard cause...Traqmate wants your data!

Traqmate is pleased to announce two extremely powerful new ways to share your data and video, research and explore tracks around the world, and Replay Your Day. Using the power of Google Maps and YouTube, Traqmate Share and Compare allows you to upload and download data, play videos created with TraqStudio, and view a track or driving route on a real satellite image! Traq Search makes it easy to find what you're looking for and once you're there you can read about the track, check it out on the map, download data files and watch videos all in one place!

But wait there's more!

Planet Traqmate is a Google Earth database of tracks worldwide, including professional and amateur tracks and even factory test tracks. Fly over the 3D world and find new tracks, click on them to get their location, zoom in to see the layout and facilities, create directions to the track, and learn some history.

Join us online at traqmate.com where you will find not only Share and Compare and Planet Traqmate but these other valuable resources:
Traqmate Forum connect with thousands of Traqmate users and employees around the world.
Learn to Go Faster is an online training tool for exploring the features in Traqview and TraqStudio.
Dealer Finder where you can connect to local resources to help you install or use your Traqmate.
Free Software and Firmware updates for more features.
Traqmate Event Calendar to see events that Traqmate will be attending or supporting.
Traqmate Online Store where you can purchase the latest Traqmate products and accessories.

Meanwhile, at Sebring...

Mission Daytona, Chapter one.

If you've attended a NASA Mid Atlantic race week end over the past few years you will be very familiar with this yellow Ferrari, it's the one generally lapping the whole field. What you may not necessarily know is that its owner, Skip Bennett, then jumps into a Spec E30 for some real racing along with the likes of Chris Cobetto and Mike Skeen (not to mention the Axis Spec e30 squadron, Pete, Justin and the Freep).

For 2010, Skip decided to step it up, to find a new challenge for his Challenge so to speak. The plan? Spec e30 has some of the best amateurs drivers out there, why not get a bunch of them and run the Daytona 24 Hour next winter?

Certainly has a hook to it, Spec E30 allstars take on the Daytona monster. Bennet recruited Chris Cobetto, Mike Skeen, Jon Allen and Mike Davidson to share his car for the 2010 Rolex Grand Am season in preparation for running Daytona in early 2011. Their efforts will be chronicled along the way by Grassroots Motorsports magazine and seen, live this year, on SpeedTV.

Mike Skeen, will be on duty first with Bennett in late April for the debut race at the Virginia International Raceway . The other drivers will see action in the Bennett Racing Ferrari F430 throughout the 2010 Rolex Grand Am season and finally all five will make up the Daytona 24 Hours team.

Cheer guys!

(More videos and info after the jump...)






Bennett And Skeen To Campaign Ferrari F430 at VIR
Annapolis, Maryland (Feb. 23, 2010)—Following a successful early test for the Bennett Racing Ferrari F430 Challenge, the team has decided to move forward with plans to enter the Bosch Engineering 250 at Virginia International Raceway. Team owner Skip Bennett will pair with Mike Skeen at the April 23-24 event in Alton, Virginia, for the team’s debut in the Grand American Road Racing Rolex GT Series.

Bennett Racing plans to compete in several rounds of the 2010 season in preparation for the 2011 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. NASA SpecE30 drivers Chris Cobetto, Jon Allen, and Mike Davidson will share the duties at Bennett Racing for the remainder of the 2010 season, and all five members will compete at Daytona next January as this grassroots effort reaches the big stage.
“I am very excited to have this opportunity to race in Grand-Am,” said Skeen, “I have enjoyed many SpecE30 races with Skip and the other members of the team; being a part of this effort has been just as much fun.” Following success on the SPEED Channel’s Setup, Skeen drove for Atlantic Autosport in the 2009 Trans-Am series and will race for Agee Racing in that series for 2010. Skeen added, “I’m disappointed I won’t make each race for Bennett Racing, but I’m looking forward to the Trans-Am season and I know the other drivers will do an excellent job preparing us for Daytona.”

Bennett started his racing career in 2006, quickly diving into the deep end by entering a Grand-Am Cup race soon after completing his Skip Barber training. That year also saw the beginning of his NASA SpecE30 career, in which he has had numerous wins over the years. In 2007, Bennett completed a full season of Ferrari Challenge, finishing fourth in the series.
Look for Bennett Racing among the pages of Grassroots Motorsports as they document their experience. Also, follow along at Bennett-Racing.com and MikeSkeen.com for multimedia updates throughout the season.

Grand-Am will hold its annual event at VIR with support series to include the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, Volkswagen Jetta TDi Cup, Ford Racing Mustang Challenge, and the Skip Barber National Series. Television coverage of the Rolex Series race will air Live on SPEED, April 24th, at 12:00 PM ET.

Big Mini

I showed Mrs AC this commercial and asked her what it was selling, without hesitation she said "a lifestyle...". She did not notice it was for a 4 door Mini nor did she particularly care. It's a Mini Cooper, she said and it's cool. Score one for the Mini marketing department!

This new 4 door Countryman is perhaps not quite as "pretty" as the previous two and a half door version but it makes a lot more sense. Since it carries more dogs, children and pineapples than the Mini, should it be called the Midi?





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Oh Joy, BMW Shows A New Race Suit

Here is the new BMW look for the 2010 ALMS season featuring the new company advertising slogan, Joy.





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Impudent Americans and Bone Picking Serbian Vultures

"...This is the legacy of the holy war waged by the former FIA president. The cause in question was to allow smaller teams to get into Formula 1. This is the outcome: two teams will limp into the start of the championship, a third is being pushed into the ring by an invisible hand – you can be sure it is not the hand of Adam Smith – and, as for the fourth, well, you would do better to call on Missing Persons to locate it. In the meantime, we have lost two constructors along the way, in the shape of BMW and Toyota, while at Renault, there’s not much left other than the name. Was it all worth it?..."

Blogging has gone mainstream in F1 now, what with the highly entertaining Ferrari "Horse Whisperer" column taking on the tone and arguments writers have been making in blogs for months.

Ferrari takes the opportunity to kick Max Mosley in the butt for using the selection of unlikely teams as cannon fodder for his war against manufacturers. A war which Mosley, on evidence, won. Ferrari's asks if it was worth it. Frankly, I'm not sure Toyota would still be in F1 (the one place they could have used some acceleration) even if they had decided to contest the 2010 season.

You can read the full "Horse Whisperer" column after the jump.


Maranello, 22nd February - Only less than three weeks to go until the ultimate form of motor sport, the Formula 1 World Championship, gets underway, while celebrating its sixtieth birthday this year. For many of the teams, this coming week is a crucial one, as the bell rings to signal the final lap, with the last test session getting underway in Barcelona. It is one last chance to run the cars on track, to push reliability to the limit and to try and find some performance. That’s the situation for many teams but not for all of them. Of the thirteen teams who signed up, or were induced to sign up, for this year’s Championship, to date only eleven of them have heeded the call, turning up on track, some later than others, and while some have managed just a few hundred kilometres, others have done more, but at a much reduced pace. As for the twelfth team, Campos Meta, its shareholder and management structure has been transformed, according to rumours which have reached the Horse Whisperer through the paddock telegraph, with a sudden cash injection from a munificent white knight, well used to this sort of last minute rescue deal. However, the beneficiaries of this generosity might find the knight in question expects them to fulfil the role of loyal vassal. All this means, it is hard to imagine the Dallara designed car showing its face at the Catalunya Circuit, with Sakhir a more likely venue to witness the return of the Senna name to a Formula 1 session.

The thirteenth team, USF1, appears to have gone into hiding in Charlotte, North Carolina, to the dismay of those like the Argentinian, Lopez, who thought he had found his way into the Formula 1 paddock, (albeit with help from chairwoman Kirchner, according to the rumours) and now has to start all over again. Amazingly, they still have the impudence to claim that everything is hunky-dory under the starry stripy sky.

Next, we have the Serbian vultures. Firstly, they launched themselves into a quixotic legal battle with the FIA, then they picked the bones of Toyota on its death bed. Having got some people on board, around whom there was still a whiff of past scandals, they are now hovering around waiting to replace whoever is first to drop out of the game, possibly with backing from that very same knight in shining armour whom we mentioned earlier.

This is the legacy of the holy war waged by the former FIA president. The cause in question was to allow smaller teams to get into Formula 1. This is the outcome: two teams will limp into the start of the championship, a third is being pushed into the ring by an invisible hand – you can be sure it is not the hand of Adam Smith – and, as for the fourth, well, you would do better to call on Missing Persons to locate it. In the meantime, we have lost two constructors along the way, in the shape of BMW and Toyota, while at Renault, there’s not much left other than the name. Was it all worth it?

McLaren MP4-12C: Developing Jeckyll and Hyde

Mclaren released this clip focusing on their work making the MP4 12C user friendly, not intimidating while hinting at its monster performance available at the flick of a switch. You like it?
Mclaren claims that even as a development mule, it's already better than it's benchmark competitors (cough... Ferrari 458..cough).





More Mclaren MP4 12C on Axis

Kimi Misses a Moose

Check out the unruly wildlife (about 1:00 into the video) at the 2010 WRC Rally Sweden. So is this when you say "Perkele"?

In related F1 news, GErman press insists that if Weber bowes out of F1 at the end of 2010, Kimi will be back to take his place.




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So what if they are slower?

Please close the door and turn up the volume.


(JM-Video.be)



Spectacle-lovers can take their agendas and block the 20th of February 2010: a new edition of the Legend Boucles de Spa®.
The last few years the interest in the “Legend” formula of the Boucles de Spa has only increased. The overall presence of the public on “La Clémentine” or “La Redoute” is just proving that the ‘veteran’-version of the rally is appealing.
A never ending entry-list with some big names on it, cars that offer more and more quality, a mixed and overall present public, in brief, the Legend Boucles de Spa have everything to grow pale organisors of big sportevents .
For those who assisted the heroic duels years ago, these Legend Boucles de Spa just bring back the emotions only the best memories can call back. For the younger ones it’s a unique chance to really feel the authentetic past.
Tradition and nostalgy are the key words in the succes of this rally.
But, above all and despite the increasing popularity, the access to the regularity-trails is free!
This year we’re waiting impatiently for some extraterrestrial achievements from some of the big names in the motorracing world on the notorious and (let’s hope) white roads.
The “Legend Boucles de Spa” formula is still looking forward to some more successfull years.
But, we’re not resting on our laurels, the 2010 edition will be better then ever…”

Sideways Maybach, by Marco Zamponi -Top Gear



More POD on Axis

Just Because He Can...

So you think you have a good job? EVO's Chris Harris announced he will be running in this year's Nürburgring 24 Hours in a "stock" Porsche GT3 RS. One of his co-drivers? one Walter Röhrl... How cool is that?

Harris writes:

Still, musn’t grumble, you see I’m going to have plenty of seat time in an RS over the coming months: I’m driving one at the Nurburgring 24hrs this year and (I’m pinching myself and grinning like a school child typing this), my team mate is called Walter Rohrl. For that opportunity, I’d happily spend hours – months even - dawdling about a snowy Cote D’Azur.

Yeah... we feel your pain Harris!





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It's Just a Flesh Wound

USF1 may be without money, sponsors, engines, chassis, drivers and a functioning press department but they are ready to go.

The only thing keeping them from the tarmac would be that mean FIA not allowing the team to skip the first four of the nineteen races on the 2010 calendar. OK.
Ken Anderson speaks to the NYT



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Ferrari's Shiny New Nuts

A benefit of having a Spanish driver at Ferrari: hyper detailed coverage.

Marca noticed how the red team has come up with a new solution for faster and error free tire changes by redesigning the center retaining wheel nuts. Details details but pit stops are expected to be in the 3 second range this year, tenths will be crucial...

On Cam!

Are you petrolhead enough to watch the whole 3 minutes and find out what it looks like at 14K rpm?

A peek inside the 2009 BMW S1000 RR Superbike.


(BMW Motorrad USA)

"...Cams act on Formula 1-style finger followers, which in turn lever the titanium valves open. Benefits are 50 percent less weight, faster valve acceleration and more lift in less space..." read more here





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Happy Birthday Enzo!

Monza 1967, Photos by John Phillips




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Perkele!*

Who said Finns have no sense of humor?



* Perkele
An essential Finnish curse-word denoting the devil, and typically pronounced with an exaggerated rolling of the "r" for added emphasis. It is often one of the first words in the Finnish language that foreigners visiting this country pick up.



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USF1, Argentina Called: they are sending killer gauchos...

...to get the money the Argentine Automobile Club claims it deposited into USF1's bank account now that Peter Windsor, with tears in his eyes, has supposedly told assembled employees in Charlotte, that USF1 is toast.

Peter Windsor, el director deportivo de la escudería, reunido en la sede de Charlotte con el empresario Felipe McGough y con José López (padre), admitió que no llegará a construir los autos del US F1 en los plazos convenidos y que, con lágrimas en los ojos, no sabe qué hará con su proyecto.

Linked below is the actual original article everyone is referring to. At the meeting, the article reports, were Windsor, JM Lopez's manager Felipe McGough and Lopez' father. A teaful Windsor admitted, the article states, that USF1 will not be able to build cars in Charlotte and has no idea what will become of the project. Money has been so tight at USF1 that the team had been working with a dummy engine as Cosworth never shipped real ones.

But Argentines are especially upset over all the fuss with Windsor getting his picture taken with the president of Argentina and hiring their F1 "hopeful" just on January 25th. Now questions will come up as to the $830K portion of the promised two million from Argentina that came with Lopez' contract.

The Original article from La Voz is HERE

In case you still have doubts , read Mac Morrison from Autoweek HERE


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Orange Crush

Did those epic videos of the tail happy 911 at SPA make you itch for a raw essential simple but effective sports car experience? Maybe those 2.0 SWB are not quite enough car for you and maybe a touch more reliability would be good. How about 1988 lbs with 270 hp ( that would be, for reference, in NASA GTS 4 territory)?. A car after our own hearts, but what would it feel like to drive?

JustGoFaster.com friend and MSN Cars UK writer Dan Trent had a chance to find out a few years ago. Now that very car has come up for sale in the UK. Dan's write is "reprinted" after the jump along with that stunning 911's sale details.



Dan's article originally appeared on MSN Cars UK in 2007. This car is currently for sale by Sean Locklear Specialist Cars. Not cheap but stunning....and in the perfect Axis color too!

"..Built from a full stripped and acid dipped 3.0 SC. It now has a fully rebuilt 3.2 engine with PMO (46mm) Carbs. A 915 gearbox with LSD with full WEVO gearlinkage and internals to give excellent gear shifts. This car has been fully updated with Bilstein suspension, full SHROTH harnesses and leightweight seats. A full FIA welded in roll cage and fire extinguisher have also been fitted. The brakes are SC brakes but using Porterfield trackday pads. Fuchs 15" wheels 7 and 8 inch are fitted.."



Track test: Porsche 911 SL Clubsport

What is it?

A vision of the ultimate old school 911, the SL Clubsport has been put together by Porsche specialist Sean Lockyear. For the price of a new Cayman S, Lockyear will supply you with a built-to-spec retro 911 put together with all-new parts and set up to be the ultimate toy for trackdays or Sunday blasts. The idea is to offer the classic old school 911 experience in a package that's reliable, easy to work on and much more involving to drive than any modern Porsche could hope to be. Weighing just over 900kg and with 270bhp it has the ability to make even a GT3 RS feel a bit dull and lifeless in comparison.

Where does it fit?

After years working in the trackday business Lockyear wanted to create a fast, thrilling car for owners who want to spend their spare time driving, not spannering. And with classic Porsches like the 1970s 2.7 RS now too valuable for most owners to take onto a track the SL Clubsport provides similar thrills at a fraction of the price. Think of it as a retro alternative to cars like the Ariel Atom or a highly tricked out Lotus Exige. It's nothing like as fast of course and demands a very different driving style but as a road legal track special it's aiming at the same market.

Is it for you?

With its full roll cage and stripped interior it's clear this car means business. But because they're built to individual requirements you could easily keep a few more creature comforts. Either way, the driving experience is decidedly old school. Which means it's very lively and demands skill to drive properly. But it's also very easy to feel where those limits are and learn how to make it work to your favour. It doesn't cosset you and it will bite back if provoked but if you relish a challenge it is an immensely satisfying experience.

What does it do well?

Driving a car like this reminds you how dumbed down modern cars have become. But the beauty of this old 911 is that all the parts are brand new and chosen for reliability above all else. And it's thrilling beyond belief. You very quickly learn to respect the relationship between the controls and how the car reacts, the information coming at you thick and fast. No modern car can hope to offer such an intense experience or teach you the importance of perfect throttle control and steering inputs. And while it's loud and intense you can also enjoy much of this experience on the road, without travelling at silly or illegal speeds.

What doesn’t it do well?

Creature comforts are, of course, limited. And with a stripped interior and no sound proofing you probably wouldn't want to drive it to work every day. But as we've said, you could easily choose a more road friendly spec and keep the full interior. Make no mistake though, this is a raw machine and with none of the safety systems we've all grown used to. So you'll need to learn to drive it properly or you'll quickly exit stage left backwards through a hedge. And while it has been set up to be as user friendly as possible it's going to demand a bit more care than a modern car to keep it in perfect fettle.

What’s it like to live with?

In a word, thrilling. A car like this is the antidote to the monotony of modern motoring. And for something ready to hit the racetrack and fully set up for historic racing or rallying it's actually not entirely unsuitable for driving on the road. Lockyear has kept the traditional torsion beam suspension - albeit uprated with new Bilstein dampers and competition bushings - so the ride is actually rather civilised. And while the controls all have their own eccentricities like any 911 it's a car that shrinks to fit. And the fact it uses parts from established suppliers means any half competent Porsche specialist should be able to service it with no problems at all.

How green is it?

Well it's based on an old car so you could argue this is a very glamorous and exciting interpretation of recycling. But that's about as good as it gets. The 3.2-litre engine runs a carburettor set up from US firm PMO. Which is great for power but means it likes a bit of a drink. And that rorty exhaust is also geared up for noise and power, rather than Euro IV emissions standards. It is very light though, so it doesn't go through tyres and brakes like a modern car. Fundamentally though this is about as far away from the CO2 obsessed mainstream as it's possible to get. Which is precisely the appeal for many people.

Would we buy it?

Are you kidding? Of course we would. Although, even at our most starry eyed, we'd have to admit it's probably a bit much to run as an every day car. But the combination of classic 911 looks, a bullet proof build with modern reliability and a driving experience as thrilling as we've ever enjoyed makes this a very special car. If you could only have one Porsche for £45K a Cayman S would do you very nicely. But if you're lucky enough to be able to save one for weekends and special occasions this would be a fabulous choice.

Le Mans: 100 Years of Passion

Segments from a 2006 documentary, at the time of the 100th anniversary of racing at Le Mans.

Wait, what?? USF1 and Campos to merge???

OK... I'm just going to sum up what was on Motorsport-Total site today, goes like this:

USF1 have not been able to build a car and US investors have decided not to drop any more money into that hole when it became clear they would not be able to make the first couple of races. Campos has a Dallara chassis contract but still can't pay the bill.
Solution, Hurley and US investors would buy Campos's chassis and somehow merge the two teams into one operation. All this instigated by Bernie Ecclestone naturally and leaving a free spot for StefanGP and their ex Toyota chassis...

When Motorsport.Total rang Dallara CEO Andrea Pontremoli for comment he claimed a delegation representing Chad Hurley and made up of ex Red Bull and Dallara engineer Gunther Steiner and Parris Mullins (Ferrari-Maserati Silicon Valley) was in his office at that very moment.
What do you think? There has been a lot of smoke around USF1 and Campos, do we have a fire?

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Why did USF1 put its Charlotte factory for sale in early January? With Correction

Hmm.... our reader Charles woke me up here (thanks).... the story I had read on Joe Saward's (since corrected) site is not really right. Indeed the property at 9900 Twin Lakes Pkwy is for sale.

Formula 1 Race Shop - Five-year NNN lease 33,690 Sq. Ft. in immaculate condition. 100% air conditioned and heated. $620,000 in building renovations by tenant in 2009. Leased through June 2014. 9.1% cap rate.

But it does mention in the listing that it's leased till 2014. Apologies to USF1 then.... Now get that car out!

I know there are some who believe in a conspiracy against USF1, they will surely wonder who sent this rather obscure tip to Saward, one of F1's influential and usually trusted sources...

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Song of the Silver Arrows: a Crime Against Humanity

Germans have been guilty of a number of musical crimes over the years but I think this will take longer to live down than David Hasselfhoff.

As Schumacher would say, "to be honest" there is a British and American collaboration angle at play here. The main perpetrator is the half British son of Deep Purple's Richie Blackmore, He's the guy who looks like Maradona in the picture below, Jürgen Blackmore. The other guy is American keyboardist Tony Carey, a one hit wonder over here who has achieved somewhat of a cult status in the land of the Silver Arrows. The two formed EBC Racing-Team and obviously talked their favorite stripper into being lead singer for this "anthem" to the return of Michael Schumacher and Mercedes. Don't laugh, this atrocity could go number 1 in Germany...for real.

The song will be unleashed on an unsuspecting world on March 5th via iTunes!

(Does that really say "England's black pearl was the new Silver king, from Montecarlo to the green green hell, now big big Michael's got us under his spell"?)






(Motorsport Aktuell)


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Return of the Renault W wing...

Cool picture from the Renault flickr feed... check out the rear wing profile, very different from the one on the car at launch.
You will remember of course that Renault is no stranger to super secret W shaped wings!


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BMW Rules the Seas

(photo:REUTERS/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)

The amount of Carbon Fiber used in F1 pales in comparison to what was used in the 2010 America's Cup Challenge. The Cup comes back to America with BMW-Oracle defeating the Swiss defender Alinghi.

If you like F1 high tech but may not be familiar with the new America's Cup boats, you will be fascinated. Check it out on americascup.com


BMW ORACLE Racing Team’s revolutionary wing sail powered trimaran USA convincingly won Race 2 off Valencia today to win the 33rd America’s Cup match outright.
The American team, founded ten years ago by software mogul Larry Ellison, achieved its ultimate goal when they powered across the finish line of Race 2 with a margin of 5 minutes and 26 seconds to defeat the Swiss Defender’s Alinghi 2-0.

Ellison sailed on board USA today, his first America’s Cup Match race proving a winning one.

BMW ORACLE Racing become the first American team to win the America’s Cup since 1992 when America3 defeated Il Moro de Venezia off San Diego.

San Francisco’s Golden Gate Yacht Club become the 28th American Defender of the America’s Cup.

Russell Coutts, CEO of BMW ORACLE Racing, has now won the America’s Cup four times, twice with his native New Zealand, once at the helm of the Swiss Alinghi team and now masterminding the success of Ellison’s American team.

In the evening twilight the giant black and white trimaran USA speared across the finish line off Valencia, a long way ahead of the Swiss team who first won the America’s Cup in New Zealand in 2000 and then successfully defended it against Emirates Team New Zealand in July 2007.

After a delay of over six hours waiting for the SE’ly wind to settle, Race 2 of the best of three series was contested in around 6-9 knots of breeze.

The showdown immediately unfolded in dramatic fashion when Alinghi were penalised for an error in the start box, the second successive penalty during the Pre-Start sequence. USA lead off the start line by 23 seconds but the Swiss team hooked into extra wind pressure on the right side of the course and a favourable 20 degrees shift in wind direction.

They profited progressively and at one stage were some 600 metres ahead of the BMW ORACLE Racing Team’s trimaran.

Unlike Friday’s whitewash, when USA sailed steadily away from Alinghi 5, the windward leg was nailbiting right until the American trimaran was able to round the first mark with a small lead.

On the approach to the windward mark of the 39 miles triangle shaped course, USA came back when they were able to squeeze inside the line of Alinghi, to turn 27 seconds ahead. Surging to 30 knots at times on the first of two 13 miles reaches, the powerful trimaran with its 223ft high solid wing sail rig was able to gain 2 minutes and 23 seconds by the second turning mark, the gybe, going on to win by 5 minutes and 29 seconds.

Valentine’s Day sees bright sunshine and light winds this morning around the Marina Real Juan Carlos 1, the beating heart of the 33rd America’s Cup.
The forecast looks fairly promising for Race 2 which is due to start around midday, although the race committee do plan to wait until the forecasted SE’ly breeze arrives and won’t be hurried. In many respects it is a similar situation to Friday Race 1 where the offshore breeze is due to give way a breeze from the southerly quadrant.

Alinghi 5 docked out first with Swiss timing at 0900hrs to their signature Red Hot Chili Peppers ‘Can’t Stop’. If this proves to be their last day as America’s Cup holders, team president Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI) wore a huge smile and looked relaxed as he stepped on board. They have the advantage of entry with right of way on starboard tack today and may try for revenge in the start box, and aim to pin a penalty of USA.

BMW ORACLE Racing’s USA crew looked equally relaxed and focussed. They left their base knowing they can make sailing history today. The triangle course is more of a challenge in terms of manoeuvres, boat handling and sailing on the tight reaches. But, once more we are heading into unknown territory. Some say Alinghi will be stronger around the reaching course, but others simply point to the extra righting moment of USA and the power to drag ratio of their wing weapon.

It could be a red letter day for Russell Coutts (NZL) the CEO of BMW ORACLE Racing. In 1995 he skippered Black Magic to win the America’s Cup for New Zealand 5-0 against Dennis Conner’s Young America Team and in 1993 he skippered Alinghi to win the America’s Cup 5-0 for Switzerland. In

Race officer Harold Bennett (NZL) said this morning:

“ We are going out for looking to midday but I am not sure we will see the breeze by then, and we have to wait for this offshore breeze to die away and for the wind to turn into the SE, it is going to be in that quadrant, southerly or SE. So we have to wait and see until it develops.”

Axis takes on the Sebring Monster!

Axis CG migrated down south for some winter racing action with the Axis-Palmfund Management Cayman S. In Sebring last week, there was plenty of action and adventure : take it away CG....

After a great first year in 2009 (16 Races – PCA and NASA -, 13 Class Wins and 2 DNFs; “Do or Die!” :^) and 4 Class Records) and almost dialing the car to perfection with the help of Spencer Cox, the goals for 2010 are to keep going racing at new (to me) tracks in the US. Plan is to race mostly with PCA and if time allows some NASA GTS3 races (IMO, better bang for your weekend time with PCA given that the rules are tighter so cars are more equal).

Sebring is one of those famous historic tracks I have never been to. Heard a lot about it, specially how brutal it is with machinery (broken bumpy old airport concrete). Being the first race of the season and in the middle of the winter in warm and sunny Florida, seems that everyone wants to be there. The Race was packed: 3 Racegroups of 50+ cars each, and most classes with 8+ cars, including 5 more Caymans (other than mine) on grid, which I never saw in 2009. One of the things I was looking the most forward to, was the night race. The car was ready for it, as SpeedSport installed two big old school Montecarlo Rally PIAA lights on the hood.....

We had an eventful start. The car felt very funny on right hand corners (pulling left but very oversteery on left rear). Had a flat tire and a jammed spring perch in the first session, so the track time was useless for any setup improvements (or driver tuning!). I just used it to corroborate I knew which way the track went, after having practiced for 2 weeks in XBOX’s Forza game. IMO, the game is extremely accurate and the cars produce performances (Cayman gearing and gearchanges happen almost exactly in the correct place) very similar to those in real life: My Xbox time ended being 0.3secs slower than my real life’s best.

In the 2nd session went much faster, down to 2:27 but after 4 laps braking into the hairpin, a caliper bolt seized with the upright. We were toast, but VERY lucky I lost my brakes when I was down to a speed I could make the turn. The bad news is that we needed a new upright or find a good aluminum welder. Had no luck trying to find the part on grid as it wasn’t the same part as the GT3s or Cups but just a one-off size used in Caymans and 997s with the Ceramic brakes. Spencer went to the local welder that ended up being great outcome, and by mid afternoon we had a repaired upright. Lost the 3rd session that defines qualifying grid spots (Not as critical in a long track like Sebring , where you can just wait in the pitlane for clear track).

Finally was eager to do the fun races and try to start dialing in the setup, but the Sebring Monster kept us at bay as I broke the rear swaybar!!! (Has anyone ever seen that?!!!). Everyone in the team was shocked, it just broke in the center section where there was a reinforcement weld for the point where it is held by one of the rubber bushings. I was lucky that the Night race was postponed until Saturday due to the bad weather (Tornado warning winds and rain). Spencer found a swaybar in Daytona and we sent a taxi driver overnight to pick it up.



Went to chill to the Chateau Elan where I was staying (nothing more convenient than the hotel INSIDE the track; big reasons to love VIR and Sebring). We had a large group dinner and few drinks with the team and other racers.

Hectic start to Saturday as the swaybar was not the correct one; then lucky for us Mike Levitas who coincidentally was the one who designed and built the broken swaybar that Joel (the prior owner of my car) had bought, swore he could weld it; and with 5mins to go in the 1st session we were just in time ready to go. Big Kudos and thanks to Mike L., the bar held in one piece all the way through the Sunday Enduro.

Finally had 2 trouble free sessions in a row with valuable track time to setup the driver and the car. Ended with a Qualifying time of 2:26.4, still 8/10ths off the track record that was repeated again this year by Greg Barrows in his 3.4 996. Therefore I was starting P2 in class, but good thing there was no other car (from a different class) in between P1 and me.



Sprint1 Race: Had an OK start and tried overtaking P1 into T2 but he shut the door effectively. Decided to follow closely and wait patiently and maybe learn a thing or two about his line (since he qualified faster than me). Then the chance came and made the pass coming out faster of T17 (when he was to early on the gas and got squirrely drifting into the wall) and took P1 braking into T1. Held the inside line into T1-T4 and success: Class win! Had some good racing action later with GT cars including the well driven “Old Yellow Hippie” of Juan Lopez-Santini. What a nice little car. Good HP/weight and kills me going into the slower turns and accelerating out due to better gearing and I presume higher rpms. I just had to be patient, follow closely and take the aero advantage and pass him at the end of straights (I also had more to learn about going faster in some sections, which I eventually did thanks to the night race). The race had 2-3 laps under yellow, so didn’t use all the fuel I had planned and only added 4 gallons for the next race (big mistake!)

Sprint 2: Good start and picked up the pace in first few laps while the tires were at their best. Was comfortably ahead P1 in class, controlling the class race, but again with some good racing with the GT cars. Lost 2 places to faster GT cars when I overdid the tires and was half a lap from the checker and the car started to stall in all corners!! 1/2 lap from checker RUN OUT FUEL!!! Duh:! My fault: overstretched my numbers of fuel left from last race by 1/2 gallon... Bummer, and lesson learnt: Always carry at least 2gallons extra. It really doesn’t make a difference!



Night Race!: One of the recent initially scariest things I've done. In practice/qualifying I sincerely doubted my ability to competitively race. I have never driven by short range markers and always guided myself instinctively by finding the best flowing line looking far, far ahead (with some data telemetry fine tuning). You can’t see far at ALL in Sebring at night, and all those right-left-right left (or inverse) sections were very hard and scary to carry the same speed as in daylight. Qualified P2 behind Greg Pickeral’s I Stock 3.6 996. During the race, the race demons possessed me and all of a sudden (thanks to being able to follow Greg’s nice clean efficient lines) everything clicked and my level of concentration went to where it had never been. I ended up going just 6/10ths off my best daylight time. Awesome! Finished the race P2 overall, P1 in class, and probably the best learning experience of the last 12 months of PCA racing.

Proceeded to chill out at the Elan with fellow Racers. Then come Sunday, with the car in one piece and a good consistent setup, was able to put to work all that was learnt in the Dark (and some overnight data mining!) and it clicked: 2:24.4 New H Stock class record at Sebring! Very happy with that lap.



For the Enduro, I was set on going for the overall win (carved-in stone mental note about NOT speeding in the pitlane!), but there was a major screwup from timing and scoring and I (and other fellow H class racers) had no grid spot for the Enduro!!! Most likely I was P1 (or close to) overall. "I was seventh" came back to mind while arguing with the Grid marshals. We were forced to start from the back.

Started around P65 (plus slightly mad) = extremely interesting race action laps. A man on a mission! I think the video tells it all. I was up to P3 by lap 16, had a few laps at 2:25.0, but then in lap 18 I just got remembered that the AxisCayman just doesn't like Enduros.: Shifter cable popped out (we had troubles all weekend with 2nd gear, and with heavy slower traffic I had to downshift a lot more) and I was left cruising in neutral around T8. DNF. Well, at least some good video and race action. I had some hopes, as per my crew, I was catching up the lead (2-3.5secs/lap faster).

All in, it was an awesome start for the racing year. Another great historic track worth coming back. Thanks to Spencer and Speedsport team for all the major rush wrenching to fix everything I keep breaking! And having the car in tin-top shape when it matters. Next Stop: Road Atlanta!

No Formula 1 in HD any time soon

Yet another face palm moment for F1. Have you been wondering why F1 is not transmitted in HD like every other major sporting event? Ecclestone does not want to pay for offering a better product.

Turns out this past season Formula 1 has suffered a large drop in global viewership, something in the 30 million viewer range. FOM attributes this to scheduling conflicts with night races in different crucial time zones and bad performances by drivers from large markets. Whatever the reason, this influence the about of money the FOM can squeeze out broadcasters at contract time and with many crucial contracts and rather than offering a better product they would want to charge a premium for an HD feed. Ecclestone in THIS article on PitPass makes the classic chicken and the egg argument demanding assurances. F1 at the forefront of technology eh? KERS was forced on everyone but not HD because FOM would need to make the official investment? Isn't LG a technology partner? doesn't make any sense, even YouTube is 1080p now...(hit full screen on the video below)

Meanwhile one of the channels mentioned in the article above, SKY-Italia voted with their feet and did not renew their Formula 1 contract for this season.




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Team Europa-Mobel Ford Capri RS



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Guess...

Haven't done one of these for a long time. That's mainly because our readers are just too good and guessed every one right away but this one, sent in by Axis Justin, is a tough one!





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OK, Peter Windsor will not cry....

The steering wheel is not red like on Jim Clark's 49... Still, one of the coolest liveries on the grid: meet the Lotus Cosworth T127





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That's why they test, right?

I guess that new Mercedes front jack swivel thinghy there needs a little more work!



Powered jacks have been banned for 2010.


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Tiff has some fun with Jenson Button

In case you did not know 5th gear is not dead, it just moved to the web. Check out this fun segment with Tiff "Noodles" Needell, Vicky Butler-Henderson and a fairly relaxed Jenson Button. OK, he did get a little dark when Tiff, asked who was going to win the 2010 championship says, without hesitation: Lewis Hamilton!





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Porsche 911 GT3R Hybrid: shown at Geneva, Raced at the 'Ring

Porsche will show a hybrid 997 gt3 R at the Geneva auto show and enter it in the Nurburgring 24 hour this spring. The car, based on the RSR chassis, will reportedly use a flywheel inertia type KERS rather than a battery system. Most bizarre is the resulting extra 80hp will be used to drive, via two electric motors, the front wheels!

This hybrid system could lead to a return of an official Porsche factory team (as opposed to factory sponsored teams?) to Le Mans in the near future.

Ferrari had recently announced a 599 hybrid prototype will be in Geneva.




(Porsche)


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Grab your Salt Shaker: VW to Formula 1 in 2011

So the story goes like this: struggling Campos Meta GP owes a bunch of money to Dallara for the cars the italian company built for the 2010 season and did not get any of the promised "rescue" money from failed racing series owner Tony Teixeira.

In steps Bernie Ecclestone to convince, perhaps with some help with the middle east, the majority partner in Campos to cough up six million Euros, which he somehow was previously unwilling or unable to raise, and pay off Dallara and allowing the team to race in 2010. This would then lead to the team's namesake, Adrian Campos, leaving the team and being replaced as team manager by Colin Kolles, the former Jordan-Midland-Spyker-Force India manager from Ingolstadt, home of Audi and VW taking over the team.

Colles has a reputation as a tough guy and is know to have personally performed dental surgery on at least two of his drivers before races rather than have them drop out of the racing week end, Tiago Monteiro in 2005 and Christian Albers in 2006. Now there's some cost savings, savings which along with the lower entry price of F1 now would be enough to entice VW into Bernie's circus. through the back door.

All this from an article in Spain's AS newspaper. Pass the salt please.




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Possibly the coolest 911 video ever

Why? Well, beyond the obvious, you can see everything: the hands, the feet, the slip angle, the two wheels off pass on the E-Type Jag... and what it's like to take Eau Rouge without downforce and sticky tires. Amazing.

Historic Racing at SPA, Qualifying for the 2009 SPA Six Hours. You are riding with Roman Caserani in a 2.0 L 911 prepared by Holland's Duel Motorsport

But that's not all, after the jump lets see what can happen when you get Eau Rouge wrong, what it's like to drive this car on the Nürburgring GP track in the wet and more!

UPDATE: Some are wondering about all the sliding, it's not bad tires it's just the way cars had to be driven with tires from that era. remember THIS FERRARI GTO ONBOARD?

(901Passie via bulgogibrothers)

Mclaren Gets all the Good Probes...

Mclaren showed up to the Jerez tests this morning with a curious sensor array to measure airflow coming off the front wing and over the tire. This provides the team with real world data to plug into the CFD computer programs which will be used for development as the season progresses as wind tunnel testing time is limited by the regulations. You might remember this other sensor, from one year ago which helped Mclaren measure airflow out of it's diffuser.
(2010 Photos: F1 Fanatic )

Red Bull RB6

Nothing obviously revolutionary but lots of visible refinements to the 2009 design everyone copied in 2010.




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Livery Win for Lotus!

If it has a red steering wheel, Peter Windsor will cry!

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Force India VJM03 Testing.

VJM03 track footage: Footage from the shakedown of the VJM03 at Silverstone (Stowe Circuit). Adrian Sutil puts the car through its paces in advance of the official test.





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Track Tool

Couple of reasons for you to spend the next ten minutes or so with this video despite the awful racket from something shaking on the camera and the plentiful yet barely comprehensible commentary from our (newly married btw) friend Dale:

First: we've waxed poetic about the Renault R26 R before. It's a mad car and all props to La Regie for having the balls to build it. A concept after our own heart . Magnifique!

Second: just look at it go... The thing RIPS! Consider this is a street legal car as delivered from the factory, stock tires, stock brakes and the others are race cars. This Megane is nuts for what it is and Dale is as usual trying to get his passenger to yell for mercy. Actually comes pretty close to losing the car in a couple of turns but hey, that's the Dale way (right CG?).

Third you get to see a couple of very cool cars wiz by, and you get to dream about being there....

I think you'll like it...(oh and you can rent this car from RSR Nürburg...just tell them Axis sent you !)





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Turbo S History

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Piquet : "F1 is a mess and Danica was not my fault"

Of course it was not his fault, Piquet only crashes on purpose!

"What could I do? I was pushed down. She wanted to go through underneath but there was a turn"
(Motor Sport Aktuell)
You can't fault Piquet for saying Formula 1 is in a big mess with the new teams. This surprise fine print in the new Concorde Agreement allowing teams to skip up to three races is a bit pathetic. Who chose some of these new teams and what exactly was the criteria? No wonder Ferrari wanted to run three cars.




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Clash of the Titan...

I'm not sure what Stephane is up to but it will be A+ quality car porn for sure. I recommend watching full screen @720p


Titan-movie.com


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Instruction FAIL

This Instructosaurus is hopefully extinct by now...


(disclaimer: there is some loud swearing at the beginning... just in case you need to adjust the volume. On a side note: wicked microphone placement, that's crystal clear on the voices!)
(Jimmy P. via Bimmerforums)


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"Blonde au Volant" Monaco 2009, by AC


more POD on AXIS

Can you imagine....

Downloading from iTunes (of whatever), driver data from different cars on different tracks around the world and playing them back on your PS3?
Learn the line at Lime Rock from Bill Auberlen, The Nordscheife from Hans Stück, Daytona from Juan Pablo Montoya, you get the picture... Imagine.





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Nelsiño Piquet Shakes and Bakes Danica Patrick.

Outtakes from "Talladega Nights 2, I gotz fenderz now?"





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