Pure racing: Overtaking class on Mount Panorama.

Chris Walsham/Facebook

Some of the best racing you never hear anything about.

Fast, new cars are glamorous and exciting but even Saint Ayrton said the best, purest racing he ever did was as an amateur.

So you probably seen Sabine "Queen of the Ring" Schmitz passing a spectacular number of cars in a VLN race  before.   Amazing stuff but the (hopefully) future Top Gear host is a full time professional,  driving the latest model from Porsche, prepared by a very experienced team, on a track she literally grew up driving on.

With that in mind,  I give you Joseph Lethal, killing it at a support race for the 2016 Bathurst 12 hours.    Lenthall built and prepared his first gen RX7 and this was his first time racing on the mountain course!
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Couple of things jump out:  

Very smooth, cool driving.

Love the dog leg box and how the engine seemingly revs to 4 million rpm.

That car is hooked up.

Damn, the track is narrow,  makes passing at the Nurburgring seem simple.

So why did Joseph start 49th anyway ?  

“Last weekend, I travelled to Bathurst to race at Mount Panorama for the first time. After walking the track and being told where not to stick it into the fence, I came back to a prepared car thanks to my crew.

“Practice was great and we finished P14 out of a 61- car field. Qualifying was also good, with another P14 and some time left in the car.

“I got a woeful start in race 1 and dropped back to about 18th. After making my way past a few cars, the alternator belt flicked off and the car stopped coming out of turn 3. Unfortunately, between myself and the marshals, we then badly bent the front of the car while trying to load it on the truck.

“Enter my crew again, who through a drill, hammer, cable ties and race tape straightened the front and got the car ready for Race 2. I started 49th and around the last corner; eventually I finished 15th with a straight and running car.

“I can now say that I have raced my Mazda at Bathurst and it was bloody fantastic.”

Pure racing.

Enjoy it

(tx to Gordon Mellis and Autoaction.com.au)

What's Better Than A Last Lap, Last Corner Pass For The Win?

what's better than that?  Calling it, that's what.

Elliot Skeer, 18 year old second generation track rat form Colorado, radioed the CJ Wilson Racing pits as the white flag dropped on the Sebring Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup race telling them (cue Cole Trickle clips) how he was going to go low on the final corner...



And for that,  Elliot, not being of legal drinking age yet, got to celebrate the top step of the podium with....sparking grape juice!    Face Palm.

If You Are Going To Spin, Do It With Style!

During the inaugural Continental Tire Grand-Am of the Americas race in Austin, one of the CJ WIlson Racing Miatas got rudely turned around by a BMW braking into turn 15. The driver, Jason Saini, recovers like a boss!.

The CJ Wilson Racing Miatas had the last laugh on BMW in ST class when Stevan McAleer smoked the faster BMW 128i of Terry Borcheller with a fantastic move in the final corners on the last lap.

(Video by Dustin Kirk)

The 25

2012 Air Force 25 Hours of Thunderhill winner Ehret Porsche by Danny Sullivan

The 25 Hours of Thunderhil, because only 24 hours is for wimps. The NASA sanctioned event is the enduro equivalent of turning up to 11, it's one more, isn't it?

Have a look at this film, sent to us by Pete Billington showcasing three Miata fielded by the Atlanta Motorsports Group.

The main sponsor for the guys is Optrix, makers of cases which allow you to use an iPhone as an "action cam". Beyond simply protecting the phone, the Optrix case has a high quality built in wide angle lens allowing for a 175 degree field of view. All the onboard, cockpit, POV and time lapse pit shots in the film were done with iPhones.

Optrix also offers an app, Optrix Video Pro, allowing real time overlay of GPS and accelerometer data.   Some of you may be familiar with Harry's LapTimer Pro, this is a reworking of the the same software by the same designer.

The AMG crowd survived the 25 quite well at this year, a 1st, a 3rd and a 4th in class. Well done guys!

E0 Class, 4th Place
Daniel Deckers
Michael Hall
Stephan Tisseront
Kevin Baillie

E1 class, 3rd Place
Todd Lamb,
Andrew Caddell
Brad Rampelberg
Ryan Winchester

E2 class, 1st Place
Guy Laidig
Beau Borders
Todd Launchbaugh
Travis Wolcott

Film by Landis Fields, Brian Berringer, Pete Billington, Punn Wiantrakoon, Zac Wollons and Anna Fields. Music by Vincent Tone - Astronaut.

What Roars in the Woods?..

check out more pictures of the 2011 Legend Boucles de Spa rally from one of out favorite car shooters, Julien Mahiels after the jump

ALMS does the coolest stuff...

Like release cool raw video... I don't care that the Dyson Mazda in its new suit is just idling behind a photo car. Look at it, this video looks great!



ALMS is a t Lime Rock this week end
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Rally Dorifto!

Seems like 1980's Group B Mazda RX7 rally cars only worked sideways...if "worked" is the correct term.


(Amjayes/YouTube)


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Continental Challenge, Homestead-Miami Highlights.

Continental Tire Challenge is what used to be called Koni Cup Challenge, the "entry level" Grand-Am series. Cars are reasonably "stock" and are divided into two classes: GS , Mustangs vs BMW M3 vs Porsche 997 and ST which is Mazda Mx5 vs Mini vs Honda Civics.

Here is a highlight reel from Grand Am. Bit sad American road racing barely gets covered live on tv these days (this race will air March 13 on SpeedTV). Check out what happened to the number 13 Bum Bum Racing BMW M3 (that's just all wrong isn't it?...13...bum rum bum whatever...I'd re-evaluate! Nice gold intake plenum though).
Results can be found HERE




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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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