No names have been released but news is that six prominent Venezuelan auto and motorcycle racers are being held or sought as a "precautionary measure"on suspicion of defrauding the state.
EJ Viso in the hospital
The scandal came to light when the minister for sport, Alejandra Benitez discovered forged signatures on funding requests and went public. Today Interior and Justice minister Miguel Rodriguez Torres said the racers falsified requests and inflated costs for at least US $60 Million.
One of the persons of interest is, according to Rodriguez Torres, missing in the United States. Andretti Autosport driver E.J. Viso was missing from the Indycar season finale because of a sudden attack of the "stomach flu" and even tweeted a picture of himself looking, one must say, not too ill on a hospital bed... but that may be just a coincidence.
The Venezuelan Minister goes on to put some of the blame on the country's "gigantic" enemy, the United States, hellbent on bringing government down.
Whether you buy that conspiracy or not, US based teams did seem to have a special price menu for Venezuelan drivers, at least as suggested by requests approved by the former minister of sport, Hector Rodriguez and documented on his twitter account:
$ 936,277.76 for GrandAm practice for Gaetano Ardegna Perez? $678,000.00 for Alex Popow for NASCAR Nationwide practice?
I'm guessing it did not all go to tires and crew sandwiches.
UPDATE: one driver was named among those held or sought in this investigation, Paolo Andreasi who has raced in Europe in the Blancpain Endurance series with Kessel Racing (top photo: Kessel Racing.com)
I've done a few interesting things in my tracktard "career": dodged cones in parking lots, more track days than I can possibly remember. Driven on the Nürburgring a few times and on the Monaco GP track in a Ferrari, I've driven a Gumpert Apollo at Paul Ricard, I've won Time Trials, I even won my class in the One Lap of America but I don't think anything came close to the thrill of my fist standing start in a twenty four year old, 168 hp BMW!
I've wanted to get a racing license for a while now. I don't think it's fair to comment on racing without at least minimal experience doing it yourself but also, most of my friends have one at this point and many have race cars of their own.
Living in New York City, owning any car is not an easy proposition much less one that needs to be trailered to the track. But can that excuse: my Axis buddies Freep, Styles and "Crazy" Pete have been having a blast racing NASA's Spec e30, a class based on 1984 to 1991 BMW 3-series, for a few years now and "arrive and drive" e30 rentals are easily available through Drive-Gear.com . If you don't like BMW's there are similar companies that will rent from a Spec Miatas to, I suppose, whatever your wallet allows.
This is what you will need to do to get your NASA racing license:
Arrange to have a three day week end free, typically your Comp school will be on Friday and if you pass, you can race that Saturday and Sunday.
Download and complete your medical forms. Yes, you will have to go see a doctor to get a physical including, depending on your age, an EKG trace.
You will need a helmet that meets at least SA2005 spec.and a HANS device, a racing suit with an SFI 3.2A/1 or FIA 8856-2000 rating. Fireproof gloves, socks and shoes complete the package.
Obviously, procure or prepare a car according to the rules.
Sign up via NASA Pro Racing's web site. Cost was $495 for the Comp School, costs and format of schools may very with the different regions. NASA NorthEast is a bit more relaxed about their format but, unlike SCCA who will allow people who have never been on a race track before to attend comp school, NASA asks that you have at least "advanced" track day experience. That is not to mean everyone automatically passes but it's not rocket science, you do have to show common sense and not be "that guy".
The object of the game is to learn the flags, learn the rules of conduct, show you have a clue and will not mess up. Do that and you will pass any race school, all these organizations are businesses after all and they do want you, they don't want idiots but they do need fresh faces.
At the comp school I attended, only one guy did not complete the week end after a shaky performance in the first race. Ironically he was a guy who came in with very much of an "I drive flat out" attitude and ended up blocking and hitting a bunch of other cars... Like I said, you don't want to be "that guy".
School alternates classroom instruction with on-track exercises, usually with drivers paired practicing overtakes, driving side by side at speed, mock starts, mock races.... sometimes it got interesting.
Once you passed your comp school you are free to join the race (entry fee not included in the Comp School price) week end under provisional "rookie" status. Complete four races without incidents and you will be able to apply for a NASA Competition License. You are still considered a Rookie even with a full license until you complete eight races. That essentially means you have to run with a large "R" on your car marking you as a potential hazard.
Rentals for an e30 runs $800/day and includes all consumables, the car Drive-Gear gave me was well set up and competitive. Arriving at the track and just having to suit up and drive was an amazing treat. No tire changes, no unloading no gassing the car no checking tire pressures.....aaaah, luxury!
In our first race I had an extra treat, a rare standing start as opposed to the usual rolling one. I loved it, actually gained a spot for an all too brief stretch, in the end I finished, where I qualified, third in class field of eight.
Sunday, I got an extra bit of education, I rained cats and dogs. I qualified P4 and ended the race in P2 when Axis Pete had a mechanical issue. I certainly have a much finer appreciation for anyone racing in the rain because truthfully, you cant's see shit in front of you....
Compound that with the windows fogging up and it really gets funky. at this point I could only see flaggers out the open side windows, just enough to avoid something like this guy and his clever re-entry after a spin...
I had a blast. Hey, I even won a whopping $175 of contingency tire money! I will do it again and encourage all of you to give it a go.
There is only one drawback: it is highly addictive and you will probably not want to go back and just lap around the track in the future!
If there is one thing we learned at Axis over the last almost 10 years of beating on our cars hard it's that everything is a consumable, everything.
We asked James Clay, team boss at Bimmerworld Racing and founder of the very successful BMW go fast bits store Bimmerworld.com, to outline a few basic principles you should follow as you prepare your track car for the coming season's battles. Here is his advice:
Go over the car completely.
Or at least as completely as you have gotten into it to modify it, plus a little bit.
Things assembled at the factory have a tendency to stay together for a long period, but performance parts have a shorter lifetime, sometimes require additional care and feeding, and even hardware has a tendency of loosening up. Whether stock or performance, when you track a car hard or use it in a more demanding environment than the designers intended, things wear out faster.
Contact an expert on your car and get their recommendations on what to replace, and remember to do this preventatively – if you are reactionary, you will be blowing a lot of money to be at the track, watching well-maintained cars go around while you work on yours.
Consider the safety level of your car.
A lot of people are bringing street and multi-use cars to the track, that is certainly acceptable and expected, but do be aware of the risks we take on the track and consider installing some basic safety gear, even if it won’t make your car go faster.
At a minimum, I would like to see drivers that are dedicated to this sport have harnesses and a HANS on. Schroth makes bolt-in 4-point harnesses specific to a lot of car models that are compatible with a HANS, and as a guy who has wrecked my fair share of cars, I can assure you that it can happen to you and a HANS will make you feel a lot better the day after, if not keep you alive in some situations.
Nothing on your track car is permanent.
This is a tough concept to swallow when you spend $1k per set of wheels ( or even per wheel for a nice forged piece) and yes, f you buy nice parts, they will serve you well, but everything on a tracked car has a maintenance schedule and a fatigue life.
Some cheaper items like wheel studs and stainless brakelines should have an automatic periodic replacement interval. Pricier items like wheels should be very well cleaned and closely inspected periodically, both in the areas you can see when they are on the car and the areas you can’t.
If you don’t have spares, buy some.
Your spares package doesn’t need to be extensive but some basic items will save your tail, or make you someone else’s best friend for life.
Some basic suggestions for any car are: fluids (oil and brake), brake pads (you know you are going to use them sometime), 2 of each accessory belt (yes, two so you can toss the first replacement if you don’t figure out why it was thrown the first time) and a radiator/expansion tank cap.
This goes for an assortment of nice tools as well. Not having to walk the paddock or try to make some bargain bin tool work will make you a lot happier at the track when you inevitably have to work on your car more than you would want to.
Buy a data system.
Make the most out of your track time and remember that practice makes permanent – perfect practice makes perfect… In 2012, “data system” means a data unit as simple as the new AiM SOLO for under $400. This invaluable piece of equipment will help get you up to speed faster and will be instrumental in your progression as a driver, no matter what your current level. When you are shopping, ease of use is critical and something with a predictive lap is a huge benefit. If you have a more dedicated track car, fully-featured dash replacement data systems start around $2,000 and with integrated warning lights, they are good protection for your cars moving parts.
Pete and the Freep raced their Spec e-30 at Summit Point in August. Here is a chronicle of their week end as told by Pete.
"Last minute" would be the operative word for the Spec E30 race at Summit Point in August.
Freep and I planned on leaving New Jersey early for West Virginia but, of course, it was not to be. Freep had trouble getting down to the Axis secret warehouse due to some very bad thunderstorms. In reality his being late was not the end of the world as Justin and I were still in the process of replacing the transmission in the Axis #343, cracked housing mount. After a very quick gearbox swap, 66 minutes to be exact, we loaded up the cars and headed down into the night and never ending rain.
Morning brought us lots of sunshine and dry track conditions. Some triple checks on the cars and it was off to practice. Freep in # 232, ran only a few laps to shake down the car, I on the other hand used every second of available track time. In the middle of the previous race at Pocono, #343 had ABS issues and during practice at Summit it became clear the fix had not worked.
Qualifying was uneventful in a good way, I was only a few tents off the leader. i would start the race in P4 with the Freep in P5.
Rather than the usual roll and go, NASA decided on a traditional standing start, WOW we were excited: Australian V8 super car style with 500 less HP! Continues, with videos, after the jump
The green flag dropped and the action was on. Freep and I got off to a great start, the first few laps were exciting. The lack of ABS was hurting me, I could not slow down as well as other Spec E-30s and in Turn 5, Robert Grace in the orange car, hip checked me pretty hard. The incident left Grace's car blowing smoke all around the track. At first though was tire rub due to contact, but soon after my windshield was filled up with oil. My car was feeling very different than in qualifying and for the rest of the race I battled with the Freep. After Grace had thoroughly filled the track with oil and smoke he finally pulled off about halfway through the race, handing me the last podium step and P4 to the Freep.
On Sunday I had to figure out what changed with the car. A quick check on the alignment jig and found both left side wheels not pointing in the proper direction. Damaged alignment corrected, it was time to qualify.
Sundays times were almost a second quicker for everyone, the track was in great shape. I would start the race in P4 again, with the Freep in P6. We all set up and ready to go.
But then, a rain shower came about 45 minutes before the race. Minutes before the race and conditions changing by the second. After extensive conversation, Freep and i decided full wets were the way to go. Rolling to the grid it wasn't clear we made the right decision but everyone else was on the same tire. A rolling start for Sunday was called because of conditions.
After a very limited visibility run down to turn 1, it was time to test braking without abs for the first time. I guess i was so excited about actually having made it into turn 1 that I quickly ran out of talent on the exit. Too much gas for too little grip and I lost three spots in three turns. I gave an encore exiting turn 9 and ended up in the middle of the track yet somehow, didn't get hit. (on board with the Freep)
Next lap a full course caution came out and we ran around with the pace car for a long time. by then, I could hardly see Freep, i think he was in P3 and i was P13. During the yellow flag the rain stopped but the track was still very wet. After the caution it was looking like a 2 lap shootout. Freep lost a position then got it back before the end of the race to finish P3. I guess the long caution period helped me remember how to race in the rain again. I managed to pick up 7 spots in 2 laps to finish P6. At the finish line i had P5 to my right and P4 about 3 inches ahead.
Overall i think the Freep and I were happy with our week end results. Without mistakes and mechanical problems, i think we would have been fighting for the top spot each day. Competition is so tough in this series and i think the equipment has gotten better year by the year. Winter will definitely be the time to build some motors that can compete with the Mid Atlantic motor supplier. This years focus has been on setup, which has kept us up in the top of the pack.
Celebrate one of the most iconic race liveries in the history of racing with a photo gallery curated for us by our friend Drew from MotoringConBrio.com, a site you must visit if you like fine car photography.
MCB was also kind enough to run a profile article on Axis recently....like I said they have impeccable taste! :) You can find the article HERE and the photo gallery after the jump.
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.
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.
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.”
Once again the best highlight clips come from fans across the globe. This one is from Australia. Apologies in advance for the soundtrack...it will get on your nerves and likely get stuck in your head for weeks, Merry Christmas!
BTCC, Brands Hatch short circuit, Front Wheel Drive vs Rear Wheel Drive, close calls and lots of rubbing and a race decided on the last lap, does not get much better.
"...After considerable discussion, we've determined that the race leader, #93 Neon, is a ringer. Seeing the yellow streak barrel down the banked runs, it's obvious that its owners have either done some serious work to the engine or, at the very least, its got a wickedly hot cam coming on while climbing the tach. Further investigation is needed, so we'll try to get more information tonight..."
The Race is now over, the overall win went to the Manthey Racing GT3 RS-R (Bernhard, Lieb, Dumas, Tiemann)
The Motorsport Arena Oschersleben BMW Z4 M-Coupé of H.J Stuck, J.Stuck, Claudia Hütgen and Richard Göransson. won the SP6 class and came in 5th overall, 7 laps ahead of the 2nd place in class Bonnfinanz Motorsport 996 gt3.
I would also like to congratulate US drivers Michael Auriemma and John Mayes for their 2nd in class (S1), 36th overall in the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben BMW 120d. I met Michael at a NY BMWCCA track day at Pocono earlier this year and had a lot of fun being chased and chasing his 997TT. Good Show!
The Z4 shape makes for a hell of a nice looking race car. I cannot believe there are none racing in the US today. Above is the Bonk Motorsport (yes, you read that correctly!) Z4, built on a factory motorsport shell.
