Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/08/30/big-picture-stuff/
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Big picture stuff?
The motor racing world is a gloriously inward-looking one. People worry more about the number of sets of tyres that should be allowed for a weekend rather than whether the world is teetering on the brink of a new economic crisis. It has always been like this, but the relative ease with which F1 sailed [...]
Chris_Gascoine tops predictions in Belgium | Predictions Championship
Chris won this weekend's round despite not getting the pole sitter or winner correct.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/9r-8JHxrToo/
Dave Charlton Pedro Matos Chaves Bill Cheesbourg Eddie Cheever
Lee Noble's Fenix Automotive to join forces with Arrinera Automotive
Lee Noble is no neophyte in the supercar business, having already been involved in a number of exotic automotive ventures in the past. After founding Noble Supercars, Noble was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the M600. After selling the company a few years ago, Noble went ahead and established a new South Africa-based brand: Fenix Automotive.
Now, there’s word that Noble has become involved with another start-up exotic builder, Poland’s Arrinera Automotive. The skepticism surrounding the production of Arrinera’s Venocara supercar was justified when the car was unveiled a few months ago, mostly because of a lack of substantial funds to support the entire project. But now that Noble has entered the picture - he reportedly bought a five-percent share in the company - the entire Venocara project seems to have gained some traction.
As part of the agreement, both Arrinera and Fenix are hatching an agreement to create a small group of different brands that will build and develop their own respective supercars. The first step to this collaboration will constitute Fenix selling 50 percent of the company to Arrinera sometime this year, with the end game being that all these brands will form a powerful supercar network in the future.
We don’t know how all of this will play out, but it does create a little bit of excitement to see a group of start-up companies join forces to give the old guards of the industry a serious run for their money.
Lee Noble's Fenix Automotive to join forces with Arrinera Automotive originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 31 August 2011 15:00 EST.
Resurgent Hamilton worries Red Bull
A thrilling German Grand Prix, capped by a superb drive to victory by Lewis Hamilton, confirmed the growing impression that this Formula 1 season has a lot of life left in it.
Sebastian Vettel retains a massive 77-point lead in the championship after salvaging a difficult afternoon with a fourth place snatched from Ferrari's Felipe Massa in a late pit stop duel between the two teams.
But Red Bull have lost the performance advantage they enjoyed at the start of the season. They have won only once in four grands prix and, far more tellingly than that, they have been outpaced in the last two races.
At Silverstone, Fernando Alonso's Ferrari was faster than the Red Bull. At the Nurburgring on Sunday the Spaniard retained that position, and McLaren leapfrogged both of them.
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McLaren in general and Hamilton in particular, have taken a bit of flak from certain quarters in the last month or so, but they bounced back with a bang in Germany.
Hamilton drove a stunning lap in qualifying to split the Red Bulls on the grid, and he capped it with what he described as "one of the best races I've ever done".
The 26-year-old has produced so many inspirational drives in his career that it is difficult to say whether this was the best, but it was certainly right up there.
As has so often been the case, Hamilton owed his win partly to his unsurpassed abilities as a racer - Alonso's Ferrari emerged from his second pit stop in front, just ahead of the McLaren, but a trademark brilliant passing move around the outside of the red car at the second corner gave Hamilton the lead.
As Alonso struggled on tyres not quite up to temperature, Hamilton pulled out a 1.7-second lead on that lap and followed it with a succession of three fastest laps in a row to extend his advantage to more than three seconds. From there, it was simply a case of not making a mistake with the timing of the final pit stop.
It has been a turbulent few weeks for Hamilton. After pushing Vettel so close for victory in Spain back in May, the wheels seemed to come off a bit.
A difficult weekend in Monaco culminated in frustration and his ill-advised "Ali G" remarks. A disappointing qualifying session in Canada led to Hamilton seeking out Red Bull team principal Christian Horner for a chat about the future. High tyre wear left him fourth in Valencia, way off the pace of the Red Bulls and Alonso. And McLaren struggled again in Silverstone, hit harder than their rivals by the one-race restriction on the use of exhaust gases to boost downforce.
The effect that had had on Hamilton's optimism was clear on Friday when he said there was "no way" he could compete for pole, but his mood turned full circle on Saturday and he entered the race knowing he could compete for victory.
He grabbed the lead at the start, and although he was passed by Red Bull's Mark Webber following a mistake on lap 12, the Red Bull was not able to get away.
As Webber said, "the alarm bells started to ring then", and that analysis was spot on. Just as he had at the first stops, Webber came into the pits first, aiming to take advantage of the extra grip from fresh tyres. But the second time it did not work out, and the Red Bull was jumped by both Hamilton and Alonso, who then left him behind.
Just how much this win meant to Hamilton was clear in the post-race television interviews, as he tried and failed to fight back tears after he had finished speaking.
With those tears - and that drive - perhaps Hamilton has begun to shed the frustration of the past few weeks, and can now relax into a second half of the season that, on the evidence of the last two or three races, should make fascinating viewing.
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In the last two races now, the three top teams have fought out victory - and slowly this season is turning into exactly what it had promised to be before Vettel's amazing start.
It remains to be seen whether McLaren are back for good, or whether they benefited from the unique chilly conditions in Germany.
As far as Ferrari are concerned, though, there is now little doubt that they are a genuine challenge for Red Bull everywhere.
As Alonso pointed out, they have been contesting the lead at the last four races, all of which have been on very different tracks, and he now has a win and two second places from the last three grands prix.
The Hungarian Grand Prix next weekend will be a very telling event. Red Bull totally dominated it last year, but the evidence of the last few weeks suggests it may not be so easy for them this time around.
Ferrari, one suspects, will at least give them a run for their money, having proved in the last couple of races that they have largely solved the aerodynamic weaknesses in their car that blighted the start to their season. McLaren, though, appear still to lack efficiency in the sort of long-duration corners that abound at the Hungaroring, which may make life a bit more difficult for them.
Vettel will go there on the back of a rare off-weekend at the Nurburgring, when he was never comfortable in the car and never looking like getting on terms with Webber.
In the race - as has often been the case when he is not leading from the front - he looked ordinary, unable to find a way past Massa for the last 20 laps of the race and needing his pit crew to do the job for him heading into the last lap.
And so the questions over Vettel's ability when he is back in the pack remain.
The last two races have been an eye-opener for Red Bull - and on Sunday both Webber and Vettel talked about needing more from the car.
In the circumstances, Vettel will be pleased to have salvaged a fourth place, and kept his lead over Webber to more than three clear wins.
With such a huge advantage - Vettel is 82 points ahead of Hamilton and 86 in front of Alonso - it is still unlikely that he will be caught. But at least now he knows he has a real fight on his hands.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/07/resurgent_hamilton_puts_fright.html
Carlo Abate George Abecassis Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich
Vettel : ?We?re heads down?
Despite holding a massive 92 point lead at the top of the 2011 Formula 1 driver standings, Sebastian Vettel is remaining focused. The German has refused to accept that the title is all but over, saying that he will not be taking his eye of the prize until everything is ‘done and dusted’. Vettel – [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/yeajN8o6lWM/vettel-were-heads-down
Monday, 29 August 2011
Saab preparing to file for bankruptcy protection - report
The Saab saga could be coming to a close as a new report is indicating the troubled automaker will file paperwork for bankruptcy protection.
JeanPierre Beltoise Olivier Beretta Allen Berg Georges Berger
Sunday, 28 August 2011
McLaren hires an engine man?
McLaren has hired Formula 1 engine designer Axel Wendorff – but the word in Woking is that journalists should not jump to any obvious conclusions about what he will be doing for the group, as the intention (at least in the short term) is for him to be working on the team’s road car programmes. [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/08/27/mclaren-hires-an-engine-man/
Slim Borgudd Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais
Kubica?s final operation ?a total success? | 2011 F1 season
Robert Kubica has his final operation on his elbow following his crash earlier this year.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/MJJig5SIZ1c/
What Did You Get Today?
Hi all, being this topic has been started 2 years ago on another fourm and is still running, I decided to start one here for those who want to show of there latest scores and buys.
Here's what I got at our club meeting last night:
I allready got cracking on it and built the nice, but rather flimsy cardbord diorama. I'll be starting a WIP topic on the '37 soon and i'll put the diner on at the end when she's all finished. I also got old '90s mopar magazines and won a American Grafitti '58 Impala 'Vert diecast kit from our raffle (not shown in pics). The 'Impy I gave to my friend who i'm trying to get in to building; him and I are going build and paint it as i'm showing him the basics of modeling when he's ready.
Here's what I got at our club meeting last night:
I allready got cracking on it and built the nice, but rather flimsy cardbord diorama. I'll be starting a WIP topic on the '37 soon and i'll put the diner on at the end when she's all finished. I also got old '90s mopar magazines and won a American Grafitti '58 Impala 'Vert diecast kit from our raffle (not shown in pics). The 'Impy I gave to my friend who i'm trying to get in to building; him and I are going build and paint it as i'm showing him the basics of modeling when he's ready.Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/908812.aspx
Ernesto Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla Toni Branca Gianfranco Brancatelli
NASCAR: Patrick finishes 17th at Phoenix
Patrick finishes 17th at Phoenix By Diego Mejia Sunday, February 27th 2011, 07:21 GMT Danica Patrick improved on her previous form at Phoenix International Raceway by finishing 17th in Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide Series event. After an eventful first race at the one-mile Arizona oval last November, Patrick had a smoother run this time around as she continues to build on her stock car experience, while pondering still a possible full-time move from IndyCar. Although Patrick managed to finished the race two positions shy of her top-15 target, she eventually finished three laps down on winner Kyle Busch as the 200 laps saw little incidents and long green-flag periods that did not allow her to recover ground and be in contention further up. Related posts:- NASCAR: Patrick finishes 27th at Michigan Patrick finishes 27th at Michigan By Diego Mejia Sunday, August...
- Danica Patrick looking forward to NASCAR return FORT WORTH, Texas -- Danica Patrick is looking forward to...
- NASCAR: Patrick takes best NASCAR finish Patrick takes best NASCAR finish By Diego Mejia Saturday, February...
Source: http://doxcar.com/nascar-patrick-finishes-17th-at-phoenix/
Saturday, 27 August 2011
Show me your Engines - Post Dedicated to the Engine
Hi All... Everyone shows you the beautiful body paint jobs... But the one thing you don't see often is the beautiful engines in them. This Post is dedicated to the Beauty that is the Engine.
Show us your Engines:
Here's a few of my Engine builds:
1937 CORD 812 Engine
1949 Mercury Custom
1955 Chevy Bel Air
1966 Pontiac GTO
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/974177.aspx
Johnny Cecotto Andrea de Cesaris Francois Cevert Eugene Chaboud
'09 Challenger SRT
Hi,
No need for introduction, I guess. I'm so in love with this car that If it wasn't for the poor gas milleage as european standards are concerned, I'd order one right away. Well, true is, Mary wouldn't let me go for it.... wise wife I guess...
Never mind. Kit is Revell with its pros and cons, paint is Hemi Orange-FLC custom mixed by ZeroPaints. Top coating is Vallejo acrylic spray. Added some Pe's from Geronimo Works. Fun build, but tricky rear bumper. Hope you like it!
Nuno.
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/974730.aspx
Plan is to keep Senna for season, says LRGP
Bruno Senna has now been officially confirmed by Lotus Renault for the Italian GP, in addition to Belgium. The team adds that it intends to keep him for the rest of the year ? although bizarelly despite saying that, it … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/08/25/plan-is-to-keep-senna-for-season-says-lrgp/
Bruno Senna: ?I wasn?t expecting to get in the top 10??
Bruno Senna has silenced the critics of his promotion to a Lotus Renault race seat by doing a brilliant job to qualify seventh at Spa. The Brazilian, who is three places ahead of team mate Vitaly Petrov, admits he hadn?t … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/08/27/bruno-senna-i-wasnt-expecting-to-get-in-the-top-10/
Webber on ?no-brainer? Red Bull deal
Mark Webber has extended his contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2012 Formula 1 season. On the weekend of the Belgian Grand Prix, the Australian has been speaking about his future having decided to remain where he is for at least another year. He said: “I want to continue racing at the [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/iEBO0mIzBxE/webber-on-no-brainer-red-bull-deal
Doctors use Formula One pit crews as safety model
American Medical News reports hospitals in at least a dozen countries are learning how to translate the split-second timing and near-perfect synchronisation of Formula One pit crews to the high-risk handoffs of patients from surgery to recovery and intensive care.
"In Formula One, they have checklists, databases, and they have well-defined processes for doing things, and we don't really have any of those things in health care."
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/10/doctors_use_formula_one_pit_cr.php
Jimmy Daywalt JeanDenis Deletraz Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi
Friday, 26 August 2011
Spring Training 2011: Michael Waltrip, NASCAR team visit Chicago White Sox
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Two days before the green flag drops on the Cactus League schedule, NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip brought his racing team into the Chicago White Sox clubhouse.The former Daytona 500 winner, in town this weekend for Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup races, found there was plenty of NASCAR love emanating from the room. ESPNChicago.com White Sox blog The latest news and notes on the White Sox. Related posts:- VAR team hit with $25,000 fine after Michael Waltrip win CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NASCAR has penalized the Truck Series team...
- Michael Waltrip has grand plans for his race team in 2011 4-Wide: The Sleepers Of 2011 They might not be...
- Michael Waltrip wins emotional Trucks race at Daytona Waltrip Wins Race At Daytona Michael Waltrip wins Trucks...
Source: http://doxcar.com/spring-training-2011-michael-waltrip-nascar-team-visit-chicago-white-sox/
Jimmy Daywalt JeanDenis Deletraz Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi
Thursday, 25 August 2011
Blog off?
The F1 circus has disappeared off to different corners of the world to get a bit of a break. The F1 factories are closing down and everyone is dusting off their buckets and spades and heading for the beaches. It is time for this blog to shut down as well. I’ll be back in action [...]
Robert Kubica Could Be Ruled Out For At Least A Year Following Accident
Polish racing driver Robert Kubica will spend at least one whole year recovering from a rally crash he suffered this morning, according to his surgeon. Kubica, who races for Renault Lotus crashed the Skoda Fabia rally car this morning and was airlifted to hospital suffering serious injuries. He has spent many hours in surgery, with [...]
Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto
Adrenaline Supercars
Adrenaline Supercars originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 25 August 2011 14:23 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/car-games/car-games/adrenaline-supercars-ar102758.html
Audi R8 facelift leaked?
Audi has apparently released a new photo that previews the front end design of the 2013 R8. 
Source: http://feeds.worldcarfans.com/~r/worldcarfans/Jxfz/~3/-ECOcVMVRg8/audi-r8-facelift-leaked
Infiniti teases Sebastian Vettel Edition for Frankfurt [video]
F1 champ Sebastian Vettel getting an early glimpse at an upcoming Infiniti model from the brand's head of design. 
George Abecassis Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich Philippe Adams
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
2012 Porsche 911 (991) officially revealed
Next-generation 911 Carrera and Carrera S models will debut at the Franfkurt motor show but are available for order as of September 1st. 
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