Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Seventh Annual Dale Earnhardt Day Set for April 29th
Dale Earnhardt Inc. will host the seventh annual Dale Earnhardt Day at its corporate headquarters in Mooresville, N.C. on Tuesday, April 29th.
Ready for 2012 for Racing? I Wannabe!
2011 was a relatively lackluster year here at RacingReady.com… I will admit I lacked speed passion!� It was also a tough year for motorsports… I DO have some plans for 2012.� I hadn’t participated in actual autocross running since this past summer when I co-drove my Contributing Blogger’s hot, yellow Corvette – that was FUN!� [...]
Brace Yourself For The Off-Season Crew Members
The next couple of weeks will be a time for celebration in NASCAR. We’ll crown three different champions this weekend and then head to the respective banquets. It was a season of improved ratings, competition and the first Cup champion not named Jimmie Johnson since 2005. As some celebrate next week, a lot of others [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
The Porcupine, Semi-Hemi, Mystery Rat Motor
The big block Chevrolet V8 is known by a variety of names, but for most Chevrolet racers and hot rodders, it will always be simply the rat motor. How did such a popular engine come to be labeled as a rat?
Monday, January 30, 2012
Video Sneak Peek: Cadillac?s Super Bowl Commercial
GM’s Alpha platform will underpin the 6th Generation Camaro and maybe even another compact RWD Chevrolet in the coming years. The platform was developed for the recently-unveiled Cadillac ATS, so any time we’re shown a video of the ATS in action what we’re seeing is the future of GM’s enthusiast vehicles.
Senna: My New Favorite Racing Movie. How Does it Match Up with Yours?
Until I saw Senna, the 2010 documentary that beautifully paints a most intimate, insightful, inspiring and ultimately saddening masterpiece about the legendary Brazilian F1 driver, Grand Prix was my all time favorite racing movie.
But now, without any loss of luster, John Frankenheimer's 1966 epic, the winner of three Academy Awards, has dropped a position.
Senna is a brilliant film about Ayrton Senna da Silva and his remarkable, meteoric 10-year career at the pinnacle of motor racing, how he got there, who he was and what he valued. It documents an angst-filled relationship with fellow driver Alain Prost and the FIA, his record of excellence and unparalleled expertise in a race car, his deep religious beliefs, love for family, philanthropic efforts and wonderful humanity.
What makes this documentary so special is how director Asif Kapadia and writer Manish Pandey could only tell Senna's story via existing footage gathered from a wide variety of sources, but predominately from ESPN as the film was produced by ESPN/Working Title and distributed by Universal Pictures/Disney Pictures.
So instead of being able to start with a blank canvas or script the film would have to be the brilliant assembly of a puzzle, blending decades of archived footage, interviews and home movies with a sensitive, compassionate score in order to accurately present how a shy, gifted young racer from South America conquered and eventually transcended the highest level of motorsports. Including the shock, sorrow and impact from a death that came far too early, on the race track, a tragedy broadcast live to more than 300 million race fans.
Senna hit all its marks. It was released to international acclaim, boasting 'best' awards from the Sundance, Los Angeles, Melbourne International and Adelaide Film Festivals. The Guardian's (United Kingdom) Steve Rose, wrote "With so much recorded footage of Formula One available, it has been possible to fashion Senna's story as a live action drama rather than a posthumous documentary. We're not so much hearing what happened in the past as seeing it happen before our eyes."
There are two versions of the movie, the original extended length cut in Portuguese and the theatrical version narrated by Josh Brolin. Reviewers, presumably those who know that language, seem to feel the longer movie is even better than the English edit. I do not know Portuguese but I certainly don't feel as if Senna was lacking in any way.
After all, the movie I saw is now at the top of my Top 10 Racing Movie list:
1. Senna (2010) -- See above.
2. Grand Prix (1966) -- James Garner, Yves Montand and Eva Marie Saint in a melodramatic epic featuring produced track action and racing sequences that may never be duplicated.
3. Heart Like a Wheel (1983) -- Bonnie Bedelia and Jeff Bridges as NHRA drag racers Shirley Muldowney, the sport's first female champion, and Connie Kalitta as her mentor and lover.
4. Winning (1969) -- Paul Newman, Robert Wagner, Joanne Woodward and Robbie Benson at the Indy 500; the movie that sunk the real life racing hook into Cool Hand Luke.
5. The World's Fastest Indian (2005) -- Anthony Hopkins portrays New Zealander Burt Munro in this story of his 1967 quest to set a land speed record at Bonneville on a 1920 Indian motorcycle.
6. The Big Wheel (1949) -- Mickey Rooney in a wonderful black and white B-movie production about a young racer who goes from short tracks and midgets to the Indianapolis 500.
7. The Dale Earnhardt Story (2004) -- For a low budget TV movie from ESPN and shot in less than three weeks this tribute to The Intimidator starring Barry Pepper is a must see.
8. Le Mans (1971) -- Steve McQueen's homage to Le Mans racing, fraught with script, logistics and production problems but still a cult classic worthy of a place in every race fan's collection.
9. Greased Lightning (1977) -- Richard Pryor plays Wendell Scott, the first black driver to race in the premier NASCAR division; also starring Beau Bridges and Pam Grier.
10. The Last American Hero (1973) -- Jeff Bridges, Valerie Perrine and Geraldine Fitzgerald in a film based on Tom Wolfe's book about moonshiner-turned-NASCAR legend Junior Johnson.
Honorable mention: Cars (2006) -- State of the art digital animation, the vocal talents of A list actors and racing legends plus a decent, moral-to-the-story script that works for all ages.
There are at least two new racing movies in the works, one a narrative drama from Senna writer Pandley about Ferrari drivers Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins in the late 1950s and early 1960s, complete with manufactured love interest; the other from Oscar winning director Ron Howard and scripted by Peter Morgan (Nixon) about the 1976 F1 season and the championship battle between Ferrari's Nikki Lauda and McLaren driver James Hunt.
Read More of Bill Tybur at his website: https://fmfl.net
But now, without any loss of luster, John Frankenheimer's 1966 epic, the winner of three Academy Awards, has dropped a position.
Senna is a brilliant film about Ayrton Senna da Silva and his remarkable, meteoric 10-year career at the pinnacle of motor racing, how he got there, who he was and what he valued. It documents an angst-filled relationship with fellow driver Alain Prost and the FIA, his record of excellence and unparalleled expertise in a race car, his deep religious beliefs, love for family, philanthropic efforts and wonderful humanity.
What makes this documentary so special is how director Asif Kapadia and writer Manish Pandey could only tell Senna's story via existing footage gathered from a wide variety of sources, but predominately from ESPN as the film was produced by ESPN/Working Title and distributed by Universal Pictures/Disney Pictures.
So instead of being able to start with a blank canvas or script the film would have to be the brilliant assembly of a puzzle, blending decades of archived footage, interviews and home movies with a sensitive, compassionate score in order to accurately present how a shy, gifted young racer from South America conquered and eventually transcended the highest level of motorsports. Including the shock, sorrow and impact from a death that came far too early, on the race track, a tragedy broadcast live to more than 300 million race fans.
Senna hit all its marks. It was released to international acclaim, boasting 'best' awards from the Sundance, Los Angeles, Melbourne International and Adelaide Film Festivals. The Guardian's (United Kingdom) Steve Rose, wrote "With so much recorded footage of Formula One available, it has been possible to fashion Senna's story as a live action drama rather than a posthumous documentary. We're not so much hearing what happened in the past as seeing it happen before our eyes."
There are two versions of the movie, the original extended length cut in Portuguese and the theatrical version narrated by Josh Brolin. Reviewers, presumably those who know that language, seem to feel the longer movie is even better than the English edit. I do not know Portuguese but I certainly don't feel as if Senna was lacking in any way.
After all, the movie I saw is now at the top of my Top 10 Racing Movie list:
1. Senna (2010) -- See above.
2. Grand Prix (1966) -- James Garner, Yves Montand and Eva Marie Saint in a melodramatic epic featuring produced track action and racing sequences that may never be duplicated.
3. Heart Like a Wheel (1983) -- Bonnie Bedelia and Jeff Bridges as NHRA drag racers Shirley Muldowney, the sport's first female champion, and Connie Kalitta as her mentor and lover.
4. Winning (1969) -- Paul Newman, Robert Wagner, Joanne Woodward and Robbie Benson at the Indy 500; the movie that sunk the real life racing hook into Cool Hand Luke.
5. The World's Fastest Indian (2005) -- Anthony Hopkins portrays New Zealander Burt Munro in this story of his 1967 quest to set a land speed record at Bonneville on a 1920 Indian motorcycle.
6. The Big Wheel (1949) -- Mickey Rooney in a wonderful black and white B-movie production about a young racer who goes from short tracks and midgets to the Indianapolis 500.
7. The Dale Earnhardt Story (2004) -- For a low budget TV movie from ESPN and shot in less than three weeks this tribute to The Intimidator starring Barry Pepper is a must see.
8. Le Mans (1971) -- Steve McQueen's homage to Le Mans racing, fraught with script, logistics and production problems but still a cult classic worthy of a place in every race fan's collection.
9. Greased Lightning (1977) -- Richard Pryor plays Wendell Scott, the first black driver to race in the premier NASCAR division; also starring Beau Bridges and Pam Grier.
10. The Last American Hero (1973) -- Jeff Bridges, Valerie Perrine and Geraldine Fitzgerald in a film based on Tom Wolfe's book about moonshiner-turned-NASCAR legend Junior Johnson.
Honorable mention: Cars (2006) -- State of the art digital animation, the vocal talents of A list actors and racing legends plus a decent, moral-to-the-story script that works for all ages.
There are at least two new racing movies in the works, one a narrative drama from Senna writer Pandley about Ferrari drivers Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins in the late 1950s and early 1960s, complete with manufactured love interest; the other from Oscar winning director Ron Howard and scripted by Peter Morgan (Nixon) about the 1976 F1 season and the championship battle between Ferrari's Nikki Lauda and McLaren driver James Hunt.
Read More of Bill Tybur at his website: https://fmfl.net
New Backpack Cooler Keeps Cold-Ones Close By
An innovative backpack cooler from TrackPack chills and dispenses 20 beverage cans with the flick of a wrist, complies with most public venues and tracks and is easy for one person to carry. Drink up!
Confirmed: Austin USGP Race on 2012 F1 Schedule!
We’ve been on pins & needles about the possibility of this being a non-event for over the past 2 weeks.� We are SO relieved as is all of Formula 1 fandom, especially those of us geographically located in South/Central Texas.� Here’s the official press release direct from Circuit of The Americas (COTA): FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [...]
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Paul Stefansky?s Boss Hoss Mustang Funny Car
The Boss Hoss was Paul Stefansky's entry for the 1968 drag racing season. The rare notchback Mustang funny car relied on an injected
Ford SOHC for power.
Ford SOHC for power.
Voltage Regulators In Vehicles
The gears that regulate the steady voltage output are known as Voltage Regulators. Steady voltage outputs cannot be maintained by electronic gears as they are manufactured to recognize low maximum voltage and on giving high voltage they can be dented. Low voltage can also not be able to give sufficient power for the gears. This [...]
Martinsville Qualifying Rained Out
Sorry if I havn’t been on here in a while, I’ve been a bust little kitten! Martinsville qualifying got rained out last Friday, so everyone at this point knows the drill after all that mess goes down. The starting grid goes in order by points. Surprise, surprise! Why don? we just serve Jimmie Johnson his [...]
Merry Christmas To All
Cross Posted from Rev’Jim’s RantsnRaves Santa didn’t forget We almost let Christmas slip by without offering a wish list for some of our favorite drivers, teams, and NASCAR personalities. I’m not going to let that happen. Silly season never really ended. Bobby Labonte was released from Petty Enterprises even after avowing his loyalty to that [...]
Early Spin Results in 33rd-place Finish for Ragan
Newly paved track in Phoenix doesn't bring good fortune for Ragan and the UPS team
Saturday, January 28, 2012
No Treats in Martinsville; Ragan Victim in Early Incident
David Ragan and the UPS team started 18th and finished 33rd at Martinsville Speedway after receiving damage to their radiator early in the race
Why Do The PCM Die?
The PCM is a car computer elected to organize and control the engine control system of a vehicle. The module contains electronics resided in a circuit board which had many layers. The work of PCM is to keep an eye on air/fuel mixture and to fine-tune it accordingly. PCM also employs the catalytic convertor to [...]
Battle in Bristol; Ragan Finishes 20th
David Ragan and the UPS team battled in Bristol. They started 24th and finished 20th.
NASCAR Got The Chase They Wanted
And then there were two. Following Sunday’s Cup Series race at Phoenix, only two drivers, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards, still have a shot at the title. �Every other Chaser has been mathematically eliminated. �As we get ready for Homestead, we are in for one hell of �a battle with the two drivers we do [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Friday, January 27, 2012
Ask The Insiders Wednesday #152
The end is near. �All three series will close out their 2011 seasons this weekend at Homestead. �The Truck and Nationwide battles are all but sewed up, but we’ve got one hell of fight for the Cup title. �As we wait to find out who will be crowned, we’ve got the 152nd round of reader [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
How To Maintain The Starting And Charging System of Vehicle
Part of electrical system responsible for starting the vehicle is called the starting system. The system starts the vehicle in two steps. Firstly, you need to insert and then turn the key of vehicle in ignition switch to start the vehicle. Second step is taken when the action of turning key in ignition button closes [...]
Replacing Powertrain Control Module
Many different works and functions of a vehicle are performed by ?the power train control module?. Information is acknowledged by the module from different engine sensors and then module calculates the fuel flow rate necessary for protection of right quantity of air or fuel ratio during operational range. PCM, on the basis of information received [...]
Richard Petty's Driver Search is On
If you are an aspiring racer looking to develop your skills and advance your career, Richard Petty’s Driver Search is the program for you.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
HOT ROD Road Trip Catalina is on eBay
Freiburger and Finnegan took off to El Paso, Texas, to buy a car and drive it back to the HOT ROD office in El Segundo, California. The auction will be ending about the time the guys finish their 800-mile voyage. The highlight of the all-original car is the 400 Pontiac V8 that appears to be [...]
Ragan Overcomes Spin; Finishes 11th in Charlotte
David Ragan and the UPS team started 11th and finished 11th at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Goings on at Amy?s Bad Groove
Here are a couple of excerpts from Amy’s Bad Groove this week: In I Have Stupid (NASCAR) Questions, I laments over the fact that she has questions about NASCAR she is afraid to ask…for fear of looking stupid: Anyway I have been a NASCAR fan for years (as in since childhood)?and I have a couple [...]
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Petty Holdings Announces Richard Petty's Driver Search
Training Camp & Competition Will Award Opportunity in ARCA Racing
Series and Marcos Ambrose and Randy LaJoie have joined the staff of
Richard Petty's Driver Search.
Series and Marcos Ambrose and Randy LaJoie have joined the staff of
Richard Petty's Driver Search.
No, We Aren?t Dead
We’ve received some concerned tweets, emails, and comments about our whereabouts and I just wanted to drop in and ease your minds. No, we aren’t dead, haven’t been laid off, or been abducted by aliens. We are still deeply entrenched where we’ve always been. But after nearly four straight years of working on the blog [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Rolex Series on the rise, Austin F1 race sinking fast.
On Tuesday I watched, with great interest and enthusiasm, the Grand-Am press conference introducing the new Corvette-ish bodywork for all the 2012 Chevy-Powered Daytona Prototypes in the Rolex Series.
I take back every doubt or slam ever uttered about sports car racing owned and operated by NASCAR. This car looks great. The manufacturer ?specific visual concept is going to work, just like it does in Cup, NNS and trucks to built interest and expand the fan base. I can?t wait to see what Ford reveals to clearly reference ? what? The Mustang? The Focus? (Naaah.) The Fusion? What will Ganassi or BMW come up with for their cars? Are there any Porsche-powered cars left now that Action has become a bow tie team?
That was Tuesday. It was the best of times.
On Wednesday I felt like the Dickens when I scanned the latest F1 headlines on SPEED: Ecclestone ? Austin Race Set To Be Called Off and US GP Now In Doubt, (Texas State Comptroller) Combs Letter Promised Advanced Payment for Austin Race.
For F1 fans, this is the worst of times.
I?ve been worried about the Austin F1 race at the new Circuit of the Americas ever since it was announced because I didn?t believe Uncle Sam?s international reputation, to say nothing of what we see when we look in the mirror, couldn?t take another hit after the USF1 Team fiasco.
Yet here we are again.
As I understand this, Tevo Helmund negotiated the deal as the race promoter which involved a money group headed by billionaire Rex McComb to help develop the property . The whole project was based on a $25 million dollar per year commitment from the Lone Star state, with the first payment promised by July 31 of this year.
The check didn?t arrive, payment deadlines were missed, the race date was bumped four months and suddenly there were reports of rancor between Helmund and the developers even as construction of the very expensive but clearly first class Herman Tilke ?designed track and facility complex had begun.
This threesome gone bad apparently still has a couple of weeks to get their act together before F1 officially toe tags the race. I don?t know what kind of arrangement misunderstandings have caused the rift between the promoter and the track developers but I?ll bet the fact that the $25 million, which was promised in writing, is now being withheld until after next year's hanging-by-a-thread race has a lot to do with it.
The race contract between Helmund?s Full Throttle Productions and Formula 1 has been cancelled and the track wants to renegotiate with Ecclestone, good luck with that, rather than accept a simple transfer of the agreement.
You?d think their existing investment in the new Circuit of the Americas track would be so great they really have no choice other than to make this work.
But I don't have a lot of optimism. So I will look forward to the first Grand-Am test session featuring the new DPs in January and the 50th running of the Rolex 24 a few weeks later and just wait and see what happens with the Austin deal.
Wait. And hope.
I take back every doubt or slam ever uttered about sports car racing owned and operated by NASCAR. This car looks great. The manufacturer ?specific visual concept is going to work, just like it does in Cup, NNS and trucks to built interest and expand the fan base. I can?t wait to see what Ford reveals to clearly reference ? what? The Mustang? The Focus? (Naaah.) The Fusion? What will Ganassi or BMW come up with for their cars? Are there any Porsche-powered cars left now that Action has become a bow tie team?
That was Tuesday. It was the best of times.
On Wednesday I felt like the Dickens when I scanned the latest F1 headlines on SPEED: Ecclestone ? Austin Race Set To Be Called Off and US GP Now In Doubt, (Texas State Comptroller) Combs Letter Promised Advanced Payment for Austin Race.
For F1 fans, this is the worst of times.
I?ve been worried about the Austin F1 race at the new Circuit of the Americas ever since it was announced because I didn?t believe Uncle Sam?s international reputation, to say nothing of what we see when we look in the mirror, couldn?t take another hit after the USF1 Team fiasco.
Yet here we are again.
As I understand this, Tevo Helmund negotiated the deal as the race promoter which involved a money group headed by billionaire Rex McComb to help develop the property . The whole project was based on a $25 million dollar per year commitment from the Lone Star state, with the first payment promised by July 31 of this year.
The check didn?t arrive, payment deadlines were missed, the race date was bumped four months and suddenly there were reports of rancor between Helmund and the developers even as construction of the very expensive but clearly first class Herman Tilke ?designed track and facility complex had begun.
This threesome gone bad apparently still has a couple of weeks to get their act together before F1 officially toe tags the race. I don?t know what kind of arrangement misunderstandings have caused the rift between the promoter and the track developers but I?ll bet the fact that the $25 million, which was promised in writing, is now being withheld until after next year's hanging-by-a-thread race has a lot to do with it.
The race contract between Helmund?s Full Throttle Productions and Formula 1 has been cancelled and the track wants to renegotiate with Ecclestone, good luck with that, rather than accept a simple transfer of the agreement.
You?d think their existing investment in the new Circuit of the Americas track would be so great they really have no choice other than to make this work.
But I don't have a lot of optimism. So I will look forward to the first Grand-Am test session featuring the new DPs in January and the 50th running of the Rolex 24 a few weeks later and just wait and see what happens with the Austin deal.
Wait. And hope.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Hobart Brothers Welding Tips Poster
Hobart Brothers offers the cure to common stick welding troubles. The poster illustrates common weld defects, their causes and solutions and is available free of charge in Spanish and English.
STAGE RALLYING THRILLS CROWDS AT BRANDS HATCH
Stage Rallying returned to Brands Hatch on Sunday 22nd January 2012 with the successful second running of the TRS (Essex) Ltd Brands Hatch Stage Rally. Chelmsford Motor Club, the JLT Sport / MSA Club of the Year 2009, secured a full entry within only two days of entries opening. The capacity field enjoyed the variation [...]
Can't Compare Johnson's Three to Cale Yarborough's Three
So Jimmy Johnson won his third championship in a row yesterday. Good for him. But it can't be considered the same as when Yarborough did it in the '70s. Keep with me after the jump for more...
Monday, January 23, 2012
Another Mustang Funny Car Mystery
Who built the notch-back Mustang funny car that appeared briefly at North Brother's Ford in 1967? What happened to it? Help solve a 44 year mystery.
Richard Petty's Driver Search is On
If you are an aspiring racer looking to develop your skills and advance your career, Richard Petty’s Driver Search is the program for you.
Fuel Strategy Leads to Seventh-Place Finish at NHMS
David and the UPS team earned a seventh-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
The 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona is Shaping Up to be a Classic
By Larry Edsall
Later this month, they?ll stage the round-the-clock sports car race at Daytona International Speedway for the 50th* time. (I?ll explain the asterisk in a minute.)
Fifty years of anything is a significant milestone, and this event should be absolutely amazing, if not for the competition on the track but because the organizers are turning the race weekend into a reunion for former winning cars and their surviving drivers.
Last I heard (which was around the middle of December), only three former winning cars had yet to be found -- the Ferrari 312PB Mario Andretti ad Jacky Ickx drove in 1972, the Interscope Porsche that Hurley Haywood, Danny Ongais and Ted Field drove to victory in 1979, and the Ferrari 333SP in which Gianpiero Moretti, Arie Luyendyk, Mauro Baldi and Dider Theys won in 1998.
If you can?t wait or if you won?t be in Daytona for the race and reunion, you can see a photographic display of the winning cars on the speedway?s website:
http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/Vanity-Pages/50th-Rolex-24/50-Years-of-Champions-Display.aspx
If you look at that pictorial display, you might be surprised to see that Dan Gurney won the first race in 1962 driving solo in a Lotus-Climax 19B. How could that be? It could be because the first race lasted only three hours. Back then, it was the Daytona Continental, not the Rolex 24, and Gurney, driving for Frank Arciero, was one of several soloists in the race. Others included Jim Hall, who finished third in his Chaparral, and Stirling Moss, who came fourth in a NART Ferrari 250 GT.
Top team making a driver change was another NART entry, a Dino 246SP driven by Phil Hill and Ricardo Rodriguez.
By the way, NASCAR star Fireball Roberts was 12th in yet another NART Ferrari. Indy star Rodger Ward was 27th in a Pontiac Tempest.
That?s right, a Pontiac Tempest, one of four entered in that inaugural event. Oh, and Ward?s performance was good for second place in the GT4 class, which was on by Walt Hansgen in Briggs Cunningham?s Jaguar XK-E.
In 1964, the Daytona race went from three hours to 2,000 kilometers -- a distance Hill and Rodriguez covered in 12 hours, 40 minutes, 24.8 seconds in a Ferrari 250 GTO.
It wasn?t until 1966 that the format expanded to 24 hours -- Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby leading a 1-2-3 sweep by Ford GT40 Mk IIs.
The format has remained 24 hours, well, except for 1972, when it was shortened to six hours because of the fuel crisis, and in 1974, when it was canceled for the same reason.
Sanctioning bodies and eligible vehicles -- production-based vs. made-for-racing prototypes -- have changed through the years. But the challenge of racing full bore for twenty four remains daunting, for the teams, the drivers, the cars, and, yes, even for the spectators.
Larry is a noted author, car enthusiast and editor. You can read more of him at www.izoom.com.
Check out footage of defending Grand Am Rolex Champion Scott Pruett doing a lap at Daytona:
www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xlAF-xkjyzA
Later this month, they?ll stage the round-the-clock sports car race at Daytona International Speedway for the 50th* time. (I?ll explain the asterisk in a minute.)
Fifty years of anything is a significant milestone, and this event should be absolutely amazing, if not for the competition on the track but because the organizers are turning the race weekend into a reunion for former winning cars and their surviving drivers.
Last I heard (which was around the middle of December), only three former winning cars had yet to be found -- the Ferrari 312PB Mario Andretti ad Jacky Ickx drove in 1972, the Interscope Porsche that Hurley Haywood, Danny Ongais and Ted Field drove to victory in 1979, and the Ferrari 333SP in which Gianpiero Moretti, Arie Luyendyk, Mauro Baldi and Dider Theys won in 1998.
If you can?t wait or if you won?t be in Daytona for the race and reunion, you can see a photographic display of the winning cars on the speedway?s website:
http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/Vanity-Pages/50th-Rolex-24/50-Years-of-Champions-Display.aspx
If you look at that pictorial display, you might be surprised to see that Dan Gurney won the first race in 1962 driving solo in a Lotus-Climax 19B. How could that be? It could be because the first race lasted only three hours. Back then, it was the Daytona Continental, not the Rolex 24, and Gurney, driving for Frank Arciero, was one of several soloists in the race. Others included Jim Hall, who finished third in his Chaparral, and Stirling Moss, who came fourth in a NART Ferrari 250 GT.
Top team making a driver change was another NART entry, a Dino 246SP driven by Phil Hill and Ricardo Rodriguez.
By the way, NASCAR star Fireball Roberts was 12th in yet another NART Ferrari. Indy star Rodger Ward was 27th in a Pontiac Tempest.
That?s right, a Pontiac Tempest, one of four entered in that inaugural event. Oh, and Ward?s performance was good for second place in the GT4 class, which was on by Walt Hansgen in Briggs Cunningham?s Jaguar XK-E.
In 1964, the Daytona race went from three hours to 2,000 kilometers -- a distance Hill and Rodriguez covered in 12 hours, 40 minutes, 24.8 seconds in a Ferrari 250 GTO.
It wasn?t until 1966 that the format expanded to 24 hours -- Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby leading a 1-2-3 sweep by Ford GT40 Mk IIs.
The format has remained 24 hours, well, except for 1972, when it was shortened to six hours because of the fuel crisis, and in 1974, when it was canceled for the same reason.
Sanctioning bodies and eligible vehicles -- production-based vs. made-for-racing prototypes -- have changed through the years. But the challenge of racing full bore for twenty four remains daunting, for the teams, the drivers, the cars, and, yes, even for the spectators.
Larry is a noted author, car enthusiast and editor. You can read more of him at www.izoom.com.
Check out footage of defending Grand Am Rolex Champion Scott Pruett doing a lap at Daytona:
www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xlAF-xkjyzA
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Replacing Powertrain Control Module
Many different works and functions of a vehicle are performed by ?the power train control module?. Information is acknowledged by the module from different engine sensors and then module calculates the fuel flow rate necessary for protection of right quantity of air or fuel ratio during operational range. PCM, on the basis of information received [...]
Goings on at Amy?s Bad Groove
Here are a couple of excerpts from Amy’s Bad Groove this week: In I Have Stupid (NASCAR) Questions, I laments over the fact that she has questions about NASCAR she is afraid to ask…for fear of looking stupid: Anyway I have been a NASCAR fan for years (as in since childhood)?and I have a couple [...]
Did the Popularity of Street Courses Lead to the Demise of Road Racing?
By Larry Edsall
In my most recent post, I wrote about the heyday of professional road racing in the United States, back when the Can-Am and Trans-Am and even the F5000 series were as big a deal as NASCAR and even rivaled USAC-sanctioned Indy car races with the exception of the Indy 500, which at the time truly was the ?greatest spectacle in racing,? so important that almost nothing else happened during the entire month of May.
As I mentioned, the heyday-era road racing series -- Can-Am, Trans-Am and even Formula 5000 -- were such big deals that there actually were more people in the grandstands and on the hillsides than in the pits and paddock.
So what happened to cause the demise of road racing as a great American motorsport?
The most simple answer -- and albeit perhaps the most over-simplified answer -- can be given in, I suppose, in just two words: Chris Pook.
Born in Britain, Pook moved to the U.S. and in 1975 convinced the city of Long Beach, California, to allow him to stage an F5000 race on the city?s streets. A year later those cars were replaced by Formula One cars, yep, the real Grand Prix.
Nearly a decade later, when F1 sanctioning fees became even more outrageous, Pook offered his street circuit to Indy cars, specifically to the Championship Auto Racing Teams? branch of Indy car racing, which made its Long Beach debut in 1984.
Annually, a couple hundred thousand people showed up, some, no doubt, for the Indy car race, but perhaps just as many for a pro-celebrity race that put Hollywood types into race-prepped sedans. But perhaps even more were there for what was, basically, spring break for grown ups, or for as grown-up as people in Southern California might ever become. College kids went to Lake Havasu or Baja, post-college kids went to Long Beach.
Other cities saw the big crowd at Long Beach and wanted Indy car street races of their own.
Problem was, there are only a couple of weekends each year that work for adult spring break. Another problem was, racing between Jersey barriers on city streets isn?t really racing; it?s more of a fast parade interrupted too often to remove vehicles that collided with those barriers.
As I said, crediting Chris Pook for all of this is over-simplification. Maybe we should blame Indy?s Hulman family for allowing a situation in which the most prominent Indy car team owners revolted and broke away. Or maybe, as conspiracy theorists will tell you, it was actually the France family?s work to split the Speedway from its teams so NASCAR could race at the Brickyard and perhaps, someday, even buy the place for their International Speedway Corp.
Regardless of blame or credit, Indy cars racing on road and street circuits soon became the primary form of American road racing to the demise of the real road racers, the sports cars.
Contributing to the demise, though they would have argued just the opposite at the time, Just as there was a split within the Indy car community that led to the creation of CART, so, too, there was a split within sports car racing, with the new International Motor Sports Association challenging the old-guard SCCA -- and subsequently being challenged itself by the Daytona-backed Grand Am Road Racing.
Once again, Daytona and the France family enter the picture; maybe the conspiracy theorists are right after all?
Such splits never seem to improve the sport, they only open opportunities for some other form of racing to pull out into the passing lane and become more prominent. For example, instead of being the headliner at real road courses, what was left of the Trans-Am series became a support show for Indy car events on city streets.
And the split in sports car racing continues with Grand-Am and its support events on one side and the American Le Mans Series and its partners on the other. With the possible exception of the NFL-AFL split that led to the Super Bowl (and eventually to one united league), sports history clearly shows that unity wins, schism loses.
Sports car racing?s split helped open the way for Indy cars to move not only onto city streets but on traditional road courses as well; Indy car?s split opened the way for NASCAR to expand its schedule to paved oval tracks from coast to coast.
Oops, I need to put the gearbox into Reverse for just a second. Another thing that happened is that the original Can-Am series dissolved and eventually was resurrected as the new ?Can-Am,? actually sort of a merger of the Can-Am name with cars loosely based on those that had been running in F5000, though now with their wheels covered.
This new series did help accelerate the progress of several racing teams and drivers who were ripe to move up to Indy cars (think Carl Haas, Truesports, Bobby Rahal, Al Unser Jr., Danny Sullivan and others) as Indy car racing morphed from a series primarily on oval tracks to one more focused on road and street courses.
As it turned out, road racing wasn?t dead in the United States. But instead of real sports cars, it became dominated by Indy cars, which in turn became occupied not by young American drivers working their way up from dusty local ovals but by foreign-born drivers who grew up racing go-karts on paved courses.
And where did those young American racers go instead? Why, to Daytona and to stock car racing, of course.
So while many of those young American racers now are Chasing the Cup, Indy and sports car racers are left to chase their own tails.
Read more of Larry at www.izoom.com.
In my most recent post, I wrote about the heyday of professional road racing in the United States, back when the Can-Am and Trans-Am and even the F5000 series were as big a deal as NASCAR and even rivaled USAC-sanctioned Indy car races with the exception of the Indy 500, which at the time truly was the ?greatest spectacle in racing,? so important that almost nothing else happened during the entire month of May.
As I mentioned, the heyday-era road racing series -- Can-Am, Trans-Am and even Formula 5000 -- were such big deals that there actually were more people in the grandstands and on the hillsides than in the pits and paddock.
So what happened to cause the demise of road racing as a great American motorsport?
The most simple answer -- and albeit perhaps the most over-simplified answer -- can be given in, I suppose, in just two words: Chris Pook.
Born in Britain, Pook moved to the U.S. and in 1975 convinced the city of Long Beach, California, to allow him to stage an F5000 race on the city?s streets. A year later those cars were replaced by Formula One cars, yep, the real Grand Prix.
Nearly a decade later, when F1 sanctioning fees became even more outrageous, Pook offered his street circuit to Indy cars, specifically to the Championship Auto Racing Teams? branch of Indy car racing, which made its Long Beach debut in 1984.
Annually, a couple hundred thousand people showed up, some, no doubt, for the Indy car race, but perhaps just as many for a pro-celebrity race that put Hollywood types into race-prepped sedans. But perhaps even more were there for what was, basically, spring break for grown ups, or for as grown-up as people in Southern California might ever become. College kids went to Lake Havasu or Baja, post-college kids went to Long Beach.
Other cities saw the big crowd at Long Beach and wanted Indy car street races of their own.
Problem was, there are only a couple of weekends each year that work for adult spring break. Another problem was, racing between Jersey barriers on city streets isn?t really racing; it?s more of a fast parade interrupted too often to remove vehicles that collided with those barriers.
As I said, crediting Chris Pook for all of this is over-simplification. Maybe we should blame Indy?s Hulman family for allowing a situation in which the most prominent Indy car team owners revolted and broke away. Or maybe, as conspiracy theorists will tell you, it was actually the France family?s work to split the Speedway from its teams so NASCAR could race at the Brickyard and perhaps, someday, even buy the place for their International Speedway Corp.
Regardless of blame or credit, Indy cars racing on road and street circuits soon became the primary form of American road racing to the demise of the real road racers, the sports cars.
Contributing to the demise, though they would have argued just the opposite at the time, Just as there was a split within the Indy car community that led to the creation of CART, so, too, there was a split within sports car racing, with the new International Motor Sports Association challenging the old-guard SCCA -- and subsequently being challenged itself by the Daytona-backed Grand Am Road Racing.
Once again, Daytona and the France family enter the picture; maybe the conspiracy theorists are right after all?
Such splits never seem to improve the sport, they only open opportunities for some other form of racing to pull out into the passing lane and become more prominent. For example, instead of being the headliner at real road courses, what was left of the Trans-Am series became a support show for Indy car events on city streets.
And the split in sports car racing continues with Grand-Am and its support events on one side and the American Le Mans Series and its partners on the other. With the possible exception of the NFL-AFL split that led to the Super Bowl (and eventually to one united league), sports history clearly shows that unity wins, schism loses.
Sports car racing?s split helped open the way for Indy cars to move not only onto city streets but on traditional road courses as well; Indy car?s split opened the way for NASCAR to expand its schedule to paved oval tracks from coast to coast.
Oops, I need to put the gearbox into Reverse for just a second. Another thing that happened is that the original Can-Am series dissolved and eventually was resurrected as the new ?Can-Am,? actually sort of a merger of the Can-Am name with cars loosely based on those that had been running in F5000, though now with their wheels covered.
This new series did help accelerate the progress of several racing teams and drivers who were ripe to move up to Indy cars (think Carl Haas, Truesports, Bobby Rahal, Al Unser Jr., Danny Sullivan and others) as Indy car racing morphed from a series primarily on oval tracks to one more focused on road and street courses.
As it turned out, road racing wasn?t dead in the United States. But instead of real sports cars, it became dominated by Indy cars, which in turn became occupied not by young American drivers working their way up from dusty local ovals but by foreign-born drivers who grew up racing go-karts on paved courses.
And where did those young American racers go instead? Why, to Daytona and to stock car racing, of course.
So while many of those young American racers now are Chasing the Cup, Indy and sports car racers are left to chase their own tails.
Read more of Larry at www.izoom.com.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Busch can't do no wrong
Busch again was in the right place at the right time to claim victory in the pepsi 400
Starting System Of A Vehicle
Consider battery as a heart of your car?s electrical system. Without battery system cannot be started. To start it, a key is entered in ignition switch and turned. Then some specific quantity of current is passed through the neutral safety switch to a starter relay or starter solenoid. This permits high current to pass all [...]
Mazda Raceway at Harris Hill, MazdaMovement Meet ?n Greet a Success
Yesterday dawned cold & blustery, but that did not deter at least 82 Mazda enthusiasts.� We gathered at the newly rechristened Mazda Raceway at Harris Hill to meet fellow Mazda enthusiasts. There was a great variety of Mazda daily drivers & racers in the H2R parking – everything from an early 70′s vintage RX-3 to [...]
What Was Your NASCAR Best and Worst from 2011?
It was a wild season that began with 20-year-old Trevor Bayne winning the Daytona 500 and ended with a wild race that made series veteran Tony Stewart the first Cup Series Champion not named Jimmie Johnson since 2005. In the mean time: we saw 19 different winners, including five different first time winners; Kyle Busch [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
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Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Replacing Powertrain Control Module
Many different works and functions of a vehicle are performed by ?the power train control module?. Information is acknowledged by the module from different engine sensors and then module calculates the fuel flow rate necessary for protection of right quantity of air or fuel ratio during operational range. PCM, on the basis of information received [...]
Friday, January 20, 2012
The Buckpasser: B/G Willys Coupe
The Buckpasser Willys coupe was campaigned by Tinney and Tignanelli and competed in the B/Gas Coupe and Sedan class
Bad Luck in Atlanta; Ragan Finishes 35th
David Ragan and the UPS team had a solid run going at Atlanta Motor Speedway before a mechanical issue ended their day early
Thursday, January 19, 2012
NHRA Approves New Camaro Pro Stock Body
NHRA Tech Director Bob Blackwell gave Five Star Racing Bodies approval to build their 2012 Camaro SS Pro Stock body, which will debut at the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals March 8-11. Source: NHRA
The NASCAR Week That Was: Nov. 13-19
The fight for the Championship was the biggest story of the week as Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart sat just three points apart going into Homestead. The winner will become the sport’s first new Cup champion since 2005. In other news, NASCAR issued an unannounced penalty to Brad Keselowski this week after the driver criticized [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
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Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
No Treats in Martinsville; Ragan Victim in Early Incident
David Ragan and the UPS team started 18th and finished 33rd at Martinsville Speedway after receiving damage to their radiator early in the race
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
A Turbulent Start to the NASCAR Off-Season
We’re just a week into the NASCAR off-season and the changes are coming fast and heavy. Layoffs Around The shoe hasn’t dropped everywhere just yet, but so far Roush Fenway has undertaken a massive layoff that we’ve heard was as many as 125 employees. This included many long-time Roush employees. What’s loyalty worth in this [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
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Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Miller to Unveil Revolutionary TIG Welder at 2008 SEMA Show
Get hands-on experience and expert demonstrations of MIG welding, TIG welding and plasma cutting. Test Miller TIG and MIG welders that make it easier to learn to weldperfect for enthusiast-level motorsports applications.
How To Maintain The Starting And Charging System of Vehicle
Part of electrical system responsible for starting the vehicle is called the starting system. The system starts the vehicle in two steps. Firstly, you need to insert and then turn the key of vehicle in ignition switch to start the vehicle. Second step is taken when the action of turning key in ignition button closes [...]
New Backpack Cooler Keeps Cold-Ones Close By
An innovative backpack cooler from TrackPack chills and dispenses 20 beverage cans with the flick of a wrist, complies with most public venues and tracks and is easy for one person to carry. Drink up!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Ragan and UPS Crew Finish 11th in Chicago
David Ragan and the UPS team started 15th and finished 11th at Chicagoland Speedway on Monday afternoon
Patrick Goodin Getting ready for Formula D Irwindale!
Prepping for Formula D Round 7 Pro-am All Star Event.
Patrick Goodin, Florida Native, has been on a long road to get to this point in his driving career. After 3 years of going through the ranks of the pro-am circuit he finally managed to grab a license.
Competing in, and winning the Streetwise Drift Pro-am Championship [...]
Patrick Goodin, Florida Native, has been on a long road to get to this point in his driving career. After 3 years of going through the ranks of the pro-am circuit he finally managed to grab a license.
Competing in, and winning the Streetwise Drift Pro-am Championship [...]
No, We Aren?t Dead
We’ve received some concerned tweets, emails, and comments about our whereabouts and I just wanted to drop in and ease your minds. No, we aren’t dead, haven’t been laid off, or been abducted by aliens. We are still deeply entrenched where we’ve always been. But after nearly four straight years of working on the blog [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Vintage Ad of the Week: Hurst Line/Loc
What do you guys make of this quote from the Hurst Line/Loc ad, “If you don’t race at a strip it’s great at a stoplight.”? Obviously they didn’t mean holding a car at a stoplight on a hill, because they addressed that in the ad. Hmmmm, was this encouraging street racing? Sounds like this should [...]
Monday, January 16, 2012
New Hampshire Weekend Review
There is never any way, in the US at least, Formula One is going to steal NASCAR’s thunder. The racing world was amazed as 21 year old Sebastion Vettel became the youngest driver ever to win a points Grand Prix race in the history of that series. He did it at Monza in Italy, driving [...]
Ragan Rallies for 21st in Dover
David Ragan and the UPS team started 19th and finished 21st at Dover International Speedway
Connie Kalitta?s SOHC Ford Bounty Hunter Top Fuel Dragster
Connie Kalitta had his Ford SOHC Top Fuel car on display at the 1968 Autorama. It’s amazing how simple this rig looks. Slingshot dragster chassis, with a minimum of body work and a huge Ford V-8 mounted in front of the driver. This isn’t some cut-away display car, it is the complete dragster, ready to [...]
We Lost a Legend: Jim Lytle Passes
Jim Lytle, a pioneer in drag racing, passed away at his home in Hawaii. Jim’s ground-breaking Allison-powered ’34 Tudor, “Big Al” lead the way for future Funny Cars. “A cool combination of homebuilt hot rod and race car, the quickest (9.31), fastest (163) full-bodied car of its era (1964) cleverly enclosed ’34 rails and an [...]
Senna: My New Favorite Racing Movie. How Does it Match Up with Yours?
Until I saw Senna, the 2010 documentary that beautifully paints a most intimate, insightful, inspiring and ultimately saddening masterpiece about the legendary Brazilian F1 driver, Grand Prix was my all time favorite racing movie.
But now, without any loss of luster, John Frankenheimer's 1966 epic, the winner of three Academy Awards, has dropped a position.
Senna is a brilliant film about Ayrton Senna da Silva and his remarkable, meteoric 10-year career at the pinnacle of motor racing, how he got there, who he was and what he valued. It documents an angst-filled relationship with fellow driver Alain Prost and the FIA, his record of excellence and unparalleled expertise in a race car, his deep religious beliefs, love for family, philanthropic efforts and wonderful humanity.
What makes this documentary so special is how director Asif Kapadia and writer Manish Pandey could only tell Senna's story via existing footage gathered from a wide variety of sources, but predominately from ESPN as the film was produced by ESPN/Working Title and distributed by Universal Pictures/Disney Pictures.
So instead of being able to start with a blank canvas or script the film would have to be the brilliant assembly of a puzzle, blending decades of archived footage, interviews and home movies with a sensitive, compassionate score in order to accurately present how a shy, gifted young racer from South America conquered and eventually transcended the highest level of motorsports. Including the shock, sorrow and impact from a death that came far too early, on the race track, a tragedy broadcast live to more than 300 million race fans.
Senna hit all its marks. It was released to international acclaim, boasting 'best' awards from the Sundance, Los Angeles, Melbourne International and Adelaide Film Festivals. The Guardian's (United Kingdom) Steve Rose, wrote "With so much recorded footage of Formula One available, it has been possible to fashion Senna's story as a live action drama rather than a posthumous documentary. We're not so much hearing what happened in the past as seeing it happen before our eyes."
There are two versions of the movie, the original extended length cut in Portuguese and the theatrical version narrated by Josh Brolin. Reviewers, presumably those who know that language, seem to feel the longer movie is even better than the English edit. I do not know Portuguese but I certainly don't feel as if Senna was lacking in any way.
After all, the movie I saw is now at the top of my Top 10 Racing Movie list:
1. Senna (2010) -- See above.
2. Grand Prix (1966) -- James Garner, Yves Montand and Eva Marie Saint in a melodramatic epic featuring produced track action and racing sequences that may never be duplicated.
3. Heart Like a Wheel (1983) -- Bonnie Bedelia and Jeff Bridges as NHRA drag racers Shirley Muldowney, the sport's first female champion, and Connie Kalitta as her mentor and lover.
4. Winning (1969) -- Paul Newman, Robert Wagner, Joanne Woodward and Robbie Benson at the Indy 500; the movie that sunk the real life racing hook into Cool Hand Luke.
5. The World's Fastest Indian (2005) -- Anthony Hopkins portrays New Zealander Burt Munro in this story of his 1967 quest to set a land speed record at Bonneville on a 1920 Indian motorcycle.
6. The Big Wheel (1949) -- Mickey Rooney in a wonderful black and white B-movie production about a young racer who goes from short tracks and midgets to the Indianapolis 500.
7. The Dale Earnhardt Story (2004) -- For a low budget TV movie from ESPN and shot in less than three weeks this tribute to The Intimidator starring Barry Pepper is a must see.
8. Le Mans (1971) -- Steve McQueen's homage to Le Mans racing, fraught with script, logistics and production problems but still a cult classic worthy of a place in every race fan's collection.
9. Greased Lightning (1977) -- Richard Pryor plays Wendell Scott, the first black driver to race in the premier NASCAR division; also starring Beau Bridges and Pam Grier.
10. The Last American Hero (1973) -- Jeff Bridges, Valerie Perrine and Geraldine Fitzgerald in a film based on Tom Wolfe's book about moonshiner-turned-NASCAR legend Junior Johnson.
Honorable mention: Cars (2006) -- State of the art digital animation, the vocal talents of A list actors and racing legends plus a decent, moral-to-the-story script that works for all ages.
There are at least two new racing movies in the works, one a narrative drama from Senna writer Pandley about Ferrari drivers Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins in the late 1950s and early 1960s, complete with manufactured love interest; the other from Oscar winning director Ron Howard and scripted by Peter Morgan (Nixon) about the 1976 F1 season and the championship battle between Ferrari's Nikki Lauda and McLaren driver James Hunt.
Read More of Bill Tybur at his website: https://fmfl.net
But now, without any loss of luster, John Frankenheimer's 1966 epic, the winner of three Academy Awards, has dropped a position.
Senna is a brilliant film about Ayrton Senna da Silva and his remarkable, meteoric 10-year career at the pinnacle of motor racing, how he got there, who he was and what he valued. It documents an angst-filled relationship with fellow driver Alain Prost and the FIA, his record of excellence and unparalleled expertise in a race car, his deep religious beliefs, love for family, philanthropic efforts and wonderful humanity.
What makes this documentary so special is how director Asif Kapadia and writer Manish Pandey could only tell Senna's story via existing footage gathered from a wide variety of sources, but predominately from ESPN as the film was produced by ESPN/Working Title and distributed by Universal Pictures/Disney Pictures.
So instead of being able to start with a blank canvas or script the film would have to be the brilliant assembly of a puzzle, blending decades of archived footage, interviews and home movies with a sensitive, compassionate score in order to accurately present how a shy, gifted young racer from South America conquered and eventually transcended the highest level of motorsports. Including the shock, sorrow and impact from a death that came far too early, on the race track, a tragedy broadcast live to more than 300 million race fans.
Senna hit all its marks. It was released to international acclaim, boasting 'best' awards from the Sundance, Los Angeles, Melbourne International and Adelaide Film Festivals. The Guardian's (United Kingdom) Steve Rose, wrote "With so much recorded footage of Formula One available, it has been possible to fashion Senna's story as a live action drama rather than a posthumous documentary. We're not so much hearing what happened in the past as seeing it happen before our eyes."
There are two versions of the movie, the original extended length cut in Portuguese and the theatrical version narrated by Josh Brolin. Reviewers, presumably those who know that language, seem to feel the longer movie is even better than the English edit. I do not know Portuguese but I certainly don't feel as if Senna was lacking in any way.
After all, the movie I saw is now at the top of my Top 10 Racing Movie list:
1. Senna (2010) -- See above.
2. Grand Prix (1966) -- James Garner, Yves Montand and Eva Marie Saint in a melodramatic epic featuring produced track action and racing sequences that may never be duplicated.
3. Heart Like a Wheel (1983) -- Bonnie Bedelia and Jeff Bridges as NHRA drag racers Shirley Muldowney, the sport's first female champion, and Connie Kalitta as her mentor and lover.
4. Winning (1969) -- Paul Newman, Robert Wagner, Joanne Woodward and Robbie Benson at the Indy 500; the movie that sunk the real life racing hook into Cool Hand Luke.
5. The World's Fastest Indian (2005) -- Anthony Hopkins portrays New Zealander Burt Munro in this story of his 1967 quest to set a land speed record at Bonneville on a 1920 Indian motorcycle.
6. The Big Wheel (1949) -- Mickey Rooney in a wonderful black and white B-movie production about a young racer who goes from short tracks and midgets to the Indianapolis 500.
7. The Dale Earnhardt Story (2004) -- For a low budget TV movie from ESPN and shot in less than three weeks this tribute to The Intimidator starring Barry Pepper is a must see.
8. Le Mans (1971) -- Steve McQueen's homage to Le Mans racing, fraught with script, logistics and production problems but still a cult classic worthy of a place in every race fan's collection.
9. Greased Lightning (1977) -- Richard Pryor plays Wendell Scott, the first black driver to race in the premier NASCAR division; also starring Beau Bridges and Pam Grier.
10. The Last American Hero (1973) -- Jeff Bridges, Valerie Perrine and Geraldine Fitzgerald in a film based on Tom Wolfe's book about moonshiner-turned-NASCAR legend Junior Johnson.
Honorable mention: Cars (2006) -- State of the art digital animation, the vocal talents of A list actors and racing legends plus a decent, moral-to-the-story script that works for all ages.
There are at least two new racing movies in the works, one a narrative drama from Senna writer Pandley about Ferrari drivers Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins in the late 1950s and early 1960s, complete with manufactured love interest; the other from Oscar winning director Ron Howard and scripted by Peter Morgan (Nixon) about the 1976 F1 season and the championship battle between Ferrari's Nikki Lauda and McLaren driver James Hunt.
Read More of Bill Tybur at his website: https://fmfl.net
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Iran?s Car Enthusiast Community is Growing
In the midst of saber rattling – including threats against the U.S. Navy?s Fifth Fleet and blocking the Strait of Hormuz – Iranian car enthusiasts are celebrating the launch of the Caf� Racers satellite lunch group in Isfahan, Iran?s third largest city. The first, Tehran Caf� Racers, is in Iran?s capital city and recently celebrated [...]
Martinsville Qualifying Rained Out
Sorry if I havn’t been on here in a while, I’ve been a bust little kitten! Martinsville qualifying got rained out last Friday, so everyone at this point knows the drill after all that mess goes down. The starting grid goes in order by points. Surprise, surprise! Why don? we just serve Jimmie Johnson his [...]
From Racedriven ? Win a $25 BP Gas card photography Contest.
I?m sure most of us have seen the every changing gas prices daily over the past several months including hitting $4 for a gallon for gasoline at one point this year, so thanks to M80 on behalf of BP, I am running an automotive photography contest with each winner receiving one $25 BP Gift Cards. [...]
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Engine Compression Check Made Easy
Keep tabs on your engine's compression ratio and performance with this cool new compression tester from Katech Performance...
Friday, January 13, 2012
"Safe is Fast" On-Line Seminars Offer Chance for Young Racers
By Larry Edsall
I?ve just spent the last few minutes watching a couple promotional videos for the Road Racing Drivers Club?s new "Safe Is Fast" on-line seminars for young and would-be racers.
The seminar features some 90 minutes of information on subjects from physical and mental preparation to driving techniques, vehicle setup, and even how to get sponsorship.
If you have a son, daughter or grandchild who is eager to become a racing driver -- whether it?s in go-karts, bikes or stock cars -- you certainly need to send them to a good racing school, but even before that you should sit them down to watch these videos featuring people who have been there on the grid and who have studied motorsports for many years.
For example, doctors Steve Olvey and Terry Trammell, MDs who have put many drivers back together again after crashes, talk about the importance of helmets and HANS devices. Jacques Dellaire, a psychologist who has worked with many world-class racers, talks about focus and concentration.
Dario Franchitti and other racers discuss the transition from karts to cars. Patrick Long talks about learning a new track. Boris Said and others discuss the importance of being smooth.
And the list of subjects and presenters goes on and on, all the way to Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi and others talking about what team owners look for in young drivers.
You?ll pay serious money for a good racing school -- and the good ones certainly are worth the price -- but these on-line seminars are free. All you do need to do is to have your son, daughter or grandchild -- or niece, nephew or neighbor -- register through the www.safeisfast.com website.
By the way, safe not only is fast, but it?s smart.
Read more of Larry at www.izoom.com
I?ve just spent the last few minutes watching a couple promotional videos for the Road Racing Drivers Club?s new "Safe Is Fast" on-line seminars for young and would-be racers.
The seminar features some 90 minutes of information on subjects from physical and mental preparation to driving techniques, vehicle setup, and even how to get sponsorship.
If you have a son, daughter or grandchild who is eager to become a racing driver -- whether it?s in go-karts, bikes or stock cars -- you certainly need to send them to a good racing school, but even before that you should sit them down to watch these videos featuring people who have been there on the grid and who have studied motorsports for many years.
For example, doctors Steve Olvey and Terry Trammell, MDs who have put many drivers back together again after crashes, talk about the importance of helmets and HANS devices. Jacques Dellaire, a psychologist who has worked with many world-class racers, talks about focus and concentration.
Dario Franchitti and other racers discuss the transition from karts to cars. Patrick Long talks about learning a new track. Boris Said and others discuss the importance of being smooth.
And the list of subjects and presenters goes on and on, all the way to Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi and others talking about what team owners look for in young drivers.
You?ll pay serious money for a good racing school -- and the good ones certainly are worth the price -- but these on-line seminars are free. All you do need to do is to have your son, daughter or grandchild -- or niece, nephew or neighbor -- register through the www.safeisfast.com website.
By the way, safe not only is fast, but it?s smart.
Read more of Larry at www.izoom.com
Fuel Strategy Leads to Seventh-Place Finish at NHMS
David and the UPS team earned a seventh-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Danny Thompson looks to fulfill the speed dreams of his father
By Larry Edsall
In 1960, Mickey Thompson, a racing pioneer and innovative genius who built cars for Indy, for the drag racing, and for off-road competition, set out to become the first American to exceed 400 miles per hour in a piston-driven vehicle.
He built built a Bonneville-style streamliner, the Challenger I, and used its quartet of supercharged Pontiac engines to cover a measured mile at 406.6 mph, nearly 100 mph faster than the 22-year-old world record.
Unfortunately, Thompson was denied the record because his car could not complete the second half of the required two-way run on the Utah salt flats.
Five years later, that record was broken, by the Summers Brothers and their four-engined Goldenrod racer, which completed the necessary two-way run and boosted the wheel-driven record to 409.189 mph.
Undaunted but even more determined, Thompson built a new car. Officially known as the Ford Autolite Special because of its pair of supercharged Ford engines, Thompson?s Challenger 2 was rained out of its bid for a record run in 1968 and the entire effort was put on hold in 1969 when Detroit automakers withdrew their financial support of such motorsports programs.
Thompson went on to other racing endeavors, but early in 1988 he approached his son, Danny, and suggested they revive the quest with Mickey preparing the car and Danny doing the driving.
?A month later, my father was killed,? Danny recalls, tears still filling his eyes these 23 years later as he announces his plan to update his father?s car and to make an attempt late next summer ?to finish my dad?s dream and to fulfill my dream.?
Remarkably, the official wheel-driven land speed record has climbed only to 417.020 mph, though cars recently have exceeded 440 on one-way runs at Bonneville.
With financial backing from Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels and, he hopes, additional sponsors, a 63-year-old but remarkably fit and trim Danny Thompson will equip Challenger 2.5 with a pair of nitro-fueled 500-cubic-inch engines he expects to provide 3000 horsepower to a set of M/T tires that already have been ?spun? to 590 mph.
Thompson?s eyes brighten as he pronounces such speed -- ?five-hundred ninety miles per hour!!? He says he?d love to hit 500, but his realistic goal, he adds, is to push the record to at least 420.
In addition to updating the car to modern mechanical and safety standards, Danny Thompson plans to simplify some things.
For example, his father had equipped Challenger 2 with a split gas pedal so he could modulate power delivery from each Ford engine -- one of which was supercharged while the other was normally aspirated.
Danny Thompson may be an amazingly capable mechanic and fabricator, but he knows his father also was one of the world?s best drivers as well.
?You don?t want to make any mistakes,? Danny says. At such speeds, he adds, ?mistakes are unacceptable.?
Read more of Larry at www.izoom.com
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In 1960, Mickey Thompson, a racing pioneer and innovative genius who built cars for Indy, for the drag racing, and for off-road competition, set out to become the first American to exceed 400 miles per hour in a piston-driven vehicle.
He built built a Bonneville-style streamliner, the Challenger I, and used its quartet of supercharged Pontiac engines to cover a measured mile at 406.6 mph, nearly 100 mph faster than the 22-year-old world record.
Unfortunately, Thompson was denied the record because his car could not complete the second half of the required two-way run on the Utah salt flats.
Five years later, that record was broken, by the Summers Brothers and their four-engined Goldenrod racer, which completed the necessary two-way run and boosted the wheel-driven record to 409.189 mph.
Undaunted but even more determined, Thompson built a new car. Officially known as the Ford Autolite Special because of its pair of supercharged Ford engines, Thompson?s Challenger 2 was rained out of its bid for a record run in 1968 and the entire effort was put on hold in 1969 when Detroit automakers withdrew their financial support of such motorsports programs.
Thompson went on to other racing endeavors, but early in 1988 he approached his son, Danny, and suggested they revive the quest with Mickey preparing the car and Danny doing the driving.
?A month later, my father was killed,? Danny recalls, tears still filling his eyes these 23 years later as he announces his plan to update his father?s car and to make an attempt late next summer ?to finish my dad?s dream and to fulfill my dream.?
Remarkably, the official wheel-driven land speed record has climbed only to 417.020 mph, though cars recently have exceeded 440 on one-way runs at Bonneville.
With financial backing from Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels and, he hopes, additional sponsors, a 63-year-old but remarkably fit and trim Danny Thompson will equip Challenger 2.5 with a pair of nitro-fueled 500-cubic-inch engines he expects to provide 3000 horsepower to a set of M/T tires that already have been ?spun? to 590 mph.
Thompson?s eyes brighten as he pronounces such speed -- ?five-hundred ninety miles per hour!!? He says he?d love to hit 500, but his realistic goal, he adds, is to push the record to at least 420.
In addition to updating the car to modern mechanical and safety standards, Danny Thompson plans to simplify some things.
For example, his father had equipped Challenger 2 with a split gas pedal so he could modulate power delivery from each Ford engine -- one of which was supercharged while the other was normally aspirated.
Danny Thompson may be an amazingly capable mechanic and fabricator, but he knows his father also was one of the world?s best drivers as well.
?You don?t want to make any mistakes,? Danny says. At such speeds, he adds, ?mistakes are unacceptable.?
Read more of Larry at www.izoom.com
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Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Battle in Bristol; Ragan Finishes 20th
David Ragan and the UPS team battled in Bristol. They started 24th and finished 20th.
Voltage Regulators In Vehicles
The gears that regulate the steady voltage output are known as Voltage Regulators. Steady voltage outputs cannot be maintained by electronic gears as they are manufactured to recognize low maximum voltage and on giving high voltage they can be dented. Low voltage can also not be able to give sufficient power for the gears. This [...]
Chevrolet Debuts Two Compact Coupe Concepts
Chevrolet introduced two concept coupes at the 2012 North American International Auto Show aimed at the next-generation of car buyers. Based on customer feedback, Chevrolet designed the cars with exciting style, fuel economy, and driver conectivity in mind. The red coupe, dubbed Code 130R, is a rear-wheel drive, four-seat coupe that rides on a 109-inch [...]
New Hampshire Weekend Review
There is never any way, in the US at least, Formula One is going to steal NASCAR’s thunder. The racing world was amazed as 21 year old Sebastion Vettel became the youngest driver ever to win a points Grand Prix race in the history of that series. He did it at Monza in Italy, driving [...]
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
The Dennett Brothers B/G Chevelle Psycho
The Dennett Brothers took a different approach to the Gas Coupe class, choosing a modern Chevelle over the more common Willys and Anglia body shells.
Here?s one for Bike Lovers
HOT ROD hasn’t run motorcycle tech in ages, but we know that a lot of gearheads love just about anything that turns gasoline into noise, whether it has four wheels or not. We found this gorgeous supermotard at BikeExif and we knew you guys would appreciate it. It’s built by by the guys at Kraus [...]
Ohio George Willys Gasser at The Henry Ford
Ohio George Montgomery's famous Willys Gasser is on display at the Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan. Great opportunity for drag racing fans to see a slice of history up close.
Monday, January 9, 2012
This Weekends Race?
I just got this email through NASCAR.com Due to inclement weather from Tropical Storm Hanna, tomorrow?s Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway has been postponed until 1 p.m. Sunday. The Nationwide event will now be run at 7 p.m. Sunday.
Unlucky Day in Kansas; Ragan Finishes 20th
David Ragan and the UPS team started 13th and finished 20th at Kansas Speedway on Sunday
Dodge Releases Charger Redline Info Ahead of NAIAS Debut
That, ladies and gentlemen, is the Stage 1 Charger Redline, available on Charger R/T models with the 5.7L Hemi. Stage One features a full-width Mopar carbon fiber chin spoiler, Redline Tri-coat paint, and a two-piece grille with a body-color grille surround with black insert. Additional carbon fiber can be found in the Mopar door scoops [...]
Sunday, January 8, 2012
New Hampshire Weekend Review
There is never any way, in the US at least, Formula One is going to steal NASCAR’s thunder. The racing world was amazed as 21 year old Sebastion Vettel became the youngest driver ever to win a points Grand Prix race in the history of that series. He did it at Monza in Italy, driving [...]
Former Winners Set For Jack Frost Stages Rally
As entries continue to arrive on a daily basis, already the names of two former winners will be on the start line when Darlington and District Motor Club's Jack Frost Stages Rally gets underway at Croft Circuit later this month. Triple winner from the last three years, Paul Bird, will be travelling over from his [...]
"Safe is Fast" On-Line Seminars Offer Chance for Young Racers
By Larry Edsall
I?ve just spent the last few minutes watching a couple promotional videos for the Road Racing Drivers Club?s new "Safe Is Fast" on-line seminars for young and would-be racers.
The seminar features some 90 minutes of information on subjects from physical and mental preparation to driving techniques, vehicle setup, and even how to get sponsorship.
If you have a son, daughter or grandchild who is eager to become a racing driver -- whether it?s in go-karts, bikes or stock cars -- you certainly need to send them to a good racing school, but even before that you should sit them down to watch these videos featuring people who have been there on the grid and who have studied motorsports for many years.
For example, doctors Steve Olvey and Terry Trammell, MDs who have put many drivers back together again after crashes, talk about the importance of helmets and HANS devices. Jacques Dellaire, a psychologist who has worked with many world-class racers, talks about focus and concentration.
Dario Franchitti and other racers discuss the transition from karts to cars. Patrick Long talks about learning a new track. Boris Said and others discuss the importance of being smooth.
And the list of subjects and presenters goes on and on, all the way to Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi and others talking about what team owners look for in young drivers.
You?ll pay serious money for a good racing school -- and the good ones certainly are worth the price -- but these on-line seminars are free. All you do need to do is to have your son, daughter or grandchild -- or niece, nephew or neighbor -- register through the www.safeisfast.com website.
By the way, safe not only is fast, but it?s smart.
Read more of Larry at www.izoom.com
I?ve just spent the last few minutes watching a couple promotional videos for the Road Racing Drivers Club?s new "Safe Is Fast" on-line seminars for young and would-be racers.
The seminar features some 90 minutes of information on subjects from physical and mental preparation to driving techniques, vehicle setup, and even how to get sponsorship.
If you have a son, daughter or grandchild who is eager to become a racing driver -- whether it?s in go-karts, bikes or stock cars -- you certainly need to send them to a good racing school, but even before that you should sit them down to watch these videos featuring people who have been there on the grid and who have studied motorsports for many years.
For example, doctors Steve Olvey and Terry Trammell, MDs who have put many drivers back together again after crashes, talk about the importance of helmets and HANS devices. Jacques Dellaire, a psychologist who has worked with many world-class racers, talks about focus and concentration.
Dario Franchitti and other racers discuss the transition from karts to cars. Patrick Long talks about learning a new track. Boris Said and others discuss the importance of being smooth.
And the list of subjects and presenters goes on and on, all the way to Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi and others talking about what team owners look for in young drivers.
You?ll pay serious money for a good racing school -- and the good ones certainly are worth the price -- but these on-line seminars are free. All you do need to do is to have your son, daughter or grandchild -- or niece, nephew or neighbor -- register through the www.safeisfast.com website.
By the way, safe not only is fast, but it?s smart.
Read more of Larry at www.izoom.com
Saturday, January 7, 2012
NASCAR?s 2008 ?Regular Season? Ends
Cross posted from Rev’ Jim’s RantsnRaves: NASCAR’s regular season for 2008 ended with a great shootout between two of the best drivers in the sport. The entire season had its share of similar exciting moments, as well as some huge disappointments. Dodge started out on a high note, with the Penske and Gillett-Evernham teams making [...]
Friday, January 6, 2012
Here?s one for Bike Lovers
HOT ROD hasn’t run motorcycle tech in ages, but we know that a lot of gearheads love just about anything that turns gasoline into noise, whether it has four wheels or not. We found this gorgeous supermotard at BikeExif and we knew you guys would appreciate it. It’s built by by the guys at Kraus [...]
Ragan Overcomes Spin; Finishes 11th in Charlotte
David Ragan and the UPS team started 11th and finished 11th at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Project Car Update: Campbell Auto Restoration?s ?72 ?Cuda
Kevin Long, from Campbell Auto Restoration, sent us some recent photos of the ’72 Cuda they’ve been working on. The Art Morrison chassis should be in their hands by now, where it’s set to use Detroit Speed suspension in the front and rear. That 6-speed transmission you see above is going to go behind a [...]
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Ragan to run UPS My Choice Ford for remainder of season
David Ragan and the UPS team will sport a UPS My Choice car design for the final five races of the season
Austin USGP Salvation We?ve Been Hoping For?
I happened to hear my phone announce a text during our Thanksgiving meal & I couldn’t resist.� I almost fell on the floor with the following press release from Circuit of The Americas (COTA): FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 24, 2011 Circuit of The Americas? Ready to Pay Sanctioning Fee and Offering More Proposal Satisfies 2012 [...]
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
DMCC Round 2 >>> Travis Clark
DMCC Round Two. Stratotech Raceway, Fort Sask, Alberta.
July 31st 2011 was our round two competition out at Stratotech Raceway, I have always loved driving at this track and when I found out near the end of 2010 that we would be coming back I was pretty excited! I woke up that day
July 31st 2011 was our round two competition out at Stratotech Raceway, I have always loved driving at this track and when I found out near the end of 2010 that we would be coming back I was pretty excited! I woke up that day
"Safe is Fast" On-Line Seminars Offer Chance for Young Racers
By Larry Edsall
I?ve just spent the last few minutes watching a couple promotional videos for the Road Racing Drivers Club?s new "Safe Is Fast" on-line seminars for young and would-be racers.
The seminar features some 90 minutes of information on subjects from physical and mental preparation to driving techniques, vehicle setup, and even how to get sponsorship.
If you have a son, daughter or grandchild who is eager to become a racing driver -- whether it?s in go-karts, bikes or stock cars -- you certainly need to send them to a good racing school, but even before that you should sit them down to watch these videos featuring people who have been there on the grid and who have studied motorsports for many years.
For example, doctors Steve Olvey and Terry Trammell, MDs who have put many drivers back together again after crashes, talk about the importance of helmets and HANS devices. Jacques Dellaire, a psychologist who has worked with many world-class racers, talks about focus and concentration.
Dario Franchitti and other racers discuss the transition from karts to cars. Patrick Long talks about learning a new track. Boris Said and others discuss the importance of being smooth.
And the list of subjects and presenters goes on and on, all the way to Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi and others talking about what team owners look for in young drivers.
You?ll pay serious money for a good racing school -- and the good ones certainly are worth the price -- but these on-line seminars are free. All you do need to do is to have your son, daughter or grandchild -- or niece, nephew or neighbor -- register through the www.safeisfast.com website.
By the way, safe not only is fast, but it?s smart.
Read more of Larry at www.izoom.com
I?ve just spent the last few minutes watching a couple promotional videos for the Road Racing Drivers Club?s new "Safe Is Fast" on-line seminars for young and would-be racers.
The seminar features some 90 minutes of information on subjects from physical and mental preparation to driving techniques, vehicle setup, and even how to get sponsorship.
If you have a son, daughter or grandchild who is eager to become a racing driver -- whether it?s in go-karts, bikes or stock cars -- you certainly need to send them to a good racing school, but even before that you should sit them down to watch these videos featuring people who have been there on the grid and who have studied motorsports for many years.
For example, doctors Steve Olvey and Terry Trammell, MDs who have put many drivers back together again after crashes, talk about the importance of helmets and HANS devices. Jacques Dellaire, a psychologist who has worked with many world-class racers, talks about focus and concentration.
Dario Franchitti and other racers discuss the transition from karts to cars. Patrick Long talks about learning a new track. Boris Said and others discuss the importance of being smooth.
And the list of subjects and presenters goes on and on, all the way to Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi and others talking about what team owners look for in young drivers.
You?ll pay serious money for a good racing school -- and the good ones certainly are worth the price -- but these on-line seminars are free. All you do need to do is to have your son, daughter or grandchild -- or niece, nephew or neighbor -- register through the www.safeisfast.com website.
By the way, safe not only is fast, but it?s smart.
Read more of Larry at www.izoom.com
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
From Racedriven ? Win a $25 BP Gas card photography Contest.
I?m sure most of us have seen the every changing gas prices daily over the past several months including hitting $4 for a gallon for gasoline at one point this year, so thanks to M80 on behalf of BP, I am running an automotive photography contest with each winner receiving one $25 BP Gift Cards. [...]
From Racedriven ? Win a $25 BP Gas card photography Contest.
I?m sure most of us have seen the every changing gas prices daily over the past several months including hitting $4 for a gallon for gasoline at one point this year, so thanks to M80 on behalf of BP, I am running an automotive photography contest with each winner receiving one $25 BP Gift Cards. [...]
From Racedriven ? Win a $25 BP Gas card photography Contest.
I?m sure most of us have seen the every changing gas prices daily over the past several months including hitting $4 for a gallon for gasoline at one point this year, so thanks to M80 on behalf of BP, I am running an automotive photography contest with each winner receiving one $25 BP Gift Cards. [...]
Monday, January 2, 2012
No Treats in Martinsville; Ragan Victim in Early Incident
David Ragan and the UPS team started 18th and finished 33rd at Martinsville Speedway after receiving damage to their radiator early in the race
Palm Beach FD 2011
What a great crowd this year in Palm Beach!
This was the first time Formula Drift has ever come to Florida, and it was a great event.
We’re looking forward to many more seasons of FD at PBIR!
Great coverage again by Kayla Montgomery
more of her pictures can be seen here: Palm Beach FD
This was the first time Formula Drift has ever come to Florida, and it was a great event.
We’re looking forward to many more seasons of FD at PBIR!
Great coverage again by Kayla Montgomery
more of her pictures can be seen here: Palm Beach FD
This Week in the NASCAR Blogosphere
By the end of the race at Lowe’s Motorspeedway the Chase will be half over. When the heck did that happen? I don’t know. Last weekend’s race at Talladega provided Tony Stewart with his first win of the season, his first win there in a sprint cup car and ended his 43 race winless streak. [...]
David?s Blog: Busy Week at SEMA
David Ragan has a busy two days out at the SEMA show in Las Vegas before heading to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend
Sunday, January 1, 2012
A First NASCAR Race, Through the Eyes of a 9-Year-Old
[Note from Larry Edsall: Usually my words would fill the space below, but my 9-year-old grandson, Nicholas Chester, went to his first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway recently, and I asked him to share experiences. His report follows.)
By Nicholas Chester
The day I went to my first NASCAR race was Sunday, August 21, 2011.
Dad and I got up at 6:10 a.m. and ate breakfast. I guess we were pretty eager to get there.
When we got to the track it was so huge. We found a parking spot, and got on the truck and trailers we could ride from the parking lot to the track.
We got off and walked in through the gate. We looked at all the displays and the trailers where each of the teams was selling shirts and cars and other things. I bought a Dale Jr. T-shirt -- one for me and one for my sister.
Then we walked through a tunnel and went to the garage area and the pits, which was cool because we got to see the race cars and see the pit crews getting ready for the race.
There was still quite a while before the race so we went back to our truck, then went back to the track and found something to eat for lunch.
We went to our seats, which were in the first turn. We watched the big blowers clean the track and watched the drivers being driven around the track in convertibles.
Next, airplanes flew over. There were four old-time planes and then two jets flew over. We sang the National Anthem as the jets were flying over the track.
A few minutes later the pace car went around the track with all the race cars behind it. They weren?t going very fast.
But then the race started and it got really loud. REALLY LOUD!
At first the cars looked slow as they were coming toward us, but by the time they got into the turn they were going super-fast.
Being at the race was way better than watching on television like we usually do. When you?re there in person, you not only see the race but you can feel it when the cars go by. The wind rushes right by the side of your face.
It?s amazing how fast the cars really are.
The race was great, but the best part was getting to go to the pits and the garage before the race -- and getting my picture taken with two members of Dale Jr.?s pit crew.
Nicholas is not a professional writer yet, but his grandfather Larry Edsall is. You can read more of Larry at www.izoom.com.
By Nicholas Chester
The day I went to my first NASCAR race was Sunday, August 21, 2011.
Dad and I got up at 6:10 a.m. and ate breakfast. I guess we were pretty eager to get there.
When we got to the track it was so huge. We found a parking spot, and got on the truck and trailers we could ride from the parking lot to the track.
We got off and walked in through the gate. We looked at all the displays and the trailers where each of the teams was selling shirts and cars and other things. I bought a Dale Jr. T-shirt -- one for me and one for my sister.
Then we walked through a tunnel and went to the garage area and the pits, which was cool because we got to see the race cars and see the pit crews getting ready for the race.
There was still quite a while before the race so we went back to our truck, then went back to the track and found something to eat for lunch.
We went to our seats, which were in the first turn. We watched the big blowers clean the track and watched the drivers being driven around the track in convertibles.
Next, airplanes flew over. There were four old-time planes and then two jets flew over. We sang the National Anthem as the jets were flying over the track.
A few minutes later the pace car went around the track with all the race cars behind it. They weren?t going very fast.
But then the race started and it got really loud. REALLY LOUD!
At first the cars looked slow as they were coming toward us, but by the time they got into the turn they were going super-fast.
Being at the race was way better than watching on television like we usually do. When you?re there in person, you not only see the race but you can feel it when the cars go by. The wind rushes right by the side of your face.
It?s amazing how fast the cars really are.
The race was great, but the best part was getting to go to the pits and the garage before the race -- and getting my picture taken with two members of Dale Jr.?s pit crew.
Nicholas is not a professional writer yet, but his grandfather Larry Edsall is. You can read more of Larry at www.izoom.com.
Patrick Goodin Getting ready for Formula D Irwindale!
Prepping for Formula D Round 7 Pro-am All Star Event.
Patrick Goodin, Florida Native, has been on a long road to get to this point in his driving career. After 3 years of going through the ranks of the pro-am circuit he finally managed to grab a license.
Competing in, and winning the Streetwise Drift Pro-am Championship
Patrick Goodin, Florida Native, has been on a long road to get to this point in his driving career. After 3 years of going through the ranks of the pro-am circuit he finally managed to grab a license.
Competing in, and winning the Streetwise Drift Pro-am Championship
Apparently Grizzly bears don?t like Sequoia?s
Last Monday morning the owner of a 18-month-old Toyota Sequoia�came out to find the inside of his all but new ride�TRASHED.� A Grizzly Bear had somehow got a door open (easy considering the way the handles are) and once inside got trapped when the door shut behind him.� Probably the wind.� The Toyota was a [...]
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