F1 Manager

Remember when F1 and WRC used to bring technical enhancements, huge improvements, speed and excitement. Turbo engines, insane speed and heroic drivers.

Those days are sadly gone. too many things you can't do? why?

After the limits on aero fans, wings and weight and ultimately engines. Then came limits on suspension, limits on electronic aids, etc etc.

Safety became THE issue and thats great too that safety was looked at.

But now ENTERTAINMENT is the issue. Thats BULLSHIT!

Nowdays, F1 is all about refinement and management that becomes a logistics battle and nothing more.

In China 2011, Webber saved tyres and came from the rear of the grid to the podium. Jokingly (NOT) he actually commented that he should do that as his real race strategy as it basically made no difference.

Turkey proves the point again that the restrictions are forcing teams not to try.

Qualifying again has become a tyre management issue. teams parking their cars in the garage instead of really going for it.

"Just good enough" seems acceptable. I am really pissed that F1 has gone down this path. Kind of makes you wish that the F1 Split DID happen 2 years ago.

Now it just reminds me of those F1 manager type games where you plan the race and the driver just follows your commands.

Driver skill doesn't really account for too much these days. The F1 champ this year will be the one who can drive gently???wooooooooooooh? I'm not really impressed.

You drive your heart out to get to F1, then they say, don't drive as fast as you can. WTF!!!!???

I guess thats why the red bull designer made the F1 concept. It's almost a dare to F1 to free the rules.

Tracks have not become faster however. The cars have some restrictions, but the tracks are still built with the same basic ideas in mind. boredom.

Under less control it was radical.

I WANT

F1 Car with wide track, Super grippy wide tyres, Full auto transmission, Traction Controlled Electric Jet whatever motor boosted, Turbo and Supercharged Hybrid, Fan assisted hugely winged, active suspensioned, with whatever engine and carbon nanotube frame soft impact bodied car capable of damage resistance. Ai driver assists, The best tyres the manufacturer can make and as many pit stops as your thirsty or efficient engine can manage.

I also want a track with a loop and a track with an upside down section. We know these cars can run upside down.

I don't want to see the Manaco F1 any more. F4ck history, Do something mental.

Japanese Anime Cyber Formula is something on the right track, but inertia drifting in F1??? Maybe not. Unless it works.

Spray the track with water for 20 minutes..... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Why not have 2 wet corners in each track??? how about that!
how about a Jump?
How about Divided road. How about the driver draws straws for cars?
How about an underwater section?
How about a rubber road and wheels made of glue??

All of these things might make the racing more entertaining Bernie.... what about it?

Macau GP - Road Sport Challenge

I love this event. I look forward to the coverage every year.

High power street cars, bad driving, tons of crashes on the tightest street circuit.

R33. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u44CDNeRh-c

R35 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrGu-N6RcW0



 Front runners

 Wild tuning. Orido in this one

 Some faster than others.

Here is the crash at the start. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtYBZ2SyA5I

There's a knight Sports 13B Turbo RX8 between the GTR and the EVO.

It all adds to the spectacle  I guess.

Practice http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TzGA4TmMLM

10 Lap. Orido took it out in the HKS Top racing carbon GTR. Interestingly, the car was not the fastest outright. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_tEOL4AXF8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-44aItIzTVQ



http://gp.macau.grandprix.gov.mo/mgpc/gallery.php?year=2010&cid=249&page_no=1&lang=en

Aussie Legends

The GT-R, Sierra, V8 and an old Rx7 and stuff.

Listen to these guys salivate over the machines.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CrZ5M9PKhs&feature=related

Cool!

Mazda Racing

Dennis Barretto sent me some more images. The Rolex GT series runs mostly RX8s and Porsche which are far from stock and are formidible machines.

Mostly 3 rotor engines in the RX8s producing....

Hommage to Flames...!!!!

A closer look.

Side Barbeque??? Overtake this and get burned!

This one too?

69... nice number.

Dennis' Shots of the whole day includes other stuff.
http://s144.photobucket.com/albums/r193/sinned2545/Rolex%20Cup%202010/?start=all


Check out more on the EXCELLENT Mazda Racing Site.
http://www.mzracing.jp/en/americanracing/201018.html

My favourite. This livery does well to shorten the length of the RX8.

Nice

Russ. pics Dennis

Monte Carlo Simulation

Give us a go Mark...

http://www.redbull.jp/cs/Satellite/ja_JP/RedBull-Japan/001242760632203

Targa Tas 2010 Leg 1 Update

Steve Glenney,  Bernie Webb in the 2009 Mazda RX-8 SP

Currently in 2ND PLACE!   00:09 seconds behind the leading Gallardo!!!!


. Who needs 4wd?

Mazda Austalia & Targa Tasmania

As the 2010 Targa Tasmania event draws closer. ADVAN have joined Mazda teams by giving Steve Glenny and the Horsley run teams some decent gear. The 8 will run RG2 and AO50 tyres for the event. Previously they have sponsored other RX7 teams so this was no surprise.

Expect big things from the giant killing Mazda RX8

http://www.mazdamotorsport.com.au/

F1 2010

F1 in 2010. Why is everyone excited. A few reasons. The cars are the closest they have been in years, so that means the driver gets more cred. There are many on top of their game.

The cars actually race, rather than the pit boss's strategy. I hated the previous seasons, where most cars ran light or heavy and the field spread out searching for fresh air so they could set lap times rather than racing anyone. If somewas was close, they'd pit and get fresh air. B O R I N G!

But this year seems to have a decent formula to allow racing from the start to finish.

A small mistake and you'll lose. Consistency will win. Drivers can make their car better.

So after the first race, there are few clear indications except that the top guys we expected will be the top guys.

I hope it's the Young Vettel (New blood) or the Older Webber (Go Aussie!) that take the championship.

Should be interesting year with sooooo many races. One thing about F1, they can market their stuff well.

Didn't  someone say "recession?" F1 Splitting? F1 dying?

I can't relate to F1 speed and feeling and I guess I never will, but it's a spectacle.

Russ.

V8 Supercars '10R1

Well, I'm a lover of V8 supercars and I am almost over it before it starts in 2010.

Race 1

Top Ten V8 Supercar Race 1 Results

1. Jamie Whincup, 150pts
2. Craig Lowndes, 138pts
3. Mark Winterbottom, 129pts
4. James Courtney, 120pts
5. Lee Holdsworth, 111pts
6. Shane Van Gisbergen, 102pts
7. Paul Dumbrell, 96pts
8. Jonathon Webb, 90pts
9. Alex Davison, 84pts
10.Rick Kelly, 78pts

1st... They run the first two rounds of the Aussie series in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain because Chevy also runs a V8 series there with the Aussie holden's exported there.

So with teams outlaying enormous expense to get there, they are taken to a superb venue that isn't so great as it seams.

One team was excluded from the race because their on board in car air jacks penetrated an expansion crack in the concrete on pit lane. Then stupid stewards refused to consider their track could cause such incident and handed a penalty to the leading team car which suffered substantial damage as a result.

That kills interest and faith in fairness of competition.

The cars are close in times (less than 1 second covered the top 10), and that brings close racing.
things happen, rubbing is racing and all that...

Typical car setup
5.0-litre V8  Estimated 635 + bhp limited to maximum 7,500 RPM
1355kg
=
294+kph (182+mph), 0-100kph: 3.8 seconds

If you feel like following... hit up http://v8supercars.com.au/. some of the teams such as Kelly racing have great galleries.

These links are basically for my own clicky clicky.

If you want to watch the events outside australia. you need to cough up $70US to see them.
V8 Supercars runs this series as a business! and sometimes, that just sucks.
If you want to see some pics... good luck.
After clicking around I discovered that the V8 series uses a couple of photographers and the images are divied up to all concerned. Same angles. Same shots, same boredom.
Some teams lock everything down and others are open to sharing.

I won't post anymore on V8 this year. Just see for yourselves.

Do some research.
http://v8supercars.com.au/teamsdrivers/championshipseries/tabid/93/default.aspx

Get started here.

Holden Fans.
HRT
http://www.hrt.com.au/racing/2010/home/

Ford Fans

FPR. ( Prodrive )
http://www.fpr.com.au/

http://www.teamvodafone.com/

Craig Lowndes
Jamie Whincup

http://www.kellyracing.com.au/ Jack Daniels
Rick Kelly
Todd Kelly

http://www.kellyracing.com.au/kr/ Rock & Supermax
Jason Bargwanna
Tony Ricciardello

http://www.djr.com.au/index.asp Jim Beam
Steven Johnson
James Courtney

http://www.tradingpostracing.com.au/
Jason Bright

http://www.bradjonesracing.com.au/
Brad Jones?

http://www.stonebrothersracing.com.au/
Alex Davison http://www.irwinracing.com.au/
Shane Van Gisbergen

Tsuchiya and the FC

Few would know that dori dori-chan, as I call Keiichi Tsuchiya used to race in the FC3s in the JSS Japan Super Sport Sedan championship in the mid-late eighties. The FC3s in these events were PP versions and very fast.

Here is a final at fuji. He finished third after leading for a while at the super fast (old) Fuji speedway course. Last corner and straight line speeds were crazy.!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2ykGckF_NE

This is an FC only race here half way through the vid..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4eXgV70RVc

Some of these cars prepared by famous RE-tuners, ERC, RE Sugiyama and Yours Sports. These guys are still around you know, they just don't feature like the RE-Amemiya's of today as they focus on older models or less funding.

more pics here here.

Russ.

Battle Evome Round2

o                      my                          godzilla. YMS Gyoda Blog with help from TFR and Supernow ran around 1.01 at tsukuba...yesterday  but sooo cool..

Silvia's fenders are fixed about 2" out from the bonnet. How's that for panel gap.

It's still the quickest thing at Tsukuba these days. 55.563! Easy. Thats a record for this car and pushing for the Rear wheel drive record.

http://eyevio.jp/movie/335039 This is his incar race view. Taking the WIN.

Evome Specials.

Battle Evome started as the Lancer "Evo Meeting" with almost all the cars being Evos of some kind. These days the event is more open. Some of the quicker cars in Japan are true race spec cars masquerading under the time attack guise. What's TA, road registerable semi slick tyres. This S15 in the 56.3 second range. Faster than the Cyber EVO 5.

This is a formiddable car in its own right, but it proves you need everything working together to get the best from 4wd. 58.4 this time. but it's run much faster.

This MR2 is a favourite of mine. Having owned an MR2 Turbo before, I certainly know about the tricky handling that likes 9.8 tenths driving. 10/10ths is a little scary. For DR.ZOO's car to be around 1.00 minute is great. It looks awesome with NSX scoop and FTO lights.

Lastly this GTR was running 1.03 on this day, But looks cool!

His blog donted these images. He'll be quicker.

2009 Macau GP Road Sports Challenge

Here is a cool event. Tuning cars racing...!

Knight sports rx8 took second place, but a cool Evo was first.

Macau Videos and Gallery

Watch the Stupid GTR35 driver.... hehe.

V8 Rumble

Last round is in Sydney around the outside of the 2000 Olympic stadium. Here the cars are parading through the Sydney downtown area. Now that would have been cool!

But don't try finding too much info on V8 Supercars. The Aussie promoters make everyone pay for everything and their website is so slow and cluttered its painful.

Russ.