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Lada Could Be Back – WTCC

Photo Credit: (c) Lada Sport

 

LADA could still race in WTCC despite no factory backing.

Just two months ago the factory LADA squad announced that the Russian manufacturer will not return to the FIA World Touring Car Championship in 2017, even though driver contracts were already in place. The decision was devastating for the series and a secondary class had to be introduced in order to keep entries above the minimum 16. Thanks to the team boss Victor Shapovalov, we might see Vestas on the grid after all.

Shapovalov’s Russian Bears Racing team competed in WTCC as a privateer entry in 2008, before becoming a factory LADA squad the following year. This might happen again thanks to the agreement between him and the series promoter Eurosport Events, which is reported to be in place. Although LADA won three races in 2016 and established itself as a very competitive car, it is unlikely they will enjoy the same success this year, as without factory backing the team will probably not feature any front-running drivers.

Photo Credit: (c) WTCC

Lada Sport Rosneft finished third in the 2016 WTCC championship behind the strong Honda and Citroen teams. they secured three wins across the season winning both races in Russia courtesy of Nick Catsburg and Gabriele Tarquini and then in Qatar it was Tarquni who took the top step of the podium in Race Two. Dutchman Catsburg managed to finish seventh in the drivers championship with Tarquini two places behind him.

The full 2017 grid for the 2017 WTCC Championship is yet to be confirmed but the news that Lada could be back on the grid can only be good for fans of WTCC.

Stay tuned for further updates.

Tomasz Kubiak

Twitter: @tomekkubiak

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The Scent Of Dreams

It was as I watched the closing laps of the 24 Hours of Dubai, with the eclectic mix of amateur drivers and professionals from a broad series of racing, that I began to imagine the dreams and aspirations of the men and women who will be hurtling round a circuit near you.

We all have dreams and ambitions. Some of these can be quite simple and incorporate every day life. Other dreams are on a different, some will have you think unachievable, level. It is that last word that defines the ‘can-do’s’ from the ‘self-doubters’. I am quite vocal on the point of distancing yourself from those types of people who say a dream is unachievable. The only person who can make that dream come true or not is you.

Motor racing is full of dreams. to get on that kart track for the first time. To step up into a junior formula. Attract the attention of those who can progress a career. Finish that race. Get in the points. Step on the podium. Win that race. Lift that championship trophy. Become a world champion.

These are the kind of dreams that racers, the world over, of different ages in a variety of series are mulling over right now.

Yes, everyday in the racing family from teams, to drivers, to media personnel and fans, we all know full well that money and importantly sponsorship plays a huge part in achieving dreams. To attract that lucrative offering of backing, first you must have talent and a big ingredient of talent is ambition. It is what drives (excuse the pun) a racer. Without that hunger to succeed, the desire to be the best they can, to enjoy moments that many of us mere mortals can only imagine. That is the key.

So, as we all sit here, gazing at the racing calendar with excited glee, there are those chosen few who are also thumbing their way down the calendar with an equally excited feeling in the pit of their stomachs. They will be stepping out living their dream and in a quaint twist of solidarity, they are taking us with them on their journey, so we can live it too.

The fact is, as fans, we do live it, breathe the atmosphere and taste every emotion our favoured heroes encounter because they live the dream most of us were unable to conquer. This is the start of the dream, a beginning to the ambition which will last all season (for some).

Wafting through the air is the scent of dreams because these racers never believed it was out of reach and they refused to let doubters dampen their spirit.

Good luck to every single racer, in every single series who steps out on the fabled tarmac of every circuit in the world.

Please come back safely so we can continue to live this dream with you once more.

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

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The Top 5 Daytona 500s

Every February, in the midst of what is often the coldest part of winter, the first rays of sunshine are delivered with the roar of engines. The Daytona International Speedway opens its gates, brilliantly colored flags snapping crisply in the warm breeze, to fans and race teams alike. It is here that heroes will be made, legacies built, and dreams come true. It is a Speedway like no other, steeped in the rich history of American stock car racing, while offering the first glimpse of the season that lies ahead. As race fans prepare for the 2017 Daytona 500 let’s take a look back at the top five 500 finishes.

1. 1998: Dale Earnhardt finally wins the 500:

After 20 years of what seemed like the worst luck when it came to the Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt finally won. For a multitude of years it seemed like everything that could go wrong for Earnhardt did—he had flat tires, wrecks, even a collision with a seagull. He won every other race at Daytona except the 500. He seemed to know how to run every line on the high banks except the one that would win the big race. Finally, on his 20th try, the checkered flag fell on the black No. 3 car and history was made. Every member of every team lined pit lane to congratulate The Intimidator on his way to Victory Lane. It was an epic end to an epic race for an epic Champion.

2. The 1979 Daytona 500—and the fight that followed.

In 1979 NASCAR had its first televised race—that year’s Daytona 500. The race was a wild one and as they neared the finish Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison were rubbing and racing side by side. The two wrecked and slid chaotically onto the grass. Tempers immediately flared and what ensued is one of the most famous—or infamous—events in NASCAR history. Allison and Yarborough threw down and started a fight that would be the envy of any Mixed Martial Artist: fists were swinging, helmets were used as weapons, and tempers rose in crescendo of fury much to the dismay of the broadcasters and the delight of fans everywhere. The fight helped to endear NASCAR in the hearts of Americans everywhere.

3. 1988: An Allison 1-2

In 1988, on the 30th running of the Daytona 500, Bobby Allison came across the line in first. What made the win so special was that his son, Dave Allison, came in right behind him in second. The win was an emotional one for everyone. The Allisons, often affectionately called The Alabama gang, were a beloved institution in NASCAR. On top of that, the win highlighted one of the pillars of the sport: family. Nothing like a father-son finish to make every fan feel like they are part of the NASCAR family.

4. 1976: Battle of Legends—Pearson Vs. Petty

In 1976 the Daytona 500 had one of its most famous finishes. It a race that had been a battle from the get go, Richard Petty and David Pearson banged their way through the race. As they came to the final lap both cars spun into the infield spewing grass and debris all around them. In the midst of the chaos Pearson managed to get his battered car started again and limp across the finish line as Petty watched helplessly from the wreckage of his mangled car.

5. 1959: The first official 500 and the Disputed Winner

The 1959 Daytona 500 was the first official race at the brand new Speedway. After years of racing on the fabled sands of the beach, now NASCAR had a state of the art facility and they were eager to show it off. The race did not disappoint and Lee Petty and Johnny Beauchamp fought hard the whole race, battling so closely that as they crossed the finish line it was almost impossible to see who the winner was. In fact, NASCAR named Johnny Beauchamp the winner on the spot and the call would have stood had Lee Petty not called upon reporters and photographers to dispute the decision. After days of pouring over the pictures the decision was reversed and Lee Petty was named the winner.

One thing is for sure, the Daytona 500 always delivers edge-of-the-seat, heart-pounding, engine-roaring excitement. From the very first race to this year’s chapter, the 500 is always history in the making.

Source: www.nascar.com

www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com

Daytona International Speedway

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The Vault

This letter hangs on the wall of my writing studio and is the next topic in “The Vault”

It is no surprise that motor racing took a back seat during the 1940’s. World War Two had ravaged every part of our world and the rebuilding process afterwards took some considerable time. However, this did not stop enthusiasts wanting to put motor racing back on the map.

Donington Park was the first permanent park circuit in England, it held the first motorcycle race along the narrow lanes of Donington Hall Estate in 1931 and later the track was widened to incorporate Grand Prix racing.

During World War Two the site was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence as a military vehicle depot and it was from here the above photograph told the story of how one such person, John Dugdale, wanted to return this park circuit to its former glory.

This letter from Field-Marshal Montgomery hangs on the wall of my writing studio and it answers the questions posed with regards to ‘handing the park’ back or the idea of a dual control committee between Donington and the MoD. Montgomery felt Donington Park was not suitable to revert back to be a racing venue.

The letter, dated 21st May 1948, was addressed to John Dugdale, although Montgomery himself just addresses the journalist as ‘Dugdale’ at the beginning of the letter. John Dugdale was a a journalist for Autocar magazine, starting out in 1933. He served in World War Two and won the British Military Cross. He went to New York and became Western Manager for Jaguar, before eventually taking the role of Vice-President in 1966.

Montgomery explained in the letter that Donington Park was ideally situated for the purpose of a Vehicle Reception Depot and had been developed by the army even after the war. There had been much money spent on the location and the MoD had commissioned the construction of buildings which Montgomery himself quoted as costing £300,000. With the war only four years gone and the era, this was a huge sum of money.

Montgomery’s concerns for the army evacuating the site were listed as such:

– Finding alternative accommodation.

– A move of several thousand vehicles, all of which would have to be towed.

– The erection at the new site of workshop buildings, sheds, petrol pumps, etc.

– The army would probably get no return for the £300,000 which it has already spent and might have to face additional expenditure in putting the track in order.

The war hero believed that handing the park back would involve a great loss to the State and this just was not acceptable. He approached the option of dual control, which Dugdale had obviously mentioned in previous correspondence, saying he considered this to be impractical due to vehicle being parked at the edge of the track in regular, disciplined rows. It was not possible to move them further away due to tree lines and fencing which would mean it impossible for spectators to congregate on the grass to see any racing whatsoever. Montgomery was also concerned with what he stated as “pilferage” of army equipment if the public were allowed inside the venue. His trust in the public and the idea of racing at Donington was clear to see in the letter, he had no interest.

He suggested to Dugdale that he and the War Office took the view that there must be other parks in the country just as suitable to house a racing track. He conceded this would involve much capital expenditure but stated it would be far less than the loss of money to the State if the army were to give up the location.

In closing, Montgomery stated he sympathised with the desire to return motor racing to Donington Park but he was satisfied that the view of the War Office to keep the depot as it was being used for the correct decision. He felt he was not justified to intervene in the matter.

That was the end of the matter with regards to Donington Park hosting motor racing again until 1971 when Tom Wheatcroft funded the rebuilding of the circuit and the rest is history.

This letter is a fascinating insight into the thoughts of Montgomery who had no interest in assisting with Dugdale’s request of intervening with the War Office to return Donington to its former glory, it is difficult what Dugdale hoped to achieve by writing directly to a career military man asking him to side with the motor racing community against the army.

Every picture tells a story.

See You At The Chequered Flag.

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

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Herberth Motorsport Porsche Wins Hankook 24H DUBAI

With its Porsche 991 GT3 R, German team Herberth Motorsport has won the Hankook 24H DUBAI. In the twelfth running of the event, drivers Daniel Allemann, Ralf Bohn, Robert Renauer, Alfred Renauer and Brendon Hartley racked up a total of 578 laps of the 5.399 kilometres long Dubai Autodrome. “It was an awesome experience! My first race with a GT car, my first race in a 911, and my first victory in a 24-hour race. A great car, great team-mates and a great performance,” Hartley commented. “We have had some good success in the 24H SERIES powered by Hankook last year, but this certainly is our biggest success so far,” said Robert Renauer, who drove the winning car across the finish line. For Porsche, it was the fifth victory in the Hankook 24H DUBAI after earlier wins in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2014. This time, it was even a 1-2 for the German manufacturer as the Manthey Racing Porsche (#12, Otto Klohs/Sven Müller/Matteo Cairoli/Jochen Krumbach) finished second, two laps down on the winning entry. A three times’ Dubai race winner, the Black Falcon team saw its Mercedes-AMG GT3 (#3, Abdulaziz Al Faisal/Hubert Haupt/Yelmer Buurman/Michal Broniszewski/Maro Engel) finish third. Buurman posted the fastest lap time of the race.

Between them, the Manthey and Herberth Motorsport Porsche teams spent more than three quarters of the race in the lead of the field. Driving the Manthey car around 5.30 hrs, Otto Klohs became involved in a collision with another vehicle, after which some repair on the left front side of the Porsche was required. That gave the Herberth team a slight advantage to which it held on for the final eight hours of the race. In total, the Herberth Motorsport Porsche led the field for 380 laps. The two Black Falcon Mercedes-AMG GT3 both were in contention for a podium finish, running in the top four until well after sunrise, but then local hero Khaled Al Qubaisi, driving the #2 car, spun and collected the #963 GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini (Mirko Bortolotti/Christian Engelhart/Rik Breukers/Rolf Ineichen/Mark Ineichen). Both cars retired after the accident. Earlier in the race, the Austrian team’s #964 car (Mirko Bortolotti/Christian Engelhart/Ezequiel Companc/Rolf Ineichen/Adrian Amstutz) had already retired following a collision while the HB Racing Lamborghini (#7, Herbert Handlos/Norbert Siedler/Sam Tordoff/Florian Spengler/Andrea Amici) was out early in the race following a burst tyre that damaged the fuel line and led to a fire. Polish ex-Formula 1 racer Robert Kubica didn’t make it to the finish either in his first-ever 24h race as the car on which he was entered, the Forch Racing powered by Olimp (#29, Robert Lukas/Marcin Jedlinski/Wolf Henzler/Santiago Creel/Robert Kubica) retired with technical issues.

Reigning 24H SERIES teams’ champions, Hofor Racing, won the A6-Am class on the first competitive outing with its new Mercedes-AMG GT3 (#1, Michael Kroll/Chantal Kroll/Roland Eggimann/Kenneth Heyer/Christiaan Frankenhout) after a largely trouble-free run. GP Extreme finished second in class with its Renault RS01 FGT3 (#27, Frédéric Fatien/Tiziano Carugati/Nicky Pastorelli/Stuart Hall), followed by Car Collection Motorsport’s Audi R8 LMS (#34, Dr. Johannes Kirchhoff/Gustav Edelhoff/Max Edelhoff/Elmar Grimm/Ingo Vogler).

Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo cars scored a 1-2 in the SPX class with victory for GDL Racing Middle East (#87, Franck Pelle/Rory Penttinen/Vic Rice/Pierre Ehret), followed by Leipert Motorsport (#10, Oliver Webb/Jake Rattenbury/Jean-Charles Perrin/Harald Schlotter), a fine performance by the team that started from the back of the grid due to a chassis change following an incident in practice. The Fach Auto Tech Porsche (#51, Thomas Fleischer/Peter Joos/Marcel Wagner/Heinz Bruder/Martin Ragginger) came third in class.

The Black Falcon Team TMD Friction won the Porsche 991 Cup class with its #68 car (Saud Al Faisal/Saeed Al Mouri/Anders Fjordbach/Alexander Toril), from Prosport Performance (#85, Charles Putman/Charles Espenlaub/Joe Foster/Andy Pilgrim) and race:pro motorsport (#63, Stanislav Minsky/Murad Sultanov/Klaus Bachler/Carlos Rivas/Mark Wallenwein).

The SP2 class saw the Bovi Motorsport Brokernet Silversting (#207, Wolfgang Kaufmann/Kalman Bodis/Jaap van Lagen/Heino Bo Fredriksen) come out on top from the Reiter Engineering KTM X-BPW (#247, Anthony Mantella/Dore Chaponick jr./Brett Sandberg/Benjamin Mazatis) and the VDS Racing Adventures MARC Focus V8 (#58, Raphaël van der Straten/Joël Vanloocke/Grégory Paisse/Pierre Dupont/José Close).

British sports car brand Ginetta scored a 1-2 in the SP3-GT4 class. Optimum Motorsport (#231, Stewart Linn/Ade Barwick/Dan O’Brien/William More) won by a comfortable margin from Century Motorsport (#229, Nathan Freke/Aiden Moffat/Jack Mitchell/Ben Green). The GDL Racing Team Asia Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR (#267, Jonathan Hui/Frank Yu/Antares Au/Kevin Tse) came third.

Making its competition debut in Dubai this weekend, the Audi RS3 LMS scored a class win in the TCR category with the Cadspeed Racing with Atech entry (#108, James Kaye/Julian Griffin/Erik Holstein/Finlay Hutchison). A long-time class leader, the Modena Motorsport SEAT Leon TCR (#216, Wayne Shen/John Shen/Francis Tjia/Mathias Beche) came second, with the Zest Racecar Engineering SEAT (#105, Philippe Ulivieri/Gosia Rdest/John Allen/JT Coupal/John Weisberg) third.

A3 touring class honours went to the Team Altran Peugeot with the victory for the #308 Peugeot 208 GTi (Guillaume Roman/Thierry Blaise/Kim Holmgaard/Michael Carlsen) and second for the #908 sister car (Yusif Bassil/Thierry Boyer/Gonzalo Martin de Andres/Loïc Dupont). The PB Racing Lotus Elise Cup (#133, Stefano D’Aste/Stefano Pasotti/Lorenzo Pegoraro/Immanuel Vinke/Michele Bartyan) came third.

German team Sorg Rennsport scored a 1-2 in the CUP1 class with its #151 BMW M235i Racing Cup Car (Stephan Epp/Christian Andreas Franz/Michael Hollerweger/Heiko Eichenberg/Oskar Sandberg) in first and the #152 sister car (Ahmed Al Melaihi/Jesus Diez/José Manuel de los Milagros/George Richardson/Shawn Peh) in second, followed by the Bonk Motorsport entry (#146, Hermann Bock/Rainer Partl/Max Partl).

Danish Team Eva Solo/K-Rejser won the A2 class with its Peugeot RCZ (#171, Jacob Kristensen/Jan Engelbrecht/Thomas Sørensen/Jens Mølgaard/Henrik Sørensen) from the Team Cooksport Renault Clio Cup IV (#172, Alex Sedgwick/Shayne Deegan/Oliver Cook/Jonathan Maybin/Josh Cook) and the Team Sally Racing 1 Renault Clio Cup III (#52, Martin Sally Pedersen/Peter Obel/Steffan Jusjong/Sune Marcussen/Mads Christensen).

24H SERIES powered by Hankook action continues with the Hankook 12H MUGELLO (17-18 March) while competitors in the 24H TCE SERIES powered by Hankook will get their season underway with the Hankook 24H SILVERSTONE (31 March-2 April). Following the great success of the Hankook 3x3H DUBAI prototype races, the inaugural 24H PROTO SERIES powered by Hankook season starts with the Hankook 12H MAGNY-COURS (21-22 April). Further information can be found at www.24hseries.com.

CLASS PODIUMS

A6-PRO (mainly GT3 cars)

1st – #911 Herberth Motorsport – Porsche 911 GT3 R

Allemann, Bohn, Renauer, Hartley

2nd – #12 Manthey Racing – Porsche 911 GT3 R

Klohs, Muller, Cairoli, Krumbach

3rd – #3 Black Falcon – Mercedes AMG GT3

Al Faisal, Haupt, Buurman, Broniszewski, Engel

A6-Am (mainly GT3 cars)

1st – #1 Hofor Racing – Mercedes AMG GT3

Kroll, Kroll, Eggimann, Heyer, Frankenhout

2nd – #27 GP Extreme – Renault RS01 FGT3

Fatien, Carugati, Pastorelli, Hall

3rd – #34 Car Collection Motorsport – Audi R8 LMS

Dr. Kirchhoff, Edelhoff, Edelhoff, Grimm, Vogler

SPX – Special Cars (mainly GT cars and Silhouette cars)

1st – #87 GDL Racing Middle East – Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo

Pelle, Penttinen, Rice, Ehret

2nd – #10 Leipert Motorsport – Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo

Webb, Rattenbury, Perrin, Schlotter

3rd – #51 FACH AUTO TECH – Porsche 911 Cup MR

Fleischer, Joos, Wagner, Bruder, Ragginger

991 – Porsche 991 Cup Cars (models 2014, 2015)

1st – #68 Black Falcon Team TMD Friction – Porsche 991 Cup

Al Faisal, Al Mouri, Fjordbach, Toril

2nd – #85 PROsport Performance – Porsche 991 Cup

Putman, Espenlaub, Foster, Pilgrm

3rd – #63 race:pro motorsport – Porsche 991 Cup

Minsky, Sultanov, Bachler, Rivas, Wallenwein

SP2 – Special Cars (mainly GT cars and Silhouette cars)

1st – #207 Bovi Motorsport – Brokemet Silver Sting

Kaufmann, Bodis, van Lagen, Bo Frederiksen

2nd – #247 Reiter Engineering – KTM X-Bow (SP2)

Mantella, Chaponick Jr, Sandberg, Mazatis

3rd – #58 VDS Racing Adventures – MARC Focus V8

vander Straten, Vanloocke, Paisse, Dupont, Close

SP3 – Special Cars (mainly GT4 cars)

1st – #231 Optimum Motorsport – Ginetta G55 GT4

Linn, Barwick, O’Brien, Moore

2nd – #229 Century Motorsport – Ginetta G55 GT4

Freke, Moffat, Mitchell, Green

3rd – #267 GDL Racing Team Asia – Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR

Hui, Yu, Au, Tse

TCR – TCR cars Petrol Touring Cars 2000cc Supercharged

1st – #108 Cadspeed Racing with A tech – Audi RS3 LMS TCR

Kaye, Griffin, Holstein, Hutchison

2nd – #216 Modena Motorsports – Seat Leon TCR V2 SEQ

Shen, Shen, Tjia, Beche

3rd – #105 Zest Racecar Engineering – Seat Leon TCR V2 DSG

Ulivieri, Rdest, Allen, Coupal, Weisberg

A3 – Touring Cars 2000cc up to 3500cc & Supercharged 1650cc up to 2000cc

1st – #308 Team Altran Peugeot – Peugeot 208 GTi

Roman, Blaise, Holmgaard, Carlsen

2nd – #908 Team Altran Peugeot – Peugeot 208 GTi

Bassil, Boyer, de Andres, Dupont

3rd – #133 PB Racing – Lotus Elise Cup PB-R

D’Aste, Pasotti, Pegoraro, Vinke, Bartyan

CUP1 – BMW M235i Racing Cup 3000cc Twin Turbo

1st – #151 Sorg Rennsport – BMW M235i Racing Cup

Epp, Andreas Franz, Hollerweger, Eichenberg, Sandberg

2nd – #152 Sorg Rennsport – BMW M235i Racing Cup

Al Melaihi, Diez, de los Milagros, Richards, Peh

3rd – #146 Bonk Motorsport – BMW M235i Racing Cup

Bock, Partl, Partl

A2 – Petrol Touring Cars up to 2000cc & Supercharged up to 1650cc

1st – #171 Team Eva Solo/K-Rejser – Peugeot RCZ

Kristensen, Engelbrecht, Sorensen, Molgaard, Sorensen

2nd – #172 Team Cooksport – Renault Clio Cup IV

Sedgwick, Deegan, Cook, Maybin, Cook

3rd – #52 Team Sally Racing 1 – Renault Clio Cup III

Sally Pedersen, Obel, Jusjong, Marcussen, Christensen

(c) photos courtesy of 24H Series

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

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The Vault

The next post of “The Vault” comes from this photograph which hangs on the wall of my writing studio.

This is Rouen-Les-Essarts and it was the location for the 1968 French Grand Prix. The track was wet.

In this photograph, Denny Hulme in his McLaren-Ford leads John Surtees in the Honda followed by Bruce McLaren. Notice the lack of any run-off area whatsoever, the raised curbs on the edge of the circuit and the trees, branches hanging over the track. In the background, behind Bruce McLaren, to the left you will notice a clump of trees set on a bank. No barriers. No tyre walls. No safety. This was motor racing in the sixties.

This was the sixth race of the season. Graham Hill lead the championship with twenty-four points, Jackie Stewart was second on twelve and then came Pedro Rodriguez, Denny Hulme and Bruce McLaren.

It was Jochen Rindt who took pole for the race, he had Jacky Ickx and Jackie Stewart behind him on the grid. This was not going to be Rindt’s race, he would retire on lap forty-five with a fuel leak. He faired better than his Brabham-Repco team mate, Jack Brabham, who retired on lap fifteen with a fuel pump problem.

These retirements paled into insignificance after the tragedy on lap two. Honda, who had their sole entrant John Surtees in the race, had been experimenting with an air cooled car which Surtees himself had tested. He would tell Honda that it was not ready to be raced and was a potential deathtrap. Honda, with financial assistance from Honda France, decided for reasons of their own to enter the car for the French Grand Prix and gave the drive to forty year old Jo Schlesser.

Schlesser started out in rallying in the 1950’s, he took a break from racing whilst working in Africa and then returned once again to drive for Mercedes in the Rome-Liege-Rome Rally. He would go on to compete in Formula Two, then Le Mans where he was involved in an accident. On his return to racing he competed in the European Formula Two Championship and joined the Matra works team. He raced at the 1966 and 1967 German Grand Prix, held at the Nurburgring, in a Formula Two specification car before Honda came knocking to invite him to drive their new experimental F1 car, against the advice of Surtees. He also competed in NASCAR at the 1964 Daytona 500.

 

On the second lap of the race, Schlesser’s Honda slid wide at the Six Freres curve, just before the tight Virage Du Noveau Monde right hander. He crashed into a bank close to the circuit and the car erupted in flames. It was laden with fifty-eight laps worth of fuel and the magnesium bodywork just ignited. Schlesser stood no chance of survival.

During the race, Jacky Ickx battled furiously with Pedro Rodriguez for twenty laps. Ickx had a brief spin, even though he was on full wets unlike the rest of the field. He lead from the opening lap to lap eighteen, Rodriguez briefly took over but after his spin Ickx was back in the lead and pulled away. Surtees, in the Honda, finished second and Jackie Stewart in third completed the podium positions.

This was a tragic reminder of the dangers which faced racing drivers in this era. In Formula One championship or non-championship sponsored events, fourteen drivers lost their lives from 1960 to 1969. It was an extremely dangerous period to be a racing driver.

Jo Schlesser was a good friend with Guy Ligier, the future team owner of the Ligier Formula One team and if you look at all the Ligier cars over time that raced in Formula One, you will notice the model numbers all begin with the letter “JS”. This was Guy Ligier’s tribute to his friend, Jo Schlesser.

Every picture tells a story, sometimes they are exciting and other times they are sombre and tragic. Whatever the outcome, this is the history of motor racing and these pioneers laid the foundations for the future of motor racing.

See You At The Chequered Flag.

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

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Dayinsure Agree extention with Wales Rally GB

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 -WRC Wales GB (GB) – WRC 27/10/2016 to 30/10/2016 – PHOTO : @World

International Motor Sports Ltd (IMS), organiser of Britain’s round of the FIA World Rally Championship, is delighted to announce today (Thursday) that Dayinsure has extended its title partnership of the event for the next two years.

Dayinsure Wales Rally GB is the latest name of the International Rally of Great Britain, one of the jewels of the UK motor sport calendar, which was previously known as the RAC Rally and supported by such brands as Lombard and Network Q.

The thrilling four-day event will take place from 26-29 October 2017 with the vast majority of the world-class competitive action staged in the legendary forests of mid and north Wales. The Welsh Government has been the event’s principal funding partner since the turn of the century, helping to deliver up to £10m of economic benefit to the country each year.

Established in 2005 and backed by industry giants Aviva and Allianz, Dayinsure is the UK’s premier provider of online, short-term vehicle insurance. It offers immediate short-term insurance cover for drivers of UK-registered cars and commercial vehicles. This provides a growing number of customers with an easy way to add an additional driver to their vehicle or a cost-effective way of insuring themselves on another vehicle on a temporary basis.

“We are absolutely delighted to continue this partnership with Dayinsure,” said Ben Taylor, Wales Rally GB Managing Director. “An event of this stature deserves a meaningful title sponsor and we really enjoyed working with Dayinsure in 2016. This renewal underlines perfectly the business return of an association with the rally and is an important part of the commercial strategy for the event.

“To have a long-term agreement is the best possible way to start to the next two years of our contract with the Welsh Government, whose support has been instrumental in the event since 2000, and we look forward to developing this project even further.”

Dayinsure’s high-profile title partnership has already enhanced the pioneering company’s reputation and visibility, with prominent exposure being generated through the rally’s far-reaching TV, media and online communications channels. This was supported by strong on-event branding which included the popular ‘Dayinsure Donut’ at Cholmondeley Castle, around which all competitors had to complete a dramatic, tyre-burning 360-degree spin during the stage.

“Partnering a world championship motor sport event was a totally new opportunity for Dayinsure, but the decision exceeded all of our expectations on many fronts – hence our enthusiasm to extend our involvement,” said Dennis Ryan, Dayinsure Founder and Chairman. “The availability of temporary vehicle insurance remains something of a new concept for many in the UK, and this partnership with Wales Rally GB provides us with the perfect platform to promote not only the availability of such short-term cover but also its simplicity. We are now looking forward to two more years of Dayinsure Wales Rally GB.”

The Welsh Government remains the World Championship round’s principal funding partner, having confirmed a three-year agreement to support the rally until the end of 2018.

Tickets for the 2017 Dayinsure Wales Rally GB will go on sale in the spring, when this year’s competitive route is announced. Full information can be found on the official www.walesrallygb.com website and via the event’s social media channels.

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 -WRC Wales GB (GB) – WRC 27/10/2016 to 30/10/2016 – PHOTO : @World
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24H Series – 24H of Dubai Qualifying

 

Photo Credit: (c) 24H Series

It was the moment cars in the classes of SP3-GT4, TCR, A3, CUP1 and A2 took to the track for the first of two half hour qualifying sessions. Mike Simpson in his #178 CWS Ginetta G55 was early on the pace and put in a time of 2:08.153 with Jann Mardenborough’s Nissan 370Z less than a second behind. Mardenborough did improve but it wasn’t enough to topple Simpson. In third place the Century Motorsport Ginnetta of Nathan Fricke waited, but he was taken over in the timings by Optimum’s Stewart Linn in his Ginetta who posted a time of 2;09.725.

In the TCR class it was Sebastiaan Bleekemolen who took the early lead and clocked a 2:12.327 in his Seat. He had a very big lead over James Kay in his #108 Audi with the Seat Leon of Red Camel’s Daniel Wheeler in third. Times were being swapped and by-passed throughout the TCR session but it was Mathias Beche who went to pole in the Modena Motorsports Seat. Bleekemolen and Kaye improved but for qualifying they had to settle for second and third in class.

Defending class champion Guillaume Roman held the early pace in the #303 Team Altran Peugeot with a time of 2:15.383 with his team mate Gonzalo Martin de Andres very close behind. Bernd Kupper sat third in the #131 BMW but not for long as Richard Verburg knocked him down in his Cor Euser Racing BMW.

The CUP1 class saw Stephan Epp put his #151 Sorg Rennsport BMW M325i on pole with another Sorg entry sitting in second courtesy of George Richardson and the QSR of Jimmy de Breucker in third. This was until the #146 Bonk Motorsport M325i of Max Partl jump up and take second in class.

Jacob Kristensen took the early lead in the A2 class in his Team K-Rejser Peugeot and stayed there. The Honda Integra of Ashan Silva sat second spot in class with Tanner Motorsport’s Andy Mollison pushing his Clio into third until Josh Cook put in an amazing lap which pushed him up to second.

It was time for the A6-Pro, A6-Am, SP-X, 991 and SP2 classes to take to the circuit and Christophe Haase managed the first flying lap of the day in his Optimum Motorsport Audi R8 LMS. His time only lasted for one lap as Mathieu Jaminet went below the two minute mark (1:58.917) in his IMSA Performance Porsche 991 GT3 R. It was then the turn of former Formula One ace Robert Kubica who posted a 1:59.116 in his Forch Racing Porsche 991 GT3 R to put him second overall and first in the A6-Am class, but this was cancelled due to exceeding track limits. Christopher Mies also broke the two minute barrier to go third in the A6-Pro class with other quick times coming from Paul Lafargue in the Mercedes AMG of IDEC Sport Racing and Michael Vergers in the Belgian Audi Club R8 LMS GT3.

Daniel de Jong was the early leader in SP-X, setting a 2:02.896 in the No. 19 Eurotrac Dodge Viper. Arnaud Gomez spooled up the exotic No. 204 “works” Vortex V8 to second in class with David Iradj Alexander next in the “customer” Vortex, No. 24 of the GPC team.

The venerable Porsche powered Silver Sting held the SP2 pole from start to finish, thanks to a 2:04.517 set by Jaap van Lagen. Mathieu Pontais was some distance further back with the older silhouette car, the No. 203 GC. Brett Sandberg was third in SP2 in the early part of the session with the No. 247 KTM X-Bow.

The fight for the top grid spots in 991 was fought by several teams. Initially the 2:04.623 of Christopher Zöchling (No. 92 MSG Motorsport) was good for top spot ahead of Klaus Bachler (No. 63 Race Pro Motorsport) and Anders Fjordabach (No. 68 Black Falcon). All were driving the requisite Porsche Cup cars comprising the one make class.

There was a new overall pole sitter halfway through the session when Jeroen Bleekemolen set a 1:57.705 in the No. 2 Black Falcon Mercedes AMG. Haase still held second but Maro Engel’s 1:58.248 in the other Black Falcon Mercedes was good enough for third. Kubica grabbed the lead in A6-Am with Lafargue next. Adding variety, Duncan Huisman moved to third in class with the No. 18 V8 Racing Corvette. In SP-X the No. 24 KTM moved into the class lead with a 2:02.533 by Iradj Alexander David. Van Laagen and Pontais maintained their 1-2 in SP2 while behind them Richard Verburg moved up to third in the No. 78 Speed Lover Porsche Cup car, opting for that category rather than the more restictive 991 class.

Things swapped around in the 991 class. Bachler improved to 2:03.566, good for the class pole. Zöchling slipped to third although his time improved slightly. Charles Espenlaub briefly held third in class with the No. 85 Pro Sport Performance Porsche until Bandar Al Esayi (No. 69 Black Falcon) eclipsed Espenlaub’s time.

Bleekemolen parked the Mercedes with several minutes left in the session. While his time held up for the overall pole, several cars behind him which had also stopped saw their cars demoted in the closing laps. Robert Renauer held second overall in the No. 911 Herberth Motorsport Porsche until the No. 963 Grasser Racing Lamborghini of Mirko Bortolotti bettered the mark. Fourteen cars ended with times under two minutes.

The No. 17 Mercedes, the No. 5 Audi, and the No 18 Corvetter held onto the top spots in A6-Am. Arnaud Gomez moved back into the SP-X lead with a 2:01.895 in the Vortex. Tom Dyer took over from Iradj Alexander and elevated the No. 24 Vortex to second in class while a late 2:02.771 by Ivo Breukers was just perfect to retain third place for the No. 19 Dodge.

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

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Will 2017 be McLaren-Honda’s year?

GP USA F1/2016 – AUSTIN (TEXAS) 23/10/2016
© FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA (© COPYRIGHT FREE)

Almost three years have passed since the announcement of the deal between McLaren and Honda. A very promising deal between two major motorsport teams/engine suppliers, McLaren is one of the most historical teams in Formula 1 and Honda had participated in Formula 1 from various roles. From 2006 to 2008 Honda had its own team, between 2000 and 2005 they supplied BAR and Jordan with engines and from 2015 they signed a deal with McLaren and since then McLaren’s official engine supplier is Honda.

The partnership did not start as well as the majority of the fans was hoped for. In 2015 the two drivers, Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso, faced several technical issues and forced to retire twelve times in total. Furthermore, in Bahrain Jenson Button did not even start the race as McLaren announced that his car suffered from electrical problems, in Monza Fernando Alonso was penalised with 10 place grid penalty, because his mechanics changed for the ninth time his ICU, Button was also penalised for the same reason, but the British received a five-place grid penalty. The Spaniard retired on lap 50 of the race due to loss of power.

Despite the bad results and the poor engine performance, the two drivers managed to collect 27 points combined. Jenson Button finished four times in the top-10 and scored 16 points, while his team-mate Fernando Alonso scored 11 points and finished two times in the top-10, the first was in Silverstone and the second time was in Hungary where he finished fifth.

McLaren did not set the bar too high for the 2016 season, although the results were positive and showed that the endless work at Woking is paying off. There were still some technical issues which did not allow to the team and to the drivers to score more points and be as competitive as they wanted but made it clear to everyone that McLaren-Honda made huge steps of improvements.

McLaren-Honda completed the season in the sixth place in the construction standings ahead of Toro Rosso and collected 76 points in total, 49 more than the previous season.

Fernando Alonso scored the majority of the points, 54 points in total and finished 10th ahead of the Brazilian driver Felipe Massa. The Spaniard retired at the first race of the season in Australia, but despite the bad start he managed to recover in the following races. Fernando, finished nine times in the top 10, he finished two times in the fifth place. The two best races for Alonso were in Monaco and in the USA.

From the other hand, Fernando’s team-mate, Jenson Button collected 21 points and finished 15th in the driver standings. The Brit champion finished seven times in the top-10 and his best result was in the sixth place in Austrian Grand Prix.

In the upcoming season, McLaren will run with a fully restructured Honda engine and they hope that they will return to the top.

“For 2017, the Honda engine architecture and layout have been altered to serve both for performance and packaging needs,” said McLaren-Honda technical director Tim Goss.

“The new power unit takes much of the learning from the past two seasons, but has been specifically redesigned for this season. This season’s changes rank as some of the most significant we’ve ever had in the sport. That’s likely to change the competition order, because it’s such a big disturbance.” Goss added.

McLaren-Honda is hoping that the new regulations will allow them to close the gap with the other teams and especially with the top three teams and catch Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

Personally, I believe that it is an achievable aim and it will be very positive for Formula 1 to see one of the most historical teams to return to the top and fight for a place on the podium.

Jenson Button will not be able to race with the new McLaren, but I am sure that Vandoorne will cover Jenson’s gap with his passion and his driving skills.

The exact date of the 2017 car launch is not known yet, but it will be before the first test in Barcelona.

Victor Archakis F1 Editor
Follow on Twitter: @FP_Passion

(Image courtesy of Pirelli F1 Media)

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Seven Sundays to the Speedway

 

In seven Sundays the glorious crescendo of sound the is start of the Daytona 500 will take place. As the countdown to the 2017 season begins there are a few things of note for race fans.

First and foremost, Dale Earnhardt Jr will be back. Yes, the newly we, fully healed, Dale Jr. will be back behind the wheel of his Nationwide 88 car. After a serious concussion that sidelined Junior for most of the season last year, NASCAR’s most popular driver will return to racing in the new season.

Next, the premier series in NASCAR will no longer be called the Sprint Cup series, it will now be known as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The change in title sponsor was officially announced in December along with a change in logo that will be revealed in the near future.

Third, Clint Bowyer will be taking over the number 14 car for Tony Stewart. While seeing Bowyer in the car may take a little getting used to, Stewart-Haas racing has gone out of their way to promote Bowyer and present an optimistic view of the upcoming season.

Lastly, on a sentimental note, Richard Childress is heading for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. A drivers strike propagated Childress to start his own team back in 1969 and he never looked back. After building an empire alongside Dale Earnhardt Sr. which changed the face of stock car racing, Childress has continued to be a positive force in NASCAR. Congratulations to Richard Childress and team.

As the 2017 looms on the horizon, race fans everywhere can feel the rising tide of excitement that comes with the first roar of the engines and the first rotation of wheels. Hopes, dreams, and expectations all build in a tremendous crescendo that makes every fan’s heart beat just a little faster. No doubt about it-this season should be something to see.

By Tonia Attard -‪@audilvrs7 ‬

Source. NASCAR.com

Photos Daytona International Speedway

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