jeudi 7 février 2013
ES1 : Show à l’hippodrome ! / a show for spectators at Karlstad’s hippodrome!
There was plenty to keep spectators entertained this evening in Karlstad. In addition to the show provided by the WRC’s stars round the short super-special, fans were treated to a spectacular acrobatic snowmobile show and a parade of ‘historic’ rally cars.
Véhicules historiques, choix des positions de départ des pilotes WRC, « backflip » à motoneige et Superspéciale ont animé la soirée à l’hippodrome de Karlstad.
The entertainment kicked off at 6:30pm when the historic cars arrived at the snowy hippodrome, led by the Mk2 Ford Escort of Petter Solberg. The 2003 world champion’s car was soon joined by some exceptional machinery, including several Porsche 911s, Triumph Dolomites, a Mini Cooper, an Austin Healey 3000, a Toyota Starlet, an Audi Quattro, a Mazda 323, a Saab 96, a number of Volvo Amazons, an Alpine A110 and an Opel Kadett. All these competitors will get their first taste of competitive action on the famous ‘Vargasen’ stage on Friday morning.
The 17 modern-day WRC cars were next to arrive at the trotting track where they parked ‘Le Mans’ fashion in front of the grandstands in the order of their positions on this morning’s Qualifying Stage. Then, one by one, the drivers were asked to select their start order for tomorrow morning. Qualifying winner Sébastien Ogier unsurprisingly chose to start 17th on the road. Mads Ostberg went for 16th, Mikko Hirvonen for 15th, and so on, and so on. Swedish youngster Pontus Tidemand received a big round of applause (although there wasn’t much noise because most people were wearing gloves!) when he chose 14th for his start order. Jari-Matti Latvala made the effort to address the crowd in Swedish, as did Khalid Al-Qassimi who said “four” in the language of the host country! Finland’s Jarkko Nikara, who missed the qualifying session, will be the first driver on the road tomorrow.
Next up was the hero of the recent Winter X-Games, Daniel Bodin (see separate story), and four other snowmobile freestylers who thrilled spectators with a series of spectacular leaps, including Bodin’s trademark ‘backflip’. We spoke to him afterwards, and he promises he is working on something even bigger – but secret – for March!
After a firework display, the week’s world championship action began with SS1 which was contested two cars at a time. The exact pairings were decided by the rally’s Facebook visitors who requested a certain number of ‘duels’, including Loeb/Ogier, Hirvonen/Latvala and Ostberg /Tidemand. We chose to watch the stage from the warmth of the restaurant which enjoys a panoramic view of the track and where more than 400 meals were served to VIP and corporate guests during the evening.
The 1.90km super-special was won by Sébastien Loeb, who was 0.5s faster than Novikov and Latvala, and 0.7s better than Hirvonen and Ostberg. Sébastien Ogier (9th) dropped 2.5s when he swiped a snow bank. “There’s something not quite right with the rear-right of my car,” he commented at the Stop Control.
Le spectacle a débuté vers 18h30 avec l’entrée sur l’hippodrome des véhicules engagés dans le rallye historique, la Ford Escort Mk2 de Petter Solberg en tête. Le Champion du monde 2003 fut rapidement encerclé de Porsche 911, Triumph Dolomite, Mini Cooper, Austin Healey 3000, Toyota Starlet, Audi Quattro, Mazda 323, Saab 96, Volvo Amazon, Alpine A110, Opel Kadett… Tout ce petit monde se retrouvera demain dans la spéciale de Vargasen.
Les 17 WRC « modernes » ont à leur tour fait leur apparition sur l’ovale enneigé avant de se ranger en épis devant les tribunes en fonction de leur classement dans la Qualifying Stage matinale. C’était l’heure du choix des positions de départ pour vendredi. Sébastien Ogier a logiquement désigné la 17e position sur la piste, Mads Ostberg la 16e, Mikko Hirvonen la 15e. Le Suédois Pontus Tidemand fut très applaudi – mais avec les moufles, le son était un peu étouffé ! – en annonçant sa 14e position pour demain. Jari-Matti Latvala a fait l’effort de prononcer quelques mots en suédois, de même que Khalid Al-Qassimi qui a annoncé le chiffre 4 dans la langue du pays hôte. Absent de la « qualif » ce matin après une sortie de piste au Shakedown, le Finlandais Jarkko Nikara ouvrira la route demain.
L’ambiance est ensuite montée d’un cran avec le héros des derniers Winter X-Games, le Suédois Daniel Bodin, et quatre autres freestylers à motoneige. Ils ont régalé le public de sauts impressionnants jusqu’au célèbre « backflip » tenté et réussi à plusieurs reprises par Bodin.
Après un feu d’artifice, les funambules du WRC ont à leur tour pris la piste pour cette Superspéciale disputée par paire. Ce sont les internautes, via le website du Rallye de Suède et différents réseaux sociaux, qui avaient choisi certains duels, comme Loeb/Ogier, Hirvonen/Latvala ou Ostberg/Tidemand. Nous, nous avons suivi cette Superspéciale derrière les baies vitrées du restaurant surplombant la piste, où plus de 400 repas ont été servis aux VIP et autres partenaires de l’événement.
La spéciale-spectacle elle-même (1,90km) a été remportée par Sébastien Loeb, suivi de Novikov et Latvala (+0,5s), puis de Hirvonen et Ostberg (+0,7s). Sébastien Ogier (9e) a cédé 2,5s en tapant un mur de neige. « Il y a un truc qui ne va pas avec l’arrière-droit de ma voiture, » a-t-il lâché au Point Stop.
from best-of-rallylive
Pedrosa takes home top honours in Sepang test, as Marquez suffers his first crash
Dani Pedrosa took home top honours in all three days of MotoGP testing at Sepang. His 2.00.100 lap this morning remained untouched even he cut short his time on track, because he had completed his scheduled testing programme. He spent the morning working on engine braking, balance and weight distribution he also had the chance to test the two new hard compound Bridgestone tire, which made the much hated chatter return- which was the bane of the Repsol Honda team last season- with both Casey Stoner and Pedrosa fiercely opposing the introduction of the spec front tire.
“We can leave Sepang with a good feeling, because we had good lap times on all three days. We were able to put in a lot of laps and, above all, try out some important things with the engine and the bike weight to adjust to the three kilos more for this season - dictated by the new rules. Today we focused on rear tyres, in particular the new Bridgestone hard compound. It is similar to the old one with a little more grip in some areas, but it also creates more chatter. We finished the test well and hope to continue like this in the following ones,” said Pedrosa.
After two plus three days on the RC213V, Marc Marquez can return home to Spain as very happy and competitive rookie, with the talent to stay with veterans of the caliber of his team mate and Jorge Lorenzo. Despite losing the front of his Honda and suffering a small crash, Marquez was able to set his best lap today (2.00.636) and also complete a 20 lap race simulation.
“I am very happy with the results that we have had from these three days, above all because I gradually got more consistent with my times. This was what we were looking for from this test. Day by day we improved our times, but this is secondary really. The important thing is that we made our first race simulation, which has helped me to understand the class and the bike better and his given us a lot of information for the next test. We also had a first crash, which luckily was fairly light. I lost the front on the brakes, but I was unhurt and the overall verdict on the test is still very positive,” commented Marquez.
via TWOWHEELSBLOG
Jorge Lorenzo ends Sepang with stunning pace, Rossi very happy with 3rd
Jorge Lorenzo may have finished the three day MotoGP test at Sepang always behind rival Dani Pedrosa, but the reigning World Champion had a much more stunning race pace - his trademark - constantly lapping in the very low 2.01s and in the high 2.00s, with no one capable of even touching him - not even Pedrosa who couldn’t maintain the same rhythmn.
“I think these three days have been positive for us. We tried many things and some of them were good. We need to reconfirm again in another track but here we were able to improve a little bit. I was able to make a simulation this afternoon, the first one I’ve done in Sepang in my GP career. I felt strong physically, mentally and riding so it was good. The other riders are also really strong so it promises to be an interesting season,” said Lorenzo.
Valentino Rossi is leaving Sepang much more sure of himself, which is a big confidence booster.The Italian however is still playing it low key, admitting that he could come close to his team mate in one hot lap, but could not yet sustain the massacrating rhythmn and has yet to find the complete confidence that Lorenzo has, and that he is still a little behind in his training preparation. Rossi tested the 2013 version of the M1 and it was this bike that let him obtain his best lap time of the day which is faster than the previous version and more stable.
Rossi said, “I’m very happy, all three days were very good. We worked hard on the bike and improved day by day. The third day was the best, we were able to stay less than half a second from pole position and the lap time is higher which is interesting. Today we finished third in the standings which is theoretically the front row so I’m very happy with this first test.”
via TWOWHEELSBLOG
ICON 1000 Quartermaster
Custom motorcycles have always been part of Icon’s company culture—and they do all the work in-house. But this is the first Icon 1000 bike to be commissioned by a client. The commission came from Ural, and the machine is called the Quartermaster. Based on the Ural Solo sT, it’s a bike designed to endure the ‘End of Days.’
Inspired by rugged Soviet Navy ships, this Ural has been extensively modified to fit the vision of Icon’s creative director Kurt Walter. “I wanted to highlight that Russian military theme, but with a twist. Hence the nautical approach in both color and markings,” he says.
As this video shows, the Ural is a pretty good match for Icon’s post-apocalytptic vision: “Simplicity is paramount to the survival of any mechanism in arduous environments,” says Walter. “So I’ve always preferred air-cooled singles or twins.” Icon started work by giving the frame an oversized main spar and a higher-clearance subframe, adding to the Ural’s bullish stance. The rest of the build reflects the Icon 1000 mission brief: Vintage design cues, top-shelf materials and components, and discreet modern technology.
A large-capacity fuel tank and hand-formed fenders prepare the Quartermaster for the rigors of an uncertain future. When the asphalt crumbles, enduro bars, a skid plate and raised foot controls help keep the rider on track.
Component upgrades come from PIAA and Progressive Suspension. “I like to upgrade suspension to as much travel as the geometry will take, and as stiff as my kidneys will endure!” says Walter. The Ural is also running a Supertrapp exhaust system and Continental tires: (“TKC-80s have a chunky cross-section that works well on different terrain.”)
The stock Ural is as rugged as they come, a time-proven design that has been refined over decades. But with the Quartermaster, it’s been readied for an even tougher future. Head over to the Icon 1000website for more images—and a first view of the latest Icon 1000 motorcycle gear.
via BIKEEXIF
Libellés :
ICON 1000 Quartermaster;RUSSIA,
URAL,
USA
Modena Trackdays 2013 at Spa: Ferrari boot camp
The 2013 edition of ‘Modena Trackdays’ will be held at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, from 30 to 31 July 2013. This year’s event is shaping up to be one of the best, with early Ferrari entries that include an Enzo muletto(prototype), an F40 LM, F50 and FXX.
Uwe Meissner, CEO of Classic Driver dealer Modena Motorsport, has 20 years' experience of running the Modena Trackdays - closed-circuit private days at the Nürburgring and Spa. With the number of Formula 1 and special endurance-racing Ferraris taking to the track each year, it’s almost as if the Scuderia itself has turned up.
In addition, famous drivers such as Jacky Ickx, Niki Lauda, Walter Röhrl and Jochen Mass are often on hand to drive and chat to fellow enthusiasts.
Related Links For further information on Modena Trackdays, visit www.modena-trackdays.com Modena Motorsport's cars for sale in the Classic Driver Marketplace |
Text: Jan Richter(ClassicDriver)
Photos: Henri Lugan, Jörn Friedrich, Redinfocus; Thomas Quintin
THE ‘OUT OF AFRICA’ DE HAVILLAND GIPSY MOTH
It isn’t everyday that the chance to buy something as iconic as the De Havilland Gipsy Moth from the film ‘Out of Africa’ comes along, she’s heading to the auction block on the 7th of February 2013 and rather remarkably, is still fit to fly.
It isn’t widely known that De Havilland issued licenses to a number of countries including Australia, America and France – This is an American made Gipsy Moth and it has an other unique characteristic – it’s made of steel rather than wood. Many of the Gipsy Moths destined for warmer more termite habitable climates were made of steel-tubing, this did add a little to the weight but it also added mightily to the service life.
The ’Out of Africa’ plane pictured here was flown to Kenya in the back of a DC8 in 1985 for the filming of the movie, it was flown in Tanzania as well taking in the Masai Mara and Kilimanjaro. Since the film it’s travelled to New Zealand, all over Europe, Australia, Great Britain and much of the United States.
If you’d like to read more about the plane or register to bid on it, click the link here to visit the official auction page.
via SILODROME
Chappell Customs “Cafe 33″
Chappell Customs is run by brothers Chris – based out of LA in the US, and Rob – based out of Ontario in Canada, where, despite being 3000 miles apart, they somehow conspire to co-build some stunning customs, including this gold and metallic grey 1982 Yahama xs650, which you’ll probably have seen already on sites like BikeEXIF.
The donor xs650 started out as a rolling chassis with odd wheels and pile of parts. Chris kept the engine and frame but pretty much everything else was removed and either rebuilt or binned.
The bike had been rattle-can sprayed so she needed to be stripped right back to the bare metal, and the engine was refurbished with honed cylinders, new rings, seals, gaskets and filters.
The forks were rebuilt with progressive springs, which offer a smooth ride on rough streets but firm up for harder riding – a great option for customs like these, although a little harder to set up.
A new frame loop was welded-on to accommodate the cafe seat, the wiring loom was remade with new lights and turn signals with a light weight lithium-ion battery, while new hand controls link to higher performance brakes for modern stopping power, and a digital speedo takes care of keeping the rider informed whenever unreasonable speed limits appear on the twisties.
You may have spotted that the tank isn’t original, but this was intentional as Chris and Rob wanted the bike to carry more fuel, so they lifted a tank from an xs750. It’s a nice practical touch on a bike made to be ridden as well giving the bike a more muscular appearance than the donor bike.
Other performance upgrades include gas powered rear shocks, aftermarket carbs, an RK chain – in other words, the bike has been completely sorted to make sure it’s a clean and tidy ride that delivers whatever the rider will ask of it. Job done.
Chris & Rob look righteously pleased with themselves.
See more from Chappell Customs HERE
via thebikeshed
Sweden : Ogier fastest in qualifying / La « qualif » pour Ogier
The best time on this morning’s Qualifying Stage was posted by Sébastien
Ogier, ahead of Mads Ostberg and Mikko Hirvonen. Latvala (sixth) and
Loeb (eight) both lost time at the start. The drivers will choose their
start order positions at this evening’s start ceremony in Karlstad.
Sébastien Ogier a signé le meilleur temps de la Qualifying Stage devant
Mads Ostberg et Mikko Hirvonen. Latvala (6e) et Loeb (8e) ont eu du mal à
s’élancer sur la ligne de départ. Les pilotes choisiront leurs
positions sur la route pour vendredi ce soir lors de la cérémonie de
départ à Karlstad.
This time last year, we were at the same stop
control, near Rada, at the end of the first ‘Qualifying Stage’ in WRC
history. We were joined for the occasion by a sizeable crowd of TV
reporters, photographers, FIA officials and other curious onlookers.
Twelve months later, ‘qualifying’ has become a routine part of the
sport, and there was only Best-of-RallyLive and World Rally Radio’s
reporter waiting in the snow for the drivers to arrive this morning…
The
best time of 2012 (Jari-Matti Latvala, 1m56.5s) was amply beaten this
time round by the Finn’s new team-mate Sébastien Ogier (Volkswagen Polo R
WRC/Michelin) who completed the 3.99km test in 1m51.357s.
Like Sébastien Loeb (8th), Latvala (6th)
had trouble getting away from the start line this morning, leaving Mads
Ostberg to claim the second best time (1m52.257s), ahead of Mikko
Hirvonen (1m52.921s) who commented that he “could have gone quicker in a
few places.”
The fourth and fifth fastest
efforts were posted by the last and last-but-one drivers. Driving a Ford
Fiesta RS WRC carrying the same number as his age (22), Sweden’s Pontus
Tidemand was fourth (1m53.805s), marginally clear of the unflappable
Finn Juho Hanninen (1m53.918s).
Despite
going very wide through the first left-hander, Thierry Neuville was
seventh, between Latvala and Loeb. The top 10 was rounded off by Evgeny
Novikov and Dani Sordo who only completed one ‘shakedown’ run after
suffering a brake problem with his DS3 WRC. Jarkko Nikara (Mini) went
off during the earlier ‘shakedown’ session and didn’t contest the
Qualifying Stage.
The drivers will announce
their preferred start positions later today at the start ceremony in
Karlstad. Those who get to choose first will probably prefer a later
running order to avoid having to cut a line through the loose snow which
has fallen over the stages in recent days.
Il y a tout juste un an, nous étions déjà là, à Rada, à ce même point stop. Il s’agissait alors de la 1ère
Qualifying Stage de l’histoire du WRC et il y avait foule pour assister
à l’événement, TV, photographes, officiels FIA, curieux… Douze mois
plus tard, la « Qualif » est devenue une habitude et nous n’étions que
deux journalistes à attendre les 1ers chronos officiels de ce Rallye de Suède 2013 sous les flocons.
Le
chrono du vainqueur 2012, Jari-Matti Latvala (1min56s5), a largement
été battu cette année par son équipier Sébastien Ogier (Volkswagen Polo R
WRC/Michelin) qui a réalisé le meilleur temps en 1min51s357 sur les
3,99 km de la spéciale.
Comme Sébastien Loeb (8e), Latvala (6e) a eu du mal à s’extraire de la ligne de départ. Mads Ostberg a signé le 2e meilleur chrono (1min52s257) devant Mikko Hirvonen (1min52s921) qui « aurait pu aller plus vite à certains endroits ».
Il a fallu attendre et le dernier et le pénultième concurrent pour connaître les 4e et 5e chronos du jour. Au volant de la Ford Fiesta RS WRC qui porte le même numéro que son âge, le jeune Pontus Tidemand a signé le 4e temps (1min53s805) juste devant le placide Finlandais Juho Hanninen (1min53s918).
Malgré une trop grande glissade dans le 1er gauche, Thierry Neuville a réalisé le 7e
temps entre Latvala et Loeb. Evgeny Novikov et Dani Sordo complètent le
top-10 de cette Qualifying Stage. L’Espagnol n’avait effectué qu’un
passage d’essais en raison de soucis de freins sur sa DS3 WRC. Jarkko
Nikara (Mini), qui avait effectué une sortie de route au Shakedown, n’a
pas pris le départ.
En fonctions de leurs
résultats dans cette « qualif », les pilotes choisiront leurs positions
de départ pour vendredi sur le podium de départ à Karlstad. La
préférence ira sans doute à l’arrière du peloton pour ne pas balayer la
couche de neige qui recouvre les spéciales
via best-of-rallylive.
Chevrolet SS to debut on February 16th
Chevrolet’s U.S. vice president of performance vehicles has announced plans to introduce the 2014 SS on February 16th.
Speaking to journalists in Detroit, Jim Campbell said the model would be unveiled ahead of the Sprint Unlimited Race. As Campbell noted, “This is the first time that we’ve done this in decades, where we’re going to introduce a whole new model at a racetrack." While the racing tie-in is interesting, it isn't too surprising as Chevrolet will use an SS-inspired model to compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Chevrolet hasn't revealed much about the model, but previously confirmed it will be rear-wheel drive and feature a V8 engine - possibly the new 6.2-liter EcoTec3 that debuted on the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. The car will be based on theHolden VF Commodore and is slated to enter limited production later this year.
Note: Chevrolet SS Race Car pictured
Source: Automotive News
via worldcarfans.
Inscription à :
Articles (Atom)