SEBRING, H+6 : LA COURSE TRÈS INDÉCISE EN GT ET GTC.

L'heure de la mi-course a sonné à Sebring et 40 autos sont encore en course sur les 42 au départ. Il ne manque à l'appel que la Lola-Mazda/Dyson Racing (électrique) et la DeltaWing (moteur). Les deux Audi R18 e-tron quattro dominent toujours de la tête et des épaules avec Tom Kristensen devant Benoît Tréluyer, l'écart entre la #2 et la #1 étant de 8s lors du dernier restart peu avant la mi-course. Ben s'est bien bagarré avec Lucas di Grassi pour le leadership mais le duel a vite tourné court puisque le Brésilien a dû ravitailler. La course s'anime en « Essence » avec une belle lutte entre Nicolas Prost (Lola-Toyota/Rebellion) et Klaus Graf (HPD ARX-03c/Muscle Milk Pickett Racing). Les deux pilotes sont groupés dans la même seconde, à deux boucles des Hybrides. Sur la seconde Lola-Toyota, Andrea Belicchi chasse un tour plus loin. La #13 a juste été retardée par une pénalité.

Level 5 Motorsports a pris les choses en mains dans la catégorie P2 avec Marino Franchitti devant Scott Tucker. Les deux HPD ARX-03b ne sont que sous la menace de la Zytek Z11SN/Greaves Motorsport de Tom Kimber-Smith, même si l'écart avec la tête est de deux tours (pénalité de 20s pour la #41). Les deux HPD ARX-03b/Extreme Speed Motorsports ont connu une première moitié de course difficile. C'est d'abord la #02 qui s'est arrêtée en bord de piste (transmission), occasionnant une deuxième neutralisation, avant que la voiture sœur de David Brabham ne s'arrête également sur le circuit, obligeant la voiture de sécurité à faire son retour. A noter que Ryan Hunter-Reay a écopé d'une pénalité de 20s pour excès de vitesse dans la voie des stands.

Kyle Marcelli et le BAR1 Motorsports ont pris les commandes de la catégorie PC, mais le rapide David Ostella (PR1/Mathiasen) ne compte que 5s de retard. Chez RSR Racing (Popow), on a été retardé par une pénalité d'une minute (contact avec la Zytek).

Si la course est quelque peu ennuyeuse en LMP, il en est tout autre en GT avec les six premiers dans le même tour. Olivier Beretta a pris le leadership sur la Ferrari F458 Italia/Risi Competizione, le Monégasque étant sous la menace de Nick Tandy sur la Porsche 911 GT3-RSR/Team Falken Tire et la BMW Z4 GTE/BMW Team RLL de John Edwards. La Corvette C6.R #3 a comblé une partie de son retard, Westy étant remonté au 4ème rang, devant l'étonnante SRT Viper GTS-R/SRT de Marc Goossens. La seconde BMW est juste derrière, avec Bill Auberlen. La seconde Viper a connu des problèmes, mais la #93 est de retour en piste. C'est un peu la douche froide chez Aston Martin Racing. Après les problèmes de surchauffe de la #97 en début de course, la #007 de Pedro Lamy est arrêtée depuis un long moment (câble d'accélérateur).

En GTC, le Top 4 est groupé en 7s. Jon Fogarty (JDX Racing) compte 3s d'avance sur Mario Farnbacher (MOMO NGT), avec en embuscade Henrique Cisneros (MOMO NGT), Alexandre Imperatori (Lizard) et Brian Wong (Lizard).

Laurent Mercier(Endurance-Info)

George Petty Pin Up Artist

George Petty created ‘The Petty Girl’ – she was an American pinup icon who captured the nation’s heart for more than twenty years.

This guy is number 3 in my top Pin Up artists of the day, these were such an influence on me as a teenager back in the UK.

George Petty (1894 – 1975)

The picture shows George Petty presenting his artwork to the Navy, 1942
© Chicago Sun-Times.

From 1933 to 1956, her likeness was seen on tens of millions of calendars, magazine centrefolds, advertisements, posters, and billboards as well as on all sorts of speciality products. In 1950, “The Petty Girl” even became a major motion picture.

As one critic so aptly put it : “When you touch the wrist of a Petty Girl, you almost expect to feel a pulse.”

 

From 1933 to 1956, her likeness was seen on tens of millions of calendars, magazine centrefolds, advertisements, posters, and billboards as well as on all sorts of speciality products. In 1950, “The Petty Girl” even became a major motion picture.

Petty’s creation made her debut in the autumn of 1933, in a full-page cartoon accompanied by a snappy caption in Esquire magazine’s inaugural issue. For the rest of the decade, she was featured in such popular venues as monthly advertisements for Jantzen Knitting Mills and Old Gold cigarettes, a print, postcard, and full-page national advertisement for Trans World Airlines (1936), Esquire’s deluxe hardcover Petty Folio (1937), and Life magazine’s article, “Petty Girl … Is Feminine Ideal American Men” (June 26, 1939). By 1940, Petty had become a national celebrity. His relationship with Esquire had worn thin, however, and when they secured the services of Alberto Vargas a year later, he left the magazine – but not before he had contributed a rich legacy to the history of pinup and pinup art.

During the next ten years, the Petty Girl seemed to be everywhere. Along with the Varga Girl, she helped build morale during wartime. A 1940 advertisement for Jantzen, featuring a Petty Girl m swimsuit the artist had designed himself, ran for months in every major magazine. This image, Petty’s most popular to date, led to a great number of commissions for the artist, including pinup ads for Pepsi Cola and, on November 10, 1941, a Time magazine front cover of Rita Hayworth.

In 1945, Petty entered into a special relationship with Fawcett Publications’ True magazine, where the Petty Girl began appearing every month as either a centrefold or full-page illustration. The magazine published best-selling Petty Girl calendars in 1947 and 1948 that contained some of the artist’s finest work. Among his commissions for the entertainment industry were four promotional pinups for MGM’s musical Ziegfeld Follies (1946).

Petty returned to Esquire to create two calendars in 1955 and 1956, which garnered a whole new generation of admirers for him. His other important calendar client, besides Esquire and True, was the Ridgid Tool Company. His innovative works for that firm were devised in a highly original way. Petty first painted an image on illustration board, then cut it out and pasted it onto a photostat of a tool, and finally painted over the background image.

The creator of the fabulous Petty Girl was born in 1894 in Abbeville, Louisiana. After his family moved to Chicago, he worked in his father’s photography studio. Upon graduation from high school, he travelled to Paris to study at the Académie Julian under Jean-Paul Laurens. Back home, he worked for a printing company as a photo retoucher and became the head of the household upon his father’s death. Petty married married in 1918. His daughter, Marjorie, was born a year later, and his son, George, in 1922.

By the mid 1920s, Petty was working full-time as a freelance illustrator, providing pretty girl images to a calendar company. After he opened his first studio in Chicago in 1926, his burgeoning client list came to include such companies as Marshall Field’s (catalogue front covers) and Atlas Beer (billboards, newspaper ads, and window display art).

The first model for the Petty Girl was the artist’s wife, followed by his daughter when she became a teenager and even his son, who was enlisted to pose for the “Petty Man” in the Jantzen advertising campaign.

Petty was a large man, often compared to Ernest Hemingway because of his rugged appearance. Like the famous author, he enjoyed big game hunting and often went on safaris to Africa. For more than ten years, he was an appreciative judge at the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City. In 1973, for Esquire’s fortieth anniversary, Petty created a modem-day version of his pinup girl with grey hair and granny glasses. He died on July 21, 1975, in San Pedro, California.

The Petty Girl had a mischievous, engaging smile and a special twinkle in her eyes. Long-limbed and well endowed, she was a slick, supple, and alluring creature. Like many pinup artists, Petty created these ideal American girls by combining the best features of several models. He further improved on nature by making their heads smaller and their legs and torsos longer. Whatever his secret Petty certainly had the magic touch.

These art pieces are just something else and, how better to sell tools and industrial hardware, then grabbing the attention of the workers etc, with a pin up girl strewn across the particular part.

from cb750cafe

The Enduro World Championship kicks off this weekend

The 2013 World Enduro Championship will kick off this weekend in Chili, first round of the South American trip.

Le coup d’envoi du championnat du Monde d’enduro sera donné ce weekend au Chili, lors de la première des deux épreuves prévues en Amérique du Sud.

It will be hot and sunny opening round, and for sure the riders coming from Europe will face unusual conditions in all the classes (E1, E2, E3 and Junior), after training mainly under the rain or even the snow! Reigning champions in all the classes for the first time in the Enduro history, the French riders are once more among the favourites of this new season.

Antoine Méo (KTM) who claimed three World titles in a row (two in E1 and one in E2) will defend his E1 title, and once more is the man to beat against Finnish veteran Juha Salminen (Husqvarna Michelin) who is coming back in this class alongside his team mate Matti Seistola. Spaniard Cristobal Guerrero (KTM), Italians Thomas Oldrati (Husaberg Michelin) and Simone Albergoni (Honda), and Finn Eero Remes (KTM) will be their main outsiders.

First rider to ever win a Motocross World Championship and later an Enduro title, Pierre Alexandre Renet (Husaberg Michelin) will defend his title against some serious rivals such as fellow countryman Johnny Aubert or Spaniard Ivan Cervantes back in his previous team (KTM). Newcomer in this class the former E3 World Champion David Knight (Honda) will be a strong rival, as well as Italian Alex Salvini (Honda), Spaniards Lorenzo Santolino (Husqvarna Michelin) and Oriol Mena (Husaberg Michelin).

Missing only two wins last year in the E3 class, Christophe Nambotin (KTM) will defend his title against some strong rivals. Estonian Aigar Leok(TM ), French Rodrig Thain (Gas Gas) newcomer in this category and Swedish Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg Michelin) are all used to the podium ceremony; but will they be able to beat the reigning champion, so impressive last season?

The junior class seems more open than ever this year; Spaniard Mario Roman (Husaberg Michelin) enters his last season in this category, and will battle with young Italian Giacomo Redondi (KTM) who won the 125 title last year, and British rider Danny McCanney (Gas Gas) who finished on the junior podium in 2012. Newcomer in Enduro, former motocross rider Loic Larrieu (Husaberg Michelin) will be one of the main outsiders.

Chili this weekend and Argentina a few days later will be the first two of seven rounds in the 2013 World Championship. Mid may the Enduro riders will go in the Iberian Peninsula for the Spanish and Portuguese rounds, and later in June they will travel East for the GP’s of Greece and Romania. Then they will have to wait more than two months before the final round, organised in Saint Flour (France) early in September.

C’est sous la chaleur que les participants au championnat vont donc s’affronter pour la première fois, et ce dans les quatre catégories en lice (E1, E2, E3 et Junior). Champions du Monde sortant dans les quatre catégories, pour la première fois de l’histoire, les pilotes Français ont cette fois encore la grosse côté et figurent parmi les favoris de cette nouvelle saison.

Antoine Méo (KTM) qui reste sur trois titres Mondiaux consécutifs (deux en E1 et un en E2) repart pour une nouvelle saison en E1, avec le statut de favori face au vétéran Finlandais Juha Salminen (Husqvarna Michelin) qui arrive dans cette catégorie aux côtés de son compatriote et équipier Matti Seistola. L’Espagnol Cristobal Guerrero (KTM), les Italiens Thomas Oldrati (Husaberg Michelin) et Simone Albergoni (Honda), et le Finlandais Eero Remes (KTM) seront leurs principaux outsiders.

Seul pilote à avoir décroché successivement un titre Mondial en Motocross et en Enduro, Pierre Alexandre Renet (Husaberg Michelin) défendra sa couronne face à quelques sérieux rivaux dont notamment son compatriote Johnny Aubert et l’Espagnol Ivan Cervantes de retour chez les Autrichiens (KTM). Revenu dans cette catégorie E2 la star Britannique David Knight (Honda) sera un sérieux rival, tout comme l’Italien Alex Salvini (Honda), les Espagnols Lorenzo Santolino (Husqvarna Michelin) et Oriol Mena (Husaberg Michelin).

Impérial l’an passé en E3, Christophe Nambotin (KTM) remet son titre en jeu face à une opposition musclée. L’Estonien Aigar Leok (TM ), le Français Rodrig Thain (Gas Gas) qui découvre la catégorie et le Suédois Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg Michelin) sont tous habitués au podium ; parviendront-ils pour autant à prendre l’ascendant sur Nambotin, qui n’a été battu qu’à deux reprises l’an dernier ?

La catégorie Juniors semble particulièrement ouverte cette année, entre l’Espagnol Mario Roman (Husaberg Michelin) qui tente sa chance pour la troisième et dernière fois, le jeune Italien Giacomo Redondi (KTM) champion du Monde 125, et le Britannique Danny McCanney (Gas Gas) qui était monté sur le podium l’an passé. Nouveau venu dans la discipline, l’ex crossman Loic Larrieu (Husaberg Michelin) sera l’un des outsiders d’une catégorie ou les surprises sont nombreuses.

Le Chili ce weekend puis l’Argentine la semaine suivante ouvriront donc le Mondial 2013 qui comprendra sept épreuves. Mi mai les enduristes se retrouveront dans la péninsule Ibérique pour la tournée Espagne Portugal, avant de filer à l’Est en Juin avec les GP de Grèce puis de Roumanie. S’en suivra une longue pause de deux mois, avant la finale prévue à Saint Flour (France) début septembre.

2013 GNCC River Ranch RD-1 ft. Osborne / DeLong / Mullins – vurboffroad

Kate Moss Stars in Matchless Campaign

From WWD (Women's Wear Daily), possibly the best source of revamped motorcycle brand information on the planet!  Remember that Kate Moss was among the first models hired by the Malenottis to launch their Belstaff brand.

"MATCHLESS MAKER: Matchless, one of Britain’s oldest motorcycle brands, is set to launch men’s and women’s outerwear collections in June — and the face of its fall/winter ad campaign is Kate Moss. Terry Richardson shot the black-and-white campaign at MC Motors, a former warehouse in London’s Hackney. Moss is pictured on a Matchless motorbike along with fellow model Andre Van Noord. The ads will break in June issues of “top-tier” titles, according to the company, which is still finalizing its media plans.

Kate Moss posing on a Matchless G9 twin, in a Matchless-brand jacket, with superstar photographer Terry Richardson.  Photo by Courtesy

“We are delighted to be working with Kate Moss on this first Matchless advertising campaign of this new era of the brand,”said Michele Malenotti, a member of the Matchless board, and the company’s marketing and business expansion director. “The campaign reflects the heritage of the brand, which we are excited about sharing with Matchless enthusiasts and consumers alike.”

Kate Moss for Belstaff.  I don't think Kate rides, but she ought to!

The brand makes leather and washed cotton jackets both for motorcycle enthusiasts, and for those who get their thrills looking hip on city streets. Prices range from 900 pounds to 1,300 pounds, or $1,340 to $1,940, for leather jackets, and from 600 pounds to 900 pounds, or $890 to $1,340, for washed cotton ones. All figures have been converted at current exchange. WWD reported in February [as did The Vintagent - read it here] that brothers Manuele and Michele Malenotti, the former owners of Belstaff, have taken control of Matchless. The passion for bikes runs in the family, as their father Franco Malenotti, founder of the family business Clothing Company, is an avid motorcycle fan. In 2011, Labelux Group bought Belstaff, known for its waxed cotton biker gear, and has been relaunching and expanding the brand globally.

In the current wave of celeb moto-gear, we present the revamped Velocette clothing line...just kidding!  Nice Venom; Ewan MacGregor for Salvatore Ferragamo; Ewan has a tasty collection of vintage motorcycles.  Will he be photographed wearing Matchless soon?  

Henry Collier, a design-engineer, entrepreneur, and winning rider, and his brothers founded Matchless Motorcycles in 1899.

 - story by Samantha Conti"

Legacy Classic Trucks

Silver Extended Cab Power Wagon

SEBRING, H+3 : BMW ET VIPER MÈNENT EN GT.

Trois heures de course à Sebring et 91 tours couverts pour l'Audi R18 e-tron quattro de tête pilotée actuellement par Marcel Fässler. La #1 avait pourtant perdu les commandes au profit de la voiture sœur durant la seule neutralisation occasionnée par l'abandon de la DeltaWing (moteur), arrêtée en bord de piste. Le Suisse a repris la tête lorsque Allan McNish a écopé d'une pénalité d'une minute pour un contact avec la LMPC/ DragonSpeed de Mirco Schultis. Pour le reste, les R18 e-tron quattro déroulent...

Du côté des Essence, Rebellion Racing et Muscle Milk Pickett Racing continuent la bagarre avec pour le moment l'avantage à la Lola-Toyota #12 de l'équipe suisse. Chez Muscle Milk, on a perdu quelques plumes lorsque Lucas Luhr a dû rentrer au ralenti avec une roue en moins. Neel Jani compte deux tours de retard sur l'Audi de tête, sachant que les deux autos de l'équipe suisse sont dans le même tour que la HPD/Muscle Milk. Quant à la Lola du Dyson Racing, elle n'est plus au contact depuis un bon moment, notamment pour avoir pris une pénalité de 20s (trop de personnes travaillant sur l'auto).

Domination Extreme Speed Motorsports en LMP2 et la #01 de Sharp/Brabham/Cosmo devant la Zytek Z11SN/Greaves et la HPD/Level 5 de Simon Pagenaud. L'autre HPD/ESM a été retardée suite à un contact avec une HPD/Level 5 au Turn 1.

PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports a pris l'avantage en LMPC, l'équipage Cheng/Ostella/Guasch menant assez largement la catégorie avec un tour d'avance sur la ORECA-FLM09 du RSR Racing.

La catégorie GT tient ses promesses avec au cap des trois heures de course le leadership pour la BMW Z4 GTE/BMW Team RLL de Hand/Edwards/D.Müller devant l'étonnante SRT Viper GTS-R/SRT Motorsports de Dalziel/Farnbacher/Goossens. Le Belge Marc Goossens a animé le début de course et ses compères ne sont pas en reste. La Ferrari F458 Italia/Risi Competizione est elle aussi au contact dans le même tour que le leader, tout comme la seconde BMW Z4 GTE et l'Aston Martin Vantage GTE/AMR #007 de Lamy/Dalla Lana/Johnson. La Corvette #4 est descendue au 9ème rang et la #3 encore bien plus loin après un changement de boîte de vitesse. La seconde Aston Martin (#97) a repris la piste, mais elle ne peut plus rien espérer.

Le Dempsey Del Piero Racing est toujours aux commandes de la catégorie GTC devant Alex Job Racing et les deux Porsche 911 GT3 Cup/MOMO NGT Motorsports.

On notera un seul abandon confirmé avec celui de la DeltaWing et une seule neutralisation.

BY Laurent Mercier(Endurance-INFo°

Bagger Bolt On and Ride by CCE

The company “Custom Chrome” manufactures aftermarket parts for motorcycles and was founded in 1970 in San Jose, California. For more than 40 years the company has become the largest independent distributor of motorcycle accessories and parts. The U.S. Company also has a European division, which is called the “Custom Chrome Europe GmbH”. European office is located in Bad Kreuznach, Germany. In addition there are offices in Japan and Mexico.

At a recent exhibition in Verona guys “Custom Chrome Europe (CCE)” presented a new Bagger called “Bolt On and Ride”. The basis of this project, they used a motorcycle Harley-Davidson Road King in 2013 and established the American bike many aftermarket parts and accessories from the catalog of Custom Chrome.

Details and modernization Bagger “Bolt On and Ride”:

* 26-inch five-spoke front wheel

* Redesigned front suspension geometry, in particular Andreas Berge Ford changed rake angle, is a special set of “Touring Kit”

* Sliders, Ape Hanger-wheel, leather saddle, milled steps, chrome headlight

* New fuel tank, new wings, belt drive BDL, large trunks

* Silver paint is made in a factory Harley

Parts list is endless, in total, they were required to add 10 000.

 

from BIKEGLAM