Russian police — Get lucky

Vous pensiez avoir tout vu en matière de reprise étrange de Get Lucky, le tube estival de Daft Punk ? Eh bien non. L'agence de presse russe Ria Novosti a publié, jeudi 7 novembre, une vidéo dans laquelle les Chœurs de l'Armée rouge chantent ce morceau. On y voit et entend une quarantaine de soldats en uniforme chanter cette chanson. Deux d'entre eux se relaient au micro pour les couplets, tandis que leurs confrères les accompagnent.

La mise en scène est étonnamment joyeuse et décontractée pour ces fonctionnaires du ministère de l'Intérieur russe (ce qui explique le titre trompeur "police russe" et non "militaires russes"). Ces hommes, qui se produisent face à d'autres collègues, sont dirigés par le général Viktor Eliseev. Selon la légende YouTube de cette vidéo, les Chœurs de l'Armée rouge doivent se produire en public le 10 novembre, au Kremlin, à Moscou.

2014 Miss Tuning Calendar - part 2

7

PAINTTLESS BY THUNDERBIKE

PainTTless is one of those motorcycles that comes along every now and then than makes even jaded, cynical motorcycle journalists stop and think. This bike is the brainchild of renowned custom motorcycle builder Andreas Bergerforth and his team at the Thunderbike Garage, she took 8 months to build with almost every element having been painstakingly hand-fabricated.

The design inspiration was ice-racing motorcycles from the early 20th century, the narrow front profile is designed to be as aerodynamic as possible and the long, stretched side profile allows the rider to stretch out and get as low as possible.

Andreas Bergerforth chose a beautiful old 1000cc Harley-Davidson Ironhead V-Twin to power PainTTless, the engine was carefully restored and rebuilt with a number of it’s external components being nickel plated to blend in with the rest of the bike.

The design of the fuel tank, seat and rear cowling is staggeringly well done, the front suspension was made by hand (and looks remarkable in its own right), the frame was also created bespoke by the talented team at Thunderbike. It’s been estimated that the total cost of the build including man-hours and materials is well over $150,000 USD, putting it up in the same league as the bikes built by the uber-luxury motorcycle builder Falcon Motorcycles.

It may be my imagination but I can see some influence from legendary Japanese bike builder Shinya Kimura, his bike “Spike” bears a striking resemblance to PainTTless, although this is possibly due to the fact that both bikes were inspired by the same ice/salt-flat racers from the 20s and 30s.

It should come as no surprise that Thunderbike’s lastest creation just won the 2012 AMD World Championship in the Freestyle class, it’s one of the most worthy winners in recent years and it’s great to see non-choppers rising to prominence on the international stage.

Pictures from Thunderbike Garage
Additional information from the excellent Return of the Café Racers

via SILODROME

ERC : Valais victory for Lappi / Victoire de Lappi au Valais

The Rallye International du Valais, last round of the 2013 FIA European Rally Championship, was won by Skoda Motorsport’s Esapekka Lappi (Skoda/Michelin). The 22-year old Finn finished clear of local star Olivier Burri (Ford Fiesta RRC) and Irishman Craig Breen (Peugeot 207 S2000/Michelin).

Le pilote officiel Skoda Motorsport Esapekka Lappi a remporté le Rallye International du Valais, dernière manche du Championnat d’Europe des Rallyes FIA 2013. Au volant de sa Skoda/Michelin, le jeune finlandais de 22 ans a devancé Olivier Burri (Ford Fiesta RRC) et l’Irlandais Craig Breen (Peugeot 207 S2000/Michelin).

This time last week, Esapekka Lappi was on the other side of the planet winning the Asia-Pacific Championship’s China Rally Longyou. He arrived in Switzerland on Monday in time for recce for the Rallye du Valais… which he won today! It was his second ERC success after his victory in Poland in 2012.

Lappi may not have been the fastest driver on the all-asphalt event, but he benefited from the hefty time penalties that were dished out to Peugeot 207 S2000 drivers Craig Breen and Jérémi Ancian to complete Thursday’s action in the immediate wake of Andreas Aigner (Subaru).

The following day saw the Finn take advantage of drier conditions to ease past Aigner and ultimately defend his lead until this afternoon’s finish. “It’s been a positive weekend,” he acknowledged. “Not only is this my first win on asphalt but I gained a great deal of sealed-surface experience thanks to this weekend’s changing conditions. Apart from a spin on SS1, I didn’t make any mistakes and we always called our Michelin tyre choices correctly.”

This morning, Aigner went off on SS14 to hand second place to the multiple Valais winner Olivier Burri whose Ford Fiesta RRC completed the distance with a rather sick engine. Russia’s Vasiliy Gryazin (Ford/Michelin) seemed destined to collect his first ERC podium result at the tender age of 19, but an ‘off’ on SS15 handed an unexpected top-three finish to Craig Breen.

The fastest drivers on the Swiss stages were undoubtedly the Peugeot Rally Academy’s Breen and Jérémi Ancian (4^th). They led after SS2 but then took big time penalties (two and three minutes respectively) for early arrival at the start of SS3. Their ensuing fight-backs were hampered by a power steering problem for Breen and a puncture for Ancian, yet they finally succeeded in limiting the damage.

The local experts were less in form than usual. The 2013 Swiss champion Grégoire Hotz (Peugeot 207 S2000) retired on Friday afternoon (oil pipe), as did Sébastien Carron (Peugeot 207 S2000, accident). Nicolas Althaus (Peugeot 207 S2000) ended up in sixth place.

The Czech driver Tlustak (Skoda) also failed to reach the end (exhaust).

The 2014 FIA European Rally Championship will begin with early January’s Jännerallye in Austria.

Il y a tout juste une semaine, Esapekka Lappi était à l’autre bout du monde et remportait le China Rally Longyou comptant pour le Championnat Asie-Pacifique. Le Finlandais a atterri en début de semaine à Genève pour entamer les reconnaissances du Rallye International du Valais… qu’il vient de remporter !

A 22 ans, le pilote officiel Skoda Motorsport a remporté son second rallye ERC après une victoire en Pologne l’an passé. Esapekka Lappi n’était peut-être pas le plus rapide sur l’asphalte du Valais, mais il a profité des lourdes pénalités infligées aux pilotes Peugeot 207 S2000 Craig Breen et Jérémi Ancian pour se positionner dans le sillage du leader Andreas Aigner (Subaru) jeudi soir.

Le lendemain, sur des routes devenues plus sèches, le Finlandais n’a fait qu’une bouchée de l’Autrichien pour prendre la tête et la conserver jusque à l’arrivée. « Le bilan est très positif : non seulement je gagne mon premier rallye asphalte, mais j’ai aussi pris beaucoup d’expérience sur cette surface ce week-end avec les conditions changeantes. Hormis un tête-à-queue dans l’ES1, je n’ai pas fait d’erreurs et on a toujours effectué les bons choix de pneus Michelin. »

Victime d’une sortie de route dans l’ES14, Andreas Aigner a laissé sa 2^e place au multiple vainqueur de ce rallye Olivier Burri qui découvrait sa Ford Fiesta RRC laquelle a fini avec un moteur bien fatigué. Le Russe Vasiliy Gryazin (Ford/Michelin) allait monter pour la première fois sur un podium européen à 19 ans, avant une sortie de route dans l’ES15. Craig Breen en profita pour signer un podium inespéré.

Les plus performants ce week-end furent incontestablement les pilotes de la Peugeot Rally Academy Craig Breen (3^e) et Jérémi Ancian (4^e). Ils étaient d’ailleurs leaders à l’issue de l’ES2 avant d’écoper de lourdes pénalités pour pointage en avance au départ de l’ES3 (respectivement 2 et 3 minutes). Leur folle remontée fut contrariée par un problème de direction assistée (Breen) et une crevaison (Ancian), mais ils sont tout de même parvenus à « sauver les meubles ».

A domicile, les pilotes suisses ont moins brillé que d’habitude. Le champion 2013 Grégoire Hotz (Peugeot 207 S2000) a dû se retirer vendredi après-midi (durit d’huile), idem pour Sébastien Carron (Peugeot 207 S2000, sortie de route). Nicolas Althaus (Peugeot 207 S2000) a conclu à la 6^e place. Abandon aussi pour le Tchèque Tlustak (Skoda, échappement).

Le Championnat d’Europe des Rallyes FIA reprendra début janvier sur les routes du Jännerallye.

MotoGP™: Le record du circuit et l'avantage psychologique pour Márquez

World Champion Lorenzo broke Pedrosa’s pole record of 1’30.844s from 2012 with a 1'30.645 lap on his first attempt, but was troubled by engine problems with his number one bike and eventually he finished 0.34s behind Marquez in second, on bike two.

Completing the front row is that man Pedrosa, and like Valentino Rossi – who qualified fourth, 0.7s off pole – he could have a big say in the title battle on Sunday if he can get in front of Lorenzo or Marquez in the race.

The likes of Cal Crutchlow, on his last weekend with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team, and colleague Bradley Smith, are unlikely to fight for victory at the final round but they will try to challenge for top five or even podium positions. They both qualified within a second of Marquez on row two.

Heading the third row is GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista who crashed out but walked away unhurt. He starts just ahead of LCR Honda’s Stefan Bradl and Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso.

For his final appearance on a Ducati Nicky Hayden qualified tenth. Meanwhile, Italians Andrea Iannone and Danilo Petrucci were the two riders to make it through from Q1, but could not challenge the top 10.

The best of the rest from Q1 were Hector Barbera, Aleix Espargaro and Claudio Corti who will therefore line up on the fifth row.

Star de la saison MotoGP™ 2013 et leader du classement général avant la dernière course de l’année qui aura lieu demain à Valence, Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) s’est offert une neuvième pole position en dix-huit courses samedi après-midi au Circuit Ricardo Tormo, dont il avait battu le record le matin et a signé une nouvelle référence absolue en qualifications, en profitant d’excellentes conditions météo.

Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing) avait été le premier à se lancer à l’assaut de la pole et à passer sous le nouveau record du tour, avant que Márquez ne réalise un exceptionnel chrono d’1’30.237 sur le septième de ses neuf tours pour battre le Champion du Monde en titre de plus de trois dixièmes de seconde. Ce dernier était rentré aux stands en urgence sur son dernier run en raison d'une soudaine perte de puissance sur sa première moto et n'a pas réusi à rivaliser avec Márquez une fois passé sur sa seconde machine.

Pour rappel, Márquez deviendra automatiquement Champion du Monde MotoGP™ s’il parvient à terminer dans le Top 4 dimanche après-midi, quel que soit le résultat de Lorenzo, qui compte treize points de retard avant cette dernière épreuve.

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) s’est assuré de partir en première ligne avec ses deux compatriotes en refaisant surface en fin de séance et a fini à 0.426s de la pole et 0.086s de Lorenzo. 

Valentino Rossi (Yamaha Factory Racing) pourra de son côté être satisfait d’avoir repris le dessus sur de très compétitifs Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech3) et Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3), qui partiront avec l’Italien en deuxième ligne et sont les deux derniers pilotes à moins d’une seconde de Márquez.

Álvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini), qui est tombé en fin de séance, Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda) et Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) s’élanceront quant à eux de la quatrième ligne, devant Nicky Hayden (Ducati), Andrea Iannone (Energy T.I. Pramac Racing) et Danilo Petrucci (Came IodaRacing Project), premier pilote CRT sur la grille de départ. Absent de la Q2, Aleix Espargaró (Power Electronics Aspar) partira quatorzième, derrière Héctor Barberá (Avintia Blusens), tandis que Randy de Puniet (Power Electronics Aspar) n’a pas fait mieux que le vingtième temps.

JPN MONOCOQUE BY PETER WILLIAMS

Back in 1973 a motorcycle rolled out of a garage in England, it was to be just one of four ever built, and it was going to shake the world of professional motorcycle racing to its core. The bike in question was the John Player Norton Monocoque, it had been designed and built by Peter Williams – a man who was both a motorcycle engineer and a talented racer.

Williams had been given access to the already outdated, pushrod Norton engine of the era. The 750cc parallel twin was woefully slow next to the modern two-stroke bikes that were rising to prominence. He knew that in order to compete at the 1973 Isle of Man he was going to need something genuinely remarkable, so he set out creating a monocoque chassis that held the oil and fuel, an advanced aero-fairing and a perfectly tuned set of suspension – he also made the first foray into cast wheels (rather than the traditional spokes).

Peter Williams went on to win the Isle of Man TT, and he did it at an average speed of 107.27mph – a staggering feat even today. Skip forward in time 40 years and Williams is back at the drafting table preparing to create 25 John Player Norton Motorcycles, each of these bikes will use the classic Norton 750, the bullet-proof monocoque frame and each one will cost far less than the £250,000 originals.

So if you’ve got £65,000 to spare and fancy picking yourself up a piece of motorcycling history, you can visit Peter Williams Motorcycles to place your order. If you don’t have £65,000 to spare, you can hit play on the video below and relive one of the most memorable moments in Isle of Man history.

Full Press Release

40 years ago this week Peter Williams, road race legend and motorcycle development engineer accomplished a unique achievement winning the Isle of Man TT on a motorcycle of his own design. Peter’s engineering designs gave him the advantage on the race track and set the trend for what motorcycles are today. Now exactly four decades later, the highly limited edition Peter Williams Motorcycles’ Replica will celebrate and commemorate Peter’s legendary victory.

Peter Williams Motorcycles is now taking orders for replicas of his 1973 F750 TT-winning John Player Norton. Just 25 of the monocoque-framed Commandos will be built. The original monocoque has passed into biking lore as the machine Williams won the 1973 F750 TT on, lapping at 107.27mph, just off Mike Hailwood’s 1967 outright record on a works Honda. Impressive stuff from an air-cooled, push-rod Commando engine. He was also the highest points scorer in that year’s victorious Transatlantic Trophy team. An innovator throughout his career, Williams can be credited with introducing and establishing the viability of many of the things we now take for granted, including cast wheels, disc brakes and beam frames.

A stainless steel chassis that formed the fuel tank as well as the frame lent the bike its ‘monocoque’ name. The new replicas will follow the layout of the 1973 bikes, however whereas each original monocoque frame took 12 man-weeks to construct, this time CAD design and CNC laser cutters will improve accuracy and hasten the production process. Engines will be built by renowned Norton specialist Mick Hemmings using all new parts, including Peter’s own cam design. The replicas will feature a host of bespoke parts such as cast magnesium wheels and forks, created from the original ‘70s drawings. Where drawings were not available, new parts have been created by referencing and digitising two of the original race bikes.

PWM hope that the first of the monocoque replicas will be ready for production in 2013, the 40th anniversary of Williams’ epic Isle of Man win. Just four originals were built and are now valued in excess of £250,000 apiece, putting Williams’ expected £65,000 price tag for the replicas into perspective.

The JPN project was conceived to raise working capital and as a showcase for investment into Williams’ pet project – a modern motorcycle with a carbon-fibre monocoque chassis. He produced the first prototype in conjunction with Lotus, proving the concept. Development is now underway of a new model for low volume production.

Peter Williams Motorcycles Ltd. comprises the man himself, Greg Taylor of motorcycle engineering firm GTME and Mark Wells & Ian Wride of design consultancy Xenophya Design. Williams said: “Working with the team brought fresh ideas and a different perspective on how to make the whole monocoque chassis motorcycle project a reality. Starting with the replicas of my 1973 TT-winning bike, we will show investors what we are capable of, and present collectors and enthusiasts with a unique opportunity. “With the 40th anniversary of the TT victory, we have the ideal opportunity to bring the JPN replica to market. We already have a number of interested purchasers. The ‘designed for manufacture’ version will be of equal elegance and efficient function of the original JPN monocoque. As soon as we receive firm orders we can press the button and the new bikes can be created.

via SILODROME

Moto Snowy Ridgeline

Shot 100% on the HD HERO® camera from http://GoPro.com.

Chris McMahan threads a snowy ridge in Grand Junction, CO.

BMW R1200 BY GIULIO PAZ DESIGN

Tucked away in a corner of one of the gigantic EICMA halls is a small booth belonging toGiulio Paz. It’s in the no-mans-land of Chinese component manufacturers, but it’s attracting a steady throng of awed visitors.

In the middle of the booth is this BMW R1200-based custom. Paz is an industrial designer with a passion for motorcycles, and he’s created one of the most original BMWs we’ve seen since El Solitario revealed the R75/5 Baula.

Giulio Paz’s ambition was to “create something unique—to upset the aesthetic balance of the last decades, without compromising ergonomics, handling and reliability.” And he’s certainly done that. His inspiration came from the first two decades of the twentieth century, when function dictated design. Paz also aimed to keep the profile of the BMW low, with the tank below the seat line.

‘Diva’ is a ground-up build: Only the 110-hp, 1170-cc boxer engine and the electrics remain stock, for ease of servicing. The frame was created by Bonamici Racing, which helps to build the BMW superbike racers. Bonamici has also created the aluminum components to Paz’s designs.

The bodywork and non-load-bearing components are made of carbon fiber, produced byPro-Lite Advanced Composites. The colors are impregnated into the fabric before it’s cooked in the autoclave, and the finishing is sublime.

Although there is a lot of WSBK-grade componentry in this machine, Paz describes Diva as a ‘fast bike’ rather than a race bike. “It’s built for a sense of freedom, and to gratify the senses,” he says. “It’s something unique and exclusive, in the way that only a handmade product of high quality can be.”

Paz is planning to build more of these machines, and can personalize them down to the smallest detail. A reasonably deep wallet is obviously called for, but then again, quality and artistry never came cheap.

from BIKEEXIF

Marquez registers fastest ever Valencia lap / Márquez signe un nouveau record avant les qualifications

Despite the cloudy conditions Marquez put in his fast lap at the end of the morning practice, going quicker than Dani Pedrosa’s 2012 pole record of 1’30.844 at the Spanish track.

World Champion Lorenzo was also on the pace and his late best effort put him just 0.1s behind his title rival on the timesheet.

Lorenzo’s Yamaha Factory Racing colleague Rossi was third fastest, lapping 0.23s behind Marquez and 0.25s ahead of fourth placed Dani Pedrosa. Repsol Honda man Pedrosa was marginally slower than he went on Friday afternoon, though he can relax this weekend and let the title candidates take the pressure.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow was fifth, a second down on Marquez and unable to match his own best time from Friday.

The top ten on the combined timesheet from free practice so far sees Alvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini), Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda), Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Ducati Team pair Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden go through to Q2.

Hiroshi Aoyama pulled up at trackside on the Avintia Blusens FTR with an engine fault and required a lift back to the pits on a scooter, ending up 20th overall.

Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) continue d’imposer son rythme et a pour l’instant dominé chacune des trois premières séances du Grand Prix Generali de Valence. Avec un nouveau record du Circuit Ricardo Tormo, le leader du Championnat du Monde MotoGP™ abordera les qualifications avec le statut de favori à la pole position mais aussi en confiance puisqu’il conserve l’avantage sur Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing), seul pilote qui pourrait empêcher son sacre dimanche après-midi.

Lorenzo était cependant en progrès et n’est plus qu’à un dixième de seconde du Catalan. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha Factory Racing) a lui aussi fait un important pas en avant lors de cette troisième séance d’essais et s’est hissé à la troisième position, à seulement 0.230s du nouveau record et avec près de trois dixièmes de seconde d’avance sur Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda).

Les autres concurrents sont loin derrière. Performant vendredi après-midi, Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech3) se retrouve à une seconde du temps de référence, en cinquième position, devant Álvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini), Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda), Nicky Hayden (Ducati), Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) et Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3), qui complétaient le Top 10 de la séance et sont qualifiés d’office pour la Q2.

Aleix Espargaró (Power Electronics Aspar) et Andrea Iannone (Ignite Pramac Racing) devront quant à eux d’abord passer par la Q1, tout comme Randy de Puniet (Power Electronics Aspar), auteur du dix-septième temps de la séance.

Vasiliy Gryazin: not even 20 years old! / Vasiliy n’a pas 20 ans…

Russian driver Vasiliy Gryazin will be 20 on Monday. He is driving a Michelin-equipped Ford Fiesta S2000 on this weekend’s Rallye International du Valais, the third asphalt event of his career. He is currently 4th overall.

Le Russe Vasiliy Gryazin aura 20 ans dans deux jours. Il est au volant d’une Ford Fiesta S2000/Michelin et pointe actuellement à la 4e place du Rallye International du Valais, le troisième rallye asphalte de sa jeune carrière.

The 2007 Russia Rally, which counted towards the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, brought a certain 17-year old Russian Evgeny Novikov to the attention of the sport’s observers. He is now a Qatar M-Sport driver in the WRC. Six years ago, he was co-driven by Dmitriy Chumak who is now sitting alongside Gryazin in Switzerland.

Although Russian, Vasiliy holds a Latvian competition licence. “I passed my driving test in Latvia. It was much cheaper that way than at home,” he explains. “So I set up my rally team – Sport Racing Technologies – as well. I bought the Ford Fiesta S2000 Martin Prokop used in 2012.”

He made his debut on the 2010 Rally Latvia in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, before contesting around 15 events in the Baltic region the following season. His cars included a Mitsubishi, a Subaru and a Fiesta R2. In 2012, initially in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX R4, then a Ford Fiesta S2000, he took part in 17 events, including an IRC outing in Cyprus.

“My programme this season features 20 rallies, but this is only the third on asphalt, after the Mille Miglia and the Tour de Corse [in an R2 car]. We were also in Sweden and Finland – our first WRC events – with the Fiesta S2000 I have here. Unfortunately, I retired both times.” One of his most impressive results was second place in Group R4 on the Rally Liepaja-Ventspills in his Lancer.

“I am surprised by how hard the Rallye du Valais is,” he adds in fluent English. “The stages are fast and the surface changes all the time, so you need to be very concentrated. I was mentally exhausted after yesterday’s leg. My aim is to gain experience on different types of event and make my way up the ladder little by little.”

His 2014 programme is expected to focus on the European Championship, plus selected WRC-2 appearances.

As we said about Evgeny Novikov a few years ago: he’s well worth keeping an eye on!

En 2007, le Russia Rally, qui comptait pour l’Intercontinental Rally Challenge, avait révélé sur la scène internationale un jeune russe de 17 ans, Evgeniy Novikov, aujourd’hui pilote officiel Qatar M-Sport en Championnat du monde des Rallyes. Novikov était alors copiloté par Dmitriy Chumak, assis ce week-end au côté de Gryazin.

Même s’il court sous licence lettone, Vasiliy Gryazin est Russe. « J’ai passé mon permis de conduire en Lettonie, c’est beaucoup mon cher qu’en Russie », nous explique cet ado, tout frêle dans sa combinaison noire. « Du coup, on a monté une structure de course, Sport Racing Technologies, en Lettonie, et rachetée la Ford Fiesta S2000 de Martin Prokop en 2012. »

Vasiliy a débuté au Rally Latvia 2010 sur une Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, avant de disputer une quinzaine d’épreuves l’année suivante dans les pays baltes, sur des Mitsubishi, Subaru, Fiesta R2. En 2012, au volant de Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX R4 puis Ford Fiesta S2000, Vasiliy a enchaîné 17 rallyes, dont une première participation en IRC au Rallye de Chypre.

« On a participé à 20 rallyes cette année, mais c’est seulement notre 3^e épreuve sur asphalte après les Mille Miglia et le Tour de Corse (sur une R2). On a aussi disputé le Rallye de Suède et le Rallye de Finlande, nos premiers rallyes mondiaux, avec cette Fiesta S2000, qui se sont malheureusement terminés par deux abandons. » Vasiliy avait impressionné au Rally Liepaja-Ventspills avec une 2^e place R4 sur sa Lancer.

« Le Rallye du Valais est très difficile, je suis surpris. Les spéciales sont rapides, le revêtement changeant, et ça demande beaucoup de concentration. Hier soir, j’étais lessivé, pas physiquement, mais mentalement », poursuit Vasiliy dans un bon anglais. « L’objectif est d’acquérir de l’expérience sur différentes surfaces et de monter en puissance petit à petit. »

Son programme 2014 devrait s’articuler sur le Championnat d’Europe et quelques manches WRC-2.

Comme on avait écrit pour Evgeniy Novikov à l’époque : à suivre…

THE RAG & BONE MAN

This short film covers the day to day working life of Paul Firbank, AKA ‘The Rag & Bone Man’. Paul spends his days creating truly beautiful lamps from discarded items he finds buried in East London’s scrapyards. The film is just 4:20 long and so is well worth taking the time to watch, it’s encouraging that there are men like Firbank out there still creating unique, handmade stuff that we’d all love to have sitting next to the couch.

ZIPPOS FROM VIETNAM

This remarkable collection of 282 Zippo lighters from the Vietnam War were complied by Bradford Edwards during the 1990s – long before the current demand for mementos from the conflict created the swirling blackmarket in fake Zippos that now dominate market stalls from Hanoi down to Ho Chi Minh.

As all of these Zippos were found in Vietnam and it’s likely that most of their original owners died in the conflict, a Zippo was something no soldier would leave behind if he could help it – the small device would heat up their first meal in the jungles of Vietnam and it would light their last cigarette, which made it only slightly less important than their weapon.

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The full collection of lighters sold for $35,250 USD at a recent sale by Cowan’s Auctions, the fact that all of the lighters were known to be genuine helped to drive the final price up as this is generally considered to be the largest Vietnam-era Zippo collection anywhere in the world.

Hopefully the new owner will allow them to be displayed in a museum as it seems like a terrible waste of history to hide them away in a private collection.

All images courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions.

Via Twisted Sifter.and SILODROME