Three rallies in 300 days! / Trois rallyes en 300 jours

In addition to the 2014 XION Rally Argentina and the 2015 Dakar, Villa Carlos Paz also played host to the opening round of the country’s national championship on March 21.

In reality, Villa Carlos Paz will have hosted not two but three rallies in the space of around 300 days. On March 21-23, the Rally de Villa Carlos Paz was the opening round of the 2014 Rally Argentino DIRECTV championship.

The two-day event started in the town centre and featured nine stages, the longest of which was Villa del Dique-Santa Rosa (40.84km). The menu also included a number of super-specials.

What the entry lack in quantity it made up in quality, and starters included Peru’s Nicolas Fuchs (Ford Fiesta), for whom it was handy practice ahead of this week’s competition, as well as Argentines Federico Villagra (Fiesta), Marcos Ligato (Chevrolet Agile) and rally-raid expert Lucio Alvarez (VW Gol).

Fuchs took an easy win to beat Argentina’s Alejandro Cancio (Peugeot 207) and Federico Villagra.

The Rally Argentino DIRECTV 2014 championship has 10 rounds, the second of which is Rally Argentina. Competitors will then travel to San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, La Rioja, San Luis, El Cafalate, San Rafael, etc.

More than 70 crews are registered for the Rally Argentino DIRECTV event this weekend, including the former tennis star David Nalbandian (Chevrolet Agile) whose team – of which he is a shareholder – is based in Rio Ceballos (Cordoba Province). Nalbandian retired from tennis recently after claiming 11 career titles, including the Masters Cup in 2005.

XION Rally Argentina 2014, Rallye Dakar 2015, et ce n’est pas tout : Villa Carlos Paz a aussi accueilli la première manche du championnat national Rally Argentino le 21 mars dernier.

Pardon, ce n’est pas deux, mais trois rallyes automobiles que la cité balnéaire va organiser en quelque 300 jours. En effet, la ville a accueilli le Rally de Villa Carlos Paz les 21-23 mars derniers, 1^ère manche du championnat Rally Argentino DIRECTV 2014.

Le départ a été donné en centre-ville pour deux jours de course. Parmi les neuf spéciales au programme, Villa del Dique-Santa Rosa était la plus longue avec 40,84 km. Plusieurs Superspéciales étaient également au menu autour de Villa Carlos Paz.

Le plateau n’était guère fourni, mais assez relevé avec le Péruvien Nicolas Fuchs, sans doute venu en repérages avant le Rallye d’Argentine, sur une Ford Fiesta, mais aussi les Argentins Federico Villagra (Fiesta), Marcos Ligato (Chevrolet Agile) ou encore le pilote Tout-Terrain Lucio Alvarez (VW Gol).

Nicolas Fuchs a survolé l’épreuve, s’imposant devant l’Argentin Alejandro Cancio (Peugeot 207) et Federico Villagra.

Le championnat Rally Argentino DIRECTV 2014 compte 10 épreuves. La seconde manche sera de nouveau organisée à Villa Carlos Paz dans le cadre du Rallye d’Argentine. Ensuite, les concurrents se rendront à San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, puis à La Rioja, San Luis, El Cafalate, San Rafael…

Près de 70 concurrents sont engagés en Rally Argentino DIRECTV ce week-end, dont l’ancien tennisman David Nalbandian sur une Chevrolet Agile du Tango Rally Team, une structure dont il est actionnaire, basée à Rio Ceballos (Province de Cordoba). Nalbandian a pris sa retraite sportive l’an passé après 11 titres remportés dont un Masters.

Two big rallies in 250 days! / Deux rallyes en 250 jours

In the space of seven months, Villa Carlos Paz will host two major motorsport events: this week’s Rally Argentina and the 2015 Dakar. Not many towns with a population of less than 100,000 can say that!

There are fewer than 250 days between the two international events that Villa Carlos Paz (population in December 2013: 85,464) is poised to welcome in the coming months, an indication that the local Tourism Office is clearly doing its job!

Villa Carlos Paz has been associated with Rally Argentina for 30 years. Even when the event started and/or ended in Cordoba, the provincial capital, some 30km away, the teams and drivers tended to choose hotels in this interesting holiday resort which sits at the southern tip of San Roque Lake.

This year, the organisers and local authorities have put a great deal of energy into promoting the rally. The 34^th XION Rally Argentina’s official presentation took place in Paraguay, at the same time as the launch of the 2014 Codasur championship, and was attended by the mayor of Villa Carlos Paz, Esteban Avilés, the Secretary of State for Tourism, Oscar Antonio, and Carlos Borrione, a member of the rally’s organising committee.

Meanwhile, in March, Rally Argentina’s director Sebastian Boldrini travelled to Peru and Ecuador to promote round five of the 2014 WRC. Then, in April, an ambitious promotional campaign was organised to cover a 250km radius round Villa Carlos Paz, as well as Argentine cities like San Miguel de Tucuman, Salta and the capital Buenos Aires.

A press conference – broadcast nationwide on AM and FM radio stations – was held at the end of April in Montevideo, Uruguay, while another presentation was organised on April 27 during the MotoGP Red Bull de la Republica Argentina at Termas de Rio Hondo, near Santiago del Estero.

In less than 250 days’ time, Villa Carlos Paz can also look forward to hosting the 2015 Dakar’s first ‘bivouac’ on Sunday, January 4. This means that practically all the teams, drivers and riders will still be in the running as Peugeot Sport returns to the shores of San Roque Lake for the first time since 2005. It will be the Dakar’s second overnight halt in Villa Carlos Paz, despite competition from other locations to host the rally-raid.

En sept mois, Villa Carlos Paz va accueillir deux événements internationaux de sports mécaniques : le Rallye d’Argentine 2014 et le Rallye Dakar 2015. Quelle ville de moins de 100 000 habitants peut se vanter d’en faire autant ?

Moins de 250 jours séparent ces deux manifestations d’envergure internationale qui vont animer Villa Carlos Paz, 85 464 habitants recensés en décembre dernier. Autant dire qu’on ne chôme pas à l’Office du Tourisme…

Villa Carlos Paz est le berceau du Rallye d’Argentine depuis 30 ans. Même lorsque l’épreuve s’élançait et/ou arrivait à Cordoba, la capitale de la Province située à une trentaine de kilomètres, pilotes et teams hébergeaient généralement dans la petite cité balnéaire, sur les rives du Lac San Roque.

Les organisateurs du rallye et les autorités locales n’ont pas ménagé leurs efforts pour promouvoir cet événement. La présentation officielle du 34^e XION Rally Argentina s’est déroulée au Paraguay, à l’occasion du lancement du championnat Codasur 2014 début avril, en présence du maire de Villa Carlos Paz Esteban Avilés, du Secrétaire d’État au Tourisme Oscar Antonio, et d’un représentant du Comité d’organisation du rallye Carlos Borrione.

Au cours du mois de mars, le Directeur du Rallye d’Argentine Sebastian Boldrini s’est rendu au Pérou et en Équateur pour présenter la 5^e manche WRC 2014. Courant avril, une vaste campagne de promotion du Rallye d’Argentine a été réalisée dans un périmètre de 250 km autour de Villa Carlos Paz, ainsi que dans plusieurs grandes villes du pays (San Miguel de Tucuman, Salta ou encore la capitale Buenos Aires) en présence des médias locaux.

Une conférence de presse a également été organisée fin avril en Uruguay, à Montevideo, par le Secrétaire d’État au Tourisme Oscar Antonio, le Directeur du Rallye d’Argentine Sebastian Boldrini. Cette conférence a été diffusée sur différentes radios nationales AM et FM. Enfin, une grande présentation de l’épreuve a été organisée le 27 avril à l’occasion du meeting de MotoGP Red Bull de la Republica Argentina sur le circuit de Termas de Rio Hondo (Santiago del Estero).

Dans moins de 250 jours, Villa Carlos Paz va également accueillir le 1^er bivouac du Rallye Dakar 2015, dimanche 4 janvier. On attend donc une caravane quasi au complet dans les rues de la ville et Peugeot Sport effectuera d’ailleurs son retour sur les rives du Lac San Roque depuis 2005… C’est la 2^e fois que le Dakar fait une halte nocturne à Villa Carlos Paz. De nombreuses villes argentines étaient candidates à l’organisation d’un tel événement.

« Avec ces deux manifestation internationales, Villa Carlos Paz prouve qu’elle est bien la ville des sports mécaniques d’Amérique du Sud », a déclaré le maire Esteban Avilés.

Camels Are Never Cold - Full Movie

A Film About Freeski Mountaineering in Mongolia.

This is the festival editing, a "Director's cut" will come later.

Last May four Austrian freeskiers and two cameramen went to the Tavan Bogd mountain range bordering Mongolia, China and Russia to hike remote peaks and ski untouched lines.

This freeski documentary shows endless landscape and impressive mountains, sunny ascents and first descents, and the bitter coldness and daily difficulties of life in the base camp. It is not your everyday ski movie. But this was no everyday ski adventure.

Camels Are Never Cold - Full Movie from Simply Beauty Production on Vimeo.

DREAMWHEELS COPPER

“I have a dream I want to share with the world…” Hélder Moura from Portugal is passionate about his motorcycle.   His 1973 BMW R50/5 started life as a police workhorse, but in Hélder’s minds eye it was a show pony waiting to be let loose.  The enthusiasm and pride he takes from his creation is infectious, in his passionately written email he tells of his journey, dreams, friendships and hard work. He includes definitions of the name bequeathed to the bike, Copper, both in its elemental form and the derivation of the slang police title; “someone who captures”. His motorcycle and his zest have certainly captured our attention, this is his story.

Working as a Marketer for an engineering company in recession hit Portugal, Hélder’s motorcycle customising plans led him to Jose Miguel Martins, his car mechanic, whose father had been his fathers mechanic before that. Together they decided to form a brand and start building motorcycles, Dream Wheels Heritage is their creation. Hélder takes up the story, “Miguel is the true mechanic that knows what to do, and I’m an “idiot” (the guy with ideas) we both have a big passion about bikes and cars.” This partnership introduced them to the budding Portuguese bike scene and builders such as Osvaldo Coutinho (it roCkS!bikes) Daniel Cabral (Ton Up Garage) and Nuno Capêlo (Capêlos Garage).

Jose set to work on the Beemer. He hand made a new rear subframe and fitted new shocks whilst the forks were swapped out for items from a Honda VTR 1000 that bear a new 18″rim, the Honda also dedicated its front and rear brakes to the project. New repositioned footrests alter the riding position completing the dynamic alterations. Crowning the forks is that splendid 1950′s Headlight, adapted from a US Pioneer 145 fog light.

The steampunk cues carry over from the headlight to the curiously positioned Bing Carbs taken from a BMW R100. They perch above the cylinders like a pair of oil lit carriage coach lamps lending the Bike a quirky, unique, distinctly vintage visage, a look completed by the Firestone Deluxe rubber. Blitz Motorcycles supplied the switchgear whilst the speed sensor for the Daytona digital speedometer was sourced from a Vw Polo. A hydraulic clutch, new wrapped exhausts and retro stop light were also fitted.

The colour is a Mini Cooper Hot Chocolate shade that compliments the handmade leather seat and kneepads whilst allowing the brass highlights to take centre stage. The two man team have created a standout debut bike to carry their new brand to the masses and have clearly had a ball doing it. The last words must be Hélder’s, “It is the true story of passion about two wheels, how people engage themselves when they love something and share their passion. A dream doesn’t become reality through magic: it takes sweat, determination and hard work!” Amen to that.

www.dreamwheels-heritage.com

via The Bike Shed

1953 ASTON MARTIN DB2 VANTAGE COUPÉ

This is thought to be the most original 1953 Aston Martin DB2 Vantage Coupé in existence, it was last on the road in 1958 and has been kept in sympathetic storage every since. A recent test showed that the engine, brakes and steering are all working well, although it should be expected that some work would be needed to take her out on the road safely.

The Aston Martin DB2 is the car that really launched David Brown’s company to the forefront of the British automotive scene in the early 1950s. Racing was undertaken very early in the life of the DB2, in fact the 2nd, 3rd and 4th DB2 cars produced were sent to compete at Le Mans in 1950. Remarkably they achieved 1st and 2nd in class that year and all three continued competing throughout 1951.

The 21st car produced was bought by American racer Briggs Cunningham who took 2nd place at the hotly contested and first ever Sebring race in December 1950. These very public racing successes on both sides of the Atlantic in the year of the DB2′s introduction were worth their weight in gold, orders for the model streamed in from Europe and the USA, by the end of production in 1953 Aston Martin has produced 410 of the coupes.

The car you see here is the Vantage specification DB2, it was fitted with a 125hp, 2580cc DOHC Vantage 6-cylinder engine with dual SU carburettors, a 4-speed manual gearbox, independent front suspension with coil springs, trailing links and an anti-roll bar, as well as a live rear axle with coil springs, radius rods and a Panhard anti-sway bar. Large Girling 4-wheel hydraulic drum brakes were used to maintain braking performance during longer and more spirited drives.

Due to roll across the auction block with RM Auctions on the 10th of May 2014, this highly sought after 1953 Aston Martin DB2 Vantage Coupé is expected to sell for somewhere in the €200,000 to €240,000 region, making it a fantastic investment for those with enough zeros in their net worth.

Click here to visit the official lot listing.

1200 cross by Shaw Speed & Custom

By the skin of their teeth! / Pour quelques secondes…

Le Rallye d’Argentine a souvent été gagné d’un souffle : pour 2.4 secondes en 1999 et 2011, pour 4 secondes en 2002, pour 6 secondes en 1994… Qu’en sera-t-il cette année ?

Il y a 20 ans, Didier Auriol (Toyota Celica GT Four/Michelin) avait battu Carlos Sainz (Subaru Impreza 555) pour 6 secondes. Ce fut longtemps un des plus petits écarts enregistrés à l’arrivée d’un rallye mondial, derrière le Sanremo 1976 (4s entre Waldegard et Munari), le Sanremo 1989 (5s entre Biasion et Fiorio), et idem le Monte-Carlo 1979 avec 6s entre Darniche et Waldegard.

« On était ex aequo au départ de la dernière spéciale », se souvient Bernard Occelli, copilote de Didier Auriol. « Didier m’a dit : j’ai horreur de finir 2^e. » Je lui ai répondu : moi aussi ! C’était assez chaud, mais c’est passé. A l’arrivée, on attendu Carlos, il faisait la gueule, on a vite compris. »

En 1999, l’arrivée du Rallye d’Argentine fut mouvementée entre deux pilotes Subaru séparés par 2s4. Le placide Juha Kankkunen fut déclaré vainqueur après avoir superbement ignoré les consignes du boss David Richards, devant le Britannique Richard Burns, furax, qui croyait avoir gagné rallye jusqu’à la dernière spéciale à Santa Rosa de Calamuchita… Ambiance sur le podium !

Le même écart de 2s4 a été enregistré à l’arrivée de l’édition 2011 entre Sébastien Loeb et Mikko Hirvonen, une fin de course qui restera elle-aussi dans les annales du championnat. Leader, Sébastien Ogier est parti en tonneau à deux spéciales du but et s’est retrouvé sans direction assistée. Au départ de la dernière ES, Loeb et Hirvonen étaient à 3s3 et 5s7 d’Ogier. La victoire est revenue à Sébastien Loeb pour 2s4 devant le Finlandais.

Le Rallye d’Argentine 2002 fut tout aussi « fou » ! Carlos Sainz (Ford Focus RS WRC) a été déclaré vainqueur dimanche soir, à 23h00 passées. Marcus Grönholm avait gagné le rallye sur le terrain, mais il fut mis hors course (assistance interdite). Deuxième, son équipier Richard Burns a récupéré la victoire durant quelques heures, avant d’être lui aussi mis hors-course (volant moteur non conforme). Et finalement, la bagarre pour la 3^e place entre Sainz et Solberg, remportée par Carlos pour 4 secondes, était celle pour la victoire !

Rally Argentina has produced several photo-finishes over the years. The winning margin in 1999 and 2011 was 2.4 seconds, while the 1994 and 2002 events were won by six and four seconds respectively. Will the competition be as close this time round?

It was 20 years ago that Didier Auriol (Toyota Celica GT Four/Michelin) beat Carlos Sainz (Subaru Impreza 555) by six seconds. For a long time, that stood was one of the WRC’s smallest winning margins, beaten only by the 1976 Sanremo (a four-second gap between Waldegard and Munari) and the 1989 Sanremo (five seconds in it between Biasion and Fiorio). Meanwhile, it equalled the six-second gap between Darniche and Waldegard at the end of the 1979 Monte Carlo.

“We were level with Sainz going into the last stage,” recalls Auriol’s co-driver Bernard Occelli. “Didier said: ‘I hate coming second!’. I said: ‘me too!’. We took a lot of risks but we finished in once piece. We waited for Carlos at the end of the stage and we knew at once we had won by the expression on his face!”

The 1999 Rally Argentina ended with two Subaru drivers split by just 2.4s. The win went to Juha Kankkunen after he had calmly ignored team orders, while Richard Burns was furious because he believed the victory should have been his. The podium celebrations were somewhat subdued!

The outcome of the 2011 event was decided by the same gap after an unforgettable last-day shootout between Sébastien Loeb and Mikko Hirvonen. Sébastien Ogier had rolled while leading with two stages remaining and broken his power steering. At the start of the final test, Loeb and Hirvonen were 3.3s and 5.7s short of the Frenchman. The win ended up going to Loeb, 2.4s clear of the Finn.

The 2002 Rally Argentina produced an equally bizarre finish. The victory eventually went to Carlos Sainz (Ford Focus RS WRC) after Marcus Grönholm was disqualified for a servicing infringement. The Finn’s Peugeot team-mate Richard Burns figured at the top of the provisional leaderboard for a while after that, before he too was excluded (illegal flywheel). In the end, the exciting fight for third place between Sainz and Solberg turned out to be the battle for victory, which the Spaniard claimed by a margin of four seconds!

XRCR by Shaw Speed & Custom

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