lundi 4 mai 2015
FIA WEC 6 Heures de Spa 2015 ; Un Français, un Suisse, un Allemand…/ France, Switzerland and Germany
Un trio franco-suisse-allemand - Benoît Tréluyer, Marcel Fässler et André Lotterer (Audi N°7) - a remporté les 6 Heures de Silverstone et les 6 Heures de Spa, devant un autre équipage franco-suisse-allemand - Romain Dumas, Neel Jani et Marc Lieb (Porsche N°18) !
4.610 secondes après 1186 km parcourus à Silverstone, 13.424 secondes après 1232 km à Spa…Des dépassements virils en haut du Raidillon, à l’épingle de La source, des « exter » osés dans Les Fagnes… Ahurissant ! Le Championnat du monde d’Endurance WEC serait-il devenu le plus intense et le disputé ?
Les 6 Heures de Spa-Francorchamps 2015 se sont déroulées en deux mi-temps. Porsche a dominé la première période avec la N°17, puis la N°18, qualifiées en première ligne. Mais sur les trois prototypes engagés, Porsche Team en a rapidement perdu deux pour la victoire : la N°19 (collision 6e tour), la N°17 (suspension, 1h37). Il en fut de même chez Audi : la N°9 (changement de portière, 2h12), la N°8 (boîtier ECU, 3h12).
Douze minutes après la mi-course, quand la Porsche N°18 de tête a effectué son pit-stop, c’est l’Audi N°7 qui a pris les commandes grâce à un double relais d’André Lotterer. Les deux prototypes allemands, désormais sur des relais multiples avec Ben Tréluyer et Marc Lieb, se sont ensuite échangés la première place.
A 20 minutes de l’arrivée, l’Audi N°7 est ressortie en tête de son dernier pit-stop avec 12 secondes d’avance. C’était gagné pour l’équipage Tréluyer/Fässler/Lotterer qui a offert les 5 dernières victoires mondiales à Audi depuis 2013 !
« Je n’avais pu faire que 3 tours sur le sec aux essais, alors mon début de relais en pleine bagarre avec la Porsche fut délicat », a commenté Benoît Tréluyer. « Je connais pas d’autres pneus que les Michelin qui auraient pu tenir 2,5 relais d’une telle intensité. »
C’est un peu comme si Toyota Racing n’avait pas été à Spa ce week-end. Malgré des doubles relais en début de course, les TS040 Hybrid manquaient tellement de performance face aux Porsche et Audi (+2 secondes au tour environ), qu’elles n’ont jamais pesé dans le match. La N°2 termine à la régulière à 3 tours. La N°1, reconstruite après l’accident de Nakajima aux essais, a connu des soucis d’accélérateur et électriques. Un coup dur, suivi d’une belle « fessée » sur la piste pour l’équipe championne du monde en titre avant les 24 Heures du Mans, objectif prioritaire de la marque.
Interestingly, it was a Franco-German-Swiss trio (Benoît Tréluyer/Marcel Fässler/André Lotterer, N°7 Audi) that won the 6 Hours of Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, ahead of drivers of the same three nationalities (Romain Dumas/Neel Jani/Marc Lieb, N°18 Porsche)!
At Silverstone, the top two finishers were split by just 4.610 seconds after 1,186km of racing. At Spa, the gap was 13.424s after 1,232km. In Belgium, we were treated to some virile overtaking at Le Raidillon and La Source, as well as some passing round the outside at Fagnes… Terrific stuff! Has the FIA World Endurance Championship grown into the fiercest and closest series in motorsport?
The 2015 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps was a ‘game of two halves’. The first was dominated by N°17 Porsche, then by the N°18 919 Hybrid, the cars that shared the front row of the grid. However, two of Porsche Team’s cars soon suffered delays: N°19 after a collision on Lap 6 and N°17 after a suspension problem in the second hour. Similarly, Audi’s N°9 R18 (door change, Hour 3) and N°8 car (ECU, Hour 4) fell from contention.
The race’s second phase began 12 minutes after the halfway point. That is when the N°7 Audi emerged in front for the first time – during a double stint by André Lotterer – as the N°18 Porsche made a pit stop. After that, the two German prototypes traded the lead several times.
With 20 minutes remaining, though, it was the N°7 Audi that re-joined with a lead of 12 seconds after its last pit stop to ensure the win for the Tréluyer/Fässler/Lotterer car which has earned Audi’s last five WEC successes since 2013!
“I only managed to complete three laps in the dry during practice, so the early part of my fight with the Porsche was quite delicate,” commented Tréluyer. “I don’t know if any other tyres than Michelins could have held for 2½ stints at that sort of pace.”
Meanwhile, it was almost as though Toyota Racing wasn’t at Spa. Despite performing double stints early on, the TS040 Hybrids weren’t a match for the Porsches or Audis and dropped around two seconds a lap. The N°2 prototype finished three laps down without any problems, while the N°1 car – which had to be rebuilt after Nakajima’s accident – was slowed by throttle and electrical issues. It was a tough blow for the reigning WEC champions ahead of Le Mans which is the Japanese make’s priority this season.
ULTRA NOIR: A BLACKER THAN BLACK HONDA CB750
Murdered-out customs used to be all the rage. But lately, builders have been favoring more diverse color palettes. Which is a real pity: done right, black-on-black can be downright beautiful.
Clockwork Motorcycles‘ Samuel Guertin proves it with his latest offering: a 1978 Honda CB750 with a brawny stance and subdued finishes.
“It needs to be all-black” was his client’s primary request—and the helicopter-mechanic-turned-bike-builder was more than happy to comply. But first, he had to get the CB back on the road.
“The bike was a non-runner,” he explains, “and was worked on by some mysterious guys with questionable skills. Just the fact that a concrete screw was screwed in the engine head, to hold the valve cover in place, was enough to scare most.”
Thankfully, Samuel believes that no motorcycle deserves to die. From his workshop just outside of Montréal, Canada, he stripped the engine down and began rebuilding it.
Even the heads themselves were damaged, so J-Precision were called in to resurface them, cut new valve seats and install a new guide. All of that was put back together with a 836cc Wiseco big-bore kit, SuperFlow valves, Beehive racing springs, heavy duty studs and a performance camshaft.
Samuel also rewired the entire bike around a Motogadget m-Unit control box, and installed a new electronic ignition and high output coils. Adding a little more grunt are a set of Keihin CR29 carbs with K&N filters, and two-into-two headers terminated with less restrictive mufflers.
Shifting his attention to the CB’s lines and proportions, Samuel trimmed the rear of the frame—adding a new loop and trimming any superfluous tabs in the process. The front forks from a Suzuki GSX-R1000 were installed, via a custom aluminum front hub and top triple tree—both machined by Devin at Cognito Moto.
The rear shocks are from Hagon, with the springs powder coated black. To balance out the bike’s stance, Samuel laced up a pair of 18” wheels with stainless steel spokes and nipples. The GSX-R offered up its dual-disc front braking system too—which he admits is slightly overkill for the older CB750.
A custom seat was made up, and sent to Ginger at New Church Moto to wrap in black leather. The effect is echoed on the leather-wrapped grips, shift lever and kick starter.
Moving to just under the seat, Samuel built a small box to house the electrics. He decided to retain and expose the CB’s stock oil tank—treating the opposite side to a one-off side cover with a brushed, blacked-out metal effect.
The same effect’s been applied to the fuel tank’s filler cap cover, with the addition of a nifty Clockwork badge. The tank itself has had its stock emblem brackets removed to neaten it up.
Thanks to a full complement of Motogadget componentry, the cockpit’s as minimal as can be. M-Switch push buttons, an m-Lock keyless ignition and a tiny Motoscope mini gauge have all been installed. (The latter’s been dropped into the triple clamp itself, along with a set of LED warning lights.)
Other finishing kit includes a neatly tucked-away LED tail light, a smaller headlight and turn signals, clip-ons and new foot pegs.
To honor the client’s initial request, just about every component has been finished in gloss, satin or matte black. Only a few metal highlights punctuate the darkness—like the fasteners and the stainless steel spokes.
The final effect is both alluring and menacing; a well-balanced classic with modern performance, handling and braking.
Merci to Samuel for saving it.
Clockwork Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Photos by Cimon B Photography
Snapshot, 1968: The Sinatra entourage rolls through Miami Beach
This image, taken in 1968 by celebrity photographer Terry O’Neill, could quite easily be mistaken for photographic confirmation of Frank Sinatra’s much-rumoured Mafia ties, such is the posse’s menacing demeanour while swaggering through Miami Beach…
Last week, we brought you the curious sight of singer, actor (and Mafia associate?) Frank Sinatra sunbathing in a suit while filming 1967 action thriller, Tony Rome. The following year, he was back in Miami to film the sequel, Lady in Cement – and was accompanied by a rather ominous-looking entourage. Flanked by bodyguards, Sinatra is also shadowed by his body double; although he doesn’t pull off the identical suit with quite the same panache as old Frank. That could be down to the protagonist having prior knowledge of the paparazzi-style shot, however, as it was taken by Terry O’Neill – the legendary celebrity photographer to whom Sinatra was introduced by Ava Gardner.
Photo: Terry O'Neill, courtesy of Loughran Gallery
The shot above is part of a group show currently being exhibited at the newly opened Loughran Gallery on Motcomb Street in Belgravia, London. Other selected artists include Damien Hirst, Dave White, Douglas Kirkland, Harland Miller, Jessica Zoob and Nick Jeffrey. Exhibition dates 22 April - 15 May 2015.
Works Racing Motorcycles – wolves among the (Manx) sheep
Classic Driver meets engineer and gentleman road racer Patrick Walker of Works Racing Motorcycles – a one-man farmyard-based operation that designs and manufactures faithful Manx Norton engines, almost entirely from scratch…
Norton factory
Patrick Walker is a man who prefers to work alone, at home with his family, where he feels most comfortable. That’s not to say he can’t manage a team of grease monkeys, his credentials as an engineer and team owner are second to none, he just prefers it that way. His career in engineering was kickstarted during a sandwich placement at the Norton factory at Shenston in 1985, where he worked alongside legendary mentors such as Doug Hele and Brian Crighton.
Doug Hele
“Doug Hele was a proper gent, he taught me so much and really inspired me to become an engineer. He had such a charming and simple way of explaining things to me, even inventing his own vocabulary; ‘jogolocity’ was one of my favourites.” Later, Walker helped adventurers Giles Cardozo and Bear Grylls achieve a flying car project (among others), eventually leading the team at Maxsym Engine Technology – a company that produces powerful parallel-twin engines designed to render the noisy and polluting two-stroke motors found in jet-skis and snowmobiles obsolete.
“I have the engineering degree, but have always enjoyed getting my hands dirty. You could say, I suppose, that I come from a white-collar background but possess blue-collar skills.”
1962-spec Manx Norton
Let’s be clear what Walker’s company offers today: available as complete bikes or in engine-only form, Works Racing bikes are close replicas of a 1962-spec Manx Norton 350 or 500. Engineered almost entirely from scratch, engines are produced from original drawings and a full set of 3D CAD models, which took Walker six months to produce.
State-of-the-art precision methods are used to create engine parts that are, by design, more accurate than Norton’s originals. The result is an oil-tight, high-performance thoroughbred – a true wolf in wolf’s clothing. Many customer bikes race in the UK’s highly competitive Lansdowne Classic Series. “My interest began as a teenager, after seeing a Norton on the front cover of Classic Bike magazine. That, and a discussion with co-founder and fellow Norton enthusiast Miles Robinson, at Goodwood in 2008. The rest, as they say, is history.”
Manx sheep
We meet Walker at his delightful wooden barn-style workshops in deepest, rural Leicestershire. Along with the family pet dogs, Walker’s farm is also home to an Austin-Healey 3000 and a flock of Manx sheep that originate from the island from which Norton’s iconic racer took its name – the Isle of Man. You won’t find a faithful Collie at this farm though; these sheep are herded by motorcycle (with daughter riding pillion), a modified Norton 500T motorcycle, no less.
“There’s nothing that extraordinary about the Manx Norton engine; in fact, it’s relatively simple. The magic happens when you marry the engine to a Manx chassis. By doing so, you create something that can be ridden totally flat-out. My engines are both original and very quick. I only alter the original design if I can see a real benefit in performance.”
So just how quick are they?
At the 2014 Isle of Man Classic TT (previously known as the Manx Grand Prix) Walker’s machines managed 1st, 2nd and 4th in class, 100+mph lap speeds, three finishers in the top 11 overall, two silver replica trophies and one bronze trophy. “I left the Isle of Man last year on a massive high, but it was the culmination of lots of hard work with many, many late nights. This year I want to concentrate more on having some fun.”
Define 'fun'
Fun for Walker is defined as riding and ‘spannering’ both his own and his customers' bikes for the Tandragee 100, a 'real' road-racing event in Ireland. “The track at Tandragee is just incredible. There is no feeling quite like racing on closed public roads in Ireland; it’s the purest form of motorcycle racing and, for me, the most enjoyable. Strangely, I don’t get nervous at the start like I do on short circuits. I’m starting something of a collective among friends, it's called the ‘Gentlemen’s Road Racing Club’. It would be called the ‘GRRC’ but a rather well known Lord, based in West Sussex, beat me to it.”
Other than Walker’s undoubted skill operating the plethora of modern computer-aided machinery in his workshop, (a brand new Nakamura-Tome lathe takes pride of place), Walker’s drive to succeed manifests itself in precision engineering, good PR and a commendable attitude to doing business: “If I’m taking your money in exchange for one of my engines, it’s quite simple; it has to work. The start-up costs of a business like this can be prohibitive. I do it because I enjoy it.”
With a total of 53 units produced and with a delivery time of around six weeks for a complete engine, owning a top-quality replica of a road-racing icon has never been as enjoyable or more straightforward. Following our visit to Works Racing, however, it might help a little if you, too, are prepared to muck in and get your hands dirty. For more info, visit www.worksracing.co.uk
Photos: Amy Shore for Classic Driver
View the full range of Norton motorcycles for sale in the Classic Driver Market.
Paul Newman is the subject of thrilling new ‘Racing Life’ docu-movie
‘Living the dream’ is a heavily over-used phrase. American actor Mr Paul Newman, however, lived life to the full not just on the big screen, but also on the race track – brilliantly captured in a new docu-movie…
An Academy Award-winner boasting a 50-year career in Hollywood, the late Paul Newman was well known for his talents as an actor, starring in films such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Cool Hand Luke and The Towering Inferno. He was also a dedicated philanthropist and successful sports-car racer, winning four national championships during his 35-year track career. In this production by FilmBuff, the views of stars such as Robert Redford, Tom Cruise and Mario Andretti are supported by glorious period footage of Newman in action, behind the wheel. Winning – The Racing Life of Paul Newman is due in cinemas on 22 May.
Photos: RexFeatures
These modern collectable Ferraris have accumulated just 500 miles between them
Both for sale via Classic Driver dealer Tom Hartley Jnr, this pair of modern, limited-production Ferraris tick all the boxes in terms of collectability – and have a sum total of just 502 miles on the clock…
The cars in question – a 2009 430 Scuderia 16M and a 2011 599 S.A. Aperta – have both been riding the wave of young-classic collectability during their short lives. A driver’s favourite, the Scuderia inherits the more focused nature of its coupé brother, yet gives you the option of getting even closer to sensory overload by putting the roof down. It seems the previous owner wasn’t quite as appreciative of this as he might be, as the car has covered an average of only 50 miles a year since it was ordered (with a variety of optional extras, we might add). Only 499 16Ms were produced, making it all the more attractive to marque collectors.
The 599 S.A. Aperta, meanwhile, was produced in even lower numbers (80, to be precise) and this example has covered even fewer miles than its temporary stablemate. Showing just 94 miles – a large proportion of which were likely to be acquired during testing and delivery – it could be one of the least-travelled Apertas out there. Adding another facet of desirability for collectors, this example was signed by former Ferrari chairman Luca Di Montezemolo at the factory, the signature then lacquered over to seal it into the paintwork.
Photos: Tom Hartley Jnr.
You can find hundreds of modern and classic Ferraris for sale in the Classic Driver Market.
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