ELMS, Castellet : Greaves Motorsport sur tapis vert / Greaves Motorsport inherits French win

L’écurie britannique Jota Sport avait remporté sa seconde victoire consécutive en European Le Mans Series 2015, mais la Gibson-Nissan N°38 a été pénalisée de deux places, offrant la victoire sur tapis vert à l’équipe Greaves Motorsport (Gibson-Nissan N°41, Hirsch/Wirdheim/Lancaster). Charlie Robertson et l’ancien cycliste Sir Chris Hoy sont champions LM P3.

Après avoir signé une nouvelle pole position (la 5^e en 7 qualifs pour Harry Tincknell), Jota Sport pensait avoir remporté les 4 Heures du Castellet après 123 tours bouclés à 189,5 km/h de moyenne.

Mais après l’arrivée, la Gibson-Nissan N°38 a reçu une pénalité (temps de conduite dépassé pour Albuquerque) et se classe finalement à la 3^e place derrière la BR01-Nissan AF Racing N°21.

Les deux BR01-Nissan AF Racing (ex SMP Racing) et la Morgan-Nissan/Michelin Pegasus Racing avaient pris le meilleur envol et dominé le début de course, alors que l’Oreca05-Nissan Thiriet by TDS Racing fut victime d’une crevaison et dut repasser au stand.

Avec sa stratégie d’arrêts au stand décalée, l’Oreca05-Nissan N°46 s’est retrouvée en tête à mi-course, devant la Gibson-Nissan N°41 Greaves Motorsport et la Morgan-Nissan Pegasus Racing qui avait ravitaillé sous safety-car. Les deux BR01-Nissan, les plus rapides en piste à ce moment-là, étaient en embuscade devant la Gibson-Nissan Jota Sport.

La course de l’Oreca03-Nissan N°48 Murphy Prototypes, qui avait souvent brillé sur le tracé varois, s’est arrêtée peu avant la mi-course après une sortie de piste assez sévère de Michael Lyons au Turn 8.

Les stratégies de pit-stop étant toujours décalées parmi les leaders, il était bien difficile de « lire » l’issue de cette 4^e manche de la saison. C’est la Gibson-Nissan Jota Sport qui a émergé en tête après le 4^e ravitaillement.

Mais la victoire revient à la Gibson-Nissan N°41 Greaves Motorsport (Hirsch/Wirdheim/Lancaster) devant la BR01-Nissan N°21 (Aleshin/Ladygin/Shaytar) et la Gibson-Nissan Jota Sport N°38 qui reste leader du championnat pour un point !

La seconde BR01-Nissan termine 4^e devant la Ligier JSP2-Judd/Michelin N°40 Krohn Racing hissée à la 5^e place par Olivier Pla en fin de course. Dommage que le Toulousain n’ait pas disputé les qualifs, ni pris le départ… Thiriet by TDS Racing a fini 6^e devant Pegasus Racing.

En LM P3, la Ginetta-Nissan/Michelin N°3 du Team LNT et ses pilotes Charlie Robertson et Sir Chris Hoy sont champions 2015 après une 3^e victoire cette saison.

En GTE, le début de course a été marqué par une belle bagarre entre la Ferrari N°56 AT Racing (Pier Guidi) et la Ferrari N°55 AF Corse (Bertolini). Mais c’est finalement la Ferrari N°60 Formula Racing (Laursen/Mac/Rizzoli) qui s’est imposée et qui conforte sa première place au championnat. La BMW Z4 Marc VDS Racing et la Ferrari N°66 JMW Motorsport complètent le podium.

Enfin, en GTC, la BMW Z4 TDS Racing (Perera/Lunardi/Dermont) a devancé la Ferrari AF Corse N°62 et l’Aston Martin Vantage N°68.

Prochaine et dernière manche, les 4 Heures d’Estoril (Portugal) les 17/18 octobre.

Jota Sport was first over the line at Le Castellet, France, to claim its second straight ELMS victory. The British team’s N°38 Gibson-Nissan was relegated two places after the finish, however, which handed victory to Greaves Motorsport (N°41 Gibson-Nissan, Hirsch/Wirdheim/Lancaster). Charlie Robertson and ex-cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy are the 2015 LM P3 champions.

Jota Sport believed it had followed up pole position (Harry Tincknell’s fifth from seven) with victory after four hours and 123 laps around Le Castellet at an average speed of 189.5kph.

After the finish, however, the N°38 Gibson-Nissan was handed a penalty for excessive time at the wheel for Albuquerque and ended up third behind the N°21 BR01-Nissan (AF Racing, formerly SMP Racing).

AF Racing’s two BR01-Nissans and Pegasus Racing’s Morgan-Nissan/Michelin got away to a strong start and dominated the early part of the race, while Thiriet by TDS Racing’s Oreca05-Nissan was forced to pit after picking up a puncture.

Thanks to its offset refuelling strategy, the N°46 Oreca05-Nissan led at the halfway point, ahead of the N°41 Gibson-Nissan (Greaves Motorsport) and Pegasus Racing’s Morgan-Nissan which made their stops during a safety-car interruption. The BR01-Nissans were the fastest cars on the track at that time and were just in front of the Jota Sport car.

The N°48 Oreca03-Nissan (Murphy Prototypes), which has often gone well at Le Castellet, crashed out at Turn 8 in the hands of Michael Lyons shortly before the midpoint.

Given the different pit-stop strategies, it was difficult to work out who had the advantage but it was Jota Sport’s prototype that emerged in front after its fourth stop.

Victory, however, ended up the property of the N°41 Gibson-Nissan (Greaves Motorsport, Hirsch/Wirdheim/Lancaster), ahead of the N°21 BR01-Nissan (Aleshin/Ladygin/Shaytar) and the N°38 Gibson-Nissan (Jota Sport) which remains a point clear in the championship standings.

The other BR01-Nissan came fourth, ahead of the N°40 Ligier JSP2-Judd/Michelin (Krohn Racing) which clinched fifth at the end thanks to the work of Olivier Pla. Thiriet by TDS Racing was sixth, ahead of Pegasus Racing.

In LM P3, the N°3 Ginetta-Nissan/Michelin (Team LNT) and its drivers Charlie Robertson and Sir Chris Hoy secured the 2015 title thanks to their third win of the season.

The early part of the GTE race was marked by a fight between the N°56 Ferrari (AT Racing, Pier Guidi) and the similar N°55 car (AF Corse, Bertolini). In the end, the win went to the N°60 Ferrari (Formula Racing, Laursen/Mac/Rizzoli) which consolidated its lead in the championship. Marc VDS Racing’s BMW Z4 and the N°66 Ferrari (JMW Motorsport) were second and third.

The GTC class was won by the TDS Racing BMW Z4 (Perera/Lunardi/Dermont), ahead of the N°62 Ferrari (AF Corse) and N°68 Aston Martin Vantage.

The final round of the 2015 ELMS will take teams to Estoril, Portugal, on October 17-18.

WRC, Australie : Surfers Paradise

Quelques pilotes du WRC ont pu s’initier au surf avant le début des reconnaissances du Rallye d’Australie. Coffs Harbour est un spot connu des surfers australiens.

Entre Sydney et Brisbane, la petite ville de la côte orientale est très prisée des surfers. Il y a quelques semaines, Coffs Harbour a accueilli une grande compétition avec plus de 400 participants. A l’issue de l’Australian Surf Festival, six titres nationaux ont été attribués.

Avant d’entamer les reconnaissances du Rallye d’Australie, quelques pilotes du WRC ont été invités à s’initier à la pratique du surf. Ott Tanak, expert en activités aquatiques depuis le Mexique, Andreas Mikkelsen, Mads Ostberg et Hayden Paddon se sont donc retrouvés au milieu des vagues à imiter Kelly Slater, 11 fois champion du monde de la spécialité.

Sébastien Ogier n’était pas de cette séance, mais le Français avait pu découvrir la discipline cet été dans une piscine à vagues artificielles. Thierry Neuville, Jari-Matti Latvala, Kris Meeke et Elfyn Evans ont joué au rugby, autre sport national, dont sont passionnés les deux pilotes britanniques. Australie, Angleterre et Pays de Galles vont se retrouver dans quelques jours pour la Coupe du monde de Rugby en Grande-Bretagne...

Plus généralement, Coffs Harbour est une ville très sportive qui organise des triathlons, des courses pédestres, cyclistes, de bateaux, et, depuis 2011, le Rallye d’Australie. En 2009, l’épreuve avait quitté Perth et la côte ouest pour Kingscliff et la Nouvelle Galles du Sud. Mais l’épreuve avait été perturbée par le mouvement écologiste.

Deux ans plus tard, le Rallye d’Australie est resté dans la province, mais s’est fixé plus au sud, à Coffs Harbour, où il coule des jours heureux. L’épreuve pourrait même conclure la saison WRC 2016...

En attendant, les reconnaissances du parcours 2015 ont débuté mardi matin avec la longue spéciale de Nambucca (50,80 km) bouclée à deux reprises à 80 km/h maximum. Outre les pilotes WRC engagés, le Français Stéphane Lefebvre participe à ces reconnaissances. Nasser Al-Attiyah arrive directement du Rallye du Liban où il est sorti de la route le premier jour.

Il n’y a pas de Superspéciales au programme de cette édition. Après le Shakedown, l’épreuve débutera jeudi soir par une séance d’autographes et une cérémonie de départ en centre-ville. La première des 17 spéciales est programmée vendredi matin.

A certain number of WRC drivers took time to try a little surfing ahead of recce for Rally Australia. Coffs Harbour is a favourite spot for Australian surfers.

Coffs Harbour sits on Australia’s east coast between Sydney and Brisbane and, only a few weeks ago, hosted a major surfing competition – the Australian Surf Festival – with more than 400 participants. It led to six national titles being awarded.

Before starting recce for this week’s Rally Australia, a number of WRC drivers were invited to try their hand at the sport. Ott Tanak, a water sport expert since Mexico!, Andreas Mikkelsen, Mads Ostberg and Hayden Paddon all took to the waves in a bid to imitate the 11-time world champion Kelly Slater.

Sébastien Ogier wasn’t with them, but he tried a little surfing in a pool with artificial waves during the summer. Thierry Neuville, Jari-Matti Latvala, Kris Meeke and Elfyn Evans all played a bit of rugby instead. The two Britons are big fans of the game and are looking forward to the start of the Rugby World Cup in the UK in a few days’ time.

Coffs Harbour certainly loves sport and organises events like triathlons, as well as running, cycling and boat races. Since 2011, its portfolio has included Rally Australia which deserted Perth and Western Australia in 2009 to set up camp initially in Kingscliff, New South Wales. There, it was disrupted by ecologists.

Two years later, the event stayed in NSW but moved further south, to Coffs Harbour. It is rumoured the event might even conclude the 2016 world championship…

This year’s recce started today (Tuesday) with the long Nambucca stage (50.80km) which was covered twice with a speed limit of 80kph maximum. In addition to the WRC drivers entered for the event, Frenchman Stéphane Lefebvre is doing the recce, while Nasser Al-Attiyah will arrive directly from the Rally of Lebanon where he crashed on Day 1.

No super-specials are planned this year. After shakedown, the programme will continue with an autograph-signing session on Thursday evening and a send-off ceremony in the town centre. The first of the 17 stages will start on Friday morning.

Motors&Soul 2015 by Virage8

BRSCC Mazda MX-5 SuperCup 2015 - Round 12 - Oulton Park

Full coverage of round 12 of the 2015 BRSCC Mazda MX-5 SuperCup, which took place on the Oulton Park International circuit in Cheshire



next round this weekend at Croft...

Is this how the new Bugatti Chiron will look?

Bugatti will reveal an impressive new car at the IAA in Frankfurt next week, evoking the spirit of the famous brand’s great racing success of old. The wild-looking concept is not a replacement for the Veyron, however, but a virtual racing car designed for the computer game, Gran Turismo…

Fuel to the fire

Since production of the Bugatti Veyron ended, speculation about its potential successor has been rife. The Chiron, as it’s thought to be called, was shown to lucky customers at Pebble Beach. Rather than confirm or deny any information, Bugatti has fuelled further speculation by announcing a new concept car to be shown at next week’s IAA in Frankfurt.

Created in collaboration with the makers of Gran Turismo, the famous computer racing game, the car is aimed at the rather less well-heeled fans of the brand. “The Bugatti design team normally works only for the exclusive and very distinguished circle of the brand’s customers. Now Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo has given us the opportunity, for the first time, to do something special for our fans as well,” commented Bugatti design chief, Achim Anscheidt.  “When the target group suddenly grows from 450 Veyron owners to several million fans, gamers and high-performance aficionados, it is a very exciting matter. We had a lot of fun with this project.”

For the (virtual) circuit

Racing Bugattis from the 1920s and 1930s, including the fabled Type 57 Tank, inspired the ‘Vision Gran Turismo’ and the aerodynamic elements such as the NACA duct on the roof are clearly designed for the virtual circuit. Certain aspects, though, could well hint at what’s to come from the Chiron – those narrow headlights, perhaps? The excitement builds…

Bugatti Veyrons from the Bugatti Certified programme can be found for sale in the Classic Driver Market.

OC GARAGE MILLENOVECENTO 36

The transition from horse drawn transportation to nations of car owners was thanks to innovative industrialists, often backed by governments keen to get the people moving. Germany had the Volkswagen Beetle, America the Ford Model T and Italy the Fiat 500. The first incarnation of the diminutive Fiat was the 500A, or Topolino as it was named due to it’s resemblance to a little mouse. Production started just before WW2, 1936 in fact, and manufacture continued into the mid 1950s.

Oscar Tasso of OC Garage based on Italy’s Adriatic coast has fond memories of the Topolino saying, “There was a taciturn gentleman who had a garage, where he guarded one of these wonderful cars. Rarely, just a few times a year, the Topolino was pulled out of the garage and each time for me was a party. Every time, I stopped to look at her and listen to her voice which thrilled me. I was so excited by her smooth shapes, by her black and burgundy colors, by the smell of its exhaust; those emotions are still very vivid in me … ” Such was the impact on Oscar, he decided to build a tribute bike, keeping it Italian of course, and without a customer in mind the Millenovecento 36 is a personal project.

The donor is a 2002 Moto Guzzi Nevada that although in good order was completely pulled apart, Oscar doesn’t do half measures. The bombproof v-twin was stripped and refreshed before receiving a few coats of gloss black paint. If you’re taking one of these apart and splitting the transmission you may as well stick in a new clutch as it’s mounted car-style behind the engine. Exhaust headers were made to visually blend in, through colour and by following the frame contours down to an under-slung collector, exiting short and low on the right hand side.

Custom bikes are now at such a level that leaving old wiring looms in situ is no longer acceptable. Besides, the last thing you want is to spend all that time making something look handsome only to chase electrical gremlins down corroded wires. A lithium battery lives under the seat and powers a completely fresh loom and classically styled switch gear and all-in-one gauge.

Most Guzzis are beautiful, but the Nevada not so much. A model that just about survived a full ten round beating from the ugly stick. The foundations though are sound and the engine is one of the finest examples in motorcycling of form meeting function. The easiest way to deal with a Nevada is to remove the fuel tank and fit something else. On this occasion a CB350F vessel was repurposed, and the shape work perfectly, enhanced by the two-tone paint scheme. Oscar had the Topolino’s burgundy and black painstakingly matched to achieve the exact hue of that defining childhood memory.

The forks are of course freshly rebuilt, and as can be seen from these shots, every single nut and bolt on the bike is brand new and gleams against the black powder coat. Wide drag bars provide a commanding position, reminiscent of motorcycles from the 1930s.

A cheap looking, cast fork brace and bracket was never going to meet Oscar’s standards, so he’s fashioned this intricate, chrome plated fabrication to mount the hand-rolled mudguard, complete this resembles the radiator grille on the Fiat’s nose.

The Nevada was one Guzzi that didn’t utilise the company’s linked braking system, with just a single disc up front with a Brembo four-pot in charge of retardation, and by all accounts it works really well. History lesson over, Oscar renewed the entire braking system to compliment the rest of the build.

Another Nevada bonus is the 16″ rear wheel as standard, which allows fitment of a big, fat Firestone Deluxe Champion, for contrast and to add period touch, the front is a narrower, white wall version.

The frame rails were trimmed and a classic loop sits above the rear mudguard, Oscar’s handiwork again. A brown leather seat is solo in proportion and upholstered in brown leather.

Inspiration can be drawn from a myriad of sources and for Oscar another reason to work on a Moto Guzzi is always a treat and with no client to answer to or placate, he was able to revel in creative nostalgia. Successfully we would say.

via The Bike Shed

Chevck out more of Oscar’s moving art    the Bike Shed Archive  |  Facebook   |   Web

AUTO FABRICA TYPE 6

This year has been a bit of a blur for those of us making the Bike Shed happen. With two major shows, including our first foray abroad, the building of a new HQ in London, all whilst trying to maintain online activities; our feet haven’t touched the ground. But there have been some standout moments that stick in our minds, and pivotal wouldn’t be too strong a word to describe some.

One being the arrival of Auto Fabrica. OK so Bujar & Gaz have produced some truly fantastic bikes from their humble Essex workshops but when the Type 6 rolled into the main hall at Tobacco Docks conversations curtailed, tools were set-down and beards hit the floor. Like a resplendent Albino peacock, this Yamaha XS based work of art sat quietly on its plinth waiting to wow the crowds.

This is no well funded biker build off effort, hammered out in double quick time. This is good old fashioned, blood, sweat, patience and endeavour. Admirable accolades but relatively worthless without a vision, and that’s where Auto Fabrica have found their forte. Countless hours are poured into sketchbooks, clay models and computer renders before a weld arc is even struck.

The XS650 donor was part of a four bike haul of Yamahas recovered from a the depths of rural Cornwall, barn finds that effectively set Auto Fabrica rolling. With this much effort going into the aesthetics of course the engine needed to not only look the part but perform in equal measure, so it was completely stripped and fully rebuilt, properly. Without meaning to belittle that as a process, it’s probably not why you’re here, reading this.

Despite the AF crew knowing exactly how they wanted it to look, paper and pixels are infinitely more manipulative than metal, and the best fabrication in the world is nothing without stance. So first up on the chopping block was the frame. The headstock was severed, lowered 2 inches and set back slightly into the frame tubes, creating a low swooping line from the headlight over to the tail.

Overhauled forks are turned by an arcing, hand-bent bar, with all cabling and wires routed internally allowing for the fitment of stainless steel end-pivot levers. To further protect the eye from distraction the fork stanchions, seals and lower clamps have been sheathed by stainless tubing. Clean and neat doesn’t even come close. And those turned and knurled aluminium grips felt sublime.

With so much effort already invested into the front-end it would’ve been sacrilege to run a cumbersome looking disc brake set up, no that wouldn’t do at all. Purchased in the Netherlands some years prior, the Laverda SF750 twin leading shoe drum used here had been on the shelf and offered up to a few previous AF builds, thankfully it wasn’t utilised.

From the casting marks, to the typeface of the Laverda logo and the purposeful cooling duct, it seems as if this relic from the seventies was always destined for the Type 6. Not only that, it’ll give the new owner confidence that their investment may have cost a pretty penny, but will stop on a dime.

If you’ve read any previous features about Auto Fabrica’s bikes you’ll recall us harping on about the hand-bent exhausts. A laborious process involving tightly packing straight stainless pipe with sand, to prevent kinking of the walls, welding on caps either end and setting up a range of bucks around which these elegant curves are formed. This might be one of their signature build features but that doesn’t mean it goes to plan every time.

To achieve perfection like this takes a strong arm, a steady eye and patience of a saint. All of which could be spoiled by a rasping cacophony, avoided here thanks to small internal baffles, tuned not only for sound but for just the right amount of back pressure to keep the single carb set up on song.

With classic and vintage motorcycles providing simplistic and functional inspiration the XS650 twin has been converted to run just one carburettor, with a siamesed intake tract flowing out to the left side of the bike. Visually this means a treat when viewing from left or right. Balance through asymmetry, that box is certainly ticked with a big fat Sharpie marker.

Would this bike have achieved such accolade and lyrical waxing had the fuel tank been a more traditional form? The rest of the design and engineered execution stands-up on its own but the sculpture Bujar and Gaz have created is simply staggering. The guys painstakingly rolled and hammered this one-piece tank and seat unit from 2.5mm aluminium to serve function and form, the latter in abundance. The unique scalloped sides suggest the engine’s thirst for air whilst creating a streamlined yet strong silhouette running toward the tail, reminiscent of shapes seen on Pininfarina’s finest work.

Bujar explains “The major part or even the main design feature is the scalloped tank, one of the reasons we build custom motorcycles is because we love the metal shaping processes, that being said, with the Type 6 we wanted to push our skills to the limit, and beyond. The shapes are very complicated yet look simple and flowing but that is the hardest to execute, which resulted us spending a lot of time trying to achieve something we are really proud of.

And so they should be, the Type 6 is game changer for Auto Fabrica, they’ve done more than just arrive.

If that wasn’t enough, there’s more:    Bike Shed Archive  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Web

Photos by Julien Brightwell & Bujar Muharremi via The Bike Shed

Period Correct – streetwear and classic Porsche style in California

The Californian fashion label ‘Period Correct’ offers streetwear designs, inspired by classic cars and historic racing. So don’t be surprised if you meet a teenager in Los Angeles with an ‘Gmünd’ T-shirt…

Skate culture meets automotive purism

"Period Correct redefines a culture lost through time, powered by the future of speed and modern design," one reads on the website of the young fashion label based in Costa Mesa, California, south of Los Angeles. And indeed, in the current summer collection, the designers have managed to combine the casual chic of surf and skate fashion on the American west coast with the design purism of motor racing in the 1960s and 1970s. In the latest photo gallery, you see young people posing with careful nonchalance beside legends of Porsche history.

From LA to Gmünd

You also find the Swabian classics in the modernist studio and showroom of Period Correct, and on the T-shirts that read (with doubtful trademark permission) such logos as ‘Superleggera’, ‘Squadra Corse’ or just plain ‘Gmünd’. Even more gratifying than the smart looks, however, is that the smartphone-obsessed generation is again finding excitement in the historic racing cars and classics. Real style is timeless.

Photos: Period Correct

You can find further information by visiting period-correct.com.

Cow boy.........