24H SPA, QUALIF 1 : LE TOP 20 GROUPÉ EN 1.3S...

from http://www.endurance-info.com

Frank Kechele s'est montré le plus rapide de la première séance d'essais qualificatifs en vue des 24 Heures de Spa. Le pilote de la BMW Z4/Vita4One a devancé de 79 millièmes la BMW Z4/Marc VDS de Maxime Martin. Les 12 premiers se tiennent dans la même seconde, et le Top 20 est groupé en 1.310s. La session a été interrompue à deux reprises, une première fois pour la sortie de la McLaren MP4-12C/ASM Team de Karim Ojjeh au niveau du Raidillon et une seconde fois pour dégager la Ferrari 458 Italia/Sport Garage #42, en panne au niveau de Blanchimont (problème électrique). Chez Audi, une seule auto du WRT est dans le Top 20, tout comme une Phoenix. On change la boîte de vitesses sur celle de Fässler/Kristensen/Lotterer. Compte tenu du peu d'écart entre les 20 premiers, la seconde séance s'annonce disputée...

1 BMW Z4 GT3/Vita4One Racing Team (Franchi/Lauda/Kechele) : 2.19.473

2 BMW Z4 GT3/Marc VDS Racing Team (Martin/Leinders/Palttala)

3 McLaren MP4-12C/Von Ryan Racing (Parente/Barff/Wills/Goodwin)

4 Audi R8 LMS ultra/Belgian Audi Club Team WRT (Ortelli/Mies/Haase)

5 BMW Z4 GT3/DB Motorsport (Lémeret/van Hooydonck/den Boer)

6 McLaren MP4-12C/Boutsen Ginion Racing (Verdonck/van de Poele/Clarke/Mondron)

7 Lamborghini Gallardo/Blancpain Reiter (Kox/Hayek/Menten/von Thurn und Taxis)

8 BMW Z4 GT3/ROAL Motorsport (Coronel/Colombo/Liberati/Cerruti)

9 Porsche 911 GT3-R/Haribo Racing Team (Alzen/Menzel/Riegel/Stursberg)

10 Aston Martin V12 Vantage/GPR (Baguette/Latinne/Verbegt/Dupont)

Honda CX500 - RGK Street Trail

TRAILER 24H DE SPA 2012 - TEAM AUDI SPORT WRT

Paddock Blancpain Endurance Series a Spa-Francorchamps > 2012 > 24H Spa 2012

for Fred ! Paddock Girls SBK Brno

VINTAGE BMW BY CRD

Nascar Nationwide 2012 Daytona Crazy Finish Big One and Buescher Win

Incroyable arrivée en Nascar Nationwide Series pour cette ouverture de saison à Daytona avec un Big One dans le dernier virage entre les principaux leaders et c'est finalement James Buescher qui en profite pour l'emporter

Fabulous !! Gunther Holtorf's 23-year road trip

20 times around the planet 23-year road trip

Gunther Holtorf's 23-year road tripBack in 1989, as the Berlin Wall fell, Gunther Holtorf and his wife Christine set out on what was meant to be an 18-month tour of Africa in their Mercedes Benz G Wagen. Now, with more than 800,000km (500,000 miles) on the clock, Gunther is still going.

The German former airline executive has travelled the equivalent of 20 times around the planet in the vehicle - which he calls Otto. He says he has never had a serious breakdown. Recently in Vietnam, Canadian-born photographer David Lemke joined Gunther on one section of his epic journey.

before SPA 24 HOURS this weekend !

The old 14km lap of Spa was epic in every sense: lethally fast, totally unprotected pubic roads. Here we can go on-board with Lucien Bianchi’s Aston Martin DB4 in 1962.

Looking back to the enormous grid of ’71, the track looks like a narrow mountain pass compared to the relatively large run-off demanded of Spa by modern F1 regulations. Lined with armco right at the sides of the track, the track snakes through the trees. Capris, Camaros, Alfas, BMWs and Escorts three-wheel their way round the original long version of the circuit, where in some areas just marker post define the edge – hardly likely to save a spinning car…

There are a series of Japanese-language reviews of the 24 covering 1984-1992: here’s the first one. The images are incredible, highlighting the breadth of cars and drivers that have taken part over the years. The big Jaguar XJS, victorious in 1984, gave way to a straight run by BMW, interrupted only by the RS500 win in 1989.

After a final pair of races with touring cars as the main draw, both won by Peugeot 306 GTIs, the race became part of the FIA GT Championship and the fire-breathing GT1 racers took dominion. Here’s a clip from the 2006 race, showing the Saleens, Maseratis, Astons, Corvettes burning through the back-markers.

Ben Spies decides to leave Yamaha! Rossi may be on Yamaha

from http://www.twowheelsblog.com/

Ben Spies has made a shock announcement via email to American websiteSuperbikePlanet.com that he will be leaving Yamaha’s factory MotoGP team at the end of the season, and suprisingly the announcement comes ahead of his home race at Laguna Seca and before an official announcement by Yamaha.

“I have chosen to leave Yamaha after this season for a litany of reasons. I will explain more when I feel it is appropriate. I’m discussing my situation with my sponsors and they are behind me. There are a few people at Yamaha who I hate to leave. And they know who they are. I wish Yamaha the best. I won’t make any further comments until the offical announcement comes out.” and then via Twitter added “I’m extremely happy to push for the rest of the season to my fans and myself next year starts a new chapter. And yes I’m pumped!”

Where Spies will be heading is still a complete mystery, as he hasn’t been tied to any other team during this year’s silly season, and his factory seat has been hotly contested between Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso, but Valentino Rossi may be more than heavily involved in the Texas Terror leaving the team as yesterday’s rumor, had the former World Champion returning to Yamaha and bringing them a mega sponsor (take your choice from the three bandied around, Coca Cola, Marlboro and Monster Energy).

Sportster Cow Ball

from http://rocket-garage.blogspot.fr

72 Hours with Empire -- A sportbike freestyle film

Top : Triumph Tridays Rumbler !!

 

 

Posté avec Blogsy

Beyond the Dying Light ft. Taylor Robert

For fifteen years, Taylor Robert has ridden motorcycles on no canvas more intimate than that of the Sonoran desert landscape. A native to Scottsdale, Arizona, the trails he rides answer to him, no less than he does, to them. They define him, they enlighten him, and they unceasingly deliver unto him, a place withstanding from the tests of time and culture. This is but a rare glimpse into that place, and the symbiotic nature between it, and it’s rider. Let it be known, as a place, beyond the dying light.

Vintage British Scrambling

More photos at ericmiles47′s photostream.

Valentino Rossi Mugello Part 3 and another silly season rumor

The 2012 MotoGP of Italy was the scene of Valentino Rossi's most personal and direct dedication to his fans who came in their tens of thousands.

Opening the AGV helmet case on the Saturday morning he presented a message of "Restiamo Uniti" or "Let's stick together". In typical stye it had all the humour and more than enough sub-plots to get the rumour mill churning. Some people interpreted it as a direct reference to his state of mind within the Ducati team; others may know it as a common catchphrase amongst Italian family television courtesy of Gianni Morani who took pride of place on the lid. It quite probably meant both but by no means was it lost on the army of fans who invaded the asphalt on Sunday afternoon as the riders brought their machines back to the pits on the back of a hard fought race.

Valentino was left with plenty to do, starting in tenth position but despite lack of front-end feel he dragged himself and Cal Crutchlow up into the pack ahead of himself and ultimately grabbed fifth as he watched the final podium place being duked out by Andrea Dovizioso and Stefan Bradl just ahead.

News ................

Pramac’s sporting director Carlo Pernat threw a curveball the other evening during an Italian sports show when he said that Roger Lee Hayden would probably be replacing injured Hector Barbera, in this weekend’s Red Bull US GP race at Laguna Seca, instead the team decision has fallen on the recently unemployed Toni Elias to ride the Desmosedici GP12.

As speculated immediately after Toni Elias parted ways with Aspar’s Moto2 team after the Mugello Moto2 race, ‘Aspar Martinez’ has announced that CEV rider Jordi Torres will be replacing the former 2010 Moto2 World Champion for the rest of the season while continuing in the CEV championshipwith his JHK T-Shirt LaGlisse team

After leaving Effenbert Liberty team just before the past weekend’s Brno round because of the squad’s budget problems (the mechanics left because they weren’t being paid), Sylvain Guintoli set out immediately to find a new ride for the rest of the World Superbike season and it was rumored that he was already in talks with Pata Racing about joining their line-up.

Just a few hours ago, the French rider confirmed via Twitter that he’ll return to racing with Italian team (who has yet to formally announce the deal), “I will be back on the Ducati 1198 in Silverstone. Thanks to Team Pata & Ducati.”

with :http://www.twowheelsblog.com/

crash in drift japan !

While Formula Drift took to the Northwest for round five over the weekend, the D1 Grand Prix series was also in action at the high speed Autopolis circuit in Kyushu. Wet weather made for some challenging conditions that resulted in one of the most dramatic drifting crashes we’ve seen in a while.

In this video you’ll see Matsukawa-san in the Up Garage AE86 go tail-first into the tire barriers at high speed, which flips the car into a barrel roll of sorts. Fortunately, Matsukawa was unhurt and at the end of the clip you can here him expressing his worries about the car and apologizing in typical Japanese fashion.

Rush sur la F1 !!!

Ron Howard, réalisateur américain, termine son prochain film intitulé «Rush», qui devrait arriver dans les salles au début de l'année 2013. Ce film retrace l'affrontement qui eut lieu en Formule 1 durant la saison 1976, entre Niki Lauda et James Hunt.
Mêlant images réelles et prises de vue contemporaines mais reprenant tous les ingrédients de l'époque, cette super production hollywoodienne ne devrait pas décevoir même si les passionnés y trouveront certainement de nombreuses incongruités. Mais laissons toutes leurs chances à  Daniel Brühl, qui joue le pilote autrichien de la scuderia Ferrari et à Chris Hemsworth qui s'est glissé dans la combinaison de James Hunt, le pilote charismatique de l'écurie Mc Laren!
from http://www.leredacteurauto.be/
The movie Rush is a biography of Formula 1 champion driver Niki Lauda (played by Daniel Brühl) and the 1976 crash that almost claimed his life. Mere weeks after the accident, he got behind the wheel to challenge his rival, James Hunt (played by Chris Hemsworth).

Superstock 1000 : victoire de Bryan Staring

Superstock 1000 : victoire de Bryan Staring

WSBK Brno - Superstock 1000 - Course

1. Staring (Kawasaki) 12 Tours / 64.836 km en 27'22.582
2. La Marra (Ducati) 6.577
3. Guarnoni (Kawasaki) 32.390
4. Brown (Ducati) 34.106
5. McFadden (Kawasaki) 38.007
6. Massei (Honda) 38.412
7. Bergman (Kawasaki) 39.584
8. Jezek (Ducati) 39.940

Classement général Superstock 1000 (6 sur 10)

1. La Marra 94
2. Barrier 75
3. Staring 70
4. Savadori 67
5. Guarnoni 62
6. Baroni 56
7. Reiterberger 55
8. Bergman 49