Yamaha Tech3 squad suffers garage fire

from Twowheelsblog

The start of the Austin GP weekend, for Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team that fields Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith, has not started well. A small fire broke out in their pit garage last night, probably due to one electric starters short circuiting.

Fortunately no one was injured, but the Tech3 garage was soaked after the sprinkler system detected the fire and went into effect and doused the team’s garage, but also the adjacent garages like Yamaha’s Factory team and AB Cardion got their fair share of water. Tech 3 confirmed that their computer equipment was damaged, but is not anticipating any problems in terms of participation in this weekend’s inaugural Texas event.

Team staff will commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire and thanked the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) and local Austin Fire Department staff for their help.

Team manager Herve Poncharal said, “Unfortunately there was a small incident inside the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 garage overnight. The process of starting a MotoGP machine requires an electric starter and overnight they are left on charge. This is standard procedure and something we have been doing ever since the introduction of the four-stroke era. Unfortunately in the night one of the batteries caught fire. We have suffered quite a lot of damage and of course it is not ideal preparations but thankfully the fire prevention measures undertaken by the Circuit of the Americas and the assistance of the local Fire Department were invaluable in limiting the damage. The sprinkler system was immediately activated and fire crews on scene promptly and I am grateful for that. We will be conducting a thorough investigation to find out why this issue occurred and take the necessary steps to ensure it is not repeated in the future. I would like to apologise to the Yamaha Factory Team, LCR Honda and Cardion AB too, as the sprinkler system was also activated inside their pit area as well. But it could have been much worse and with the fantastic support of Yamaha and others in the close-knit MotoGP community, I am confident we can participate in this weekend’s race without any additional problems.

Bol d’Or: what’s new in 2013? Bol d’Or : ce qui change en 2013

 The FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) has made a number of modifications to the regulations which govern the Endurance World Championship (EWC). Here are the main changes…

 

La Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) a procédé à des modifications au niveau du règlement du Championnat du monde d’Endurance (EWC). Voici les principaux changements.

To begin with, the bikes will be equipped with lit race numbers for the night-time session and for the race in order to make life easier for spectators.
Also, to bring down costs and reduce the number of tyres required for the weekend,the free practice session will only last one hourand each rider will now have just20 minutesto post a quick flying lap in qualifying (instead of 30 minutes).
Should a bike come to a stop on the track, the rider will now be required to remove it so as not to hinder other competitors. Track-side repairs will be authorised using spares and tools carried by the rider. If he wishes to push the bike back to the pits, he must push it in the direction of the traffic, with no outside assistance, using the perimeter accesses.
To shorten the walk back to the pits, the organisers may authorise the rider to take short-cuts. However, if such shortcuts exist, they must be specified in the race’s supplementary regulations.
The team may ask for the rider and his bike to be brought back to the pits in an organiser’s vehicle. In this case, they will be returned as near as possible to the pit-lane entry where two members of the team will be able to help push the bike to its garage under the supervision of an official. In this case, the lap will count as having been completed.
If several teams wish to benefit from this help following a collective incident, the order of priority for help will be decided by the race’s start order. Two vehicles will be available for this purpose.
If a rider stops in front of the pits, he will be authorised to push his bike back to his garage – with the engine switched off, and against on-coming traffic – in the company of an official. Two mechanics will be permitted to help the rider push the bike in the pit-lane.


Dans un souci de confort pour les spectateurs, les motos doivent désormais obligatoirement arborer des numéros électroluminescents pour les essais de nuit et la course.
Afin de limiter les coûts et de réduire le nombre de pneumatiques, les essais libres sont réduits à une heureet chaque pilote dispose de 20 minutes pour claquer le meilleur chrono lors des deux séances d’essais qualificatifs.
En cas de panne sur la piste, le pilote devra immédiatement ranger sa moto pour ne pas gêner les autres concurrents. Il peut effectuer les réparations en bord de piste avec les moyens du bord. S’il souhaite ramener sa machine au stand, il doit la pousser dans le sens de la course, sans aide extérieure, en empruntant les bas côtés de la piste.
Pour rejoindre plus rapidement aux stands, les organisateurs peuvent autoriser les pilotes à prendre des raccourcis. Cependant, si de tels raccourcis existent, ils doivent être indiqués dans les règlements particuliers.
Si le team le souhaite, il peut demander une assistance pour que le pilote et sa machine soient ramenés dans un véhicule de l’organisation. Dans ce cas, ils seront déposés le plus près possible de la voie d’entrée des stands où deux membres de l’équipe pourront l’aider à rapatrier la moto au stand sous le contrôle d’un officiel. Son tour de piste sera comptabilisé dans son décompte de la course.

Si suite à un problème collectif plusieurs équipes souhaitent bénéficier de cette  aide, la prise en charge des teams se fera suivant les résultats de la grille de départ. Deux véhicules sont disponibles sur le circuit.
Si un pilote tombe en panne devant les stands, il pourra, sous la protection d'un commissaire, rentrer par la sortie des stands, moteur arrêté, en poussant sa moto, à contresens, jusqu'à son stand. Le pilote poussant sa moto dans la voie des stands peut être aidé par deux mécaniciens.
from  motoracinglive.com

Ford Mustang turns 50, celebrates a production milestone

 

Still looking good after all these years

Ford is celebrating two milestones today as they have announced the Flat Rock Assembly plant has built their one millionth Mustang on the car's 50th anniversary.
 
The millionth model, a Ruby Red convertible, was driven off the assembly line by the plant's material planning and logistics manager, Ed Salna, as well as Ford group vice president for product development Raj Nair.
In a statement Nair said “Mustang is one of the most beloved nameplates in the industry, with fans around the world and throughout Ford Motor Company. The team here at Flat Rock Assembly has built an outstanding reputation for quality while producing one million Mustangs over the last nine years, and we expect that to continue for many years to come.”
 
To date, Ford has sold over 8.5 million Mustangs and those numbers will likely increase when the next-generation model is introduced.
 

Source: Ford
via Worldcarfans

Lamborghini powered Giugiaro Parcour hits the track

 

Segment busting crossover concept

Italdesign has released a new promotional video of the Giugiaro Parcour coupe concept that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show.
 
Designed to celebrate the company's 45th anniversary, the Parcour is a crossover vehicle that draws inspiration from parkour enthusiasts who "adapt their body to the surrounding environment pursuing, through their movements, not just spectacle but instead mainly maximum efficiency." As part of this philosophy, the model is equipped with a sophisticated control system that adjusts the ride height and engine calibration depending on which one of the four modes - comfort, off-road, winter and race - are selected.
 
Power is provided by a Lamborghini-sourced 5.2-liter V10 engine that develops 550 HP (404 kW). It is connected to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that enables the model to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 3.6 seconds.
via worlcafans