Jason Voss Wins 2015 BITD Silver State 300

By BinkDesign.com

Jason Voss stays out front for his wire-to-wire win at the Silver State 300.

Jason Voss wins the Silver State 300 for the second year in a row. Starting first off the line, Voss ran in clean air all day and fended off Rob MacCachren who gave chase but could not catch him.  Unlimited class competitors at the Best in the Desert Canidae Tap it Silver State 300 would have their worst fears confirmed after Jason Voss clinched the number one qualifying spot for the race. With impeccably prepped equipment and mad skills behind the wheel, when he gets out front on fast roads, he’s tough to catch. Dale Dondel was quickest during time trials and would have earned an amazing ninth straight fastest time in qualifying but he hit a cone resulting in a 15-second penalty that dropped him to 6th.

Rob MacCachren stayed within striking distance of Jason Voss but was never able to overtake the lead.

The Silver State course is very challenging for racers and their crews. It climbs and descends mountains, winds through tree-lined trails, crosses flowing streams and silty, dry lakebeds. It also has long stretches where drivers can really open the throttle up. Voss excels at high-speed driving. He is usually found at the front of the longer, point-to-point races like the Silver State 300 and Vegas to Reno. He was part of a team that won the Baja 1000 in 2015, which was headed by second-place overall finisher at the Silver State MacCachren. Any faltering by Voss or his crew would have given the win to MacCachren who started the race fifth off the line. The third Trick Truck to cross the line was Shawn Croll followed by Gary Weyhrich, Josh Daniels and Steve Olliges. Olliges came from way back in the 19th starting position to finish 4th in class, 10th overall.

The Silver State 300 course offers a variety of terrain and obstacles.

Other than MacCachren, the top qualifiers were all slowed or dropped out. Justin Lofton suffered a big crash in the early going, but thanks to his safety equipment both he and co-driver John Armas are reported to be recovering with no serious injuries. Apdaly Lopez was sidelined for a while but managed to get going again to finish the race but in the back of the pack. Jerry Whelchel was rumored to be leading on corrected time at one point but then had some issues, as did Dale Dondel who lost a torque convertor that knocked him out of the race.

It appears CJ Hutchins earned the Class 1500 win on corrected time.

The top qualifier in the Class 1500 (unlimited open wheel) was Cody Parkhouse who started 7th. Parkhouse drove a great race. He was the third vehicle to cross the finish line followed by #1549 Sam Berri. Official results are not posted yet, but apparently a hard-charging CJ Hutchins battled from the 18th starting position to earn the victory from Parkhouse and Berri on corrected time. Since drivers go off the start at intervals, the fastest elapsed time wins the race, not the first to cross the finish line. Many drivers have tasted victory only to be overtaken by a fellow competitor with a faster time.

Cody Robinson and Kyle Conlon teamed up to earn the Class 10 win.

Class 10 was a huge battle with nearly 20 cars taking the green flag. Jason Coleman and Roger Starkey battled the entire race. Coleman was in front of Starkey after pit 4 and had time on him. In the closing miles, Starkey got past Coleman but did not put enough distance on him to cut into the time gap. Coleman finished a second ahead on corrected time; Starkey was third. First place went to Cody Robinson and Kyle Conlon. Conlon started the car in 10th place but put in an amazing charge to be first on the road at mile marker 80. He handed the car over in good shape to Robinson at mile 150; Robinson drove the remainder of the race. Later, he lost power steering but was able to muscle the car to the finish with over three minutes of time on the competition.

The next race on the BITD calendar is Vegas to Reno, which is nearly double the mileage of the SS 300.

Throughout the field there were fierce battles and for some heartbreak.  The next event in the Best in the Desert series will be on August 13-15 when they take on the longest off-road race in the United States, Vegas to Reno. The terrain will be similar to the Silver State 300 but the mileage will be nearly double.

via off-road.com

24H Nürbur : Black Falcon fait dans le vert et gris ; BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert dévoile ses livrées ; Les équipages ROWE Racing finalisés ; etc..

par Laurent mercier (Endurance-Info.com)
Les Allemands du Black Falcon feront dans le vert et gris dans une semaine aux 24 Heures du Nürburgring. La Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 qui portera le numéro 2 sera grise aux couleurs AMG, avec dans le baquet Bernd Schneider, Adam Christodoulou, Yelmer Buurman et Andreas Simonsen. La #5 sera à dominante verte comme en Blancpain Endurance Series. Elle réunira Abdulaziz Al Faisal, Hubert Haupt, Jaap Van Lagen et Yelmer Buurman.

BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert sera présent avec une paire de BMW Z4 GT3 aux 24 Heures du Nürburgring. Les deux BMW seront facilement reconnaissables avec la #19 à dominante jaune et la #20 à dominante rouge.

Dirk Müller, Alexander Sims, Dirk Werner et Marco Wittmann se partageront le baquet de la #19, la #20 étant confiée à Martin Tomczyk, Jens Klingmann, Dominik Baumann et Claudia Hürtgen.

ROWE Racing vient de communiquer ses deux équipages en vue des 24 Heures du Nürburgring. “Le temps est venu et nous sommes fin prêts” a confié Hans-Peter Naundorf, team principal de l’équipe allemande.

La Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 #22 sera confiée à Maro Engel, Jan Seyffarth, Renger van der Zande et Thomas Jäger. La #23 aura elle aussi un bel équipage avec Thomas Jäger, Nico Bastian, Klaus Graf et Christian Hohenadel. Pas moins de neuf Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 seront au départ dans l’Eifel.

 

et aussi

 

Rob Huff aura droit à un double programme à la mi-mai sur la Nordschleife. En parallèle à son engagement en WTCC sur une Lada Vesta officielle, le Britannique participera aux 24 Heures du Nürburgring sur la Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 du Team Premio en compagnie de Kenneth Heyer, Phillip Frommenwiler et Christian Krognes. Le team s’appuiera sur MCG Racing dirigé par Hans-Peter Naundorf.

 

 

Haribo Racing Team sera en piste demain sur la Nordschleife à l’occasion du deuxième rendez-vous VLN de l’année où seront présents dans la Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 Norbert Siedler, Uwe Alzen et Marco Holzer. Maximilian Götz, pilote officiel Mercedes en DTM, renforcera l’équipage de la SLS AMG GT3 noire aux 24 Heures du Nürburgring.

Derek Bell, how does a farmhand become a five-times Le Mans winner?

After breaking into Formula 1 with Ferrari, Derek Bell soon established himself as an endurance specialist, winning Le Mans five times and thrice claiming the spoils at the 24 Hours of Daytona. We caught up with him at his childhood playground, otherwise known as Goodwood Motor Circuit…

You could quite easily have had a career ploughing fields rather than clipping apexes, is that correct?

Very much so. On several occasions I thought about going back to it, but I didn’t. I was on the farm from the age of nine, which is when I started driving: Land Rovers, tractors, motocross bikes, etc. My stepfather was a member of the BARC, so we would come up here [to Goodwood] and I really got into it. I started off at the Jim Russell Racing School, and during that period I was a marshal here at Goodwood. In fact, after Stirling had his crash here in 1962, I was at the first corner frantically waving my yellow flag. To be honest, though, I wouldn’t have had a clue how to get someone out of a car if it came down to it – but that was racing, back in those days. I just did it to get close to the cars.

You soon caught Enzo’s eye; what happened after that?

I was summoned to Modena to try the F1 car, after some good results for Ferrari in Formula 2. I got there, it was pissing with rain, and we only had intermediate tyres, as the wets were on the truck coming back from the German GP. The chief engineer Mauro Forghieri leant in and whispered, "If you crash, it is the last time you drive a red car". With that, I had to go out and prove myself. I got to the first corner and, sitting on the outside in his 365 GT 2+2, was the ‘Old Man’. I wasn’t sure how hard to push; was he looking for me to spin just to prove I was trying?

Your relationship blossomed after that, didn’t it?

He used to pick me up in his car and we’d go for dinner together, which wasn't easy because I didn’t speak Italian and he spoke only a little English. I don’t know what the hell we spoke about, given the language barrier – but I remember eating a lot of pasta.

Was he as difficult as his reputation suggests?

He was really good to me; I never had a reason to fall out with him. Other guys did, and they became bitter, but the sort of people that became bitter were difficult people to get on with anyway, as far as my dealings with them went.

Is it possible to put 246mph down the Mulsanne into words?

It’s the most surreal thing: when you arrive on race weekend, you drive into the old city, which is austere and almost oppressive – then, suddenly, you glimpse the Mulsanne and feel this adrenalin rush of ‘here I am at Le Mans’, knowing you’re going to be going faster down it than anyone has ever been before. It sounds a bit melodramatic, but there was an overwhelming sense of pioneering spirit.

Can you describe how the Le Mans 24 Hours has changed since you were racing?

In my day, you never had to worry about engines, you were just looking after the gearboxes – you had to change gear yourself back in those days, you see. I remember in the Mirage, in 1974, I was handing over to Mike Hailwood after my first stint. I told Mike I was having trouble with third gear, to which he replied, "Oh great, we’ll be home for tea then". Of course we weren’t; we went on and finished fourth. We had to drive with so much finesse, and then drive our hearts out, too. The guys nowadays don’t really need to worry about finesse. Plus there were two of us, not three or four. When you handed over, you knew you were next up when the car came back in – that was very wearing mentally, as well as physically.

In 1992 and 1995, you shared driving duties with your son. Were you able to suppress the concerned parent in you during those 48 hours?

I was in the McLaren in 1995, but I was really nervous in the Porsche in 1992. I was fine when it was dry, but I’d been out there in the rain and it was so bad. Normally, when you stop, you get out of the car and give your team-mate a heads-up about the conditions: "Watch out for oil at Tertre Rouge," for example. With the rain, that’s hard to do as it’s wet everywhere; you’re better off keeping your mouth shut. I’d had a terrifying hour, and I was even more worried thinking about Justin, wondering whether he could handle what I’d just been through without the experience I had. The only time I think my driving ever got erratic was when I knew he was going out next. Anyway, we did the driver change and he asked me what the conditions were like. I was lost for words and reluctant because I couldn’t stop him going out there, so I said to him, "I don’t know… just drive". I was so worried about him, but he made it through to hand over to Tiff, and came to the motorhome. I asked him how it was. “F***ing marvellous!” came his reply – hence the reason I wasn’t so worried three years later in the McLaren.

You’ve won Le Mans five times. What’s the key to success?

This was probably best summarised in a letter Jacky Icxk wrote to me in 1983, when we were trying for our third victory in a row. His brother was a lawyer, and I think a little bit rubbed off onto him: Jacky was very organised, and very good at writing letters. It said: “Derek, we must have the best designers, the best engineers, the best mechanics, the best aerodynamics, the best engines, the best tyres, the best drivers, and the best of luck. If any one of those elements is missing, we’re not going to win Le Mans.” That’s the answer.

Photos: The Derek Bell Collection / Rex / Getty / Tim Brown

The series ‘Racing Legends’, in which we bring you a personal view of famous racing drivers, is kindly supported by the Credit Suisse Classic Car Program.

If you are not sure which historic racing event to attend this season, the Historic Racing Guide 2015 contains some excellent advice.

HB CUSTOM URBAN RACER

While many of us may yearn to wield a welder or grapple a grinder, the daily realities of a desk jockey job means the most powerful tool in the box is good old Microsoft Powerpoint. Feared worldwide for it’s ability to induce unintended naps, it’s ability to disengage an audience is incomparable. But for the presenter, the feeling is different. Having spent hours refining, consolidating and aligning, the slide deck is the perfect distillation of your idea.

And now is your time; the laser-clicker has all the feeling of a Conductor’s baton, you become the master of ceremonies for your own private orchestra. The audience marvel at your swooping text animations and ‘hilarious’ Clipart. That is, in between the stifled yawns and inappropriate scratching.

Like so many of us, desk-bound Peter Scheufen had spent far too much time digesting the online world of alt-custom bikes. Impressed by the classic style and creativity running throughout, he gradually fell in love with the idea of owning such a machine. The lack of a donor bike, or even a licence was no hurdle though and by Spring 2014 plans were afoot. With the test booked and subsequently passed, the ideal bike began to form. At first, there were many questions but step by step the final form became more concrete.

Living in Hamburg, Germany, the bike had to be suitable for big city life and be capable in the bustle of an urban environment. A traditional Cafe Racer would be too tiring, but the lightweight and performance focused ethos could be combined with kinder ergonomics for the perfect package. The “Urban Racer: Without Coffee” was born.

For Peter, Powerpoint was the natural tool to begin his bike build with. A way to collate the ideas that had formed in his mind and rationalise them into a simple solution. Having visited a number of builders in Hamburg, Berlin and other cities with his presentation, they were impressed. Realising that Peter was both deadly serious and a little bit crazy in his desire for the perfect steed. But the relationship didn’t seem to click. Too many times Peter felt that the builder was focused far more on the business aspects of the bike rather than having a genuine passion for the product. 

So changing tack, he visited Holger Breuer at HB Customs. Holger lives in a small town, a really small town out in the countryside, together with his understanding wife and two children. He builds bikes by himself, in his small garage measuring less than 15sqm. And Holger does not do Powerpoint. He thinks it’s stupid. So it says a lot about the client-builder relationship that the stunning BMW gracing these pages contains none of Peter’s original ideas; but that he is completely and totally happy with the final result.

Wanting the best of classic aesthetics and modern cycle parts, the chase was on for a decent donor. Stumbling upon a non-too-shabby R100R, the big bore Beemer was a solid base which needed cleansing of it’s questionable turquoise and grey makeover by the previous owner. Stripped down completely, the rolling chassis was built up with fully refurbished brakes, suspension and rebuilt wheels. Lashings of resilient black powder and lightly buffed alloy give a tough looking and wearing skin.

Eager for more grunt, should Peter venture onto an Autobahn, the engine was completely renovated. A proper job was done, taking the venerable design close to it’s limits. In went a 1071cc big bore kit, asymmetric cams, a lightened and balanced crank and a host of new, lighter innards. With the stainless 2-1 exhaust system, the bike now puts down 80 bhp and nearly 70 ftlb of torque at the rear wheel.

Swapping out the bulky tourer tank for a lither unit transforms the look of the bike, it now appears to be 80% engine. Cherry picking styles from across genres, the be-humped cafe seat hovers above chunky scrambler rubber, but it’s all tied together with unnering quality and a great attention to detail. The LED rear light is seamlessly frenched into the rear loop and indicators are barely visible until switched on.

Fully upgraded with a host of components from Motogadget, Domino and LSL, simple machined parts are the order of the day. They work together to make the cockpit a very nice place to spend time.

The searching for the ideal build partner paid off. Peter is genuinely, and rightly, chuffed with the final result. In his own words:

“Holger was the perfect fit. He is a very down to earth guy and is a great bike builder. He’s very creative when it becomes necessary to find the perfect solution. The quality of the bike is also on a very high level; you can feel that Holder loves to build bikes.”

Throughout the build, the two became firm friends and it looks like a second collaboration is on the cards. It will certainly be one to keep an eye out for!

via The Bike Shed