Random Thoughts... (Motorsports Edition)

Why do I have 24 hours of Bathurst tuck in my head? It's Bathurst 1000.
 
I've just realized that, in the late 1980s, Scientologists were sponsoring certain teams running in the World Sportscar Championship.

(Several C2 cars in 1987-1989 carried "DIANETICS"/(national variations of that) decals...)

:shock:

EDIT: After a little bit of research, it all connects up to one driver: Philippe de Henning. "Convicted" Scientologist.
 
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:woot: F1 Racing have taken my questions twice in a row now for "You Ask the Questions", Whitmarsh last month and now Vettel ;)
 
The footage of Stefan Bellof's fatal accident at Spa in '85 is probably one of the most disturbing pieces of video ever filmed in motorsport. Being crushed to a pulp and then burned alive must be one of the most awful ways to die.

I mean... the whole cockpit area of the Porsche was crushed to near-nothingness. The windscreen was pushed into the engine bulkhead, for God's sake. And a few seconds after the crash, fuel spilt from the tank ignited right under the cockpit.

Horrible. A few shots of the faces of some Brun Motorsport mechanics leaving the scene say it all. Three or four men, all of them nearly reduced to tears.
 
Ow. 4 hour endurance race over. Ow.

I messed the Le Mans style start pretty bad. My TaG (touch and go) unit didn't start the engine because I didn't pull the pin out all the way! Out of 9 teams in the race (2 classes, 5 in HPV Junior and 4 in Russell senior), I think I came out of turn 1 in 8th.

Over the next 40 minutes I charged my way back into 1st overall and set the then-fastest lap.

My teammates kept the pace and we ended up a lap and a half ahead, and we were still a lap ahead after my 2nd 40-minute stint.

In the last 30 minutes of the race my teammate suffered a sheared brake rotor - it just popped right off the axle. He went off the track and up a hill at about 55 or 60 MPH, but managed to keep it on the continent. He limped back and we got the spare kart out, only that had a fuel delivery problem and stalled after several slow laps. One truck ride later, we got another spare and this time it worked, but the damage was done. We ended up 3rd in class.

Drat.
 
Only two BMWs will race in the WTCC next year. That being said, it's Farfus and Priaulx, their two best. I think it's a wise move. Concentrating all their efforts with two cars I think could mean they will dominate.

However, it's a big blow for the WTCC to have their works fleet considerably depleted.
 
^ The full half of the glass on that is that Schnitzer Motorsport is now free to run the M3 GT2s in VLN, in the LMS and, if their application is accepted, at Le Mans. :D
 
This could be good for WTCC actually, but only if there will be enough privateer entries to fill the grids. One of the big problems during the last few years has been manufacturers taking advantage of their massive fleets of cars to use team orders and get the results they wanted. This should make things more interesting.

Of course the big worry is getting those grid numbers up because there are going to be around 10 factory entries instead of the 16 we had last year. Even if Sunred, Wiechers, Proteam and Engstler field two-car teams it's still less than 20 regular cars in the field.

Having said that, It's absolutely fab that Schnitzer will bring the M3 GT2:s into the European sportscar scene.
 
Autosport Awards are being... erm... awarded tonight. And the recipients are...

British Club Driver: Sarah Moore (2009 Ginetta Junior Champion)

National Racing Driver: Colin Turkington (2009 British Touring Car Champion)

Autosport.com Rookie of the Year: Kris Meeke (2009 IRC Champion)

Pioneering and Innovation Award: F1 in Schools

Racing Car of the Year: Brawn BGP 001

John Bolster Award for Technical Excellence: Adrian Newey

Rally Car of the Year: Citroen C4 WRC

International Rally Driver of the Year: Mikko Hirvonen

Gregor Grant Award for Lifetime Achievement: Enzo Ferrari (posthumous, 80 years since the Scuderia Ferrari was founded for the very first time) and Ron Dennis.

British Competition Driver of the Year: Jenson Button

International Racing Driver of the Year: Jenson Button

And the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award goes to British Formula Renault Champion Dean Smith.
 
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Watching the 2009 Australian Qualifying I just noticed that Mark Webber suffers from Heterochromia, a condition I myself am afflicted with.
 
It's amazing how slow Autoblog is, they just now wrote about the rookie F1 testing at Jerez.
 
Susurrate said:
Watching the 2009 Australian Qualifying I just noticed that Mark Webber suffers from Heterochromia, a condition I myself am afflicted with.
Click to expand...

You're right:

r132199_440421.jpg


Although I wouldn't call it "suffering". It's kinda cool.
 
Former F1 driver Ukyo Katayama was part of a mountaineering expedition to Mount Fuji that went badly wrong. He was rescued from the mountain, but apparently two of his friends, who were with him on the expedition, were recovered dead.
 
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