Random Thoughts... (Motorsports Edition)

Rotax Ital and TrackMagic (more like TrackTragic). I got my fair share of side pod donuts but I saw my fare share of flips and climbs too. One guy lost his whole top of his forearm skin because the drive wheels of the kart than ran him over were still being given full power. It certainly is not a section of motorsport that tolerates contact.

After a few years of racing I thought I knew karting, but instructing at a kart school over the past year has shown me that it's not what people like to say it is.

Wow, it sounds a lot different to what I had experienced in racing and spectating here. I had climbs, spins, T-boning but never got hurt or hurt anyone but also maybe not quite as hardcore you describe. Also we do have quite regular contact during races, but we don't really touch each other's wheels, that's when it gets really dangerous and you either climb on top or flip. The biggest accident I've witnessed was a T-boning between two KZ karts at about 120kph and one guy broke his foot.

You mean the kids are pricks and don't really learn anything?
 
You mean the kids are pricks and don't really learn anything?

I don't think so. The kids are usually cool in karts. There's a few stupid ones of course. In my experience it's the parents who are mostly out of touch in one way or another. Either they're too apathetic, too worked up, or just plain too rich for brains.
 
We got spoiled last weekend. This weekend just feels empty. :(


Also:

 
So, the first Formula E race was held today, and at least crash-wise they are already on par:

Heidfeld and Prost are both unhurt.
 
Highlights show on here at 18:00 on ITV (i.e. crap coverage).
Will have a look then.

:smile:
 
At least the Formula E cars sounds better than the current F1 cars!!

Huehuehue
 
The second they decided the way to do a pit stop was to switch to a fully charged car is the second Formula E became irrelevant.

I mean they're trying to drive innovation for road cars aren't they? How is this any innovation, are they suggesting electric cars of the future should be sold in pairs?

What they should have done is start working in a system of quick removable/replaceable batteries, that technology makes a lot more sense for the future, if you could pull up to a gas station that's also stocked with fully charged standardized batteries that you can swap in the same amount of time that it'd take to fill your tank.
 
I saw the summary of the inaugural Formula E race today and I must say, those cars look painfully slow - at least compared to the look of the car itself, which is definitely designed to look like a much faster conventional formula race car. The sound is funny - it sounds like some RC model cars are going round.
The system of changing cars at pit stop is indeed silly. If you can't make the battery last a whole race, then make the race shorter...
 
Yeah, i wouldn't mind 2 shorter races until they can figure out how to change battery.
 
I saw the summary of the inaugural Formula E race today and I must say, those cars look painfully slow - at least compared to the look of the car itself, which is definitely designed to look like a much faster conventional formula race car. The sound is funny - it sounds like some RC model cars are going round.
The system of changing cars at pit stop is indeed silly. If you can't make the battery last a whole race, then make the race shorter...

They're slow cos they have less power than a Formula Ford. In race trim, they run like 200 horse power.
 
I know. What I'm saying is: Do not design the car to look like it's twice as fast as it really is to avoid disappointment.
 
What they should have done is start working in a system of quick removable/replaceable batteries, that technology makes a lot more sense for the future, if you could pull up to a gas station that's also stocked with fully charged standardized batteries that you can swap in the same amount of time that it'd take to fill your tank.

A year ago Tesla Motors showed a prototype system that could swap the battery pack of a Model S in around 90 seconds, so maybe they could do something similar (or license it from Tesla).


The race was (evidently) broadcast live in the US on FOX1 Sports (am watching it via DVR now) and I agree they look rather slow in race trim and the parade lap was done at walking speed. Still, early days and all that.
 
Infnity's BTCC entry, the Q50...

994492_10154765180960571_6686036265820032571_n.jpg


It looks... goood.... but isnt BTCC supposed to be more affordable type cars? I don't see the middle class going out in a rush getting an Infinity after seeing them on the track
 
they're no different than a BMW if you ask me...
 
isnt BTCC supposed to be more affordable type cars?
Modern-day "touring car racing" has moved away from touring cars in the sense of the word meaning cars to go on tour with, now using compacts, sadly. In the 1990s we had Honda Accord, Ford Mondeo, BMW 3 Series, Volvo 850 and some other similar-sized vehicles there or in the national championships.
I fully appreciate Infiniti going racing with a car rather than the shopping trolleys the other companies use.
 
There are only 4 hatch models left in the BTCC, BMW 125iM, Ford Focus ST, Merc A Class and the Civic. All other models (I count 10 for the next year) are sedans in the compact exec or euro mid size.
 
Yeah there have been too many shit shopping trolley cars in the BTCC for too long. It used to be big saloons.

I don't see the middle class going out in a rush getting an Infinity after seeing them on the track

BMWs, Audis et al are exactly what the middle-class buy in the UK. Mind that "middle-class" means something different in the UK than elsewhere. People on millions of pounds of income/year are middle-class. And motor racing is a quasi-middle-class sport (all the knuckle-draggers watch football), so it makes sense.
 
Tom Kristensen has just announced that following the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo, he will retire from motorsports racing.

It's been a bloody phenomenal run for Kristensen. Real shame to see him go, he's one of my all-time favourite drivers and a big part of why I started following Le Mans, but it had to happen sooner or later.
 
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