Since most sponsors will probably steer clear of Renault for a while (unless they start winning that is) La REgie did the next best thing, as expected it took Vitaly Petrov's 15 million Euro check and painted the car in the historic yellow and black of the late 1970's. They also took pains to completely hide their rear diffuser lending weight to the voices fearing that F1 is headed to another crapstorm over rules interpretation this coming season.
home
--> READ MORE
Remember last year's BMW Sauber launch? At the time is was the most...ahem, low key presentation ever. Sauber has gone pushed it up (or is it down? ) a notch when they showed their 201 car today in Valencia.
No sponsors, a Ferrari engine in the back but BMW paint scheme on the car (Actually it's the red and black of Bridgestone) and the BMW name still officially on the official roster, I'm glad they are back but what a mess!
end of post
--> READ MORE
Hours 1 to 6.
(Grand Am) (live timing)
end of post
--> READ MORE
One of the two 2010 Formula 1 rookie teams everyone has concerns about, Campos-Meta F1 has run out of options. Adrian Campos has sold what was left of the operation to ex A1-GP patron Tony Teixeira, fresh from that series' bust. Campos would stay on as team manager if the team can convince FOTA it has the proper funding for the season, on Monday in Paris.
You may have come across this purported "amateur spy video" of the 2010 Williams-FW32. The description on YouTube reads:
This is what it was... what it is now, I'm not so sure, Are you watching today?
(Videos and captions taken from the archives of the great Nigel Smuckatelli)
"..Those were the good old days when motorcycles and cars raced along the beach then up onto A1A then back down onto the beach. All this ended when Bill France built the Daytona Speedway. Today the spot where this film was made is nothing but hotels and condos as far as the eye can see. "
This is a video clip of the very first Daytona 3-Hour Continental in 1962. The clip was taken from home movies provided by Mario Levetto. The clip features some of the cars and drivers at that race, a race that would eventually morph into the 24 Hours of Daytona we know of today. Take a look at the video capture stills that precede this video for more info on the race.
"...This is the first of two short video clips of the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona taken from home movies provided by Mario Levetto. Make sure you look at the video capture stills that precede this video for more detailed info about the cars and drivers. Note at the beginning of the video the winning drivers are featured (Lorenzo Bandini and Ludovico Scarfiotti). Both would die of racing accidents within the year of this race. In the video they seemed so young and full of life. A real tragedy. .."
More after the jump
Wow, Mclaren may have already won the 2010 coolest looking car war, never mind the rest. From a first quick look, like the Ferrari, long wheelbase and an extremely "empty" rear diffuser area. Mclaren, differently from Ferrari have their exhaust up and over towards the back, one of the most recognizable characteristics of the MP4-25 along with the 2009 style dorsal fin. The look to have chosen a Toyota style rear wing with no central support and notice the interesting scoop like structure under the nose.
As far as the presentation, I cannot believe some of the questions asked, I understand that the intramural rivalry between the two British world champions will be for low hanging fruit for journalists but, c'mon you tell me if this is the kind of question to ask at a launch... note that many questions were along that line and I thought both drivers handled themselves very well under the barrage.
(© Mclaren)
end of post
--> READ MORE
Here is what the 2010 Formula one contender from Maranello will look like presented on a snowy morning in Maranello Very long, with echos of the 2009 Red Bull in the nose and a striking forward position of the exhaust compared to the rear axle, a feature which will probably be common on this year's cars because of the new emphasis on extremely clean rear end packaging (and of course the need to accommodate a larger fuel cell) . The very high long nose suggests an even more crucial importance of airflow behavior between the front wing and the car's main body. Track looks wider in the front as well.
In his speech, Luca di Montezemolo emphasized Ferrari wants to lead a new Formula 1 with a more direct technology transfer to road cars ("not space technology, real world tecnology") and though Formula 1 just did away with KERS he promised an increasing effort towards sustainable efficiency from Ferrari as a whole. With that he announced Ferrari will show a 599 Hybrid prototype at the Geneva Motor Show, a model destined for production in the near future.
Montezemolo also emphasized what is also going to be a major theme of the 2010 Formula 1 season, clearly defined national rivalries. If Mercedes is Team Germany and Mclaren will be Team UK, Ferrari will be team Italy/Latin. Latin drivers, of course, Massa and Alonso but also the technical staff, Domenicali, Costa, Luca Marmorini back in the team as head of engine design, Nik Tombazis, "..ok, he's Greek but he's Italian now.." said LdM.
The video after the jump is sketchy...internet was understandably overloaded... 
--> READ MORE
A group of American hedge funds who had shorted VW stock is suing Porsche for ....acting like a hedge fund.
Remember, a few days back we had an article about the Porsche Caymans race cars with their historic liveries? Tough to choose a favorite there but we really like the psychedelic "hippie" Martini & Rossi colors seen at Le Mans in 1970.
For the Porsche Interseries they are on Jim Bacus' car and after the jump we get a chance to ride along with him at Sebring as he scraps with another "Martini" car. Big bonus: as the Interseries runs alongside the HSR series, there are some fantastic looking and sounding cars popping up during the video. Check out the Lola T70 and Ford GT40 at around the 10 minute mark or the tire shredding TransAm (or Camaro, I can never tell) a little later on... and yes, you knew that was going to happen to it.
Hats off to Jim and the other Cayman Interseries guys, looks like you are having a blast. Gentlemen, you are true Tracktards, cheers!
more video and pictures---->
The Hippie Cayman getting wrapped...is that a blow torch???
--> READ MORE
As you know, Mercedes Benz only presented their Formula1 team livery on Monday, painted onto a 2009 Brawn. Their 2010 contender, in the mean time, was getting its finishing touches in a new secret silver arrows facility in Albania.
Mercedes have bucked the trend and made extensive use of marble for extra durability and to establish a better connection to their road cars. Note the innovative, wing mounted headlights sure to be a decisive advantage in night races . Michael Schumacher could not immediately be reached for comment.
end of post
--> READ MORE
What a great time for tracktard photo and videographers, there have never been better or more affordable tools to capture our passion. Check out this great clip shot with a still camera, a Canon 5D MkII. Creative possibilities have hugely expanded even in just the last year or so and after the jump we'll look at some of the best tools available to you.
Cool video right? It comes from Chean's Weblog via this other great page : Bulgogibrothers.com. Make sure you watch it full screen in HD to really see how good in car video can now be.
While some tracktards out there only want an onboard camera to have a record any incidents which might happen, the boundaries of what's possible, practical and affordable in terms of image quality have been radically shifted in the past year or so.
For a long time now the the gold standard for in-car video has been the ChaseCam system and for good reason. Compact, rugged, simple to use, the system was designed by car people for motorsport applications. But ChaseCam has an inherent flaw: it was designed for watching videos on a 4:3 televisions which means interlaced video. I don't think I'd be too off the mark if I said that 95% of all chase cam videos are watched on 16:9 computers screens today. Interlaced videos on computer screens simply don't look as good as progressive scan pictures from even a first generation GoPro camera, with all it's flaws.
The advent of inexpensive HD video has effectively rendered the first Chase Cam system obsolete in terms of image quality. Chase Cam has announced a new HD based recorder will be on the market this year and it will likely become the new standard. But there are a number of other solutions with great image quality available for al you "Motographers" out there.
GoPro updated their camera with impressive specs and some cool features: 1080P, 30 fps with a maximum 15Mbit/s data rate, the ability to do time lapse stills so, for example, you could make a video like this:
Personally I find the GoPro's ergonomics and the need for it to be in it's bulky case a bit frustrating and it does suffer from a bit of that dreaded "Rolling Shutter" artifact which makes it impossible to use so many CMOS based camcorders for in car footage (CCD camcorders don't have this problem but ...you can't find any now, HERE is an extreme example of the problem).
Here is a clip filmed with a GoPro HD
An alternative to the GoPro is a camera which has wide popularity with the extreme sports crowd, skiers, mountain bikers, base jumpers but for some reason not as popular yet with the four wheel motorsport set, the ContourHD1080p. 
Specs for the new ContourHD 1080p are comparable to the GoProHD but the ergonomics are in my opinion vastly superior. The design philosophy is to make a camera as simple to operate as possible. There is a power on/off button and a large record switch and you aim it with the aid of two built in lasers. All housed in a sleek metal water resistant housing...Done.
There is one hidden switch that allows the choice of two resolutions, preset via computer software. Via software you can also set the mic gain and the exposure as well a choice of three exposure metering modes, spot, center weighted and average. The ContourHD 1080P does a very good job in tricky lighting conditions (though it does get grainy in very low light), The video below was shot in the late afternoon with the sun low, you can see what a great job the camera does not only at picking a balanced exposure but also not freaking out with the changing lighting. (try fullscreen)
Another alternative is to use the video feature of many point and shoot cameras, results can be pretty good but these cameras are generally delicate and most don't have a wide enough field of view... this one was shot with a Canon PowerShot SD780IS
For the ultimate in quality and image control you can use a Canon SLR (Nikons have the wobbly rolling shutter issue) with its wide choice of lenses but of course, SLR's are expensive, heavy and relatively delicate and for a similar cost you might have a look at something like a Sony HXR-MC1 but frankly I think it's not worth the money, the Sony lacks crucial "pro" features such as external mic inputs for example while not providing a drastically better picture.
Of course both the Contour and the GoPro lack a remote start feature but they are $300. You could buy a SmartyCam for about $1000 it features a live data overlay and connection to AIM systems but the image quality is just OK and the data overlay has some sync problems. Convenient, especially if you already have AIM but Traqmate's TraqstudioHD produces a cleaner overlay and final result. (example HERE)
So, while we wait to see ChaseCam's second act, a number of simpler, lower priced alternatives have raised the bar very high. Best time ever for tracktardographers!.
Please share your thoughts, expertise and setup as reference.
--> READ MORE
BMW and Mclaren did the F1 on snow thing before but Red Bull did have a helicopter and fancy editing!
--> READ MORE
Just a few days away from the first of the 2010 car launches, let's catch up with the latest circus news.
Mercedes: With Nick Heidfeld now officially signed as reserve driver, the German national team is complete and we've enjoyed watching the hilarious PR dance going on pretending Michael Schumacher is not being named #1 driver. 
1:21.9, in the same car on the same track, obviously different days perhaps different tires but damn impressive. Rossi has been testing an F2008 at the Circuit the Catalunya in Montmeló. for the past couple of days. Massa, who's contract is up after this season will test the same car tomorrow... Interesting.
(Update: Rossi lapped with GP2 tires)
end of post
--> READ MORE
Spectacular roads found for this official 997 Turbo clip, anyone know where they are? Nice to see Porsche has finally come to its senses regarding the shifter paddles on the DSG.
Robert Kubica had said it was his lifelong dream to compete in the Rally of Monte Carlo. Bummer, the engine in his Renault Clio surrendered about five miles into the first stage and poof went poor Robert's dreams of Monty glory. 
was the best racing documentary ever made about MotoGP and one of the best ever made about racing. It's one of those films that makes the hair at the back of your neck stand up and starts with one of the best quotes ever, from Valentino Rossi: "At the beginning when you first try the 500 its ...aaah F^@K". but if you must, take a look at some of it after the jump.
Watkins Glen International and its parent company, International Speedway Corporation, have announced significant improvements to the track will be completed by this year.
The average age on the Formula 1 grid will increase dramatically in 2010: after the return of 41 year old Michael Schumacher, Sauber has chosen 37 year old Pedro De La Rosa to partner Kamui Kobayashi.
I had to laugh, a German car show, "Grip", compared ten extreme road cars, you know you got your Enzo, your Veyron, your Gumpert, the weakest of these cars has 500hp. The winner? A viking TransAm with 1400HP, claiming to be the most powerful road legal car in the world and good for 256mph (412km/h).
The Turbo Kitt apparently cannot be driven more than a few miles without shredding its tires, now you know why the Veyron's tires cost $34000 a set. This TransAm had made the rounds on the internet a year or two ago but amazingly, Mr. Polly has managed to keep it alive, possibly by only driving it to David Hasselhoff conventions where he must recite these immortal lines:
Michael: What do you say we play a little 'hooky'?
KITT: 'Hooky?' I'm not familiar with that term.
Michael: Then allow me to educate you in one of life's finer pleasures!
KITT: Oh, that does feel good!
Michael : How 'bout a little turbo boost?
KITT: Dare we? Without sufficient reason?
Michael: Without sufficient reason' is the definition of hooky! Shall we, as they say, 'go for it?
KITT: Let's!
The clips are, of course, in german but you'll figure it out. (More after the jump)
--> READ MORE
The 1979 formula 1 season, it was a time when there was much freedom for designers to come up with radically different solutions but it was also deemed the year when any driver in the right car could win the championship and Formula 1 had become "boring". The "machine over man" era was said to have begun. In reality, that was always the case, unless you are Nuvolari defeating Silver Arrows in an ancient Alfa, you can't win with inferior equipment.
Interesting tidbits in this old film, Hunt strikes a familiar note arguing Formula 1 had gotten boring and how people tune in with the hope of witnessing an exciting race, more then the expectation to. Yet when people quote the "good old days of F1 they invariably point to the 1979 duel between Villeneuve and Arnoux at the French GP. Today many claim F1 is boring, yet we had three incredibly close seasons in a row.
Did you notice just how shabby F1 was back then? I mean a Mclaren with chipped mirror housings? Drivers with stone pitted helmets? Even the GoodYear stencil on the tires looks sloppy and forget about safety in the pits, the cars or along the track. Ecclestone, Dennis and Mosley changed all that in the 80's.
Part 2 and 3 are after the jump.
--> READ MORE
Given enough snow anything will go sideways, even a Rolls Royce Phantom...kinda.
But I think Axis had more fun last winter at the Monticello Motorsport Club... Check it out HERE and HERE
Home
--> READ MORE
"El Matador" Carlos Sainz finally added a Dakar win to his WRC championship today. Volkswagen sweeped the podium with Sainz ahead of UAE's Nasser Al-Attiyah and the USA's Mark Miller. VW main rival was BMW who would have been very close with Stephane Peterhansel but for his driveshaft failing and forcing the Frenchman to complete the stage, after a heroic repair, with just the front wheels driven.
The Bike race went to KTM's Cyril Despres ahead of Norwegian Pal Anders Ullevalseter (also KTM) and Chilean Francisco "Chaleco" Lopez Contardo (Aprilia).
Trucks were mostly a Russian affair with the win going to Vladimir Chagin (Kamaz), his ninth Dakar win. Two Argentinian brothers came in first and second in the quad category on Yamahas.
end of post
--> READ MORE
Every year Ferrari organizes a couple of days in Madonna di Campiglio to introduce drivers to the press and do photo ops. It always ends with a Fiat product on ice show followed by the highlight, ice karts.
This year Grandpa Schumi was otherwise engaged but it looks like it was an entertaining show none the less. Nice inside pass on Massa there Fernando... everyone is all smiles now but I wonder if it was Felipe who then spun Alonso out. It's going to be tricky this year for Ferrari.
In the end it looks like it was Nicky Hayden who "won" the race, last year it was Stoner, no wonder Ferrari keeps dreaming of Rossi!
home
--> READ MORE
We'll leave it up to other sites to bring you the stunning pictures from this year's Dakar Rally (Don't miss Boston.com's Big picture, amazing stuff), we thought we would gather some video for you.
I have to say, after my initial skepticism over a Dakar run in South America, I am totally won over. The scenery in the high deserts of Chile and Argentina is breathtaking and the terrain as challenging as anything in Africa and with the added bonus of not having to deal with terrorists and kidnappers.
There are a few videos here and many more after the jump, enough to keep you busy for a while including recaps of the latest stage, have fun.
--> READ MORE
When you were small you may have had toy versions of all the famous racing Porsches, now bigger boy have bigger toys and Florida dealer Napleton Porsche, together with Historic Sportscar Racing come up with a great hook: a spec Cayman S series featuring reproductions of classic Porsche liveries.
The cars are close to stock and Napleton Porsche will built to order cars starting in the $90000 range. You can find more information HERE.
The classic Group A car of McRae, Sainz and Vatanen, no music, no bull. Enjoy.
(Amjays)
Home
--> READ MORE
Schumacher got some cobwebs out today at Jerez in a Team Supernova GP2 car. Looks like he's keeping the red helmet?
(Photos:Latphoto/infofoto)
home
--> READ MORE
If you don't count that golf sweater in the Valencia sand trap a while back... First look at Santander sponsorship on the Ferrari team uniforms as well.
This was at the annual Ferrari / Ducati presentation in Madonna di Campiglio.
home
--> READ MORE
USF1 is rumored to have asked for special dispensation from participating in the first four races of the 2010 season, only joining the crowd once the series makes it's way back to Europe. Peter Windsor almost immediately denied this but confirmed the team has in fact asked for and was granted by the FIA, two extra days of testing.
"It is an example of how the FIA and the teams have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome." Windsor claims, though one wonders where these rumors are coming from. One might also wonder why if, as Windsor has repeatedly claimed, working in the US in much more efficient than in the UK, the team needs extra testing days.
USF1 has just now hired a team manager and has yet to come up with drivers though they did release a video of a nose cone (not a toaster) being crash tested in the UK. Best of luck to them, hope they make the grid in Bahrein.
end of post
--> READ MORE
Some of you may remember I had acquired a BMW 535 Sport Wagon as the family car last year. It's been so far the best car I have owned. I won't bore you with a review of a car that is now essentially out of production but suffice it to say that it is fulfilling it's mission remarkably well. Case in point, the family ski trip after Christmas...
I don't understand why people have it in for wagons these days and would rather own a crossover type vehicle. Perhaps towing but it certainly cannot be for lack of usable space because the amount of stuff I was able to pack in the 5 wagon literally stunned me: we were 3 adults and two kids with booster seats, Skis, boots, three large suitcases (soft but with wheels), one carry on type suitcase. one 12x12x18 rigid plastic box, a case of wine, a computer bag, assorted bags of food and toys, coats and more assorted crap. Picture two hotel type carts full...yup they all fit. Couldn't see a thing behind me but it all fit, I just wish I had taken a picture.
Key of course was the split opening rear hatch, with my old Audi S6 I would invariably fit stuff in and then the hatch would not close, with the window hatch you can put the big stuff in and then stuff it from the smaller opening, brilliant.
You might imagine the car all loaded like that felt weird to drive? Not at all, the self leveling suspension kept everything straight and normal, verynice! Milage over the trip, with "healthy" highway speeds, was well over 20 mpg.
The trip was to Lake Placid NY, a place normally known for cold temperatures during one of the coldest spells in years. Temperatures the first day hovered around the -5F (-20 C). Car started right up and for the first time I really appreciated the heated steering wheel!.
We also had heavy snowfall and here I have to set the record straight... You may have seen the last episode of Top Gear, where Jeremy Clarkson trashes the X6 ....
I'm not especially a fan of the x6 but, aside from the obvious that 20" wheels and 315/30 summer tires are going to be pretty bad in snow, I can tell you I had no issues whatsoever going up a snowy hills steeper than the one in the Top Gear clip with the "performance" summer runflats that come on on the 535. Certainly not the tire of choice if I had to drive in snow daily, but I was not anywhere close to being stranded, ever. Don't pay too much attention to old JC there, Xdrive works much better than that.
If you are car shopping for something practical and nice to drive, you might want to check out any 2010 sport wagons left, I'm sure you there must be phenomenal deals. Maybe give a call to our tracktard friend Chris Chang at BMW of Greenwich, you won't find a better deal if you say you are an AOO fan!
end of post
--> READ MORE
Mclaren MP4-12C: Supercar in a Gray Flannel Suit
Gumpert Apollo Track Test
Part I: Pilgrimage
Part II: Vomit Comet and other stories
Part III: TerroristenFahrten
