Ferrari's F2012 is a bold step - but is it enough?

Chastened by the disappointments of 2011, Ferrari promised an "aggressive" approach to the design of their new Formula 1 car and they have not disappointed.

The new F2012, unveiled via the internet on Friday because of unusually heavy snow at the team's base in Maranello, is the most radical of the four new cars that have broken cover so far this season.

Many will also regard it as the most unattractive, featuring as it does a pronounced 'step' on the upper nose that even Ferrari themselves have described as "not aesthetically pleasing".

Fernando Alonso, the man on whose shoulders rest Ferrari's huge expectations, paused when asked for his impressions of the car and said, politely, that it "looks very different".

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It is a design that will feature, to a greater or lesser extent, on most of the F1 cars this season - with the notable exception of the McLaren which was unveiled on Wednesday.

The McLaren is undoubtedly more beautiful than the Ferrari but it also appeared a little conservative - a charge vigorously denied by the team. In fact, that is a charge Ferrari have levelled at their own recent efforts, and the Italian team's new car is certainly anything but.

There is no doubting Ferrari's ambition. "We want to go back to the top level," said the company's flamboyant president, Luca di Montezemolo. "We want to win. We don't want to lose the world championship at the very last race [as they did in 2010]. We have all the ingredients for a perfect recipe."

That remains to be seen. Certainly this season could not be more critical for the sport's most famous team.

The fact is that since a major set of new regulations were introduced into F1 in 2009, Ferrari have not produced a car that was right on the pace.

The 2009 car was uncompetitive - taking only a single win in Kimi Raikkonen's hands. The 2010 was their best stab yet, but even though Alonso took it to the brink of the world title, he was only able to do so because Red Bull, who had a faster car, made so many errors between the team and drivers.

Last year was not quite as bad as 2009, but still Alonso, a man regarded widely as the most complete racing driver in the world, was able to take only one win, despite producing what he said himself was his best season in F1.

It's not hard to see where Ferrari may have created a problem for themselves.

Having put such emphasis on the need to be competitive this year, on the need to rid their design department of what they described as its conservatism, what happens if this year's car does not live up to their expectations?

They have already dismissed one technical director. Aldo Costa - who was at the team through the glory years with Michael Schumacher - was pushed aside and replaced by ex-McLaren engineer Pat Fry.

Equally, Alonso has effectively committed his career to them. This is, as team boss Stefano Domenicali has said, a huge benefit - he is a gold standard and no failure of pace can be laid at his door. But that is a double-edged sword. If the car is not winning, it is clearly Ferrari's fault, not his.

"Fernando did an incredible, extraordinary season [in 2011]," Domenicali said on Friday. "He has extended his relationship with us for many years and that is a sign of the responsibility we feel - we have to offer you a competitive high-performing car. I'm sure it will be winning from the very beginning."

Ferrari's F2012: Is this the car that will complement the exceptional talents of driver Fernando Alonso?

A lot rests, then, on the performance of the F2012. Whether its stepped nose, pull-rod front suspension and exhaust exits angled low down will make it competitive remains to be seen, but it is at least clear what Ferrari are trying to do.

The ugly step on the nose will undoubtedly cause more airflow disruption on the top of the car than any other seen so far, but it also means that Ferrari can get the much more important bottom part of the chassis higher across its entire width.

In theory, that means more airflow under the car, and therefore increased downforce, the holy grail for all F1 designers.

However, according to BBC F1 technical analyst Gary Anderson - a man with 20 years' experience of designing grand prix cars - the curved chassis underside that will result from the 'eye-let' design on the Force India is actually advantageous in terms of directing the air where it needs to go - under the floor.

The pull-rod front suspension - where the rocker arms run from the top of the wheel to the bottom of the chassis rather than the other way around - has advantages in that it gets the weight of the suspension lower down in the car, and Ferrari claim there is an aerodynamic benefit, too.

And it remains to be seen whether Ferrari's solution on exhaust exits - which look like remaining a key issue this year, despite the ban on exhaust-blown diffusers - is as effective as that of their rivals.

"I really believe in the skills we have here in Ferrari," Alonso said. "We have to be optimistic. We have two months to get ready for the first race in Australia. We have to fight for this title."

Alonso, Ferrari say, works more closely with the team than even Schumacher did. But he is a very demanding man, who expects the absolute best from those around him, just as he delivers it on the track.

If the F2012 does not go better than it looks, things will get very uncomfortable at Maranello.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/02/ferraris_f2012_is_a_bold_step.html

Maurício Gugelmin Dan Gurney

Red Bull set to dominate?

To some, the decision of Red Bull and Ferrari to pull out of the Formula 1 Teams' Association, the umbrella group that represents the teams' interests, could look innocuous enough. In reality it could have far-reaching consequences.

The F1 teams have put a brave public face on it, but behind the scenes there are serious concerns that it could lead to a period of Red Bull domination about which their rivals can do little.

The move by two of F1's most powerful teams was provoked by continuing distrust about whether all of the competitors were adhering to the terms of a document called the Resource Restriction Agreement.

The RRA sets out limits on the amount of staff, external spend and aerodynamic research teams can employ and covers work on the design of the car - with drivers' salaries, marketing and engines excluded.

Sebastian Vettel

World Champion Sebastian Vettel's (left) team Red Bull and Michael Schumacher's (right) former team Ferrari announced that they have quit the Formula One Teams Association (Fota). PHOTO: Getty

It is not a budget cap per se, but it does have the effect of keeping costs under control, to the point that the biggest budgets have dropped from in the region of £300m in 2008 to an estimated £150-200m in 2011.

To cite just one example, the RRA limits the amount of hours a team can dedicate to wind-tunnel testing - a key way of honing an F1 car's aerodynamics, the single biggest performance differentiator.

And the more wind-tunnel hours you do, the less simulation of aerodynamics on a computer is allowed (and vice versa).

Because there is only so much of this work that a team can do, there is only so much money they can spend.

The problem that has arisen is that some of the teams - led by Ferrari and Mercedes - believe Red Bull have been exceeding these limits since 2010, the first of their two consecutive title-winning years.

Red Bull insist they have always operated within the RRA - and they counter their rivals' accusations by pointing out that it is easier for an F1 team allied to a car company (as Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren all are) to hide extra work than it is for one that operates in isolation.

A year's worth of talks to try to reach a compromise agreement with which everyone is happy have come to nothing, leading to a situation where Ferrari and Red Bull have run out of patience. They signalled their intention to quit Fota late on Friday - although they have to give two months' notice.

Ferrari's statement was long and detailed, talking about their reluctance at a "difficult decision", their ongoing commitment to cost-reduction and other changes in F1, and emphasising their own central role in Fota since it was set up in 2008.

Red Bull's ran to only two sentences: "Red Bull Racing can confirm it has served notice to withdraw from Fota. The team will remain committed to finding a solution regarding cost saving in Formula 1."

This in itself has led to more suspicion.

It is clear, more than one insider has said, why Ferrari pulled out of Fota - if the organisation could not sort out an RRA, what was the point of it? - but Red Bull's reasoning was very different.

The implication being that the world champions did not like the RRA because they had no intention of adhering to it. Fota had become an inconvenience.

Red Bull were not available for comment.

This suspicion has been poisoning the atmosphere within F1 all year, despite attempts to reduce it.

As well as the endless meetings aimed at bringing the two warring sides together, there was an investigation in the summer by external consultants into the way the teams were detailing their use of resources.

But while Red Bull believe this effectively cleared them of wrongdoing, their accusers disagree. "The analysis showed more than one concern about what Red Bull were doing," one insider told me.

The next step, as laid out by the RRA, was for a full audit of the accounts of the team about which there were suspicions - if a certain number of teams wanted this to happen, the accused team had to agree.

But this point was never reached, and after further meetings at the season-closing Brazilian Grand Prix, Ferrari and Red Bull ran out of patience.

So what happens next? Is this the death knell for Fota? Will the departure of Ferrari and Red Bull lead to a domino effect of teams leaving the organisation?

Alternatively, will a rump stick together, recognising that there can still be strength in numbers, not least in the forthcoming negotiations with F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone over a new Concorde Agreement, the document which binds the teams, the commercial rights holder and governing body the FIA together?

That may become clearer after a Fota meeting on Tuesday.

More importantly, does this mean the end for resource restrictions in F1 - and will the sport therefore revert to the 'arms race' spending that led to the RRA in the first place?

On the face of it, the answer to that is no. The RRA is still technically in force. It is a legally binding document which lasts until at least 2012, or perhaps even 2017 - depending on whom you believe, and which version of the document you are talking about.

In theory, if Red Bull's rivals feel that they are breaking the RRA, they can sue them. If that sounds unlikely, one insider I spoke to for this article raised it as a possibility.

Equally, though, Red Bull and Ferrari are due to meet the other members of F1's big four - McLaren and Mercedes - next week to discuss resource restriction and how to move forward on it.

That hardly sounds like the actions of a group of people on the verge of legal action.

In public, everyone in F1 says they want to avoid a return to unrestricted spending.

One of the main reasons for this is that (effectively) unrestricted money is no longer available to top F1 teams - the effects of the credit crunch have reached even this notoriously expensive sport's rarefied climes.

Many of the smaller teams are living hand-to-mouth to a degree, with only the top four existing in relative comfort.

But even they have limitations on what they can spend.

McLaren are a private team who have to live within the budget they can raise from sponsorship and other commercial partnerships.

Mercedes, huge car company though it may be, has set clear limits on the amount of money its team can spend.

Even Ferrari, who 10 years ago could effectively spend what they wanted, now have to be careful with money.

But Red Bull are different, or so their rivals believe.

Team principal Christian Horner insists they have far from the biggest budget in F1 - he ranks them about third or fourth.

But his rivals raise their eyebrows at that, pointing out that Red Bull is worth billions and that the soft-drinks company is weathering the global economic downturn well by comparison with car companies and traditional corporate giants. In that sense, their rivals say, they really can spend what they want.

So whether founded on reality or not, and whether the accusation at its heart contains any truth, the fear at the heart of F1 is quite simple.

If Red Bull, despite the RRA, are prepared to spend what they want, as well as having the best designer in Adrian Newey and arguably the best driver in Sebastian Vettel, who can stop them dominating for years to come?

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/12/red_bull_set_to_dominate.html

Kyle Busch M and M s Toyota Sam Hornish Jr Mobil 1 Dodge

From Nascar "Pony" Car Fame - The Lincoln - Mercury Cougar

You may well have thought that the Mercury Cougar auto that the origins of the Mercury Cougar auto were nothing more than a whale sized version of simple Ford Thunderbird car. Yet many are surprised that the history and development of this classic American sportscar rather was that of the NASCAR legendary Mercury “Pony Car” , which kicked nothing but but “Butt” on the Trans-Am Automobile racing circuit.

Originally Lincoln- Mercury (considered at the time to be the luxury end of Ford Motor Corporation), had devised the idea of developing, designing and marketing a small sized sports car. The germ of this idea had started as early as February 1963 with the idea in the works of this smaller sports type vehicle to be sold within the North American automobile market.

But it was the success of the Ford Mustang product that finally put the pedal to the metal (or the design and marketing staff’s ok and budgeting of departmental project funding). It is said that nothing drives a project the automobile industry than the potential of excellent sales figures and profitability’s. Even the name of the vehicle product “Cougar” is not totally unique. Cougar is in the same vein as “Mustang” – both being sleek fast racing animals.

Although the Cougar was also built on a 111 inch

wheelbase similar to the mustang auto sports car, the Cougar was rather three inches and half inches shorter than its cousin – the Thunderbird. Underneath the elegant sheet metal of the Cougar was a Mustang, so to speak. In actuality the Cougar shared with its cousins – the sporty Mustang, and the dourer family vehicle - the Ford Falcon (which was also known in the Canadian market as the Ford Frontenac product. The Ford Mustang had the greatest fortune of being born from the Ford Falcon product line. Mustang enthusiasts owe a great debt of gratitude to a so called compact “Family” car. The Ford Falcon allowed both the Mustang car project as well as the Cougar car product a quick to develop, cheap to produce as well as a proven and durable base platform. Even the dash of the early Mustangs was a direct copy of the Falcons.

Underneath all of the glitter of its elegant sheet metal the Cougar car was all Mustang, using the exact same Falcon front suspension and a solid rear axle with four-leaf springs. A base 289 cubic inch V-8 made 200 bhp (gross), but the real action came in the guise of a 390 cubic inch V-8 that made 320 bhp. A GT option included a performance handling package and power disc brakes that replaced more standard front brake drums. Finally special GT wheels rounded out the package.

It has been said that Lincoln Mercury’s chief designer had envisioned the Cougar as an elegant European sports car, along the lines of the Jaguar Mark 2. How was it that the Cougar went racing?

In 1967 Lincoln Mercury turned to Bud Moore to be the point man for a shot at the SCCA Trans-Am Championship. Team Cougar made up of drivers, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Formula 1 driver Peter Revson and NASCAR driver Dave Pearson came in second in Ford Mustang’s team. In 1968 then under the aegis of Moore, driver DeWayne “Tiny” Lund went on to capture the NASCAR Grand Touring Championship.

So where and how did the Cougar go wrong and in the end become a rather non defined wishy washy bloated luxo sort of sports car by the end of its automobile production lifetime? What proved to be this product and projects undoing was the lack of true comprehension from the direct Mercury as well as Ford staff and executives as to what this car’s clear and distinct market was. It may be said that at the best they were disinterested and at the worst clueless and greedy. This lack of market focus, as well as not knowing and perceiving the needs and desires of the potential Cougar customer market proved to be the Cougar’s undoing.

By the 1969 product introduction the Cougar was a little longer and a little wider. From then on it was only a short decent into landau roofs as well as the opera window type styling and options of the day. Once started this downward trend and spiral of the Cougar was inevitable. The halcyon years of the early Cougar - specifically the early Cougar model years of 1967 – 70 remain a time when the Cougar’s roar boomed out of dual exhausts and the sign of a car that had some bite to it.

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Article Source: From Nascar "Pony" Car Fame - The Lincoln - Mercury Cougar

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/140282/from-nascar-pony-car-fame-the-lincoln-mercury-cougar

Franck Lagorce Jan Lammers Pedro Lamy Chico Landi

An Explanation of The Physics of NASCAR

Even though NASCAR started as a backwoods illegal race to run moonshine, it has today evolved into a sport that is not only entertaining but depends on physics too. The obvious element in the physics of NASCAR is the aerodynamic design required by these cars in order to achieve top speeds of near 200 mph with the minimum drag coefficient. But there are other forces involved too such as Newtons Law of Motion and centripetal force.

Newtons Law of Motion states that a body will remain in motion unless it is acted upon by some external force. In outer space for example, in the absence of gravity, an object will go on forever. So there are forces that resist the movement of a NASCAR vehicle such as wind drag and another known as centripetal force.

Centripetal force should not be confused with centrifugal force. However without getting too technical, you can think of centripetal force as a real force acting perpendicular to the motion of the moving body. Centrifugal force on the other hand is actually a fictitious force and what we feel as we are thrown outward from a moving vehicle is the reaction force.

Centripetal force in the physics of NASCAR is crucial to keeping a car on the track. The tires of the vehicle provide the friction which is part of the centripetal force. The centripetal force needed to keep the car on the track cannot exceed the square of the speed of the car. To put it in simple terms, if the car takes a turn too fast, the wheels leave the ground and an accident occurs. The physics of NASCAR dictates that turns on the racetrack must be banked in order to increase the friction (part of the centripetal force) to hold the car.

Another component of physics of NASCAR that serves to keep the vehicle with all four wheels on the track during the race is center of gravity. Center of gravity is basically the point where you could balance the car on the top of a flag pole (theoretically). Racing vehicles need low centers of gravity in order to keep the weight close to the track. If a vehicle has a high center of gravity then it can lose control when it hits a turn much faster. Think of an ambulance with a high profile patient area. If the ambulance took a turn too fast, it would topple over. But if its profile was not too high, it could take the turn faster because the center of gravity is lower.

An ambulance needs the high profile in order to get patients in and treat them but the physics of NASCAR dictate the low center of gravity in order to apply more centripetal force and keep it attached to the track on a turn.

Then there is the machining of engine components in the physics of NASCAR that are important for building horsepower with the minimum of friction. You want friction when it comes to centripetal force but you dont want it inside of an engine. This is why internal engine parts are machined to within very accurate tolerances much more accurately than automobiles for family and everyday use. Why? It is because you want to minimize friction inside the engine. When engines torque at these speeds, friction is a very dangerous enemy.

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Article Source: An Explanation of The Physics of NASCAR

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/103927/an-explanation-of-the-physics-of-nascar

Kyle Busch Toyota Kimmy Parker Kligerman Trevor Bayne

NASCAR Tickets - Jimmy Watts' Big Mistake

Jimmy Watts might just be the most famous NASCAR crew member of the year, but that doesn't necessarily mean good things for the crew team of Marcos Ambrose and his No. 47 stock car. Watts made national headlines last week after he chased a runaway tire onto the racetrack at the Atlanta Motor Speedway during the Kobalt Tools 500, shocking everyone with NASCAR tickets and violating one of the league's biggest rules while also causing NASCAR to throw out the third caution flag on lap 67 of the race. This huge error in judgment was undoubtedly an instant reaction (and a regrettable one, at that) by Watts, and this gasman will be forced to live with the consequences of his knee-jerk reaction for the rest of this racing season.

When Jimmy Watts went onto the racetrack at Atlanta, he violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 9-15-U (crew members cannot for any reason go onto the racetrack while cars or racing or running under the yellow or red flag, unless a NASCAR official directs the action) of NASCAR code, triggering a four-race suspension and a nine-month probationary period while also penalizing his crew chief, Frank Kerr. Kerr, the chief of Ambrose's No. 47 Toyota, also got slapped with a hefty fine and was placed on NASCAR probation until December 31 for violating Sections 12-1 and 9-4-A (crew chief assumes responsibility for his team members' actions).

Watts works as a fireman while he's not in the pit for Marcos Ambrose's team, and his automatic reaction to chase after the tire could be a result of his instinctive job and intense firefighting training. The gasman did offer an apology to NASCAR after the race, saying, "Everything happened so fast on pit road that I just didn't realize how far I had to go out until I grabbed the tire. I put myself in jeopardy and I know how hard NASCAR works to make the pit crew members safe on pit road. I stand by their decision and will serve my four-race suspension."

The caution flag that resulted from Watts stepping foot onto the racetrack at the Atlanta Motor Speedway may have had an effect on the race's outcome, as NASCAR officials would have waited for the green flag stops to cycle out before calling a caution had Watts not chased after the tire, keeping all the cars on pit sequence. Instead, however, the caution flag went up, and some of the Sprint Cup drivers are not pleased with the results. Matt Kenseth recently made a seething comment about the incident, saying, "Maybe he's new. Maybe he hasn't seen us drive, but we tend to wreck a lot. I wouldn't want to be out in the middle of the grass."

What's done is done, however, and Watts will have to come back from his four-race suspension at the end of April and prove that his talents outweigh his one big mistake. In the meantime, the racing will continue, and tickets to NASCAR races are always available online.

This article is sponsored by StubHub.com. StubHub is a leader in the business of selling NASCAR tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.

Article Source: NASCAR Tickets - Jimmy Watts' Big Mistake

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/250667/nascar-tickets-jimmy-watts-big-mistake

Jan Lammers Pedro Lamy Chico Landi

Why are the FIA bringing out their toolkits?

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By Matt Carver

It's been two months since Sebastian Vettel was crowned as the Formula 1 world champion of 2010, after what was arguably the most enthralling and closely-fought championship in recent history. But bizarrely, the sports governing body, the FIA, have decided that it needs 'spicing up' with a whole raft of new technical regulations.

Even without these supposed enhancements, the setup for the 2011 season looks stronger than ever. The live TV broadcasts will now be in High Definition, there will be five former world champions on the gird, the teams are closely matched, and worldwide viewing figures are very strong. So this begs the obvious question: If it's not broken, why are the FIA bringing out their toolkits?

The answer can be found in a simple, four-syllable word that sparks a lot of debate: Overtaking.

The Return of KERS

For 2011, the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) will again be available to all the teams, after its banishment for 2010 following an uninspiring implementation in the previous season. For those unfamiliar with the concept, a KERS unit is essentially just a large battery which harnesses a reserve of energy from heavy braking. This energy can then be fed though the drive train at the press of a button for an 80bhp boost for several seconds per lap.

It was originally intended as a 'push-to-pass' button to aid overtaking, but the unit itself was heavy and had a strong destabilizing effect. The cars that were fitted with KERS were more unstable and thus slower for the majority of a lap, but had the extra muscle on the long straights. So it quickly became more of an overtaking deterrent than an aid, and there is no reason to believe that it will be any different next season.

The Controversial Moveable Wings

The big concern for next season is the introduction of moveable wings, which will allow a chasing car to greatly reduce its aerodynamic drag, allowing for greater top speed, but only when closely following a competitor. This is hugely controversial, for the simple reason that it hands an artificial advantage to the chasing car, effectively handicapping the leading car for having superior track position. The problem here is that it appears to violate a fundamental rule of fair racing. Surely you can't artificially penalize a driver for having track position just to make it more entertaining. This is no different from telling Usain Bolt that whoever wins the silver medal is now allowed to use performance enhancing drungs, but only until he starts winning, then he will be back on the protein 'shakes so that it doesn't get boring.

The Nightmare Scenario

Let's take Spa for example, the much-loved host venue for the Belgian Grand Prix. There is always plenty of overtaking at Spa, mainly due to the layout of the first few turns. The tricky first hairpin leads uphill through the staggeringly fast Eau Rouge bend, onto a lengthy straight, leading down to a tight right hander. It's hard to see how any driver could sufficiently defend their position through this section against a competitor who has artificially increased top speed. This could lead to the nightmare scenario; A driver with a narrow lead may decide to deliberately concede position before starting the final lap, as the advantage of the movable wing could be more beneficial than having track position. This would be a farce in every sense of the word, and could damage the sport's competitive integrity.

There can be no doubt that on some occasions, overtaking in F1 can become almost impossible. In Hungary last year, Vettel was forced to spend more than twenty laps simply staring at the back of Fernando Alonso's Ferrari, despite being significantly faster. Alonso's championship hopes eventually faded as he spent the last 40 minutes of the season finale waiting in vain for Vitaly Petrov to plough his Renault into the Abu Dhabi tyre wall. But on other occasions, the wheel-to-wheel action was spectacular. In Turkey, The two Mclarens where bumping wheels for the lead at turn one, just a few minutes after the Red Bulls were bashing each other into the scenery. Robert Kubica provided plenty of excitement whilst scything through half the field in Singapore, and the Japanese fans at Suzuka were amply entertained by Kamui Kobayashi flinging his BMW Sauber past anyone and everyone at the hairpin.

Surely this should lead us to one inevitable conclusion. It is the layout of certain circuits that appears to be curtailing the action. Only time will tell if alterations to the cars themselves will have the desired effect.


This original article "Formula 1's Risky New Regulations" is written by Matt Carver who is a Contributing Writer at Suite101.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/xTX-uZVXEhI/why-are-fia-bringing-out-their-toolkits.html

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Force India VJM04 Launch pictures ( 8th of February)

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Force India became the last Formula 1 team to unveil its 2011-spec car, the VJM04, during an online event on Tuesday 8 February 2011.

The first pics of the VJM04 were courtesy of a Force India photo shoot, so not many details have been ?inspected? by the media. However, one could clearly see that, like the majority of its rivals in 2011, the car features a high nose design, along with a reworked sidepod area and a new rear section. In addition, the car comes with a blade-style roll hoop design and a new front wing concept.

Technical specifications

Chassis Carbon fibre composite monocoque with Zylon legality side anti-intrusion panels
Suspension (front) Aluminium uprights with carbon fibre composite wishbones, trackrod and pushrod. Inboard chassis mounted torsion springs, dampers and anti-roll bar assembly
Suspension (rear) as front, except for trackrod and pullrod, and gearbox mounted torsion springs.
Engine Mercedes-Benz FO 108Y 2,400 cc (146.5 cu in) 90° V8, limited to 18,000 RPM, naturally aspirated, mid-mounted
Transmission McLaren Seven-speed semi-automatic gearbox with reverse gear, Electronic shift system
Weight 640 kg (1,411 lb) (including driver)
Fuel Mobil
Tyres Pirelli P Zero

BBS Wheels (front and rear): 13"

Force India VJM04 Launch pictures




Photos © Force India F1 Team

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/SqxTd3BYrII/force-india-vjm04-launch-pictures-8th.html

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McLaren MP4-26 Launch pictures ( 4th of February)

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McLaren launched a rather radical MP4-26 during their scheduled Vodafone media event on 4th February at Potsdamer Platz located in Berlin, Germany shortly after the first test session of the season in Valencia.

The nose of the McLaren MP4-26 features the same high design as many of the other cars this season, while its sidepods are extremely sculpted and L-shaped. In addition, the airbox tweaks have been intensively reworked, while the car's exhaust system presents a classic rear-side design.

Technical specifications

Chassis Moulded carbon fibre honeycomb composite incorporating front and side impact structures and integral safety fuel cell
Suspension (front) Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pushrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement
Suspension (rear) as front, except operated by pullrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement
Engine Mercedes-Benz FO 108Y 2.4 L (146 cu in) V8 (90°). Naturally-aspirated, 18,000 RPM limited with KERS, mid-mounted.
Transmission McLaren Seven-speed semi-automatic gearbox with reverse gear hand-operated, seamless shift
Weight 640 kg (1,411 lb) (including driver)
Fuel ExxonMobil High Performance Unleaded (5.75% bio fuel)

Mobil Synergy Fuel System

Mobil 1 lubrication
Tyres Pirelli P Zero

Enkei wheels (front and rear): 13"

Links

McLaren MP4-26 - L-shaped sidepods ( The Official F1)
"There is no doubting the new MP4-26 is very different from all the other 2011 cars. Technical director Paddy Lowe has exploited to the extreme the idea of higher outer sidepods, last seen on the likes of Benetton's B195 from 1995 and Ferrari's F310 from 1996."

McLaren MP4-26 ? ?L? shaped sidepods (Scarbsf1's Blog)
"It remains to be seen if this set up works better than conventional undercut sidepods for creating rear downforce. Others team would be able to recreate the McLaren ?L? shaped sidepod inlets. Although it would require a significant change the radiators and bodywork, making it a major package upgrade and not a quick test."

McLaren MP4-26 Launch pictures






Photos © McLaren

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/PKSGf3lrBNs/mclaren-mp4-26-launch-pictures-4th-of.html

Ken Kavanagh Rupert Keegan Eddie Keizan Al Keller

NASCAR Sprint Cup Tickets- Mark Martin Wins at 50

At the young age of 50, three months and nine days; Mark Martin became the third-oldest winner in NASCAR history, snapping a 97-race winless streak by capturing a victory at Phoenix International Raceway. The NASCAR driver poked fun of himself after the race by telling the media he had no problems keeping up with the 25-year-olds. The Phoenix International Raceway champion started from the pole and led 157 of 312 laps. However, the 50-year-old did run into some trouble when officials erased his four-second lead over Tony Stewart with only 11 laps to go in the race. Mark headed for a pit stop and was worried about his lead. Get NASCAR Sprint Cup tickets and see Martin burning some rubber as he cruises to victory lane.

He emerged out of pit road in second place. Ryan Newman had been in the lead while his teammate, Stewart was just behind Martin, with only six laps left in the race. The 50-year-old driver felt the need for speed as he shot past Newman on the restart, heading towards victory lane. It was his first win since Kansas in 2005. The last 50-year-old to win a Cup race was Morgan Shepherd in 1993 at Atlanta, but who was the oldest driver to ever win a Cup race? Harry Gant holds the record as the oldest driver to win a Cup race. He was 52 when he won at Michigan in 1992.

Before Martin headed towards victory lane in Phoenix and secured a win, only three drivers at the ripe age of 50 or older won Cup races: Gant, Shepherd and Bobby Allison. Mark was greeted by NASCAR president Mike Hilton and several of his competitors after the race. His former boss, Jack Roush, came to congratulate him. So did former teammates Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, and Jeff Burton. It was Mark's 36th career victory, but his first victory without Roush by his side. He spent 18 years driving for Roush and decided to retire in 2006. The driver had a change of heart and wanted to come back and work for Roush, but his former boss had already secured his seat with another driver.

Stewart, who came in second place, told the media there's no shame in losing to a guy like Mark. The second place driver also added that the 50-year-old man works harder than any driver he knew. The praise continued in the garage for Martin, who is considered by many to be the greatest NASCAR driver to never win a championship. But that all changed at the Phoenix International Raceway. The Cup winner came back to the sport he dearly loved to see if he could claim glory on the tracks he driven around so many times. This is his first full season in three years; he spent the last two years in a part-time ride for Dale Earnhardt Inc., which prepared him for a long and demanding 10-month season. Rick Hendrick offered Martin a spot on his team and the key to the No. 5 Chevrolet after the man finished second four times in Phoenix. It looks like the fifth time was the charm.

This article was sponsored by StubHub. StubHub sells NASCAR Sprint Cup tickets, as well as many other kinds of sports tickets, concert tickets, special events tickets and theater tickets.

Article Source: NASCAR Sprint Cup Tickets- Mark Martin Wins at 50

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/263165/nascar-sprint-cup-tickets-mark-martin-wins-at-50

David Hampshire Sam Hanks Walt Hansgen Mike Harris

NASCAR Gifts For Men

Do you have a man who is a NASCAR fan? NASCAR gifts are loved by men. Whether that gift is intended to be a Father's Day present, a birthday present, or a just because you want to show him how much you love him. He probably already has a Nascar hat and a Nascar t-shirt. If you would like to purchase unique NASCAR gifts for your father, husband or friend, checkout some of these great NASCAR gifts for men.

With spring and summer quickly approaching, racing themed barbeque tool sets make great gifts for men. Get a barbeque tool set with you man's favorite driver's number printed on the handles. These specialty racing themed barbeque tool sets often come with matching storage cases or bags. These NASCAR grill tool sets are great, but affordable, gifts for men who like to grill outside.

Did you know that they make NASCAR patio sets? Yes they do. An outdoor patio set with a racing theme is a great, yet unique NASCAR gift idea. Now these aren't real cheap so this is probably more suited for a very close family member, husband or dad. Make sure that the racing patio set has your loved one's favorite nascar driver on the seats and table. Some have the names of the drivers and some have the nascar driver's number. A NASCAR patio set will allow your nascar fan to barbeque in style on race days.

Companies also make racing themed canopy sets. These canopy sets are also really awesome gift ideas for men who love NASCAR. And, you will have to look long and hard to find someone else who has a race car canopy set.

What goes hand and hand with watching a race? That's right beer or another cold beverage. You man would love to have a NASCAR compact refrigerator with is favorite driver on it. I would love to have a Jeff Gordon compact refrigerator or may a Dale Jr refrigerator. These compact refrigerators would look great in your game room or a dormroom.

If you are looking for a NASCAR gift for a child, toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary school aged children love NASCAR diecast cars. NASCAR diecast cars make very affordable gifts. In fact, most grown men that I know love racing diecast cars. My son and I play racing all the time with diecast cars. He always plays with his Jeff Gordon diecast car and I play with my Tony Steweart diecast car. He won't let me play with the Jeff Gordon diecast car.

I hope that these gift ideas help you to pick out the perfect NASCAR gifts for men.

Find out more about NASCAR at Nascar Diecast Cars. Nascar diecast cars make great collections. Check out these great Dale Earnhardt Jr Diecast cars and these Jeff Gordon Diecast cars.

Article Source: NASCAR Gifts For Men

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/62969/nascar-gifts-for-men

James Hunt Jim Hurtubise Gus Hutchison Jacky Ickx