Category: Motorsports

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Bathurst 12 Hour Motorsports News

V8 Supercars takes over Bathurst 12 Hour

2015 Bathurst 12 Hour

It’s happened. V8 Supercars will take over the promotional rights to the Bathurst 12 Hour race. Here’s the first few paragraphs of the announcement:

In a landmark agreement for GT Racing in Australia, Supercars Events, in partnership with Bathurst Regional Council, has acquired the rights to manage the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Event at Mount Panorama from 2016, bringing its specialist major events expertise to the growing fixture.

Supercars Events (operating as a business of V8 Supercars), Yeehah Events and Bathurst Regional Council agreed to the acquisition this week with the collective vision of growing the international race significantly into the future.

“Yeehah Events’ James O’Brien and his team have done a fantastic job to establish the event and we are very proud to be able to add our expertise to take it to the next level,” V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton said.

The Bathurst 12 Hour race has become not only a credible GT3 event attracting an enviable overseas competition base, but just as importantly, it has become a great alternative for motorsport fans not wanting to battle the crowds of the traditional V8 Supercars race in October.

As race fans we just have to hope this is good news and not a threat to the success of the event or a precursor to jacked up pricing.

Most Facebook comments to the V8 Supercars page are less than forgiving:

Tania Fragar Another one bites the dust for the public and FTA. This event is the best car race of the year even without the V8 drivers. It’s one we can afford to go to free pit access and family friendly and has world class cars and drivers.

Gary Jay What about the years after 2016, Supercars, still free to air.? Or will you blow off more supporters for TV cash?

Keith Hellyer Well thats certainly the end of the Bathurst 12hr as we know it. V8’s will do its best to capitalise by putting prices through the roof and amalgamate the 2. I stopped following the v8s because of the way they ruined it over the years. Please dont ruin the 12hr!

On the plus side, here’s a best case scenario:

Mark Pickering The first step towards GT3 becoming the biggest category in Australia – we all know Gen2 is a dog … At least this way Warburton and co and transition to GT3 slowly but surely …

[Source: Bathurst 12 Hour]

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Motorsports News

Steve McQueen: The man and Le Mans

Steve McQueen

Steve McQueen, racer and actor, was the king of cool and he’s the latest motorsport icon to be featured on the silver screen. Check out the trailer to Steve McQueen: The man and Le Mans after the break.

Steve McQueen: The man and Le Mans is the story of obsession, betrayal and ultimate vindication. It is the story of how one of the most volatile, charismatic stars of his generation, who seemingly lost so much he held dear in the pursuit of his dream, nevertheless followed it to the end.

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Formula 1

FIA to retire number 17 from Formula 1

2014 Monaco Grand Prix

As a mark of respect to the late Jules Bianchi the FIA has retired his racing number 17 from Formula 1. The FIA’s brief statement follows:

20.07.15 – Jean Todt, President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) announced that the car number 17 will be retired from the FIA Formula One World Championship in honour of Jules Bianchi.

As F1 car numbers are now personally chosen by each driver, the FIA believes it to be an appropriate gesture to retire Jules Bianchi’s number 17.

As a result, this number can no longer be used for a car competing in the FIA Formula One World Championship.

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Formula 1 News

Jules Bianchi 1989–2015

Jules Bianchi

French Formula 1 driver Jules Bianchi passed away today, finally succumbing to the severe head injuries he suffered after crashing at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. He was 25-years-old.

The news was confirmed in a statement published to Facebook by the Bianchi family. Word of Bianchi’s death comes just days after Jules’ father, Phillipe, spoke on French radio and said there had been “no significant progress” in his recovery.

It’s 285 days since Bianchi’s accident and, sadly, any hopes of a recovery had long since past. It is a desperately sad situation and we pass on our condolences to his family and friends.

May he rest in peace.

Continue reading “Jules Bianchi 1989–2015”
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Motorsports News

Snow on Mount Panorama!

Snow on Mount Panorama, Bathurst, July 2015

Parts of New South Wales and south-east Queensland awoke to a fresh blanket of snow this morning and here’s something you don’t see every day: snow on Mount Panorama in Bathurst!

This image of the downhill run from Skyline was shared on twitter. There’s a two more images of a snowy “mountain” after the break as well, including one of Nick Percat driving on the circuit.

If you see any more pics of a snowy Bathurst drop us a line in the comments section.

[Source: @MtPanCircuit]

EDIT: Wheels has the story on a Mercedes-Benz AMG drive day, featuring the new GT S, being affected by the snow.

Continue reading “Snow on Mount Panorama!”
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MINI Motorsports

Mikko Hirvonen to make Dakar Rally debut in 2016

MINI All4 Racing

Mikko Hirvonen will be helped through the withdrawals of his post-WRC career by competing for the all conquering MINI X-raid Team in the 2016 Dakar Rally (3–16 January). The MINI All4 Racing has won the last four Dakar events.

What does Mikko know about the Dakar? Not a lot it turns out, which is why he will be preparing for the Dakar by competing with X-raid in a selection of events in the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup. Mikko will make his MINI All4 Racing debut in the Baja Aragón race (24–26 July).

Even though he is joining a team with hopes of outright success at Dakar, Hirvonen maintains the old adage to finish first, first you have to finish.

“Dakar is such a long race and the dunes there are in a world of their own,” Hirvonen said. “So, to finish the event without encountering major issues or without getting stuck anywhere already would represent a really good achievement for my first Dakar.

“Meanwhile, the Baja Aragón is going to be more of the kind of rallying I’m used to. But driving without pace notes in your road book is not so easy and I still have to familiarise myself with the MINI All4 Racing as well.

“But should I feel good in the car and everything works well we hopefully will be able to set some good times in Baja Aragón.”

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Formula 1

F1 reveals bumper 21-race calendar for 2016

2015 Australian Grand Prix

For the second year running the FIA has released a Formula 1 calendar with 21 races. Like last year, it remains to be seen if we’ll actually see all of those races take place.

As it stands the 2016 season is set to kick off in Australia on 3 April, with the Chinese Grand Prix to take place the following weekend.

Increasing the demand on the teams there will be another five back-to-back race weekends including: Bahrain and Russia, Britain and Austria, Germany and Hungary, Singapore and Malaysia, and USA and Mexico.

As you will see the German Grand Prix is back and is scheduled to be held at Hockenheim. Malaysia moves from its early season slot to the latter half of the year straight after the Singapore Grand Prix.

Finally, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will make its debut in 2016 on 17 July, to be held on a 6km street circuit in the country’s capital Baku.

The full calendar is shown below.

Continue reading “F1 reveals bumper 21-race calendar for 2016”
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Formula 1 News

Philippe Bianchi: “There is no significant progress”

Jules Bianchi

The father of Jules Bianchi spoke to a French radio station recently and said there has been “no significant progress” in his son’s recovery from the injuries suffered in his accident at the Japanese Grand Prix last October.

“In general, progress needs to be made in the first six months,” Philippe Bianchi said in an interview with radio station France Infos. “And now it’s been nine months and Jules has still not woken up and there is no significant progress.

“As time goes by, it makes me less optimistic than I might have been two or three months after the accident when one might have hoped for a better outcome.”

Following Michael Schumacher‘s skiing accident, which left the seven-time world champion in a coma, Philippe Bianchi also revealed his son had spoken about what he might want if he was ever in a similar situation.

“We talked about it,” Philippe Bianchi said. “He told us that if one day he had an accident like Michael Schumacher’s, even if his only handicap was not being able to drive, he would have a lot of difficulty living with it. Because it was his life.”

[Source: Reuters]

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Motorsports Volkswagen

Volkswagen Golf Racing wins on TCR debut

Pol Rosell, Volkswagen Golf Racing, TCR Series, Austria 2015

Team Engstler driver Pol Rosell won race 2 of the TCR International Series meeting at the Red Bull Ring on the weekend and in doing so gave the Golf Racing its maiden win. Not a bad effort for the car’s first competitive outing.

The Golf made its presence known early after Rosell’s teammate Mikhail Grachev set the fastest lap during the second free practice session with a time of 1:40.593.

Volkswagen Motorsport’s usual Monday morning newsletter had this brief report:

First appearance, first win: The new Volkswagen Golf for the racetrack made its debut in the Touringcar Racer International Series (TCR) and promptly claimed its first victory. The Golf run by cooperation partner Liqui Moly Team Engstler triumphed at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. Spain’s Pol Rosell won race two, finishing ahead of his compatriots Pepe Oriola (Seat) and Jordi Gené (Seat). Starting from pole position, Rosell defended his lead until the chequered flag at the 4.318-kilometre Grand Prix circuit. Mikhail Grachev (RUS) came sixth in the second Golf.

Rosell finished ninth and Grachev seventh in race one. Victory went to Switzerland’s Stefano Comini (Seat).

The racing version in action in Austria is the first such model based on the seventh generation of Volkswagen Golf. The production-based, 330-hp concept car is assembled in accordance with TCR Regulations and is intended to allow Volkswagen to evaluate a possible customer racing programme as of the 2016 season. In order to accelerate the development process, the new Golf will be tested under competitive conditions in the TCR between now and the end of the season.

The next races will take place in Singapore from 19 to 20 September, when they will share the bill with the Formula One World Championship.

EDIT: A brief highlights video has been added below. [Thanks to Tom for the tip]

Continue reading “Volkswagen Golf Racing wins on TCR debut”
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Motorsports Volkswagen

Volkswagen Golf Racing revealed

Volkswagen Golf VII Racing

Volkswagen Motorsport dropped these images to our inbox overnight and we like what we’re seeing. This is the 243kW/410Nm Golf Racing. It’s been built to compete in the final four races of the 2015 Touringcar International Series (TCR) and will make its competition debut at the Red Bull Ring this weekend.

The production-based concept will test the waters for Volkswagen Motorsport to see if there’s a market to offer this as an ongoing customer racing model for the 2016 season. The Volkswagen group is already represented in TCR with the Seat Leon and Audi TT.

Taking power from an uprated 2.0 litre Golf R engine the Golf Racing puts its power to the ground through the front wheels only, using a 6-speed DSG and 18-inch wheels and tyres. The somewhat extreme bodykit is in keeping with its competitors and is 400m wider than a standard Golf VII.

Officially still in a development phase, the Golf Racing will be run by Liqui Moly Team Engstler for the remainder of the TCR season, which has rounds to follow Austria in Singapore, Thailand and Macau.

“The newly created TCR category provides a promising platform for customer racing—on a national and international level,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. “With exciting races, production-based technology and reasonable costs, it offers a new outlook for private racing teams.”

Continue reading “Volkswagen Golf Racing revealed”
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Motorsports

Road: The movie

Michael Dunlop

The fifteenth anniversary of Joey Dunlop’s death went by a few days ago. He’s been remembered in an article on the BBC website. The Dunlop family is an institution in Ireland. They’re known for TT racing.

Two brothers, Joey and Robert, started the dynasty which is now carried on by Robert’s sons, Michael and William.

The lives of the Dunlops have been told in a compelling 2014 documentary called Road. It’s incredibly well made and takes you on the emotional highs and lows of what is perhaps motorsport’s most unforgiving category.

There’s a trailer for Road after the break. Find the movie and watch it.

Continue reading “Road: The movie”
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Bathurst 12 Hour Motorsports

V8SC wants Bathurst 12 Hour promotional rights

Nissan GTR GTR wins 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour

A bit over twenty years ago the management of Australia’s premier touring car category banned cars like the Nissan GT-R. In fact, they banned anything that wasn’t a Ford Falcon or Holden Commodore. It now appears that current V8SC management wants to welcome the likes of the GT-R back with open arms and the first step to doing that is to buy the promotional rights for February’s Bathurst 12 Hour race.

A report on Speedcafe suggests James Warburton, V8SC CEO, is willing to buy the rights from current promoters for as much as $4 million.  Currently the promotional rights are shared between James O’Brien (Yeehah Events) and the Bathurst Regional Council.

With the fast approaching demise of local manufacturing V8SC needs to broaden its horizons, and fast. It’s been suggested that V8SC is seeking to accept GT-style racecars as part of its Gen2 rules to be adopted in 2017.

Tensions between V8SC and the Bathurst 12 Hour were heightened this year when a new V8SC broadcast agreement with Foxtel effectively banned its drivers from competing at the 12 Hour, thanks to a compulsory V8SC test session that had been organised for the same weekend.

This arrangement upset a lot of 12 Hour fans, including AUSmotive.

V8SC claims it offered to buy the broadcast rights for the 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour in a deal which would have cleared the date clash by combining the pre-season test and the 12 Hour race into a weekend-long event and seen the race telecast live on Foxtel.

Although there’s no quotes attributed to either side, it’s reported that James O’Brien denies this offer was ever made.

As it stands the 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour will be held over the weekend of 5–7 February with television coverage on Channel 7.

The increasing success of the Bathurst 12 Hour is a double-edged sword for fans who have followed the race since the introduction of GT3 cars. The bigger the race gets the more it loses its boutique and casual appeal.

Whatever happens in the future and whoever promotes the event, we hope the current charm and appeal of the 12 Hour race is not lost forever.

[Source: Speedcafe | Thanks to Stu for the tip]