This guy knows how to burnout! Look at that smoke bellowing.
 FORD RETURNING TO LE MANS IN 2016 WITH ALL-NEW FORD GT, MARKING 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF 1966 VICTORY
Ford announced today it is returning to one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world with its new Ford GT race car, based on the all-new ultra-high-performance supercar that goes on sale next year. The Ford GT race car will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans – referred to by many as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency – starting next year. Revealed today at the famous circuit in Le Mans, France, Ford GT will compete in the Le Mans GT Endurance class for professional teams and drivers (LM GTE Pro). The new race car – a further proof point of Ford innovation – is based on the all-new Ford GT supercar unveiled in January. Both the production car and race car will arrive in 2016 to mark the 50th anniversary of Ford GT race cars placing 1-2-3 at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ford went on to repeat its victory at Le Mans in 1967, 1968 and 1969. “When the GT40 competed at Le Mans in the 1960s, Henry Ford II sought to prove Ford could beat endurance racing’s most legendary manufacturers,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. “We are still extremely proud of having won this iconic race four times in a row, and that same spirit that drove the innovation behind the first Ford GT still drives us today.” The new Ford GT race car will run the full 2016 schedules of the FIA World Endurance Championship and TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, making its competition debut in January 2016 in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Florida. The two Ford teams will be operated by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS). Both series teams intend to compete with a four-car effort at Le Mans. Drivers will be announced later. The all-new Ford GT serves as the pinnacle product of the new Ford Performance group, a division dedicated to providing innovation through performance. Set to deliver more than 12 new performance vehicles by 2020, Ford Performance will leverage its racing efforts and expertise to speed innovations on dedicated performance models and performance parts in order to more quickly iterate the latest technologies that can ultimately be applied to the full Ford vehicle lineup. The performance segment is a growing business for Ford, as the company recognizes its customers’ desire for vehicles that offer excellent fuel economy, leading technology and a great driving experience. The Ford Performance lineup includes Ford GT, Focus RS, F-150 Raptor, Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT350R, Focus ST and Fiesta ST. “Ford remains focused on three priorities globally – accelerating our One Ford plan, delivering product excellence with passion and driving innovation in every part of our business,” said Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company president and CEO. “All three came together to create the new Ford GT. We also know from our rich history in motorsports that world-class competition is a great incubator for even further product innovation.” The Ford GT race car features a number of innovations Ford believes will not only make it competitive in LM GTE Pro, but ultimately positioned to provide benefits to each vehicle in the Ford lineup. These include state-of-the-art aerodynamics to deliver outstanding levels of downforce for improved stability with minimal drag, advanced lightweight composites featuring carbon fiber for an exceptionally rigid but light chassis, and the power and efficiency of EcoBoost technology. “As we developed the Ford GT, from the outset, we wanted to ensure we had a car that has what it takes to return Ford to the world of GT racing,” said Raj Nair, Ford Motor Company group vice president, Global Product Development and chief technical officer. “We believe the Ford GT’s advances in aerodynamics, light-weighting and EcoBoost power will make for a compelling race car that can once again compete on a global stage.” Joining Ford in this project are Multimatic Motorsports, Roush Yates Engines, Castrol, Michelin, Forza Motorsport, Sparco, Brembo and CGRFS. The race car has undergone extensive design and testing within Ford and Multimatic, with CGRFS providing input into the development. Roush Yates is supporting development of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 – the most powerful EcoBoost production engine ever. The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine debuted in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship in 2014. Since then, Ford, with CGRFS, has captured significant overall wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring and Rolex 24 At Daytona. Besides great success in sports cars, Ganassi race teams achieved major victories in the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Indianapolis 500. “We’ve won races and championships, but we’ve never run Le Mans,” said team owner Chip Ganassi. “When presented the opportunity to compete with the all-new Ford GT on the world’s biggest sports car stage, and on the 50th anniversary of one of the most storied victories in racing history, how could any race team not want to be part of that? Will it be a challenge? Absolutely, but we couldn’t be with a better partner than Ford.”  In 1971, director Roman Polanski spent three days recording Formula One racing champion Jackie Stewart's life leading up to the Monaco Grand Prix. This recut version of Polanski's original film includes a reunion between the two men 40 years later. Breed of Speed got a chance to see this fine video, and frankly besides the goofy 70's fashion and audio, its fantastic. We give it 4 out of 5 Stars. It shows the emotions, life, and sights and sounds of what the Golden Era of F1 was like for one of the best drivers to get behind the wheel. Breed of Speed recommends this to any gearhead or racing fanatic. Now its viewable on Netflix, so if your looking for a good Netflix and chill, this is it. -BOS This fascinating onboard footage compilation shows F1 drivers taking the famous Senna S at Interlagos from 1990 to 2014. It's fascinating to see how the course has changed over the years, and just how obscenely fast modern F1 really is  The process of in which how an engine piston is made is truly remarkable, from how it starts out to the final product is not what I expected. Watch the video and see how the process of the life of a motor is started.  Jaws must have hit the floor when Fernando Alonso came to after his recent accident during testing at the Montmeló circuit in Barcelona. “Who are you? What do you do?” he was asked by doctors when he regained consciousness, as is standard procedure for patients who have suffered a head injury. “My name is Fernando, I race karts and I want to be a Formula 1 driver,” came the response.
While the reply might sound comical now, those who were present in the hospital in the wake of the February 22 accident found nothing to laugh about – before, at least, he was subjected to a battery of tests, all of which ruled out any kind of injury as a result of the heavy impact. The exact reasons as to why Alonso lost control of his McLaren coming out of the third corner of the circuit are yet to be established. But the impact left his memory limited to 1995: when he came around Alonso couldn’t remember his debut with Minardi (2001), his two championship titles with Renault (2005 and 2006), nor the four Champions League wins of his favorite soccer team, Real Madrid (1998, 2000, 2002 and 2014). According to McLaren, the decision not to let Alonso compete in the season-opener is purely a precaution A week later and the Spanish driver had completely recovered, and while he may have to miss the first race of the season, on March 15 in Australia, he has already started to train with a view to the second, on March 29 in Sepang, Malaysia. According to the statement released on Tuesday by his team, McLaren, the decision not to let him compete in the season-opener is purely a precaution. The team said that doctors had advised him not to risk suffering a second blow to the head – although there are doubts among some as to whether this is the full story. “For the team to cite this reason to justify the kid not racing next weekend makes no sense in this specific case,” explains Dr Rafael Blesa, the director of the neurology department at the Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona. “Basically because, as they explain, all of the tests that were carried out on him came out OK and show that he has suffered no injuries. In that case, the brain is completely intact, just the same as it was before the accident. In no case would that first jolt have any effect should there be a second.” Blesa is one of the most respected doctors in his field, and he believes that the memory loss suffered by Alonso is completely normal. “A concussion like that one happens because the brain suffers a blow that affects the neural synapses,” Blesa explains. “When that happens, biochemical substances do not work, meaning that the brain tries to find a memory but fails. Depending on each case, the recovery time can vary. You have to take into account the fact that, within the brain, the circuits that are most sensitive to an impact like his are connected to the memory.” Within the brain, the circuits that are most sensitive to an impact like his are connected to the memory” The fact that Alonso will not be in Melbourne is obviously bad news. Although without a doubt, the good news is that, medically speaking, he is ready to get behind the wheel. The concern among his colleagues after the accident was huge, as well as with his medical team. Many of them slept worse and fewer hours than the patient himself, crossing their fingers and hoping that all the tests were positive. There are still unanswered questions, however, as to the cause of the crash. Team chief Ron Dennis held a press conference in the wake of this incident in order to clear up doubts that it may have been a technical problem that caused the Spaniard to crash, attributing instead the causes to high winds. Were the crash to have been caused by a fault, it would be a disaster for McLaren-Honda, a partnership that is still just starting out, and that has been struggling with the car so far in testing. In any case, the most logical options in terms of explaining what happened come down to two: that the driver was indisposed and was unable to avoid the wall, or that his car had some kind of problem and sent him careening into it. The person who can best answer the question is Alonso, but first he must remember what happened, and be willing to explain it.  Hear the glorious sound of a Porsche 917K Flat 12 cylinder. Porsche 917K Flat-12 Pure Engine Sound. Racecars today don't have that small nuclear explosion on up shifts anymore. What a car! |
///Categories
All
Archives
January 2024
|
RSS Feed