SRC International

On An Island - The Ultimate Motorsports Legend Fights Its Way Back To Worldwide Establishment

2011-12-04T03:12:00.001+01:00

A blowhorn from the past. A travel through ages, sanctioning bodies and generations. The nostalgic and cathartic remembrance of heroic figures in the midnight hour illuminated by fireworks of celebration.

In brief, the Targa Florio is back as a world championship event... in WRC.

Yes, it's not really THAT Targa Florio what you might think of when searching for images on Google for potential wallpapers, but in spirit it still is. Somewhat adjusted to present ages. Evolution for survival. For an explanation, let's turn back the clock several decades and sit back letting the arid breeze of history curl through our minds.

The Targa Florio endurance race has probably been the among the most important races in European motorsports history including the very first French Grand Prix in 1906 (which later spawned many other Grand Prix races throughout Europe and the world only to be concluded in the Formula 1 World Championship in 1950). As a matter of fact, the Targa Florio set off a month before the first proto-F1 race and five years before the first Monte Carlo Rally.

The circuit - appearing in different configurations of open, Sicilian public roads linked together - has been one of the most brutal challenges for driver and car endurance alike. Conceived by Vicenzo Florio, it was intended to be the Southern Italian editon of his already established, but later defunct Coppa Florio (the spiritual ancestor of the Mille Miglia).

Tight, curvy mountain passages are the Targa's key challenges that made the Monte, the Sanremo and many other rally events famous to this day. To describe the event, imagine the above mentioned French GP run at Monte with added extreme heat and you get close to the challenge the Targa had to offer.

Of course, this was largely depending on the actual layout of the course. Over the decades, the Targa has emerged in various shapes and forms. In some occasions in the late '30s it was nothing more than a sprint race for Grand Prix cars on a barely 6km-long closed circuit. On the other end of the scale, the late '40s saw a 1080km-long course stretching over the whole island. Among the many versions, probably the most well-known variant is the 72km-long "Piccolo Circuit" that had become the "classic" targa for many racefans.

While the race produced many local heroes and emerged many Italian car manufacturers to the top of the racing scene, all fame went to Bugatti and its "35" model, winning the Targa in five consecutive years in the '20s that was somewhat imitated by the just-not-yet purpose-built Grand Prix car Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza and the Maserati 6CM with three wins mutually through the '30s.

Unfortunately, as with every race in Europe, WWII put a temporary end to racing. By 1948 when racing resumed, the dividing line between racing car types had already become quite clear as opposed to the practice of earlier decades where the difference between a sportscar and a Grand Prix car would be virtually the fenders being attached or not. Now the Targa was an all-sportscar event and was heading into new heights.

In 1955 the race was incorporated to the World Sportscar Championship, being the second Italian event on calendar after the Mille Miglia and among the many others to follow in later years.

Let's make a small experiment here: close your eyes and think of the Le Mans movie with Steve McQueen. Think of the Gulf Porsche and the archrival Ferrari. Think of the rain drooling down the Mulsanne straight. Now, think of the cars screaming down the infinite stretch through curtains of water. Your guts are trembling from the sheer volume and presence. Now, open a new chapter and think of the same cars again. Think of sunshine. Think of shadows thrown on the road by flat rooftops. Think of the cars screaming through a village street with the terrifying noise bouncing back from housewalls. Think of grandparents watching the car flying by just a metre away from the doorstep they are standing on. And of course, think of the serpentine-like roads with a chasm on one side and a wall on the other. That's the Targa Florio during its most glorious days.

As sportscars took a giant leap and entered their immense power-chasing period, racetracks around the world were packed with spectators and such endurance events saw many vicious fights all over these venues. But public roads seemed narrower every year and demanded increasing focus. Inevitably, fatal accidents to competitors and spectators put an end to an era in the same manner Mille Miglia was discontinued in its traditional form 16 years earlier in 1953.

The last "real" Targa Florio was run in 1973 as a World Sportscar Championship event (or World Championship for Makes as it was called then), but was continued as a domestic event until 1977 when open road racing was dropped completely and converted into a rallying event for the Italian championship on the same roads.

Now Wikipedia might tell you that the Targa Florio Rally is not to be confused with Targa Florio "plain", but in truth is that apart from chopping up the historic course(s) to special stages not much difference happened. On the contrary, the cars have become more appaling by the end of Group 4 and the dawn of Group B. Winners of the Targa Florio were now all Italian asphalt-grinders: Lancia Stratos, 037, Delta S4, Ferrari 308GTB, Fiat 131 Abarth. The Targa was now more exciting than ever with all these fire-breathing monsters competing on sprint segments.

Coinciding with the ban of Group B cars on FIA sanctioned events, the Targa Florio has been incorporated to the European Rally Championship and has been part of it since. Until now.

The 18th of October 2012 will mark the kickoff of the first Targa Florio as a World Championship race since 1973 after a staggering 39 years of hiatus, but at the same time it will be the 96th Targa and the 106th anniversary run. The Indianapolis 500, the Monte Carlo Rally and the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb are those truly great events that can live up to such tradition as the Targa Florio.

In an age, when auto racing is flourishing but compromised by political correctness, the sheer fact that a race with such a long history exists and survived the maladies of decades but turned up on international scene once again, evolved, is a story of an epic win.

I wish there were more events like that raising the history and tradition of automoblie racing.

I'm looking at you, Mille Miglia...

*NOTE: The author wished to bespoke on competitive events. Yet historic racing is very much present at both Targa Florio and Mille Miglia, they are friendly, but very respectable tourings rather than challenges.*

Iguazú, a fall - in memory of #DanWheldon

2011-10-17T20:49:00.002+02:00

When someone leaves the room, a void's created. Some voids are temporary, some voids are permanent. And there are some voids that are painful. This is yet another fall of a great one.

Gustavo Santaolalla - Iguazu by leila m

Fingers are pointed somewhere, trying to find someone to blame. It may be driver XY, it may be Las Vegas Speedway, it may be IndyCar or it may be consumer culture in general.

"This shouldn't happen."

It will happen again. Sooner or later.

Other people give up hoping that the inevitable shouldn't occur. Some of them sign up for a possible death, knowing or not wanting to think about the possible outcome.

That's how life goes.

Eventually, every drop of water will fall the same place. Smaller or big ones alike.

Rest in Peace, Dan! You were a vitalizing drop of water..

Working Class Hero

2011-09-24T21:00:00.000+02:00

So this is it... where I am now. The working class man in England. You'd might be thinking my motoring interests do not reach beyond the boundaries of cars that are good enough for commuting only and you'd be right. In fact, I'd fall for a car that's reliable, takes me from A to B, that is a workhorse, a proper car in other words - for me, the working class man.
When you're enclosed in a space along with a bunch of Polish and Brazilian people among millions of eggs and a production line, you do not think about cars. Jaguars do not drift thgough your imagination sideways, nor Veyrons run flat out close to half of the speed of sound. You only think of a pint of beer to put you to rest and the scent of fresh air as you leave the premises of the factory. You do not care about the dent on the car's door, nor the dust on the floor carpet.
You want one thing only. To get your will established, to get to the next workplace and enjoy the ride while you're at it.
Your mind picks up a different approach about the whole sensation of driving, no matter what your car is. The B-road becomes a road course, the roundabout the Karussell, the indifferent humming of the l4 engine is replaced by heavy metal music on your laughable stereo, crystallizing a grin on your face as if you were commanding a V8.
With a left-hand drive car driving on the left, the proximity of the trees combined with the mild velocity you pass them transforms reality to warp speed.
You're wearing a different licence plate of a country anyone's hardly heard of, getting looks at the red light as if you were a madman tearing up your car to pieces just to put yourself to the wrong seat, blasting into the undisturbed, civilized world with all your shabbiness and still make things work.
You used your car to get here and stay for good, only to defy the rules of commodity that is represented by proper, sub-five-year cars in the streets.
The Escort.
The one with American origin, given birth in England, tossed to Germany, shipped to Hungary and now being returned to the place where it was concieved in the first place.
The underdog.
That's me in the traffic.
That's me at the red light.
That's me in the car park by the warehouse.
That's me when not paying enough attention at one point and almost causing an accident.
That's me through A4.
That's us, me and my car - the working class and the hero.

Light Years Away

2011-08-28T20:00:00.000+02:00

What do you do when you have run out of funds, hope of a better future and patience? You set your car's nose England-bound.

It all started over two years ago when talks started between my wife and I that we sould join all those people who in wish to grab fortune's better end set themselves to Western and Northern Europe. There were initiatives taken and withdrawn when finally tensions within our broader family and lack of funds lead to concrete decisions and conclusions at the end of last year and the whole procedure of moving started taking shape.

The setting looked like so: me, my wife, two dogs and all that one could fill in a Ford Escort. Printed Google Maps directions, over three tanks of fuel and 1,200 miles to cover from Kaposvar, Hungary to Keynsham, UK.

Light Years Away by joesatriani

The car as said abve was a 1998 Ford Escort CLX. 1,4-litre CHV petrol engine, 5-door hatchback with the highest trim level of the time including electric windows, rear spoiler, etc. It was almost new when we bought it three years ago with 45,000 kms on the odometer (no, it was REALLY that much, no cheating) and was in excellent condition. Sadly we haven't been as good owners of it as the previous ones. The rear right door suffered a scratch and a dent, and the rear bumper gained a cavity due to a close encounter with a trailer while reversing - and we didn't have time to fix those yet. There were two hubcaps missing as one was stolen and another was lost.

Despite that, mechanically it was still in a prime condition as we are talking about a 65,000-km car pre-trip.
A big check-up was necessary before the trip as I didn't want to break down in the middle of the Autobahn. This included some mending and fixing. First of all, a new cam belt was crucial to be installed. Eventhough the old one was on low mileage, it was already 13 years old and when you speak about rubber, you say aging. Along that a new water pump was installed and the oil was changed along with the oil filter and the air filter. Brakes were still fine, although they have to be changed soon. Piston sealing replacement finished off the procedure and it was done in one afternoon for less than 200 GBP-worth of Hungarian Forints.

That said, we set off on the national day of Hungary, 20th August at half past 9 at night to catch our ferry in Calais at 3:20AM on the 22nd. Most of the trip in Hungary was spent on B-roads with cautiously as I didn't want to hit any wild animals during the night. Shortly after midnight we managed to reach the border. Before entering Austria, we stopped at the last MOL petrol station to take a leak and stretch ourselves, while the dogs could get a drink. Moving on to Austria was like entering a whole different universe of roads. The main road on which we were heading to the motorway was like a motorway in Hungary altogether. It was pitch dark, and I was still maintaining an appr. 90km/h speed as I got used to it already. I was enjoying the ride as we rolled on and on and on. In Austria, it was perfectly clear which road to take to Germany from the first moment on. Passed through truck-stops and byroad night clubs the world narrowed down only to the stretch of road we were riding on. My wife was reading the itinerary but she showed the sing of tiredness already. At the last fork we had to take, I missed the exit, eventhough it was painted clearly on the ashpalt. No matter what I stepped on the brakes hard, the tyres were screaming and came to a full stop, putting it reverse and pulling back to the right direction while another car was passing us. It was ugly, it was completely breaking the law, but I don't say it was unethical.

I mean: do you want to spend the rest of your fuel tank and time spending to find the right direction when you got a route map only?

Then came the most unnerving bit: entering Germany and riding through it. There were about 100kms to cover in Austria before entering Germany and that meant an over 700km part without changing directions. We crossed the boarder South from Passau and there was an option to hand over the steering wheel to my wife. I didn't want to. Iwas thrilled to drive through Europe. I wanted to complete the marathon alone. I was wide awake even when we stopped at a service station over 100 kms after we passed the border. First time filling the car. Stretched our legs, ate something and off we went. It was a bright, sunny morning, but that didn't reveal much of Germany. I did find out though that Bavavaria really is the territory of BMWs as stated in the name. Met the most dominating Beemer owners of the Autobahn out there. I expected the road flooded with Porsches but not even one showed up even in Stuttgart area. Road up and down, narrowing here and there as construction works marked the A3 all the way through. In the meanwhile it started raining heavily but we were just eating up the miles. At Köln we changed to the route that was virtually heading straight to Calais. Passing closely to the Nürburgring we entered Belgium. I didn't really noticed where was that magical border but it was made clear by the lightposts as it was noted out that Belgian motorways are lit all the way through. I can confirm that, really, eventhough it was a bright sunny day. Passing by the Spa-Francorchamps track we were heading to the Bruxelles ring that was completely jammed, as one lane was shut due to construction works and another one was blocked by a broken down car. I was still driving, but Icould sense the fatigue. Thank God to the traffic jam, it pushed up my blood pressure as much as I could feel just about normal for the rest of the trip.

We entered the last but one leg late afternoon as we were heading to Calais, up to the seaside and riding along it. My wife missed one exit to mention intime so that put some nerve into me but we got back on track quickly.

France, finally. I was so happy about it but I was still short of the realisation what I was to go through there. Exit 47, that's what we were looking for. We still had time. There were about 8 hours until the ferry's departure. We stood in the line and I was expecting trouble already. To tell the truth, I would have been surprised if everything went well. Of course it was the British authority and our dogs. Don't want to go into details but that "nuance" cost 24 hours staying overnight and a visiting a local, Dr. House-like vet, summing up to 175 Euros. Did I say I was happy? No, because I wasn't.

After being completely desperate we finally got on our ferry at 0:20AM on the 23rd and heading for the Isles, hitting the coast at the cliffs of Dover.

I was preparing myself to driving on the left clearly, but it was a different experience to get used to mph instead to kph. By experiance and simple calculations it has always been simple to know that 30mph was 50kph, 50mph was 80 kph and 60 mph was 100kph. Fortunately we haven't met any other measures really except for 40mph, which is around 65kph as I had to calculate it first I encountered it.

So we finally arrived to Keynsham at around 8AM with a sleep included in the meantime and that was it. 1,200 miles without a problem. I have driven through a kerb in Calais I simply just didn't notice, it was out of sight - didn't manage to take a closer look, but hopefully the floorpan won't rust away soon. Despite that, there weren't any problems really. The Escort just worked fine and fulfilled the puropse it was named after.

But the best bit was still to come. A few days ago we were invited by a Hungarian couple in Melksham for a gather-up. The area I was driving through was very much like Somogy county where we are from, except the buildings and speed limits with more sense. Where the 40 mark was put out, that would have been 40 in Hungary too, only in kph. On the way back it was already dark, and Google Maps supported another route instead of what we came in. It was raining, and it was a forest road, and I was riding a Ford Escort, on the left side of the road, and with the steering wheel on the left trees were just flying by at my window. My wife was reading the route map: "500 ahead to next intersection then turn left and go another 1.7 kms..."

Was I thinking RAC Rally of Wales? Yeah, I was. Hello, United Kingdom, I'm here!

An introduction to #NASCAR

2011-08-05T07:52:00.003+02:00

@Jalopnik:"Budapest's secret Grand Prix street circuit"

2011-07-30T06:40:00.005+02:00

I'm credited in this story.

#motorspurts #topgear, 3rd edition

2011-07-17T17:14:00.003+02:00

Wild East

2011-07-15T13:13:00.004+02:00

(Originally published at http://www.nz-hotrod.com/vbulletin/printthread.php?t=4028&pp=40 on 29th May, 2009)

„So, what is it like where you live, Wilson?” I asked my old friend from Tennessee, America. It was quiet. The lake had been within the distance of throwing a stone, the field was busy with crickets and some deers were mating in the forest according to the noises we heard. Besides that, only the exhausted engine was cracking behind us, the only technological monster in this scenery. „Pretty much like this…” he answered. He stared into the distance. So did I for almost an hour. We were enjoying peace for a while. Heading back to the civilization I looked in the mirror while taking the forest route. Wilson was sleeping on the back seat… or praying, I couldn’t tell. Maybe he was just dreaming about God. I was wondering. We were seperated by thousands of miles in distance, a thousand years of culture, approximately 40 years in age but we still had something in common. If he hadn’t been a committed Christian he could have easily been a moonshine runner as well – I was thinking. Although we didn’t have booze in the trunk (for both of us had been on a mission) nor a V8 under the hood we were still riding fast deep in the forest… just like a moonrunner. Wilson just not happened to notice this. But I tell you, it was a real hot ride in the woods, somewhere in South-West of Hungary…

The county I have been living is mutually called as the ’rebel one’. Back, more than a thousand years ago it was the property of a chief called Koppany, who, according to ancient pagan laws ought to had been king the first time for the then fresh nation and planned to continue pagan rituals. He was ultimately executed and Saint Stephen became the founder of state being the first king of Hungary in 1000. Somogy county (pronounced more or less as ’shomod’) had been the birthplace of many national racing legends in Hungary.

Also, Hungary had been at the birth of automobile industry and racing. Janos Csonka, who, along with another Hungarian bloke Donat Banki, ivented the carbureator. Then a third bloke, named Jozsef Galamb happened to be one of the main designers of the Ford Model T. The very first Grand Prix ever organised (the series, which in later was turned into modern Formula 1) was again won by a Hungarian, Ferenc Szisz and many-many more. Do you think Hungary is ’hot rod’ enough?

Unfortunately, history crossed all plans concerning automotive successes as well. Two World Wars, changing systems in the meanwhile from monarchy to democracy, then to communist dictatorship, then back to governed monarchy, followed by fascist dictatorship just to be replaced by communist dictatorship again for 40 years to be concluded in democracy for the past 20 years.

If you walk in Hungary, you will not see ’street rods’ as expected. Rules concerning street legality are very strict. Also, the cars made or imported in the ’30s and ’40s were mostly destroyed during the wars thus the main experiences concerning automobile customising for performance come from all those vehicles that had been produced 30-40 years ago. Of course, the whole hot rod scene (or I should say culture) is being more and more popular, but we have a slightly different definition of hot rodding. Drag racing is also getting more and more popular but this isn’t again where we come from…

…and this is the part where we turn back to my friend Wilson, who, by my belief of his poential bootlegging business. Hungary’s traditional alcohol would be vine. Up in the hills you may inevitably meet with vineyards. And if you take many gallons of vine int he car, you got to prepare it to the mission. Jut like a moonrunner. And there is a car as the perfect choice.

The one that is known internationally as the Lada Riva. The Russian muscle car. Of course it was not ’Riva’ in the domestic Russian market and first it wasn’t even named as ’Lada’. It was simply called the ’Zhiguli’ upon the mountain located near the factory. Based on the Fiat 124 (just being more stiff), it had a very simple FR layout but extremely effective. Note all today’s current Toyota AE86 freaks that the ’hachi-roku’ was being developed under the codename ’Project Zhiguli’ because the Japanese’s only intention with that car was the beat the impressive Soviet mountaineer. These cars participated in the first drift events in Eastern Europe, it is just the lack of horsepower that makes them incompetitive.

Going on with cars, let’s take the legendary Trabant. A REAL woody. I mean it was actually made of plywood. Impressive turning abilities compensated for lack of power. 2 cylinder 2 stroke engines created the legendary ’Trabant-sound’ that has being mocked by comedians today. And it also had a cool 50s retro-look making it a great base car for customizing. The Polish Polski Fiat 126P could be concerned as the communist Mini. Again, based on a Fiat, it had a rear mounted engine with less the size of the Mini. If you took it to icy roads you got the greatest driving experience ever. There were other RR layout cars as well, the now VW-subsidiary Skoda from the then Checkoslovakia, now Chez Republic. Groovy desgin and the RWD, rear engine experience made it to a racer (especially the 130 ’Rapid’ version that was a fastback, nicknamed as the ’communist Porsche’). All of these werejust everywhere if you watched!

These were just a few cars to mention, there were many more produced within the communist block, just to be tuned, hot rodded, raced in rallys, hillclimb runs. Built as sleepers or highly aggressive challengers for international competitions even up to the highest classes of motorsports if you watched closely. Today you can get virtually any car on the planet, losing the vintage feel for upgrading rides for dusty roads somewhere beyond the woods, somewhere in the middle of Europe. These scrapmetal heaps on wheels were once respected and customised by enthusiasts and many of them are still running the roads.

We have modern cars, we have a Formula 1 race held every year, but experiencing one of these vintage models tuned up to the extreme by vintage methods in a sideways motion on the dust. The spirit of racing and customising is within. There are just different concepts and possibilities.

If you liked this article, we may get into details later with cars, customising, hot rodding, and the whole scene!

#motorspurts #topgear - July 3rd

2011-07-11T08:16:00.001+02:00

Freedom of Speed

2011-07-11T07:53:00.000+02:00

#motorspurts #topgear - first edition

2011-07-01T06:15:00.003+02:00

#motorspurts #f1 #valencia

2011-06-29T18:18:00.000+02:00

Pikes Peak 2011

2011-06-28T06:55:00.000+02:00

#motorspurts

2011-06-26T20:59:00.000+02:00

LIVE guide to weekend's motor racing; June 22nd - 26th

2011-06-20T19:13:00.062+02:00

UPDATED! *WARNING!* This page contains live webcams, twitter feeds and further links. It may take a while to load. Races covered in this post: Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, NASCAR, IndyCar, Intercontinental Rally Challenge, GP3, GP2, Formula 1, Seat Leon Cup, Porche Carrera World Cup, ADAC 24 Hours Classics, ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hours and Climb to the Clouds. Click at your own responsibility. ;)

Valencia Street Circuit, Valencia, Spain

June 24th: GP3 FP1: 08:45 (07:45 GMT); F1 FP1: 10:00 (09:00 GMT); GP2 Q: 12:55 (11: 55 GMT); F1 FP2: 14:00 (13:00 GMT); GP3 FP2: 16:50 (15:50 GMT) June 25th: GP3 Q: 08:45 (07:45 GMT); F1 FP3: 11:00 (10:00 GMT); *GP2 R1: 12:40 (11:40 GMT); F1 Q: 14:00 (13:00 GMT); GP3 R1: 17:20 (16:20 GMT) June 26th:* *GP2 R2: 07:35 (06:35 GMT); GP3 R2: 09:25 (08:25 GMT); F1 R*: 14:00 (13:00 GMT)

Live radio coverage - BBC 5

Nürburgring, Germany

June 23rd, 08:40 (07:40 GMT) - June 26th 16.00 (15:00 GMT): ~~SEAT Leon Cup, Porsche Carrera World Cup, ADAC 24 Hours Classic~~, ADAC 24 Hours. Download the detailed schedule HERE.

Listen to live radio HERE.

Live times and positions HERE.

Live streaming HERE.

Ypres, Belgium

June 24th: *SS1: 16:38 (15:38 GMT); SS2: 17:32 (16:32 GMT); SS3: 18:11 (17:11 GMT); SS4: 20:22 (19:22 GMT); SS5: 20:56 (19:56 GMT); SS6: 21:35 (20:35 GMT) June 25th: SS7: 11:18 (10:18 GMT); SS8: 11:40 (10:40 GMT); SS9: 12:16 (11:16 GMT); SS10: 14:03 (13:03 GMT); SS11: 15:06 (14:06 GMT); SS12: 15:38 (14:38 GMT); SS13: 16:41 (15:41 GMT); SS14: 18:27 (17:27 GMT); SS15: 18:49 (17:49 GMT); SS16: 19:28); SS17: 21:13 (20:13 GMT); SS18: 21:57 (20:57 GMT) For a detailed schedule, click HERE.*
Listen to IRC Radio LIVE.	Browse stage maps.

Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa, USA

June 24th: IndyCar FP1: 12:00 (18:00 GMT); IndyCar Q: 16.15 (22:15 GMT); IndyCar FP2: 19:30 (01:30 GMT, June 25th)
June 25th: IndyCar R: 20:00 (02:00 GMT, June 26th)
For a detailed schedule, click HERE.

For a live camera view, check the sidebar!----------------------------------

Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, California, USA

June 24th: NASCAR WS FP1: 08:30 (16:30 GMT); NASCAR WS FP2: 10:00 (18:00 GMT); NASCAR FP1: 12:00 (20:00 GMT); NASCAR WS Q: 13:50 (21:50 GMT); NASCAR Q: 15:40 (23:40 GMT)
June 25th: NASCAR FP2: 09:30 (17:30 GMT); NASCAR FP3: 10:45 (18:45 GMT); NASCAR WS R: 12:45 (20:45 GMT)
June 26th: NASCAR R: 12:00 (20:00 GMT)
For a detailed schedule, click HERE.

Pikes Peak toll road, Colorado, USA

June 22nd: PPIHC FP1: 05:30 (12:30 GMT)
June 23rd: PPIHC FP2: 05:30 (12:30 GMT)
June 24th: PPIHC FP3: 05:30 (12:30 GMT)
June 26th: PPIHC R: 09:00 (17:00 GMT)
For a detailed schedule, click HERE.

Click for start and finish line webcam

Live radio coverage on KDRO from June 26th, 08:00 (15:00 GMT)

Mt. Washington Auto Road, NH, USA

June 24th: *FP1: 07:45 (12:45 GMT) June 25th: FP2: 07:45 (12:45 GMT) June 26th: R1: 09:00 (14:00 GMT); R2: 13:30 (18:30 GMT) For a detailed schedule click HERE.*

Run to the Hills

2011-06-20T11:33:00.000+02:00

The 24 Words of Le Mans 2011

2011-06-14T08:13:00.002+02:00

Le Mans in the 80s

2011-06-07T11:53:00.001+02:00

Does Bahrain Need F1 Right Now?

2011-06-03T22:41:00.001+02:00

The answer simply: NO. Going a little bit deeper the answer is quite obvious, so let's start with the obvious.

We should point out at the beginning: the case of the Bahrain Grand Prix is not a moral question on behalf of the FIA, it never has been. If it was a moral issue, then F1 wouldn't have gone there, or Hungary, or China, or South Africa for decades for that matter.

The Bahrain case is a primarily safety problem (still on behalf F1) which is unfortunately heavily rooted in moral matters. F1 has stayed out of politics so far (quite wisely) and it was words of wisdom cancelling the event from the calendar at the beginning of the year due to the Arab Spring and the unstable situation.

The FIA forcing the series to return to Bahrain later this year however broke that barrier and stepped to a yet uncharted and controversial area. Any move from now on will be examined through a magnifying glass.

First of all, no one wishes to go there. Neither the teams or the drivers, and supposedly their sponsors would stay out of controversy, too.

If a race to be held then FIA should risk the followings, for example:

general safety hazard (á la US GP, 2001)
self-proclaimed protesters on and off track (á la German GP, 2000)
boycotts from teams, suppliers (á la US GP, 2005) [this could lead to highly dangerous outcomes on behalf of a disappointed audience]
sponsors leaving, avoiding controversy (á la post-Singapore GP, 2008 case reveal)
long-term reputation loss for the sport

...and the list could go on endlessly. Even if a race could be pulled off without any setbacks, F1 would still be accused of intervening domestic affairs of a country. The problem is, FIA had already trespassed that line.

The only reasonable solution would be to back off ASAP.

Agree? Disagree? Share your view!

The Afternoon of Revving Dreams - Gumball 3000

2011-06-02T12:38:00.004+02:00

"Seems you got slightly disoriented right there” said the Hungarian border guard with a smile on his face as I misinterpreted his hand gesture and almost got the car in the opposite lane. “Yeah, wasn’t the first time today” I said, sweating all over in the heat and turning the old Ford four-banger off. It was the miles, the temperature, the rush hour, the foreign capital, the masses of one-way streets, the sometimes strange and seemingly inconsequent road signs, the fear of the car being towed away for parking illegally, the crowd, the cheering, the revving of turbocharged straight-6s, V10s and the applause in the – by all means beautiful – Croatian capital, Zagreb. As I waved goodbye to the guards knowing that neither them nor I would be able to afford the cars I had seen just a few hours prior, it was me putting up the smile and carrying on with my personal “Gumball 250″. This is the story of a small portion of the real deal: the Gumball 3000 in Zagreb, Croatia, on the last day of spring, 2011.

Read the rest of this entry here.

The Top 10+1 Deceased Racing Venues

2011-05-28T23:42:00.001+02:00

*WARNING! This article contains opinions and is a biased one. You have been warned.*

Since the first cars rolling out of the manufacturers' garage doors, people have been racing cars and motorcycles. To do that, they needed some sort of environment to sacrifice at the altar to their passion. Empty fields, public roads in the country or in cities, then purpose built venues all have been serving as arenas for petrolheads and motoring enthusiasts since then. Some of these venues have been there since motoring Genesis, some of them are not. Here is a list of the top 10+1 of them.

(Editor's note: All images are courtesy of Google. click the images for the actual Google Maps/Streetview spot.)

10. Circuit Bremgarten

The Bremgarten Circuit - in the outskirts of the Swiss capital, Bern - was designed with motorcycles in mind, although when opened in 1931, motorcars soon took over and become one of the most fearsome tracks, especially under wet conditions - largely due to having virtually no straight lines and a chain of public roads. It was on Formula 1 calendar from the beginning, but the disastrous accident at the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hours lead to banning all motorsports in Switzerland. To this day, no racing was held at the venue, nor in the country except a few non-track events.

9. Bridgehampton Race Circuit

Bridgehampton, NY, USA has a long history of motor racing, dating back to 1915. Early road races proved to be such a success that lead to the establishment of the permanent Bridgehampton Race Circuit in 1957. In its prime time it served as the scenery of World Sportscar Championship, Can-Am, NASCAR, IMSA GT Championship, and it saw the return of the legendary Vanderbilt Cup in the late 60s. Few, but technical turns for sport cars. Unfortunately, due to a lack of finance, the track was was dating out quickly, and by the early seventies there were virtually no pro-events held at this place. In 1999 it was converted to a golf course. Slowing down the pace a bit, right?

8. Daytona Beach Road Course

The sands of Daytona, Florida is basically the birthplace of American motor racing. In the late 1800s, early 1900s it served as the spot of land speed record breaking, but due to the narrow dry area it quickly became unfitting as speeds were growing higher and there was a constantly decreasing forgiveness for mistakes. Thus, speed hunters moved to the Bonneville Salt Flats, racing enthusiasts went on to race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and those who lacked money started racing here. The Prohibition gave rise the 'moonrunners', who, after the amendment was erased, joined the races with their tuned, outlaw cars and so NASCAR was born. The venue consisted of one long straight line on the beach, and another one on a public road, with two sharp turns. As the success of NASCAR races were growing in the fifties, the scenery was proved to be too small, only to be replaced by the Daytona International Speedway in 1959.

7. Brooklands

The first ever purpose-built racing venue, preceding IMS a few years, opening in 1907. A banked oval with three turns, also serving as an airport for smaller planes. The track is of unpaved concrete panels and was a perfect venues for V-max attempts and Grand Prix races. There was a vibrant scene until WWII broke out in 1939, and racing was stopped, moreover, it never returned for the track. Parts of the circuit are street roads, or just decaying slowly.

6. Pescara Circuit

The Pescara Circuit is the longest ever in the history of Formula 1 World Championship with its near-26km length. Two long straights meeting in an almost 90 degree-corner and zig-zag pieces of roads connecting the open ends, through towns. The track has been not unknown to Italian drivers as it was holding local races since the 1920s, and later non-champ and one official Formula 1 race event in 1957. As with every lengthy course, it proved to be too dangerous, and racing was ended in 1961.

5. Reims-Gueux

It's the beauty of the countryside, the endless hayfields that captures the eye of the trespasser between these small French villages. It hosted sports car and Grand Prix events, too, including Formula 1 races, from the late '20s all the way through the early '70s. The old grandstand and the pits are still at where they are supposed to be, would simply be a perfect backdrop for any vintage racing event.

4. Rouen-Les-Essarts

Laid out on public roads near Rouen, France, the track was a state-of-the-art one concerning its infrastructure along with its 'Nürburgringuesqe' characteristics - running deep in the forest with high-speed blind corners and its roller coaster-like height differences. Opening in one of motor sport history's greatest year, 1950, it saw several French Grand Prix races, and was considered to be technically highly demanding. This resulted in the unfortunate death of Jo Schlesser in 1968. The circuit was still open for F2 races, but ultimately it had to be closed in 1994.

3. Tripoli Circuit

Around the airport of Libya's capital, you can still find stretches of public roads that once belonged to the then-Italian colony's monstrous Grand Prix venue, opened in 1925. Everything was big here. The track with its 13-km length and few and fast corners it was designed for sole flat-out speed. This made it one of the most important events among racing tracks in the horsepower chasing, top speed seeking period. So much, that Mercedes took their regular test track, former motorcycle racetrack and converted it to a similar to it in character - thus Hockenheimring was born. The Tripoli track was an amazing sight with its enormous grandstand, the palm trees, the sand. The motoring proving grounds of the fascist-nazi regimes closed its gates in 1940.

2. AVUS

Along with the Nürbirgring, the AVUS in Berlin was an important part of Nazi Germany's propaganda. Conceived in the early 1900s, and after interrupted years' of building, it was completed in 1921, as the first stretch of Autobahn. Two long pieces of roads running in parallel, connected with a sharp turn at the Southern and a bigger one in the Northern end, making up 19km of length. The track went through several changes by cutting it in half and constructing a highly banked brick-paved 'Wall of Death' on the Northern part. Average speed was higher than of the IMS, standing for decades. Later, the 'WoD' was demolished, cutting the track in half again, and once again, concluding in 2.6km with chicanes added. Every major German race was held here, even the 1959 Formula 1 German Grand Prix. 40 years later, in 1999 it all came to an end and races were moved to the new Lausitzring.

1. Montjuïc Circuit

Maybe not the most demanding one, not the fastest, but one of the most classic one. Situated in the park of the same name in Barcelona, Spain, the venue was a host for tragedies, supreme winnings and yet the only female-obtained points in Formula 1. Just think of Jackie Stewart flying through the corners in a Tyrell and you'll see why it is number 1.

+1. Népliget

I have no excuses. I am biased. But I have common sense too, hence +1. Read more here.

Why Formula 1 needs non-championship Grand Prix races?

2011-05-23T21:11:00.003+02:00

Not long before the Spanish Grand Prix I went through some older F1 footage to see those mythical races people keep talking about. I came to the conclusion that it is not that difficult to extract awesome scenes from selected races of several decades-worth TV screenings. In fact, everything seemed just the same as nowadays, except the thrill of the possibility of drivers getting killed during races. Actions, moves, wheel-on-wheel battles. That is what you see from YouTube videos and that is what you will remember of recent races twenty years into the future.

Either way, something is missing indeed I had great fun to watch, and I'm not talking about teams, cars, drivers. What is missing are races. Almost for fun. For no consequences. We lack a pitiful amount of non-championship Grand Prix races, that were left to die with the 1983 Race of Champions.

Not long ago I managed to exchange tweets with Peter D. Windsor about this, and almost no surprisingly we share virtually the same opinion:

P: 44 years ago today Lorenzo Bandini crashed at Monaco. I was there. "L'accident a la chicane!" He passed on 3 days later. Very sad. #f1 G: @PeterDWindsor You were there in 1967? That was a great year. One of the best years of the sport. A simulator, GP Legends is based on it. P: @geehalen That year I also saw the Daily Express Trophy at Silverstone (Mike Parkes) and the Oulton Park Spring Cup (Jack Brabham). #f1 G: @PeterDWindsor I do sorry there are no non-championship GPs these days. There could be Olympic races, for example. P: @geehalen Yes, it would be nice again to have non-champ races. Special venues and charities, etc, etc. Some guest drivers.. #f1 G: @PeterDWindsor Definitely there's room and need for special races at e.g. classic tracks or streets. They don't need to be 300km long either

That basically sums up one aspect of the importance of non- champ races, but Keith Collantine came up with another ingenious solution on the f1-fanatic website:

A three-day, non-championship race weekend could include all the testing time teams need on Friday and Saturday, followed by qualifying and a race on Sunday.
There would be other benefits such as allowing them to test changes to racing rules outside of the championship: such as getting rid of the ‘use both tyres’ rule or changes to the Drag Reduction System.
Resurrecting non-championship race could allow teams to give testing opportunities for young drivers but also participate in a competitive event which will offer far more opportunities for promotion than a dreary eight-hour test.
It would be F1′s equivalent of a ‘friendly’ football match.

What a brilliant idea! F1 is trying hard to get messages through, recently supporting green solutions by downsizing and going hybrid. So, by being socially relevant, the event could be used as a means of fundraising for any matters in the world. Also, as a double feature, test restrictions that have been causing serious headaches for all teams so far, 'simulating' a whole race weekend may support more relevant data than a week of testing.

Current series of Race of Champions is rooted in and heavily influenced by rallying with F1 cars making a guest appearance as a part of the show. Why not making it serious and turning it into more than a gala-event?

In fact, where have all the during-race fun from F1 races gone?

The Hungarian Grand Prix Drivers

2011-05-15T14:12:00.004+02:00

May 15th, 1938 was a sad day for Hungarian motorsport. László Hartmann died of his injuries suffered at the Tripoli Grand Prix. With him, a great amount of hope had died as well. No one seemed to follow him down victory lane. With post-war communism blowing the doors on the country a decade later, Grand Prix and Formula 1 remained a legend no one was allowed to talk about. Until one day.

This is the brief story of the Hungarian Grand Prix drivers.

While Hungary has always been successful in rallying, touring car races, Grand Prix competitions seemed truly like a Nirvana out of reach of the imagination. This was a false belief, though, as the Central European country started off with the biggest bang motorsport has seen up to this day.

June 26, 1906. Unknowingly, there is history in the making for motorsport in general. The first French Grand Prix is about to start at Le Mans. The origin and prototype of Formula 1 and the Le Mans 24 hours as well.

Hungarian driver, Ferenc Szisz - great friend of the Renault family and racing engineer and of the factory's competition department - is waiting for the start. He has a great racing experience by completing various motor racing events in recent years, including the Vanderbilt Cup in the USA. This time it is different, as Reanult is in top shape and they are on their home ground at the first event organised by the French Automobile Club.

A two-day endurance event torturing drivers and cars as well, the Renault and Szisz make their stand.

Unbelievable and surprising result for Renault, France and Hungary. With a half-hour lead, Szisz wins the race, with Michelin's ingenious input in the tyre-design.

This single event marked a major blow in motorsports as factories realize the great marketing opportunities in such events. Szisz himself returned for next year's French Grand Prix as well, finishing second. Shortly after he retired racing at such big events and motorsports in general, later on. He died in peace in 1944.

In the years to come there seemed to be noone continuing the legacy of Ferenc Szisz. Partly because history stepped in with WWI and Hungarians weren't much welcomed on international level. There were private competitors in the late '30s, like István de Sztrika (1938 Swiss Grand Prix competitor - Alfa Romeo) or Count Ernő Festetics (10th at the German Grand Prix of 1937 - Maserati) - son of the then fascist leader. Interestingly, the latter got into a bar fight earlier with the son Dunlop Tyres founder, James Dunlop junior in a Budapest night club, both rolling down the stairs.

László Hartmann hadn't been considered much. Even his driving instructor advised him to get a chauffeur, he was that terrible. In the late '20s though, he evolved into an unbeatable champion of the hills surrounding Budapest. In the early '30s he got his chance to qualify to a Grand Prix event with his newly acquired Bugatti, and from that moment on, every race he entered and finished was regiestered around the 7th-8th position, right behind the huge factory teams of Germany and Italy.

Hartmann in his white Bugatti T35B, at the 1933 Monaco Grand Prix

In 1935, he switched to Maserati 8CM cars, competing on the hardest tracks yet seen. His fame was so high in his own country, that the first Hungarian Grand Prix was held in 1936:

In 1937 he finished 7th on one of the most fearsome tracks ever built, the AVUS, which made Maserati thanking his achievement personally in a letter. He was everywhere from Sweden, through the Copa Ciano,the Nürburgring, South Africa, etc. On 1938 it all ended in a crash at the Tripoli Grand Prix, breaking his spine and dying in the hospital later on.

It was a mournful day for Hungarian motor racing. Especially because history put its death penalty on all future international Grand Prix hopes. Following WWII, the communist regime took over and dissociated itself from such 'imperialist opium'. The walls were holding tight for decades, but the cracks soon appeared.

Following the 1956 revolution, the Communist Party found that endless supression cannot be viable, the leash was let looser. So much, that in 1986 the first Formula 1 Grand Prix was held behind the Iron Curtain on the newly built Hungaroring, marking the second Hungarian GP.

Hopes were in a return. Will there be another Hungarian Grand Prix driver again? And right then, in 1987, something miraculous happened.

Csaba Kesjár was a fearless gokart driver and hill climb racer. His passion was clearly drawing him towards single seaters. The '80s was a golden age in Hungarian motor racing (especially inrallying). The government was putting money into sponsoring young, talented drivers, entering them into international events. Kesjár was clearly an F1 driver in the making, as he was seen in Formula Easter, Formula Ford and the German Formula 3.

At the weekend of the 1987 Hungarian Grand Prix, it all came full circle. his dreams were realised as he got his chance by sitting in the Zakspeed Formula 1 car, giving it a few laps.

Csaba Kesjár in the Zakspeed Formula 1 car on the Hungaroring in 1987

It was history on wheels: the first Hungarian driver in a Grand Prix car half a century later, and the first driver in a Formula 1 car. Unfortunately, this dream was short-lived, too. Due to a brake-failure at the Norisring F3 race in 1988, he suffered fatal injuries, crashing into the tyre-wall.

When Csaba Kesjár was a star in Formula cars, Zsolt Baumgartner was just learning to walk. In the late '90s he was following the same path as Kesjár, and fortunately for him, he had the family background to make his dream realised. In 2002 he was granted a chance to test drive a Jordan F1 car, and in 2003, he became a regular test driver. At the Qualifying of the Hungarian Grand Prix, something terrible and fantastic happened. Ralph Firman crashed and was taken to hospital for an examination. The very first F1 start for a Hungarian driver at the Hungarian Grand Prix, and the second Eastern European in the sport.

Jordan sacked him et the end of the year, but a new contract (highly supported by the state-owned Hungarian Oil Company (MOL)) was in the way with Minardi. Minardi was one of the smallest teams in F1, but many future starts started here, like the two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso.

...and then, in 2004, something truly unexpected happened at the United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis. The first Hungarian F1 point was wainting at the Brickyard. Watch Hungarian commentator, László Palik, losing his mind as Fishicella's car is giving up:

That is history, right there. Later, he joined the Minardi ChampCar team, but the team later retired from the series.

The question is still open since then: who will be the next Hungarian F1 driver? Norbert Michelisz WTCC race winner? Pál Tamás Kiss GP3 racer? That is a story still to be told.

Vanishing Point - The Future of Formula 1

2011-05-06T11:36:00.001+02:00

There has been a lot of talk and discussion about the upcoming 2013 regulations for F1. Which is not surprising, as the sport prepares for a major overhaul - the return of turbocharging, a proposed 1.6l l4 engine configuration and a greater emphasis on the KERS system. What IS surprising is that this will be the second major revision within less than five years. The question arises - what is to come in the future?

Obviously the sport is in a depression at the moment and FIA tries everything to keep up the interest of manufacturers and the audience as well. Unfortunately these two seem to be constantly on a collision course and in recent years tension has built up enough to decide in favour of one party - although this was not intentional.

As far the cars themselves concerned (that are interested in policy the least) they are constantly formed by technical advancement, but from time to time, they get harnessed by motorsport and other policy.

So I made a little investigation into F1 regulations and developments to see the progress in cars in order to set up a trend that may manifest in the next 10-15 years.

At the very early of my research I came to realise (as I suspected previously) that major overhaulings came about every 10 years - almost exactly at the very end or the very beginning of a decade with some minor progress in the middle.

So let's see a little overview here briefly. In brackets, you can see the reasons:

Early '50s - 4.5l N/A or 1.5l supercharged formula quickly dropped in favour of F2 2-litre N/A regulations. Engine in the front.
Mid '50s - 2.5l N/A formula introduced, awakening attention of major manufacturers.
Late '50s / Early '60s - F2 formula introduced again, 1.5l N/A engines. Mid-engine cars start to appear - probably the most important development in F1.
Mid '60s - Engine displacement expanded to 3-litres, remains a general engine formula for decades.
Late '60s - Wings appear, torsion bar suspention introduced (note: the 1967 season is considered to be one of the greatest in the history of F1 as there was virtually no downforce yet but very high output) - the second greatest change in the sport.
Late '70s - Beside the 3l N/A engine regulation, the 1.5-litre force inducted formula is allowed for engines - the beginning of the legendary turbo-era. Aerodynamics makes its second strike as ground effect is introduced (along with the legendary, one-off Brabham "fan-car").
Mid '80s - Ground effect is banned - the first major restriction (SAFETY).
Late '80s - Turbocharging is banned (BUDGET).
Early '90s - Electronic driver aids make their move.
Mid '90s - Driver aids banned (only to be lagalized and banned in subsequent years), safety regulations highly restricted (SAFETY, BUDGET, COMPETITION)
Late '90s - Cars shrunk in width, effect of aerodynamics and grip on tyres decreased (SAFETY, COMPETITION); Bridgestone enters F1, creating a competition with GoodYear.
Early '00s - Engines are expected to last for 1-2-3 race weekends, gradually. Michelin enters F1 (BUDGET)
Mid '00s - 3l N/A V10 engine formula is dropped in favour of 2.4l V8 N/A; Michelin enters F1, Bridgestone leaves (BUDGET)
Late '00s / Early '10s - the biggest overhaul in decades: aero effect tremendously cut down, engine development frozen, Pirelli enters F1, slick tyres reintroduced (note: increasing mechanical, decreasing aero downforce), gearboxes are equal, mobile body parts introduced (F-duct, DRS), KERS introduced; (BUDGET, COMPETITION, ECO)
Mid '10s - 1.6l, turbocharged 4-cylinder engines to be introduced, increasing the role of the KERS system; talks about all electric engines in the future (ECO, BUDGET)

So this is where we are now, and we can see some factors trending: safety, budget, competition and eco influences, with eco and budget getting stronger and budget staying constanty low.

Where is this heading to by around 2020?

The 'competition' factor is an issue, viewer-vise. Due to the nature of open-wheel, winged cars, there's a high amount of aerodynamics involved that makes overtaking difficult. Thus supplementary body kits were banned and slick tyres reintroduced to enhance mechanical grip in favour of aerodynamics, supported by the DRS (Drag Reduction System) to make overtaking easy.

I suspect currently this is the direction the sport is heading to at one point. Reducing aerodynamics, the cars can get closer to each other, pleasing the audience with more 'wheel-on-wheel' action, and bigger manufacturers may be interested if there was more mechanicals involved (with the fear that a budget cap could destroy that hope any moment).

If we take that, we should list the 'items' that are strongly recommended to create greater mechanical grip:
- bigger tyres (wider across and bigger in diameter)
- even less aerodynamic downforce (the front wing could serve as an item only of saving the front wheels from aero-drag), moving the creation of downforce to the rear wing and the body mainly (see the next point)
- four-wheel drive - Now that's something that seems to be truly unexpected, but it's not. I'll explain: in other motorsports, KERS systems are used to drive the front wheels as well. In corner exits this could serve well, if it's an electronically controlled device. If the electric motor is put somewhere in the front, wedge-shaped body designs could be introduced again, creating the missing downforce from the front wing; I do not believe this would make a much higher budget in design than any major revision would. Overtaking could be easily solved by revised DRS systems.
- allowing driver aids - traction control, ABS, launch control, CVT transmission. I mean - let the computers do some work, let's not pretend F1 is in the stone age. If drivers are free from various controls on the steering wheel, they can concentrate on racing more. CVT transmissions can extend engine life and efficiency at the same time.

In other words: let mechanicals and computers create grip while the drivers are busy racing each other.

Another factor in racing is the nostalgy awaken in recent years: drivers like Rosberg, Senna and Piquet racing, classic liveries revived: Reenault, Williams, and two Lotuses. The reintroduction of the turbo is another flashback to 'good ole days'. Revision of some classic tracks could be also a demand in favour of recent Tilke-tracks. Everything was tried lately: night street-race, semi-night race in an arena with a tunnel involved, but in the face of preliminary expectations they didn't prove to be competitive tracks enough.

Also, a move to the arabic world had been made, another move to South Asia recently (India, South Korea), and by their heavy input in F1 teams, a Russian GP should be manifested soon, followed by an African race afterwards. But then F1 still needs to revive some of its old tracks if there is that much nostalgy involved. A Grand Prix of Argentina, Mexico, Sweden, Holland, etc. should be reintroduced on the old tracks, revised.

Now, I don't think this all could lead to the days of the late '80s and early '90s, being 'too fast to race', since there is a heavy influence of electric drive involved. Full electric drive is very compromised yet (and will be for a while), but being pushed that much, there is going to be a hybrid league for a long time, and endurance will be more of a question as opposed to speed.

I may be wrong big time, but clearly there has been a shift from flat-out speed to a strategic game for a while now. F1 needs to get messages through: i.e.: it is still cutting edge, they still use the best solutions, they still can be cheap and eco, and they still have the best drivers in the world.

F1 is heavily formed by policy and expectations - as every king would be suspiciously scrutinized. Surely, old-school is not Formula "1". Most efficient technology is (whether if it is the biggest power output, the highest speed, the lowest consumption - whatever policy and expectations dictate), that is built up of many factors as I detailed above. If something is lost there, it will not be F1 anymore.

Agree? Disagree? Comment, if you wish!

The Top 10+1 Forms of Automobile Racing

2011-04-26T18:30:00.004+02:00

*WARNING! The following article contains opinions. In fact, it lacks almost any objective measures. Arguments are highly appreciated. Thank you!*

...and here we are. Losing all unnecessary words, let's just say, without racing, cars would be just boring metal-boxes, carrying people from A to B, pumping adrenalie no more than a ride on a subway would. But thank God for racing spirit, no sooner the second car left the factory, the setting has been paved for competitive purposes. So now, let's take the ultimate forms of CAR racing here. See if you get hooked on some of them.

10. Truck Racing

No, this is not the NASCAR pickup roundabout (although more exciting to watch them as "general" "stock" cars, IMHO). It is the real deal. The clash of the Titans. A complete nonsense this is - vehicles designed explicitly for commercial trafficing squeezing through corners side by side on tracks that were put down on blueprint with small, competitive one-seaters and motorcycles in mind. Howling tyres, clouds of vapour and smoke as the rig trucks drift on six wheels for the checkered flag. Like skyscrapers going down, the sight and the rumble of the action resembles some sort of apocalyptic scene from the end of the world. Mad Max would approve, too.

9. IndyCar

"Stone-age Formula 1" - one would think. And I agree, but that is the point. But let's hold the horses for a minute and get deeper a little bit. IndyCar is one of the oldest seres out there (not formally though), originating from the legendary Indianapolis 500. Since the dawn of formula 1, there has been a growing demand to extend the biggest motor racing event in the world to a series, thus CART was created. Indy cars in the beginning wore strinking resemblance of F1 cars, but as the time of aerodynamic design moved forward in the late 60s, they took a different direction in engineering - as Indy still being centered around Indianapolis Motor Speedway and other oval tracks. No wonder, general development still went towards engine power, even after F1 started backing down. In general, an Indy car is a much cheaper design than an F1, and lately it has become a spec series. Equal cars fighting through ovals and street circuits, being similar to F1 racers 20-25 years back (especially with the new formula from 2012), they sometimes bring the same excitement as those races back in the day. That alone makes it to be on the list.

8. Rallying - WRC & IRC

Although these are two different leagues and series, they should be mentioned together, as there are barely any difference between them - cars are even shared for the most part. Rallying is probably one of the oldest racing forms out there - cars going from A to a very distant B, crossing the finish line. Although the competition has moved since then to a Super Special mayhem, one gist is still there that cannot be compensated by anything - the complete inability of putting this on live TV. Heck, a whole event goes on for a full weekend, and cameras cannot be put everywhere. People tried and failed: a live SSS coverage is fun, but feels more of an X-games event for the purpose of showing off. It took time to realize: this is a race for the hardcores. For those people who are willing to go out in the forest, at night, in the snow, just to watch the flashes and thunder one at a time, for a few seconds. This is love at its deepest. Although downsizing in the past decades has left its negative mark on the popularity of the sport, it still deserves to be on the list.

7. Dakar

The true meaning of rallying. As detailed no. 9, Super Special explicit runs make up a rallying event in the World Championship. Not in Dakar rallying. The greatness of a racing event is being indicated whether a whole series will grow out of it, as we saw it earlier, and as we will later on. The challenge on the African sand dunes has been altered from year to year due to political fear. First, not putting the finish line in Dakar, then moving out of Africa entirely, setting in South America. But the name is still there, symbolizing one of the toughest motoring competition known to mankind. Motorcycles, 4x4s, trucks unleashed into the endless savannah, hoping to see the checkered flag in the end, or to achieve a DNF alive for the worst. A journey through the wilderness. Not many motorsports earn its living of that.

6. NHRA Top Fuel

Racing at its main core, in the league of ultimates - concerning the duration of a race, the horsepowers involved, the g's, the top speed, the sound, the adrenaline. There is just no way to top this. F1 cars are always being compared to jet fighter planes, top fuel dragsters then should be matched up with rockets. They are indeed rockets with their 8000bhps, the "driver's" job is to aim the beak to the finish line 1,320 (or 1,000) feet away during those crucial 4 seconds. Nothing compares to the thunder and lightning experience these vehicles give. You have to see it for yourself.

5. Formula Off-Road

Take the previous two contestants and this is what you get. The other one would be top fuel sand drag racing. But this is more exciting. You have the nitrous fire-breathing V8 from a dragster, fitted with the same tyres with treads big enough for speedbumps, putting them in front of a vertical piece of mine-wall, and there you have it. Vehicles seemingly defying gravity, climbing up the wall as quick as other cars at a green-light start. Or put a lake between them and the finish line, and they would cross it easily... on the surface of the water. The craze that started in Iceland, is the most redneck motorsports of all, and it wasn't even invented in America - with this much fury at least. Insane drivers and vehicles. A much watch for every offroader and anyone in general, whoever saw a car at any point of his or her life.

4. DTM

Probably the most significant and yet most underrated spec-racing in existence - a perfect synthesis of NASCAR and touring car racing with a great hint of F1. Cars are very much like their Americans counterparts in their general layout, but they look ridiculously more fenomenal, running on tracks where ususally F1, touring car, and other prestigeous races are dominant. A defunct series with a magnificent revision and revival, quickly conquering Europe, stepping over to China, and rumors say, in 2013 a DTM NASCAR series for America will be launched due to the excessively successful formula. You get all the contacts that are acceptable in any NASCAR or touring car race, a real man-to-man fight, also, equipped with the sound of early 90s F1 cars. Take that, and consider Mercedes and Audi fighting against each other, clashing the Silver Arrows in numbers enough for a whole league. Plus, it is a haven for ex-F1 drivers, who now can show their more immediate, agressive faces pushing each other around. 2012 will see the return of BMW as well to complete German supremacy once more. There is scarcely anything to say against it.

3. Formula 1

The King of Motorsports remains the de facto King of Motorsports. De jure it is a little bit different, for it is a bad king lately. F1 suffers from a serious identity crisis, mostly since the beginning of the electronic age - concerning driver aids. Driving aids were banned, leglized and banned again due to the conflict of interests whether F1 is a drivers' skills sport or a technology-driven one. Literally. With driver aids turned on, it's more of a technological sport, turned off, it's less F1. Along with budget restrictions and simplifications, most of the great companies started losing interest lately, leading to a near split. I, myself have dealt with a possible solution, too, because the problem is permanent. Yet, it is still the ultimate benchmark of automobile racing and will be for a long, long time afterwards.

2. 24 Hours of Le Mans

If big car companies moved from F1, where are they now? Well, they are all here, between two small French villages. Seperated at birth, the Le Mans 24 Hours and F1 took very different routes, with the former gaining full attention of manufacturers. A win at Le Mans means a lot more to a company professionally than three world titles in a row in F1. Because the knowledge and know-how gained in F1 is being recycled into itself for the most part, experience gained from a 24 hours race here can be used on everyday cars as well. That's why it is no sacrilage that diesels are winning all the time lately, and most cars sold in Europe are diesels, too. This is the real proving grounds of automobile engineering. In addition, racing-wise, it is the perfect combination of man, machine and TEAM. A lot less individual sport than F1. Maybe this is one of the reasons there aren't as many followers of this sport as F1, people find it more difficult to build up a relation with it, whereas in F1 it is a lot more easier to get affected by the drivers themselves. The question in F1 is usually whether X driver would be faster than Y that year. In endurance racing, the main discussion travels around whether Peugeot could beat Audi once more or so. There are several series originating from this single event, but this is the holy ground, right here. In my opinion, the de jure King of Motorsports is the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

1. Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

What? How? I just claimed the Le Mans 24 Hours "KoM". How come it only came in second? Because here is the "King of Motoring Challenge". You can't and won't stay up for 24 hours just to watch Le Mans, will you? I suspect everyone slept one hour or two in the early hours. But the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is very different. It is a well balanced combination of the most exciting motorsports. Of course, it is a hill climb. Which means, you get a solitary time attack with enourmous elevation. It resembles rallying a bit in this respect, even more when talking about cars, including ones that are sometimes basically indy cars converted for dirt roads, but most of the time, vehicles that recall the best days of Group B rallying and Japanese silhouette racing. And some more. Literally, there are no limits but the finish line in the clouds. Hereby I proclaim the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb the ultimate form of automobile competition.

+1. Drifting

Drifting deseves a whole different section, for it is much closer to figure skating than straight racing. Drifting is the motorsport for the YouTube generation who grew up on Group A and Group B videos back in the day. Drifting takes the most spectacular bits of rallying and touring cars, and extends it to a whole event. For sure, a car is most exciting to watch when going sideways. Especially when there are two or more of them trying to get to the front. And where else can you find a motorsport where small Japanese four-banger hatchbacks are equals of monstrous American V8 and V10 supercars? Truly, truly a drivers' competition. All skill, all handling. That is all that matters for the most part.