Archive for News
UK Police – Over The Top (Brutality)
Posted by: | CommentsA police video shows the blatant abuse of “Protect and Serve” chasing a pensioner in a car and smashing a window with a baton, the 70-year-old stopped because he was not wearing a seatbelt ended up the unfortunate filmed in a scene worthy of the best police brutality collection, with police forcibly stopping his Range Rover after a 30mph chase/tail, leaping on to the bonnet and smashing a window before dragging him from the driver’s seat.
The police video shows the chase, with sirens blaring as police and the suspect drove along country roads, at one point a police voice is heard saying: “No change, no change, four zero or 30 miles an hour, still on the right side of the road, quite happy to continue.”
The scene changes dramatically when the Range Rover is stopped, apparently by a stinger device laid across the road by police from another unit, who also flag down the car on foot. (Stinger deployed for a non seatbelt offence?)
Immediately, one policeman leaps from the following car, runs to the Range Rover and tries to smash the window with a baton, while a man from the other unit leaps on to the bonnet and a voice from inside the car can be heard repeating: “Get off get off!”.
Eventually the pensioner is dragged by the arm out of his car.
The drama began when Robert Clive Whatley, a retired businessman from Usk who has suffered a stroke and takes medication for a heart condition, was challenged by Gwent police in Cymbran for not wearing a seatbelt.
He drove off as the police were issuing a fixed penalty notice, and later told Caerphilly magistrates court that he thought the police were finished with him and he needed his medication. When he realised he was being followed by a patrol car with flashing blue lights and sirens, he thought they were giving him a police escort home, he told the court. (quite understandable considering the pensioners medication request)
He was found guilty of not wearing a seatbelt, of failing to stop for a police officer and of having tinted car windows that did not conform to legal requirements. He was cleared of failing to stop after an accident, and admitted having a non-regulation registration plate. He was fined a total of £235 and ordered to pay £300 towards prosecution costs.
He has made a formal complaint to Gwent police, who expressed “great concern” over the reports. Two officers have been suspended, and the Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating the incident.
The Police Force in UK are becoming more like judge and jury every day, I would be disgusted to be a part of the force at the moment with recent high profile brutality cases.
You wont see this video on police camera action!
RedBull Formula 1′s Mark Webber Belgium Grand Prix Simulator Video
Posted by: | CommentsTo promote the upcoming release of the August Edition of Red Bull-etin, out on August 1st.
Red Bull have released this new clip of Red Bull Racing’s Mark Webber taking us on a trip around the Belgium’s Spa Formula One circuit.
The video clip supports a feature article by Mark Webber.
Be sure to get your copy at:- http://www.redbulletin.com/
Nurburgring 24h SP8 Class results #n24 #gazoo @astonmartin @lexus_eu
Posted by: | CommentsThe Gazoo team lead the Lexus powered LFA to the SP8 victory in a closely contested battle with the Aston Martin team.
The sound of this cars V10 blipping its way thorugh the gear changes; were really spellbinding you could tell the LFA’s was on route.
Overall the LFA driven by Kinoshita Iida Wakisaka in car 50 finished in overall 19th in the 24h.
The two works Aston Martins finished second and third in the SP8 class, One of the Lexus LF-A of Gazoo Racing kept the two works Aston’s at bay. The V12 Vantage Car 6 had held the class lead until mid-morning when a combination of fuel pump and driveshaft problems left the car driver and motoring journalist Richard Meaden stranded on track.
The team only lost sixteen minutes in repair a true tribute to the team effort shown, returned the car to the race, drivers Chris Porrit, Meaden and Peter Cate able to pull back inside the top 40 – their teammate Oliver Mathai having been taken ill earlier in the race.
It finished just behind Car-7 – the Aston Martin Rapide, which enjoyed a trouble free run thoughout the 24h race.
The race, and the Nordschleife track, was as unforgiving as ever, with only 123 cars surviving to be classified finishers.
2010 Nurburgring ADAC 24H Winner’s #n24 #bmwmotorsport #bmw #ferrari #audi
Posted by: | Comments
After a very good but cold weekend at the legenday nordschleife which hosted the yearly 24h race; And nearly 5000 pictures later we have the confirmed results from the 38th ADAC Zurich 24H.
Team BMW Motorsport has made a triumphant return and won the 2010 24-hour race at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife the 25.378-kilometre circuit configuration. Five years since the manufacturer’s last victory, the no. 25 BMW M3 GT2 claimed BMW’s 19th victory at this endurance classic.
Towards the end the leading Manthey Porsche GT3R Hybrid which was on lap 142 suffered a mechanical failure which changed the position’s of the lead cars, Which left the 500hp M3 GT2 to take the race after 154 laps. All the time wrestling with an intermittant gearbox problem for the last hours of the race.
In First position is the BMW M3 GT2 Car:25 (E1-XP2) driven by :
Müller, Jörg
Farfus, Augusto
Alzen, Uwe
Lamy, Pedro
In Second Position is the (Hankook) Ferrari F 430 GTC Car:43 (SP7) driven by :
Farnbacher, Dominik
Simonsen, Allan
In Third Position is the (Phoenix Racing Team’s) Audi R8 LMA Car:97 (SP9 GT3) driven by :
Rostek, Dennis
Ludwig, Luca
Bronzel, Marc
Nurburgring’s ADAC Zurich 24h Night Qualifying
Posted by: | Comments
I started the 2nd qualifying event down at the karussell it was cold misty and very difficult conditions.
This lead to the qualification event to be finished an hour earlier down to visibility on the Nordschleife.
This was the final standing of the top 10 cars. (SEE GALLERY HERE)
P-1 Car 43 – the Farnbacher Ferrari F430 GTC 9.20.552
P-2 Car 9 – Porsche Team Manthey GT3-R Hybrid 9.26.421
P-3 Car 12 Mamerow Racing GT3-R 9.35.280
P-4 Car 26 BMW M3 GT2-S 9.37.984
P-5 Car 100 Team ABT Sportsline Audi R8 LMS 9.38.334
P-6 Car 1 Manthey Racing GT3-R 9.38.502
P-7 Car 2 Team ABT Sportsline Audi R8 LMS 9.39.743
P-8 Car 41 Gazoo Racing Lexus LFS 9.40.191
P-9 Car 98 Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS 9.40.981
P-10 Car 22 Vulkan Racing Dodge Viper 9.45.496
Record of the Ferrari 599XX at the Nürburgring announced in Beijing
Posted by: | CommentsAfter the Pistonspy got exclusive shots of the Ferrari 599xx Hot Lapping the Nordschleife it looks like Ferrari did more than confirm it Lap time it made the lap record with a time of 6:58:16 seconds. (If Production Derived is allowed)
This was achieved on the 21-04-2010 after only 2 laps of the Nordschleife that day!
Also worth mentioning is the Radical got a time of 6m 48s and the Gumpert 7:11 so it is up there with the best times.
Heres the Press release:-
Beijing, 23 April – The Ferrari 599XX is the first ever production-derived sports car to break the 7-minute barrier on the classic 20.832 km Nordschleife circuit, lapping in 6 min 58.16 sec.
The 599XX, which inspired the 599 GTO, is an extreme berlinetta designed for track but not official competition use, and is a veritable technological laboratory incorporating a number of innovative solutions. Some of these will remain the exclusive preserve of the 599XX while others have already filtered down to the 599 GTO, introduced today at the Beijing Motor Show. These include the wheel doughnuts of F1 derivation which serve two purposes – to reduce turbulence and thus drag, and improve brake cooling.
Powered by a development of the V12 engine used by the 599 GTB Fiorano, the 599XX features Ferrari’s High-Performance Dynamic Concept, a novel integrated design and chassis set-up that uses sophisticated electronics to govern the mechanical limits of the handling for maximum performance.
On the aerodynamics front, the car sees the introduction for the first time of the Actiflow™ System that increases downforce and/or cuts drag depending on the car’s trim during cornering. This, together with other careful detailing, ensures that the 599XX boasts extraordinary levels of downforce – up to 630 kg at 300 km/h.
Fundamental to the performance of the car was the development of specific components undertaken together with our technical partners: Brembo for the carbon-ceramic brakes, Michelin for the tyres and Shell for the fuel and lubricants.
Also worth mentioning that I was the only person reporting on the story who was actually there as seen below.
Ferrari Official Video captures the Pistonspy
Nurburgring – Nordschleife Lap Times Analysis
Posted by: | Comments
Everytime there is a lap record beaten it is always argued by the manufacturers to the legality of the attempt and the actual class of the Vehicle.
So last night I spent some time just going through the Historic and other controversial lap records, I wasnt really interested in the class of car nor the actual legality of it on the road.
I want to do this on the Technological achievements of engine development through the Years.
In the past couple of years here are the top 5 lap times:-
| Manufacturer Model | Laptime |
| Radical SR8 LM | 6.55 |
| Ferrari 599XX | 6.58 |
| Gumpert Apollo Speed | 7.11 |
| Donkervoort D8 270 RS | 7.15 |
| Dodge Viper | 7.22 |
All the above times has caused stirs in the industry to the legality of the record arguing that for Example:-
- “The Radical SR8 LM would not pass a German TUV test so is not really a Road Legal Car.”
- “The Gumpert is not really a mass production sportscar so doesnt count.”
- “Ferrari have made there own class and the only one in it.”
All in all we could spend hours arguing over the legality and validity of the above times and also non of the above cars was scrutineered to prove it’s as per production.
So what is the conclusion of the above nothing really, but the Radical SR8 is the fastest trackday weapon for relatively little cash.
I wasnt happy with that conclusion, So I went back to the wiki to compare competition Classes, two stood out:-
| Manufacturer Model Driver + Laptime | Laptime |
| Porsche 956 1983 – Stefan Bellof | 6.11 |
| Ferrari 312T 1975 – Niki Lauda | 6.58 |
So my conclusion is that the Radical SR8 LM is better than the Ferrari 312T built in 1975, and still chasing the Porsche’s 956 6.11 made in 1983.
So after years of development and manufacturers insistance to add electronics and safety cells in turn increased weight hasnt really achieved the same lap times as competition class cars from nearly 30 years ago.
And heres a tribute for the best ever Nordschleife Recorded Lap Record Stefan Bellof 6:11
So the next topic of debate has the track changed from past-present but I will save that for somebody else to address…..
Ring-Racer at the Nurburgring will it ever open??
Posted by: | CommentsAfter a delay of nearly 12 months and no activity on the progress of RingRacer at the Nurburgring, and the Accident back in September of 2009 what is the progress of the opening of the “Worlds Fastest Rollercoaster”.
Apparently the roller coaster manufacturer “S & S Power” had to give money back to Nurburgring GMBH for not forfilling their contractural obligations reported to be around the 600,000 euros mark.
There are also rumours that TUV wont give approval because of the speed the Carriages go through the public walk area’s where the Carriages go directly overhead, and the possibility of injury from dropped items.
It is quite embarassing as well because one of the attractions within the complex “Eifel Tour” the motionless driver refers to the ring racer 3 times on his virtual tour of the beautifull Eifel Valley.
This was meant to be reopened in Spring 2010 there still is no official word nor any activity on the Rollercoaster and Prominately reminds you off the failure everytime you see it.
It looks like the controversy of the many lap records claimed at the nordschleife; has also been emulated with the claim of the “Worlds Fastest Rollercoaster”.
This crown is aptly going to Abu Dhabi’s ‘Ferrari World’ and this will likely be up and running before the RingRacer, and that is reported to be 125-150mph due to open in August 2010.
If anybody has got any alternative use suggestions for the Ring-Racer please comment:
