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Official Motorsports Thread of 2013 (MotoGP, WRC, Le Mans, Nascar, IRL, V8's etc)

2014 then?

Man, I'd love to see them in F1... only so it would mean your statement infers that Webber will still be in F1 next year ;)

Ha! Nicely done :)

If that Porsche job is Webber's to take, I'd take it. That's a very good landing spot for him. He still has stock, and he could cash that in for a couple years with, say, Lotus (who I think won't transition to the '14 regs very well), or front the most iconic name in sportscars for the next half dozen. I think that's an easy choice.
 

dubc35

Member
I've never been a huge Viper fan but this looks great.

BMvF5PxCAAAtHoj.jpg:large
 

Shaneus

Member
Great looking car, but kind of spoiled because it looks like it crashed into a Mickey Dees. I didn't think anyone had worse Forza painting skills than me, but Dodge apparently found one.
That's the best description for a paint job I've ever seen. but you're right... it looks great bulked up (far more European, IMO) but that paint job is horrid. We need Hertz Donut in here, stat.
 
Apparently Jason Bright has asked to be excused from any podium duties at the V8 even this weekend so he can catch the plane to France earlier. A bit presumptuous maybe but his team have been very good so far!
 

Shaneus

Member
Apparently Jason Bright has asked to be excused from any podium duties at the V8 even this weekend so he can catch the plane to France earlier. A bit presumptuous maybe but his team have been very good so far!
He's racing at Le Mans? Wow, good on him. With whom and in what?
 
Shit, nice! Hopefully it's one of the bigger ones.

Doesn't look promising, he's in an amateur car with two guys I've never heard of in a team I haven't heard of either. I imagine one of his amateur teammates will take out an LMP1 car at some point ending their race early.
 

Shaneus

Member
So, prior to Porsche announcing their re-entry... there's only been two manufacturers in LMP1 for the last 10 years or so, yes?

Shame, I'd love to see a tussle between several manufacturers in the fastest cars on the track.
 
So, prior to Porsche announcing their re-entry... there's only been two manufacturers in LMP1 for the last 10 years or so, yes?

Shame, I'd love to see a tussle between several manufacturers in the fastest cars on the track.

there's been other entries but they would be the equivalent Sauber / Toro Rosso in F1

Lotus has been there, but never accomplished anything
73353_299_10151229492327326_1327934565_n_750x500.jpg
 

Shaneus

Member
I must be missing something (feel free to educate an ignoramus like myself) but how come there aren't any LMP1 cars prior to 2000-ish. They were just called something else before that? For example, no 787B.
 

Dead Man

Member
I must be missing something (feel free to educate an ignoramus like myself) but how come there aren't any LMP1 cars prior to 2000-ish. They were just called something else before that? For example, no 787B.

GT1. And before that, Group C. One of the greatest categories ever.
 

Arucardo

Member
Completely bonkers what Crutchlow manages to do on that bike. If he doesn't get a good factory deal for next year then I can't blame him for dropping out entirely following this year's performance from him.
 

ashk

Member
there's been other entries but they would be the equivalent Sauber / Toro Rosso in F1

Lotus has been there, but never accomplished anything
http://www.lotuscars.com/sites/default/files/image_store/73353_299_10151229492327326_1327934565_n_750x500.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]

That's not really a "Lotus" though, it's just Lotus sponsorship... The team is Rebellion, the chassis is Lola, the engine is Toyota, and they've always been considered a privateer team, not a manufacturer (for what it's worth, they are pretty much the best privateer though).
 

Mastah

Member
Geez, thank god Marquez is in MotoGP. He made almost every race this year interesting and without him we would see the return of complete boredom of last few years :/
 

Dead Man

Member
Volvo officially joins V8Supercars: http://www.v8supercars.com.au/news/volvo-car-australia-joins-v8-supercars

Volvo Car Australia today announces that it will be on the V8 Supercars Championship grid in 2014 and ready to race.

As the first luxury car brand to join the V8 Supercars Championship with a factory team, Volvo Car Australia has joined forces with Volvo Car Group’s global motorsport partner Polestar to go racing.

Together, they will partner with the well-respected Garry Rogers Motorsport team to form Volvo Polestar Racing, the first formalised factory team from a luxury car brand.

The announcement was made in Brisbane today by Matt Braid, Volvo Car Australia Managing Director; James Warburton, V8 Supercars CEO; Mark Skaife, V8 Supercars Commission Chairman; Garry Rogers, owner of Garry Rogers Motorsport; Christian Dahl, Managing Director and owner of Polestar; and Vice President International of Volvo Car Group, Thomas Andersson.

“I’m delighted to announce our return to motorsport in Australia,” said Matt Braid.

“Volvo has a rich motorsport heritage in this country, including winning Australia’s most famous race, Bathurst, 15 years ago this coming October.

“As the first luxury car brand to enter a factory team in the V8 Supercars Championship, we’re determined to add to this heritage, while strengthening the presence of the S60 model line and the Volvo brand here in Australia.”

James Warburton, CEO, V8 Supercars, said of the announcement:

“To have another prestigious brand like Volvo in our sport is a red letter day for V8 Supercars.

“The strength of V8 Supercars is such that global brands, not limited to car manufacturers, are becoming increasingly aware of and directly involved in the business.

“It is my vision to build V8 Supercars into one of the strongest brands in the world with the partners to match. That is the level of untapped potential I believe this sport has.

“I am extremely delighted to have Volvo in our sport and congratulate Garry and his team on becoming the official Volvo factory team in V8 Supercars.”

Volvo Polestar Racing is a partnership between Volvo Car Australia, Polestar and Garry Rogers Motorsport, and it will be the official Volvo factory racing team.

Derek Crabb, Executive Motorsport Director of Volvo Car Group said of the announcement:

“Polestar has been Volvo Car Group’s global performance and motorsport partner since 1996, and has campaigned Volvos in the World Touring Car Championship, the European Touring Car Championship and, currently, the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship.

“We are extremely happy to see Polestar enter this collaboration with Garry Rogers Motorsport for Volvo Car Australia.”

The Swedish team will produce the V8 engine and assist Garry Rogers Motorsport in the development of the V8 Supercars campaign.

Polestar owner Christian Dahl said of the announcement:

“We are very proud and excited to take on the V8 Supercars together with Volvo Car Australia and Garry Rogers Motorsport, a Championship that has grown to become one of the most prestigious and competitive racing Championships in the world.

“Polestar will do our absolute best to add Volvo knowledge, engineering and development strengths to the already competent team at Garry Rogers Motorsport.”

Volvo Car Australia and Polestar are investing significant capital and resources into Garry Rogers Motorsport, who will produce and race two V8 Supercars based on the production S60 road car.

Garry Rogers said of the announcement:

“For myself and all our staff and sponsors who have been with us for a considerable time, the opportunity to utilise the Car of the Future regulations to introduce Volvo to our category is certainly very exciting. And I know that if we continue to work hard it will also become very rewarding.

“The opportunity to align ourselves with Volvo, one of the world’s most recognised brands, and team up with Christian Dahl and Polestar, is first class.

“I am still a racer at heart and the big plus of this relationship that impressed me more than others manufacturers I had spoken to was the fact these people had done their homework on the Car of the Future rules and regulations, and could see the commercial opportunities that this offered.

“Most heartening of all, I am dealing with people who understand racing from an engineering perspective and the personal, day-to-day matters you need to have experienced to achieve success.”

Volvo Car Australia has a rich heritage of motorsport in Australia, having won the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship in 1986 with Robbie Francevic in a Volvo 240T.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Volvo winning Australia’s most famous race, the Bathurst 1000 in 1998 with Jim Richards and Rickard Rydell in a Volvo S40.

Mark Skaife, Chairman, V8 Supercars Commission, said of the announcement:

“We have stated on numerous occasions that the mass appeal of V8 Supercars at a domestic and global level would entice manufacturers from around the world.

“Volvo has a very proud heritage in motorsport in this country, dating back to the 1960s. Robbie Francevic won the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1986 in a Volvo 240T, breaking the stranglehold of the BMWs. His factory team-mate that year was John Bowe.

“People may also forget that two of Australia’s greatest ever drivers, Peter Brock and Jim Richards, were highly successful with Volvo.

“With Nissan and Mercedes-Benz AMG joining Ford and Holden on the grid this year, I am sure Volvo will become competitive very quickly, particularly under Garry’s leadership, in 2014.”

Local Ford manufacture may be dead (RIP Falcon), but if the series keeps up like this it will be like the old Group A days again!
 

Shaneus

Member
Yep. Racing in Fujitsu colours this year.
Ah, that's good then. Hopefully once all the dust has settled, we'll be closer to an even number of manufacturers across the board.

For comparison, do we know how many manufacturers are in the other touring car series' like BTCC and DTM?
 

Dead Man

Member
Ah, that's good then. Hopefully once all the dust has settled, we'll be closer to an even number of manufacturers across the board.

For comparison, do we know how many manufacturers are in the other touring car series' like BTCC and DTM?

BTCC has a fair few, the 2.0l formula allows a lot of manufacturers to have a presence. DTM is Audi, BMW, Merc these days I think.
 

Shaneus

Member
BTCC has a fair few, the 2.0l formula allows a lot of manufacturers to have a presence. DTM is Audi, BMW, Merc these days I think.
BTCC, from what I've seen when it's occasionally been on TV, seems to be a travesty right now. Everyone's driving bloody hairdresser's cars :/
 

Dead Man

Member
I could've sworn they were always at least a little bit meaner and zippier in the mid-90s. Strange. Must've just been the styling, then.

Until 1990 they were under the Group A rules, same as the Touring Cars here at the time, awesome cars. But since 1990 they have been with the 2 litre formula I think.

Fake edit: A quick google tells me they changed the rules in 2000 to contain costs, maybe that slowed the cars down.
 
Suzuki to return to MotoGP in 2015


motogp-catalunya-test-suzuki-1.jpg


After two years suspension since 2012, Suzuki Motor Corporation has organised its test team to undergo more practical running tests at its advanced development stage and will participate in the official joint testing to be held at the Catalunya circuit in Spain. Through continuing running tests at the circuits inside and outside Japan for further development and refinement, Suzuki Motor Corporation will participate again in MotoGP racing from 2015.

Suzuki Motor Corporation will feed back advanced technology to be derived through MotoGP racing activity to develop further attractive production models.

The outline of testing team and racing machine to be developed are as follows:

Chief members of Europe testing team in 2013:
- Team manager: Davide Brivio
- Development rider: Randy de Puniet

MotoGP machine to be developed:
- 1000cc In-line four GP racer

Press release courtesy of Suzuki Motor Corporation
 

Arucardo

Member
Also, it's very unlikely that the Suzuki will be fast on it's first year (didn't do all that well last time either) so it would def. be a trade down from the Yamaha he's on right now.

Wasn't there some deal to make the CRT bikes more competitive next year? I recall hearing something like that at the start of the season but I could be totally wrong...
 

Mastah

Member
Also, it's very unlikely that the Suzuki will be fast on it's first year (didn't do all that well last time either) so it would def. be a trade down from the Yamaha he's on right now.

De Puniet finished today's test 8 tenths slower than Lorenzo, so at least one lap pace is good at this stage of development. And that is with de Puniet on their bike ;)

Wasn't there some deal to make the CRT bikes more competitive next year? I recall hearing something like that at the start of the season but I could be totally wrong...

Yep:

http://motomatters.com/news/2013/05/30/motogp_s_claiming_rule_to_be_dropped_fro.html
http://motomatters.com/news/2013/05/27/honda_releases_first_image_of_production.html
 

Jezbollah

Member
De Puniet finished today's test 8 tenths slower than Lorenzo, so at least one lap pace is good at this stage of development. And that is with de Puniet on their bike ;)



Yep:

http://motomatters.com/news/2013/05/30/motogp_s_claiming_rule_to_be_dropped_fro.html
http://motomatters.com/news/2013/05/27/honda_releases_first_image_of_production.html

CRT as a concept ends at the end of this year - so that Honda technically wont be a CRT bike.

The differing element between "prototypes" and "CRT" bikes next season will be the ECU. The "control" ECU used by all current CRT teams except for the Aspar ARTs will allow teams more fuel next year - it is fuel consumption as well as the testing regulations that has pushed Suzuki back to 2015. Aspar use ART's ECU, and are essentially Aprilia's "works" CRT team, and will soon have access to the mechanical drive system that was used breifly in WSB by Max Biaggi before being banned a few years back. This will give Aspar a bigger advantage over the normal CRT ARTs than they have at the moment.

One thing that casual MotoGP fans may not realise, that could decide the championship, is that Yamaha have a major engine issue. All the Yamahas have had to turn down the wick on their engines since Jorge had an issue a couple of rounds back. All of the Yamaha riders are pretty much on their fourth engine out of the yearly allocation of 5. In comparison, the Repsol Honda duo have used only two engines each out of the 5. If a sixth engine is used, that rider will start from pit lane at that race.
 

TylerD

Member
I love what DTM is doing to make the series available. I don't have to worry about finding a live stream or torrent. Just pop up the YouTube vid on my bigscreen and watch. I need to grab the V8 Supercars from this past weekend. Mustn't slack off!
 
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