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All 311 articles posted since 2013, sorted into 17 categories and tagged with a combination of 366 unique keywords.

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All articles filed under motorsport

The Coolest and Craziest Vehicles of the Dakar Rally (2024)

The 2024 edition of Dakar has kicked off in the deserts of Saudia Arabia. Here’s a look at some of the more left field entries for this year.

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Lancia Delta S4 Testing

Early tarmac testing footage of a prototype car that would become the Lancia Delta S4 Group B.

Glorious for the fact that there is no music, no narration, nothing, except the pure natural sounds of this supercharged and turbocharged monster being relentlessly flung between the armco.

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Proposed 2021 Formula 1 Power Unit Regulations

Formula 1 and governing body the FIA have laid out proposals for the next generation of F1 power units (PU), with improved noise, reduced cost, and a more level playing field among the key objectives.

More hybrid power using standard components and electronics, more revs, no MGUH, stricter turbo and fuel regs, tighter design paramaters.

A few new manufacturers have been waiting for these, I wonder if the strategy will work or has everyone already jumped across to Formula E?

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Hartley Gets F1 Call-up

Factory Porsche driver, 2015 WEC series champion, and 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours winner Brendon Hartley is set to make his Formula 1 race debut at the upcoming Austin GP, driving for the Toro Rosso squad.

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John Surtees, 1934–2017

John Surtees, the only man to win world championships on two wheels and four, has passed away aged 83, his family has confirmed.

Truly one of a kind.

Vale John Surtees.

(Wikipedia)

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1991 Nissan GT-R Technical Walkaround

Mark Skaife shows current Nissan Motorsport driver Michael Caruso around his 1991 Bathurst 1000 winning Nissan GT-R Group A machine.

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Subaru Australia Will Now Sell You a Turnkey WRX STI NR4

As part of a program to support local Group N competitors, Subaru Australia via Possum Bourne Motorsport can now supply FIA-homologated competition cars in three different tiers and any combination of six option packs to suit a range of different series requirements.

Official presser.

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Inside F1’s Tech Center

To coincide with the recent F1’s 2015 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, Ars Technica got an inside view of the technical nerve centre that supports the data and networking requirements for hosting an F1 Grand Prix.

From the outside it was a relatively anonymous temporary building, one of many that travel with the teams and organizers to the so-called flyaway races—events that take place outside of F1’s traditional but endangered heartland of Europe, where the cars and equipment are trucked from track to base and back again. Instead, for the races in the Americas, Asia, and beyond, everything gets loaded into freight 747s. In luggage terms, the tech center alone is responsible for a single jumbo—130 tonnes of servers, networking hardware, cabling, and so on.

Nuts.

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The Art of Innovation - Nissan GT-R LM NISMO on 4K

26 minutes of gritty onboard, pitlane, and behind the scenes action from NISMO’s tilt at the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans, filmed in glorious 4K.

Brilliant.

via @sportautolive

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Stanceworks reflect on Porsche Rennsport Reunion V

Epic Andrew Ritter photo essay of the recent Porsche love-in at Laguna Seca Raceway.

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Very Very Hot Formula 1 Brakes

Footage of Brembo bench testing their Formula 1-spec carbon-carbon front brake assembly.

via @scarbsf1

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The GT3 Class of 2016

dailysportscar.com preview next years crop of new and revised GT3 sportscars.

Looks like 2016 is going to be another banner year for the ever expanding category.

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Why Honda's F1 engine is just not working out.

Mark Hughes for Motor Sport:

The turbo’s compressor is too small – part of that ‘size zero’ concept – and cannot be made to run fast enough to compensate in terms of creating enough heat to give the ersH something to work with. But whether the breakthrough even comes next season could depend upon what happens with the engine homologation regulations. As things currently stand, the engine token system reverts in 2016 to how it was in 2014. i.e. tokens cannot be spent during the season

Fascinating analysis of the underlying design issues holding McLaren-Honda back in F1 this season.

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Toyota's Mystery Barista

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing cook up a breakfast for 171 friends using a mystery chef and barista: their TS040 Hybrid LMP1 car.

Not the highest of production values (those reactions and that electricity); nonetheless interesting and entertaining.

via SportscarOne

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Denny Hulme: The Bear Truth

In streaming rain on Bathurst’s 190mph Conrod Straight, the yellow BMW M3 appeared to aquaplane gently onto the grass verge. It glanced the wall and crossed the track, still clearly under control, to be braked safely to a halt.

It was October 4, 1992, on the 33rd lap of the Bathurst 1000. At the wheel was the 1967 F1 World Champion, Denny Hulme. The 56-year-old had suffered a fatal heart attack.

Twelve months earlier, Hulme had driven a similar BMW M3 to fourth at the mountain classic. The following day, he and I travelled to Tasmania to tour the route of the inaugural Targa Tasmania road rally.

Michael Stahl reflects on time spent with 1967 F1 World Champion, Denny Hulme, in this 2013 profile for Motor Sport Magazine.

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That Time Porsche Took Their RS Spyder LMP2 to Bathurst

During the lead up to the 2012 V8 Supercars Bathurst 1000, Porsche ran a number of demonstration laps around the iconic 6.2 km Mount Panorama circuit with Dutch sportscar ace Jeroen Bleekemolen at the tiller of their dominant RS Spyder LMP2 car.

Although not officially timed, the lap record didn’t stand a chance.

Official press release.

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BAC Mono vc McLaren P1 Track Battle

Lightweight sportscar (Mono) vs a Mack Daddy modern hypercar (P1) at a track day around the Silverstone International Circuit.

Both drivers seem to to be giving it everything, so fascinating to see the difference in straight line speed, entry/corner/exit speeds between these two very different though both very rapid cars.

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Porsche 919 Hybrid Night Ride

Ride onboard with Timo Bernhard as he laps the Circuit of the Americas in his Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 at night. Incredible speed.

via WTF1

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Le Mans Classic 2012

Love the atmosphere the colour grading gives this short video from ace photographer Laurent Nivalle.

Don’t miss his Flickr stream either.

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Gulf-Porsche 917K Shakedown

A short four minute video of Porsche shaking down the iconic 1971 1000km of Spa winning Gulf-Porsche 917K at Willow Springs Raceway.

Turn your volume to 11 for this one.

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Audi R8 LMS vs Terramar

Back in 2012 Red Bull took Carlos Sainz, DTM driver Miguel Molina, and an Audi R8 LMS to the historic Autódromo de Sitges-Terramar in Spain to see if they could break the lap record that has stood unchallenged since 1923.

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F1's Greatest Lap?

11 April 1993, McLaren driver Ayrton Senna started the European Grand Prix at a wet Donington Park from 4th place on the grid. By the end of the first lap, he was in the lead.

Was this the greatest lap in F1 history?

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Because WEC Is Better than F1

Motor Sport Magazine’s Andrew Frankel opines on the state of play between F1 and WEC:

What did you think of the race on Sunday? If you found it anything other than utterly spellbinding from flag to flag, it is possible you and I were tuned into different channels.

Actually I watched both the Chinese Grand Prix and the opening round of the World Endurance Championship at Silverstone and whether you tune in because you like to see close racing or variety in the sound, shape and technology of the competitors, the sports cars beat the open wheelers hollow.

Agreed. Multiple class endurance racing is where it’s at.

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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO

Racecar Engineering have updated their technical analysis of the so-far problematic Nissan NISMO LMP car.

We really want this crazy thing to succeed, it just needs continued backing to allow it to be developed to its full potential.

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Peter Stevens Reflects on the 1995 Le Mans Race with McLaren

Designer Peter Stevens reflects on turning the McLaren F1 into the GTR and taking it to Le Mans back in 1995:

It has often been repeated that the car was not designed to be a racecar, but I always thought that, with the GT regulations of that time, it was clearly well suited to become a competitive racer. The road version had gone from early sketch ideas to a finished design that was expensive, but with a wonderful engine from BMW it was well received by the press, public and customers. Two of those customers, Thomas Bscher and Ray Bellm suggested to McLaren that the F1 would make a good racecar for the BPR. McLaren quickly developed a race version, which, by the company’s own admission, was little changed from the road car

Don’t miss this article for early design sketches of what would become the iconic supercar.

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First Look: Peugeot 308 Racing Cup

Peugeot have announced a new contender for European single make and production-based endurance race series, the Peugeot 308 Racing Cup.

Your regular variety 308 wouldn’t receive much attention around these parts, so we’ll make an exception for this one. Just look at it!

From the official presser:

The PEUGEOT 308 Racing Cup will be available from the end of 2016 to customers all around the world. It is intended that it will succeed the RCZ Racing Cup in both single-make championships and saloon and sportscar racing series such as the VLN in Germany, CER in Spain, CITE in Italy and BGDC in Belgium, or even endurance championships like the 24H Series.

Don’t miss the accompanying photo gallery.

More of this please Peugeot!

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Sébastien Loeb Does the Nürburgring Nordschleife in His Citroën C-Elysée WTCC

Watch and learn as nine-time World Rally Championship winner Sébastien Loeb hustles his Citroën C-Elysée WTCC car around the full Nurburgring last year.

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The Secret Racing Test Tunnel No One Wants to Talk About

Larry Webster for Road & Track has the skinny on motorsport’s Area 51, a place steeped in legend and lore. A secret tunnel used to test race cars in perfect secrecy and—most importantly—near perfect atmospheric (viz. aerodynamic) conditions.

And then I was at the bottom, standing on an old roadway with weeds sprouting through the cracked pavement. I was staring at a new, shiny silver, domed structure that ran along the road for about 300 yards and ended at a decaying tunnel entrance. A stack of slick racing tires stood nearby, the final clue that I had found the place that symbolizes all that is fantastic about motorsports. Now I just had to figure out how to tell the story.

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Why V8 Supercars Had to Buy the Bathurst 12 Hour

Peter McKay for Wheels Magazine:

The surprise move to purchase the rights to promote and run the 12 Hour certainly triggered a tsunami of comment in the grown-up media as well as the usual gossip – much of it ill-informed and hysterical – on blogs, Twitter and Facebook.

In some quarters, the bold act by V8 Supercars – the same rival category that earlier this year blocked its drivers from competing in the Bathurst 12 Hour – could be interpreted as being bad for the future of that enduro.

Some even suggested the V8s only wanted it to kill off a rising threat, a race with real momentum and one that in recent years has been emerging as an increasingly popular and significant event internationally.

Not so. V8 Supercars Australia (using owner Archer Capital’s money) wanted the 12 Hour for many fascinating reasons – mostly very positive for V8SA and some potentially beneficial for the race.

Let’s hope he’s right on this one.

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Jeff Zwart does the 2015 Pikes Peak International Hillclimb

Short video of Jeff Zwart’s campaign, behind the wheel of his trusty Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Turbo.

Good enough for 1st in his class and 4th overall behind only an open wheeler and two very specialised electric machines.

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NISMO Reflect on Their 2015 Le Mans Campaign

NISMO takes a look back at a ‘character building’ 2015 Le Mans efforts with their radical and oh so new GT-R LM NISMO car.

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Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing does the Langwies-Arosa Hillclimb

Switzerland has no active race circuits. Motorsport was effectively banned after the tragic 1955 Le Mans 24hr race, with one exception: hillclimbs.

Watch as Daniel Müller gives his historic rally spec Gullwing a belting along the narrow and winding 7.8km road from Langwies to Arosa for the 2012 International Hillclimb Arosa Classic Car event.

Rare to see such a classic motor being driven on the limit.

Whatever you do, stick around for the action at the 2:20 and 4:30 marks.

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BMW Z4 GT3 gets a winning send off at Spa-Francorchamps

Marc VDS Racing Team gives the BMW Z4 GT3 the ultimate retirement present by winning the grueling 24 Hours of Spa.

BMW are set to replace the Z4 with an all new 6er based GT3 contender for the 2016 season.

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The 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1,158 pictures

Photographer Camden Thrasher provides a unique perspective of Audi’s 2015 Le Mans campaign by stop animating over eleven-hundred photos with great effect.

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Porsche's 2015 Le Mans campaign by the numbers

Porsche does a data dump from their Le Mans weekend.

  • The Porsche Team made 90 pit stops, 30 per car.
  • At 26 of the 90 stops, tires and drivers were also changed.
  • The longest distance covered with one set of tires was 54 laps for all three cars. In car number 17 Mark Webber did this ultra-long run, in car number 18 it was Neel Jani and in the number 19 prototype it was Nico Hülkenberg.

One for the true anoraks.

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Porsche goes one-two at Le Mans

Porsche took its first overall victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours since 1998, with Formula 1 driver Nico Hulkenberg, Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber leading a one-two.

The #19 919 Hybrid moved to prominence through the night, with stints from Hulkenberg and Tandy hauling it back into contention after it lost some ground during an early safety car period.

Bamber then picked up the mantle in the early hours of the morning, and as Sunday progressed any threat from Audi behind crumbled as all three of its cars required unscheduled pitstops.

All that was left after that was for Porsche to nurse its #19 and #17 home to a one-two finish, including taking care during a light rainshower in the final 10 minutes.

Porsche’s 17th outright victory at Le Mans, and a class act.

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Porsche on pole at Le Mans 2015

It can’t get much better for Porsche at Le Mans, taking the first three grid positions for today’s race. The trio of turbo/hybrid V4 919’s have shown incredible pace during each qualifying session, hopefully this pace is also reliable enough to be sustained over the full race distance.

To put their relative speed into perspective:

It is the fastest pole lap set at Le Mans since the introduction of the chicanes on the Mulsanne Straight, and the sixth fastest in history in terms of laptime regardless of configuration.

It is also the first Porsche to take pole at Le Mans since Michele Alboreto in the Joest WSC 95 in 1997.

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Jay Leno x Nissan GT-R LM Nismo

Jay Leno spends some time in his studio with Zack Eakin, Chief Engineer for Nissan’s LMP program, pouring over the details of their 2015 Le Mans challenger, the radical Nissan GT-R LM Nismo.

Don’t miss the behind the scenes clip by NISMO TV.

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Porsche at Le Mans: The Definitive History

Published in the lead-up to Porsche’s return to the top flight LMP1 category at Le Mans in 2014, XCAR takes a detailed look at the history of Porsche at Le Mans.

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Ford set to announce their return to Le Mans

Strong rumours suggest that Ford will shortly announce thir return to factory sportscar racing in 2016 with a GTE-spec version of their 2015 Ford GT concept car.

According to Autosport:

Ford’s return to Le Mans has been timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first of its four consecutive victories in the 24 Hours from 1966.

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2015 24 Hours of Le Mans Couch Kit

Reilly Brennan presents his ‘24 Hours of Le Mans Couch Kit’ for this weekend’s festivities. Tonnes of resources and tips for following the all the action online and from afar.

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Martini Porsche 936 flat out around Le Mans

Goodwood Road & Racing share a fantastic lap of the classic – and chicane free – Le Mans circuit, onboard Jurgen Barth’s 1977 race-winning Martini Porsche 936.

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Why is the GT-R LM Nismo FWD?

Team principal and technical director for Nissan/NISMO’s 2015 Le Mans tilt, Ben Bowlby, tells us why their GT-R LM NISMO is front-wheel drive and why this makes them a hot contender for outright victory at La Sarthe this weekend.

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Mazda RX-3 stars at the 1972 Fuji 250km race

Epic footage of ‘The Fuji Masters Super Touring Race, 10th October 1972’ featuring the Mazda RX-3 vs Nissan Skyline GT-R.

Don’t miss Part Two.

(via)

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A Sea of French Racing Blue at the Matra Museum

The town of Romorantin south of Paris is home of Matra, Formula 1 World Champions back in 1969 and three time Le Mans winners with their iconic blue machines.

Jonathan Moore for Speedhunters takes us to the Musée Automobiles Matra for an inside look at the cars the forged Matra’s motorsport legacy.

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1971 Nürburgring 1000km: A Porsche clean sweep

A ten minute review of the 1971 Nürburgring 1000km, where the mighty Porsche 908/3 finished 1-2-3 beating the fancied Ferrari 312s and Alfa-Romeo T33s.

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Bernd Mayländer, F1 Safety Car Driver

The man behind the wheel of the F1 Safety Car since 2000 introduces his new steed, the 2015 Mercedes-AMG GT S.

Bonus: Four and a half minutes of natural sound footage of the GT S and C63 S Estate Medical Car counterpart.

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Inside Toyota Motorsport GmbH

Underneath one of the two wind tunnels inside Toyota Motorsport’s Cologne facility rests a priceless collection of motorsport history.

See also:

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How to drive an early Porsche 911 around Spa Francorchamps

Watch Roman Caresani overtake and oversteer his way around everything in his 1965 Porsche 911 around Spa.

(via Goodwood Road & Racing)

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SRO Race Centre by MMC at Paul Ricard

dailysportscar visit Stephane Ratel’s ‘SRO Race Centre by MMC’ at the iconic Paul Ricard circuit in the South of France, home to an eclectic collection of old GT and sportscars.

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Alternative F1 livery designs for 2015

After spate of new car announcments and a glut of boring livery designs for 2015, Stuart Taylor for Sidepodcast ponders what could have been.

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A day at Nismo's Omori factory

Speedhunter’s profile the new headquarters for Nissan’s motorsport offshoot, NISMO.

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McLaren F1 — Le Mans Memories

An interview with Ray Bellm covering the creation and early success of the McLaren F1 GTR.

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Watch the Le Mans 2014 Porsche Carrera Cup support race

61 cars on a 45 minute tilt around the full Le Mans Circuit.

Look out for car #219 being driven by Kiwi gun racer Earl Bamber and #100 by Chris Harris.

The Porsche Carrera Cup race to end Porsche Carrera Cup races.

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Ford quits V8 Supercars from 2016

Bob Graziano, President and CEO of FoMoCo of Australia, sends the word via an internal email, as scooped by Speedcafe.com:

As we continue to transform our business, we would like to share with you news that will break soon on decisions we are making to ensure a bright future for Ford Australia.

This afternoon, we will announce we will provide support to teams racing Ford Falcons in the 2015 V8 Supercars series but will not renew our sponsorships after the 2015 season.

We are electing to invest our funds to continue expanding and refreshing our product lineup while delivering a leading consumer experience.

At least now there’s no uncertainty.

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1972 King Edward Park Hillclimb

Highlights from Round One of the 1972 Australian Hillclimb Championship held at Newcastle, NSW.

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1st lap of the 2014 Nurburgring 24hr onboard a BMW M235i Racing

This is the first lap of the 2014 Nurburgring 24h rennen, onboard Ring-Attack #303 BMW M235i Racing with the driver Jesse Krohn.

Nearly all of it at ten-tenths. So very fast.

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The making of the Williams Renault FW15C

Go behind the scenes as the Williams Team prepare a pair of FW15 chassis for pre-season testing ahead of their dominant 1993 season.

via @karunchandhok

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Mazda RX-7: Australia’s most controversial Group C touring car

Mark Oastler for Shannons Club:

From the moment its entry was proposed late in 1978, the little rotary-powered sports coupe from Japan challenged traditional thinking on what an outright contender in 1980s touring car racing could be. And that was enough to trigger a farcical political stoush over its acceptance, which played out from late December 1979 to January 1981.

The fascinating story of Mazda’s foray into the Australian Touring Car Championship.

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Speedhunters does Toyota Motorsport GmbH

Jonathan Moore for Speedhunters takes us inside Toyota’s Cologne-based motorsport HQ. A hard-to-access facility positively brimming with ex-WRC, Le Mans, and Formula 1 machinery, not to mention the odd one-of-a-kind prototype or homologation special.

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Penske confirms 2015 V8 Supercars entry

SpeedCafe reports:

American giant Team Penske has confirmed it will join the 2015 V8 Supercars Championship with Marcos Ambrose in partnership with legendary outfit Dick Johnson Racing.

Ford, Dick Johnson Racing, Marcos Ambrose driving #17, and Team Penske. What could possibly go wrong?

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Porsche 911 GT3 RGT at Rallye Deutschland

After being granted approval to run their newly-developed RGT 997 GT3, Tuthill Porsche gave it a proper baptism at the recent ADAC Rallye Deutschland.

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The Monza's Gorilla — @monzasgorilla

A must follow for all Formula 1 fans on Twitter, run by the Associazione Vittorio Brambilla.

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Le Mans 2014 Timelapses

“1 person, 24 hours, 9,621 photos, 5 beers, 0 media credentials and this is what happens.”

DC Chavez turns some bad luck into a fittingly great tribute to the 2014 Le Mans 24-Hour race, with hardly a car in sight.

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Nürburgring 24 Hours | Intervals

A slow-motion video recapping the 2014 Nürburgring 24-Hour race.

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Kenny Brack provides a lesson in car control

Attempting to qualify Adrian Newey’s Ford GT40 in the wet at the 2013 Goodwood Revival.

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Porsche GT3 approved for WRC

UK Porsche specialist Tuthill have built, tested and gained approval to rally their RGT-spec 997 GT3 in the WRC.

“It’s taken a determined effort by our team to get FIA approval for a modern 911 in current WRC rallying, but we’re delighted to have finally accomplished this. Now that the door has been opened, the prospects offered by a Porsche 911 RGT rally car are incredibly exciting and nothing beats live stage rallying, so we just can’t wait to try it.”

Great news.

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Secret Audi Group S Prototype

A glimpse into the development of Audi’s mid-engined answer to the Lancia Delta ECV and Toyota 222D from 1986.

Also known as the Audi Sport Quattro RS 002 or Quattro Sport E2.

via Jalopnik

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Nissan signals intent to join WEC LM P1 ranks in 2015

Nissan wants to join the big boys:

Nissan will unleash the GT-R and go head-to-head with Audi, Porsche and Toyota at Le Mans in 2015. The Japanese manufacturer will also contest the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship with a full factory effort of two LM P1 cars.

We just hope they’re not spreading their marketing budget too thin: Formula 1, LM P2, GT3, Garage 56, GT Academy, the Olympics, Champions League football, and now WEC with an LM P1.

Something’s got to give.

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Mazda 787B onboard lap with Johnny Herbert at Le Mans 2011

After a lengthy restoration, the 1991 Le Mans 24 Hour winning Mazda 787B returns to La Sarthe, twenty years after its historic victory.

Driven in anger once again by the man who took the one and only Le Mans victory by a rotary-powered car, Johnny Herbert.

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Aston Martin at the 2014 Nürburgring 24 Hours Race

Aston Martin reflect on their 2014 Nürburgring campaign.

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Audi wins dramatic Le Mans

Motorsport Magazine reports:

Audi scored its 13th victory in 15 attempts at the Le Mans 24 Hours, and Andre Lotterer, Benoit Treluyer and Marcel Fassler their third in four years, but only after one of the most dramatic races in the grand euduro’s long history.

What a race! The last few hours had us on the edge of our seats. Porsche #20 was looking like an outside chance with just two hours to go, until engine issues put paid to a fairy tale return to La Sarthe.

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Porsche reflect on their 2014 Le Mans campaign

And starts looking forward to 2015.

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VH Commodore SS: The Cop Car that won Bathurst

Mark Oastler recounts Peter Brock’s battle to homologate parts for the VH Commodore to race at Bathurst.

As “Peter Perfect” put it himself:

“It’s a police car without a siren!”

(via Motorsport Retro)

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Nissan Altima V8 Supercar on the Calder Park Thunderdome

Nissan Motorsport TV:

Rick Kelly gets behind the wheel of the Jack Daniel’s Racing Nissan Altima for some hot laps of Australia’s only NASCAR track, the Calder Park Thunderdome.

With so few purpose-built tracks available in Australia, sad to see Calder in such a state.

(More)

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The infamous Toyota MR2 Group S

Motorsport Retro profiles a Toyota-developed Group S rally machine from the ’80s:

“Group S was a stillborn class of rallying which was canned alongside Group B in 1986. Originally slanted to replace the outgoing Group B with an exciting power-limiting formula not dissimilar to current WRC, Group S was instead shelved along with Group B, in favor of the considerably less exciting Group A.”

Never knew this car existed.

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Porsche 919 In-depth Technical Analysis

Speaking of the 919, don’t miss Racecar Engineering’s peerless technical analysis of the development history and recent testing updates to Porsche’s clean-sheet WEC and Le Mans challenger.

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Porsche Formula 1 rumours gaining traction

AUSmotive reports on swirling rumours of an engine deal with RedBull Racing from 2016.

Considering the synergies between the FIA’s new LMP1 sportscar and F1 technical regulations, rumours of this deal might have some legs.

Porsche’s somewhat odd choice of a V4 configuration engine for the 919 now doesn’t seem that odd at all, considering the possibility they may be able to use the same basic architecture to produce a V6 version of the same platform for F1.

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The Lion is ready to roar again... Peugeot returns to Dakar

With a history of success like theirs, it’s hard to not get excited about this. (More)

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Aston Martin Racing and Prodrive

Drive visit the hallowed workshop of UK motorsport legends Prodrive and home of Aston Martin Racing.

Shot just three weeks prior to their 2013 Le Mans campaign, a race forever remembered for the tragic accident that claimed the life of Aston Martin Racing driver Allan Simonsen behind the wheel of his #95 GTE-AM Vantage.

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Paris-Dakar on a Vespa

The Dakar rally is probably the most gruelling and dangerous motor race in the world. Motorcycles, cars, quad bikes and trucks compete, not so much with each other, but with the race itself, to survive each year’s course. Competitors slog through each mile in danger of serious injury and death.

In 1980 a French team of 4 riders, put together by Jean-Francois Piot, decided that this all sounded wonderful and that they would enter the race. On their Vespas.

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A grid full of win

Brad Lord for Speedhunters:

Toyota New Zealand’s official motorsport wing - Toyota Racing - saw potential in the ZN6 chassis as well, and in March this year announced that it would be developing a new one-make/showroom-stock series around the car that’s destined to become a future classic. It wasn’t talking about a car like TRD’s 86 Racing edition, but a proper track attacker.

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First look: BMW M235i racing

First video of BMW Motorsport’s new customer racing machine, the M235i Racing, in action.

BMW Motorsport is adding a new car to its customer racing range, which is spearheaded by the BMW Z4 GT3, in the form of the BMW M235i Racing. At a price of 59,500 Euros (plus VAT), this car helps to make motorsport affordable on an entry-level basis. Customer feedback has been very positive so far. No wonder, as the new car is a true beauty.

(Read more…)

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Porsche LMP1 2000 revealed

First time we’ve seen these photos of Porsche’s stillborn LMP car from 2000, the engine from which went on to form the basis for the Carrera GT supercar.

(More), (Even more)

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Honda reveals 2014 Civic BTCC racer

Matt Bird for Pistonheads:

The Honda Yuasa Racing Team will campaign Civic Tourer-based machines in 2014, the first team since Volvo if memory serves. There’s only a rendering at present, but doesn’t it just look brilliant (and a little barmy?).

Honda ups the ante after clean-sweeping every BTCC championship three years running. Bravo.

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Mark’s mate's mate

Peter Windsor:

“…here, in Mark’s own words, are some pen-portraits of some of the key figures from his career.”

We’ll miss cheering on MW when F1 rolls around next year, though the prospect of him returning to the grid at Le Mans in a factory Porsche is epic.

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The Goodwood Revival RAC TT 2013, in a Lister Jaguar Coupe

Chris Harris jumps at the opportunity to drive a one-of-one Lister Jaguar coupe in the TT.

Hardcore motorsport on a packed grid of priceless historic machinery. It doesn’t get much better.

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Motorsport has lost the 'fear factor' to safety

In a dark month for motorsport, Anthony Davidson reflects on his own experiences from Le Mans and the ever increasing safety concerns impacting the modern spectacle of racing:

The problem is, the safer the circuit becomes the more ruthless the driving becomes.

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Sean Edwards, 1986-2013

Chris Harris remembers Sean Edwards:

Sean always did things with racing cars I couldn’t quite comprehend, and now he is gone and I’ll never have the chance to watch his talent grow and vicariously enjoy the many successes that he was surely going to achieve. That makes me sad and angry.

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Making the Nissan GT-R race-ready

Autocar compares the road going GT-R against the new GT3 model built by JRM Racing in a picture special:

The JRM Racing Nissan GT-R you see here is a relative newcomer to the class, and it certainly stands out next to the Lamborghinis and Audi R8s. The GT3 GT-R costs £320,000 plus taxes (good value compared with some rivals), and a season’s racing should set you back around £1 million.

We love a quality motorsport build.

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Brabham BT52 restoration

BMW Classic promo video of an iconic Gordon Murray-designed BT52 being restored, shaken down on the track then taken up the hill at Goodwood by none other than Nelson Piquet.

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Reports link Michelin to F1 tyre contract bid

Crash.net:

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport publication reported on Sunday that tyre manufacturer Michelin is close to making a formal announcement that it will enter the next tendering process for the supply contract.

A week’s been and gone and still no announcement. Has the silly season started early?

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Citroën C-Elysée WTCC challenger revealed

Renderings only at this stage, with the actual roll-out scheduled for the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

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Return of the Nissan GT-R to Mount Panorama for the 2014 Bathurst 12 hour

Nissan Motorsport Australia:

“Mount Panorama is one of the world’s iconic racing circuits and the Nissan GT-R has incredible history there. We are pleased to be at Bathurst with Nissan Motorsport in V8 Supercars this October, and then again with the Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 next February for the Bathurst 12 Hour.”

Crack “Nismo Athlete Global Team” GT3 squad fielding drivers from their newly announced “Nismo Global Driver Exchange” program which includes winners of Nissan’s GT Academy virtual-to-real world racing competition.

The B12hr just gets better and better.

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Daniel Ricciardo joins Red Bull for Silverstone F1 test

Edd Straw reporting for Autosport:

He is known to be highly-rated by the crew that ran him for Red Bull in the young driver tests in 2009 and 2010 and a strong performance at Silverstone could be decisive in whether he lands a race seat for next year.

Sounds good to us.

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Porsche at Le Mans 2013

Very nicely done, bravo Porsche.

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Onboard video of Sebastien Loeb's record-breaking run at Pikes Peak

Tom Bellingham for Red Bull International:

Many expected something special from nine-time WRC champion Sebastien Loeb as he took part in the 91st running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb yesterday (30 June), but not many predicted him to completely obliterate the record.

The Frenchman clocked an incredible time of 8m13.878s, becoming the first driver ever to do a sub nine-minute time and beating the previous Pikes Peak record by over a minute and a half.

A minute and a half. A minute and a half…

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Mark Webber Q&A – 2014 and beyond

Answering some direct questions on why he’s leaving F1 for Le Mans:

“Le Mans is one of the most famous circuits in the world and to be honest, I still see it as unfinished business and I want to do well there. Le Mans can be cruel as we’ve just seen, but it’s incredibly rewarding and that’s part of the allure.”

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Formula 1 pilot Mark Webber to contest Le Mans for Porsche

Mark Webber:

It’s an honour for me to join Porsche at its return to the top category in Le Mans and in the sports car World Endurance Championship and be part of the team. Porsche has written racing history as a manufacturer and stands for outstanding technology and performance at the highest level.

I’m very much looking forward to this new challenge after my time in Formula 1. Porsche will undoubtedly set itself very high goals. I can hardly wait to pilot one of the fastest sports cars in the world.”

After so many rumours for such a long time it’s so great to finally get this out in the open.

With Porsche’s factory tilt at the WEC and Le Mans, Mark’s vacated seat at Red Bull Racing stirring up more than a few line-ups in F1 and the wholesale technical changes in F1, 2014 is shaping up to be a vintage year for motorsport.

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Le Mans 24 Hours: Kristensen, McNish, Duval clinch Audi victory

Autosport:

Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish and Loic Duval took a commanding victory in a Le Mans 24 Hours that was overshadowed by the death of Danish driver Allan Simonsen early in the race.

An epic race, sadly to be remembered for the wrong reasons. RIP Allan Simonsen.

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Volvo joins V8 Supercars

Matt Braid, Volvo Car Australia Managing Director:

“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.”

A two-car team fielded by Garry Rogers Motorsport from 2014 onwards with support from Volvo’s global motorsports partner, Polestar, and the backing of Volvo Car Australia. Early reports indicate the team will use a Polestar-led development of the Yamaha B8444S V8 usually found in XC90 or S80 models.

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Grassroots masters: The Idlers hit Tsukuba

Speedhunters spotlight the eclectic Idlers Games meet at Tsukuba. Don’t forget Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

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Porsche preview their 2014 Le Mans challenger

Matthias Müller, Chairman of the Executive Board at Porsche AG:

“The engineers were able to start with a blank sheet of paper in the design of the new LMP1 car that was out here today on the Weissach race track for the first time. Hence, they were able to apply many new technologies within the framework of the regulations that will also benefit the customers of our road legal automobiles in the future. After all, there’s a race car in every Porsche.”

Unlike Formula 1, Porsche can now undertake almost unlimited testing and development before joining the WEC and Le Mans next year.

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2013 24 Hours of Le Mans Couch Kit

Reilly Brennan provides all you need to follow the action at Le Mans from the comfort of your own keyboard.

22-23 Jun 2013.

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Vettel extends deal with Red Bull until 2015

But only by one additional year, to which Joe Saward speculates:

“It is fairly clear that by agreeing to a one year deal Vettel is positioning himself to be available for Ferrari if Fernando Alonso does not extend his deal; or to go to Mercedes when Lewis Hamilton’s contract is up.”

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Welcome to the Terrordome - Spain's ghost oval

Speedhunters visit Spain’s little known oval racing circuit: Autódromo de Sitges-Terramar. A two kilometre concrete bowl carved into the countryside back in 1922.

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