Archive for February, 2009

The Popularity of Formula D Racing

Friday, February 27th, 2009
Formula 1 Racing
Uchenna Ani-Okoye asked:


When it comes to racing or sports that are centered on cars, there are a number of different sports that automatically come to mind. One of those sports is NASCAR. Although NASCAR could easily be considered one of the most popular sports, in the United States, there is another sport that is rapidly increasing in popularity. That sport is known as Formula D Racing or Formula Drifting.

Have you heard of Formula D Racing before? Although there is a good chance that you have, there is also a good chance that you haven’t. This is mostly due to the fact that professional drifting is relatively new in the United States. The first professional drifting event was held in the United States in 2004. That event and the popularity that it generated led to the creation of the Formula Drift Championship series.

Since it was first officially brought to the United States, in 2004, Formula Drifting has been seen by thousands, if not millions of Americans. Many of these Americans choose to watch coverage of Formula Drifting events on television, while others make the journey to see a live Formula D event. In addition to fans, there has also been a general interest in the sport. In fact, many fans want to become professional drifters, just like their favourite drivers. As previously mentioned, you may or may not be familiar with the sport. If you are unfamiliar with Formula D Racing, you may be wondering what all the hype is about. If you are, you are definitely not alone.

When examining the popularity of Formula Drifting, it is important to remember that there are a number of different reasons for its popularity. Formula Drifting has a fairly large fan following. Each of those fans has their own reasons for following the sport, often on a regular basis. Despite the fact that many fans have their own reasons for watching and enjoying Formula D Racing, there are a number of common reasons. Perhaps, the most common reason being the excitement of the sport.

Formula D Racing is unlike a number of other popular racing sports. Drivers must successfully manoeuvre themselves around the course; a course that is regularly filed with a turns. In those turns, drivers must use unique drifting techniques. These techniques, performed by inexperienced drivers could be disastrous, but most professional drivers are able to control their cars, especially when the cars begin to lose control. Formula D Racing events typically comprise of a qualifying race and a head-to-head battle. The qualifying races are individually done, but they are still exciting. The head-to-head battles, also known as tandem battles, are often where the most excitement can be found.

In addition to it action packed excitement, Formula D Racing is also popular because it is easy to watch. As previously mentioned, you can easily watch a live Formula Drifting event or watch coverage of one on television. Formula D Racing has teamed up with G4TV. This popular television network is available with a wide variety of different cable and satellite providers, including Direct TV and Time Warner Cable. By checking your programming guide, you should easily be able to determine whether or not you currently subscribe to the G4TV network. If you do not, in most cases, you should easily be able to upgrade for only a few dollars a month.

Formula D Racing is also popular in the United States, because like with televised events, it is fairly easy to see a live event. Live events take place all across the United States. In 2006, there were seven events; however, it is expected that more will be added in the future. If you are live near one of these events, you will find that tickets are fairly easy to afford. On average, tickets range from twenty to twenty-five dollars a person. Considering the excitement that you will get for the day, the ticket prices are well worth it.

As you can easily see, there are a number of different reasons why Formula Drifting is so popular in the United States. As the sport continues to grow, it is likely that the popularity will as well.



Melanie

5w20 or 10w20 or 5w30 or 10w30 motor oil? regular or synthetic? K&N or Ford Racing or Motorcraft Oil filter?

Saturday, February 21st, 2009
Motor Racing
Black GT asked:


I have a 2002 Ford mustang GT 4.6L V8 2V SOHC 5 Speed Manual 60,000 Miles. Daily driver and weekend warrior. The owners manual say to use 5w20. I live in Houston TX. The car have the following MODS BBK Cool air intake Trick Flow 70mm throttle body Trick Flow upper plenum BBK under drive pulley kit BBK Long tubes Headers BBK off road X pipe Flow master American thunder cat back sistem Spec stage 1 clutch and pressure plate kit 3.73 Ford Racing rear end SCT programmer Chip and it is Dyno tune 93 Octane.Currently I am running Royal purple Full synthetic on the rear end , transmission , 5w20 on motor and regular Motorcraft Oil filter.Should I change to 10w20 or 5w30 or 10w30? What about the filter? Does it mater what kind of filter I use?

Kendall

what kind and what size camshaft should I put into my motor?

Monday, February 16th, 2009
Motor Racing
Willie K asked:


The engine is a 350 bored .030 over with big valve heads. Im putting this motor into a limited modified 1/4 mile dirt track race car and Im not sure what cam to put in it for the most torque.

Omar

Bmw’s Theissen on Kubica’s Crash, Indy Race

Friday, February 13th, 2009
Formula 1 Racing
Anthony Fontanelle asked:


BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen divulges the crucial events in the recent Montreal race. He also gave hints on what is expected at the upcoming race in Indianapolis.

Asked about Robert Kubica’s crash in last Sunday’s race, Theissen said: “I was unable to judge the severity of the accident by the initial television pictures. Then seeing the first impact in the replay gave us all a huge shock. I was waiting on the pit wall watching the screens until the rescue work was completed and then went over to the Medical Center to see Robert. Having established that he had not suffered any serious injuries, I returned to the team to tell them the good news and followed the remainder of the race from the pit wall.”

Kubica was discharged from the hospital two days after the crash. The Pole intimated that he is ready to race at the U.S. Grand Prix. “It’s great that he feels ready to race and is not experiencing any after-effects from the accident. The Chief Medical Officer will have the final say after Robert has been examined in Indianapolis on Thursday. We are prepared in case Robert will not be able to drive. But, of course, we are all hoping that he will line up in the car at the weekend. The ideal scenario for me would be for us all to put the accident behind us quickly with a good performance in the race,” Theissen commented.

At present, BMW is inspecting what was left in Kubica’s car including BMW radiator fan and chassis. [Kubica's F1.07] chassis will be examined in Hinwil and we will try to understand as much as possible about the accident. However, the damage profile gives us information we can use to further refine our calculations and further improve monocoque construction in the future. At any rate, the damage to the F1.07-07 chassis is so severe that it will not be used again on the track. If it can be repaired at all we will use it on the test rig. If it is totally beyond repair, it will be scrapped.”

The Montreal race triggered debate on the efficiency of life-saving safety technology in Formula One cars and the possibility of transferring them to road vehicles. Theissen said, “The demands involved in series production are different from those in F1, as are the materials used. However, the aim is the same - to produce a durable passenger cell surrounded by crash elements which efficiently absorb impact energy. Everyday practicality, comfort and manufacturing costs all play a role in the production of road cars. In Formula One we do whatever is technically possible. The passenger cell and restraint systems are tailored to one person.”

He added, “In a series-produced vehicle, there are four, five or even more people on board. A road vehicle will generally be built from steel or aluminium, whereas an F1 monocoque is made of carbon fibre. While road vehicles have a crumple zone, the passenger cell of a formula racing car is surrounded by crash elements and designed to absorb the extreme forces generated by a collision. Formula One cars have to pass increasingly stringent FIA tests.”

Despite Kubica’s horrible crash, BMW Sauber has one thing to celebrate - Nick Heidfeld grabbing second place. Moreover, the victory pulled the team’s score upwards. “I’m really proud of this team. Nick certainly did not finish second by default. All the incidents in Sunday’s race took place behind him. That second place was his on merit - he was simply faster than one of the McLarens and both Ferraris.”



Mary

Is it worth it to buy a VIP Parking Pass for the Nascar Race in at Texas Motor Speedway?

Thursday, February 12th, 2009
Motor Racing
Rhiannon M asked:


Is it worth $50 to be able to park close? Do you get stuck when trying to leave because you parked so clase. Overall, is the parking pass worth it?

Leo

Formula One Funding; Merchandise, Sponsorship And Big Business

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009
Formula 1 Racing
Thomas Pretty asked:


The funding of Formula 1 is a mystery for many fans and even those inside the sport’s inner circles have trouble understanding the complexities. What is generally known is that funding for Formula 1 consists of huge sponsorship, television coverage and merchandise sales. The merchandise sales are somewhat of an afterthought for sponsors but as the popularity of Formula 1 is growing the merchandise market is also on the increase.

Formula 1 is like many other sports in respect to television coverage. Advertisers will pay for slots in the TV coverage and may even sponsor a specific channel’s coverage of an event. This lucrative method brings vast amounts of funding to the organising body of Formula 1, the FIA as well as its funding company, Formula One. This is important as Formula One is in the driving seat of presenting the Formula 1 package to the public, hence it needs immense funding to carry out these roles.

The Formula 1 teams support themselves in a number of ways; the bigger teams will be able to court sponsors from some of the biggest names in business, whereas smaller teams must make do with lower profiles patrons. Teams also produce their own merchandise ranges to cater for the needs of the average fans; once again the more popular teams obviously make more money.

Venues in the Formula 1 calendar are somewhat limited with their advertising freedom. As Formula 1 is ran by a small number of big business share holders the venue bosses are pushed out of the commercial decisions. Most venues do not have the rights to place their own signage and must pay to host the race. The majority of money made by venues is in the ticket and merchandise sales once fans are inside the track.

This explains why Formula 1 tickets can be very expensive, mainly due to venue managers trying to recoup some of the 13 million dollars they fork out annually to host a race. Hosting a Formula 1 race however is more about the prestige of being a premier world race track.

Formula One is the name of the business behind the sport of Formula 1; it is these businessmen and financiers that control how each race is funded and which sponsors are given preferential treatment. They also decide how much to ‘top up’ F1 teams’ merchandise and sponsorship profits; although this is kept a secret and can sometimes cause friction between teams.

The teams in recent years have not been making enough money from merchandise and sponsorship sales and are beginning to barter for more money from Formula One. Their argument is that they are the entertainers in the sport and so should get a bigger slice of the cake, whether this will be successful is doubtable.

The drivers are not paid from Formula One funds but are employees of the racing teams. The astronomical sums that many of them receive are incomprehensible to those on an average wage, they are however the best drivers in the world and have worked hard to get where they are. The popular drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso can also sign separate merchandising deals, usually for such luxury items as watches and jewellery.

The Formula 1 gravy train is driven by the big business that is Formula One, while Bernie Ecclestone holds a small part of the power in Formula 1; the big businesses that put up a lot of the funding ultimately demand respect. The bankers of the Formula One Company balance payment and income to keep Formula 1 at the pinnacle of motor racing entertainment.

Seemingly the biggest losers in the Formula 1 world are the venues, as ticket sales are most probably the smallest income when compared with the huge TV sponsorship and merchandise deals. In what is seen as an exclusive sport for the rich, the average fan can only afford his team’s merchandise. With high ticket prices and the worldwide nature of the sport it is hard for anyone but the super rich to follow this sport closely from the trackside.



Alexander

Ferrari Formula One

Monday, February 9th, 2009
Formula 1 Racing
Jessica Whittaker asked:


Ferrari formula one racing is the best in the formula one world. Ferrari fans around the world watch Formula one every week. What makes Formula one so special? It’s hard to say. But Formula one gains more and more interest in public.

Scuderia Ferrari is a division of the Ferrari automobile company, which is concerned with racing. Scuderia means “stable” in Italian and Ferrari is after the name of Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the brand. Scuderia was formed in the year 1929 and consisted of 40 racecar drivers including Enzo at that time.

Ferrari achieved great success in the Le Mans Races. The team made its debut into Formula One at the Italian Grand Prix with the model 125F1. Since then the team has been involved in the Formula One Racing and is one of the best racing teams in Formula One history.

Few of the finest drivers such as Niki Lauda, Phil Hill, Lorenzo Bandini and Michele Alboreto have contributed towards the success of the Ferrari Formula One team over the years. Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen are the current contracted drivers for the team. Both the drivers have been signed for three years contract after the retirement of “Michael Schumacher”. Michael Schumacher was the one of the best race drivers in the history of world racing.

Marlboro was a major sponsor for the Ferrari team since 1984. They backed the team till 2005, but had to withdraw, as tobacco sponsorship was made illegal in the European Union. Acer was one of the sponsors for the company till late 2008. Acer also sold laptops with Ferrari badges. Vodafone was also one of the sponsors till 2005, however they too withdrew in favor of the McLaren team.

Many others played the part of sponsors for the Ferrari racing team. FIAT is a major sponsor of the team including others such as Bridgestone, AMD, and Martini. Ferrari also saw sponsorship from the Gulf, such as Mubadla, an investment company of Abu Dhabi and Etihad Airways.

The Ferrari racing team has achieved great success over the years particularly in the Formula One racing championships. The team and its drivers have won the “Mille Miglia”‘ 8 times, the “Targa Florio” 7 times and the “24 Hour Le Mans”, 9 times. Formula One achievements for the team are still marked distinctly.

Most Constructors Championship: 15, Most Drivers Championship: 15, Most wins (all time): 208, Most wins (season): 15, Most podiums (all): 617, Most podiums (season): 29, Most points (all): 4,887.27, Most points (season): 262, Most pole positions (all): 201, Most pole positions (season): 262, Most fastest laps (season): 262, Most fastest laps (all): 215, Highest winning percentage: 26%

The Ferrari team also managed to lead over Ford as the most successful F1 engine manufacturer with 182 wins compared to Ford’s 176 wins.

With years of hardship and trial, the Ferrari team still continues to dominate the Formula One racing world with its unmatchable endurance. The team has witnessed a massive fan following over the years. Italian fans for the team are known as “tifosi”. Recently, the Ferrari Formula one team saw its first win of the year 2008 at the Malaysian Grand Prix.



Anthony

Get Helpful Tips - Nascar Devotion Is Resilient When Change Occurs

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009

There have been many changes to Nascar over the years, but changes are expected by fans and also by driver’s who are circling around a racetrack at speeds that exceed 200 miles per hour at times. The driver is an expert at changing speeds and lanes and changing speeds once again to be within the legal limits of those speeds posted on pit row.

Most of the changes in Nascar racing have occurred over time and have been directly related to the high-speed pursuits around million dollar raceways. Some of those changes have been painful ones but the Nascar family has remained strong through each of them. Some of the most violent experiences that occasionally occur at a raceway will no doubt cause some people to rethink their past relationships with sponsors, owners, and family.

The cascading effects of those thoughts might lead drivers to other action and cause them to change their driving commitments and their relationship with the world of Nascar excitement. These changes will in turn, put them on a new career path that is a welcome change but a change that might not be a delight to all fans who do not have a full understanding on why those changes needed to happen.

Some of these changes are due to repositioning priorities by a team owner or the change might occur because a driver needs to take a step back and rethink things long enough to begin establishing a new view on self-worth and on the view that commitment to self should take precedence and priority over family persuasion and other control factors. No changes that occur in Nascar should directly impact the drivers ability to keep the commitments that are expected by fans. Fans expect their favorite drivers to give their all to win the race they are in, no matter what team they are driving for that year.

Some changes in Nascar racing can keep that from happening though. In an instant, enthusiasts may have more action than they bargained for when they must see the gut wrenching tragedies unfold in front of them. These tragedies can change people in an instant because the action comes from race cars that inadvertently crash at inopportune moments into the various turns of any raceway. Other drivers are lost while they are enroute to the track.

Fare affected by the change and are committed to remembering those moments many times through the years with reverence. The commitment of fans to Nascar and their driver is what keeps changes from dampening the endearing spirit of the crowds. There is one change that will never occur. The fans will always be there on race day and every day after in some small way.

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Crashes Nascar

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

This article is meant to help you get into some of the most secret aspects. Being interested in this topic will is a must.

As the sport saw more NASCAR Crashes interrupt races, and hurt both drivers and fans, it was forced to implement new measures to increase safety. As a sport racing tends to be slow to change, and even though many fans are excited to see crashes that to them increases the draw of NASCAR, when more happen it has to be stopped. Presented for your approval are some well known NASCAR crashes and the way they impacted NASCAR.

The 2001 Daytona 500 and the loss of Dale Earnhardt will likely go down as the most tragic day in the history of NASCAR. At the time Earnhardt was the sport which had never lost such an important figure in the prime of his life and career. As expected NASCAR fans reacted in a huge way – showing their love for the fallen hero and their concern over the tragedy.

Earnhardt had a lasting legacy in the sport well beyond his legendary status and all the merchandise his name and number could sell. Racing safety and NASCAR’s attitude towards it were forever changed by this, the worst of all NASCAR crashes. As a result of the crash three big things happened:

- No longer did drivers have a choice of whether or not HANS (Head and Neck Support) would be implemented in their car – it was now required.

For me, painting is a way to forget life. It is a cry in the night, a strangled laugh. ~Georges Rouault

- Concrete walls were out, while the SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barriers were installed in every track.

- The program to develop the super safe Car of Tomorrow accelerated to a previously unknown level.

When a driver slammed his Car of Tomorrow into a SAFER barrier while qualifying for the Samsung 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway, the new measures had a severe test. Never before had there been such a hard impact or such severe tumbling after a crash, but the driver walked away thanks to COT and SAFER.

This case showed that the lives lost were not totally wasted, they contributed to new technology that made racing safer than ever. It could be that the success of measures such as SAFER and COT led to one unexpected result – complacency.

It’s important to understand the physics of a crash. If once wasn’t enough, maybe twice would suffice for Rusty Wallace who flew in his car at both Daytona and Talladega in 1993. Every roll of the car took away more energy due to the car’s momentum. As long as the safety cage around the driver didn’t crumble, and it didn’t crumble in Wallace’s case, the driver would survive with only minor injuries.

Try finding more about NASCAR crashes and the safety features that help drivers survive them with an online search.

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