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My coworker and her daughter borrowed my Driven DVD a few weeks ago and they thought it was outrageous, especially the racecars in Chicago scene and all the crashes (especially the Memo Moreno crash), as well as crappy CGI. Also, Jacques Villeneuve supposedly makes an appearance and I've yet to see him. =P
Saturday, 11 February 2017
Marshall Pruett (words & images)
Something as simple as helmet choice is a rather inane area of development for drivers to consider, but it has become a new topic of interest for Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud and Will Power. As longtime users of the Japanese Arai brand, Penske’s most recent Verizon IndyCar Series champions are using the two-day Phoenix open test to sample the fit and feel of Bell’s latest helmet.
According to Power, the evaluation is being conducted in the name of performance and safety.
"They’re working very hard to make them light, which is really important for our cars, so the Bell is lighter and it does feel pretty good," he told RACER. "I’ve been using Arai all along. We’ll see which one I end up going with."
A lighter helmet will help to reduce weight atop the car, which helps with the center of gravity, but the biggest value comes from lowering the mass a driver’s head must control under braking, in the corners and, most importantly, in a crash. Part of the evaluation process involved sitting for a 3D head scan performed by Bell. With the scan completed, Bell’s technicians were able to tailor the shape of inner core to better fit the heads of Pagenaud and Power (below).
If the two ultimately choose to go with Bell, they will join teammates Helio Castroneves and Josef Newgarden who’ve used the American brand for many years.
"They’ve been very comfortable for me," Newgarden said. "But it’s a preference and feel thing. Every driver has their own ideas on what works best for them, and whatever helmet it is, you have to be 100 percent comfortable in these cars with the speeds we’re going."
Power will spend more time sampling the Bell at Phoenix, and with the season-opening race at St. Petersburg one month away, he’s planning to have his helmet painter prep Arais and Bells to ensure he has options once the championship gets under way.
"We’ll have both ready just to be safe," he added.
At Indy in 2014 Dario Franchitti asked me if I'd seen the in-car footage of Kubica on the Janner Rally, and I said no. He rolled his eyes: "You just won't believe it..." I watched it on YouTube, and didn't.
By any standards, Kubica was always considered brave, but this footage is even more startling than Sebastien Loeb ascending Pikes Peak. For one thing, it's raining; for another, it's at night - and on top of that his M-Sport Ford Fiesta has lighting problems, one lamp flopping around uselessly, occasionally blinding him. All this at up to 130mph.
In light of the situation, and the fact that the suspension technology can be key to car performance, it is understood that a fresh Technical Directive from Whiting giving his opinion on the situation is expected in the next fortnight.
It is unclear, however, whether this will impose restrictions on devices that have been developed by teams – forcing a major reworking ahead of the 2017 campaign – or will state that complex systems are within the regulations.
However, it is hoped that the ruling will deliver clear guidelines on what is and is not allowed, and doing it before testing begins will at least give teams time to adjust before the season opener in Australia next month.
so odd to have the teams coming up with the rules:
It is understood further discussions took place in a meeting of technical directors with the FIA last week, but there was no consensus between the competitors about what should and should not be allowed.
Various ideas were proposed - including a return to conventional suspension, a switch to active suspension or no restriction on the current hydraulic concepts - but teams' opinions were split.
so odd to have the teams coming up with the rules:
Yeah that has been and still is F1s biggest issue. Remove the team input from the equation. Horner actually was spot on about that. The teams protect their own interest, so there is no agreement and nothing really changes. Until a fundamental shift in the way the regs are written comes about the sport will keep going around in circles (on and off the track). I'm hoping that with the new concorde agreement for 2020 the FIA and Liberty Media put together a group that does exactly this, ideally headed by Mr. Brawn, if Mr. Todt will allow this remains to be seen.
Double fatality accident at Speed Vegas yesterday.
Men look at a Lamborghini car outside a showroom in Singapore's central business district. (Reuters)
Two men were killed in a fiery car crash at a Las Vegas racetrack on Sunday.
Las Vegas Metropolitan police Sgt. Steve Summers said the driver of a Lamborghini and an instructor of SpeedVegas were killed after the driver lost control and crashed into a wall. The car burst into flames.
The two men were not immediately identified.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Occupational Safety and Health administration were called in to investigate the accident. The paper reported the deadly crash is being investigate as an industrial accident.
So SpeedVegas is one of those "drive an expensive sports car" businesses where you can drive a few laps on a track with an instructor. If you're heading into Vegas from California on I-15 you'll see it on the east side of the freeway a few miles before the Strip.
Ugh. Not good. I guess all the details will come out at some point. Wonder what they mean when they say burst into flames. Can mean anything from a burst oil line catching fire to a raging inferno. I guess if it blew up they would have said explosion, like that Tesla the blowed up after it's high speed accident.
Two men died after a car crash and fire Sunday at the SpeedVegas racetrack, 14200 Las Vegas Blvd. South.
The car’s driver, a male customer in his 30s, and an instructor, a male in his 50s who was in the passenger seat, were killed in the crash Sunday afternoon, Metropolitan Police Department Sgt. Steve Summers said.
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The driver lost control of the car, a white Lamborghini, and spun out. The car crashed into a barrier wall and burst into flames.
On its website, SpeedVegas says its driving experiences let people bring their “driving fantasies to life on the longest and fastest racetrack in Las Vegas.”SpeedVegas lets customers drive exotic cars including Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Corvettes. Participants must wear helmets as they navigate the 1.5 mile Formula One-inspired racetrack.
The site said the track includes sweeping and banked turns, an elevation change and a straightaway.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate. It has been classified as an industrial accident.
In a statement, SpeedVegas CEO and co-founder Aaron Fessler confirmed the deaths and said the track is cooperating with authorities.
“We are devastated by this tragic event and extend our heartfelt sympathy to the families and to our SpeedVegas team members who have lost a beloved colleague,” Fessler said.
The Clark County Coroner will release the dead men’s names after notification of next of kin.
Near the accident scene at SPEEDVEGAS where two people were killed in a car crash on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017. (Shan Larsen/Special to the Las Vegas Review-Journal)
(Shan Larsen/Special to the Las Vegas Review-Journal)
(Shan Larsen/Special to the Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Near the accident scene at SPEEDVEGAS where two people were killed in a car crash on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017. (Kimmy Larsen/Special to the Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Near the accident scene at SPEEDVEGAS where two people were killed in a car crash on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017. (Shan Larsen/Special to the Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Near the accident scene at SPEEDVEGAS where two people were killed in a car crash on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017. (Shan Larsen/Special to the Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Near the accident scene at SPEEDVEGAS where two people were killed in a car crash on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017. (Kimmy Larsen/Special to the Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Near the accident scene at SPEEDVEGAS where two people were killed in a car crash on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017. (Kimmy Larsen/Special to the Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Officers at the scene of an incident at SPEEDVEGAS where two people were killed in a car crash on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae
The scene where two people were killed in a fiery crash at SPEEDVEGAS on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae
Debris from the wreck at the scene where two people were killed in a fiery crash at SPEEDVEGAS on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae
The scene where two people were killed in a fiery crash at SPEEDVEGAS on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae
Officers at the scene of an incident at SPEEDVEGAS where two people were killed in a car crash on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae
Debris from the wreck at the scene where two people were killed in a fiery crash at SPEEDVEGAS on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae
Police respond to a crash scene outside Speed Vegas on Sunday. (Max Michor/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
A Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550 is shown at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Speed Vegas attraction on South Las Vegas Blvd. (Mark Damon/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
I guess burst into flames isn't enough of a description. It didn't quite blow up but it wasn't far off. I hope both of them died right away in the crash and weren't alive for the fire.
Re: The Official Formula 1 2017 Season Thread
"They’re working very hard to make them light, which is really important for our cars, so the Bell is lighter and it does feel pretty good," he told RACER. "I’ve been using Arai all along. We’ll see which one I end up going with."
