Posted on 08/05/2009 7:57:45 PM PDT by Chode
This will be a general purpose thread for F1 news and pings that really don't require a thread of their own.
good stuff, thx...
The axe has fallen. Horner says Perez has decided to “take a sabbatical.” Replacement not yet been formally announced but the UK Telegraph is reporting it’s to be Liam Lawson. Checo’s departing statement sounded like it was scripted by the Nuke LaLoosh School of Kissing the Management’s Ass. It was so sickly sweet I had to double up on my insulin.
Being #2 driver on an F1 team can’t be an easy thing, particularly since the car wasn’t built for you and #1 (usually) has dibbs when the upgrades come down. His major failing this season is in sync with Hambone’s: neither one has warmed to the braking characteristics of a ground effects car.
đš 12 Q3 appearances đš Beat teammates 18-6 in qualifying đš Beat teammates 14-6 in races đš Scored 65% of his team's points
Still not enough for a shot in the Red Bullshit
*
Thanks for the ping - happy Perez is benched.
Happy Holidays!
Can’t wait to see Leclerc school SHAMilton on the proper driving of a Ferrari.
Merry Christmas
this is going to be sooo satisfying to watch...
Agree. It came way too late. But I don’t think Lawson will do much better.
Ping received!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
https://www.thedrive.com/news/chevy-corvette-zr1-hits-60-mph-faster-than-any-lamborghini-or-mclaren
The ZR1’s 0-to-60-mph time of 2.3 seconds equals the Bugatti Chiron, at less than a tenth of the price.
absolutely beautiful car...
From battling British touring cars to serving as a tow pig, the Impala passed through owners in the U.S., England, and even Australia.
hile some may think of us as simple folk, gearheads often have the best stories. Among the many genres, which include âRun-ins with the 5-0â and âTall Tales from the Drag Strip,â my favorite might be âThe One That Got Away.â Anybody whoâs bought and sold a car or five in their lifetime has felt remorse after letting a good one go, though if theyâre fortunate, they also have a story about how they got it back. Iâve heard some great examples, but Iâm not sure any can match this one. It involves Dan Gurneyâs bubble-top 1961 Chevy Impala that traveled the world and just made it back to his son Justin in California more than six decades later.
âIt was built here in Van Nuys in â61,â Justin Gurney told me over the phone. âMy dad took delivery of it, and a guy that he knew took it, of all things, on his honeymoon and drove it from L.A. to New York.â
Courtesy Justin Gurney
Dan Gurney was a busy guy, especially at the time. The American racing hero had yet to enter his first race at Daytona or Indianapolisâthose would come in 1962âbut he was already part of the Formula 1 circus. He also drove a Porsche RS61 coupe in that yearâs 24 Hours of Le Mans, meaning his schedule was packed. Still, he made time for a saloon car race at Silverstone in May. Once his buddy finished his honeymoon road trip, Gurney sent it to Southampton, England, on a boat.
The 409-powered car was mostly stock when Gurney entered it in the 12-lap race. It was factory-rated at 360 horsepower and roughly 410 lb-ft of torque, which was plenty to take on the Jaguars of the grid. A Corvette sway bar was added along with some brake cooling to help the heavy beastâs stoppers survive track duty. Those minor tweaks were enough to help Gurney lead the raceâs first 10 laps against some names you might have heard before: Bruce McLaren, Mike Parkes, and eventual winner Graham Hill.
Courtesy Justin Gurney
Unfortunately for Gurney, the Impala lost a wheel with just two laps to go. He was forced to retire it with no hardware to show for his efforts. And despite installing wider NASCAR wheels and tires for the next race, Gurney was banned by organizers from competing. In a letter published by Autocar and later recovered from the Impala, he blamed Jaguar team boss Lofty England for lobbying against him. âGreat name,â Justin quipped. âItâs so awesome.â
Gurney was left with a car he couldnât race, so rather than shipping it back stateside, he sold it to his friend Laurie OâNeill. An Australian in England, OâNeill sent it to his homeland and promptly turned the Impala into a tow car. Thatâs rightâhe took a Gurney-raced Chevy with a 409 and swapped in a humble straight-six for workhorse duty. He discarded the engine, splitting the car and its numbers-matching powerplant thousands of miles away from Van Nuys where this story started.
OâNeill later sold the Impala, which changed hands in Australia a few times over the years.
After some time had passed, a guy in Australia wanted to sell the car. âHe contacted someone from New Jersey named Vern France, who was, I believe, an Impala expert,â Justin told me. The car then went to France, who authenticated the Chevy and promptly listed it again. âI heard about it then. This is probably, letâs say, 12 years ago or something like that. I talked to the guy and, at the time, I didnât have the means. The guy wanted a lot for it, and it wasnât restored. It was in a sad state.â
Rather than coming home to California at that point, it actually went back to England. A freelance motorsport journalist named Ed Foster purchased it with hopes of running it in a few historic races. That would have meant installing a roll cage, which the car definitely didnât have back then. âIt had a bench seat, it had a radio in it, everything,â Justin explained to me. As such, Foster restored it to its factory form with a different 409-cubic-inch V8 since the original was long gone.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !
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2024 has been a Roller Coaster !!!
Merry Christmas all, just 79 days until Australian Grand Prix⌠đ
8^)
And Merry Christmas to you, my friend.
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