Other Motorsports (merged)

Jay Adgie · Apr 2, 2011

Repsol Honda rider Casey Stoner has continued his dominance of the 2011 MotoGP season with pole position at Jerez.

The Aussie took pole position within the last moments of the session before dropping his bike in the gravel at turn one.

Team-mate Dani Pedrosa was unable to better Stoner's time despite several very close laps at the end of the session. Pedrosa will start from second on the grid.
Champion Jorge Lorenzo will start from third on the grid after holding pole position for the majority of the session. Team-mate Ben Spies will head the second row in fourth.
Valentino Rossi continued to struggle on the Ducati and could ony manage to post the 12th fastest time after crashing at turn eight only 10 minutes into the session.
Tech 3 Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow will start from ninth on the grid behind team-mate Colin Edwards in eighth.

1. Casey Stoner AUS Repsol Honda Team 1m 38.757s
2. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team 1m 38.915s
3. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory Racing 1m 38.918s
4. Ben Spies USA Yamaha Factory Racing 1m 39.390s
5. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 39.486s
6. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 1m 39.709s
7. Randy de Puniet FRA Pramac Racing Team 1m 39.892s
8. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 39.895s
9. Cal Crutchlow GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 40.019s
10. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 40.168s
11. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 40.175s
12. Valentino Rossi ITA Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 40.185s
13. Hector Barbera ESP Mapfre Aspar Team 1m 40.217s
14. John Hopkins USA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1m 40.310s
15. Loris Capirossi ITA Pramac Racing Team 1m 40.523s
16. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing 1m 40.601s
17. Toni Elias ESP LCR Honda MotoGP 1m 41.114s

Nick Deeley · Apr 4, 2011

Bute Motorsport who made the GT Cup into a big success with large grids, close racing and some fantastic looking & sounding cars have created the GT Trophy for 2011 in response to competitors wanting longer races.

Basically its an endurance version of the GT Cup. Last years GT Cup Champion Leon Price enters the GT Trophy in a Ferrari with team mate Rob Barff. The team were due to enter with a 458, but, development problems means they resorted back to Price's GT Cup winning Ferrari 460 from last year.

The race produced a thrilling finish, despite a sparse entry list of only 10 cars lining up on the grid for the start of the race.

The start though, was equally as close between the #8 Ferrari of Gary Eastwood leading the #97 Porsche of Nick Dudfield. The 2 cars never more than a few feet apart till the pitstops. Despite Dudfield's best efforts, and lapped traffic to contend with, he couldn't find a way past. The Ferrari putting up a great defence.

It was short lived though, after the pit stops, a wheel bearing problem forced the #8 Ferrari out of the race, leaving the Porsche of Mike Donovan out in front.

Another Ferrari, this time the #88 car, driven by Rob Barff after his team mate, Leon Price was one of the last to pit for fuel with his car looking to be the best on fuel, took up 2nd place a lap down on the Porsche, now driven by Mike Donovan.

However, fuel was still on the cards, and would affect the end result. This time, for the leading Porsche who was now slowing, conserving fuel. The team did come out into the pitlane with fuel at the ready for a splash and dash, but Mike Donovan's vast experience meant he could keep the car going.

But, Rob Barff could sense the problem, and unlapped himself and set about making up the entire lap difference and to hunt the Porsche down.

Barff set fastest lap after fastest lap, bringing the gap down, catching the Porsche by not just tenths a lap, but by seconds a lap. Sometimes as much as 4.2 seconds in 1 lap. Donovan in the Porsche tried to stop the charge by setting a 1:11 lap time, but fuel worries means he had to slow it down. The #9 Ferrari even unlapped himself, but eventually had to let Donovan in the Porsche back through with Barff's Ferrari charging down on him. With just 2 minutes to go, the gap was down to just 1.7 seconds between 1st and 2nd. It was just a matter of when, rather than if, Barff would take the lead. He duly took it on the run upto Mcleans with 2.5 laps to go. As Barff started the last lap with just a few seconds on the time, Donovan was hoping the chequered flag was out, and slowed out of the chicane, only to find there was another lap to do. He had enough of a margin over 3rd place to finish in 2nd, 27.671 seconds behind the winner.

GT Trophy Donington overall results-
1st #88 Leon Price/ Rob Barff - Ferrari (GTC1)
2nd #97 Mike Donovan/ Nick Dudfield - Porsche (GT500)
3rd #9 David Back/ Michael Broadhurst - Ferrari (GT500)

Class winners-
GT500 #97 Mike Donovan/ Nick Dudfield (Porsche 997 GT3)
GTC1 #88 Leon Price/ Rob Barff (Ferrari 430)
GTC2 #40 Michael Mallock/ Athanasios Ladas (KTM xbow)
GTSS #53 Andy Yool/ Neil Primrose (Chevron GR8)

Photos from the day, including the new MSV F3 Cup series for 2011, the entertaining Production BMW Cup, the equally as fun Project 8 Saloons and single seaters in the form of Mono Posto's, can be seen shortly on http://www.surrealillusions.co.uk

Juen-Jen Wang · Apr 8, 2011

Absolutely horrible crash in the SCB trucks:

(warning: fatal crash footage)

Article:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/2011-04-03-1701657102_x.htm

R.I.P. Sondermann

Ivo Simons · Apr 8, 2011

They really need to change that last corner at Interlagos. Its way to dangerous for the standard these days.

Adam Eggbeer · Apr 8, 2011

I've read that the track owners are trying to get permission both from the Sao Paulo authorities and the FIA to make a larger run off at that corner. It's the second time that has happened in the last 4 years and last time they installed a soft-wall there but that has failed to work. Felipe Massa was carrying a tribute to Gustavo on his helmet today.

Ramon Alonso · Apr 8, 2011

They can put a safer barrier, but it doesn't help when after bouncing from the concrete wall you get hit 3 more times.

Erik Tveit · Apr 8, 2011

The problem is that the corner is blind. You go over the little hill top there. I can't say the barrier's is a problem really.

Carlos Andre · Apr 9, 2011

I was watching this race live. When I saw the car totally wrecked, I had a bad feeling about it, instantaneously.

They should put asphalt instead of grass in there. Since it's impossible to make a wall not so close to the track in that place, at least they'll have a larger run-off area. But in this case, I don't know if it would help Sodermann. He received many sucessives crashes, hardly, most of them on the driver's side. Maybe if he was on a DTM or FIA GT car would survive, but would be seriously injured anyway.

Hard to tell who is to take the guilt in this accident. The CBA, the drivers, the track, the car... I think each one has your part, but looking for a guilty now won't solve the problem. They should think in a way to make that corner safer, in a way (hopefully, not putting a chicane in there

)

RIP.

Omer Said · Apr 9, 2011

R.I.P

Really sad news indeed. Best wishes to his family, and happy racing to him against to angels in the heaven.

About the track's guiltyness, 10000000s of race cars pass those barriers yearly and just because of one driver dies there that doesn't mean there should be a change imo. This is motorsports.

James Yates · Apr 9, 2011

Omer Said said:
R.I.P Really sad news indeed. Best wishes to his family, and happy racing to him against to angels in the heaven.

About the track's guiltyness, 10000000s of race cars pass those barriers yearly and just because of one driver dies there that doesn't mean there should be a change imo. This is motorsports.

Two drivers have died in the same spot. There have also been several huge accidents in the same place. It either needs runoff or they need to build the cars in the Brazil series to withstand heavier impacts.

Just saying oh well, people should be killed because this is racing is stupidity. That attitude got most of the top drivers in the world killed, or seriously injured. Hey, why not bury landmines in a football pitch, after all its only football, doesn't matter if people are unnecessarily killed.

Bram Hengeveld · Apr 9, 2011

Its a typical discussion with no end.

When Tilke designs a track that is very safe for the drivers everybody is crying that they want the old classic tracks back. When a tragic accident like this happens on such a classic track everybody wants wider runoffs...

In motorsport you can get killed. Every driver knows that. Don't think its the track to be blamed. A track doesn't make any mistakes or has technical failures. Drivers and machines do unfortunately. This is just an example of being at the wrong moment at the wrong place.

Look at Chris vd Drift last year on Brands Hatch in the Superleague Formula, he almost got himself killed as well and what happened to him there could have happened on any modern track too.

Ole Marius Myrvold · Apr 9, 2011

They shouldn't ruin this track - sorry, but this is the risk, this should be the risk, however, it looks like the cars are weak when it comes to t-boning.

Juen-Jen Wang · Apr 10, 2011

God imagine these cars on an oval. There would be a death every round

David Chardar · Apr 11, 2011

Bram Hengeveld said:
Its a typical discussion with no end.

When Tilke designs a track that is very safe for the drivers everybody is crying that they want the old classic tracks back. When a tragic accident like this happens on such a classic track everybody wants wider runoffs...

[...]

People cry when Tilke designs a track not because they're safe but 'cause they're bloody boring.

Yes, motorsport kills, it's a sad fact. However, everything should be done to keep the drivers safe without making the racing boring. You can prevent some death with wide run off areas that lots of classic tracks don't have. In most case, improving safety doesn't mean changing the track.

Ole Marius Myrvold · Apr 11, 2011

Wide run off areas makes it harder to get the speed impression on TV, and put's the fans further away from the action. That will slowly kill the interest. A good example is the straight at Melbourne compared to the straight in Sepang. Becuase of the wide straight, it seems a lot longer. It is around 100m longer.

OverTake.gg · Apr 14, 2011

Watch it here

grimmbo · Apr 16, 2011

I have just bought F1 2010. In my career, i have the force india as my car but no matter how I setup the car it won't run faster than 140 down the straight, the result is, all cars, incl my team mate stream past down the straights. ?????????????????

James Chant · Apr 17, 2011

Hello and welcome race department. There is a dedicated f1 2010 forum section, you can find it here http://www.racedepartment.com/f1-2010-game/ please post threads if this nature in that forum in future.

silverbackmedia · Apr 20, 2011

Is the bar being set to really show how good our UK Rally Drivers & Co-Drivers are!

Latest press release from the Nicky Grist Quinton Stages Rally

Having announced his sponsorship and increased involvement in the organisation of July 9th’s Nicky Grist Quinton Stages Rally, Nicky is emphasizing that the priority for all the initiatives that he and the Organising Team are planning is to make the competitors’ experience better and better.

The press release for Nicky and the Quinton Stages Rally continues to say.....

“My sponsorship of what was already a widely-acclaimed rally is not simply about stickers and banners,” bubbles Nicky, whose involvement in the event is making the renowned former WRC co-driver even more enthusiastic than usual about anything to do with motorsport. “The Quinton team rightly earned the BTRDA’s ‘Best Rally of 2010 Award’ and past competitors have applauded the organisation, quality of the stages and the friendliness of everyone involved. My focus for the future is to make their experience even better – year on year - as we bring in the initiatives we are working on.”

Some of those initiatives require careful consultation with the MSA and work has started on that, but in the short-term, Nicky and the team are introducing a system for improving results’ distribution to competitors for 2011. “I look at rallies from a competitor’s point of view,” explains Nicky, “and one of the things that we relied on in the WRC was absolutely up-to-the-minute results’ information. To achieve that level of sophistication requires the enormous financial investment in technology that the WRC has made, but for our competitors to receive the up-to-date results’ information for them and their rivals by text message is possible with the technology available. So for all competitors in 2011, we are paying for them all to receive this - which is a first for a BTRDA event - and indicative of our commitment to improve the competitors’ experience of the NGQSR even more. After all, the crews are our customers!”

In recent years, Nicky has been closely involved with the Rally First category of the Quinton event, where his involvement with the stars of tomorrow has been applauded by the young hopefuls. One of the ingredients of this involvement has been Nicky’s Friday evening’s ‘Pace Note Discussion’, following him having reccied the next day’s stages that afternoon. “This has been such a popular part of the Nicky’s contribution to the event,” reported Clerk of the Course Neil Cross, “with many Rally First entrants saying how useful this was when they tackled the stages the next day. So, in 2011, we are throwing this evening session open to all competitors. Last year, Nicky arranged for Guy Wilks’ co-driver Phil Pugh to contribute and this year he’s promising to bring along a number of other ‘friends’. This is going to be a great draw for every competitor and is a prime example of the commitment that Nicky and the team have to improving still further the competitors’ experience.”

Regs for the Nicky Grist Quinton Stages will be available from May 21st.

For more information or a copy of the press release go to...

http://silverbackmedia.web.officelive.com/Documents/NGM_QSR.pdf

Good luck to all who enter the rally

Steve