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Posted
Jan 09 2010, 09:02 AM
by
Patrick McGrath
with 53 comment(s)
I might be miles behind the times but I just found this video on the Driftworks forum and was absolutely blown away by these last few laps in the ALMS GT2 class at Laguna Seca between Jorg Bergmeister and Jan Magnussen. I'll be making a point of following this series in 2010.
The main question is, who do you think was right or wrong on the last corner of the last lap ?
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Posted
Jan 07 2010, 07:31 PM
by
John Brooks
with 10 comment(s)
misfit n [ˈmɪsˌfɪt] 1. a person not suited in behaviour or attitude to a particular social environment 2. something that does not fit or fits badly In our continuing look and mavericks and misfits it is perhaps appropriate to consider the definition of such terms. The first decade of this century saw the steady growth of endurance and sportscar racing, there have been a few hiccups I'll grant you but the prevailing trajectory is upwards. The ALMS has been part of this success, not as much depth...
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Posted
Dec 31 2009, 09:10 PM
by
John Brooks
with 6 comment(s)
1994 saw the return of sanity to sportscar racing around the globe after the excesses of the final season of Group C and IMSA GTP. We all loved the Eagles, Nissans, Peugeots and Toyotas but their costs were not sustainable for the factories and their performance and budget levels had driven out the privateers, even Rob Dyson. In Europe the BPR Challenge would lead the way, creating the platform to enable Le Mans to maintain its place as the world's greatest race. We have looked at how this evolved...
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Posted
Dec 20 2009, 02:12 PM
by
John Brooks
with 14 comment(s)
In 2009 Le Mans Series the prototype numbers held up well, from a high of 32 at Spa to a still respectable 22 at the Algarve. The same could not be said for GT1 which only had two season long entries with a straggler or two joining in along the way. It was a class that should have been culled from the first event. However the new rules for the GT1 World Championship would appear to have breathed life into this category. For Maserati, Ford and Nissan to gain the desired, prized invites to Le Mans...
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Posted
Dec 18 2009, 09:34 PM
by
John Brooks
with 5 comment(s)
2008 had been a great year in the world of endurance and GT racing, factory participation was everywhere, competition was fierce and grid numbers were good. In the back ground however, was the global financial turmoil that was bringing the entire economy of the world to a standstill, particularly in the automotive segment. Programmes that had seemed solid suddenly disappeared as budgets were annihilated and marketing took a back seat to fighting for survival. In Formula One Honda bailed out, subsequently...
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Posted
Oct 21 2009, 06:20 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 6 comment(s)
It's the last race of the 2009 ALMS season at Laguna Seca where the finale has been held for the last number of years. One of the best places to finish a season without a doubt. Monterey is one of the prettiest places in the US and the track is one of my favorites. I've had decent success here in the past. I dominated here in 2005 with my teammates Justin Marks and Bill Auberlen in an M3 and finished well in every year after. Last year I lead for an hour or so in the aging Panoz and finished...
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Posted
Oct 20 2009, 03:24 AM
by
Rod Chong
with 18 comment(s)
This is Andy Priaulx MBE, Husband to a fantastic wife, father to two gorgeous kids but then I would say that ; racing driver from an early age racing almost everything from Motorbikes and power boats to formula one cars, currently racing in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) having won the title three times in a row now trying to win it back. My experience of GT racing is also varied but my greatest success was to win the Nurburgring race in 2005 with Said, Lamy and Husiman, to master the...
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Posted
Oct 15 2009, 01:02 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 7 comment(s)
The Rocketsports Racing team may still be working the kinks out of their new Jaguar XKR ALMS car, but there's no denying the presence this car has on the track.
Here's a high resolution photo of the car I shot last weekend at Laguna Seca. Head to the Desktops section now to pick it up in widescreen or standard format.
-Mike Garrett...
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Posted
Oct 14 2009, 02:03 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 3 comment(s)
After running on the streets of Long Beach and at Petit LeMans in Atlanta, Falken Tire's ALMS team headed up the California coast last weekend to finish off their season at Monterey Sports Car Championships. 2009 has been a shakedown year of sorts for Team Falken, and they headed to Laguna Seca looking to finish off the year with a strong showing before a full season of competition in 2010. Once again we used our behind the scenes access with the team to take an inside look at the final event of the year....
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Posted
Oct 13 2009, 12:13 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 10 comment(s)
I'm back home in LA now after a long road trip, watching dark rain clouds fill the sky. Rain in Southern California? Does such a thing exist?
Anyways, we have a busy week ahead of us as we gear up for the Formula D finale in Irwindale, but before that we have more action from the Monterey Sports Car Championships at Laguna Seca. If you had the chance to watch the ALMS race on SPEED TV, then you know how crazy things got at Laguna Seca over the weekend!...
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Posted
Oct 10 2009, 10:28 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 13 comment(s)
After four hours of intense racing around Laguna Seca, the 2009 American LeMans season is in the books. I'm once again exhausted from a day of shooting and lugging my gear up and down the mountainous terrain, but I wanted to quickly post some of the day's results before I pass out here......
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Posted
Oct 09 2009, 07:35 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 9 comment(s)
Just got back to to the hotel here in Monterey after spending the day at the final round of the 2009 American LeMans Series at Laguna Seca. My body is massively sore from hiking around Laguna Seca's scenic hills today, but before I collapse I wanted to post a few quick photos and highlights from the day's practice and qualifying sessions....
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Posted
Oct 09 2009, 10:45 AM
by
Andy Blackmore
with 9 comment(s)
Gil de Ferran, 2000, 2001 Champ Car champion and 2003 Indy 500 winner, enters his final race as a driver this weekend at Laguna Seca, the finale to the 2009 ALMS championship. There are a number of celebrations to mark his retirement, the most prominent being the de Ferran Motorsport Acura LMP1 car carrying a cool Chaparral inspired livery. Jim Hall and his Chaparrals Race cars were leaders in race car design and aerodynamics. The cars always looked stunning with their form and white bodywork. Gil...
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Posted
Oct 03 2009, 12:20 PM
by
John Brooks
with 7 comment(s)
In a very short period of time the motor race known as Petit Le Mans has acquired “Classic” status. It is now regarded in the same league as its yahoo, elder cousin, the Sebring 12 Hours. Some of this status is because of the association with the Le Mans 24 Hours and some of the status is due to the challenging Road Atlanta track. It is popular with teams, drivers, fans, even photographers, all of whom enjoy the undulations and sheer flat out speed of the place. Generally a pretty good...
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Posted
Sep 29 2009, 12:40 PM
by
John Brooks
with 7 comment(s)
"Blow,Winds and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow! You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout til you have drenched our steeples, drown'd the cocks!" I did not actually see King Lear out in the storms that hit Road Atlanta during the middle of the Petit Le Mans last Saturday but I saw plenty of candidates for the role of the Fool, me for one. Sitting in the warm, dry media centre contemplating a two hour session in the pit lane, I looked at the weather radar on John Dagys' computer and could...
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Posted
Sep 28 2009, 11:20 AM
by
Andy Blackmore
with 3 comment(s)
I’m still recovering from my first American Le Mans Race, and a strange race it was. Luckily I was there for a few days, so enjoyed the practice and qualifying before the ‘Trèz-Petit’!
One of the most impressive things about the weekend was seeing how the Patron Highcroft race team built up a new race car after Scott Sharp destroyed the original during practice (above, with Radio Le Mans commentary). It was one of the biggest accidents I’ve ever seen and it’s a testament to today’s safety standards that he walked away.
The car was completely destroyed and ended up back at the pits on two trucks! Only 10% of the parts were salvageable. A new tub was sent from California overnight and the mechanics built up the car during the course of Friday, amazingly ready for warm-up on Sunday morning. The mechanics looked shattered by the end of it.
This is a great time lapse video of the rebuild.
More from Petit during the week.
-Andy Blackmore
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Posted
Sep 26 2009, 05:01 PM
by
John Brooks
with 11 comment(s)
" A Rainy Night in Georgia, A Rainy Night in Georgia, It seems like it's Raining all over the World" We had dodged the monumental thunderstorms for most of the day but eventually the monsoon hit Road Atlanta and turned the track into a lake in places. The lightning was also an issue as no one wanted corner workers and other personal working outside to be exposed to unnecessary dangers. Finally the track became undrivable, so the although the race was running behind a safety car under...
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Posted
Sep 26 2009, 04:00 PM
by
Rod Chong
with 9 comment(s)
Amongst the Speedhunters on site at the Petit Le Mans, I've been designated the press room worker. So while John Brooks and Linhbergh were off shooting the race, I've been sitting here watching the Speed TV feed and listening to Radio Le Mans. Out the window I can see one corner of the track, but I might as well be in my living room as I'm mostly getting a sense of the race through media, rather than direct experience. Not that I'm complaining! The weather has been pretty rubbish...
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Posted
Sep 25 2009, 08:41 PM
by
John Brooks
with 14 comment(s)
Friday dawned in Georgia with those of us sporting media track access passes dragged from our beds to attend the mandatory photo meeting. Coffee and grumbles were, as ever, the order of the day at the hot and steamy Road Atlanta track. On the circuit things had a familiar ring, with BMW topping the GT2 class during the final practice session. And still at the top of the timesheets was the #08 Peugeot. Plus ca change............... Friday at Petit Le Mans is also the day when the fans can get up close...
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Posted
Sep 25 2009, 12:00 AM
by
John Brooks
with 12 comment(s)
Yes, it is time for SpeedHunters' Petit Le Mans coverage to start in earnest. Hartsfield International, Atlanta's airport will be Check-Point Charlie for Motorsport pros this weekend. Heading East will be Linhbergh who should hook up with a West bound Rod later today. Me? I am already here in the humid confines of Road Atlanta. The official sessions leading up to the race are now underway, so here is a quick look at what is to come. SpeedHunters will be looking at all aspects of the event...
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