At the shop this morning with Ron Capps getting seat poured for the Napa "Ultmate Tune-up"
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Pouring a custom seat insert for Ron Capps
At the shop this morning with Ron Capps getting seat poured for the Napa "Ultmate Tune-up"
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Nice article regarding Dallara and the upcoming IndyCar Chassis
The Little-Known Racing Legend Underneath the Logos
Dallara
VARANO DE' MELEGARI, ITALY — On some weekends, when the motor racing world is in full rev, as many as 300 racecars made by one Italian company can be seen speeding along famous racetracks around the world, from the Indianapolis Speedway to Macao.
Yet to motor racing outsiders, the name Dallara, the chassis maker, is unlikely to ring many bells. One specialist magazine recently described the company as “the world’s most successful yet understated racing car builder.”
“We prefer to let the facts speak for themselves,” said Andrea Pontremoli, chief executive and general manager of Dallara. “If we win races we’re good.” He paused. “And we win a lot of races.”
The chassis of a racecar tends to go unnoticed under the logos and brand names blazoned on the bodywork by sponsors. Yet the chassis “is the foundation for everything,” said Arturo Rizzoli, a journalist for “Autosprint,” an Italian magazine that follows motor racing. “It is the key” to making a winning racecar.
In Formula One — the pinnacle of auto racing and also the richest series — each of the 12 teams is now required to build its own chassis. But most other series, from karting to the lower formulas that feed Formula One, buy chassis from companies like Dallara. Such series exist in dozens of countries around the world at both international and national levels. They usually make their money from corporate sponsorship, private investors and rich enthusiasts.
It is in several of the lower series that Dallara has increasingly dominated the competition.
Dallara, for example, is the single chassis maker for the GP2 series, considered the final step on the ladder leading to Formula One. Starting in 2012, it will provide the chassis for all GP3 cars, a newer series that is also a Formula One support race.
By Mr. Pontremoli’s calculations, 196 of the 200 cars that race in Formula Three, considered two steps down from Formula One, are manufactured by Dallara.
Dallara cars also race in the World Series by Renault, Grand-Am, the North American series and the German junior series Formel Master — more series used as stepping stones to the higher levels and ultimately to Formula One.
The company’s design consulting business, which brings in 40 percent of revenue, even extends into the rarefied reaches of Formula One racing, where the company last year provided the chassis to the Hispania team before the new rules required a team to build its own chassis. Dallara is still involved in the series, “but we can’t say what we do or for whom,” Mr. Pontremoli said with a smile.
Last summer, Dallara scored a coup by beating out other manufacturers to build the new 2012 car for the Izod IndyCar Series, the premier level of American formula racing that opened its season last month. The company will build the undercarriage and the safety cell, where the driver sits. The bodywork dressing the cars will be provided by various manufacturers, including Chevrolet and Lotus, as well as Dallara.
Using a single chassis maker like Dallara makes the cars more economically viable for teams and increases competition. When all teams use the same chassis company, they all pay the same price for the chassis, so richer teams cannot buy their way to victory. And instead of the speed difference between teams coming mostly from the chassis — as in Formula One — it comes mostly from the skill of the driver.
The chassis — which includes everything but the driver’s seat — will cost $349,000.
A news release to announce the choice of Dallara last year for Izod estimated that the price was a 45 percent decrease from the cost of the cars racing in 2010-11, no small saving for teams.
The contract will also swell the company’s revenue, which this year hovers at €32 million, or $46 million. Next year, when Dallara will build both the new IndyCar and the new GP3 chassis, revenue will top €56 million. The privately held company does not disclose profit figures; all profits are reinvested in innovation and technology, Mr. Pontremoli said.
Much of that investment goes to preserving a key competitive advantage: safety.
The company has an excellent reputation for building cars that protect the driver. A video in the front hall of headquarters shows a loop of car crashes in Dallara vehicles from which the drivers walk away.
Mr. Pontremoli may be co-chief here, but his first considerations during an interview in Dallara’s unassuming headquarters about 30 kilometers, or 20 miles, southwest of Parma, were of praise for the company’s founder and president.
“This business emerged from the genius of Gian Paolo Dallara, who still puts in a 12-hour day, even though he’s 74, ” Mr. Pontremoli said. “He’s a volcano.”
Mr. Dallara set up his own chassis-making shop here in 1972, fresh from experiences at Ferrari and Lamborghini (where he worked on the Lamborghini Miura, a sports car produced from 1966 to 1972-3 that aficionados speak of with awe).
At Dallara headquarters, rows of locked offices guard the closely held design secrets of various manufacturers including Ferrari, Maserati, Audi, and Bugatti. The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport — the fastest road-legal car in the world, with a top speed of 431.07 kilometers per hour, or 267.85 miles per hour — was designed with research and development input from Dallara.
Engineers work with only one manufacturer and doors — and mouths — are tightly shut.
Separate entrances to the facility ensure privacy, and only Mr. Pontremoli has open access. “And that’s only because I don’t understand the engineering part of it,” he said, grinning. Before he arrived at Dallara in 2007, he was chief executive of I.B.M. Italy; he went to work at a company that builds racing cars “to pursue a dream,” he said.
At its facility, Dallara has two wind tunnels, and last December it inaugurated a new, €10 million lap-time simulator, which reproduces various motor, road and environmental conditions, allowing engineers to shave weeks off the design of new, faster cars. Tweaks to a prototype are now executed virtually, on a computer, and the costly mold casts of the past are no longer necessary.
“Today a car can be designed in nine months, of which eight are virtual. In the past, the same car would take four or five years to develop,” said Mr. Pontremoli. He concurred that the simulator — a giant sputniklike structure that sits in the center of a large room lined with windows where engineers monitor the movements — was a “little sci-fi.”
The hardware for the simulator can be adapted to different drivers’ needs to improve performance, said Federico Nenci, of Dallara’s commercial department, who described it as an efficient, and extremely cost-effective, tool.
To support and consolidate its new presence in U.S. racing, Dallara is opening a new engineering center on the main street of Speedway, Indiana, the township that houses the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Costing between $8 million and $10 million, the center, which is within walking distance of the track, is scheduled to open in November.
The facility will also feature an entertainment center, including a simulator to allow fans to experience the thrills and chills of motor racing.
Dallara’s presence “will have a big impact,” at Speedway, said Randy Bernard, the chief executive of IndyCar. “First and foremost it will create jobs, and then it’s a good showcase for cars being built in the United States. And it will boost fan experience in the United States.”
Scott Harris, executive director of the Speedway Redevelopment Commission, which is supervising a multimillion-dollar makeover of the track and town, said he hoped Dallara’s presence would become a sort of lure to “attract other motor sports designers and components designers to the area.”
Last year, the Speedway nearly topped a million visitors and, with 300,000 spectators, officials claim that the Indy500 is the largest single-day sporting event in the world. American racing “is a different world,” Mr. Dallara said. “There’s more spectacle, more attention to the public.”
Mr. Pontremoli put it more colloquially: “It’s all about crash and conflict.”
In Europe, instead, “racing is seen as a technical challenge between big car makers,” Mr. Dallara said. “From the entertainment point of view, it’s pretty modest. European racing could learn a lot” from the Americans.
Mr. Dallara is excited by the prospect of branching out into the United States, but his vision for expansion is grounded.
“We don’t want to be too big. We’d rather be good in our specialized niche,” he said. “We want to know that we’re the best doing what we know how to do.”
Brad Spurgeon contributed reporting from Kuala Lumpur.
Dallara
VARANO DE' MELEGARI, ITALY — On some weekends, when the motor racing world is in full rev, as many as 300 racecars made by one Italian company can be seen speeding along famous racetracks around the world, from the Indianapolis Speedway to Macao.
Yet to motor racing outsiders, the name Dallara, the chassis maker, is unlikely to ring many bells. One specialist magazine recently described the company as “the world’s most successful yet understated racing car builder.”
“We prefer to let the facts speak for themselves,” said Andrea Pontremoli, chief executive and general manager of Dallara. “If we win races we’re good.” He paused. “And we win a lot of races.”
The chassis of a racecar tends to go unnoticed under the logos and brand names blazoned on the bodywork by sponsors. Yet the chassis “is the foundation for everything,” said Arturo Rizzoli, a journalist for “Autosprint,” an Italian magazine that follows motor racing. “It is the key” to making a winning racecar.
In Formula One — the pinnacle of auto racing and also the richest series — each of the 12 teams is now required to build its own chassis. But most other series, from karting to the lower formulas that feed Formula One, buy chassis from companies like Dallara. Such series exist in dozens of countries around the world at both international and national levels. They usually make their money from corporate sponsorship, private investors and rich enthusiasts.
It is in several of the lower series that Dallara has increasingly dominated the competition.
Dallara, for example, is the single chassis maker for the GP2 series, considered the final step on the ladder leading to Formula One. Starting in 2012, it will provide the chassis for all GP3 cars, a newer series that is also a Formula One support race.
By Mr. Pontremoli’s calculations, 196 of the 200 cars that race in Formula Three, considered two steps down from Formula One, are manufactured by Dallara.
Dallara cars also race in the World Series by Renault, Grand-Am, the North American series and the German junior series Formel Master — more series used as stepping stones to the higher levels and ultimately to Formula One.
The company’s design consulting business, which brings in 40 percent of revenue, even extends into the rarefied reaches of Formula One racing, where the company last year provided the chassis to the Hispania team before the new rules required a team to build its own chassis. Dallara is still involved in the series, “but we can’t say what we do or for whom,” Mr. Pontremoli said with a smile.
Last summer, Dallara scored a coup by beating out other manufacturers to build the new 2012 car for the Izod IndyCar Series, the premier level of American formula racing that opened its season last month. The company will build the undercarriage and the safety cell, where the driver sits. The bodywork dressing the cars will be provided by various manufacturers, including Chevrolet and Lotus, as well as Dallara.
Using a single chassis maker like Dallara makes the cars more economically viable for teams and increases competition. When all teams use the same chassis company, they all pay the same price for the chassis, so richer teams cannot buy their way to victory. And instead of the speed difference between teams coming mostly from the chassis — as in Formula One — it comes mostly from the skill of the driver.
The chassis — which includes everything but the driver’s seat — will cost $349,000.
A news release to announce the choice of Dallara last year for Izod estimated that the price was a 45 percent decrease from the cost of the cars racing in 2010-11, no small saving for teams.
The contract will also swell the company’s revenue, which this year hovers at €32 million, or $46 million. Next year, when Dallara will build both the new IndyCar and the new GP3 chassis, revenue will top €56 million. The privately held company does not disclose profit figures; all profits are reinvested in innovation and technology, Mr. Pontremoli said.
Much of that investment goes to preserving a key competitive advantage: safety.
The company has an excellent reputation for building cars that protect the driver. A video in the front hall of headquarters shows a loop of car crashes in Dallara vehicles from which the drivers walk away.
Mr. Pontremoli may be co-chief here, but his first considerations during an interview in Dallara’s unassuming headquarters about 30 kilometers, or 20 miles, southwest of Parma, were of praise for the company’s founder and president.
“This business emerged from the genius of Gian Paolo Dallara, who still puts in a 12-hour day, even though he’s 74, ” Mr. Pontremoli said. “He’s a volcano.”
Mr. Dallara set up his own chassis-making shop here in 1972, fresh from experiences at Ferrari and Lamborghini (where he worked on the Lamborghini Miura, a sports car produced from 1966 to 1972-3 that aficionados speak of with awe).
At Dallara headquarters, rows of locked offices guard the closely held design secrets of various manufacturers including Ferrari, Maserati, Audi, and Bugatti. The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport — the fastest road-legal car in the world, with a top speed of 431.07 kilometers per hour, or 267.85 miles per hour — was designed with research and development input from Dallara.
Engineers work with only one manufacturer and doors — and mouths — are tightly shut.
Separate entrances to the facility ensure privacy, and only Mr. Pontremoli has open access. “And that’s only because I don’t understand the engineering part of it,” he said, grinning. Before he arrived at Dallara in 2007, he was chief executive of I.B.M. Italy; he went to work at a company that builds racing cars “to pursue a dream,” he said.
At its facility, Dallara has two wind tunnels, and last December it inaugurated a new, €10 million lap-time simulator, which reproduces various motor, road and environmental conditions, allowing engineers to shave weeks off the design of new, faster cars. Tweaks to a prototype are now executed virtually, on a computer, and the costly mold casts of the past are no longer necessary.
“Today a car can be designed in nine months, of which eight are virtual. In the past, the same car would take four or five years to develop,” said Mr. Pontremoli. He concurred that the simulator — a giant sputniklike structure that sits in the center of a large room lined with windows where engineers monitor the movements — was a “little sci-fi.”
The hardware for the simulator can be adapted to different drivers’ needs to improve performance, said Federico Nenci, of Dallara’s commercial department, who described it as an efficient, and extremely cost-effective, tool.
To support and consolidate its new presence in U.S. racing, Dallara is opening a new engineering center on the main street of Speedway, Indiana, the township that houses the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Costing between $8 million and $10 million, the center, which is within walking distance of the track, is scheduled to open in November.
The facility will also feature an entertainment center, including a simulator to allow fans to experience the thrills and chills of motor racing.
Dallara’s presence “will have a big impact,” at Speedway, said Randy Bernard, the chief executive of IndyCar. “First and foremost it will create jobs, and then it’s a good showcase for cars being built in the United States. And it will boost fan experience in the United States.”
Scott Harris, executive director of the Speedway Redevelopment Commission, which is supervising a multimillion-dollar makeover of the track and town, said he hoped Dallara’s presence would become a sort of lure to “attract other motor sports designers and components designers to the area.”
Last year, the Speedway nearly topped a million visitors and, with 300,000 spectators, officials claim that the Indy500 is the largest single-day sporting event in the world. American racing “is a different world,” Mr. Dallara said. “There’s more spectacle, more attention to the public.”
Mr. Pontremoli put it more colloquially: “It’s all about crash and conflict.”
In Europe, instead, “racing is seen as a technical challenge between big car makers,” Mr. Dallara said. “From the entertainment point of view, it’s pretty modest. European racing could learn a lot” from the Americans.
Mr. Dallara is excited by the prospect of branching out into the United States, but his vision for expansion is grounded.
“We don’t want to be too big. We’d rather be good in our specialized niche,” he said. “We want to know that we’re the best doing what we know how to do.”
Brad Spurgeon contributed reporting from Kuala Lumpur.
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Winslow on the pace in St Petersburg
Indianapolis, IN, 2nd April, 2011 - James Winslow showed great pace throughout his debut weekend for Andretti Autosport at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg but, through no fault of his own, a damaged front wing prevented the result his performance deserved.
Winslow arrived in Florida having not yet sat in the car he would be using around the St Petersburg track, but that factor was almost negated as he methodically set about learning the new Andretti Autosport car and team, all whilst readying himself for Sunday's race.
An eventful start to the race saw Winslow suffer front wing damage, and he was forced to pit as a result. which inevitably forced him down the running order.
The young Briton came back fighting, and delivered a number of stunning lap times on his way to a top ten finish.
In the build-up to the weekend, Winslow's mind was set further up the field come the chequered flag, but fate worked against him, and the front wing damage forced his trip down pit road.
The incident only served to further Winslow's desire to show well, and an extremely determined Winslow left the pits after the repairs, and went about setting some very fast sector and lap times as he worked his way to tenth place at the flag.
"I wanted to be a lot higher up! Sometimes you are just in the wrong place at the wrong time," exclaimed Winslow, adding "My race pace was good, the car felt great, and I know we could have been so much higher than we were."
Throughout all of the weekend's sessions Winslow was fast on-track, which itself was no mean feat considering that he was setting very good times in his first weekend in the car, and whilst still adapting the car's setup to suit his own driving style.
"The team were great! Everyone at Andretti Autosport has been amazing, and even though we only had a short time to get the car ready, we all worked very well together to deliver a very fast car," said James.
For more information, photos and live updates you can follow James on Facebook (www.facebook.com/winslowrace or www.facebook.com/jameswinslowracing), on Twitter (www.twitter.com/winslowrace).
A new-for-2011 James Winslow Racing website is almost live. The new design, with all the latest news will soon be online at www.jameswinslow.com
###
E&OE
Photos & Images
First Image Caption:
"James Winslow Agrees Deal with Andretti Autosport"
Media Resources
High resolution images and additional media resources available from:
http://www.motorsportrelease.com/2011/04/ Winslow_on_the_pace_in_St_Petersburg/Resources/
About James
James Winslow is one of Britain's most talented racing drivers, having vast experience in many series the world over. James has enjoyed success in many series, having claimed Championship titles in Asian Formula 3, Formula Renault V6 and Australian Formula 3. He has represented Team Great Britain in the A1GP series, in addition to being a well liked and respected driving coach.
About Andretti Autosport
Based in Indianapolis, Andretti Autosport is led by the legendary figure of Mario Andretti. The team has an extremely healthy pedigree, having claimed three IZOD IndyCar Series championship titles, two Firestone Indy Lights titles and two victories in the world-famous Indianapolis 500 during it's history. Andretti Autosport currently fields cars in the IZOD IndyCar Series, the Firestone Indy Lights and the US F2000 championship.
About Firestone Indy Lights
The "Road to Indy", the Firestone Indy Lights, is a direct feeder series to the IZOD IndyCar Series, the pinnacle of of single seater racing based primarily in North America. Following the same race schedule as that of IndyCar, the Indy Lights take in some of the most iconic circuits around North America, as well as a trip to Motegi in Japan. The VERSUS channel will present full season coverage of the Indy Lights series, which will also benefit from extensive coverage the world over via television, radio, print and Internet media.
Contact James
E-Mail: winslowrace@yahoo.co.uk / rd.consultusa@gmail.com
Cell: +1 317 442 1229
Web: www.jameswinslow.com
Facebook Profile: www.facebook.com/winslowrace
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/JamesWinslowRacing
Twitter: www.twitter.com/winslowrace
Winslow arrived in Florida having not yet sat in the car he would be using around the St Petersburg track, but that factor was almost negated as he methodically set about learning the new Andretti Autosport car and team, all whilst readying himself for Sunday's race.
An eventful start to the race saw Winslow suffer front wing damage, and he was forced to pit as a result. which inevitably forced him down the running order.
The young Briton came back fighting, and delivered a number of stunning lap times on his way to a top ten finish.
In the build-up to the weekend, Winslow's mind was set further up the field come the chequered flag, but fate worked against him, and the front wing damage forced his trip down pit road.
The incident only served to further Winslow's desire to show well, and an extremely determined Winslow left the pits after the repairs, and went about setting some very fast sector and lap times as he worked his way to tenth place at the flag.
"I wanted to be a lot higher up! Sometimes you are just in the wrong place at the wrong time," exclaimed Winslow, adding "My race pace was good, the car felt great, and I know we could have been so much higher than we were."
Throughout all of the weekend's sessions Winslow was fast on-track, which itself was no mean feat considering that he was setting very good times in his first weekend in the car, and whilst still adapting the car's setup to suit his own driving style.
"The team were great! Everyone at Andretti Autosport has been amazing, and even though we only had a short time to get the car ready, we all worked very well together to deliver a very fast car," said James.
For more information, photos and live updates you can follow James on Facebook (www.facebook.com/winslowrace or www.facebook.com/jameswinslowracing), on Twitter (www.twitter.com/winslowrace).
A new-for-2011 James Winslow Racing website is almost live. The new design, with all the latest news will soon be online at www.jameswinslow.com
###
E&OE
Photos & Images
First Image Caption:
"James Winslow Agrees Deal with Andretti Autosport"
Media Resources
High resolution images and additional media resources available from:
http://www.motorsportrelease.com/2011/04/ Winslow_on_the_pace_in_St_Petersburg/Resources/
About James
James Winslow is one of Britain's most talented racing drivers, having vast experience in many series the world over. James has enjoyed success in many series, having claimed Championship titles in Asian Formula 3, Formula Renault V6 and Australian Formula 3. He has represented Team Great Britain in the A1GP series, in addition to being a well liked and respected driving coach.
About Andretti Autosport
Based in Indianapolis, Andretti Autosport is led by the legendary figure of Mario Andretti. The team has an extremely healthy pedigree, having claimed three IZOD IndyCar Series championship titles, two Firestone Indy Lights titles and two victories in the world-famous Indianapolis 500 during it's history. Andretti Autosport currently fields cars in the IZOD IndyCar Series, the Firestone Indy Lights and the US F2000 championship.
About Firestone Indy Lights
The "Road to Indy", the Firestone Indy Lights, is a direct feeder series to the IZOD IndyCar Series, the pinnacle of of single seater racing based primarily in North America. Following the same race schedule as that of IndyCar, the Indy Lights take in some of the most iconic circuits around North America, as well as a trip to Motegi in Japan. The VERSUS channel will present full season coverage of the Indy Lights series, which will also benefit from extensive coverage the world over via television, radio, print and Internet media.
Contact James
E-Mail: winslowrace@yahoo.co.uk / rd.consultusa@gmail.com
Cell: +1 317 442 1229
Web: www.jameswinslow.com
Facebook Profile: www.facebook.com/winslowrace
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/JamesWinslowRacing
Twitter: www.twitter.com/winslowrace
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
IMIS Launches New Website
Visit IMIS-INDY.com and check out all of the exciting features of the new International Motorsports Industry Show website!
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Building safer seats for Indy racer
We found this old article from a 2004 edition of Machine Design. Since then we now do all our own Laser Scanning and Engineering in house.
Laser scanning lets a pair of companies create protective seats for Indy cars and other racing vehicles in a much faster and efficient new way.
 |
| A laser scanner creates CAD files that perfectly duplicate a seat's shape. |
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Rules require IRL drivers use cocoonlike seats that protect them during 220-mph crashes. The seats are made from beaded foam that absorbs forces before they hit the driver. In the past, drivers would sit on a bag filled with expanded polystyrene beads and resin to create an exact imprint of them in their most comfortable driving position. The entire process took at least 20 hr. And every time a car is in an accident or a driver switches cars, a new seat must be created.
The new seat-construction technique devised by Createc Corp., (www.createccorp.com) and Bald Spot Sports, (www.baldspotsports.com), both in Indianapolis, relies on laser scanning and CAD software. In effect, the technique generates a three-dimensional blueprint of a race seat that fits a driver and can be used repeatedly.
Technicians use a portable laser scanner to create a CAD file that duplicates the seat shape. If the driver already has a preferred seat, a fitting is not required at all. Instead, the seat itself is scanned to produce the CAD file. The file generates inputs for a CNC program that directs a machine center to carve the seat out of a single block of Creasorb, a multiple impact foam from Createc. It is a lightweight, closed-cell foam that resists impacts better than currently used seat materials, thus eliminating the need for replacement after minor impacts. It also has superior shock absorption, withstands multiple impacts, and resists most of the chemicals and solvents used in racing.
After deciding to use laser scanning, Createc and Bald Spot Sports considered purchasing a laser-scanning system but it didn't make sense at the early stages of the project. "Laser-scanning technology is rapidly improving, and we were concerned that our lack of experience might lead us to a purchase that we would regret later," says Cameron Cobb, business development manager for Createc. "We looked for a service bureau that could guide us through the process while providing the levels of accuracy and fast turnaround we need. Unfortunately, our first few attempts in working with service bureaus were not very successful due to their lack of responsiveness. However, the first time we contacted Laser Design in Minneapolis, they demonstrated they had all the capabilities we needed and were totally dedicated to our success."
Monday, February 21, 2011
Cunningham confirmed as IndyCar driver
Published: 3:58PM Friday February 18, 2011 Source: ONE Sport
- Wade Cunningham - Source: Photosport
-
Watch Video
Wade Cunningham has been confirmed as just the second New Zealander to race in the IndyCar series.
Ironically he hails from Mount Wellington Car club, the same club that produced Scott Dixon.
He will do four races this season with Sam Schmidts Motorsports, all on oval tracks.
Cunningham will now try to break the mold of being just an Indy Light driver
"Sam (Sam Schmidts Motorsports) wants me and believes in me. Sam is my best shot moving forward," he told ONE Sport.
He wanted to drive in the Indy500 this year, but the cost to enter the race was too much, so Cunningham decided it would be more wise to enter four regular events.
If he does well in the four races he may be able to race the full programme next year.
He's setting his sights high, and wants to prove his worth and take the opportunity he's been given with Sam Schmidts Motorsports.
Advertisement
"If we (the team) could break into the top 10 a couple of times I would be happy," he said.
"I want to qualify in the top 14 every week"
And all along the way there's been Scott Dixon, a legend of Kiwi motorsport now.
"Scott does everything he can for me but racing comes down to dollars and cents and he's not writing the cheques for me," Cunningham said.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
IZOD INDYCAR AND GIL de FERRAN FEATURED IN NEW HP CAMPAIGN
HP Launches “Everybody On” Global Marketing Campaign
Commercial featuring Alicia Keys to debut during 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards
PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 9, 2011HP today unveiled “Everybody On,” a global marketing campaign that celebrates how people around the world are using HP technology to pursue their personal and professional passions.
The launch – spanning music, fashion, community activism, business and more – is supported by an integrated marketing campaign featuring print, broadcast, online and social media. The campaign was created by HP’s Personal Systems Group and builds on the highly acclaimed “The Computer is Personal Again” campaign.
“Technology plays a vital role in how people explore, develop and enable their passions,” said Richard Gerstein, senior vice president, Strategy and Worldwide Marketing, Personal Systems Group, HP. “Five years ago the personal computer was the center of one’s connected life, while today people are at the center and their technology – across smartphones, tablets, PCs and cloud services – needs to provide seamless connectivity to what is important to them.”
The “Everybody On” campaign kicks off with a 60-second anthem TV spot featuring an instrumental version of Lou Reed’s iconic song “Walk on the Wild Side.” It showcases a broad range of solutions – from computers to mobile devices and printers – and how technology connects people to their passions.
At the center of the campaign is the “Everybody On” Digital Hub, where a variety of digital content will be hosted, including inspirational interviews about pursuing passions using HP technology. The digital hub will allow consumers to engage with passionate individuals and businesses from around the world, including IndyCar driver Gil de Ferran, social activist Aria Finger from DoSomething.org and “Project Runway” star Mondo Guerra.
HP and the 53rd GRAMMY® Awards
During the 53rd Annual GRAMMY® Awards telecast on Feb. 13, HP will unveil the first in a series of TV spots that highlight personal passions and the HP technology that enables them. The first spot will feature 13-time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys sharing her passion for music and the importance of her audience hearing her songs exactly as she recorded them.
The commercial will feature HP notebook PCs with Beats Audio™, an award-winning technology solution exclusive to HP that was built in collaboration with artist and producer Dr. Dre and chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records and Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine to produce studio-quality sound on a computer.
This year the GRAMMY Awards telecast will feature the new HP TouchPad, the first HP webOS tablet, displaying what’s coming up next in the show in some CBS/GRAMMY on-air bumpers leading into commercial breaks.
As an official GRAMMY sponsor, HP also will support key GRAMMY Week events, including the MusiCares® Person of the Year tribute honoring Barbra Streisand, a title sponsorship of the exclusive Clive Davis and Recording Academy Pre-GRAMMY Gala and the official GRAMMY Celebration® after-party. Celebrities and guests at the GRAMMY Celebration after-party can experience Beats Audio at HP listening stations.
The global marketing campaign was developed in collaboration with agencies Creature, Designkitchen, Edelman, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, McCann Erickson, Omnicom Media Group and Publicis.
More information is available at www.hp.com/go/everybodyon.
About HP
HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.
For Performance & Safety Reasons Customer Pours A BSS Seat Kit for their FSCCA Car
Building A Bead Seat | |
| Part I -- Pouring the Seat This is the first “Bead Seat” we’ve built. In the Cougar, we had a Momo carbon fiber seat and in the SRF, we had what they gave us. For this car, however, it's clear that for both performance reasons (better driver “feel” of the car) and safety reasons (the bead seat provides some “give” slowing down the energy transmission in a crash) we wanted a bead seat. The bead seat kit consists of 3 basic parts...a vacuum bag, a bunch of plastic “beads” about the size of BB’s and a 2-part epoxy resin. We purchased a Pennon Composites B3-XL seat kit. What follows are the pictures we took during our seat construction. | |
| Prepping the Chassis The first step was to remove the stock “seat” (a plastic injection molded thing) and cover up the “sharp edges” of the cockpit...and provide some “ramping” for chassis floor tubes. Cover the sharp edges so you don’t puncture the seat vacuum bag. Ramp the chassis tubes so you don’t mold the seat to tightly to the chassis (so you can't remove it when it hardens).
The picture at right shows the duct tape used to hold Pennon’s “anti-puncture” plastic cover in place. The duct tape also covers specific sharp edges. The cardboard you see are the “ramps” over the chassis tubes and another leading up to the battery cover.
And here’s another shot of the same process...looking rearward.
In this picture, Robert (in the car) is asking John Church (outside the car) for instructions on how to get out of the car (note the “Formula Car Exit Instructions” in John’s hand). Actually, they’re discussing the “fit” of the seat and how to distribute the beads before we put in the resin.
This process, adding and removing beads, moving them around and then trying the fit took about 10 attempts before Robert felt right in the car.
Forty five minutes after putting the resin in the bag and putting both the bag and Robert in the car, we now have our rough seat. You can see the taped up neck at the top of the seat. This is where the vacuum cleaner is connected to pull a vacuum on the seat while the seat consolidates (i.e. the resin sets-up around the beads). The vacuum is critical to ensure the removal of voids in the seat.
And here is the rough seat removed from the car. One good things about the large size of the FSCCA cockpit is that you can remove the seat in a single piece rather than having to split it in two (like on a Zetec car).
And finally, here’s the seat with most or the “rough stuff” trimmed away.
Robert came up during early March and put some more work into the seat. Here's how he cut out the holes for the seat belts. He's got the seat at his house now, and I look forward to a finished covered seat in the next week or so. | |
| Part II -- Finishing the Seat | |
| Finishing the Seat The first thing Robert did was to put some reinforcement in place around the seat belt openings and on the thinner sides of the seat
This shot shows those reinforcements. Robert used some carbon fiber left over from our World Challenge days.
Then, using contact adhesive, Robert applied the fabric to the seat. He also added some foam padding to some low spots.
And here's the seat in the car with the seat belts installed. In this picture you can also see one of the neat cockpit sides we got from Comprent. These installed easily (we used 10-32 nut-serts) and are a nice safety addition to the car. We've got one more step...and that is to coat the back side of the seat with truck liquid bed-liner material to help keep everything consolidated.
While he had the carbon fiber out, Robert made up this neat little cover to go over the data logger and its wiring (which is installed on the floor, just in front of the front roll hoop). The idea is to protect the equipment and keep the driver from getting his feet tangled in the wiring. You can just see the edge of this cover in the picture above. I know Robert made a mold so I'm sure you could bribe him into making one for you.
| |
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
James Winslow Ready for 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Winslow Raring to Go in 2011
Indianapolis, IN, 8th February 2011 - James Winslow is eager to get back into the race seat after a long winter of preparation, and he believes that his fitness will be a key factor in 2011.
The young Briton has spent the close season working extensively on his physical condition, which he considers a vital attribute and one which will benefit him greatly as he aims to deliver the best possible performance throughout the year.
"It has been a long winter, and I can't wait to get back into a car. I have been training harder than I have done before, and I am confident this will help me both physically and mentally in 2011" said Winslow.
Winslow is also buoyed by a link-up with a new marketing company who will look after Winslow, and his James Winslow Racing setup, a relationship which both parties hope will reap great rewards.
Negotiations for 2011 are ongoing, and Winslow is confident something will be settled soon, allowing him to refine his preparations for the upcoming campaign.
Of the negotiations, Winslow said "Discussions are ongoing for a race seat. I am hoping that something will be announced very soon", adding that "I am always looking out for corporate partners to work with, and any interested parties should feel free to get in touch with me".
The desire to further progress this year comes on the back of a strong rookie year in the Firestone Indy Lights. Winslow's running in the Indy Lights comprised a part-season, in which he delivered good performances, but often luck worked against him.
"2010 started well. We qualified fifth at St. Petersburg with no testing, but a heavy storm in the race caught us out. Despite this we still recorded a strong 7th place finish on our debut. Long Beach was going so well, I moved from the back of the pack after a gearbox failure in qualifying forced me to the rear of the grid, and I was in position for a podium, but the steering wheel came off on the last lap. When we went to Toronto, I was on the fastest pace again, but through no fault of my own I was taken out of the race" said Winslow, whose season highlight in the Indy Lights was at Watkins Glen.
"Watkins Glen stands out for me. It was a really good drive, and I finished fifth after working my way through the field. I was presented with the "Hard Charger" award for that performance", added Winslow.
"Overall I am pleased with how I performed, but there are factors which are out of your control, and these did work against us a a team more often than not", stated Winslow.
"I guess after 3 years of winning back-to-back titles, the luck element needed to balance itself up'" Winslow joked before making clear his desire for 2011 "I'm ready for luck to not be a factor this season. It's time to let our speed do the talking".
For more information, photos and live updates you can follow James on Facebook (www.facebook.com/winslowrace or by searching for "James Winslow Racing"), on Twitter (www.twitter.com/winslowrace).
A new-for-2011 James Winslow Racing website is almost live. The new design, with all the latest news will soon be online at www.jameswinslow.com
###
E&OE
Photos & Images
Main Image caption: James Winslow is raring to go in 2011
Additional Image Caption: James Winslow in Action for Sam Schmidt Motorsports in the 2010 Firestone Indy Lights
High resolution images available from:
http://www.motorsportrelease.com/2011/02/Winslow Raring to Go in 2011/images/HighRes/
About James
James Winslow is one of Britain's most talented racing drivers, having vast experience in many series the world over. James has enjoyed success in many series, having claimed Championship titles in Asian Formula 3, Formula Renault V6 and Australian Formula 3. He has represented Team Great Britain in the A1GP series, in addition to being a well liked and respected driving coach.
Contact James
E-Mail: winslowrace@yahoo.co.uk / rd.consultusa@gmail.com
Cell: +1 317 442 1229
Web: www.jameswinslow.com
Facebook Profile: www.facebook.com/winslowrace
Twitter: www.twitter.com/winslowrace
Winslow Raring to Go in 2011
Indianapolis, IN, 8th February 2011 - James Winslow is eager to get back into the race seat after a long winter of preparation, and he believes that his fitness will be a key factor in 2011.
The young Briton has spent the close season working extensively on his physical condition, which he considers a vital attribute and one which will benefit him greatly as he aims to deliver the best possible performance throughout the year.
"It has been a long winter, and I can't wait to get back into a car. I have been training harder than I have done before, and I am confident this will help me both physically and mentally in 2011" said Winslow.
Winslow is also buoyed by a link-up with a new marketing company who will look after Winslow, and his James Winslow Racing setup, a relationship which both parties hope will reap great rewards.
Negotiations for 2011 are ongoing, and Winslow is confident something will be settled soon, allowing him to refine his preparations for the upcoming campaign.
Of the negotiations, Winslow said "Discussions are ongoing for a race seat. I am hoping that something will be announced very soon", adding that "I am always looking out for corporate partners to work with, and any interested parties should feel free to get in touch with me".
The desire to further progress this year comes on the back of a strong rookie year in the Firestone Indy Lights. Winslow's running in the Indy Lights comprised a part-season, in which he delivered good performances, but often luck worked against him.
"2010 started well. We qualified fifth at St. Petersburg with no testing, but a heavy storm in the race caught us out. Despite this we still recorded a strong 7th place finish on our debut. Long Beach was going so well, I moved from the back of the pack after a gearbox failure in qualifying forced me to the rear of the grid, and I was in position for a podium, but the steering wheel came off on the last lap. When we went to Toronto, I was on the fastest pace again, but through no fault of my own I was taken out of the race" said Winslow, whose season highlight in the Indy Lights was at Watkins Glen.
"Watkins Glen stands out for me. It was a really good drive, and I finished fifth after working my way through the field. I was presented with the "Hard Charger" award for that performance", added Winslow.
"Overall I am pleased with how I performed, but there are factors which are out of your control, and these did work against us a a team more often than not", stated Winslow.
"I guess after 3 years of winning back-to-back titles, the luck element needed to balance itself up'" Winslow joked before making clear his desire for 2011 "I'm ready for luck to not be a factor this season. It's time to let our speed do the talking".
For more information, photos and live updates you can follow James on Facebook (www.facebook.com/winslowrace or by searching for "James Winslow Racing"), on Twitter (www.twitter.com/winslowrace).
A new-for-2011 James Winslow Racing website is almost live. The new design, with all the latest news will soon be online at www.jameswinslow.com
###
E&OE
Photos & Images
Main Image caption: James Winslow is raring to go in 2011
Additional Image Caption: James Winslow in Action for Sam Schmidt Motorsports in the 2010 Firestone Indy Lights
High resolution images available from:
http://www.motorsportrelease.com/2011/02/Winslow Raring to Go in 2011/images/HighRes/
About James
James Winslow is one of Britain's most talented racing drivers, having vast experience in many series the world over. James has enjoyed success in many series, having claimed Championship titles in Asian Formula 3, Formula Renault V6 and Australian Formula 3. He has represented Team Great Britain in the A1GP series, in addition to being a well liked and respected driving coach.
Contact James
E-Mail: winslowrace@yahoo.co.uk / rd.consultusa@gmail.com
Cell: +1 317 442 1229
Web: www.jameswinslow.com
Facebook Profile: www.facebook.com/winslowrace
Twitter: www.twitter.com/winslowrace
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Bald Spot Sports Selects ARPRO to Enhance Safety
ARPRO, has been selected by US motorsport supplier Bald Spot Sports (BSS) and design partner the Createc Corporation for its lightweight impact-resistant properties to enhance safety. This material allows 45 to 50 percent weight reduction and enhanced energy management during a crash. ARPRO also enables NASCAR and IRL teams to build multiple versions of racing safety equipment from a single driver fitting session.
 |
Until now race car seats required the driver and team to be present when each race seat was made. The traditional process used epoxy resin and expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads moulded around the driver. Now, BSS digitally scans the original seat permitting Createc to CNC cut the ARPRO to exact dimensions for an accurate duplicate.
“Adding JSP products into the mix was a natural next step. With ARPRO, the process of creating a comfortable and safe racing seat is repeatable. No epoxy is required, so weight is reduced by more than 45 percent and risk of human error is mitigated,” explains Cameron Cobb, Manager of Construction & Specialty Products, Createc Corporation.
For more than five years, BSS and Createc have been the ultimate racing alliance, bringing innovative ARPRO to the track and offering greater force reduction in a variety of impact situations.
In addition to the manufacturing advantage, ARPRO delivers safety improvements. “Some collisions happen at 200mph, and Bald Spot is working to provide the driver with the ultimate in protection when it comes to force reduction technology,” continues Cobb. “ARPRO helps support this objective. It is one of the most efficient safety materials available, providing more energy management than traditional seat materials. In third-party testing, our seat material absorbed 30 percent more energy on the first impact and 60 percent more energy during the second impact than other seat materials currently in use.”
The ARPRO seat has won praise from all quarters: “We’re wheel to wheel and bumper to bumper every weekend, and the team’s success depends on protecting our driver,” comments Dave Kenny, Engineer on the NASCAR Cup Series at Penske Racing. “Our track time is extremely valuable, and we need to be focused on racing. We work to nail the first seat fitting and then duplicate it all season. We believe in the lightweight BSS products because they save us time and money and offer quick turnaround. Our team’s drivers like Kurt Busch are very happy with this product.”
“Driver protection is of paramount importance and ARPRO is strong enough to cushion impact, yet light enough to maintain competitive edge. As ARPRO is the only material used, lead times are also reduced,” explains Paul Compton, JSP’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Europe.
ARPRO is used extensively in automotive applications, and is resistant to high temperatures making it ideal for use in a wide range of motorsport such as the World Rally Championship (WRC). ARPRO’s extremely high strength-to-weight ratio is particularly beneficial in motorsport safety; withstanding multiple impacts without significant deformation and returning to its original shape following dynamic stress.
“The demanding nature of motorsport requires reduced time from the CAD suite to the race circuit, and this project is further proof that ARPRO is ideal for motorsport applications,” concludes Compton.
Sunday, December 05, 2010
BSS Two & Three Piece Lateral Head Support Systems
We have developed multi-impact reistant head support sytems using Arpro foam that has been proven time and time again in our custom made seats and helmet liners. These support systems meet the standards of a variety of sanctioning bodies including NHRA, INDYCAR, NASCAR and FIA for the World Rally Championship (WRC). These can be made to fit nearly any vehicle (including boats) that requires interior protection at the lightest weight possible. SFI: 45.2
Monday, November 01, 2010
Dallara Ground Breaking Set
IndyCar Garage on November 1, 2010
Italian chassis manufacturer Dallara will formally break ground on their new United States factory, in the heart of IndyCar country, Speedway Indiana. Dallara, which was named the 2012 chassis manufacture of the IZOD IndyCar Series, has been involved with IndyCar since 1997, in the early years of the Indy Racing League.
Mr. Gian Paolo Dallara birthday is November 16th, and he will be celebrating it at the groundbreaking ceremonies, along with several other representatives from Dallara. The Dallara factory, which will be built on Main Street in Speedway, will also have the Indy Racing Experience attached to it, and representatives from the IRE should be in attendance as well.
The announcement will also be a big boost to the Speedway Redevelopment plan. The factory is expected to produce over 70 new jobs in Speedway, and also pave the way for more companies to relocate to Speedway, Indiana as part of their master redevelopment plan. Indianapolis mayor Greg Ballard and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels are also expected to be in attendance.
Randy Bernard has invited several drivers to attend the ground breaking, and Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of Fiat Automobiles, is expected to attend as well. Fiat Group is the largest automobile manufacturer in Italy.
Italian chassis manufacturer Dallara will formally break ground on their new United States factory, in the heart of IndyCar country, Speedway Indiana. Dallara, which was named the 2012 chassis manufacture of the IZOD IndyCar Series, has been involved with IndyCar since 1997, in the early years of the Indy Racing League.
Mr. Gian Paolo Dallara birthday is November 16th, and he will be celebrating it at the groundbreaking ceremonies, along with several other representatives from Dallara. The Dallara factory, which will be built on Main Street in Speedway, will also have the Indy Racing Experience attached to it, and representatives from the IRE should be in attendance as well.
The announcement will also be a big boost to the Speedway Redevelopment plan. The factory is expected to produce over 70 new jobs in Speedway, and also pave the way for more companies to relocate to Speedway, Indiana as part of their master redevelopment plan. Indianapolis mayor Greg Ballard and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels are also expected to be in attendance.
Randy Bernard has invited several drivers to attend the ground breaking, and Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of Fiat Automobiles, is expected to attend as well. Fiat Group is the largest automobile manufacturer in Italy.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
NEED SCANNING? CONTACT BALD SPOT SPORTS
All custom Bald Spot seat systems are created utilizing state-of-the-art three-dimensional scanning technology to ensure the product fits your exact unique specifications. After years of scanning our custom seat systems we came to the conclusion that opening our own 3D scanning business made a lot of sense. Building from our automotive racing experience, we are proud to announce our alignment with GT Scan. GT Scan is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bald Spot Sports.
GT Scan has the capability of creating a three-dimensional scan of almost any surface under the sun. With needed speed and versatility our 3D scanner is perfect for any project, large and small.
Applications:
* Reverse Engineering: Speed, accuracy and ease-of-use for aftermarket product design
* Packaging Design: Create custom packaging by scanning product samples for exact geometry and texture data
* Ergonomic Design: Readily scan hand-crafted samples to produce complex designs from scratch
* Digital Archiving: Save money by storing tooling, samples and prototypes digitally
* Digital Media, Gaming & Animation: Create digital media for computer games and movies from artist's concept models
* Arts & Cultural Heritage: Produce high-resolution, low-impact scans for accurate restorations and reconstructions of priceless artwork and architecture. Document, research and even replicate great works for transportation, packaging, museum shops and historical archivingam
* Medical Education: Create highly detailed reproductions of complex organs and bone structures
* Medical Orthosis: Custom design braces and other devices for precision comfort
Advantages to Our Scanning Capabilities:
* First and only handheld, self-orienting 3D scanner, eliminating the need for fixed-position tripods, bulky mechanical arms or external positioning devices that make make hard-to-reach surfaces nearly impossible to scan
* Uniquely part-referenced, allowing you to move the target object during scanning and see a real- time image of the surface being scanned
* Capture data in one continuous scan rather than in numerous shots from fixed positions, eliminating hours of post-processing time
GT Scan has the capability of creating a three-dimensional scan of almost any surface under the sun. With needed speed and versatility our 3D scanner is perfect for any project, large and small.
Applications:
* Reverse Engineering: Speed, accuracy and ease-of-use for aftermarket product design
* Packaging Design: Create custom packaging by scanning product samples for exact geometry and texture data
* Ergonomic Design: Readily scan hand-crafted samples to produce complex designs from scratch
* Digital Archiving: Save money by storing tooling, samples and prototypes digitally
* Digital Media, Gaming & Animation: Create digital media for computer games and movies from artist's concept models
* Arts & Cultural Heritage: Produce high-resolution, low-impact scans for accurate restorations and reconstructions of priceless artwork and architecture. Document, research and even replicate great works for transportation, packaging, museum shops and historical archivingam
* Medical Education: Create highly detailed reproductions of complex organs and bone structures
* Medical Orthosis: Custom design braces and other devices for precision comfort
Advantages to Our Scanning Capabilities:
* First and only handheld, self-orienting 3D scanner, eliminating the need for fixed-position tripods, bulky mechanical arms or external positioning devices that make make hard-to-reach surfaces nearly impossible to scan
* Uniquely part-referenced, allowing you to move the target object during scanning and see a real- time image of the surface being scanned
* Capture data in one continuous scan rather than in numerous shots from fixed positions, eliminating hours of post-processing time
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Record-Breaking Contingency Fund Offered To SCCA Runoffs Participants
by Reece White, SCCA
TOPEKA, Kan. – Racers participating in the 2010 SCCA National Championship Runoffs® Presented by Subway at Road America, Sept. 20-26, will vie for their share of a pool of contingency awards worth $1.6 million. The record-setting contingency fund will be distributed not only to the National Champions in 29 classes, but throughout the field.
Automobile manufacturers have prepared significant programs for competitors displaying the strengths of their racecars.
Volkswagen of America not only supplies the Official Pace Cars of SCCA, it offers $5,000 to winners in the Showroom Stock C, Touring 3 and Super Touring® Under, with second- and third-place finishers earning $3,000 and $1,000. H Production, GT-2, GT-3, and GT-Lite drivers earn $2,000 for a win, $1,000 for second and $500 for third, with F Production and Formula Vee drivers earning $1,000, $750, and $500 for podium finishes in a Volkswagen.
Honda Performance Development offers each Honda and Acura driver who begins the Championship race a $500 bonus, along with a $100 parking fee reimbursement to help cover the costs of the event weekend. Race winners earn an additional $2500 from HPD, with $1,500 and $1,000 for second- and third-place finishes.
Mazda North American Operations offers $5,000 for a win in eligible classes, and $2,500 and $1,250 for podium finishes. Additionally, Mazda is offering eligible drivers up to $650 in tow money for the event.
Toyota/TRD offers up to $5,000 for a National Championship, and as much as $3,000 for a runner-up finish. Additionally, Toyota drivers earning the pole position will garner a $1,000 cash prize.
Nissan North America offers drivers in a Nissan 350Z, 370Z or Sentra $1,500 for a win. All non-current Nissan or Datsun model drivers can earn $750 for a title.
Several retail outlets for accessories also offer contingencies. Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies offers fourth-, fifth- and sixth-place finishers gift certificates worth up to $75 in each race. Summit Racing Equipment offers top-four finishers in eligible classes up to $100 in select classes, and Chassistools.com offers sixth-place finishers a Longacre digital tire pressure gauge and all program participants a 10% discount on Longacre products. Third-place finishers can receive a $150 G-Force product certificate from Racer Wholesale, while Bald Spot Sports offers a free Creafoam Seat Kit for winners in eligible classes.
TOPEKA, Kan. – Racers participating in the 2010 SCCA National Championship Runoffs® Presented by Subway at Road America, Sept. 20-26, will vie for their share of a pool of contingency awards worth $1.6 million. The record-setting contingency fund will be distributed not only to the National Champions in 29 classes, but throughout the field.
Automobile manufacturers have prepared significant programs for competitors displaying the strengths of their racecars.
Volkswagen of America not only supplies the Official Pace Cars of SCCA, it offers $5,000 to winners in the Showroom Stock C, Touring 3 and Super Touring® Under, with second- and third-place finishers earning $3,000 and $1,000. H Production, GT-2, GT-3, and GT-Lite drivers earn $2,000 for a win, $1,000 for second and $500 for third, with F Production and Formula Vee drivers earning $1,000, $750, and $500 for podium finishes in a Volkswagen.
Honda Performance Development offers each Honda and Acura driver who begins the Championship race a $500 bonus, along with a $100 parking fee reimbursement to help cover the costs of the event weekend. Race winners earn an additional $2500 from HPD, with $1,500 and $1,000 for second- and third-place finishes.
Mazda North American Operations offers $5,000 for a win in eligible classes, and $2,500 and $1,250 for podium finishes. Additionally, Mazda is offering eligible drivers up to $650 in tow money for the event.
Toyota/TRD offers up to $5,000 for a National Championship, and as much as $3,000 for a runner-up finish. Additionally, Toyota drivers earning the pole position will garner a $1,000 cash prize.
Nissan North America offers drivers in a Nissan 350Z, 370Z or Sentra $1,500 for a win. All non-current Nissan or Datsun model drivers can earn $750 for a title.
Several retail outlets for accessories also offer contingencies. Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies offers fourth-, fifth- and sixth-place finishers gift certificates worth up to $75 in each race. Summit Racing Equipment offers top-four finishers in eligible classes up to $100 in select classes, and Chassistools.com offers sixth-place finishers a Longacre digital tire pressure gauge and all program participants a 10% discount on Longacre products. Third-place finishers can receive a $150 G-Force product certificate from Racer Wholesale, while Bald Spot Sports offers a free Creafoam Seat Kit for winners in eligible classes.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
SwiftFuel to Power World Record Attempt
THERMAL, Calif., and WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Richard "Smokey" Young will use an unleaded, high-octane biofuel developed by a Purdue Research Park-based company during his attempt to establish a new 100-kilometer closed course speed record on Sept. 11.
Young will power his No. 3 Western Air Racing Special with SwiftFuel, developed and produced by Swift Enterprises Ltd. The Western Air Racing Special is an International Formula 1 Aircraft powered by a Continental O-200 engine. Young is a 13-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, president of International Formula 1 Air Racing and runs the Aviation Pilot Training Program at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Calif.
During the record attempt, Young will take off from Thermal Airport, fly southeast 50 kilometers to the Salton Sea and return to the airport to land. He will fly at an altitude of 300 meters or lower and expects to reach a speed of 260 mph, which would break the record of 238 mph set in 2004.
Young explained why he is using SwiftFuel for his record attempt.
"As I researched SwiftFuel, I became more convinced that 'green' fuel is the direction general aviation needs to move," he said. "I am determined to show everyone that renewable fuel is just as good from a performance standpoint as general aviation fuel.
"I chose SwiftFuel because it is the only credible non-petrochemical derived fuel I have seen. It is for the good of aviation."
According to a technical report about Federal Aviation Administration testing, SwiftFuel demonstrated 13 percent more energy per gallon than 100 low-lead (100LL) and demonstrated normal engine wear and lower fuel system deposits as compared to 100LL.
About Swift Enterprises
Established in 2001, Swift Enterprises (http://www.swiftenterprises.com) works with novel chemicals as new components in energy conversion devices. Swift brings a combination of military, academic and private enterprise experience to the practical research and development of propulsion, ordnance and power technologies. In the mid-1980s, the company's founders worked at Edwards Air Force Base in California, where they conducted research on rockets and rocket fuel for the government. Swift Enterprises has completed research for Lockheed-Martin Astronautics, DARPA, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy.
About Purdue Research Park
The 725-acre Purdue Research Park (http://www.purdueresearchpark.com) has the largest university-affiliated business incubation complex in the country. The park is home to more than 160 companies. About 100 of these firms are technology-related and another 39 are incubator businesses. In addition to the Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, the foundation has established research parks in other Indiana locations including Indianapolis, Merrillville and New Albany.
Source: Purdue Research Park
Young will power his No. 3 Western Air Racing Special with SwiftFuel, developed and produced by Swift Enterprises Ltd. The Western Air Racing Special is an International Formula 1 Aircraft powered by a Continental O-200 engine. Young is a 13-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, president of International Formula 1 Air Racing and runs the Aviation Pilot Training Program at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Calif.
During the record attempt, Young will take off from Thermal Airport, fly southeast 50 kilometers to the Salton Sea and return to the airport to land. He will fly at an altitude of 300 meters or lower and expects to reach a speed of 260 mph, which would break the record of 238 mph set in 2004.
Young explained why he is using SwiftFuel for his record attempt.
"As I researched SwiftFuel, I became more convinced that 'green' fuel is the direction general aviation needs to move," he said. "I am determined to show everyone that renewable fuel is just as good from a performance standpoint as general aviation fuel.
"I chose SwiftFuel because it is the only credible non-petrochemical derived fuel I have seen. It is for the good of aviation."
According to a technical report about Federal Aviation Administration testing, SwiftFuel demonstrated 13 percent more energy per gallon than 100 low-lead (100LL) and demonstrated normal engine wear and lower fuel system deposits as compared to 100LL.
About Swift Enterprises
Established in 2001, Swift Enterprises (http://www.swiftenterprises.com) works with novel chemicals as new components in energy conversion devices. Swift brings a combination of military, academic and private enterprise experience to the practical research and development of propulsion, ordnance and power technologies. In the mid-1980s, the company's founders worked at Edwards Air Force Base in California, where they conducted research on rockets and rocket fuel for the government. Swift Enterprises has completed research for Lockheed-Martin Astronautics, DARPA, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy.
About Purdue Research Park
The 725-acre Purdue Research Park (http://www.purdueresearchpark.com) has the largest university-affiliated business incubation complex in the country. The park is home to more than 160 companies. About 100 of these firms are technology-related and another 39 are incubator businesses. In addition to the Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, the foundation has established research parks in other Indiana locations including Indianapolis, Merrillville and New Albany.
Source: Purdue Research Park
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