1987 IMSA GTP, Laguna Seca.

Laguna Seca is a bit magical even in its current, MotoGP inspired layout. The original track though, must have challenged Riverside as one of the fastest tracks on the west coast. I was looking for footage of the old track this week, when I stumbled across this broadcast of a GTP race there in 1987. It features the usual gaggle of Porsche 962s, as well as a Group 44 Jag, a Nissan ZX-GTP, and a seriously powerful "Corvette." It also features drivers such as David Hobbs, John Morton, Price Cobb, and even Brian Redman!

The combination of cars with power outputs ranging between 750-1000bhp, and a track layout that's virtually flat out for the first four turns leads to some very quick and exciting racing.

So, without further delay, let's commence!



Did I mention it's 12 clips long? It's the whole race though, so it's worth it.



One of the things thrown into stark relief by all of this, is the extent to which we've become accustomed to tracks that are designed to slow cars down. The pace of this race is furious from green to checker, and far from terrifying, it looks fun, and the drivers seem to really enjoy it. I'm beating a bit of a dead horse here, but modern F1 looks slow by comparison, even though the cars are much faster.

One also suspects that tracks like Laguna Seca don't fit the modern Ecclestonian ideal of "racing stadiums." with guaranteed sight lines only for those who pay extra for grandstand seating, and a clean, almost antiseptic layout. Tracks like this are leftovers, from an era when the people who ran racing liked racing, as well as money...

Buemi's Front End Goes Boom.

Sebastien Buemi's Toro Rosso loses both front wheels simultainiously in practice for Grand Prix China. Apparently a suspension arm failed, causing the uprights to fail, and cutting the wheel teathers. The driver was disapointed, but uninjured, and is sitting 13th on the grid.



(Jalopnik)

Felipe Massa Is A Pimp.

Yup. That's Massa (apparently recovered from last year's "unpleasantness")driving Ferrari's track-only 599 XX... sans helmet... in a windbreaker. every other driver shown is wearing a fancypants helmet and Nomex coveralls. Clearly, the man's injuries mean he cannot remember pain.



Via: Axis Of Oversteer.

Monaco, 1961

I've got Lotus 18s on the brain today (it's a long story), so I thought I'd take a look at what might be the car's greatest victory, as piloted by Sterling Moss, for the Rob Walker team. The introduction to the race featuring Monte Carlo native Louis Chiron is worth watching in and of itself, as is the POV lap of the track with points of interest including the chicane where "Albert Ascary" went off track, and into the harbor. that said, there's also a lot of wonderful vintage footage, and drivers from Moss and Brabham, to Hill, Von Trips, Hill, Gurney, and Ginther and cars like the Porsche 718, and Ferrari 156... even if it does mis-identify Bruce Mclaren as being from Australia.

There's a nice piece in here where Maston Gregory talks about the changes to the cars for 1961.


It's interesting to note that many of the same controversies in F1's present day can be found as far back as '61 (and much further if you look hard). The same misplaced goals of cost cutting, and increased safety through slowing down the cars, are responsible for the decrease from 2.5 to 1.5 liters for 1961, and the ever changing aero-rules and engine freezes of today. these measures were as controversial, and effective as those being implemented by the current FIA administration, and had the same net effect of stirring up the pot, and bringing different talents to the fore. If the current rule changes end up producing racing anything like this, they may well have been worth it after all... but don't hold your breath.

Phill Hill talks about the Ferrari, and Bonnier (for some reason not Gurney) talks about the Porsche.


At last, the race has actually started.


As many things as are similar to today's F1 circus, one major difference stands out. The presence of three young, talented Americans, Californians in fact, all sitting at the sharp end of the driver pool, one of whom would go on to be champion in 1961. Today, no such hope really exists. The last American in F1 (also the first in more than a decade) left two years ago after one turbulent, and unproductive season. Ginther would lead from the start at that fir4st GP of the 1,5 liter formula in Monaco, but failed to hold off Moss, and so his debut (and only) f1 victory, would have to wait until the last race of the Formula, in Mexico, in 1965. But that's another story.

Sebring 1958.

Just a little silent film reel of the 1958 Sebring sports car race.

Peugeot's New Source Of Annoyance.

Yup, Audi are still going to be at Le Mans. And not only have Peugeot been robbed of their chance to finally get their 908s home in front of the departed R10s, if this thing goes like it looks, they may still lose this year. Behold, the Audi R15. Debuting at Sebring, by which time we should know something about it.

In the mean time, if you're looking for considered speculation and lots of educated guesswork I recommendMulsanne's Corner.

We Like Bluebirds, Yes We Do.

We like Bluebirds, how 'bout, you? Ok, it helps when they're awesomely turned out racing cars, even if we would use different wheels...

Well, At Least My Guy Won The Election...

I'm a little chagrined at the moment. Two nights ago, Barack Obama succeeded in doing something I didn't think I'd live to see, and I'm only 32. I couldn't be happier at the outcome of the national election, and yet I'm filled with disappointment in another area of my life. I can take some solace in the fact that 2008's F1 title race went down to the last corner, of the last lap of the last race. It's almost certainly the closest finish in F1 history, and it didn't go my way.

I'm not a fan of Lewis Hamilton. I'm a fan of a bunch of guys who will never be champion, but even excluding the likes of Nick Heidfeld and David Coulthard I'm still never happy to see Hamilton win. It may be that I've been poisoned by all the commentators who've been busy crowning Hamilton the greatest driver ever since a week after he showed up on the circuit. Certainly the man's accomplishments speak to a degree of talent, but his attitude, and his tactics leave me a little nonplussed. I'm not ready to have the sport I love revolutionized by a driver who cannot overtake without driving into the side of his opponent. Also, I'd like to see what he's capable of doing with a mid-field car, instead of one of Ron Dennis' specially prepared Lewis-mobiles.

And so I found myself hoping to watch balding, baby-faced Felipe Massa come out on top this year. In the absence of anyone interesting to root for, I chose the guy with a chance against Hamilton and Dennis. I had reason to be hopeful too because Massa showed great form all year, and an ability to tame Ferrari's notoriously tricky F2008 that team mate and 2007 champ Kimi Raikkonen never seemed to master for a whole race. Massa deserved to be champion just as much as Hamilton, maybe more as most of Massa's missteps this year came ion the form of mechanical failure, whereas Hamilton managed to crash himself out of a couple races. But by mid season, it wasn't Massa I really wanted to win.

I've also never been a real fan of Fernando Alonso. He's never really had the attitude I like to see in a champion, the self confidence that would border on smug if it weren't so obviously a statement of fact. It's a nebulous idea that can take many forms. From the quiet assurance of Jim Clark, to the instructional tone of Jackie Stewart, to the aristocratic demeanor of Alain Prost. Senna was my favorite in this respect. I'm not a fan who labels Senna "the greatest ever" in full ignorance of his record, but he was my favorite. I think it has more to do with growing up in a certain period than it does with Senna's actual ability. Alonso always seemed to have half the idea down. He won two championships on the trot, and was established as a farce to be reckoned with at the age of 25, but his attitude seemed mostly bluster, without the passion to back it up... could I have been more wrong?

Last season at Mclaren Alonso came in as the defending WDC and went home third, behind Hamilton. All season long Mclaren had been involved in a scandals and back room politics as Ron Dennis' "no team orders" policy came up against a desire to watch his protege succeed in his rookie year. Quite apart from the scandal with the Ferrari documents (in which Alonso may have had a part) the team had managed to center itself around its junior driver, at the expense of the champion on whom they'd spent a small fortune. It was not a stellar year for either Mclaren or Alonso, and they went their separate ways with a touch of bitterness. this year he was back at Renault, and thus was a non-starter as far as the championship went. I'll not mince words here, the car that Renault produced was a dud, a flop, a mobile chicane... it was almost a Honda. I started to think that 2008 could be the beginning of the end for the two-time champ.

And then something happened, Fernando drove the wheels off the car. It never finished that high, not at the beginning of the season anyway, and Fernando could be heard at the end of races whining about the cars lack of ability. But on track, he was showing the way home to a lot of better seated drivers in a way that made his complaining sound less like whining, and more like the facts of the matter. It's been a long time since I've watched a driver put in a better overall performance, especially in a car that didn't deserve the effort. All this effort on his part made the team listen, made them build a car worth going out and driving. The result was victory at Singapore and in Japan. Next year the rules change, and very little of this years development will be carried over. very little is certain in F1 anyway, but the new aerodynamic rules make the field wide open.

But with Alonso at Renault, I finally have someone I can hope wins instead of just rooting against Hamilton.