Hey Aussies....

[guinnessford]

One of my favorite drivers, and Launceston native...Marcos Ambroe qualified 5th for Infineons race this sunday, and was fastest in practice by a few 10ths of A SEC.

TUNE IN SUNDAY

[mojo]

marcus rocks.

he's a fucking good driver and if you guys ever stopped driving around in circles and had a decent street race you'd realise just how good the guy is. :D

[guinnessford]

Ive picked up his talent.

I was the first to get an Amvrose shirt, and still have to explain who he is.

Had a decent year last year...but HORRIBLE luck this year.

I actually fell bad for the dude sometimes, its been a rough season so far, than he gets a good car, qualifies decent, then WHAM someone else wrecks him.

I really hope he gets a contract extension next year, and they see these bad days arent all him.

He took the 21 wood brothers car to a 2nd place finish at Watkins Glen a few years ago, and underfunded team and a bit behind in the cash dpt-single car teams cant compete these days.

Woulda won if they put in a better clutch for him.

And i really enjoy the V8 Supercar races when they televise them, usually Nascars off season.

[Oblivion]

nascar is actually pretty good, its all purely about track position, drafting, and having a good pit crew.

sometimes they'll just ride on the bumper of a dude lap after lap, because while your drafting him your also removing downforce from his wing and making him go faster too.

pull out to pass and get side by side, its like your motor has hit a brick wall and doesnt have the legs because 2 cars side by side cause massive drag on each other..
so sometimes theyll "work together" either to catch up to the pack or try form a breakaway group..

then catching a break away group is damn near fuckin impossible unless you go back to working with another driver..


but to be honest, the best nascar tracks are without a doubt the watkins glen, and laguna seca where the cars turn left and right while running without restrictor plates.

daytona and i think its atlanta? are both restrictor plate tracks. making it purely a drafting race.

ive had Nascar 2002 on my pc ever since it was released, and when you combine it with a logitec G25 race wheel + 6spd H pattern shifter, ya know the game aint going nowhere even if it does only use 4 of the gears ;)

*sigh* i miss you papyrus... you made the most realistic racing sims ever.

its modelled off Craig Lowndes BA Ford Falcon (v8 supercar series)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3471/3803753954_dc07ee1306.jpg

http://amkon.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1064&stc=1&d=1276919974

http://amkon.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1065&stc=1&d=1276919974

[Oblivion]

oh, and we get all the nascar races shown on OneHD (free2air sports chan) but they only show the hilights unless its a big race like daytona, which they show the entire race.

LeMans is my all time favourite car race though.. i just spent last weekend glue'd to the screen watching it followed by a lemans 4hr race on my pc :)

[guinnessford]

Wow, youve got a real good grasp on a sport that isnt pushed at you all day sunday like it is here.

Ive been a real big fan for years and that knowledge only comes from a very observant person or an avid fan, looking for it.

daytona and Talladega (Alabama) are the 2 plate tracks, you were very close Bliv.

Ill watch 2 6yr olds race tricycles, if theres any competition in it.

Indy has lost alot of its go, even though Honda dominated it for a few years, almost perfecting the 20,000 r.p.m. engine, its now the Honda racing league since we are the only engine suppliers now.

I see 2 sides to that, though...its 100 pct EVEN, they all have the same engine....no advantage, like nascar.

Toyota seems to have an advantage at some tracks where they need low r.p,m. H.P.,

Fords new FR9 engine will probably kick ass on the plate tracks from now on, since its designed to run hotter (270 to 295 were some of the temps up my way at Pocono) Heat equals horsepower, and also allows les opening for cooling, more downforce on the front....less aero drag, and even the ability to tape one side of the nose to balance the car if need be.

F1 is cool to watch, but that seems like a very rich mans sport...not that a 750,000 dollar nascar ride is cheap (without engine) but those cars can literally drive upside down, they have so much downforce AND literal vacuum underneath.

Forget where in florida, but they ran an F1 race there and forgot to weld the man-hole covers down before the race....opps....after a few laps one got sucked up by a passing car, and the one behind it literally stopped with the front tire in the hole.

[Oblivion]

Wow, youve got a real good grasp on a sport that isnt pushed at you all day sunday like it is here.

Ive been a real big fan for years and that knowledge only comes from a very observant person or an avid fan, looking for it.

daytona and Talladega (Alabama) are the 2 plate tracks, you were very close Bliv.

Ill watch 2 6yr olds race tricycles, if theres any competition in it.

to be honest all we ever saw in the past years was a 10sec snippet on the sports segment of the news, showing a big smash, glimpse of cheq flag. all said and done. oneHD is a real new station and is bringing massive coverage of the big events.

talladega, yep thats the one.. atlanta is another tri-oval though isnt it?

you must have some aussie blood in you.. they say aussie's would bet on two flies racing across the wall.




Indy has lost alot of its go, even though Honda dominated it for a few years, almost perfecting the 20,000 r.p.m. engine, its now the Honda racing league since we are the only engine suppliers now.

I see 2 sides to that, though...its 100 pct EVEN, they all have the same engine....no advantage, like nascar.

Toyota seems to have an advantage at some tracks where they need low r.p,m. H.P.,

i used to LOVE indy racing. mostly the street circuits because for at least two decades i have said that F1 needs to take a lesson from indy's books actually.

for about 2 decades (the shumi era) F1 was all massive aero downforce, piddly little grooved tyres, automatic this, widgets that adjust suspension (active susp) etc and it become well.. to be honest.. it become a big pile of bullshit.

ive said for years and years, F1 needs to decrease aero/wing efficiency, and go with mechanical grip (big fat slicks) as mechanical grip like an indy car relies on is much easier to race side by side.
thats what makes indy spectacular, is that they can go wheel to wheel for corner after corner without having to "whimp out" for some clean air and downforce.

F1's high end aero meant cars couldnt even get near each other without losing downforce in dirty air, the only passes were done down a straight with a more powerful engine.
now they seemed to have gone in the right direction again with slicks n stuff.

but for me, ive watched F1 for the good part of nearly 35yrs (since a very young lad, watching every race with his ol' man) and its never been the same as it was in the 80's with big fat slicks, senna Vs prost Vs mansell Vs rosberg Vs lauda (etc) battles.

indy has now become another version of the A1 GP cars :( sad really. i like A1GP as its good even racing for new drivers, but indy had its own thing going until it was torn apart.



Fords new FR9 engine will probably kick ass on the plate tracks from now on, since its designed to run hotter (270 to 295 were some of the temps up my way at Pocono) Heat equals horsepower, and also allows les opening for cooling, more downforce on the front....less aero drag, and even the ability to tape one side of the nose to balance the car if need be.

F1 is cool to watch, but that seems like a very rich mans sport...not that a 750,000 dollar nascar ride is cheap (without engine) but those cars can literally drive upside down, they have so much downforce AND literal vacuum underneath.

Forget where in florida, but they ran an F1 race there and forgot to weld the man-hole covers down before the race....opps....after a few laps one got sucked up by a passing car, and the one behind it literally stopped with the front tire in the hole.

yep, even in monaco they sometimes have minor problems with them working a little bit loose after they've welded them up, because the cars are running maximum downforce on a bumpy track.

[guinnessford]

Plus mechanical grip is always alot easier to tune at the track, with pressures and stagger...not sure if open wheelers us truck arms, panhard bars/rods, spring rubbers, wedge, etc...but its alot easier to change these things than bend a wing, open a vent, tape a hole and pray it dont cook, etc...

Im Irish, but I have had a glimpse up the tree and there may be some Aus in me, Waaaay way back when it was first a penal colony (forget what part it was) but grandma had long ago told me relatives were bad boys against the Brits and got sent on an island vacation.

Some stayed after release, but either got caught or sent for and had to come back after a few years....who knows, I would be proud if there was some Aus in me.

That would explain why I like Marcos

[guinnessford]

Well, anyone that watched the race now knows how important knowing the rules are.

Ambrose was leading, his race to lose....cut off the engine and couldnt get it re-fired....had to restart 7th, and gave it away.

Damn.

[Oblivion]

GF:

8pm - 9pm tomorrow night (tues)


The NASCAR Sprint Cup is racing under the California sun from Infineon Raceway. Join Marcos Ambrose for the highlights from round 16 in Sonoma.

[skunk]

Hey aussies...How's your anti-porn law holding up?

[WhispersInTheDark]

The avatar above yours provides a good window on it skunk. ;)

[Oblivion]

WITD, they just like to throw it out there for a trolling effort i think

a bit like "oh you cant visit encyclopedia dramatica its blocked"

ive been there, still the same pile of shit it was last time i visited ;)

[WhispersInTheDark]

Yep!

http://www.hahastop.com/pictures/Camel_Toe_Tattoo.jpg

People have different windows to the world, yours is good.

[Paroxysm]

http://roflrazzi.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/129022168217986110.jpg

[Oblivion]

http://rc-racing.inghams.net/rc-racing/anim-avatar-bkground/your%20doing%20it%20wrong%20-%20posters/clevage.JPG

[FancyFree]

lol

[Oblivion]

One of my favorite drivers, and Launceston native...Marcos Ambroe qualified 5th for Infineons race this sunday, and was fastest in practice by a few 10ths of A SEC.

TUNE IN SUNDAY

the infineon's was a great little track.
not sure ive seen it before unless it was named something else previously.


not sure why marcos switched off engine to save fuel when there was only 7 laps left, something about being told to ?

ambrose and johnson were having a cracker of a race up until then, nothing in it really.

the nascars look very heavy on a road course compared to a V8 super car, but you gotta love that grunty V8 nascar sound :)

[guinnessford]

the infineon's was a great little track.
not sure ive seen it before unless it was named something else previously.


not sure why marcos switched off engine to save fuel when there was only 7 laps left, something about being told to ?

ambrose and johnson were having a cracker of a race up until then, nothing in it really.

the nascars look very heavy on a road course compared to a V8 super car, but you gotta love that grunty V8 nascar sound :)


Yeah, I think they had his engine tuned to dumop a bit more fuel...as noticed by his restarts...took em every time.

maybe even a different gear in the 1st 2nd or 3rd, but final drive has to be 1:1.

Sucks, Ive been waiting for him to have a win...I was the first to buy a Marcos shirt, and get teased all the time...whos he?

Now ill get teased bout this...but I still like him.

hell of a guy, it seems too.

They used to race at riverside ca, and this track infineon also goes by sonoma.

[Oblivion]

since he came from a circuit racing back ground, raced on MANY road courses in the v8 champ, i think that they are his absolute best shot for a win.

i thought he got rookie of the year when he first started nascar though?

at least nascars stick with a classic H pattern gearbox though. V8 superwhimps decided to go sequential... BLAAH !! i prefer to watch a real gear shift, it takes a real driver to use a H box instead of just banging the gears up down.

one thing i *ALWAYS* notice with American racing and i actually wish other motorsports would take over, is the huge use of statistics and on-screen info when you watch it on the telly.

as for Sonoma circuit (that does sound familiar, probably why i recognised some sections of track) is that tracks like Sonoma, watkins glen, laguna seca and (i think?) even sears point, is that every one of thes tracks have good elevation changes, on camber AND off camber corners.

good elevation changes really make for an interesting race. Yet if you watch a fairly flat track like a lot of oz supercar tracks it takes away some of the challenge IMHO.

i think thats why our Bathurst 1000 (aka Mount Panorama) is so popular. not only does it host various enduro's and supercar events but it has some really dramatic elevation changes.

like laguna, you have the cork screw section where at bathurst that same section is known as "the dipper".

edit: oh, and did you see the last race where that guys bonnet (hood to you yanks) flew up and blocked his window?
the dude was still flying around that track somehow, hahaha.. apparently guided by spotters in the crowd and with a little visibility. crazy stuff really.

and that other guy got tapped and spun. then totally lit up the tyres trying to push the guy in front out the way? haha :D

[WhispersInTheDark]

I used to get free entry to the drive-in at Mount Panorama.

[Oblivion]

they have an RC version of mount panorama in the centre of the track where its open land in the foothills.

i *think* theres a kart track somewhere there too ?

[WhispersInTheDark]

Drive-in long gone!

I never knew there was a kart track.

I used to do good times around there. Will dig out a picture of the Commodore (can't remember the model). It's been up on blocks for years, not driven much... not quite a collector's piece, who knows. These days I think there is too much "plod" around the area to take the risk of a casual run.

Aussie nostalgia interlude. Back to Nascar programming.

[Oblivion]

i looked on google earth, but couldnt find it where i thought it was.

after a bit of googling for kart clubs the only club nearby is in orange, just down the road a bit.

maybe OKC held a bathurst enduro.. thats a distinct possibility.
however bathurst DOES have an RC club (BRCC) right at the base of the v8 track.

[guinnessford]

Yeah, lotsa el. changes at that track.

makes it hella fun, and i think he made Nationwide series rookie, not 100pct on that.

Ive watched him and been a fan since he first came, and drove the 59 kingsford nationwide (then bush series), and even a few truck series starts.

Got huge talent, and I watched his interview last nite, wher he said the oval thing is sooo much harder to figure out than lefts and rights...cuz the car isnt evenly balanced and alot faster.

Figure that out??!!

[WhispersInTheDark]

Aussie oops! interlude

http://www.smh.com.au/national/rudd-fights-to-the-death-20100623-yz8r.html?autostart=1

Vicious. I never saw that one coming.

[Oblivion]

backstabbing cow.

out with the kRudd, in with a puppet.

she wont ever get my vote.

isnt it funny how their election campaign was about how libs were going to swap howard/costello mid term. now its labour doing exactly that!

[WhispersInTheDark]

Sad. Ushers in a Lib-Nat government next election.

Ms G. is the Aus equivalent of NZ's Jenny Shipley - first female unelected Prime Minister, contributing not much of value, lasting a brief moment, as compared with 'Mr' Helen Clark. Spin merchants can't improve her chances. Next one will do better, but I have little idea who is in the ranks... didn't see much talent when I visited Parliament 3 years ago.