Monday, August 4, 2008

KERS: The Formula 1 Green Light To The Future


With seven more races left in the 2008 season of Formula 1 most teams are starting to put all their efforts into next year. Along with the new season, as for every new season, come a new set of rules and regulations brought about by the FIA and the Technical Working Group comprised of all the teams in the paddock.

Many issues have plagued Formula 1 over the past few years, some more than others, but all equally relevant. The lack of overtaking being a key one. The level of excitement has dropped since the years when Senna and Prost battled it out turn after turn. Instead, you have cars doing almost the whole race in the lead and not much action towards the back of the field either.

The cars, due to mechanical grip being taken away when grooved tires were introduced, have relied on more downforce and the need for more wing has made the cars exponentially more complex aerodynamically. With this comes fragile aero components and a dirty 'wake' of air following the cars making drafting all but impossible.

But, the FIA, along with the Technical Working Group, have a plan to remedy this...

Enter Kinetic Energy Recovery System, or KERS, onto the playing field (or circuit in this case, I suppose) to bring the excitement back to grand prix racing while showing the general public that Formula 1 is now committed to being a greener sport than yesteryear.

Over the next week, I will be giving you an in-depth view into KERS, the technical issues that surrounds it, as well as the political benefits that it gives to the sport. Until then, enjoy this little video of a mechanic from BMW coming to a shocking grip with that KERS will be bringing to the paddock in 2008.

Rally Finland 2008: Video Recap

Though the WRC has had its ups and downs as of late, there is still no cap on the action at Rally Finland. Watch the video below for all the high flying action from the tree laden rally below.

Hungary 2008: Tribute Spelling Fail

Insert Hungarian Engrish joke here.
[Source: Gridcrasher]

New VW Golf Hits The Web

I am going to get something out of the way first. There is no way I would ever buy one of the new generations of any Volkswagen. They just aren't my thing. But...

As is per usual (at least in the world of the interwebs), new pictures have surfaced of the new VW Golf which will be bound for our shores sometime late in 2009.

The front of the car is definitely sporting some design elements of the new Scirocco, which is definitely a good thing. Go around to the rear, however, and prepare to be disappointed by a pair of taillights that look like they were nabbed off the back of a Touareg.

All in all, Volkswagen stays with its modern roots, and gives a simple, yet stylish, piece of kit. Photo gallery below:


[Source: Autoblog.nl via Jalopnik]

NASCAR: How To Beat The Good Ol' Boys At Their Own Game

This past weekend, the Nationwide Series (formally Busch Series), visited Montreal's Circuit De Gilles Villeneuve for the 23rd stop on the 2008 calendar. It's Monday, I just saw the results, and I am ashamed that I missed it.

Canada and Australia have figured out how to put a pounding on those Southern boys. For ease of understanding, I will write it out as a recipe:

Start with going to Canada
Add a few non-American drivers
Add an equal number of road course drivers
Mix in a little bit of Eastern Canada weather
Blend together on one of the toughest circuits raced on the Formula 1 calendar

Put this all together and you end up with a 1-2 for Canadian drivers Ron Fellows and Patrick Carpentier, then give the last podium position to veteran V8 Supercars driver, Aussie Marcus Ambrose.

Well done guys. Now, let's see a little but of the action in the rain in Montreal...



Freaky: Lightning Hits 91 Places At The Same Time, Places Occupied By People

Though they say that lightning doesn't strike the same place twice, it sure can pack a wallop the first time it touches ground. Especially if there are people between said lightning and ground.

At a national auto-cross championship in Norway a hill packed full of spectators was struck by lightning, with 91 people being struck and 45 people being sent to hospital.

I'd love to meet the fellow was who went around saying to the other 46 people, "So, you weren't struck by lightning as much as that guy over there. Sorry. Find your own way to the hospital."

[Source: TSN]