2012 Dean Batchelor Award Is Snagged By "Porsche - Origin of the Species"

Book category finalists for the Motor Press Guild's Dean Batchelor Award. The annual award banquet singles out individuals demonstrating outstanding achievement in the profession of automotive journalism. Each year MPG presents the Dean Batchelor Award to the journalist judged to have produced the single piece of work which best represents the professional standards and excellence demanded by Dean Batchelor during his life as an editor, writer, and chronicler of the automotive industry. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

2012 Dean Batchelor Award Is Snagged By "Porsche - Origin of the Species"

Every year since 1995, when the Motor Press Guild decided to bestow it's true highest honor by naming the prestigious process of recognition on the efforts of its community of communications professionals after Dean Batchelor, the Dean Batchelor Award has set the standard of  automotive journalistic recognition.

Dean Batchelor's career spanned many disciplines, from aircraft builder, B-17 flyer, to race car driver and automotive journalist and through it all he proved to be the consummate historian, editor, racer, designer, and hot rodder.

The award builds from a series of awards honoring three publishing categories defined as Best Article, Best Book, and Best Audio/Visual.

Dean Batchelor Awards Images Slideshow (20 images) >>

The three finalists in each category are culled from potentially tens of nominations submitted by Motor Press Guild members who have seen an outstanding published effort and thought it worthy of recognition with in the year of the honor.

Best Article Dean Batchelor Award 2012 presentation. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

This year, the following finalists for Best Article were "Tambay: The Phoenix" By Thomas Stahler (Vintage Motorsport, May/June 2012) | "The Dillinger Trail" By Peter Egan (Road & Track, March 2012) | "The World's Fastest Hot Rod" By Greg Sharp (The Rodder's Journal, Spring 2012) with the Article of the Year Award going to "The World's Fastest Hot Rod" By Greg Sharp.

Best Book Dean Batchelor Award 2012 presentation. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

The following finalists for Best Book were "In The Red" By Jade Gurss (Octane Press) | "Porsche - Origin of the Species" by Karl Ludvigsen (Bentley Publishers) | "The Stainless Steel Carrot: An Auto Racing Odessey - Revisited" By Sylvia Wilkinson (Brown Fox Books) with the Book of the Year Award going to "Porsche - Origin of the Species" by Karl Ludvigsen.

Best Audio/Visual Dean Batchelor Award 2012 presentation. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

The following finalists for Best Audio/Visual were "Corvette ZR1 Review - Exotic Driver" By Todd Deeken and Paul Schmucker (EverydayDriver.com, September 27, 2012) | "A Look At London's BMW Art Drive" By Alistair Weaver (InsideLine.com, August 6, 2012) | "KBB Races A Mazda Miata" By Micah Muzio and Michael Delano - Kelley Blue Book (KBB.com, February 22, 2012) with the Audio/Visual of the Year Award going to "KBB Races A Mazda Miata" By Micah Muzio and Michael Delano - Kelley Blue Book.

The 2012 Dean Batchelor Award is bestowed upon a choice from one of these three category award honorees Article of the Year Award going to "The World's Fastest Hot Rod" By Greg Sharp | Book of the Year Award going to "Porsche - Origin of the Species" by Karl Ludvigsen | Audio/Visual of the Year Award going to "KBB Races A Mazda Miata" By Micah Muzio and Michael Delano - Kelley Blue Book with the 2012 Dean Batchelor Award going to Book of the Year Award going to "Porsche - Origin of the Species" by Karl Ludvigsen.

Book of the Month at Bentley Publishers becomes Book of the Year for Motor Press Guild. Image Credit: Bentley Publishers (2012)

This edited and excerpted from Bentley Publishers (and was included in the presentation from the podium during the award presentation) -

Classic and Sports Car - December 2012 
BOOK OF THE MONTH

Porsche - Origin of the Species 
by Karl Ludvigsen

It's hard to imagine that there's a Porsche stone unturned for respected marque historian Karl Ludvigsen. But, inspired by an early 356 - comedian Jerry Seinfeld's treasured Gmünd coupe 2-040 - the American historian set out to reveal the story of the landmark 1950s sports model. And top studio photographer Michael Furman provides a superb set of the historic survivor.

Ludvigsen's journey of fastidious research took him from factory archives to owners and specialists while unravelling this fascinating tale. This hefty, 344-page title covers the evolution of pre-war streamliners through to the early operations in the wooden sawmill in Gmünd, Austria. Putting Porsche's development in context, the book also covers VW Beetle-based specials and coach built variants.

Ludvigsen's writing style is a captivating joy to read, plus the main text is accompanied by fascinating panels including Robert Cumberford on styling, Miles Collier on preservation and Alex Finigan on ownership. The final pages are devoted to a complete reproduction of Porsche's trial reports on '040', and an early 1949 356 Betriebsanleitung (operating manual).
[Reference Here]

A wonderful time spent with like-minded folks and meeting new friends. The Petersen Automotive Museum provided the backdrop for the evening's presentations and all of the finalists from all categories were equally honored to be mentioned along side of the eventual 2012 Dean Batchelor Award honoree.

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

Sponsors for the evening included Hyundai, Mothers, Jaguar, Land Rover, Honda, Ford, Audi, General Motors, Infiniti, Mazda, Porsche, Subaru, and Toyota - Thanks.

... notes from The EDJE


** Article first published as 2012 Dean Batchelor Award Is Snagged By "Porsche - Origin of the Species" on Technorati **

Extreme Speed Motorsports Qualifies at Petit Le Mans P1 And P2 - UPDATED

During the Petit Le Mans race week, ESM, The Patrón Spirits Company and Ultimat Vodka launched the 2012 campaign “Race to Erace” hunger throughout the world. As part of the special livery at Petit Le Mans, fans can contribute to Action Against Hunger. Image Credit: ESM

Extreme Speed Motorsports Qualifies at Petit Le Mans P1 And P2 - UPDATED

The Extreme Speed Motorsports Ferraris dominated Friday’s qualifying session at Petit Le Mans – qualifying 1-2 and locking in the front row for tomorrow’s season finale at Road Atlanta.

Setting new records for the team and race circuit, Guy Cosmo, co-driver of the No. 02 Ultimat Vodka Ferrari 458 Italia, earned his first career pole position, the second consecutive pole for ESM, and set a new qualifying track record for Road Atlanta for the season finale of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) presented by Tequila Patrón.

In the brief 15-minute session, the chrome and blue Ultimat Vodka-livered Ferraris were fixtures atop the charts. At the conclusion of the session, Cosmo and Toni Vilander, co-driver of the No. 01 Ultimat Vodka Ferrari 458 Italia, were listed as the front row starters for the 15^th Annual Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda on Saturday.

The 1-2 qualifying effort is the first time team history that the Ferraris will start side-by-side from the start of the highly competitive GT class.

Cosmo earned his first career ALMS pole on Friday afternoon by lapping the No. 02 Ferrari around then 2.54-mile, 12-turn circuit in 1:18.677 (116.222 mph).  Cosmo will pilot the No. 02 with season-long teammate Ed Brown, and Atlanta native Anthony Lazzaro.

Vilander qualified the No. 01 car less than a tenth of a second behind Cosmo with a best lap of 1:18.729 (116.145 mph). Vilander, a factory Ferrari driver, joins season-long regulars Scott Sharp and Johannes van Overbeek.

The final race of the 2012 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda. The 1,000-mile/10-hour race from Road Atlanta is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, Oct 20. Full, live coverage starts at 11:15 a.m. ET on ESPN3.ABC’s broadcast begins at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 21.

UPDATED:

The ESM #01 that qualified P2 comes home after 10 hours of racing in P1 of the GT Class 30.68s ahead of Antonio Garcia driving the #3 Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1. On the last leg, Toni Vilander piloted home the Ferrari F458 Italia he had shared driving duties with team owner Scott Sharp and season co-driving teammate Johannes van Overbeek. It is a bit fitting that the factory driver from Ferrari, who flew in from the mother country of Italy, was able to be the cherry on top of the American campaigned Ferrari team's cake of a win in the Petit Le Mans which serves as the final race of the 2012 season. The #55 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing BMW E92 M3 driven by Bill Auberlen came in third.


The #01 Ultimat Vodka/Action Against Hunger Ferrari 458 Italia started from the GT Class pole and was the dominant race car to beat during the endurance event. In his closing stint, Vilander had a 42 second lead with eight laps remaining in the race, but as the race came to a close, fuel strategy became an issue.
Vilander responded to the challenge and claimed his decisive win with only two liters of fuel remaining in the Ferrari’s tank.

The overall finishing position for the #01 Ferrari was 12th overall, out of 42 total entrants.
This win marks the second win for the #01 this season, with the other in July for Sharp and van Overbeek at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.

The ESM #01 Ultimat Vodka/Action Against Hunger Ferrari 458 Italia co-driven by Scott Sharp, Johannes van Overbeek and Toni Vilander won the 15th Annual Petit Le Mans. Image Credit: ESM

This season, the #01 team has earned five third place finishes (Long Beach, Lime Rock, Road America, Baltimore, VIR) and two wins (Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and Road Atlanta). Based on this strong showing, Sharp and van Overbeek are ranked second in the very challenging ALMS GT driver’s championship.

The accolades continued at Road Atlanta with the #01 receiving the Michelin Green X Challenge Award for being the cleanest, fastest and most efficient race car in the GT class. ESM received the award during at Long Beach in April and at Virginia International Raceway in September.

On the other side of the ESM paddock, Ed Brown, Guy Cosmo and Anthony Lazzaro co-drivers of the #02 Ultimat Vodka/Action Against Hunger Ferrari 458 Italia. Cosmo initially qualified the #02 machine on the pole, but was forced to the back of the field at the start of the race after ALMS officials deemed to the #02 too low in ride height (by millimeters), thus failing post qualifying technical inspection. The low ride height was a result of a broken splitter that occurred during Friday’s qualifying session.

Cosmo wheeled the Ferrari and charged through and was running fourth before handing the Ferrari over to Brown. Unfortunately, time was lost in a driver change due to a problem with seatbelt adjustment, as well as an on-track penalty for Cosmo for “avoidable contact” with another competitor. Due to the time lost, the #02 finished the race in ninth place in the GT class.

A two hour recap of the 15th Annual Petit Le Mans, the final race of the 2012 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón season, will air today, Sunday, October 21, at 1 p.m., on ABC.

… notes from The EDJE

Dallara DW12 Speedway Aero Takes A Nod From Swift Engineering

The Dallara DW12 in Speedway Configuration rear wing side-by-side with the Swift Engineering Concept 66 Mushroom Busting design and the similarities are striking. Image Credit: Various resources combined by Edmund Jenks (2012)  

Dallara DW12 Speedway Aero Takes A Nod From Swift Engineering

The major difference with the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500 ... the Greatest Spectacle in Racing ... and virtually all previous editions of the race is the racing platform technology.

Most people who have been following American open wheel racing since the beginning know the trials and tribulations with the separation and unification of the series but few really have a handle on as to why this year will be different than any other year.

The IZOD IndyCar Series has adopted a new chassis that handles the flow of air much differently than chassis of previous years and this change lays mainly in the concept of managing the airflow vortex that is created by the car and what happens to the flow of air after it leaves the back end or rear wing of the open wheel chassis. The car punches a change of the nature of the air ... or hole in the air and this allows a car that is following to pass through the same space more easily, with less drag. Some have come to term this effect as "Tow" but what is really happening is that the new design manages the flow of the air to allow for the vortex "mushroom" to be busted. An aerodynamic design feature first pioneered by Swift Engineering and put into play by some very enterprising aerodynamic engineers at Dallara for the Speedway Configuration of the DW12 chassis.

Bryan Herta Autosport's Alex Tagliani had the following observation as to this "Mushroom Busting" effect upon the trailing car, a car following a lead driver:

“You can really see it. If you make the corners flat (out), and being within three car-lengths, you'll get sucked in,” explains Alex Tagliani, who's understandably bullish about his chances having both a Honda and running with defending champion team Bryan Herta Autosport. “If your car isn't as good, and you're maybe four lengths back, you'll still be able to suck in three, but you'll just getting right on their back.”

This is where the timing element comes into play. “Getting closer, you get more disturbed, and if you lift, you become a sitting duck,” he says. “The timing of the draft is very important, but you also have to stay within the appropriate distance to pick up the tow and get by the guy.”
(quote ht: Racer.com)

The following was first published on 4/16/2010 and updated on 6/10/2010 by Edmund Jenks after a visit and tour of the Swift Engineering creation and production facility located in San Clemente, California:

Swift Engineering's 2012 IZOD IndyCar design concept 66 CAD image with California Speedway background. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Surprise Swift Tour Yields A Look At "Concept 66" Platform
(originally posted 4/16/10 - 1:28 PM)

If the folks at the IZOD IndyCar Series are thinking with a level head, given what we, at The EDJE, were exposed to at a surprise tour of the Swift Engineering facility in San Clemente, they will soon be singing "We get our kicks settling on Concept 66" as their way of the future of open-wheel racing.

Swift Engineering's 2012 IZOD IndyCar design concept 66 artist rendering. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

We were invited by the Publisher of The Motorsports Report, Dicken Wear, as an impromptu field trip after checking in at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Credentials area to pick up our Photo Vests for this weekends event. What a bonus since the major motorsports events of the day would be background shots taken while the IRL, ALMS, World Cup Challenge, and Firestone IndyPro Series cars practiced so the teams could dial in for the races ahead.

Swift Engineering's 2012 IZOD IndyCar design concept 66 CAD image without background. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

A group of about 20 people (writers, drivers, engineers, and photographers) gathered and were treated to a tour of the facilities at Swift that included a look and demonstration of their on-premises 140 mph wind tunnel, driving simulator, and composite fabrication areas. We were led on the tour by Program Director, Casper Van Der Schoot originally from Holland by way of Hogan Racing.

Casper enlightened the eager crowd with the concept of designing to reduce the effects of the vortex "dirty air" so that the platforms could race nose to tail with greater safety and, of course, greater competitiveness. The design concept of how to do this came in the development of a rear wing and forward rear wheel pod shapes that turn the Concept 66 into a "Mushroom Buster"!

One can not totally eliminate the shroom effect, but by shrinking the width of the shroom plume, and raising the "cap" of the shroom so that it is moved away from the following platform ... the mushroom is effectively busted.

UPDATE: Swift Concept #70 proposal for the next IZOD IndyCar

The IZOD IndyCar ICONIC Committee earlier this week, received a presentation previewing Swift's concept #70. The #70 is the latest evolution open-wheel car concept and incorporates aspects of the six previously launched concepts Swift has designed over the past nine months.

Swift Engineering's Design Concept #70 placed into a Long Beach Grand Prix track background. Image Credit: Swift Engineering via Racer

“Our latest concept evolves elements from our previous concepts and from the direct feedback we have received from the series, teams and fans,” said Casper van der Schoot, Swift's Program Director in an interview published in Racer Magazine. “I would like to thank the fans who have provided great feedback to us through our Facebook page and in particular Erik Berkman and Dave Marek from Honda for sharing with us their data and modeling for their next generation V6 powerplant as well as their chassis styling concept that weighed heavily in our design.”

The main thing that Swift was able to design in and keep in the #70 was a nose-to-tail racing safety and competition design concept known as "The Mushroom Buster" explained in the breakthrough design first introduced with Design Concept #66 above.

"The 70 has increased signage real estate, as demanded by the teams,” said Mark Page, Swift's Chief Scientist to Racer Magazine. “We enlarged the car's bodywork and angled the surfaces so that they present the best view to the fans. We also have a new 'Mushroom Buster; design. This promotes passing by busting the 'mushroom cloud' of dead air behind the racecar. Our number 70 model was run through extensive Computational Fluid Dynamics on our new Cray supercomputers. The Cray has increased our capability 50-fold, and we now know our car will have significantly less drag than the current car.”

“The monocoque is larger than the current spec,” stated Chris Norris, Swift's chief designer in the same Racer interview. “It is designed to accommodate driver size from Danica [Patrick] to Justin [Wilson] with added padding beneath and behind the driver. In addition we have added anti-wheel lock blades dubbed, ‘Satan's teeth' aft of the front wheels, attached to the front of the sidepods. Also an anti-lift approach to the design of the front wings and sidepods will dramatically reduce the likelihood of the car getting airborne.”

The IZOD IndyCar Series is reviewing the Swift and four other manufacturer's value propositions and is expected to make its decision for the next generation IndyCar for 2012 by June 30, 2010.
[Reference Here]

Well, Dallara won the contract and the incorporation of the mushroom busting design in the DW12 is very evident, more so than with a road/street course aerodynamic set up. Maybe as this author had done with the quote used by Alex Tagliani for this article, Dallara should place at the bottom of each rear wing assembly [ht: Swift Engineering] ... do ya' think?

This year, the "tow" will be the story of the 96th INDY500 race and it will be because of moving the dirty air vortex up and away from the track surface - Mushroom Busting - which will allow cars to be more stable and gain an advantage on the track if used properly.

... notes from The EDJE



TAGS: 2012, 66, 70, Casper Van Der Schoot, Concept 66, Concept 70, Dallara, Design, DW12, IZOD IndyCar Series, Speedway Configuration, Swift Engineering, @TheEDJE

New Media Notes, Quotes, And Tweets From The 60th Mobil 1 12 Hours Of Sebring

The team of the #2 Audi R18 TDI driven by Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Dindo Capello, celebrate their victory, once again, with the team of Timp Bernhard, Romain Dumas, and Loic Duval, who finished in 2nd place in the #3 Audi R18 TDI at the 60th running of the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring! It was a long, hard 12 hour race which was filled with a lot of drama and many wrecks on course. Image Credit: Josh Decker via QuattroWorld

New Media Notes, Quotes, And Tweets From The 60th Mobil 1 12 Hours Of Sebring

There are many ways people use to try to communicate what they experience when they witness an event like a competition
between people using machines of motion. Some write stories, some splice scenes from images captured in stills and video, while others capture observations registered in New Media posted on the internet via blogs, 140 character notes submitted to Twitter which are known as "Tweets", and emailed PDF's. The following entry are observations registered in New Media posted on the internet for Saturday's 60th Anniversary Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring.

The captured observations, notes and quotes begin with a little more than five hours left in the 12 hour endurance race and continues to the end.

Allan McNish (#2-P1 Audi R18) posts his 28th ALMS victory, 4th at Sebring. Image Credit: ALMS

5:45 p.m. ET: Huge letdown for the No. 97 Aston Martin Vantage V8 of Darren Turner whose left rear wheel departed the car. Yellow flag for the stranded Aston which was running fourth in GT-Pro.

Olivier Crouzet @crewzyC7
RT @paulcrumlish: Sunset at #sebring12 @sebringraceway #alms #wec pic.twitter.com/32LEFOyQ

ALMS Racing @almsnotes
TIght in #P2. Bouchut and @Level5Racing only 0.633 seconds ahead of Dalziel in the Starworks HPD. #ALMS #Sebring12 #WEC

Muscle Milk Racing @MuscleMilkRace
Lucas gets by JRM for 3rd overall! Still 2 hours and 39 minutes to go! #ALMS #Sebring12

Pat W @toomuchracing
What rotten luck for JRM, Dumbreck/Brabham/Chandhok. :( Suspension failure after running 3rd.

8:51 PM ET

Nick Guzman @DarkKnightC6R
RT @almsnotes: Top six in #GT within 8.469 seconds. Did anyone tell them this is endurance racing? #ALMS #Sebring12 #WEC

9:28 PM ET

Kevin Toy @kevintoy888
Meanwhile, for you #INDYCAR fans, @EJVISO is still leading the PC class. *knocking on wood* #Sebring12 #ALMS

Kenichi Matsuo @stargazer_R
1 hour remains. Next routine pit stop will be final. #sebring #wec #alms

9:30 p.m. ET: One hour to go and the GT battle is heating up. JanMagnussen takes over the class-leading Corvette, but makes two mistakes--the first by putting it in reverse when trying to pull away, then cruising out of the pits and onto the track too slowly, letting the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari get by.

9:32 p.m. ET: Class leaders:

LMP1: Tom Kristensen
LMP2: Stephane Sarrazin
LMPC: E.J. Viso
GT-Pro: Jorg Mueller
GT-Am: Julien Canal
GTC: Dion von Moltke

OAK Racing Live @OAKRacingLive
The clock ticks past 11 hours here with @olivierpla still in contention for LMP2 victory. +24secs to @starworksmotor. #WEC #ALMS #Sebring12

Muscle Milk Racing @MuscleMilkRace
Less than an hour to go! Simon is always in 3rd overall and Memo continues in 5th. #ALMS #Sebring12

9:41 PM ET

Alianora La Canta @lacanta
#sebring12 #alms #wec Things are quiet in LMP1, but the gap between the top 3 LMP2 cars (#44, #24 and #055) is 26 seconds.

Sport Auto Live @SportAutoLive
Top 3 GTE-Am : P1 Porsche 911 n°88 , P2 Corvette n°50 , P3 Corvette n°70. #WEC #ALMS #Sebring12

Alianora La Canta @lacantaMuscle Milk Racing @MuscleMilkRace
RT @almsnotes: Late-race trouble for @MuscleMilkRace! Reports of fueling rig problems. #ALMS #WEC #Sebring12
#sebring12 #alms #wec The #3 Audi (Bernhard P2) has pitted with, at a minimum, severe light bank damage.

Tony DiZinno @tonydizinno
That's least of 6 car concerns. 016 Dyson now 1L away from being on same lap, 2L from overtaking. #DejaVuAllOverAgain #ALMS #Sebring12

Nathan Grundle @NathanGrundle
RT @almsnotes: Top six in #GT within 8.469 seconds. Did anyone tell them this is endurance racing? #ALMS #Sebring12 #WEC

10:05 PM ET

Jack Payne @jack4cap
#alms Joey hand retakes GT lead.

Laura Pritchard @LJ_Pritchard
Endurance racing. The proverbial it's not over until the fat lady sings. @radiolemans @specutainment #WEC #sebring12hrs #alms

Mathilde berger @MatbergerBerger
RT @OAKRacingLive: @olivierpla's pitstop has dropped him behind the @Level5Racing HPD. Time to shine Olivier. #WEC #ALMS #Sebring12

ROBERT LACAMBRA @robertlacambra
12 HRS OF SEBRING - 26 Minutes to go - Class Leaders #ALMS twitpic.com/8xs79m

Vukie @Vukie
RT @almsnotes: There is just 0.18 seconds between @JoeyHandRacing and Olivier Beretta with 21 minutes left. #ALMS #Sebring12 #WEC

Sunset at Sebring - The #56 BMW was consistently fast. Image Credit: James Fish | The Epoch Times

Sport Auto Live @SportAutoLive
Top 5 LMP1 : P1 Audi R18 n°2 , P2 Audi R18 n°3 , P3 Pescarolo n°16 , P4 Lola Mazda n°016 , P5 HPD ARX n°21. #WEC #ALMS #Sebring12

OAK Racing Live @OAKRacingLive
Less than 15mins left here and LMP2 looks all-but settled, unless fuel plays a part of course. #WEC #ALMS #Sebring12

10:19 p.m. ET: Olivier Beretta out-brakes himself trying to pass Joey Hand for the GT-Pro lead. These two are providing the best fight on the track.

Michelin Alley @MichelinAlley
About 10 mins to go. Looks like Jan will be fighting it out for third place at #Sebring12. #alms #wec

Michelin Alley @MichelinAlley
5 mins to go: Audi No.2 leads. Starworks HPD leads P2, @JoeyHandRacing leads GT and @COREautosport's No.06 leads PC. #Sebring12 #wec #ALMS

James Bogue @unitmotorsports
2 mins to go. Olivier Beretta slices past @JoeyHandRacing to grab GT lead. Last lap now. #alms #wec

Bernard T. Bolt Esq @bernietb
Allan McNish exits the last corner and wins the Sebring 12 hour. #WEC #Sebring12 #ALMS

Michelin Alley @MichelinAlley
Hand back past but then pushed off. Beretta leads again in GT. #wec #ALMS

Kev @KevD9
Beretta prevails. What racing for the GT lead right at the end of a 12 hour race. Another great one. #ALMS #Sebring12 #WEC

Marcel ten Caat @dsceuroeditor
BMW wins Sebring, Corvette second, Beretta third. #Sebring12 #ALMS #WEC

Kevin Toy @kevintoy888
What a GT/GTE-Pro finish! gonna need a video replay. BMW 56 wins, followed by Corvette 4 and Ferrari 71. #Sebring12 #WEC #ALMS

Kenichi Matsuo @stargazer_R
Checkered flag! Cong Audi, Sarrazin, Pescarolo, and BMW #sebring #wec #alms

Matt Eagan @mattheweagan
@JoeyHandRacing is an animal!!! Get that position back! Big win - what a finish. #Sebring12 #ALMS #WEC

corey burbick @coreyburbick
class is in ALMS always goes down to the wire even after 12 hours of racing #12hoursofsebring #ALMS #marchmadness

l'endurance magazine @lendurancelive
RT @bernietb: Man. This endurance racing shit is SO BORING, eh? #WEC #Sebring12 #ALMS

Indy Racing Review @INDYracereview
Congratulations @COREautosport @EJVISO for winning the @almsnotes PC Class 60th Anniversary @sebringraceway 12 Hours #wec #alms #indycar2012

Andy Lally @AndyLally
Thank you.RT @ericpwilson Amazing result for No. 044 @FlyingLizard_MS with @AndyLally making a last-lap pass for P6 in #ALMS GT. #Sebring12

Helio Castroneves @h3lio
@EJVISO : buenissimo hombre te felicito!! Well done!

Marshall Pruett @marshallpruett
Also awesome for former open-wheel standout Jonathan Summerton, who won GT with @JoeyHandRacing and @RLLracing on his team and race debut.crazy how competive the GT

Graham Rahal @GrahamRahal
What a job by @RLLracing and @JoeyHandRacing to hang on to win. Ass of the year is Olivier Beretta who tried to take him out after 12 hrs!

Eric P. Wilson @ericpwilson
Replay showed Joey Hand didn't know what he was taking about, was hit by No. 51 while No. 71 spun behind avoiding Hand #ALMS #Sebring12

Michael Friedman @mfriedman_63
Long Beach ALMS race will be live, on ESPN3, and ESPN2 TV it appears, in 4 weeks from today. #ALMS

Image Credit: ROBERT LACAMBRA via TweetDeck

At 10:31 pm (12h 0m running), Checkered Flag

Unofficial Top three in class:

(1) #2-P1 Capello/Kristensen/McNish (Audi R18) 325 laps
(2) #3-P1 Bernhard/Dumas/ Duval (Audi R18) 321 laps (-4 Laps)
(6) #16-P1 Collard/Boullion/ Jousse (Pescarolo Judd) 318 laps (-7 Laps)

(3) #44-P2 Potolicchio/Dalziel/ Sarrazin (HPD ARX-03b Honda) 319 laps
(4) #055-P2 Tucker/C.Bouchut/Barbosa (HPD ARX-03b) 319 laps (32.274-)
(5) #24-P2 Nicolet/Lahaye/ Pla (Morgan/Judd) 318 laps (-1 Laps)

(12) #06-PC Popow/Viso/Friselle (Oreca FLM09) 312 laps
(13) #52-PC Leitzinger/Dobson/ Junco (Oreca FLM09) 311 laps (-1 Laps)
(15) #05-PC Bennett/Braun/ Lux (Oreca FLM09) 310 laps (-2 Laps)

(18) #56-GT Hand/Summerton/Mueller (BMW E92 M3) 307 laps
(19) #03-GT Magnussen/Garcia/ Taylor (Corvette C6-ZR1) 307 laps (6.370-)
(20) #71-GT Bertolini/Cioci/ Beretta (Ferrari F458 Italia) 307 laps (8.110-)

(29) #88-GTE-AM Ried/Roda/ Ruberti (Porsche 911 RSR 997) 298 laps
(31) #70-GTE-AM Bourret/Gibon/ Belloc (Corvette C6-ZR1) 297 laps (-1 Laps)
(39) #50-GTE-AM Bornhauser/Canal/ Lamy (Corvette C6-ZR1) 288 laps (-10 Laps)

(33) #023-GTC Sweedler/Bell/ von Moltke (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) 292 laps
(35) #022-GTC MacNeil/Keen/ Dumoulin (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) 291 laps (-1 Laps)
(37) #34-GTC LeSaffre/Faulkner/ Bleekemolen (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) 290 laps (-2 Laps)

Performance Hallmarks:

Allan McNish (#2-P1 Audi R18) posts his 28th ALMS victory, 4th at Sebring.

Tom Kristensen (#2-P1 Audi R18) posts his 13th ALMS victory, 7th at Sebring.

Dindo Capello (#2-P1 Audi R18) posts his 36th ALMS victory, 6th at Sebring

Alex Papow (#06-PC Oreca FLM09) first ALMS victory

E.J. Viso (#06-PC Oreca FLM09) first ALMS victory

Burt Frisselle (#06-PC Oreca FLM09) second ALMS victory, first at Sebring

Stephane Sarrazin (#44-P2 HPD ARX-03b Honda) seventh ALMS victory, first at Sebring

Vicente Potolicchio (#44-P2 HPD ARX-03b Honda) first ALMS victory

Ryan Dalziel (#44-P2 HPD ARX-03b Honda) first ALMS victory

Joey Hand (#56-GT BMW E92 M3) sixth ALMS victory, second at Sebring

Dirk Mueller (#56-GT BMW E92 M3) seventeenth ALMS victory, third at Sebring

Jonathon Summerton (#56-GT BMW E92 M3) first ALMS victory

Paolo Ruberti (#88-GTE-AM Porsche 911 RSR 997) records his first ALMS win

Christian Ried (#88-GTE-AM Porsche 911 RSR 997) records his first ALMS win

Gianluca Roda (#88-GTE-AM Porsche 911 RSR 997) records his first ALMS win

Townsend Bell (#023-GTC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) first ALMS win

Dion von Moltke (#023-GTC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) second ALMS win, first at Sebring

Bill Sweedler (#023-GTC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) first ALMS win

Selected Driver Quotes:

(1) #2-P1 Capello/Kristensen/McNish (Audi R18) 325 laps

Allan McNish (#2-P1 Audi R18) “We've been racing this car for nearly a year, the first time here at Sebring. It adapted very, very well. The car is built for LE Mans, but the rigors here are what makes this track and the race so difficult for the engineers and the drivers. The R18 goes to its retirement after a victory. Sounds like a good way to send it off after 2011. We are looking now at the next race in the World Endurance Championship. We had a great run from start to finish. The work starts here. [during the last stint] I had Howden in my head the last time. All the attack situations. I heard some noises at the beginning of the race, which was more scary than at the end. But we have a very good history of finishing races at Audi. We know going in that we have a chance at victory. As drivers, we can be thankful for that, because there have been times in our careers where that wasn’t the case. [about the closed cockpit car] “The closed car doesn’t have the vision as an open car, the regs are in such a way and with the big tire we use, it takes the down force loads we require. The closed car is apparent it is more efficient. The advantage is the speed in the straights, especially with the small restrictors. It's difficult to describe what it's like, we've done a lot of testing so we're used to it. But this race with 60-some cars, and the speed differentials was a great test again for us. We had to be very precise in traffic to make sure we made decisive maneuvers but not take excess risk.”

(3) #44-P2 Potolicchio/Dalziel/Sarrazin (HPD ARX-03b Honda) 319 laps

Ryan Dalziel (#44-P2 HPD ARX-03b Honda) “Its huge, Enzo and I have been with Starworks for a few years. We built a car in 9 days for 24 hours at Daytona and put it on the pole. You work with people who have perfected their craft after years and years. Our experience is very different, but a huge reward for guys who have not slept all week. They didn’t sleep at all last night. IT was a great start to what will be my most exciting season to date. I cant wait to get to the next race.

(12) #06-PC Popow/Viso/Friselle (Oreca FLM09) 312 laps

Alex Papow (#06-PC Oreca FLM09) “It was amazing to be here and we set a deal with Core Auto Sports 10 days ago. Just last Wednesday before coming to the track on Sunday and were told we think we have a chance for the championship. And it is here, we did it. We got first place. The team did a professional job and we just drove and made first place. It is incredible. It was my first time in the car and at Sebring. It is going to be good.

E.J. Viso (#06-PC Oreca FLM09) “For me it has been a very exciting week, he [Alex Popow] has been my best friend for so many years. He called me and said do you want to do this race. I know this track because of the IndyCar testing at the south circuit. But to learn a new track is always fun. But the program CORE Autosport has is a fantastic crew. It was a fantastic race.”

(18) #56-GT Hand/Summerton/Mueller (BMW E92 M3) 307 laps

Joey Hand (#56-GT BMW E92 M3) “It was basically the last 2 hours and 45 minutes that was the crazy train I was on. We talked about this, what do we have for this race, we knew we didn’t have the ultimate lap. We knew we had the smartest guys, starting with Bobby Rahal, then BMW, Dunlop, a lot of great people. We had 4 or 5 issues that could have taken us laps down. But we pitted on the right laps, in the right place. Coming down the last laps, we stinted 1 and a half or 1 and 3/4 and we just took fuel at the end. I was a little surprised. Then Berretta got around me, then I got back around him again. We got sideways again, the next thing I was around him. I can’t be here all year, I can help all I can. Summerton did an excellent job, he really impressed me. He didn't make any mistakes. In a car to car competition, you have no chance making the move Beretta tried, it worked out for me, mainly because I was expecting it. When I was spinning, I kept it straight, but I knew he had a right front flat, so I knew if I could get up to him and get him jammed, it would be easy to get around.”

(29) #88-GTE-AM Ried/Roda/Ruberti (Porsche 911 RSR 997) 298 laps

Paolo Ruberti (#88-GTE-AM Porsche 911 RSR 997) “We are really happy to win the first FIA WEC and the 12 hours of Sebring. It's like a dream. The car was perfect, we had a bit of trouble in the last hour. I did the last stint without the power steering. I kept the car on good pace with a good results. The Ferrari is a little faster than us, but we were in fact in the best position. In this place we need to now finish all the races for a good results.

(33) #023-GTC Sweedler/Bell/von Moltke (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) 292 laps

Dion von Moltke (#023-GTC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) “What a crazy race. A great one-two finish for Alex Job and the team. Thanks to Battery Tender, William Rast and PR Newswire for all of their support. Bill and Townsend did an amazing job all day. I had a scare with two hours to go when I got hit in Turn 17. I had to push the last two hours and was able to get a gap, make the last stop and bring it home for the win. The car ran flawless all day. The crew put a great car under us, and we delivered.”

ALMS Racing @almsnotes
Don't miss #Sebring12 on ABC starting at noon ET and 3 p.m. PT today - Sunday. Don't miss a classic! #ALMS #WEC @sebringraceway

... notes from The EDJE



** Article first published as New Media Notes, Quotes, And Tweets From The 60th Mobil 1 12 Hours Of Sebring on Technorati **

It's Audi R18 Diesel 1-2-3 Overall At 2012 Sebring Qualifications

Audi R18 #1 on the circuit. To be driven in the 12 Hours by Lotterer, Treluyer and Fassler. Image Credit: MichelinAlley

It's Audi R18 Diesel 1-2-3 Overall At 2012 Sebring Qualifications

Qualifying for Saturday's 60th Anniversary, Mobil 1, 12 Hours of Sebring was held today and with little surprise in the overall standings, the diesel-powered Audi R18's took the top three positions with the three fastest times. The cars qualified in car number-badged numerical order, with cars #1, #2 and #3 in grid positions 1, 2 and 3. Andre Lotterer (driving the #1 Audi R18 - pictured), the defending champion at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, showed what pace the cars could achieve with the overall and LMP1 class poles at 1:45.820. The race goes green at 10:30 a.m. ET on Saturday.

Andre Lotterer (#1-P1 Audi R18) Overall pole winner, “This is my first time to the Sebring race, but not the Sebring track as we have tested here before. It is better to come here during the race weekend. This a little more action and it is great to see so many people. It is a great atmosphere. We were here in December for testing so we knew a little bit about the new front straight wall going into Turn 1. This is the last race for the R18 so it is an emotional car for the drivers as we move to the new Audi. It feels good to come to a legendary race like Sebring to compete with the car one more time. Hopefully the car will finish very nicely tomorrow for us. (On his stop-and-go penalty) I had a little stressful incident with the pit lane penalty. Usually the pit limiter is always on, but it wasn’t that time. That was my mistake for not noticing. It didn’t really make my life more difficult. The car ran great and I was able to get in a good lap. This pole is really nice for the staff as the guys work so hard to prepare for this race. This is a nice reward for the mechanics who work on the car. I wasn’t perfect at turns 13 and 15 so I didn’t think I would be that fast. You usually need a near perfect lap for the pole. Looks like the rest of the lap was better than I expected.”

While the Audi effort was dominating, the rest of the field of 64 cars would care to be mentioned so to that end, the other class poles featured Muscle Milk Pickett Racing (ALMS P1), OAK Racing (WEC LMP2), Level 5 Motorsports (ALMS P2), RSR Racing (ALMS PC), AF Corse (WEC GTE Pro), Corvette Racing (ALMS GT), Luxury Racing (WEC GTE Am) and NGT Motorsport (ALMS GTC).

EJ Viso captured while in the cockpit (in mirror) with the fender louvers shown in foreground. Image Credit: MichelinAlley

Top three in class (overall position on the grid - in parentheses):

(1) #1-P1 Andre Lotterer (Audi R18) 1:45.820
(2) #2-P1 Tom Kristensen (Audi R18) 1:46.215 (0.395-)
(3) #3-P1 Romain Dumas (Audi R18) 1:46.935 (1.115-)

(11) #24-P2 Olivier Pla (Morgan/Judd) 1:50.467
(12) #44-P2 Stephane Sarrazin (HPD ARX-03b Honda) 1:50.823 (0.356-)
(13) #41-P2 Elton Julian (Zytek Z11SN-Nissan) 1:51.809 (1.342-)

(21) #9-PC Bruno Junqueira (Oreca FLM09) 1:54.510
(22) #06-PC E.J. Viso (Oreca FLM09) 1:54.555 (0.045-)
(24) #025-PC Dane Cameron (Oreca FLM09) 1:54.628 (0.118-)

(31) #51-GT Gianmaria Bruni (Ferrari F458 GT) 1:58.427
(32) #59-GT Jaime Melo (Ferrari F458 Italia) 1:58.723 (0.296-)
(33) #03-GT Jan Magnussen (Corvette C6-ZR1) 1:58.996 (0.569-)

(40) #58-GTE-AM Dominik Farnbacher (Ferrari F458 Italia) 2:00.184
(44) #57-GTE-AM Niclas Jonsson (Ferrari F458 Italia) 2:00.929 (0.745-)
(46) #50-GTE-AM Pedro Lamy (Corvette C6-ZR1) 2:01.640 (1.456-)

(52) #30-GTC Sean Edwards (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) 2:06.674
(53) #34-GTC Damien Faulkner (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) 2:06.697 (0.023-)
(54) #022-GTC Leh Keen (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) 2:06.711 (0.037-)

Much of the interest surrounded the performance of open-wheel focused drivers crossing over to get broader experience in this international endurance racing event.

Selected Post Qualifying Quotes:

Simon Pagenaud (#6-P1 HPD ARX-03a) “It was a good day overall. In the end, we placed the Muscle Milk HPD right behind the Audis and that’s very good. However, it was an interesting day trying to make the car work with the track. We tried different things and, by the end of the session, it was very positive. I think we’re heading in the right direction. I’m getting excited now. I think we have our finger on what we need to do and it’s coming together. It’s taking longer than we would like because the sessions are short. There are a lot of cars on track and there were a lot of red flags, which makes it very difficult for the team to get to try what they want to try. It’s especially frustrating for the engineers but everyone is doing a great job and I think we should be good for qualifying and Saturday for the race.”

Ryan Hunter-Reay (#95-P2 HPD ARX-03b) “This has been a driver’s dream week. Just in a race car almost every day. The old quote, “just living the dream” is my motto this week. Saturday and Monday I was here in the LMP2 sports car for Level 5, Tuesday and Wednesday in the IndyCar for Andretti at Barber Motorsports Park, Thursday, Friday and Saturday back at Sebring for practice, qualifying and the race. Next Wednesday, I’ll be at St. Pete for the IndyCar Series opener. I can’t wait to get started in the IndyCars. I feel very fortunate and appreciative that I am able to drive these sports cars as well as the IndyCars. It keeps me sharp in the cockpit. I feel fresh going into St. Pete next week. I love coming back and racing with Level 5. It is a great team. It’s a great environment and it is becoming routine to come to Sebring each year. I really enjoy Sebring. It is my home track and we are looking to defend our win from last year (in LMP2).

Bruno Junqueira (#9-PC Oreca FLM09) Pole winner in PC, “This pole gives our team some good morale for this race. The team told me to be patient and bring the car home and we will be fine. This is the first time I have driven this car. I love it. (Adjusting to PC) On the first lap, I felt the brakes and they were great. They really worked well. So I said, ‘Hey, it’s race time. So let’s go.’ And the car was great. Now, we are ready for the race. It should be exciting. It feels really good and I can’t explain how happy I am to be here with an equal car and chance to fight for pole and today I have to thank our team for giving me the opportunity. Today I knew if I drove good, I would get a shot and every lap I got better. I was very happy.”

E.J. Viso (#06-PC Oreca FLM09) “I’m very excited to be here. This is something that was very last minute. I just got a call last week asking if I wanted to do this race and, of course, I didn’t want to miss this opportunity. I know one part of the track here at Sebring, the back section (from IndyCar testing). The rest of the track was
completely new to me. And racing these cars is also new to me. So far I am having a blast. This race has a great atmosphere here. I have seen a lot of familiar faces from my days of racing in Europe. I am having a lot of fun and I hope this will be the first of many here at Sebring. There are fans and motorhomes everywhere around this track. It is fun to see.”

Jonathon Summerton (#56-GT BMW E92 M3) “It is awesome to be here in this race. The BMW RLL team have been so helpful. I’m very honored to be here with them and hopefully we can go for a win. It’s a great group of guys. Right now, I am running in four ALMS races this year. I’m filling in for Joey (Hand) when he goes to the DMT series. After that, it is wherever BMW North American or BMW Motorsport want me. I want to be affiliated with a manufacturer and BMW is just the best. It is a thrill to be here.”

... notes from The EDJE



** Article first published as It's Audi R18 Diesel 1-2-3 Overall at 2012 Sebring Qualifications on Technorati **

Lotus Indy Taps A Penske To Make 2012 A 4 Team Challenge

Sebastien Bourdais going through turn 9 at the end of the back straight driving the Boy Scouts of America sponsored Dale Coyne Racing Dallara during the 2011 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. "Sea Bass" will join Katherine Legge to create a two car IZOD IndyCar team for Lotus Dragon Racing in 2012. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2011)


Lotus Indy Taps A Penske To Make 2012 A 4 Team Challenge

No ... it is not the first Penske that comes to mind but Dragon Racing IndyCar team owned by Jay Penske – Chairman and CEO of the Penske Media Corporation, and son of US racing legend Roger Penske joins the Lotus-powered IZOD IndyCar Series challenge for 2012. "Lotus Dragon Racing" (LDR) will be an official Lotus team, racing in the black and gold colors that are shared by the marque’s Formula One program.

Dragon Racing debuted in 2007 and promptly picked up a fifth-place at the Indy 500, straight out of the box, with Ryan Briscoe at the wheel. In 2009, its first full season, Dragon driver and ChampCar alum, Raphael Matos took the Rookie of the Year honors.

In 2012, the Lotus Dragon Racing line up is a particularly strong one featuring a couple of ChampCar World Series (CCWS) alums with winning traditions: Brit, Katherine Legge, the first female driver to win a major open-wheel race in North America, and four-time CCWS champion and former F1 racer Sebastien Bourdais (SeaBass).

Lotus Dragon Racing joins Bryan Herta Autosport, Dreyer & Reibold Racing, and HVM Racing to make it a four team Lotus-powered front in an effort to capture the first IZOD IndyCar Series championship of the fully unified modern era of American open wheel racing.

Group Lotus Director of Motorsport - Claudio Berro: "We are very pleased to be able to announce this new and exciting partnership with Dragon Racing today, a team which has demonstrated its potential and which we believe will achieve great success thanks to the Lotus IndyCar engine and the security of a major backer. Last year was Lotus' first foray into this prestigious open-wheel series since Jim Clark won the Indy 500 back in 1965. We have a tremendous legacy in this sport, and are determined to become winners again. The American market is one of the most important to Lotus in terms of road car sales, hence our aggressive marketing strategies through US auto racing. We believe Lotus Dragon Racing and our other partner teams will give us the best opportunity to achieve our ambitious goals."


Image Credit: Group Lotus

This excerpted and edited from Group Lotus -

INDIANA CLONES AND THE FAST CRUSADE
Press Release from Group Lotus

In 2012 no less than four teams with an anticipated minimum eight cars will be packing Lotus power in the IZOD IndyCar Series. The company’s all-new twin-turbo V6 has its first shakedown today at the Moroso circuit in Jupiter, Florida , with Lotus HVM driver Simona de Silvestro working the loud pedal. The engine program, which was announced in November 2010, has come together quickly without teething problems, and fire-ups away from the track have ticked all the boxes. Lotus Dragon Racing, Lotus HVM Racing, Lotus Bryan Herta Autosport, and Lotus Dreyer & Reinbold Racing are all confirmed as engine partners.

Claudio Berro, Group Lotus Director of Motorsport: “The engine has performed extremely well so far, and we and our partners are very pleased with the results. We had our first fire-up in a Dallara chassis in Palma, Italy on 21-23 December, then the engine was sent to America, and today we’re having our first on-track shakedown, at Moroso, which is very exciting. On January 1st we opened a Lotus facility in Indianapolis which will be our US engineering and logistics hub, so it’s all go. We’ve still got a lot of work to do before the start of the season, but I couldn’t be happier with the progress we’re making.”
[Reference Here]

2012 will prove to be a truly breakout year ... being the first year in a dynamic formula (multiple engine manufacturers and a potential of variance in aero-parts to be employed on a new Dallara DW12 chassis), and a fresh look at competition rules with the appointment of a new race director (also a CCWS alum) in Beaux Barfield.

... notes from The EDJE




Article first seen as Lotus Indy Taps A Penske To Make 2012 A 4 Team Challenge at Technorati

Surprise Swift Tour Yields A Look At "Concept 66" / Updated With "Concept 70"

Swift Engineering's 2012 IZOD IndyCar design concept 66 CAD image with California Speedway background. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Surprise Swift Tour Yields A Look At "Concept 66" Platform
(originally posted 4/16/10 - 1:28 PM)

If the folks at the IZOD IndyCar Series are thinking with a level head, given what we, at The EDJE, were exposed to at a surprise tour of the Swift Engineering facility in San Clemente, they will soon be singing "We get our kicks settling on Concept 66" as their way of the future of open-wheel racing.

Swift Engineering's 2012 IZOD IndyCar design concept 66 artist rendering. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

We were invited by the Publisher of The Motorsports Report, Dicken Wear, as an impromptu field trip after checking in at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Credentials area to pick up our Photo Vests for this weekends event. What a bonus since the major motorsports events of the day would be background shots taken while the IRL, ALMS, World Cup Challenge, and Firestone IndyPro Series cars practiced so the teams could dial in for the races ahead.

Swift Engineering's 2012 IZOD IndyCar design concept 66 CAD image without background. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

A group of about 20 people (writers, drivers, engineers, and photographers) gathered and were treated to a tour of the facilities at Swift that included a look and demonstration of their on-premises 140 mph wind tunnel, driving simulator, and composite fabrication areas. We were led on the tour by Program Director, Casper Van Der Schoot originally from Holland by way of Hogan Racing.

Casper enlightened the eager crowd with the concept of designing to reduce the effects of the vortex "dirty air" so that the platforms could race nose to tail with greater safety and, of course, greater competitiveness. The design concept of how to do this came in the development of a rear wing and forward rear wheel pod shapes that turn the Concept 66 into a "Mushroom Buster"!

One can not totally eliminate the shroom effect, but by shrinking the width of the shroom plume, and raising the "cap" of the shroom so that it is moved away from the following platform ... the mushroom is effectively busted.

UPDATE: Swift Concept #70 proposal for the next IZOD IndyCar

The IZOD IndyCar ICONIC Committee earlier this week, received a presentation previewing Swift's concept #70. The #70 is the latest evolution open-wheel car concept and incorporates aspects of the six previously launched concepts Swift has designed over the past nine months.

Swift Engineering's Design Concept #70 placed into a Long Beach Grand Prix track background. Image Credit: Swift Engineering via Racer

“Our latest concept evolves elements from our previous concepts and from the direct feedback we have received from the series, teams and fans,” said Casper van der Schoot, Swift's Program Director in an interview published in Racer. “I would like to thank the fans who have provided great feedback to us through our Facebook page and in particular Erik Berkman and Dave Marek from Honda for sharing with us their data and modeling for their next generation V6 powerplant as well as their chassis styling concept that weighed heavily in our design.”

The main thing that Swift was able to design in and keep in the #70 was a nose-to-tail racing safety and competition design concept known as "The Mushroom Buster" explained in the breakthrough design first introduced with Design Concept #66 above.

The 70 has increased signage real estate, as demanded by the teams,” said Mark Page, Swift's Chief Scientist to Racer. “We enlarged the car's bodywork and angled the surfaces so that they present the best view to the fans. We also have a new 'Mushroom Buster; design. This promotes passing by busting the 'mushroom cloud' of dead air behind the racecar. Our number 70 model was run through extensive Computational Fluid Dynamics on our new Cray supercomputers. The Cray has increased our capability 50-fold, and we now know our car will have significantly less drag than the current car.”

“The monocoque is larger than the current spec,” stated Chris Norris, Swift's chief designer in the same Racer interview. “It is designed to accommodate driver size from Danica [Patrick] to Justin [Wilson] with added padding beneath and behind the driver. In addition we have added anti-wheel lock blades dubbed, ‘Satan's teeth' aft of the front wheels, attached to the front of the sidepods. Also an anti-lift approach to the design of the front wings and sidepods will dramatically reduce the likelihood of the car getting airborne.”

The IZOD IndyCar series is reviewing Swift's and four other manufacturer's value propositions and is expected to make its decision for the next generation IndyCar for 2012 by June 30.

We, at The EDJE have one question (actually two), does the "Lawn Dart" (Delta Wing) closed-wheel design have any of these considerations built in to their design(?), and if the Delta Wing could deliver what Swift Engineering has proposed ... will fans of open-wheel racing ever accept a car that by design definition - isn't even open-wheel?

We are holding our breath ...

... notes from The EDJE



TAGS: Mushroom Busting, 2012, 66, Casper Van Der Schoot, Concept, Concept 70, Design, IZOD IndyCar, Swift Engineering, Dallara, The EDJE

Surprise Swift Tour Yields A Look At "Concept 66" Platform

Swift Engineering's 2012 IZOD IndyCar design concept 66 CAD image with California Speedway background. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Surprise Swift Tour Yields A Look At "Concept 66" Platform

If the folks at the IZOD IndyCar Series are thinking with a level head, given what we, at The EDJE, were exposed to at a surprise tour of the Swift Engineering facility in San Clemente, they will soon be singing "We get our kicks settling on Concept 66" as their way of the future of open-wheel racing.

Swift Engineering's 2012 IZOD IndyCar design concept 66 artist rendering. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

We were invited by the Publisher of The Motorsports Report, Dicken Wear, as an impromptu field trip after checking in at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Credentials area to pick up our Photo Vests for this weekends event. What a bonus since the major motorsports events of the day would be background shots taken while the IRL, ALMS, World Cup Challenge, and Firestone IndyPro Series cars practiced so the teams could dial in for the races ahead.

Swift Engineering's 2012 IZOD IndyCar design concept 66 CAD image without background. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

A group of about 20 people (writers, drivers, engineers, and photographers) gathered and were treated to a tour of the facilities at Swift that included a look and demonstration of their on-premises 140 mph wind tunnel, driving simulator, and composite fabrication areas. We were led on the tour by Program Director, Casper Van Der Schoot originally from Holland by way of Hogan Racing.

Casper enlightened the eager crowd with the concept of designing to reduce the effects of the vortex "dirty air" so that the platforms could race nose to tail with greater safety and, of course, greater competitiveness. The design concept of how to do this came in the development of a rear wing and forward rear wheel pod shapes that turn the Concept 66 into a "Mushroom Buster"!

One can not totally eliminate the shroom effect, but by shrinking the width of the shroom plume, and raising the "cap" of the shroom so that it is moved away from the following platform ... the mushroom is effectively busted.

... notes from The EDJE




TAGS: 2012, 66, Casper Van Der Schoot, Concept, Design, IZOD IndyCar, Swift Engineering, The EDJE