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 **

Super Drift Challenge And Toyota GP Of LB Agree To Night Races

Formula DRIFT has announced a special charity event to benefit the American Red Cross’s Hurricane Sandy relief efforts on December 13 at Irwindale Speedway. Professional drift ride-alongs from Formula DRIFT stars will be for sale to the public with proceeds to going to the relief fund (CLICK HERE to purchase a ride-along). Caption and Image Credit: Formula DRIFT


Super Drift Challenge And Toyota GP Of LB Agree To Night Races

For the first time in its 39 years, the world-famous Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 19-21, 2013, will offer night racing with the inaugural Formula DRIFT Super Drift Challenge on Friday and Saturday nights during race weekend.

The Formula DRIFT Super Drift Challenge, which will take place at 7 p.m. both nights on the eastern end of the race circuit – turns nine, 10 and 11 – is expected to feature 16 of the sport’s top cars and drivers.

Committed to compete are 2012 Formula DRIFT champion Daigo Saito, 2011 champ Daijiro Yoshihara, plus Frederic Aasbo, Aurimas Bakchis, Michael Essa, Conrad Grunewald, Ken Gushi, Tyler McQuarrie, Robbie Nishida, Justin Pawlak, Matt Powers - more are expected to make announcement to compete soon. Friday’s action will include practice and qualifying runs, while Saturday will see the teams compete for a $25,000 prize. On Sunday, the Super Drift Challenge cars will drift the entire race circuit after the featured IZOD IndyCar Series race.

A view one gets from a ride-along - here, the trailing car is just leaving turn #9 and looking down the short chute toward turn #10. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2011)

“We are excited to change up the drifting action during the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend from an exhibition show to a competition. By doing this we will be able to showcase the true form of competition drifting to the Grand Prix fans," said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. "The icing on the cake comes in the form of night time drifting on the streets. We are truly honored to be the first Series to be competing on the streets of Long Beach at night!”

“The Grand Prix has enjoyed a long and productive relationship with Formula DRIFT and this newly designed event takes it to a new level,” said Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. “And all this added excitement will be presented at no additional cost to our race attendees. Plus, because of its unique location, there will be no impact in any way on the businesses around the rest of the track.”

Grand Prix fans that purchase any admission ticket for Friday or Saturday racing activities will be able to see that day’s Super Drift Challenge.

Seating for the Super Drift Challenge will be in Grandstands 16, 18, 24, 25 and 26 on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning at 6:30 p.m.

In addition to the Super Drift Challenge, the 2013 Grand Prix will again be headlined by the IZOD IndyCar Series®. Also featured will be the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series, the fan-favorite Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, Firestone Indy Lights and Pirelli World Challenge.

... notes from The EDJE


** Article first posted as Super Drift Challenge and Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach agree to night races at Examiner **

DeltaWing Recieves The 2012 Autosport Award For Pioneering And Innovation

Nissan DeltaWing on display at the LA Auto Show Press Days. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

DeltaWing Recieves The 2012 Autosport Award For Pioneering And Innovation

The 2012 Autosport Awards, the motorsport industry's 'Oscars' held last night at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London's Park Lane, provided a night of delight for Nissan when the Nissan DeltaWing received the award for Pioneering and Innovation.

The Nissan DeltaWing is currently settling in for its close-up near Hollywood, at the LA Auto Show which runs now through the end of this next weekend on December 9th. One will find it on display at the Nissan booth in the South Hall at the Los Angeles Convention Center ... of course.

View slideshow: DeltaWing recieves the 2012 Autosport Award for Pioneering and Innovation

The Nissan DeltaWing has grabbed headlines, turned heads, and divided opinions wherever it has gone. For Nissan, a company known for delivering innovation that excites, this project has gathered great momentum throughout the season, providing excitement for fans of motorsport but has also caught the eye of non-motorsport fans, intrigued by the car's unique design.

The first Nissan DeltaWing driver, Marino Franchitti, presented the award to DeltaWing Designer Ben Bowlby during the star-studded evening.

Image Credit: Nissan (2012)

"While the car wasn't eligible to collect any trophies in its two races so far, it is very rewarding that the industry and the media recognize the significance of the project," Bowlby said. "I can honestly say I've never done anything so cool in my life. The Nissan DeltaWing is all about efficiency and we hope this car can play a part in shaping the future of the sport.

"There are many people who have played key roles in the development of the car but I have to say a big thanks to Don Panoz's Garage 56 consortium with DeltaWing Racing Cars, and of course the ACO. Nissan and Michelins' contributions were imperative. It took a huge leap of faith from them to really make this car possible. Both signed on at a time when we had plenty of doubters saying the car wouldn't go around corners."

The unique Nissan DeltaWing features the performance of contemporary Le Mans sportscars but consumes only half their fuel and tires, using half of their power, aerodynamic drag and weight.

"What made the car stand out from other contenders for the Pioneering and Innovation Award is traditionally the winners are for something underneath the skin of a race car which the man on the street would really struggle to see or even understand," Autosport, Editor-In-Chief, Andrew van de Burgt said.

"No matter whether you are a hard core motorsports fan, or somebody who doesn't follow the sport at all – one look at the car and you can tell that it is totally different from anything seen before. It really is a credit to everyone involved in the project. It has generated great interest amongst our readers and we look forward to seeing the car compete again in the future."

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

The plaudits don't stop there for the Nissan DeltaWing. The car has already won EVO magazine's Innovation Award; it was voted Automobile magazine's Racing Car of the Year and received the Popular Science Best of What's New Award. Ben Bowlby has also received the Simms Medal from the Royal Automobile Club and the Dino Toso Award for the world's top racing aerodynamicist, awarded by Race Tech magazine.

"Last night was the culmination of a lot of hard work by a lot of people who weren't scared to use their imaginations," said Nissan's Darren Cox. "The Nissan DeltaWing is clearly innovative in terms of the car's design but the entire project and the way it has engaged the interest of the fans is also innovative. We have all enjoyed the challenge."

... notes from The EDJE


** Article first published as DeltaWing Recieves The 2012 Autosport Award For Pioneering And Innovation on Technorati **

Mazda Burnishes New Mazda6 Clean-Diesel Reputation

Mazda announces its participation in the 2013 Grand Am racing series in front of the media crowd gathered at the LA Auto Show during Press Days. Image Credit:Edmund Jenks (2012)

Mazda Burnishes New Mazda6 Clean-Diesel Reputation

Mazda North American Operations, in a move to further enhance its reputation as a company that builds cars that are fun to drive, announced that the new, redesigned Mazda6, Mazda's flagship mid-sized car, will be entered into the Grand Am series running on Mazda's SKYACTIV technology clean-diesel.

The 2014 Mazda6 will make its motorsports debut at the Rolex 24 endurance race on January 26-27, 2013 in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Mazda6 racecar will be powered by a Mazda SKYACTIV-D Clean Diesel engine (video) and is being developed to compete in the new GRAND-AM GX class.

This announced entrant marks the first time a diesel-powered vehicle of any type will have ever raced at the Rolex 24. Mazda will be seeking their 24th class win in the American endurance classic, having most recently won in 2008 and 2010.

John Doonan, Motorsports Director, Mazda North American Operations noted that:

“We have been eager to announce this car for months, but had to wait until the production car was revealed. The SpeedSource engineering team, working with the Mazda engineers, have been flat out for months on engine development. We’re happy to report that the engine is meeting the performance targets for both power and endurance. That means 400+ hp for over 50 hours, with an engine that includes a very long list of production Mazda parts. This is not a pure race engine; it is a production block SKYACTIV-D. We’re excited about having our newest engine powering our newest car.”

A few of the Mazda Young Guns 2013 - Kenton Koch, Elliott Skeer, Gustavo Menezes, Joey Jordan, at LA Auto Show. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

The Mazda6 was one of the first models declared eligible for the GX class, along with Lotus Evora GX and Porsche Cayman. The class will help nurture emerging technologies such as alternative fuels.

When one first sees the redesigned Mazda6, one is struck at the overall upgrade to the styling, primarily with the front end grille and rear tail light configuration. The front impresses the eye with a look similar to a blending of a Mercedes and a Volvo (not bad styling company), with the rear leaving one with the feel of a high-end Lexus without the ridging jut of the tail-light ... the Mazda6 being smoothed and rounded, say sophisticated.

Strongly influenced by the TAKERI Concept, the Mazda6 makes no excuses for its style, safety and spunk – qualities usually absent in a mid-size sedan. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012) 

The GX racing version of the Mazda6 is being developed by SpeedSource and Mazda engineers. The challenge expects to have two factory entries ready to compete at Daytona.

GX will join the Daytona Prototype and GT classes in events sanctioned by Grand-Am Road Racing in 2013, the last year before Grand-Am and the American Le Mans Series merge in a single organization that has yet to be named.

Models eligible for GX besides the Mazda6, Evora and Cayman include the Audi TT, BMW 1 Series, Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus sedan, Hyundai Genesis, Subaru BRZ, Scion FR-S, Nissan 370Z or Altima, and Volkswagen Eos.

The KODO "Soul of Motion" design language commands and creates every facet of the vehicle's handsome sheet metal, from its alluringly swept elongated hood and cab-forward proportions to the chiseled steel shaping its frame, the Mazda6 suggests power and elegance before the gas pedal is even floored to go. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

In making its North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the highly-anticipated mid-size sedan will go on sale in January 2013 and be equipped first with a SKYACTIV-G 2.5-liter gasoline engine.  The SKYACTIV-D-equipped version will follow suit during the second half of the year, making Mazda the first Asian manufacturer to offer a modern-technology clean-diesel engine in a non-commercial vehicle. The 2014 Mazda6 also will be the first production vehicle to feature Mazda's capacitor-based brake energy regeneration system called i-ELOOP.

... notes from The EDJE


** Article first published as Mazda Burnishes New Mazda6 Clean-Diesel Reputation on Technorati **

Ford To Display Tanner Foust Signature Focus At LA Auto Show

The new TF logo-ed very high-powered Foust signature Ford Focus at the Irwindale Event Center (SEMA Video HERE). Image Credit: Doug Stokes (2012)

Ford To Display Tanner Foust Signature Focus At LA Auto Show

Multi-discipline race driver, movie stuntman, TV star, and now car designer, Tanner Foust, visited the Irwindale Event Center on Sunday to "break in" a (very) special, limited-edition Focus that not only looked like something Foust would be driving on the streets, but that had his name and his distinctive TF logo emblazoned all over it.

Close up of the "TF" logo-ed racing stripe on the new signature Ford Focus. Image Credit: Doug Stokes (2012)

The car was just "off the boat"(actually it had come over to LA by truck) from an award-winning turn as one of the stars of the recent SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The four door hatchback had barely 50 miles on the clock, and, although Foust had been behind the wheel for a whole bunch of publicity shots at SEMA ... He had not yet driven the sexy-bad prototype.

View slideshow: Ford to display signature Tanner Foust Focus at LA Auto Show

That's where an off-day on the vast, empty East parking lot at IEC came in handy. At 'Vegas the car was never even fired up, or let alone driven, so there was some interest in breaking it in and getting a bit of actual seat time before it was to be on display at the LA Auto Show scheduled to open to the press on Wednesday, the 28th.

As one might expect, the car ran flawlessly. There were no formal specs officially available at the IEC shakedown runs.  But, we can indicate that this special Foust-signature model was "loaded" with cool features, and that the horsepower rating for this very special edition turbo-charged 6-speed Focus ST model was (and we quote:) "Oh ... somewhere around 300."

Close up of the "TF" logo-ed rocker panel racing stripe on the side of the new signature Ford Focus. Image Credit: Doug Stokes (2012)

Foust's willing co-conspirator in the custom body, trick semi-gloss silvery paint, and cool interior work was none other than Mike Spagnola, chief instigator and grand major-domo of Street Scene Equipment the well-known southern California custom body parts manufacturer. The basic look here is best explained as "stylistically belligerent". Subtlety is sure not the strong suite here. They WILL see you coming in this one (and a millisecond later they'll see you going).

All of the (by now) frothing at the bit Focus fans will have to wait for the magazine articles and web reviews to get all of the specs as well as to find out the information on where to buy one of these way cool little Ford supercars designed (and now test-driven at Irwindale) by Foust, who admitted to being much more familiar with the race track than the parking lot, having tested many cars for TV and raced successfully there numerous times in pro Drifting and Rallycross events there over the past years.

See the Tanner Foust signature Ford Focus on display at the LA Auto Show which opens on November 30th, 2012 and runs through December 9th, 2012.
(ht: Irwindale Event Center)

... notes from The EDJE 


** Article first published as Ford To Display Tanner Foust Signature Focus At LA Auto Show on Technorati **

Wreck-It Ralph Animated Feature Channels Ed Wynn

Wreck-It Ralph and cast pose in their fantasy life travel congregation area that mimics New York's Grand Central Train Station - Game Central Station. Image Credit: Walt Disney Studios

Wreck-It Ralph Animated Feature Channels Ed Wynn

The recently released animated feature length movie from Disney Studios, Wreck-It Ralph,  is a really fun and high concept movie that can be seen with, or without kids (not good fare for kiddos under the age of 9).

The antagonist character King Candy, who is voiced by Alan Tudyk, does a pretty good job at channeling/capturing some of the voice expressions and sounds of a very famous character and comedic actor ... Ed Wynn.

Ed Wynn (L) and King Candy (R) side-by-side. Notice the bow tie, the stripes in the cloth adornments, the zest of hair, the fun of finger positioning, smile, and smallish "hat" each character image holds. One can not separate the influence of the voice-over actor from the animated character, and we are all the richer for it. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks - combination between IMDb (Ed Wynn in "The Perfect Fool," 1959 - Sid Avery) and Walt Disney Studios (2012)

Modern Hollywood does not have many memorable iconic actors that embody the likes held by Ed Wynn ... check out Jerry Lewis' Cinderfella someday.

 It is reported in a Disney wiki that they had the animators use Mad Hatter from the 1951 animated film, Alice in Wonderland but had very little mention that it was the voice of Ed Wynn that actually brought the character of Mad Hatter to life.

On the voice-over and the visage of the animated character, the producers have done a good job at capturing some of what Ed Wynn brought to the big screen (even though Ed Wynn really never had a dark side).

King Candy, formerly known as Turbo, is the main antagonist of the film Wreck-It Ralph. He was the ruler of the kingdom in which the game Sugar Rush takes place. He is voiced by Alan Tudyk. King Candy is incredibly eccentric and flamboyant. Throughout most of the film, he portrays himself as a bubbly, yet somewhat strict, ruler. As Turbo, he was said to have loved the spotlight, but the moment that was all taken away, the racer became demented, and he was determined to remain beloved, even if it meant ruining another game. Caption & Image Credit: Walt Disney Studios

This excerpted and edited from Wreck-It Ralph IMDb Storyline -

Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Rated PG - 101 min - Animation | Comedy | Family - 2 November 2012 (USA)

Wreck-It Ralph (voice of Reilly) longs to be as beloved as his game's perfect Good Guy, Fix-It Felix (voice of McBrayer).

Problem is, nobody loves a Bad Guy. But they do love heroes... so when a modern, first-person shooter game arrives featuring tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Lynch), Ralph sees it as his ticket to heroism and happiness.

He sneaks into the game with a simple plan -- win a medal -- but soon wrecks everything, and accidentally unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens every game in the arcade.

Ralph's only hope? Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Silverman), a young troublemaking "glitch" from a candy-coated cart racing game - Sugar Rush - who might just be the one to teach Ralph what it means to be a Good Guy.

But will he realize he is good enough to become a hero before it's "Game Over" for the entire arcade?
[Reference Here]

As far as the central character, Ralph, some of us have all had times that we were cast in a place as Ralph and wish we could be something different.

Key line delivered by Wreck-It Ralph while visiting a 12 step style meeting: I'm bad, and that's good. I will never be good, and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be then me.

Vanellope von Schweetz seated in her favorite place to be ... in a vehicle racing in Sugar Rush. Image Credit: Walt Disney Studios

Also, the movie, while pretty ingenious and original, has moments where one thinks it borrows some of the programming used in another successful Walt Disney animated feature, Cars. A secondary character, Vanellope von Schweetz - voiced by Sara Silverman, found in another video game, Sugar Rush, loves to race cars in one of the central activities of the game world she occupies - Candy Land. One sequence in the picture features Vanellope racing around a track built by Ralph with Rihanna's "Shut Up And Drive" playing in the background, music video style.

It would be easy to envision Disney Orlando creating a section of fantasy world called Candy Land and install the same kind of vehicle racing ride Disneyland's California Adventure Park has with Radiator Springs and Cars.

RATING: 8.5 out of 10


** Article first published as Wreck-It Ralph Animated Feature Channels Ed Wynn on Technorati **

RIAM Joins New Era Circuit Of The Americas F1 Viewing Faithful

Riverside International Automotive Museum hosted an opportunity to hear the thoughts and experiences of Tony Settember (center) and Don Nichols (right) as interviewed by RIAM Public Relations director, Thomas Stahler (Left). Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

RIAM Joins New Era Circuit Of The Americas F1 Viewing Faithful

This last weekend, the United States saw the return of Formula One international open wheel racing to the series' world hopping schedule. The race held at the new purpose built Circuit of the Americas (COTA), 3.427-mile (5.515 km) motor racing circuit south of Austin, Texas, marked the return of F1 racing to the United States after a four-season hiatus.

Recognizing the pent-up demand for viewing and sharing time with like-minded individuals of this inaugural event, the Riverside International Automotive Museum (RIAM) in Riverside, California ... located not too far from the site of the famed Riverside International Raceway purpose built road circuit and was set up, in part, to archive and honor the history of this great track ... opened its doors and hosted a viewing party.

View Slideshow: RIAM joins new era Circuit of the Americas F1 viewing faithful

During the broadcast of the COTA USGP from Austin, Texas, SPEED Channel's Bob Varsha mentioned that there were many viewing parties being held throughout the United States and that one of note was the gathering being hosted by the Riverside International Automotive Museum which featured Tony Settember and Don Nichols and had on view many great historic open wheel racing cars created from the Dan Gurney Eagle operation. Varsha's YouTube mention HERE.

On the podium at the Circuit of the Americas, four past champions celebrate the running of the first Formula One race held in the United States in four years - pictured from left to right: Sebastian Vettel, Mario Andretti, Lewis Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks via projection TV from SPEED Channel (2012)

This excerpted and edited from the Bleacher Report -

Formula One: Hamilton Wins USGP, but Circuit of the Americas Is the Real Star
By Craig Christopher (Featured Columnist) on November 19, 2012

Formula One racing has made a triumphant return to the United States after a four-season hiatus, only to find that some things just haven’t changed.

Lewis Hamilton was the last F1 driver to stand atop the podium at a U.S. Grand Prix when he claimed victory at the final Indianapolis race in 2007.He stood atop the podium again in Austin as he held Sebastian Vettel at bay to claim a hard-fought race win.

While the race winner may not have changed, everything else has.

The fans were treated to a great race, with lots of overtaking, some outstanding wheel-to-wheel action, breathtaking pitstops and Ferrari even delivered a little bit of the intrigue and shenanigans that F1 is famous for.

And it all happened on a track deep in the heart of Texas.
----
With F1 finding difficulty securing a permanent home since the 20-year tenure at Watkins Glenn, all hope turned to the new Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas.

It didn’t disappoint.

The circuit is a custom F1 track, designed—as are nearly all new tracks—by German racetrack architect Hermann Tilke. At first glance, it has all of the hallmarks of every other Tilke track—the big runoff areas, the flowing combination of corners, long straights followed by a hairpin—but it worked.
----
It was a race that F1 had to get right.

With the 2005 Indianapolis debacle still lingering in the American fans' memory and with no American teams and no American drivers, the product had to deliver on its own terms. It had to bury the perception that F1 is boring and lacking in excitement.

Any lingering doubts were put to rest, despite the dominance of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, with action from one end of the field to the other.

Hamilton took the most of a momentary distraction for Vettel, as he got tangled behind a back-marker, making the pivotal pass that Vettel was unable to recover from.

While Hamilton claimed the victory, it was the Circuit of the Americas that was the superstar of the weekend, aided and abetted by a massive crowd of 117,429 fans (via CircuitoftheAmericas.com).

The drivers loved it [all three - Hamilton, Vittle, and Alonzo respectively], and probably would have said so without prompting, even if Mario Andretti didn’t pleadingly fish for praise in yet another pointless podium interview by an ex-driver [and champion].

Hamilton told F1.com:

There are a couple of Grands Prix that are somehow out on their own: there’s Monaco, Silverstone, Montreal, Spa and Monza. Now you can this circuit to that list - it’s already one of the best racetracks in the world, maybe even right up there in the top three.

Then again, he won the race—he would say that.
[Reference Here]

The museum moved many of its 200 mph cars it has on display, set up a 9'X 12'projection screen and tables on the floor, prepared an Italian salad and sandwich lunch, invited a car constructor and some drivers of F1 and sport car racing note for post race interviews and schmoozing ... thus turning the museum into a social rumpus-room of F1 joy.

On hand were F1 winning chassis constructor Don Nichols, who created the Shadow cars that raced in F1 - and would spawn the Arrows F1 Team, Formula 5000, and Can-Am in the 1970's and 1980's (Alan Jones recorded his first win at the Austrian Grand Prix, a result which also provided a welcome boost to the lesser-funded teams as it was Shadow's first victory), Shadow Cars team crewman Gene Lentz, F1 driver Tony Settember (1962-1963), with legendary road racers John Morton and Davey Jordan.

Discover how this "five stripe" helmet adornment came about through the stories related by Don Nichols and the Shadow Cars effort to become a part of F1 history - Listen to Audio File linked below. Image Credit:  "F1 Biography: Still in the shadows"

Interviewed in the post race festivities by RIAM PR Director, Thomas Stahler were Tony Settember and Don Nichols with a presentation to RIAM by Gene Lentz a donation of memorabilia from Shadow Cars to museum President, Doug Magnon. AUDIO FILE HERE (43 min.)

There's a saying in Texas. "I wasn't born here, but I got here as fast as I could." This is the first proper U.S. race since Watkins Glen and, at last, COTA represents a worthy home for the USGP event.

That could also be said of this Southern California RIAM viewing party event. Here's hoping the COTA F1 USGP viewing party becomes an annual Southern California tradition. A Grand Prix time was had by all.

... notes from The EDJE


** Article first published as RIAM Joins New Era Circuit Of The Americas F1 Viewing Faithful on Technorati **