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Thursday, 03 July 2008 01:01 |
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We have all heard of Formula One, NASCAR, Indy Car and possibly even the FIA World Rally Championship, but the most popular motor series in the UK is the British Touring Car Championship or BTCC for short. It may not be as glamorous as Formula One, but what it lacks in glamour it makes up for in excitement and entertainment. In recent years Green Flag had originally sponsored the championship; but is now sponsored by Dunlop, the tyre manufacturers. First of all the cars are basically a modified saloon car or “touring car” that we all could buy from the showrooms. Of course the engines are modified and the bodywork is made of lighter materials and you will see down force wings on the back. But as far as aerodynamics goes, the shape of the car remains the same as the normal road car. The racing is bumper to bumper, around twisty racing tracks throughout the UK, at incredible speeds, and unlike other types of racing where so much rides on sponsorship and results, if a car does well, it gains a penalty of carrying extra weight. That means from spectator point of view cars will always be racing each other pretty much equal terms and bumper to bumper all the way. Time after time in F1 we have seen the driver with the best car, start on pole and win races easily, not because of driving skills, but just because of the size of their race budget. The championship travels around the UK to the smaller race circuits, making it so much more assessable to the public, and the entrance prices suit the family audience, something you don’t see too much in motor racing these days. But the one thing that I love about the BTCC, is being able to visit the pits and the drivers on the race day. There is always an open pit time, where you can walk down the pit straight, see the cars close up and talk to and get autographs off the drivers. The kids think this is absolutely fabulous. After meeting the drivers; they then get to watch their heroes racing around the track, to cheer them on, where else can you get that close with professional sportsmen. It is because of this accessibility, regular races throughout the UK and family prices, that has made this the most popular race series in the UK They have now even started to show the championship on TV directly after the Grand Prix and this has really raised the profile of this motor racing championship even further. Like some of the USA motor racing series, there is more than one round of racing on a race weekend or day. Again this means more value for money as you see the drivers in a racing situation more than once. How many times have you watched F1 just to see your favourite driver taken out on the first bend, in the BTCC he returns again in the second race. If you want to get back to driver versus driver racing, this is the place to see it. You can met the drivers, get close to the cars and feel the excitement of fast racing without taking out a mortgage to see them. I hope the green flag is always waving for the BTCC. Mark is webmaster for Green Flag Breakdown
Cover and Race Track day also Experience
The Firewalk |
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Monday, 30 June 2008 14:00 |
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Toyota cars and the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) made an announcement to confirm Toyota’s expansion into the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series. Of the various Toyota cars, the Camry model was the chosen automobile for participating in a field of competition. After three years of Toyota competing as part of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Bill France commented, “Toyota’s entry into the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and the NASCAR Busch Series is good for drivers, teams and the fans. This move provides for even more intense competition on the track between drivers and manufacturers, which will provide more excitement and fan interest,” he continued. “Toyota’s entry also provides more options for drivers and teams, which will increase the competition between manufacturers. The 2007 year will mark several milestones for Toyota cars, including the company’s 50th anniversary in America. As the golden anniversary occurs, so will Toyota’s venture into the NASCAR Nextel and Busch series racing. While Toyota drivers and teams have proven to be championship competitors and winners in other series, the manufacturer anxiously awaits to see if the Toyota cars will enjoy the same fate as they branch out into new NASCAR territory. “If you want to compete against the best, in America that means NASCAR,” admits Dave Illingworth, senior vice president, chief planning and administrative officer for Toyota Motor Sales, USA., Inc. A separate announcement, made in late January 2006, detailed the three teams that would be competing behind the wheel of Toyota cars. Bill Davis Racing, Team Red Bull and Michael Waltrip Racing will be the teams sporting the Toyota Camry as the 2007 season kicks off at the Daytona 500 next February. According to TMS corporate manager of marketing communications Kim McCullough, “The response to Toyota’s involvement in the Craftsman Truck Series has been very positive, and we look forward to building on the acceptance at the next levels - in both Nextel Cup and Busch racing.” Michael Waltrip, who owns one of the teams to be operating Toyota cars next season, is a Daytona 500 winner times two. Nearly 10 years ago, he formed a race team that was primarily known for it’s involvement in the Busch Series. In recent years, however, the team began participating in the Nextel Cup Series on a limited basis and plans to compete regularly during the 2007 season. In fact, plans for ‘Waltrip Racing World’ was announced that would feature a high-tech race shop boasting over 125,000 square-feet of race shop space, buildings and housing. Find more Toyota news and cars review, including 2006 Toyota 4Runner and much more automotive news on http://www.autonews24h.com/ |
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Monday, 23 June 2008 06:01 |
One of the first decisions for the newcomer to the world of radio controlled cars is whether to buy an electrically powered or a nitro powered car.
As a general rule, electric radio controlled cars and trucks are the best choice for the beginner since they tend to be simpler, quieter, cleaner and easier to operate. The trade-off for this simplicity and ease of operation comes in the form of cars that do not have the realism and the power brought to radio controlled cars by nitro engines, but it is undoubtedly a wise decision to cut your teeth with an electric model before tackling the complexities of nitro power.
Electric radio controlled cars use battery packs to power both the motor and steering and these are normally recharged using either a 12-volt car battery or a mains powered charging unit. Batteries run for between 5 and 10 minutes, depending on the type of engine in the car, and re-charging usually takes between 15 and 30 minutes. Because of this, it is highly recommended that you buy at least two, if not three, battery packs to allow for more or less continuous running.
At first glance, electric radio controlled cars can appear to be much less expensive, but the cost of such things as additional battery packs, a battery charger and other accessories, will often bring the final cost of an electric car close to that of a nitro powered car. Naturally, the long-term cost also depends on the model of car that you purchase and the type and quality of battery pack that it requires, as well as how often you run the car.
The main difference between electric and nitro powered radio controlled cars is seen when it comes to maintenance. Though the cost of battery packs can be high, their care and maintenance is relatively easy when compared to the work involved with changing air filters, tuning, fueling and attending to a variety of engine parts on a nitro powered car.
As mentioned earlier, electric radio controlled cars are not as powerful as their nitro powered cousins but, nonetheless, modern electric cars are still more than capable of holding their own on the racing circuit. Perhaps more importantly however for the beginner, they provide a quick and easy answer to getting up and running and to learning the ins and outs of model car racing, without the steep learning curve, and often frequent frustration for the newcomer, provided by the complex modern nitro engine.
Many beginners are tempted into buying a nitro powered car because, in addition to simply running and racing the car, they also want to build their own car and mistakenly believe that this is only possible if they purchase a nitro powered vehicle. This is not the case.
Both nitro and electric powered cars come in kit form with complete instructions so that you can build your car from scratch. Admittedly, electric car kits are less complex and an electric car is easier to build, but this is still not an easy undertaking for the beginner and is certainly a challenge.
At the end of the day the choice is of course yours but, as with many other hobbies, if you rush in and try and achieve too much too quickly you often meet a host of obstacles and frustration and end up walking away feeling that it was perhaps not all it was cracked up to be. Radio controlled car racing is an exciting and rewarding hobby, but it will take time to master, so choose the simple route in and enjoy the speed and fun of racing your electric car before moving on to the added thrill and excitement that comes from nitro power.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com
For more information on electric and nitro powered radio controlled cars and to pick up a free copy of our beginner’s guide please visit NitroRadioControlledCars.com today.
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