Bob Barnard Track Engineering

So now we get reports of practice and qualifying from Paul Ricard LMS, and guess what, the Autosport story is about the Aston! Apparently it was there yesterday, just had engine trouble and did not run. Not that it is setting the world alight when it ran, six seconds off the pace and down with the LMP2 cars. Now it is brand new, but compare their debut with the Honda HPD at Sebring. The AF Corse Ferrari carried on where it left off at Sebring by topping the GTE standings, GT2 to most of us. The Rebellion Lola Toyota was fastest for your information, but it is close among the four, yes four, LMP1 cars.

If you thought I was being pessimistic about ALMS yesterday you need to read two excellent articles on Last Turn Club,

http://lastturnclub.com

Qualifying in Jerez for MotoGP was predictable with Stoner in front of Pedrosa, but only just. Perdosa is not likely to last the distance at a pace to worry Stoner, but Lorenzo is lurking right there, and Spies has found something to be fourth, but crashed. Valentino's good run came to an end with a crash and he ended up twelth. How many more times can he afford to crash before he says enough? Young Bradl took the pole again for Moto2, but there are 40 machines on the grid and the top 28 are covered by 2 seconds, should be some race.

Let us all wish Nicolas Hamilton well in his race debut in the Clio Cup at Brands Hatch this weekend, with big brother flying in to watch. As most will know Nicolas has Cerebral Palsey so is an example to us all to never let adversity stop us from achieving our ambitions.

So Bob Varsha, "how do ya like them apples?" Kimi is confirmed for NASCAR trucks in Kyle Busch's team no less! No mention of the Gillette connection now. Nothing like starting in a top team with a good teacher. I think Kyle and Kimi will get on well. Even I might watch that.

To follow on my personal news I am in the process of forming of a unique motorsport service for would-be and existing track owners, team owners and car collectors. I have invited some of the world's best and most experienced individuals and companies to join with me to offer a one-stop ability to provide a complete range of services from feasibility through design and construction, operations and maintenance, vehicle preparation, storage and detailing, team management, school operations, food and beverage, ticketing and credentials, race series and race direction and event management. You name it I have the people, currently a total of thirty, all known to me personally and among the best, if not the best, in their field. Any or all will be available to collaborate on a project, conduct due diligence, inspect facilities and conduct operational and financial reviews.

Those of you who have followed my blog will know my views on the English Autosport weekly magazine as the best there is. It turned 60 this week, nearly as old as me, and celebrates with a whopping 330 page issue looking back on those 60 years, the cars, the drivers and the tracks. It is a keeper. Have not read it all yet of course, but a look through is enough to see the quality of what they have produced, so make sure you get a copy wherever you are.

The article on iconic tracks is interesting, and they did a great job on Adelaide, but then again I am biased. I'm sure Ron Walker from the Melbourne GP is getting ready to sue them over their comments that Melbourne has yet to reach the standard Adelaide set. It is interesting to see the other tracks from each decade. I would have got them wrong. 50's Pescara, 60's Suzuka, 70's Paul Ricard, 80's Adelaide, 90's Texas Motor Speedway!, and 00's Algarve. Of course the word "iconic" does not necessarily translate to the best, but there are some interesting omissions.

I forgot for instance that Suzuka was built in the sixties. You tend to think of it in terms of its' F1 life. What a track it must have been when built, quite unique, and still is. Paul Ricard is a good choice for the seventies, but Texas for the nineties? I am trying to think of its place in the development of the 1.5 mile tri-ovals of that period, and why that one is particularly special. Guess I will have to read that article. Then the noughties. I would have picked the Chinese F1 track for sheer extravagance, and the grandstand/pit complex is certainly iconic. But there you are, we each have our own opinions, and thank goodness for that.

Of course these are tracks built in those decades, so Spa, Monza or Monaco pre-date the magazine.

Talking of Spa, it is raining, imagine that. Spa is notorious for rain. It is one of those places where that old saying, "if you can't see the hills it's raining, if you can see the hills it is going to rain" is most apt. Makes for interesting races on an already amazing track. Hamilton is still confident there is more to come out of the McLaren, and he had better be right if he and Button are going to maintain a challenge for the Championship.  The real interest is still going to be the fight inside the Red Bull team, and the FIA's latest moves to beef up the testing of the front wings and floors. There are heavier test loads at Spa, and apparently even more stringent tests to come at Monza, especially on the floor. It will be interesting reading when someone finally explains how they did this.

In a previous issue of Autosport they had a half year review of how the F1 teams were doing, and of course the RB6 was the class of the field. Gary Anderson makes the point that it is just better everywhere, it is not just the exhaust blown diffuser or the front wing, it is the skill of Newey. I have a 90/10 rule that works for lots of things, and Gary uses it here. He believes Adrian understands 90% of what makes a car work, because no one can know 100%, where others only know 80%. So the 90/10 rule, you can calculate 90%, but the last 10% is instinct, experience, call it what you like.

Roll on tomorrow when we have F1 and MotoGP practice to get our teeth into. Can Valentino win at Indy, or does Yamaha want Lorenzo to be the new hero?