Bob Barnard Track Engineering

I crave your indulgence in today's blog as yesterday was my 65th birthday, so my lovely wife Xan and I played hooky and went on an exploration of Arizona. Now don't think that turning 65 means a pipe and slippers and retirement for me. I see it as just a date, and a time to look forward to life's next challenges rather than a time to reflect. As Winston Churchill said after the battle of El Alamein, "This is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning."

So we took the trusty Honda Accord to drive the Apache Trail. This was constructed in the early 1900's as the access to the Roosevelt Dam built on the Salt River, and for 22 miles of it not much has changed. Still it was a scenic drive at a time when automobiles were in their infancy, so how bad can it be? Then President Roosevelt likened the scenery as better than the Alps and a lot of other places combined. It is certainly an incredible landscape, but I think you have to appreciate the desert to compare it to the Alps. Anyway, as an engineering feat it is incredible, especially the climb to Fish Creek Hill which literally crawls up the side of a cliff. Only 10% grade, but made for horse and cart so it must have been a challenge. Today it is only just over one lane wide. It was a good job we did not meet the UPS van here, and yes we saw one later!

Check it out at:

http://phoenix.about.com/od/daytrips/ss/apachetrail.htm

The drive links the three dams and lakes now on the Salt, but the most impressive is the Roosevelt Dam. Work started on September 20th 1906, that's right, 105 years to the day and forty years before I was born. What a coincidence. Originally built as a rock gravity dam it has been heightened by 77 feet and turned into a concrete dam, but the original predates the Hoover by probably thirty years in which technology grew considerably. So, after a leisurely picnic and good bottle of red by the lake we wandered home via Globe and the huge copper/gold mines, one of which is owned by our old friends from Oz, BHP.

On another Indian theme, the one in Asia that is, the Spanish newspaper Marca has photos of "progress" on the F1 circuit:

http://www.marca.com/2011/09/20/motor/formula1/1316529187.html

It is not pretty viewing, especially given Charlie's recent ringing endorsement.

Anyway, returning to my birthday. I had many emails from friends all over the world which touched me deeply. I seem to have had a positive impact on many lives, which outshines any other achievements I may have had. Thank you all.

There are a couple of items today about the plight of promoters. This has gone on since my day and the series promoters neither know no care, promoters are like buses, there will be another one along soon. In the case of MotoGP probably in Spain and the US. Damon Hill, former Chairman of the BRDC and therefore of Silverstone raises the issue, as well he might. They have been one of the very few to make a quid out of a GP, but Bernie's demands for improvements have beaten that. As Chris Pook told me a long time ago, "If Bernie thinks you are making money he will put the price up." Not the best business model one would think.

I have long compared F1 to NASCAR, and Joe Saward has a nice piece on the cost and rewards of being a track owner in each series, but of course it helps in NASCAR if you own most of the tracks when you cut them some slack.

http://joesaward.wordpress.com/

It now turns out that Bahrain had already paid Bernie for this year's race, and no they did not want it back thank you. Very magnanimous of them I'm sure. Why would they do that do you think? I wonder if they have paid for next year's race?

It now seems that the British Parliament is not to investigate the BBC/Sky deal after all. Good news you would think, but Pit Pass who broke this are running a poll on who is likely to buy a Sky subscription, and so far 90% say they won't. Not such good news. 

More news on Bradley Smith who turned down a move to MotoGP next year. Tech 3 have agreed to run him in Moto2 next year and then MotoGP in 2013. A sweet deal for Bradley and the English hopes of another World Champion at last? Reports that Stoner could wrap up his title at Phillip Island, that will be sweet!

It struck me after posting yesterday's blog that "Unlimited Racing Championship" is actually a very odd name for a spec racing series. By it's very nature it is "limited" to what they give you. So who are they trying to fool?

Casey Stoner wasn't limited by anything in Spain, winning the MotoGP race at Aragon from team mate Pedrosa with Lorenzo keeping his title hopes faintly alive in third. Dovizioso is doing his chances for next year no good at all, crashing again early in the race. Capirossi dislocated his shoulder in a crash, time to hang the helmet up? Rossi finished an unhappy 10th. This can't all be the bike, his team mate and a privateer beat him again. The Moto2 race was a five way battle with Marquez finally breaking away while points leader Bradl slipped to 8th. His once seemingly unassailable lead is now down to 6 points.

In Motegi Dario Franchiti continued his bad run with a uncharacteristic move that resulted in a blocked track, damage to his car and a penalty. Team mate Dixon won the race from Will Power who takes over the lead in the Championship, but it is still anybody's title between Power and Franchiti.

At Laguna non-points scoring cars won the race and the GT Class. Last year's Aston driven by Fernandes returned to the ALMS as this year's car is worse than a dog, and won from Chris Dyson and Guy Smith after their sister car obeyed team orders and sat in the pits long enough for the Dyson car to pass them at the death. Just why the team sent Steven Kane out to chase down everyone in that last hour I don't know, it was pretty obvious to me that he should have just driven around at a pace not to trouble the number one car. That would have been a lot less obvious and insulting to the crowd, what there was of it. The hybrid Porsche 911 carried on from where it left off last time we saw it and put in a stellar performance. Should be fun to watch at the Petit. Now I am not a great fan of KERS, but the engineering in this car shows how it should be done. Risi had a "dry run" for a repeat performance of running out of fuel on the last lap as they did last year at the Petit, throwing away a race win for eligible cars to the Porsche of the Flying Lizards. As usual the GTs put on the best show.

I have no idea what happened with Grand Am at Mid Ohio as no one seems bothered to report on it, and I did not watch it.

Sunday's FR3.5 race was another thriller with American Alexander Rossi beating home Daniel Ricciardo with Vergne third. Canadian Championship leader and team mate of Vergne, Robert Wickens, had a bad day and the title now goes down to the last race with Wickens just two points clear of Vergne. As part of the show Grosjean and Prosts Senior and Junior drove F1 cars at this previous F1 circuit. A prelude to France having a GP back?

As predicted by Murphy The Bear ALMS CEO Scott Atherton announced at Laguna yesterday a new series to support the ALMS, and it needs a lot of support. Not sure who is supporting who here as it is a remake of Can-Am with spec racers. If it is half as good as the original it will blow the current ALMS away. Car "owners" will get two 30 minute races at each ALMS event, for only $485,000 a season. No mention of how many cars will be available, but more important will be the number of gentlemen racers with $485,000 to spend a year.

Not that I think this is a bad idea, could be a good way of reviving sports car racing, if it gets any TV coverage, which even ALMS doesn't. But spec racing is not what Can-Am was about, no-rules was the original idea with innovation being the key to its success. Personally a GT series is where I would go, but I'm sure there are plenty who would disagree.

In Spain the lights and A/C were back on and so was Stoner who ran away with pole, despite laying the main bike down. He then went out on the spare and went quicker! Pedrosa is second with Spies recovering from whatever ailed him or his machine yesterday to complete the front row. Lorenzo is next but not confident for the race, while Rossi is playing with his aluminium frame which necessitates different engine bolt up points, so he has exceeded his six engines despite having two unused of the original. Not doing him any good though. Nicky Hayden and rookie privateer Karel Abraham qualifying ahead of him on their Ducatis.

The Dyson team have taken the two top spots for the Laguna ALMS race later today, with the works Aston Martin and the Muscle Milk sister car on the next row, but not by much. A whole four LMP1 cars, this should be exciting, roll on Petit. BMW are on pole in the GT class, but as usual the gap from second to ninth is less than a second, so this is where the fun will be.

In Paul Ricard the FR3.5 continues to put on a show with Vergne winning the first race and Wickens third, so Vergne is still in with a shot at the Championship. Further back Ricciardo and Rossi, Alexander that is, had a good fight with Ricciardo ending up in front but being penalised post race for putting four wheels over the track edge. He must have been watching the Monza race last week, but of course he was there!

On the cover of Autosport a few weeks ago there was a piece about Kimi coming back to F1. I looked to see if it was the April 1st issue just late, but no. Now Joe Saward reports Kimi as having been to see Williams, as has Sutil. Now I would love to see Kimi back in an F1 car, and Williams will have a Renault engine next year and a new design team, but somehow can't see he wants to put up with the BS and the travel again. He declined to fly to the Australian WRC Round, so how is he going to put up with the F1 schedule? Peugeot in the odd WEC race seems much more likely, but I have been wrong before.

No not Will Power who is in Motegi with the rest of the Indycar gang, enjoying the road circuit as the "ring" was damaged in the quake. They were treated to a 6.2 aftershock, but that was tame compared to one that did the damage. And oh yes, Power was quickest in first practice.

Not horsepower either, as the teams could not use it at Aragon thanks to the electrical kind being out, so the practice for MotoGP was delayed and then cancelled for the day. Perdrosa was fastest in the morning with Lorenzo and Stoner next. Rossi is trying some aluminium sections of chassis on his Ducati, but it has not helped, yet, he is still 8th, 1.5 seconds off the pace. Ben Spies was way down in 11th.

A lot of racing this weekend. ALMS at Laguna, Grand Am at Mid Ohio, Indycar in Japan and MotoGP in Spain if they can find some generators. Let's hope there is more to write about tomorrow.