Archive for 2015
BTCC Memorable Drives: Groundhog Day at Oulton Park
Image taken from: insidebtcc.com
With the next round of the 2015 BTCC season at Oulton Park fast approaching, I thought I would take an alternative slant on proceedings. Instead of yet another Oulton Park preview post, of which you will find many, I thought it best to take a drive down memory lane. Today marks the glorious return of BTCC Memorable Drives, and I have chosen one of my favourite moments from the Super Touring era. What happens when you take Alain Menu in a blisteringly fast Renault and put him behind Paul Radisich in a not-so-fast Peugeot at Oulton Park?
The 1997 season of the BTCC was utterly dominated by Alain Menu in the Williams Renault. But the arrival of 1998 would not bring such returning fortune for the Swiss-ace. In a year dominated by cripplingly awful luck, Menu was not destined to win the title, despite often showing he had the fastest car on the grid. Nowhere else was this more apparent than at Oulton Park, where Menu had developed somewhat of a reputation in his years in the series.
After a rocky start to his 1998 campaign, Menu must have been relieved to arrive at Oulton Park, given his previous record. The sprint race confirmed his abilities once more with a resounding victory over Rickard Rydell in the Volvo. The feature race looked set to repeat his returning dominance as he shot off into the lead, and even managed to retain his advantage after the pit stop.
But the great touring car gods were not shining brightly for Menu on that day.
Cue Paul Radisich.
Image taken from: toplowridersites.com
The 1998 Peugeot was not the fastest machine to take to the track. What they did have on their side however was driving talent in the form of Tim Harvey and Paul Radisich. In the world of motorsport, sometimes defence can be just as profitable as offence. Paul Radisich was just about to prove that.
The charging Menu found himself behind Radisich as the theoretical race leader, but Radisich was still ahead of him on the road. The Peugeot team had told him to stay out as long as possible to get the point given to drivers who lead a lap of a race. Considering the entire BTCC community seemed to think that the Peugeot team were down on power and performance, Radisich put up a tremendous defensive effort against Menu. The frustration clearly got too much for Menu, who eventually shoved poor Paul Radisich out the way into Fosters, nearly losing the lead to Plato through Cascades.
After conceding defeat and having been swallowed up by the chasing pack, Radisich yielded and pitted at the end of the lap. Finally Menu had some clean air and a chance to drive away to his second win of the day.
Or so he thought.
A problem in the pits left Radisich stranded for what seemed like centuries, before finally being released. And I will give you three guesses who he exited the pits in front of. Oh yes, the Swiss ace once more had his view filled by his favourite Peugeot driver. As they flew down the Avenue into Cascades, Menu made his move again, leading to what may just be one of my favourite bits of commentary from Mr Charlie Cox,
“He must think he’s like Bill Murray in that movie groundhog day, every day’s the same! Every laps the same! Every time he comes around he has to pass Radisich! And he’s having to do it again! He’s passing Radisich… He’s more than passing Radisich he’s off!
In his eagerness to re-pass the Peugeot, Menu lost his usually unbreakable concentration and shot his Renault up the inside at the first opportunity he could find. Considering the field massing behind him, normally it is the most sensible thing to do to clear lapped traffic as soon as possible. But in his case, the phrase more haste less speed was applicable. He may have indeed thrown his car up the inside, but he did kind of forget to brake, shooting the car off wide onto the grass.
This uncharacteristically silly move from Alain Menu lost him not only the race lead, but ultimately a podium position as Anthony Reid would also pass him before the chequered flag.
But words can only do so much: for your viewing pleasure here is that incident for your aural pleasure:
Alain Menu is Bill Murray in Groundhog Day!
It just goes to show, motorsport is not just about overtaking. As Menu discovered to his detriment, sometimes a bit of thought and forward planning goes a very long way!
Let’s hope this weekend will be just as action packed!
Don’t forget, like, comment and share with your own favourite memories from Oulton Park and the BTCC!
Use #BTCCDrives or #BTCCOultonMemories to join the conversation!
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Keep Driving People!
Peace and Love!
Australia’s Least Wanted Drivers (In Car Parks, Anyway)
The following are the drivers we least want to see in carparks in our local shopping malls or similar. Give them all a great big raspberry!
#1 Able-Bodied Amanda
Amanda can be found parking in the disabled park, even though there is nothing the matter with her. She’s “only going in for a minute and nobody uses the disabled car park anyway”. Nobody, that is, except at least half a dozen people in any typical urban neighbourhood, who all fume at Amanda as she makes them take their wheelchairs from the other side of the carpark. One day, they will be rolling past as she gets back into her car and she will wish she could bury herself in a large hole.
A close relative of Able-Bodied Amanda is Childless Charlotte, who takes up the parents-of-small-children parks in a similar fashion.
Do not confuse Able-Bodied Amanda with the drivers who have disabilities that are less than visible and legitimately park in the disabled carpark.
#2 Jovial Joe
Jovial Joe is more likely to be found in the car parks of supermarkets in small towns. Joe knows everybody and loves to stop for a good old yarn. This sees him stopping his Toyota Hilux ute in the middle of the non-parking bits of the carpark (you can’t really call them roads but you know what I mean) and rolling down the window to have a long chat to Garrulous Gary. Alternatively, he will stand with the door of his ute open, taking up the car park beside him as well as the one his ute’s in while Chatty Charlie beside him does the same, thus taking up yet another car park. Small-town carparks are not huge.
Just be thankful you’re not waiting for Jovial Joe to move his ute away from the bowser at the petrol station while he’s in talking to the attendant.
#3 SUV Sarah
SUV Sarah is in the running for Super Mum Of The Year and wants everyone to know it. She drives a softroader SUV with all the bells and whistles (e.g. Audi Q7) to keep the kiddies safe. If she could put all those front and rear parking sensors to better use, her ownership of this large vehicle would not be a problem. As it is, she always seems to take up three spaces, or even five when the doors of the SUV are thrown open.
You could blame the designers of the carparks – some of them do seem to have been thinking of teeny tiny classic Minis or Fiat 500s when painting the lines designating the parking spaces.
#4 Squealing Simon
Squealing Simon is more of an urban nuisance and is often found on the upper floors of car parking buildings. Squealing Simon has seen too many movies involving shoot-outs or car chase scenes set in car parking buildings and is trying to emulate them. The end result is that you come up the ramp trying to find a park where you’re not likely to be collected by SUV Sarah, Wonky Wilma or Learner Larry (or if you are Wonky Wilma or Learner Larry trying to minimise your nuisance value), you will be suddenly confronted by screeching tyres and a revving engine attached to something that narrowly misses him.
#5 Learner Larry
Learner Larry is forgivable but still a nuisance. Learner Larry has the L-plates carefully in place and is learning how to park a car properly. Larry is very, very new at this and is terrified that he is going to hit the fancy new Mercedes behind him, so he goes v-e-e-e-r-y s-l-o-o-o-o-w-l-y. The long line of other drivers waiting for him to finish his manoeuvre only adds to his nerves and makes him take it even more slowly. Try not to honk your horn at him.
However irritating he is, Learner Larry is preferable to the closely related P-Plate Peter, who thinks he knows it all, forgets he’s not in Mum’s vehicle with all the sensors and cameras, and goes careening backwards into your bumper.
#6 Wonky Wilma
Wonky Wilma is not spatially gifted. She never gets the angle exactly right for getting into an angle park (don’t ask about what her parallel parking is like). At least seven times out of ten, she will not be in the right place in the parking space. She will be right up close to the white line, making it impossible for you to open your door without taking her paint off or she will be straddling the white line and hoping nobody else comes along. Sometimes, she’s in the space on a slight diagonal rather than straight, but at least that’s not going to be a problem for others in the car park… until it’s time for her to back out.
#7 Canine Carrie
Canine Carrie loves dogs. She owns several of them and takes them with her wherever she goes. She would take them into the supermarket with her on her frequent trips to buy dog sausage and other treats for her precious fur-kids. However, this is not permitted, so she leaves them in the car, with the window open so they don’t overheat, of course. As she leaves, the furry tribe breaks into a volley of barking caused by separation anxiety. When she is doing her shopping, further barking breaks out every time anyone walks within 10 metres of the car. Little noses with sharp little teeth will appear in the gap at the top of the window as her smallest dog (the one that has the Napoleon complex) tries to defend the vehicle with everything in his tiny little body. The car can be seen wobbling as the dogs rush to and fro for a better vantage spot for barking at passers-by. The dogs go berserk when Carrie comes back, increasing the amount of barking and wobbling.
The advantage of Canine Carrie is that her dogs provide you with entertainment while you wait for Learner Larry to finish manoeuvring.
#8 Trailer Trevor
Trailer Trevor is a hard-working contractor who just needs to pick up supplies from the hardware store or grab a few groceries for the wife on the way home from a job (might as well make use of the fact that the run to and from work all goes in the log book as a work trip even if you grab the shopping on the way). However, he’s got his trailer hitched to the Nissan Navara. He’d like to find a pair of parking spaces nose to nose that will let him park with the minimum of nuisance; he really would. However, such parks are not available, forcing him to take up a long line of parking spaces as he parks sideways.
Any additions to this list are most welcome. Or not welcome, as the case may be.
Safe and happy driving,
Megan (self-confessed Wonky Wilma)
Private Fleet Car Review: 2016 Hyundai Sonata Active.
Hyundai started with names, for some cars they went to numbering but the swing is back to names. The Sonata became the i45 and is back to Sonata. 
In the three model range, A Wheel Thing kicks of a back to back test with the entry level model, the Active.
Powersource.
Utterly uncomplicated: a 2.4L engine, with 231 Nm at 4000 rpm and 138 kW at 6000 revs. Transmission is a six speed auto. Fuel economy finished at 7.1L per 100 km after some 630 km. Hyundai quote an excessive 12.1L for urban, a more reasonable 6.3L for highway and 8.3L per 100 km on a combined cycle. Tank size is a not inconsiderable 70L.
The Suit.
The main design difference is at the front. In profile it’s almost identical, down to a chromed strip in the upper fenders, but by giving the Sonata a different headlight/grille/bumper treatment (plus some well integrated LED driving lights) and a mild work over of the tail lights, it’s enough to differentiate between the two. Rolling stock was 17 inch alloys, with 215/55 Nexen rubber. Dry weight is a decent 1500 kilograms.
The aforementioned profile also hints at an almost coupe’ look, with a sloping roof line, front and rear, running an angle from above the B pillar to terminate almost at the boot lid in one smooth curve. It’s a swoopy, aerodynamic look and is pleasingly well proportioned to the eye.
It’s a good size at 4855 mm long, with width and height 1865 and 1475 mm respectively. With a 2.8 metre wheelbase, it offers plenty of interior legroom as well. Coated in a pearlescent white didn’t hurt, either, making the Sonata look bigger.
On The Inside.
The inside is comfortable but, much like Goldilocks’ porridge, isn’t great nor is it terrible. It’s just right in an unspectacular sort of way. There’s cloth seating, good ergonomics, switchgear is clear to read and nicely laid out however it’s bland, dull, uninspiring. There’s two information screens; a monochrome one for the driver and a 4.3 inch main screen in its own housing in the upper console.
There’s nothing offensive about the cabin….but there is nothing that reaches out and catches the eye to say “Buy Me!!!” either. The seats have good but not great bolstering, the dash is functional but not overly impressive, the dash console is well laid out but dull to the eye….you get the picture. The steering wheel has a good feel and echoes the design of the grille.
In the centre console between passengers lies a button that activates a driving mode, with a choice of Normal, Sports or Eco. Effectively it changes the shift points of the auto; A Wheel thing left it in Normal.
There is, however, a couple of redeemers; the steering column is adjustable not just for rake (up and down), but, unusually, for reach (in and out) as well. With a reasonable amount of fore/aft adjustment for the driver’s seat, it does allow for almost any sized driver to create a comfortable position. Then there’s the blue backlighting for the buttons on the tiller, it’s classy, effective and not overpowering. Starting procedure is “old style” key operated.
There’s Euro style indicating, with a soft touch position for three to five flashes, before clicking through to the normal operating position. Auto headlights are standard, as well, 2 12 volt sockets in the front centre console and one for the rear, airbags for driver and passenger head and thorax, along with curtain airbags.
Cargo space in the rear is 462L with the seats up, naturally there’s plenty of bottle and cup holders distributed throughout the cabin. The sound system is of a decent quality, with a solid bass without booming and enough range to not have the ears struggling to pick up up notes.
On The Road.
Goldilocks strikes here as well; the engine delivers the goods but needs to be pressed to do so. Under light acceleration the engine sometimes feels as if it struggles, although the gearbox shifts smoothly enough. It’s the comparative dearth of torque and that 231 Newton metres comes in at 4000 revs, somewhat above the normal rev point under light acceleration, meaning the engine is working less efficiently to do the same work.
Under way, it’s the similar situation, just delivered differently, in that the revs are in play at around 2000 rpm and to extract anything in regards to overtaking, a bit of a heavy right slipper is called upon. A bit, that is. The computer is pretty savvy in that a more judicious use of the go pedal seems to be more effective than an outright slam dunk of the right foot. Sounds odd, but it works, in that a more leisurely approach seemed more effective.
The ride felt a touch soft and wallowy yet that was more down to the tyres than the Australianised suspension. That is well tuned with shockers and springs well matched to flatten the ride, absorb bumps, have the car flat and level and not pogo over certain irregular road sections.
Of concern, however, are the brakes. They’re ineffective without a decent shove on the pedal. There’s no response for the initial part of travel, soft for most of the first part of the upper travel and leave the car careering towards anything in front of it without the brakes worrying they’re really being called upon. There’s a distinctive lack of bite until the pedal has sunk over a third of the way down and no real feel of progression either.
Steering is responsive, driven by the engine rather than electrically assisted; it’s well balanced and weighted, with a turn setup of just 2.8 (rounded up) rotations from full lock to full lock. It does feel a touch light at lower speeds but feels as if it’s increasing in weight as speed increases.
The Wrap.
The 2016 Hyundai Sonata Active is the automotive equivalent of Goldilocks and her porridge, with that porridge in a plain white bowl… It’s not too hot, it’s not too cold….it’s just right, but unspectacularly so. It does the job without fuss and without any real appeal. The end economy result, however, was a pleasant surprise, coming in at under Hyundai’s quoted figure for combined driving. That urban figure, though…
Hyundai offers a new car buyer this warranty: five years with unlimited kilometres covered, plus you can take advantage of their 10 years worth of roadside assistance and Hyundai’s Lifetime Service Guarantee (see the website for T’s and C’s.) Should you buy an Elite or Premium, there’s three years of updates to the navigation system.
For details: http://www.hyundai.com.au/vehicles/sonata/specifications
The Car: 2016 Hyundai Sonata Active.
Engine: 2.4L gasoline direct injection.
Fuel: 91 RON.
Tank: 70L.
Economy (quoted): Urban, Highway, Combined L per 100 km, 12.1/6.3/8.3.
Dimensions: L x W x H (in mm) 4855 x 1865 x 1475.
Weight: 1500 kg (dry)
Wheel/Tyre: 215 x 55 x 17, alloy wheel with Nexen rubber.
Warranty: 5 years, unlimited km warranty.
Ancient Resurrection: The Masters Historic Festival at Brands Hatch
Image Credit: BrandsHatch.co.uk
“A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you.”
There are whispers in the dark. Mutterings of a nameless fear once thought long departed from this world. This is the deep breath before the storm. The serenity that dominates our modern world will be broken; shattered as the true power of the past unleashes its voracious fury. On this bank holiday, the Kentish countryside will explode in an illustrious majesty unmatched by anything from the modern world. This is the Masters Historic Festival at Brands Hatch. And Stopwatch as ever is here for all your hospitality needs and more!
This bank holiday weekend, prepare to relive the shining glory of the motorsport past as once again the Masters Historic Festival returns to Brands Hatch. And this year it is better than ever. If I asked you to name some of the great race series from the past, chances are that most of these will be racing this weekend. This is not just historic racing, this is a celebration and resurrection of our racing past in a weekend long festival that will stun, amaze and leave you wanting more.
Making their monstrous return to the undulating Kentish countryside is the FIA Masters Historic Formula One championship, proving exactly what F1 racing should be in all its rapturous, thunderous and almighty glory. No one is saying that the modern championship has a lot to learn from these beastly machines of old, but the vicious combination of speed, power and ungodly noise puts the aggravated bees of the modern day to shame. With machines from the 60s, 70s and 80s including Williams, Tyrell, Lotus and Arrows to name but a few, the golden age of Formula One racing will roar back into life in spectacular fashion.
These titanic time travellers would not be complete without a touring car renaissance, in the form of the Super Touring Championship. In a monster grid of nearly 30 cars, machines from arguably the greatest era of BTCC racing will come together to take on Brands Hatch. The Super Touring era truly defined what it was that makes tin top racing so special. In a time of excess and glamour, the BTCC attracted big manufacturers, big budgets and big names. The 90s may well be over, but the iconic machines remain, ready to reignite the meteoric fires of battle once again. From Nissan Primeras to Honda Accords to Ford Sierra Cosworths, this is not to be missed.
Photo taken from: supertcc.com
If that was not enough to whet your appetite, the FIA Masters Historic Sports Car championship will be pitting classic endurance cars against each other, bringing back the spirit of Le Mans from days gone by. Nothing quite beats the sight and sound of a Ford GT40 on the pit straight at Brands Hatch; truly electrifying. And on top of all that, various support series with classic sports, touring and single-seater machines make this a weekend of racing you do not want to miss.
The weekend is not just about the racing, a host of demonstrations and displays will transform Brands Hatch into the perfect Bank Holiday festival. Do not miss your chance to see classic F1 cars from the late 80s and 90s both on track and up close, while feasting your eyes on car displays including Aston Martin, Ferrari and Lancia among many others.
With such a biblically impressive weekend ahead, you deserve to enjoy the action in style. And there is no better place for that than Stopwatch Hospitality. For the small price of £45 per person, guests will be treated to an unrivalled behind the scenes hospitality experience, including multimedia access to live timing, twitter and video feed, complimentary tea and coffee, cash bar and a spectacular view of the circuit. But most importantly, word has reached our ears that BTCC legend John Cleland has agreed to give us a pit tour, sign autographs and take part in a Q&A session for guests. Cleland is celebrating a staggering 20 years since his most famous championship glory in the BTCC. Now that is not something you hear every day now is it?
On this glorious Bank Holiday weekend, its time to let loose the demons of the ancient world. This is the Masters Historic Festival at Brands Hatch. This is Stopwatch Hospitality.
See you there!
Race Day Tickets: £45 per person (Half Price for Ages 12 and under)
– Includes Circuit Entry and All-day Suite Access
Level 2, 9 Help Street