Last weekend I set a course for Silverstone from our HQ in Wales, a route that unfortunately took in the M5. Friday afternoon and M5 don’t go well together and this part of the route added an extra 40 minutes to my journey. The reason for embarking on this trip was Silverstone Auctions' second Porsche sale that was being held in The Wing at Silverstone in conjunction with the … [Read more...]
Anecdotes from a motoring journalist
Anecdotes from a motoring journalist – I have been fortunate enough to visit many interesting places, and to see and drive cars that would not ordinarily be possible in other occupations. Not only has this been a great pleasure and a privilege for me, but having been born and grown up in distant South Africa, I have witnessed the world of motoring and motorsport in the … [Read more...]
Unrest in the GTE-AM camp
As the 2016 WEC season enters its second half, there would appear to be some unrest in the GTE-AM camp. On the surface this restlessness may seem questionable, after all, the GTE-PRO class is healthy which should guarantee a good crop of cars in the GTE-AM class in 2017. This year’s Le Mans 24-Hour race saw the highest number of entrants in the PRO class we have seen for years, … [Read more...]
WEC Round 5 Mexico
Welcome to the land of hot chillies, cacti, sombreros and of course…, Speedy Gonzales. Endurance racing hasn’t taken place in Mexico on a World Championship platform for twenty-five years. The last Group C races here were won by Jean-Louis Schlesser/Jochen Mass in 1989 (Sauber Mercedes), Jochen Mass/Michael Schumacher in 1990 (Sauber Mercedes), and Keke Rosberg/Yannick Dalmas … [Read more...]
Virtual Motorpix’ Top 10 racers
Four weeks ago we enjoyed the 2016 Silverstone Classic and once again, there were in the order of 1000 race cars competing across a wide spectrum of classes and eras. We have attempted to select just ten racers from amongst this awesome field, and called them the ‘VMP Top 10 racers.’ These were selected for reasons that they reminded us of a golden era of motorsport, or for … [Read more...]
Ferrari 512 S/M – book launch
I received my author’s advance copies of the Ferrari 512 book a little more than a week ago. And I must say that I am very pleased with the finished product. It has been a real pleasure doing this book, because once again I have had the privilege of meeting up with some great people who were directly associated with the cars in period. Also, in addition to that list of names … [Read more...]
Crossing the channel
One of the things about attending the Le Mans 24-Hour race in June, is that you have to start planning ahead for the next year almost straight after the race is finished, and crossing the channel is obviously a big part of that planning. Thankfully, the folk at Brittany Ferries are geared for this because their business is based around advance bookings for holidays … [Read more...]
Silverstone Classic 2016
The Silverstone Classic is the biggest historic motor racing spectacle in the world! From 29-31 July, Silverstone in Northamptonshire will see more than 1000 race cars covering seventeen classes from across the decades descend on the circuit. The event celebrated its jubilee last year when more than 100,000 visitors spilled into the circuit over the weekend to enjoy the racing … [Read more...]
6 HOURS OF NÜRBURGRING
The fourth round of the 2016 WEC series kicks off this weekend with the 6 Hours of Nürburgring, boasting a full field of 33 cars. Set in the beautiful Eifel Mountains, the Nürburgring is both daunting and heroic, demanding precision and concentration from the drivers. Thursday saw torrential showers, and more is forecast for today (Friday). This year, the teams have had a … [Read more...]
MacG Racing
Those of you who read our blogs will know that, in WEC racing, we follow some of the most exciting and technically advanced racing cars in the world. Some say that they are at the pinnacle of motor sport and not that ‘other’ series that makes the headlines. However, today we find ourselves in very different circumstances where technology precludes all but the … [Read more...]
Le Mans Classic
It could only happen in France! The Le Mans Classic 2016 (8 – 10 July 2016) brings to life the cars that raced in the Le Mans 24-Hour race between the years 1923 and 1981, that’s 58 years worth of the finest race cars that ever competed in this great race over the years, all racing during one 24-hour period. The Le Mans Classic was created by the Automobile Club de … [Read more...]
Le Mans rollercoaster
Now imagine yourself in a rollercoaster at your local fair with its multiple ups and downs, and even upside down loops. In a similar way, the 24-Hour race this last weekend was a bit like a Le Mans rollercoaster ride, one minute Porsche was up, then it was Toyota, and even the cars within the same team swapped positions regularly. In the end though, it was Porsche who … [Read more...]
Final hours of Le Mans 24H 2016
In the final hours of Le Mans 24H 2016 and after twenty hours of nose-to-tail racing, the no.2 Porsche is 40 seconds behind the lead Toyota and just 24 seconds behind the second placed Toyota. From early on in the race, Toyota took the fight to Porsche and it was a three-way tussle throughout the night, with the lead swapping between them in sync with the pit stops. If truth be … [Read more...]
Le Mans race week has begun
The Le Mans race week has begun and if one had to summarise it in a single word, you might say that it has been 'changeable.' From as early as scrutineering on Sunday 12 June through to the first Free Practice (FP1), it has rained one minute and been muggy and steamy hot the next. If you have been fortunate enough to be counted amongst the band of photographers covering this … [Read more...]
Le Mans expectations
It doesn’t seem more than five minutes since we here last year for the test weekend, but looking back, so much has happened since then. So what are my Le Mans expectations this year? LMP1 is much closer with a big question hanging over reliability and the real, albeit remote, prospect of an LMP1 privateer team being on the top three podium on Sunday afternoon. Le Mans … [Read more...]