There are now reports surfacing out of the Czech Republic that home automaker Skoda will now develop a 1.6T engine and continue development on the Fabia S2000 chassis. While the details are a little thin at the moment, it would appear that the WRC will have at least the four manufacturers it was hoping for. There is currently no news on whether this will be a supply to privateers or a factory effort, but the Czech team has shown itself very well in the IRC at the factory level. From…
Read MoreTag: Rally
Rally – Jordan Gets Dirty
The dust was not the only thing that made things rather dirty on day 3 of Rally Jordan. There was tactics a plenty and some rather questionable moves by a few select individuals that would make the result a little sketchy. After the misfortune suffered by Mikko Hirvonen on day 2, Sebastian Loeb merely just needed to finish the event in order to collect a hefty points lead heading into Turkey. The Frenchman did just that by taking his 56th career victory over the factory Ford number 2 of Jari-Matti…
Read MoreRally – Misfortune for Hirvonen and Ogier
Mikko Hirvonen wrecked his Ford Focus this morning in the opening stage of the morning. The Finn who had set himself for a better road position yesterday, ended up playing a version of rally car pinball. The Ford driver who looked invincible in Sweden and Monte is clearly going to have his confidence rattled after this crash. Not only was the Ford way off the pace in Mexico, but now the hopes and dreams of the blue oval racers rests on a surprisingly good Jari-Matti Latvala. The clear number two…
Read MoreEpisode 32 – Open Paddock Podcast
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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadJoin the crew as we celebrate OP’s 1 year celebration that we almost forgot. We also break down Australia and St. Pete. We also break the hot news of the week and look ahead to Rally Jordan and the Malaysian Grand Prix. Sit back with one of your favorite adult beverages (or coffee if on your way to your job) and enjoy Episode 32.
Read MoreRally – Lancia 037 Group B…Enjoy!
Rally – 2010 WRC iPhone App
The WRC has taken a technological leap forward with delivering their product to fans all over the world. The premier rally series has released an iPhone app that is simply BRILLIANT! Unlike a number of racing apps out there for say F1 and ALMS, this WRC app has the ability to dial into the WRC radio station so as individuals on the move can tune into the rally via there mobile. That in itself makes the app worth the price. How much you ask? Oh thats right…its FREE! Along with…
Read MoreRally – Manufacturer Supply and Demand Issues
2011 will see both Ford and Citroen drop their current WRC cars in favor of the new technical regulations that allow for only S2000 chassis and 1.6 litre turbo engines. That has presented an interesting issue. Both Citroen and M-Sport are at capacity building the DS3 and Ford Fiesta WRC respectably. Because of the manufacturers efforts in developing, testing, and building these machines in time for next season, there is currently no way to produce a C4 or Focus in case of emergency this season. This can be a REAL…
Read MoreRally – Skoda Dominates Argentina
The third round of the IRC championship was held this weekend in the beautiful settings of Argentina. The stages that usually play host to the WRC would be ran with names like Meeke, Hanninen, and al-Attiyah and cars like Peugeot and Skoda. All eyes would be on Kris Meeke after a dominant win in Brazil a couple weeks ago, but it was not to be for the British star. Skoda, who has put together a very formidable effort would take a dominating 1-2-3 in the event and further strengthen their…
Read MoreRally – Fiesta to Test Current Focus Motor
With the World Motor Sport Council agreeing to run the S2000 chassis with a 1.6 litre turbo engine, Ford has decided to take a head start on the issue of development. The Fiesta S2000 will be fitted with the current 2.0 litre turbo charged engine used in the Ford Focus WRC. This is a tactic that has been used by Citroen in the development of the DS3 using the C4’s engine. Ford hopes that by using the chassis and engine package, they will be able to gauge how the car…
Read MoreEpisode 30 – Open Paddock Podcast
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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadJoin Mike and myself this week as we recap Bahrain and the IndyCar season opener from Sao Paulo Brazil. Interesting topics will also include Virgin F1’s CFD claim, Ferrari’s impressive display, and why the media is all over Schumacher after Nico Rosberg outpaced him for one race. Mario Moraes riding shotgun with Marco Andretti through the first corner, Ryan Hunter Reay’s awesome performance as well as Fantasy IndyCar results for the Openpaddock.net team. Sit back with a leftover pint of your Irish favorite and…
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