Roma, 07 Februari 2010 – Pabrikan supercar asal Itali, Lambhorgini, memulai gebrakannya. Pabrikan berlambang kepala banteng ini berencana meluncurkan mobil super cepat Lamborghini Jota pada akhir tahun ini atau paling telat awal 2011 mendatang.
Model terbaru itu disebut-sebut bakal menggantikan Lamborghini Murcielago yang dirilis pabrikan ini pada 2001 lalu. Meski kapasitas mesin Jota lebih kecil ketimbang Murcielago, tenaga yang disemburkan jauh di atas Murcielago.
Jota dibekali mesin 6.000 cc V12 dan diklaim mampu menyemburkan tenaga hingga 700 daya kuda. Sehingga tak heran bila akselerasi dari 0 – 100 kilometer per jam dicapai dalam tempo tiga detik. “Bahkan, kecepatan itu lebih cepat dari Anda saat menyebut kata Jota,” sebut autoevolution.
Sementara mesin Murcielago 6.192 cc V12. Namun tenaga yang dihasilkan 571 daya kuda pada 7.500 rpm. Akselerasi kecepatan dari 0 – 100 kilometer perjam dicapai dalam waktu 4 detik.
Perbedaan lainnya, Jota diklaim lebih ringan dibanding Murcielago yang memiliki bobot 1,65 ton. Murcielago mampu melesat hingga 330 kilometer per jam, sedangkan Jota diklaim mampu mencapai kecepatan 350 kilometer per jam.
Menurtut sumber di Lamborghini, kini pabrikan itu telah memproduksi dua unit Jota. Namun sayang belum ada informasi yang menyebut ihwal harga. Sekadar catatan, Murcielago dibanderol 165 poundsterling atau sekitar Rp 2,6 miliar.
Post Office Car Insurance Reveals Cheapest Petrol Prices for European Driving Holidays
The Post Office advises UK holidaymakers to check their car insurance policy for adequate cover before taking their car abroad.
London, UK (PRWeb UK) 7 February 2010 — Driving whilst abroad may be cheaper for UK holidaymakers this year after Post Office Car Insurance’s ‘Motoring on the Continent’ report showed petrol prices in Europe have fallen in comparison to previous years .
The Post Office Car Insurance (http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1?catId=19300223&mediaId=19300227) report found that 2009 petrol prices had fallen in nine of the top 10 European countries listed for cheap fuel prices. Countries such as Sweden saw a price fall of 13p per litre of petrol compared to 2008 figures .
Prospective alpine travellers may be pleased to hear that Switzerland and Austria are amongst the cheapest European countries for buying petrol. One litre of petrol costs 91p in Switzerland and 92p in Austria.
Lower petrol prices may encourage UK drivers to opt for a driving holiday during 2010. Post Office Car Insurance is therefore advising holidaymakers who are planning to take their cars abroad to check they are adequately covered to do so by their car insurance policy, as some standard car insurance policies do not offer car insurance cover for driving in European countries.
By ensuring they have the correct car insurance cover in preparation for their holiday abroad, UK drivers will be able to capitalise on the cheaper fuel costs in Europe, safe in the knowledge every mile they drive abroad is covered by their car insurance policy.
The Post Office’s standard car insurance offers full car insurance cover for trips up to 60 days in Europe.
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Contact Information
The Post Office Press Office http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1?catId=19300223&mediaId=19300227
02079279999
I am just over halfway through my week of nights. In some ways it has been good preparation, with little or no sleep. I have managed only three sessions so far this week; two road training sessions and Wednesday night’s track racing (albeit shortened as I had to get to work). I’m guessing that I’m not going to make my goals for this week, which is disappointing but not really a disaster in the larger scale of things.
Both road rides were good training sessions. I went into town and hit a few hills on Wednesday, then backed up for the scratch races at the velodrome Wednesday night. I won both races, which sounds good, but I’m probably racing in a grade too low for my current fitness. When I started back on the track in December, there was no doubt that I was a C grade rider, but the ensuing 1000km has bumped me up a grade. Still, as far as interval sessions go they are great. I maxed out the hr at 192bpm, so I’m earning my place.
What time I’ve had awake at home I’ve spent in the garage trying to restore the 29er to its pre-mud glory, and also putting the finishing touches on The Unknown Rider’s new bike. Check out what he has to say about it (and other things).
I also saw that entries for the Solo 24 Nationals opened recently, so I have put my money where my mouth (keyboard?) is and have paid up.
Expect more from me when I finish these nights and can get back to meaningful training and intelligent blogging.
I’ve rightfully been called out for leaving you hanging with an actual race recap from the weekend. I must admit it was intentional – I got a little carried away with the sentimental stuff and didn’t want to make the post too long – but waiting all the way until Thursday was a complete lazy move on my part.
However, it all works out, as race pictures were posted today! Hooray for voluntary humiliation! (For the record, all of these photos are owned by Action Sports Images. Please, photo police, don’t come after me!)
So this is me putting on my Wayne’s World hat and time-traveling back to Sunday morning. Doodoodoodoo….doodoodoodoo….doodoodoodoo….
On Saturday evening, I began to prepare for the next morning. Once I emptied the race packet, however, I didn’t get very far. There was no indication ANYWHERE in the race packet of the starting times. I had an idea of when it started, but I am very paranoid and prefer to confirm these kinds of things multiple times before setting my alarm clock.
I had to visit THREE different race-affiliated websites before I could confirm the starting time. Not pleased, race organizers!
Other instructons missing from the race packet were what to do with gear. While the race itself is in a series of climate-controlled underground tunnels, the outside temperature was still going to be around 20 degrees on Sunday morning. And it was no short walk from parking to the cave entrance. Were we supposed to brave the freezing temps in shorts, or just trust the general population with our stuff?
It turns out that the latter was correct. I know that runners as a whole are a pretty trustworthy bunch, but I would think that an event of this size (3500 runners) in January weather conditions would at least address the gear check issue.
Once I got into the complex and found a place that wasn’t already littered with other people’s piles of gear, I began to enjoy the experience much more. It’s a pretty unique event, so there was a lot for me to take in as a newbie. The noise was ridiculous – with that many runners in a completely enclosed space, the sound just echoed everywhere. I wasn’t at all surprised to see many, many 5K runners miss the start of their race because it was so tough to distinguish announcements from the rest of the noise.
I hung around the start/finish area in order to see the 5K winners. Kansas City’s local female phenom finished 9th overall in 17:23. She’s 31. I’m jealous.
Eventually, it was my turn to run. Keep in mind that I’d run long the day before, so I had no idea what to expect from my legs. I lined up just in front of the 8:00 pace sign, figuring I’d just hang on to the pack for as long as I could. Before I knew it, we were off. Talk about a claustrophobic start!
With no knowledge of the course or really any distinctive landmarks in the series of tunnels, I was a pretty poor judge of distance. When I thought the first mile mark must be coming soon, I looked down at my watch to see it read 5:37. YEAH RIGHT. I hit the real mile mark at 7:42, was content with that pace, and settled in.
The next three miles went smoothly. 7:50, 7:51, 7:55. At four miles, I was well into the second loop. That’s when I started to notice things.
It was dark.It smelled funny. My ankle hurt. I wanted to pee my pants. During this time I had to remind myself that this was exactly why I signed up for this race. I need to get accustomed to trying to maintain a pace when I just don’t wanna.
Mile 5 was another 7:55. During the 6th mile, knowing the finish was just around one of many, many corners, I started to race the people around me. I really felt like we were trucking along. The last 1.2 miles were in 9:16, which is really just under 7:45 pace. It’s pretty frustrating to work so hard just to maintain pace, but that’s reality at the end of a race.
I’m pleased to report that yellow-shirt-guy did NOT pass me. And I’m THRILLED that the finish line photographer, while not so keen at catching my face in its most favorable light, really captured a shot that I’m proud of. I like to call this one, RAAAAGHGHGHHHHHHHHH!!
My official finish time was 48:26. My initial goal was to finish under 50:00, so I was quite pleased. I didn’t come anywhere close to placing in my age group – I was 11th – but I was content with that outcome as well (and not just because I have a weird infatuation with the number 11.) I’m not super-fast right now, but I’m able to go out and run a pace that for me is both challenging and satisfying.
And that 13-years-younger version of myself might have weighed 20 pounds less than the current version, but I’m willing to bet she had pretty wimpy quad muscles.
Veronique Billat.
Now there’s a nice French name. A movie star perhaps? Government minister? Nope, she’s an exercise physiologist at the university of Lille. She’s been applying her treadmill and exhaled-gas analyser to the study of vVO2max. There’s a more detailed explanation of her work here, but basically vVO2max is how fast you need to run to maximize your oxygen consumption for conditioning purposes. Every coach knows that the way to spend maximum time at VO2max before exhaustion sets in is to do intervals.But what intervals, and how fast? Mme. Billat has come to the conclusion that equal intervals are best, 3 minutes on, 3 off repeated 5 times. The “off” periods are done at a recovery jog.
Recently Mme. Billat has been working on shorter intervals, which are are nearly as good for most runners, and better for some. 60 seconds on, 60 off or even 30-30 seconds. There is no fixed count for these. You simply continue to failure, in the manner of pushups.
The answer to “How fast?” is simply the fastest speed you can hold for 6 minutes. I found this test difficult to do solo, but McMillan’s predictor says I should be able to run a mile in 5:51. I’m sure I can’t do that yet so I picked a time that seemed do-able to start: 6:20.
The 30-30 workout suits me pretty well. The bouts are short enough that I can say “just one more” 4 or 5 times before I really have to stop and commence serious air sucking. I’m now up to 22 of them, and averaged 6:13 pace on the latest set this morning. When I can do 20 of these sub-6:00 I should graduate to the 60-60s. This is only my third week of doing these, and the improvement is noticeable. That means I’m a little soft in the speed department of course, but these workouts are working better for me than anything else I’ve tried.
This Sunday’s Kaiser Half will test that assertion. I ran this course in 1:37:49 last year, which was a PR at that time. No predictions this time since this race is notorious for nasty weather, but if conditions are good I’ll set out at around 7:00 pace and see what develops.
The Race Red 2011 Mustang GT will be the pace car for the Daytona 500 this Feb. 14. In 1970 the Ford Torino GT convertible paced the 500. Ford cranked the Mustang GT up to 412- horsepower this year. To commemorate the Daytona 500, Ford will build fifty special pace car editions of the 2011 Mustang GT. The actual Race Red Mustang was auctioned at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Collector Car Auction last week. The GT sold for $330,000. The balance after MSRP will be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Richard Petty, now a member of the Ford Racing Family, handed the keys to the buyer. Petty sold his 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 sold for $400,000, all proceeds go to the Petty’s family Victory Junction Gang Camp.
The Race Red Mustangs will be glass roof coupes, with a sweet Daytona 500 paint job.
Ford racing suspension, strut tower brace and mufflers, special cabin features, and painted wheels. Oh, and 25mpg! The GT’s heart is an all-new 5.0 liter V-8 that pumps out 412 horsepower. They’ve added Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS). Stopping the Pony are 11.5-inch and front and 11.8-inch rear vented discs. The suspension is beefed up with improved rear lower control arm, and stiffened rear stabilizer bushings. If you’re a real diehard pony hugger, a Brembo brake package, is available with larger rotors and calipers from Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang. They’re mated with unique 19-inch wheels and summer performance sneakers. Add the new fender badges that brag the return of the mighty 5.0 liter.
On Dec. 18, Ford named Jamie Allison the new Director of Ford North America Motorsports. “Everybody loves the Mustang,” explained Allison. “That was evident last year from the fan reaction when we announced it was going to be our new model in the NASCAR Nationwide Series starting later this year. This is just another way to showcase a true American icon in its most natural environment. But, hey, you know how the car business is right now, so Ford is only in three divisions racing: NASCAR, NHRA and World Rally, with Focus and Fiestas.” Ford also does Grand Am, which are closer to street muscle cars.
Allison is looking for some checkered flags from AJ Allmendinger, and Greg Biffle.
Detroit is less fond of NASCAR lately. They are putting all their technology into green cars. As for racing’s 70 million fans, they want NASCAR, almost half of all car buyers are racing fans according to NASCAR data. Although Chevy trounced Ford on the track last year, Ford certainly could do better with more than one team. There were complaints about coming off the corners, Biffle will be the man to go to, for some answers.
Petty-Gillett and crew chief Kenny Francis are in the garage with them now. Although Petty and George Gillett are not always stable partners, and their technicians have all scattered. They have the knowledge, they have been there. They are winners.
The FR9 engine is still in the works, Allison is looking at May to swap over. He would like the FR9 as soon as possible, but with 13 teams at Daytona, parts would be hard to get, to keep 13 teams running.
Roush’s teams have been close, in the top 3 in each of the last 10 years.
Maybe the new ride will give them the edge. Maybe 13 new rides will do it! My money is on Martin.
Race Car Driver… as a kid, that’s all I ever wanted to be. It was my childhood dream. Growing up watching Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and other great drivers, they inspired me. There was nothing I wanted more than to climb into a stock car and hear that engine roar. That fire inside me never subsided, and today it burns even hotter.
This quest to “live my dream” of being a race car driver rekindled the fire inside me after the death of my mother, Peggy Poole, on January 6th, 2003. Mom died suddenly from a heart attack, which devastated our family and left my father alone and suffering from Parkinson’s Disease. My mother was the rock solid foundation of our family, and as I walked away from her funeral, my only desire was to honor her memory in some way. I had a new goal. I was going to become a race car driver and I was going to win. As a kid, I always told Mom “I want to be a race car driver”.
Then on May 5th, 2005, my world was again shattered when one of my dearest friends, Tonya Schultz, was brutally murdered by her husband, in front of their two young children. Yet another tragedy only fueled the desire to make this racing dream come true.
But without a golden resume and a long list of racing accomplishments to my credit, the word “NO” has been a very popular word during my pursuit of the dream. But it hasn’t stopped the desire and the drive. All I needed was “my shot” at the dream, one chance to show what I can do behind the wheel. Carl Edwards handed out business cards that said “If you’re looking for a driver, you’re looking for me”, and look where he is today. He got a shot, and he made the most of it. I have attended racing school at several tracks, and did well, but turning laps at racing school just did not feed the burning desire to race, and win. Bottom line, you will NOT find anyone else with the same desire to win that I have. My hero, 2-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart, said it best… “I’m just a simple boy from Indiana, I don’t want to be a legend or an icon or anything. I just want to be a race car driver, pure and simple” I feel the same way… I’m just a simple boy from Maryland, I don’t want to be a legend or an icon or anything. I just want to be a race car driver, pure and simple.
On Saturday, February 3rd, 2007, I had my first test in a Craftsman Truck at Hickory Motor Speedway in Hickory, NC. The “Birthplace of The NASCAR Stars” could not have been a more appropriate setting for my first test, Hickory is rich in racing history. Drivers such as Junior Johnson, Ned Jarrett, Ralph Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt, and many more “cut their racing teeth” at Hickory Motor Speedway. As I stood there looking at the start-finish line, I could envision all those great drivers crossing that line in years past. It was a moving experience just walking into that speedway. Plain and simple, I rocked the house. I was consistent, my lines were perfect, and my speeds improved steadily as the day progressed.
It was a childhood dream come true just being in that truck for a test session. After several more tests in both the Late Model and the Street Stock car, it was time for my first race. On July 21, 2007, I ran my very first race at the famed Hickory Motor Speedway in the Street Stock Division. I qualified 10th for my first race, and at the end of the day I was 12th in the results. My dream had come true, and somewhere up there I know Mom and Tonya are smiling down on me. The goals for that first race were to get seat time, don’t wreck myself, don’t wreck anyone else, and don’t finish last. I accomplished all of those goals. And needless to say, after that first race, I was hooked. I walked in off the street and ran with guys who have been doing it for years. And to honor the memory of Mom and Tonya, my winnings were donated to The Victory Junction Gang Camp. I continued the dream, in numerous test sessions in Craftsman Trucks, Late Models, and Street Stocks. Then on May 24th, 2008, I ran my second race at Hickory Motor Speedway, and finally got the opportunity to apply everything I had learned in testing and that first race. I qualified 9th and finished 7th. The race was sponsored by “Race Track Ladies.com” I proved once again that behind the wheel of a race car is where I belong.
Now, I am laying down a challenge to sponsors and car owners. I am challenging you to go to Victory Lane with me. Since I have had my first taste of racing, obviously, I am hooked. I know there are more opportunities out there. I have made it this far and I will not give up. Everybody wants to win. Race car drivers want to win. Owners want to win. Team members want to win. I want to win. If you want to win, put me in your car. Give me the opportunity to do what I know I can do. This is not about just driving a race car, I have done that. This is about winning. I will not stop until I do. This is my racing dream, this is what I have spent the last 5 years chasing after. Put me in it, and I will do the rest to get the car to Victory Lane. It doesn’t matter what kind of car, Late Model, Hooters Pro Cup, ARCA, just give me a shot. Test me and let me show you what I can do. You will NOT find anyone at any age with the drive and determination that I have, and you will not find anyone who wants to win like I do. This is my childhood dream, it’s all I ever wanted to be when I was growing up watching Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and other great race car drivers. At some point in time, every race car driver out there got what I need, an opportunity from someone who believed in them and gave them a chance to do it. It might not be the conventional way of “chasing the dream”, that’s why I am chasing the dream “the hard way” Sponsors and Marketing Partners, if you want to be a part of my racing dream, contact me. Car owners, if you want to win, contact me. Let’s go to Victory Lane together. You do want to win, don’t you? If you would like to donate to my racing dream, donations are graciously accepted and your name will be added to the list of sponsors.
This is dedicated to Mom, and Tonya, two of my dearest friends in the world, and I will not be happy until I am in Victory Lane, holding that trophy to the sky, and I say…”Mom and Tonya, this is for you”
Comfort Indicator Ensures Battery Failure is Easy to Avoid
BatteryChargerStore.co.uk, which offers a range of award-winning smart chargers covering cars, motorcycles and other vehicles, now offers the CTEK comfort Indicator, an accessory that provides a simple and immediate indication to the charge levels of the battery meaning battery failure is easier to avoid than ever before.
London, UK (PRWEB) January 31, 2010 — BatteryChargerStore.co.uk, which offers a range of award-winning smart chargers covering cars, motorcycles and other vehicles, now offers the CTEK comfort Indicator, an accessory that provides a simple and immediate indication to the charge levels of the battery meaning battery failure is easier to avoid than ever before.
Using a simple ‘traffic light’ system, the CTEK Comfort Indicator allows drivers to identify the state of their battery without having to go through the inconvenience of attaching an independent battery tester, which can be expensive and complicated to use, or even having to go to a garage for levels to be read. This means drivers can now know when their batteries need charging and therefore avoid battery failure.
The Comfort Indicator’s green light reveals that the battery is fully charged and does not need attention whereas an orange light demands attention and indicates that battery charging is recommended to avoid stratification – a harmful process which reduces the life and efficiency of a battery. A red light indicates that a battery needs to be charged immediately with a car battery charger (http://www.batterychargerstore.co.uk/), not only to be able to start the vehicle but to avoid the danger of the battery being permanently damaged through excessive discharge leading to sulphation – the biggest battery killer.
Peter White, CTEK Sales & Marketing Manager for UK and Ireland, commented: “The Comfort Indicator is a simple but extremely effective device that can be easily and permanently attached to the vehicle battery and lets the driver know the charge levels of the battery at any given time – meaning action can be taken before it is too late. It has also been fitted using the unique CTEK Comfort Connect system that allows it to be attached to the appropriate CTEK charger permitting easy access to the battery for it to be charged”
Whether motorists require a battery charger for cars (http://www.batterychargerstore.co.uk/car.html), motorcycles, boats, lorries or tractors, BatteryChargerStore.co.uk offers a large range of smart chargers to suit every eventuality and need. Unlike traditional battery chargers such as a trickle charger (http://www.batterychargerstore.co.uk/trickle-charger), the CTEK range goes through a number of processes to ensure that the battery is conditioned as well as charged and, that the charger can be left attached to the battery for an indefinite amount of time without risk of over charging and drying the battery out.
For more information or to order one of the CTEK range of smart chargers, please visit batterychargerstore.co.uk or call 0844 815 3600 to place an order.
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Contact Information
Pete Goold
Battery Charger Store http://www.batterychargerstore.co.uk
01858 411 600
Today in Valencia the wraps will come off the Sauber and Renault challengers in preparation for the start of testing tomorrow. The week ahead will see McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari, Sauber, Williams, Renault and Toro Rosso all in action. The drivers expected to be seen are Gary Paffett, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button for McLaren; Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher for Mercedes; Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso for Ferrari; Pedro de la Rosa and Kamui Kobayashi for Sauber, Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hulkenberg for Williams; Robert Kubica and AN Other (probably Vitaly Petrov) for Renault; and Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari for Toro Rosso. We will not be seeing Red Bull Racing, Force India, Lotus, Virgin, Campos or US F1.
The weather was an against us from the start and the track was pretty slippery through the mid laps. It started out OK but with 105 sets of wheels across it after the first lap, it quickly turned into a slip and slide.
I got a jump on everyone into the single track and smashed myself through the first lap to try and open a gap. It seemed to work pretty well however I nearly slid right off the edge of a bridge and decided to slow up a little. I think everyone I spoke to after the race had a story of a near death experience in the greasy conditions.
For the last couple of laps, I just rolled around trying to keep the bike upright. Gingerly pottering through corners to try and stop the front from washing out. It was a funny sort of race, I only averaged 156 bpm and I think it was due to the conditions. You couldn’t push hard on the climbs or the rear wheel would slip, you couldn’t push hard through the corners or your front wheel would wash.
On the last lap, chain suck arrived wearing a party hat, although I still had some brake pads left unlike half of the riders. I spent the whole of the last lap looking over my shoulder – waiting for someone to catch me, but they never came. I dragged my sodden carcass across the finish line about 1-2 minutes ahead of the Danbot in second place.
So now I have a conundrum. Do I continue to sandbag in B grade or step up to A grade and have my arse handed to me as a hat? I certainly don’t have the pace to mix it with the fast guys in A grade however I don’t race for podiums – I race to do better than I did last time. So perhaps therein lies the answer.
I think the right decision was made to run the race and I am surely glad we got to play in the mud. I am glad we didn’t race the new section of track – it would have been absolute carnage!
Thanks to all the race volunteers and to the other competitors for a great day!
