About Cars and Autos

This week I was lucky enough to receive an invite code to the Blur multiplayer beta. The thing is, I’ve never really been the racing game type. There was a three-week period there where I got really into Gran Turismo 3 on the Playstation 2, even going as far as to order a steering wheel/gas pedal system on e-bay. Unfortunately, by the time the steering wheel arrived, I was bored of the simulation gameplay of GT, and had already moved onto some other, non-racing game. I used the steering wheel once.

That said, I love the Burnout series, particularly Burnout Paradise. I have put more hours into that game than just about any game this generation (the only possible challenger being Rock Band). I love everything about Burnout, but particularly I love that I don’t have to worry about racing lines or braking properly or any of that other stuff. If I eff up, my car explodes fantastically, and I get right back to racing. That’s what I’m looking for in a racer.

And, wow, you guys, does Blur ever deliver. It’s like if Mario Kart turned into Mario Awesome Licensed Cars, fucked Burnout Paradise until it shit out a baby, trained that baby to be more like Modern Warfare 2, and then belittled that baby, saying that it should look more like Geometry Wars. “Sure you’ve got awesome cars and crazy weapons and a fucking perk system, BUT WHY ISN’T EVERYTHING SHINY AND NEON?! You’re no son of mine!”

Blur is the next game from Bizarre Creations, those guys who brought us Metropolis Street Racer on the Dreamcast, Project Gotham Racing on the Xbox, and the best-little-game-about-shooting-glowing-shapes ever made, Geometry Wars. The multiplayer is setup in the style of Modern Warfare, where you gain experience from winning races and completing challenges, your experience unlocks new vehicles and perks, and you can combine perks into customized loadouts to tweak/improve your racing.

The beta gives access to several modes, including racing with up to 20 opponents, a destruction derby mode, and a mode with A-Class cars (apparently “A-Class” is another way of saying “super fast”). Racing with 19 other players is hectic, frantic, and awesome-tic. You can hold 3 weapons at once, choosing which you want to use when, and each weapon has a primary and secondary fire. Most of them can be compared to a Mario Kart equivalent (red shell, green shell, blue shell, banana peel, etc). You can protect yourself from most of the items by countering with another item, which makes the strategy deeper than the madness of a Mario Kart, without losing that feeling of madness.

The beta is capped at ten levels, a handful of vehicles, and a few tracks, but if this is a preview of what is to come, I am very excited. Releasing a beta has shone a light on a game that I didn’t think I’d be interested in, and like Clark Kent underneath the light of the Earth’s yellow sun, this light has transformed the game into a must-buy for me, leaving me struggling to spin the Earth’s rotation in a desperate attempt to speed up time, so that maybe I can get the game faster and stop making really bad Superman metaphors.

SPECIAL REWARD FOR READING THROUGH THIS BLOG!!!! Would you like to join me in the fun of the Blur Multiplayer Beta? Well, go to http://www.blurthegame.com/beta and enter in this code:

FKTD-9TXN-YPKV-ATT9

Follow their sort of complicated instructions, and you too can be racing cars in no time. And yeah, the code only works for the first person who uses it, so get a move on.

–Adam Dorsey

[Via http://multiplayersingleplayer.wordpress.com]

Note: Personally I think that Sir Stirling Moss is one of the greatest drivers never to have won a world championship (along with Mark Donahue) and Jenkinson’s stories about the 1955 Mille Miglia have always captivated my imagination. This letter just confirms that he is truly a class act.

To all my friends (and all those who are kind enough to care),

Dear All of You,

The last few days have been quite fantastic and i’d like to thank each and every one of you for your kind thoughts, messages and other paraphernalia.

On Saturday evening, I was at home with Susie, Elliot and Helen and about to leave for a Curry, for which we were running late.

I asked Helen to join me in the lift to go downstairs, because Susie and Elliot were smart enough not to ride in my lift. I opened the door and stepped into the lift, with Helen ready to follow me, which she never did. That is because the lift had stopped on the floor above and incorrectly allowed the door beneath it to open.

Still chatting to Helen, I stepped into the open doorway– and fell to the bottom of the lift shaft.

The ambulance was called and arrived at racing speed, whereupon they put me onto a series of about 10 stretchers! Having finally settled on what must have seemed a good one, I was taken, along with my family to the Royal LondonHospital in Whitechapel, where they used another batch of similar stretchers!

They did a good job of helping me, but were unable to do the requisite surgery. So, on the Sunday, I was moved to the Princess Grace, where a fantastically efficient, kind and amusing staff did all the jobs.

I am now in a lovely room, number 222, and with the help of Elliot and the porter, am finally on the email. That does not mean that I will be able to actually send this to you, but I will try!

Now for the future… which I can see with Susie, Helen and Elliot around me, is going to be a bloody struggle!

As some of you may know, Susie and I are booked on a seaborne cruise for our 30th Anniversary, next month. I have to cross the hurdle of getting the doctors, and family hangers-on, to allow me to thin my blood, in order to avoid any issues involving deep vein thrombosis.

It will be six to eight weeks from Sunday before i will able to put any load on my feet. Therefore I’m facing my sixth or seventh reduction to a wheelchair (Susie says she’s stopped counting) which I must admit, is rather boring. The good news is; that I didn’t sell the wheelchair after the last shunt!

The whole thing is a real pain in the arse, if I had looked where I was going, I wouldn’t be here at all, so It’s my own damn fault.

I have been absolutely overwhelmed by your collective concern and kindness.

I can tell you that currently I’m lying in hospital, taking deep breaths, lifting one arm with the other, raising my legs (with plasters on the end) and doing all I can do to keep myself as mobile as possible, but, having said that, I’m not yet winning the battle.

I’m not sure when I’ll be able to go home but the lift has to work, otherwise I’ll never be able to get upstairs in my wheelchair, maybe I’ll go and stay with Helen And Elliot for a while…

This really has opened my eyes to how kind all my friends are, over an old ex-racing driver, flogging a fading image!

I look forward to seeing you soon,

Many thanks for all of your thoughts,

Ciao
Stirling Moss

Source: Stirling Moss

Editor’s Note: You many leave a note for Mr. Moss at this location: www.stirlingmoss.com/articles/news/press-release-following-stirlings-accident

[Via http://classiccarcritique.wordpress.com]

Whether you are a member who’s injured, have never come on a run, didn’t get into the NYC Half, or just love muffins… COME VOLUNTEER AND JOIN US AT THE NBR WATER STATION at the NYC Half on the 21st! It’s going to be a blast, mixing up gatorade and screaming for thousands of runners (and a couple dozen of our own) in Central Park on the first Sunday of Spring.

Mary has promised to bring her world-famous PB+J muffins for all of the volunteers but ONLY if we can get at least 25 people!

So far we have about 10.
You DO NOT have to be a runner– so coerce your roommates, significant others, friends who owe you favors, students, and family members to come join us.

This team volunteering opportunity is one of two parts to help us get 2-4 spots for some of our members in THIS YEAR’S NYC Marathon!

Do NOT sign up through NYRR, please sign up here: http://tinyurl.com/nbrvolunteers or email us — I am submitting a list to NYRR.
SIGN UP BY MONDAY 3/15!

NBR <3,
Aja

P.S. Please read full details here

[Via http://northbrooklynrunners.org]

Collection of lessons I have learned thus far in the season.

• Things in remember in the future. Even if you start with arm warmers on. Put sun screen on your arms!
• A shrimp PoBoy if done right is the perfect pre-race dinner.
• Better to have too much food and too many tubes packed in your jersey when faced with a 100 mile race.
• Once dropped from the main pack it is damn hard to ever catch it again.
• After the race we are all friends again so sit down enjoy a beer and trade war stories

[Via http://houseofthebigring.wordpress.com]

Stories of Toyota owners speeding out of control continue to pour over the airwaves, but one has to wonder why all these Toyotas have all of a sudden decided to act up now after the recall announcement and not before. Are these opportunists taking advantage of potential suit money or just individuals moved by the power of suggestion?

After all if you were speeding at top speeds of 90 or above, unable to slow your vehicle down, would you be able to grab your cell phone and dial the police department? Or would you put your car in neutral and slowly coast to a stop? We all know which one gets more media attention. Hmmmmmm, something to think about when we hear about another Toyota taking off at top speeds.

[Via http://talkingcars.wordpress.com]

The ORECA-Matmut team has officially unveiled their Peugeot 908 car to be raced in the Le Mans Series this season and for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

It was unveiled one day before its first public test at the Paul Ricard Circuit in La Castellet, France. The inspiration for the livery was taken from the works of Dutch abstract artist, Piet Mondrian. “The team has retained its own visual identity in the spirit of the Dutch painter, Piet Mondrian, a pioneer in the field of abstract art,” said an ORECA statement.

“While the overall concept is in keeping with the visual identity, Hugues de Chaunac’s men wanted to innovate by modernising [sic] it, and came up with a graphic evolution based around the chrome roof for this livery, which provides an interpretation of Mondrian’s work worthy of the 21st century.”

Olivier Panis and Nicolas Lapierre will drive the car during the Le Mans Series season in the LMP1 class and will be joined by Loic Duval during the Paul Ricard test at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Source: Autosport

[Via http://theblogofcars.wordpress.com]

The winner of the 2006 Kentucky Derby, Barbaro, was considered a great contender for the Triple Crown. Barbaro broke his leg in several places on the next race in the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes. After several surgeries the veterinarians decided that he could not be saved and he was euthanized January 27, 2007. This statue sits outside the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville.

[Via http://joelneild.wordpress.com]

A quick glance at the start list yesterday morning and I knew that I was in for a good race at the Avalanche Peak Challenge (APC). Looking the list over I figured I could finish any were from 1st-5th, depending on what kind of day we were all having. The woman’s race started 1st, so it was nice to see Jane start and cheer her on before they ducked onto the Avalanche Peak track. Jane’s race would be similar, with a pretty strong field, including Lara Prince, who has won title after title at the APC.

Our race started off surprisingly slow, as every one seemed to hold back a little, before Jacob Roberts not surprisingly took the lead. By the time we hit the steep single track I slotted right in behind him, with Tane Cambridge close behind. By the time we got to the tree line gear check Jacob and I were out of sight of the case pack and moving at a good pace. I was feeling really good at this point and it was probably the easiest I have moved up Avalanche Peak. We run the flat sections, but power walked any inclines. I guess we were both feeling pretty relaxed too, as we chatted a little on the climb about a few different things. I always enjoy running with other people and was having fun hammering the climb together. I got a few looks back and spotted Tane way out by him self, still in 3rd. There was $100 up for the King of the Mountain- the first person to the summit of Avalanche and as we reached the final ridge Jacob speed up, but I was able to stay with him, but I didn’t bother challenging him, after all he had really done all the work leading the climb, while I just hang off the back.  I clocked our split from the start of the track to the summit at about 50min30sec! We then got directed on a slightly different route off the summit, that evolved Jacob and I climbing over an older lady that had stopped in the middle of a 2m down climb. We hit the down hill and I was offered the lead, which I gladly took, hammering the section down to the ridge (were I had to back tracked for a dropped Gu). It was decision time in the race for me as I knew hanging around with Jacob until the river bed would be no good, as that is my weakness and a strength of Jacob’s. I run conservatively until the scree and then put the hammer down, opening up a descent gap. It would have been at least 1min by the bottom of the scree slope and about 2mins when I passed Jane (who was in 2nd place!!) deep in the Crow Valley. The single track down the Crow is so fun to run and I know it pretty well now, so I pretty much gave it all down this. I was told after the race by Sia Svendsen that I looked crazy when I went past her and I am not surprised, I felt it. I knew I was being hunted by the winner of the last 3 APC’s and the Wamik river bed running section was fast approaching. My goal was to be as far away from Jacob as possible by the time I hit the river. I looked back across the grass flats and see a tiny speck coming out of the trees, at least a couple of minutes back, which I feel wasn’t far enough. I was able to take a good line as I followed Lara who now had a HUGE lead over the rest of the woman’s field. I past Lara and explained that she could probably walk it in and still win at this stage.

I started to fade a little at this point. I had now past Lara, a guy biking (??) up the river and a lady walking up, so it was hard to tell which dot was which when I looked back. Around the Klondyke road end I looked back and it was pretty clear that there was a dot gaining fast. I wasn’t sure who, as I said earlier there were a few fast guys in the field, but I knew it was going to be close. Just as I got to the Bealey Bridge I tripped, falling pretty hard, hitting my knee on a big flat stone. This was of course in front of a small crowed that was watching. I laughed a little as I got up, the knee sore, but still working. Who ever it was behind me was really gaining now and only when I got off the river bed and onto the last steep climb to the finish was I sure I had the win. I was reduced to a walk, looking back every few meters, before jogging in the last 20 or so meters. I then lay in a heap before jumping up to congratulate Jacob who finished just 12secs back. I run 2hrs28min58sec, a time that is almost hard for me to believe I did. Apparently the course record is 2hr27 something, held by Keith Murry (who also holds the C2C longest day record), so we managed to run a pretty honest time. Looking over the results listed on the APC website, it is the fasted time since at least 2003, which is how far back they have results listed.

In a heap and hurting, at least I wasn’t puking this time.

About 10mins later Matt Scott, Lara’s partner, come in for 3rd place. Jane was the 3rd woman, just getting past at the Bealey Bridge. Good mates Tim and Rich, who also work in the same office, had a good battle, with Tim coming out on top in his 1st running race, place 11th over all. Hat’s off to Rich who had a great little puking session post race (yeah, sounds familiar!)

Over all it was a great day, with awesome weather, a good, strong turn out and it was great to run the full course. A big thanks to Chris and hi steam for a great event, as well as the race sponsors.

Next race up is the 9km a Lyford. I am opting for the short race to give the body a little rest before the NZ Mt running champs in mid April. Before that is a day or 2 of easy running and then some more serious running again.

[Via http://skirunner.wordpress.com]

The American Le Mans Series has received a new title sponsor, spirits company Patron, or to be more specific, their tequila subdivision, Tequila Patron.

The company came into the series as a sponsor and advertiser in 2008, mainly with the Highcroft team. They will continue backing Highcroft, but now they will also be the title sponsor, as well as a sponsor for the Extreme Speed Ferrari GT2 team (Which happens to have Patron chief Ed Brown among its drivers) and the GT Challenge Porsches run by Alex Job Racing and Velox Motorsports. With this title sponsorship, the ALMS will now be called the American Le Mans Series by Tequila Patron.

Source: Autosport via Autoblog

[Via http://theblogofcars.wordpress.com]

Jeff Gordon.

That’s right, I’m going with mah boy Jeff. From the stats, Jeff has been the best at Hotlanta since the introduction of the COT. Jimmie Johnson, in fact, has been a tad off in the COT races there, and Jeff is the only driver to score top-10 finishes in all four of those races. Plus, he was dominant last week at Vegas, another 1.5-mile racetrack. The only reason Jeff didn’t win Vegas was because his dumbass crew chief called for two tires late in the race instead of four, and Jimmie hunted him down and passed him for the win.

Others to look for include Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, and Mark Martin.

[Via http://joey2448.wordpress.com]