Tag: Racing
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Shelsley Walsh Hill climb – A time capsule of motor racing
Long-running motorsport events tend to evolve and change over the years for a multitude of reasons ranging from boosting competitiveness, improving safety to just keeping up with the times. With these changes comes the risk of chipping away at the soul or essence of the events that made the original so engaging. There is, however,…
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Interview: Michel Disdier – The only European NASCAR driver
The following is an interview between myself and Michel Disdier. We discuss what it takes to become a qualified NASCAR race driver, the hurdles he faced to get there. He is currently the only European race driver in the whole of NASCAR which has a known history of struggling with diversity. We also discussed how…
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How does this F1 car have a 100% win rate?
In most cases you can argue that the success of a race car is down to one of two things: 1) Drivers skill 2) Engineering Every so often, a car comes along with such unrivalled success that you cannot deny that its engineering gives it such a strong advantage. The Brabham BT46B is one such…
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Bloody Heroes: Stirling Moss Part 2
It was a victory Stirling Moss himself described as his “greatest win”, and is a record that still stands to this day; over 1000 miles on unfamiliar public roads, with spectators spilling onto the course and the possibility of death looming over every twist and bend, Moss managed to complete the Mille Miglia in just…
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Bloody Heroes: Stirling Moss Part 1
If you have even the faintest interest in cars or motorsport you will have heard of Stirling Moss; of the 529 races he entered during his racing career, he won almost half, with 212 victories between 1948 and 1962. Often described as “the greatest driver never to win the World Championship”, he won 16 Formula…
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A Little Insane: The Renault 5 Turbo
As the 70s came to a close, the Lancia had been absolutely CRUSHING it on the world rally stage for the better part of a decade, and this was starting to upset the French, Renault being no exception. Lancia had stolen the WRC crown from Renault’s Alpine A110 in 1974 with the introduction of the…
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Goodwood Revival 2018 Recap
Last weekend saw one of the greatest classic car events in the world unfold at Goodwood. Spanning three days, the Goodwood Revival is a celebration of automotive infatuation like no other; owners of some of the rarest and most expensive historic metal risk their prized possessions and their lives racing (and sometimes crashing) a plethora…
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The OG WRC Champ: Alpine’s A110
Launched in 1961, the rear-engined, air-cooled, rear-wheel drive Alpine A110 shared many similarities with the iconic Porsche 911, which would be unveiled two years later. However, the A110 is by no means “just a French 911”, as this sexy little coupe would go on to become a legend in its own right. The A110 was…
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Porsches in the Rain at Luftgekühlt
On Sunday morning I met up with Head Mechanist in Charge, Hedi Sersoub, to head to this year’s British Luftgekühlt, which is arguably the coolest and most confusingly named Porsche meet in the world. However, unfortunately, our chariot for the day was not the coolest thing in the world; a black Fiat 500. No, it…
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A Day at Silverstone Classic
It was a bright and early start to Sunday as I headed to meet photographer and fellow Mechanist, Tom Hains at the Mile End tube station. From there we would be headed to this year’s Silverstone Classic, one of the best automotive events in the UK. Tom had hinted at the possibility of our ride…
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The Bugatti Queen
From cabaret dancer to Grand Prix racing driver, Hellé Nice was one of the most inspiring female pioneers of the 20th century, and one the most successful female racing drivers of her time: competing in the highest echelon of motorsport with some of the best drivers in the history of racing. On top of that,…
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5 Reasons to Get Excited for the 24 Hours of Le Mans
With this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans nearly upon us, we thought it might be a good idea to remind you why it’s the biggest race of them all, and why you should definitely be watching come June 16th. The Heritage The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the oldest active endurance race in…