I am proud to say that I’m an F1 fan. Now more than ever though, with the announcement of the USF1 team and their plans to enter in 2010, this could not come at a better time both economically and for the American F1 fan. I say this because currently there is no North American Grand Prix (USA and Canada are not on the schedule for 2009) and with the economy in it’s current state, we are seeing cutbacks in spending in F1 that allow for new teams to come aboard. As I watch the presentation, I kept thinking how both Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor make the perfect team in building the USF1 Team. With their backgrounds in motorsport and with technology so close to them, this team is just begging for greatness.
I think that there were a couple of missed questions and focus from the interview as it became more about money and a little about technology. I think if I were to ask any questions it would be:
- What are your goals for the first and second year? I understand that you want to do good but by your definition what does that mean?
- What should we expect out of the USF1 team?
- Staying within the rules of the FIA and FOM, do you think that the USF1 team can bring or implement new technologies over the competition? Here are my suggestions!
- What kind of schooling will the USF1 Team provide for its technicians, management and more importantly, its drivers?
No matter what team USF1 decides to do they will have my support the whole way! As much as I’m a Ferrari fan and more importantly a Kimi Raikkonen fan, I think I still will have a team shirt or two to show my support. I not only think that USF1 has brought F1 back to North Americans but they’ve also brought hope to the sport.
On that note, you guys at USF1 need any PR people or I have a computer technical background? I’d pretty much do anything to be on the USF1 team! If you’d like to check them out and see what they have to offer go to: www.usf1.com
Weapon-R has been in the industry for so many years now that I’ve run out of fingers. Since 1995 Weapon-R has been making intakes for the aftermarket automotive industry. I’ve had the privilege of knowing Weapon-R for the last eight years. I’ve tried and liked every one of their Subaru Impreza 2.5RS intakes. However this last installment takes the previous versions and blows them out of the water. The development team at Weapon-R have found a way to re-organize the airflow within the intake to make for a more uniform airflow rather than a disruptive one. This alone creates more power with less effort and also sounds really grunty. Attracting any rival on the racetrack.
I’ve tried many intakes over the years, mostly from Weapon-R. I’ve also tried some that friends have made or ones that have been given to me to try out. Bottom line is that I’ve always come back to the Weapon-R product. They make a product unlike most intakes but the part that really keeps me coming back is their customer service. They’ve often times “worked” with me rather than against me. They are very responsive in resolving problems and are quick to help out with what they can to get you back on the street/track. That alone is worth the price the intake.
I have since converted my Subaru Impreza 2.5RS to a turbo but during this conversion I was animate about keeping the Weapon-R intake… and I’m glad I did. Thank you Weapon-R for your years of service and I hope that it’s for many more years to come!
Product: Weapon-R Secret Weapon Intake for 2000 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS Coupe
Cost: $219.00 (plus shipping)
Installation Rating: 9 / 10
Product Rating: 10 /10
There are some good things about the rule changes that are happening for the 2009 Formula One season. With the lack of winglets, restrictive aerodynamics, KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) and slick tires (if you’re European then it’s “tyres”), cars are becoming more dependant on drivers than the combination of both driver and manufacturer. With this shift, “luck” now plays a much bigger part. Agreed, that the engines and chassis are still made by their respective manufacturers but with almost all the cars sharing similar characteristics I think that the season will be unpredictable. The favorites are no longer with the manufacturer but with the drivers. This means that Kimi, Louis, Massa and Alonso are the main favorites but I also predict that we will see some lower teams standing on the podium more often throughout the season, causing havoc on the point system. No longer will it be prestigious to race for Ferrari or McLaren or even BMW. Instead the privateer teams or lower manufacturer teams will be just as prestigious and will be not as meaningful to move up in the ranks of the F1 grid. I’m excited for the season to start but I’m also nervous for the future of Formula One. There’s only one way to find out and we will see after the beginning of the season starts.
Surgeline is the new wave tuning from Portland. Although they can do their tuning services nationwide, lately most of their customers are coming to them. Tackling everything from Subaru WRXs to the new Nissan GTR, there are a plethora of available maps for your car as well as the ability to incorporate your car. Click on the picture below to see if your car is available for tuning. Check them out and see the different ways that they can make your car more drivable.
More updates to follow as I gather more information on them. Great people, plus a great company is a great outcome for you!
You better believe it when I say that there are rules to washing your car. Chances are that you already know how to wash you car appropriately but you may know a guy or girl friend who is oblivious to these rules. Hopefully this will give you some insight on the Do’s and Don’t’s of washing your car.
- When planning to wash your car be sure that you don’t wash in the direct sunlight. The reason for this is so that the soapy water doesn’t dry on the car causing potential damage to the paint. Also while rinsing the car avoid direct sunlight because there are usually minerals in the water itself and will cause water-spots.
- Do NOT use a power washer. Although this is easier you could be “grinding” the grit and debris more into the clear-coat of the paint.
- Sorry spouses but if you’re washing the car and have any jewelry on, remove them… including wedding rings! Jewelry will cause unexpected scratches in the paint.
- If in the event you drop your towel, wash cloth, wash mitten, brush, etc. Do NOT use it again until you’ve thoroughly washed the dropped item. If it’s a washing mitten or brush, be sure it’s cleaned of all debris and dirt. If it’s a towel, then throw it in the dirty clothes bin and grab a new towel. If you use a dropped item you will put scratches in the paint from any debris. Microscopic particles will scratch the surface, even though the wash mitten or towel may appear to be clean.
- If you’re using any kind of chemicals to wash your wheels and tires, this is the first step. Otherwise rinse out your wheel wells and the main debris from your rims and tires.
- Be lucrative with your soap. I prefer to have more soap suds than not enough. This makes it easier to see where you’ve washed and where you missed. Think of washing the car in thirds and working from the top to the bottom.
- As you wash your vehicle be sure not to “swirl” your cloth but instead move in the motion of the airstream. So you will be washing the car in straight lines moving from front to back. Do this as much as possible. The reason for this is if you’ve got grit or debris the scratches in the clear-coat will be in line with the airflow and will be harder to see. Have you ever looked at a car and thought that there were spiderwebs in the paint? That’s because the owner didn’t wash in straight lines. Also be sure not to wash up and down whenever possible. Always make the effort to go front to back.
- Rinse between each third and rinse the complete car every time.
- Last is to wash the wheels and tires. If you used chemicals to clean your wheels and tires, then for the most part rinsing may all you need to do. However, most car guys that I know will take the extra time to wash the wheels. People that do a lot of car shows will also make the effort to remove the wheels from the car and clean the wheels in the rim side too. For everyday use though, this isn’t necessary.
- After you’ve finished washing the car immediately dry your car off with clean towels. This will help prevent water-spots and will also get places that you may have overlooked. Also during this drying time open up all the doors and dry out the door’s edges and the door jams. Then after the doors are done do the trunk lid and then the hood. This will keep the car looking new for much longer.
- If you feel that you need to wash out the engine compartment be sure to not spray water directly on the electrical components of the engine and also be sure that the engine is running. This way there’s positive pressure in the engine and the chances of water leaking in and settling on components is less likely.
- After you’ve toweled your car, do an inspection for any missed spots. Then your done… with the inside.
Hopefully this will help you enjoy washing your car and taking car of your car will not only make the car look good but will make you look good too (my cheesy tag line there… it’s dumb, I know).
Growing rumors have come to surface about a new Formula 1 team making efforts to get to the starting grid. However, this team is being born from a region that hosts no Formula 1 Grand Prix. The potentially new United States Formula 1 team is rumored to debut for the 2010 season. Being from the US, this is something that’s had a long time waiting.
There are good and bad things about this though. Most of the teams are located in the European region and have access to the authorized testing facilities whereas the US team would have to make the leap across the pond. If Formula 1 (FOTA and FIA) are going to make drastic measures to reduce costs then maybe allowing the USF1 team to conduct tests here in the US then there’s a chance.
The good news is that there’s a plethora of knowledge and drive here in the US and the potential is really great… if it will work. Peter Winsor and Ken Anderson will be front men to the team, so the glue to mend the team together “could” be great or it could be embarrassing. With the potential of a US team though, I will support them in their venture and I can only hope that great things will become of them. Now my next question is, how do I get on the USF1 team roster?
Image from the USF1 Website
Peter Windsor
Site: RacingDirect.com
Product: Bell Sentinel Rib Protector Vest (size: S-M)
Price: $31.95 (free shipping included)
I felt that this was a necessary purchase on a couple of different levels. One was that I’m a pretty short guy and I tend to move around a lot in a go-karting seat. Throughout the duration of a race I found that my ribs would get sore from slamming side to side in the seat and my times would go down to reflect that. I also got it for impact protection and improving my overall safety in the kart. I did plenty of research on the vest and found at the current time RacingDirect.com had the best price on the Internet beating out eBay by a long shot. (For a review on my experience with RacingDirect.com please see my review post.) Once I received the Bell Sentinel Rib Protector I noticed that the side protection at first to be too thin for my expectations. However once in the kart I found it good enough to do the job. There wasn’t too much protection to where I lost the feeling for the kart but enough there to help me last longer in stints. One other factor that I liked about this vest is that there’s also padding that stretches down the spine of your back. I think that many sites don’t cover this feature enough and found that siting in the kart seat was much more comfortable. Adjustments to the vest are easily made with the two Velcro straps. I also like that the vest didn’t hike-up as I was driving but rather it stayed in the position from where I put it on. I’ve experienced other vests that do hike-up and you lose some of the protection and gain a lot of irritability, but the Bell Sentinel vest did not do that. There is also plenty of ventilation on the vest so excessive sweating isn’t a factor with the added layer. With the added protection and excellent fitment, I would say for any endurance kart racer that this is a must have for your arsenal.
Product Performance: 9/10
