Un site dédié à “la virée de Galerne” -effectuée afin d’échapper à une mort certaine, en 1793-, à la fin des “guerres de Vendée”.

Un charnier de 2.000 victimes a été découvert au Mans, récemment.

Le “Pioneer DJ Experience Tour” fait étape à Luçon le 25 novembre, à Annecy (Sillingny) & Poitiers  le 26 et au Mans le 27 novembre 09.

Découvrez les nouveaux lecteurs
CDJ-900 et
CDJ-2000

Luçon - Mercredi 25 Novembre 09
MBS - 3 rue Réaumur ZI Les Roches - de 12h à 19h

Sillingny Annecy - Jeudi 26  Novembre 09
SCOOP DMX - 85 route des Près Rollier - de 14h à 20h
Guest : DJ Antonin

Poitiers - Jeudi 26  Novembre 09
SONOMAX - 150 avenue de Paris – de 16h à 22h
Guest : Deejay Getdown

Le Mans - Vendredi 27  Novembre 09
TERRE DE SON - ZAC des Portes de l’Océane à Saint Saturnin – de 14h à 19h

Inscrivez- vous !

I was reminded, whilst watching this year’s (rather lacklustre) Le Mans 24 Hours review on DVD, that it has been 40 years now since the more traditional style start to the blue riband event was abolished.

Up until 1969, drivers would line up opposite their cars on the starting grid, and as the flag was dropped to signify the start of the race, they would run across the track to their vehicles, climb in and get it started as quickly as possible to pull away from the grid.

In their haste to make a speedy getaway, many of the drivers would often neglect to belt themselves in correctly until they were often along the Hunaudieres straight pulling speeds of around 160mph, resulting in frequent crashes and, as 1969 would show, tragedy.

John Woolfe, an amateur British driver who had qualified 21st in his private Porsche 917, crashed into a barrier at Maison Blanche and, due to the fact he had not taken the effort to strap himself in securely, was flung from his vehicle and subsequently died.

This would then set off a chain of events as the fuel tank from Woolfe’s car became dislodged and eventually collided with Chris Amon’s Ferrari 312P, causing it to explode underneath his car, resulting in his retirement and forcing the race to stop for two hours before eventually restarting.

In contrast, a 24-year-old Jack Ickx had demonstrated his displeasure against the starting procedure by slowly walking over to his Ford GT40, deliberately making the effort to strap himself in properly and securely, and as a result, emerged voluntarily at the back of the field.

Yet in a dramatic race, which some consider as being the best in the history of the endurance event, Ickx eventually won after beating rival Hans Hermann by just 100m after 24 hours of fierce driving and winning Le Mans for the first time in his brilliant career.

The following year the traditional Le Mans-style start was then replaced by a variant in which the drivers already sat in their cars, strapped in safely by their mechanics and then entered the track simultaneously, before the advent of the rolling start we now know was adopted in 1971.

But a legacy to this bygone era still remains, as to this very day, Porsche continues to place the ignition to the left of the steering column on its cars. This placement was chosen to enable the driver to start the car with his left hand and put it into gear with his right. Old habits die hard.

Team GB

Despite Mercedes buying out Brawn GP to create Mercedes GP, and despite Mercedes’ promise to shareholders and fans alike that it would be back to back championships, the interweb has been abuzz with numerous rumours that the 2009 drivers champ, Jenson Button, was ditching his championship team and heading to (less?) greener pastures. Those wild rumours have been put to rest as McLaren and Button have announced their partnership for the 2010 season. This begs all sorts of unresolved questions. First off… Astonishing, no? What does all of this mean for Lewis Hamilton… is there another driver controversy brewing in the British Midlands… didnt McLaren learn from the Alonso-Hamilton misfire that two drivers of equal talent cant possibly co-exist at the same stall? Just thinking about it makes me wish Australia was just around the corner.

So lets, think about this for a moment… who is driving for Mercedes now?? Barrichello was the first to bolt and now Button has left the BAR replacement. So without any true championship caliber drivers, how exactly does the German stall plan to deliver on their lofty promise of a repeat championship. Why by installing two German drivers of course. Both Nick Heidfeld and Nico Rosberg are tipped to be the 1-2 drives for next year’s squad, though nothing is 100% squared away just yet. There is still a lonely Finn out there who might be the right man for the job, should he decide he can afford a pay cut from 20 million pounds to 6 million pounds for the season.

The Sweet Nectar of Victory

However, considering the financial sticking point and Kimi’s notorious stubbornness, the Button move will likely push the once highly sought after Kimi Raikkonen into no-mans land. Its been a “hard” road for the Finn who could never quite get it done with McLaren, then won a driver’s title with Ferrari, got bumped from Ferrari in favour of driving enemy no 1, Fernando Alonso, returned to McLaren, only to be bumped by driving enemy no 2… Jenson Button?? Based on the personnel changes in F1 thus far it seems more and more certain that the 2010 season will find Kimi without a drive for the first time,  in a very long time. Oh well Kimi, I hear Le Mans is… wait… its too funny to even consider. I doubt you will be able to make anywhere close to 6 mill on the 24 hour circuit, let alone the rally series you are considering. So Kimi… see you in 2011. I hear that Red Bull might have a spot open.

Lots of big news in the world of Formula One today. It has been announced the Jenson Button has signed with McLaren and will be paired up alongside Lewis Hamilton. He has said that it wasn’t about the money and that he is just out to continue moving forward with his career. However, everyone knows that Brawn did not want to pay him as much as he was asking and that McLaren was willing to pay more. Besides the pay increase, he now has a chance to be teamed with another Brit on a British team and he says that was a big reason to make the switch as well. As motivation, there is nothing better than driving for your country, and with McLaren, both Button and Hamilton will be flying the Union Jack, but I still don’t see any way this will work out in the long. This does mean that McLaren will retain the number 1 on the front of the car, and it is also the first time in F1 history that a team has the services of two drivers who were World Champions back to back. There is some speculation that Button had been forced out of Brawn by new owner Mercedes, but it remains to be seen whether that is the case or not. Ross Brawn and Nick Fry have expressed their disappointment at having Jenson leave the team and now have to go with a clean slate of drivers as Rubens Barrichello signed with Williams right after the season ended. The seats at Brawn will be highly coveted though, and the team should have the pace to stay with the front runners, if not be the front runners come the start of the season. More will be revealed as winter testing finally shows up and the true pace of the new cars can really be judged.

The news also means that Kimi Raikkonen is looking for a new place to drive. It has come out as rumor that he has three possibilities. Either he sits out the season, signs with the former Brawn team at reduced income or goes to the WRC with Citroen. There are rumors flying all over the paddock, from people close to him, that he will be in the WRC and contest Le Mans, while others are saying that he will try and shore up a deal with Mercedes F1 so that he can continue racing. Personally, I think Kimi is going to leave F1 behind this season and concentrate on his WRC training. He could possibly make a return in 2011 if all goes well, but his attention is not on F1 right now.

The Le Mans 24 Hours is perhaps the most prestigious racing event currently on the motor sport calendar. The jewel in the motor racing crown, it is steeped in tradition and, as any fan will tell you, almost always delivers in both speed, skill and most importantly of all, excitement. This year’s incident-packed race, whilst not a classic, didn’t fail to deliver as Peugeot vanquished Audi with a dream 1-2 finish.

See, now I managed to make the endurance event sound at least a little bit exciting within the space of a paragraph didn’t I? It’s not that difficult really as the racing sells itself. So you have to wonder quite how Duke Video have managed to commit to DVD one of the most boring, poorly edited and factually incorrect annual racing reviews ever.

Running close to 90 minutes, but featuring about 25 minutes of actual on track footage, the entire review is narrated by someone with as much warmth and passion as a damp squid. An individual who sounds like he has no feeling for the sport at all and is reading from a hastily prepared script. His delivery almost sends you to sleep as he trundles his way through the poorly edited, misaligned, highlights package.

But the biggest disappointment of the lot has to be the continual references that this was to be Tom Kristensen’s last Le Mans 24 Hours event. Problem is, nobody bothered to tell the interim responsible for the research that the Dane had in actual fact announced he would no longer be participating in the DTM series and not Le Mans. For an official review this is completely unacceptable and I am actually astounded that such a gaff could slip through the net.

What amazes me the most is that I actually thought that after last year’s lacklustre effort, Duke Video might have taken onboard some of negative comments they received and put a stop to the deterioration from setting in even further – seems I was completely wrong. A blue riband event like the Le Mans 24 Hours deserves much better than this shambles.

Avoid, unless you’re in the market for overpriced table coasters.

Le Mans 24 Hours 2009 Official Book
As forecast, the Audi-Peugeot duel achieved a rare intensity that has left its mark on the 77th Le Mans 24 Hours. The 2009 event lived up to its promise and was a fantastically exciting one that combined all the necessary ingredients to provide an exceptional race….

Available Now – Le Mans 2009 Official Review DVD

Bonjour!

Une petite info de dernière minute :

Je serais présente en tant que “coup de coeur” dimanche 15 novembre sur le stand de “Vivre ma maison” lors du Salon de l’habitat durable à Nantes, La Beaujoire.  http://www.vivremamaison.com/

13, 14, 15 Novembre 2009 de 10h à 19h
Le 13 novembre à partir de 8h30 pour les professionnels inscrits

 Lieu :
Halls 05 et 06
Parc des Expositions de Nantes La Beaujoire (Face au stade du Football Club Nantes Atlantique) Route de Saint-Joseph 44300 Nantes

http://www.salon-habitat-sain.fr/presentation.php

10. November – Im 2. freien Training Grand Prix von Australien 1995 in Adelaide fliegt Mika Häkkinen mit seinem McLaren beim Einlenken in Brewery Bend wegen eines schleichenden Plattfusses ab und prallt fast ungebremst in die Reifenstapel. Der Finne muss vor Ort einer Tracheotomie unterzogen werden, before er ins Hospital transportiert werden konnte. Weil keine aussagekräftige Informtionen zu Mikas Zustand zu bekommen sind, genauso wie es bei Ayrton Sennas tödlichem Unfall im Jahr zuvor in Imola der Fall, wird bisweilen schon das Schlimmste befürchtet. In der HIER gezeigten Video-Aufnahme wird die Gefährlichkeit der Cockpits bis Mitte der 90er deutlich. Glücklicherweise erholt sich Mika in der Folge gut von den Unfallfolgen und kann im weiteren Verlauf seiner Karriere noch zwei WM-Titel erringen. Mit den heute üblichen Sicherheitsvorkehrungen, wie HANS und dem seitlichen Aufprallschutz im Cockpit, wäre Mika damals unbeschadet aus dem Auto geklettert.

10/11/1934, Luciano Bianchi wird geboren in Mailand, Italien.

In Mailand geboren, zog Luciano mit seiner Familie noch im Kindesalter nach Belgien, bekam später die belgische Staatsbürgerschaft und so wurde aus luciano eben Lucien Bianchi. Er war ein kompetenter Allround-Rennfahrer, fühlte sich in Formelwagen ebenso wohl wie bei Sport- und Tourenwagen-Rennen oder bei Rallyes. In der Formel 1 fuhr er für Cooper, Emeryson, Lotus, ENB, Lola und BRM teams. In 17 Grands Prix holt er sich einen Podestplatz in neun Jahren. Mangels Offerten von Werksteams, blieg es letztendlich auch dabei. Die grösseren Erfolge feierte Bianchi bei den Sportwagen, etwa mit dem Sieg bei den 24 Stunden von Le Mans 1968. Er starb bei Testfahrten für die 69er Ausgabe dieses Klassikers.

Geboren: 10. November 1934 in Mailand, Italien;
Verstorben: 30. März 1969 in Le Mans, Frankreich, 34 Jahre alt.

5/11/2006, Oscar Mario González wird geboren in Montevideo, Uruguay

“Bocha” González war ein aus Uruguay stammender Rennfahrer. Seine enge Freundschaft zu den Argentiniern Froilán Gonzalez und Juan Manuel Fangio verhalf ihm zu einer Einladung, am argentinischen Grand Prix 1956 teilzunehmen, wo er sich am Lenkrad eines aufgerüsteten Maserati A6GCM mit 250F-Motor mit Landsmann Alberto Uria abwechselte. Die beiden fuhren einen beachtlichen 6. Platz nachhause.

Geboren: 10. November 1923 in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Verstorben: 5. November 2006 in Montevideo, Uruguay.

10/11/1965, Edmund Irvine wird geboren in Newtownards, Nord-Irland.

Eddie Irvine fehlte nicht viel um 1999 die Formel 1-Weltmeisterschaft zu erringen. Kontrovers und schonungslos direkt ausserhalb des Cockpits, kompromisslos bei seinem Debüt für Jordan, stieg Irvine respektlos in die F1 ein. Ab1996 war er bei Ferrari die Nummer 2 neben Michael Schumacher, dennoch kam er durch den verletzungsbedingten Ausfall des Teamleaders in den Genuss die WM vor dem Finallauf anzuführen. Bei der Titelentscheidung 1999 in Suzukasiegte sein Rivale Mika Häkkinen jedoch und nahm Eddie seine einzige Chance auf den Titel. Der Vizeweltmeister wechselte dann zum neuen Jaguar-Team, doch bis auf einen 2. platz in Monaco bleiben Erfolg dort aus. Als enger Freund von U2-Frontmann Bono, lernte Eddie begeistert Gitarre spielen, noch bevor er sich 2003 aus dem Motorsport zurückzog. Doch statt mit einer Karriere als Rockmusiker, vermehrte Irvine sein Vermögen durch klevere Investment-Strategien. Mit seinem ausstieg verlor die F1 eine ihrer schillerndsten und geradelinigsten Figuren. Einer, den in der F1 kaum etwas wirklich beeindrucken konnte. Nicht einmal in einem Feuerball zu sitzen, wie etwa in 1995 in Spa. Die Szene ist HIER zu sehen.

Brazil has become famous worldwide for everything that is sexy.The country has given us the thong bikinis,thong underwear, and the Brazilian wax.

They are a passionate people who are the number one consumers of plastic surgery,which says to me that looks are valued in this culture, as they are in many.

I like the Brazilian people in my life, and I always look forward to traveling there.

I like Samba dancing , and capoeira dance/fighting.

The people are beautiful,  and very warm and friendly.

That is why this report about a young lady, Geisy Arruda, being expelled from her college campus for what some are reporting as a provocative, innapropritley short micro-miniskirt, that she chose to wear to a class recently.

She was heckled by hundreds of fellow students when she wore a short, pink dress to class,compounded by the university taking the unusual step of taking out newspaper ads Sunday to publicly accuse her of immorality.

This is as bad as corny Morehouse college passing a sweeping homophobic dress policy to oppress the student’s ability to be different from one another,thus programming them for failure in the larger society.

How a sexy little dress worn by a good student could cause such a stir in this sexually liberal country is beyond me. I would think that it would be welcome on a college campus, as my own college allowed total nudity if a student chose to present themselves in that manner.

If no one makes a stink about it, then I do not see the harm.

This from a report on MSNBC…Bandeirante University published advertisements accusing Arruda of attending class with “inadequate clothing” and having a provocative attitude that was “incompatible with the university environment.”

Arruda made headlines last month when she had to be escorted away by police after she tried to go to class wearing the mini-dress. She put on a professor’s white coat and left amid a hail of insults and curses.

Video of the Oct. 22 incident was posted on YouTube and picked up by Brazilian networks. Arruda has since appeared frequently on TV, saying she is struggling to return to normal life after being humiliated, so this action by her this week on the campus, is obviously her attempt at changing the policy at her campus.

It is designed to be a protest for her cause.

The university claims to have an “Educational Responsibility,” in sees it as their role to police the clothing of students.

They claim to have decided on the expulsion after interviewing her fellow students on the campus.

The accused her of posing for pictures that are provocative, and lowering the moral standards of the university.

I find policies that govern dressing for students to be more of a distraction than helpful. The students in college are adults, and if the clothing does not violate the law governing public decency, or in this case indecency, then I think they should choose another battle.

I think the larger issue is why men are so out of control when we see a provocatively dressed young woman.Some men loose all sense of good manners when confronted by a mini-skirt, or at the sight of a human nipple.

I think if we had more provocative dressing in our society, then it would lose its distinction of being provocative.

As it stands now, I can only view this action against Arruda in a country that has made its reputation out of being a fun and sexy place to visit, as pure hypocrisy,plain and simple.

Arruda said she learned of her expulsion through the news media and had not received official notification.

Let’s hope that those in control of this situation reverse this action, and come to a compromise with all parties involved.

I am certain there are more pressing issues to attend to, other than policing how a young woman decides to dress to a class that she has paid to attend, as long as she is not in violation of the student code of conduct that is spelled out in the student handbook at most colleges and universities.

We all should resist championing policies that are favored by the Taliban.

Here is the You tube clip of the harassing of Geisy Arruda on her college campus, all over a mini-skirt….Get a life…

Click on these links for further information regarding this case….

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gWYXyUj7NHnnHQM_iOUoe-EXYCmwD9BRHFD80

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33771623?GT1=43001

http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE5A71TB20091108

OXCGN’s Massive Forza 3 Career Help Guide

by XboxOZ360

©2009 Grant Smythe – Oxcgn

Welcome to OXCGN’s Forza 3 Racing Tips #1

The afternoon glare stuns your vision

Forza 3 would have to have the biggest selection of races available in any known racing game to date.

With 730 races, (no, I have yet to work out exactly how many laps that is, but I’m working on it…that will be in Tips #2), which are spread over a massive 220 events from 10 different categories or series ranging from 50 different real life race circuits as well as fictional tracks based on real life locations in places such as Italy, Germany, France, Nth America, England, Japan and Spain. I think you’ll need a Tourist Visa!

What we will be doing here is hopefully help you go through and use the Events Listing which you can use to help build your Experience Level (XP) and thus gain more credits (CR), as well as win some more neat cars (Veyron). We will also discuss the various cars to use in the different classes that will give you not only a great chance at working your way through Forza 3, but help you enjoy the experience along the way.

Get all testie on the Benchmark High Speed Test Ring

We will also look at which cars to start off learning how to us “Assists Off” function, as well as the advanced Manual & Clutch gear changes which help gain you more credits.

By having most of the assists off, as some cars actually need them on to be tractable (drivable), you can gain an increase of your points of as much as 75% which certainly helps build those Experience Points (XP) up and also get those credits piling up in your account to start upgrading.

But like all things, you have to start – well – at the beginning, funny that, so let’s start with the different races and progress from there shall we. Naturally we’ll try and get as much stuff as possible in, but this will need to be spread across several postings and pages with updates, tips (OZ’s Forza 3 Tips), guides and general knowledge on the gameplay mechanics, some tuning tips and much more.

Download Image PDF

As you can see from the image above at the start of the page, (click to see full size) there are a great deal of events, and of course races. So I’ve made it easier for you by making a printable PDF available for you.

Simply click the image here on the right to have the PDF downloaded to your desktop, and print it out for further reference.

At the end of this particular information page, you’ll find a word doc that you can also print it out, that will have all the details below available for you. No other site does this for its readers,. But OXCGN is a site for the readers by gamers. And we want the same things you do. Information, help, assistance and above all else, the ability to simply have some fun and get into the games we play.

These printable items will help you check out the different classes and give you some idea of how the system works, and you can tick off the classes as you move ahead, and show your mates rather than have then having to view your stats on the 360, especially if you’re not in front of it right then.

I have found the Events List section very useful in getting races done and moving forward. I’m currently on Driver Experience Level 35/50 and my next is 40/50, yet only completed 15% of the career mode.

OZ’z first Forza 3 main tip – FPV

Close to windscreen view point - okay, but not the best.

First Person Viewpoint. I’ve always played the game, or any real racing game or semi-sim through the in-car view, or, if not available, the closest to the screen view as possible. – Why? – realism!

Many find it difficult, citing inability to see ahead properly (well dahh, have you driven a car), sun-glare (yep, that gives it more real-life effects), poor vision on corners (no, really?!), other cars location to you (you don’t say), and more often than not, the inability to see YOU racing in your nice shinny car (poor didums).

Racing isn’t about seeing what “you look like” – It’s about driving at your best without knocking everyone out of the way to get ahead, or seeing how much damage you can deliver to your car, and others.

The ultimate First Person Viewpoint - FPV the 'only' way to race

Anyone want to race me, and it has to be with in-car view locked, manual gears and most assists off, depending on car being used. while I’m not up at the top of the ladder, and probably never will be. But I am still in the top 1% of the leaderboard in Circuit in Class A, top 2% in Class S with varying % in other classes so far.

This is due mainly due to the fact I feel more in this viewpoint than I do in any other, I “focus” on what lays ahead, which is what a driver should be doing, and I can scope the road and track out behind and ahead of me, and have a better feel for the race in general, especially in longer races and Enduros.

In Drivers view (Cockpit or In-Car-View), the cars actually sound more realistic, the road sounds are more realistic, even down to the gravel crushing under tyres, track poles being clipped, rumble strips picking you up on corners, gauging ‘braking markers’, the sound of witches hats popping as you run over them (by mistake of course), and most importantly, the ability to use the engine and gear sound to determine the moment to change gears and the sense of speed needed in such a game.

The Lolly-Pop Viewpoint - totally 'un-real' - Oh look, lovely trees!

Try it, especially at the beginning with the slower cars so that you get used to it, and you’ll find it becomes much more natural, and much more responsive than in the 3rd person lolly-pop view, which always has a much more artificial feel and responsiveness to it.

Try it in both views, and see and feel the differences, you’ll be surprised.

Plus, think about this for a second – have you EVER driven a car flying on a magic carpet about the car – no – didn’t think so.

The ten classes in Forza 3

All of Forza 3’s ten different classes explained and listed with the number of races and points you can gain per race.

• 1 Testing:

Download Complete article

Designed mainly as an introduction to the various cars and style. You start out of course with the wonderfully responsive Audi R8 Quartro to get your skill level worked out, which the AI helps determine. You can still change this difficulty level, but the AI simply wants to see your skill levels, it then seems to work out the opponent difficulty for you, which helps a great deal. Your first main Test is then back into th “F Class” cars so you can work your way through the pack.

Testing:

1. Asian Open – 3 Races – 6000 points
2. European Open – 3 races – 6,600 points
3. All American Open – 3 races – 6,600 points
4. FWD Open – 3 races – 6,600 points
5. RWD Open – 3 races – 6,600 points
6. AWD Open – 3 races – 6,600 points
7. 2 Door Challenge – 3 races – 6,800 points
8. 3 Door Open – 3 races – 6,800 points
9. 4 Door Open – 3 races – 6,800 points
10. 5 Door Open – 3 races – 6,800 points

• 2 Amateur:

An area where you will build your experience with the different cars, working up the ladder towards the higher end cars. Do not be discouraged with these, or think that they are beneath you as a driver. A great deal of fun and most importantly, experience can be gained through constant playing of these classes.

Amateur 1:

1. FWD Elite Open – 3 races – 12,900 points
2. Asian Elite Open – 3 races – 12,400 points
3. French Elite Open – 3 races – 12,000 points
4. RWD Elite Invitational – 3 races – 12,700
5. Mid-Engine Elite Open – 3 races – 11,600 points
6. Nth American Elite Open – 3 races – 13,100 points
7. German Elite Invitational – 3 races – 14,600 points
8. British Elite Invitational – 3 races – 15,100
9. AWD Elite Open – 3 races – 14,100 points
10. Italian Elite Open – 3 races – 15,800 points

Amateur 2:

1. Super Mini Road Test – 3 races – 11,500 points
2. Coupe Road Test 1 – 3 races – 13,300 points
3. Saloon Road Test 1 – 3 races – 11,700 points
4. Hot Hatch Road Test – 3 races – 13,100 points
5. SUV Road Test – 3 races – 12,200 points
6. Coupe Road Test 2 – 3 races – 13,800 points
7. Saloon Road Test 2 – 3 races – 14,600 points
8. Coupe Road Test 2 – 3 races 13,200 points
9. Supercar Road Test 3 races – 15,400 points
10. Prototype Road Test – 3 races 16,100 points

Amateur 3:

1. American Muscle Showdown – 3 races – 11,100 points
2. Inline 4 Showcase – 3 races – 11,400 points
3. Normal Aspiration Runoff – 3 races – 12,500 points
4. Boosted Proving Grounds – 3 races – 13,500 points
5. Six-Cyl Fast & Furious – 3 races – 12,700 points
6. Ultralight Showdown – 3 races – 13,100 points
7. Executive Car Open – 3 races – 14,300 points
8. Eight-Cyl Supreme GT – 3 races – 13,600 points
9. Ten-Cyl Salute – 3 races – 15,000 points
10. Twelve-Cyl Flagship Trophy – 3 races – 14,300 points

• 3 Manufacturer:

Manufacturer 1:

1. Integra Owners Meeting – 4 races – 22,900 points
2. Hyundi Owners Meeting – 4 races – 21,100 points
3. Mitshubishi Owners Meeting – 4 races – 22,700 points
4. Skyline Owners Meeting – 4 races – 23,400 points
5. Subaru Owners Meeting – 4 races – 21,500 points
6. Honda Acura Owners Meeting – 4 races – 24,100 points
7. Mazda Owners Meeting – 4 races – 23,800 points
8. Fairlady 2 Cup – 4 races – 23,300 points
9. Nissan Infiniti Owners Meeting – 4 races – 24,200 points
10. Toyota Lexus Owners Meeting – 4 races – 23,700 points

Manufacturer 2:

1. Peugeot Racing Club – 4 races – 20,600 points
2. Sweden Racing Club – 4 races – 22,200 points
3. V.Dub Racing Club – 4 races – 22,300 points
4. Vahxall Racing CLub – 4 races – 24,200 points
5. Lotus Racing Club – 4 races- 23,400 points
6. SEAT Racing Club – 4 races – 23,300 points
7. BMW Owners Club – 4 races – 22,900 points
8. Audi Racing Club – 4 races – 25,800 points
9. Mercedes- Benz Racing Club – 4 races – 25,800 points
10. Porsche Racing Club – 4 races – 26,600 points

Manufacturer 3:

1. Firebird T.A. Track Days – 4 races – 22,400 points
2. Focus Track Days – 4 races – 22,000 points
3. Chrysler Track Days – 4 races – 23,300 points
4. Pontiac Track Days – 4 races – 23,500
5. Mustang Track Days – 4 races – 24,100 points
6. Ford Track Days – 4 races – 23,800 points
7. Chevrolet Track Days – 4 races – 26,400 points
8. Corvette Track Days – 4 races – 26,00o points
9. Dodge Track Days – 4 races – 25,900 points
10. Viper Track Days – 4 races – 26,400 points

Manufacturer 4:

1. World Sub-Compact Shoot Out – 4 races – 20,500 points
2. American Muscle Shoot Out – 4 races – 20,100 points
3. Euro Hatch Shoot Out – 4 races – 21,400 points
4. Lightweight Shoot Out – 4 races – 22,500 points
5. German SUV Shoot Out – 4 races – 22,400 points
6. JDM Imports – 990’s Shoot Out – 4 races – 21,800
7. Speedstar Shoot Out – 4 races – 23,500 points
8. Premium Sedan Shoot Out – 4 races – 25,100 points
9. Prestigious Shoot Out – 4 races – 23,800 points
10. Ultimate Speed Shoot Out – 4 races – 26,200 points

Manufacturer 5:

1. Civic V’s Golf – 4 races – 22,100 points
2. Celica V’s Silvia – 4 races – 22,300 points
3. Tarmac Rally – 4 races – 22,300 points
4. Mustang V’s Camaro – 4 races – 22,800 points
5. Supra V’s Fairlady 2 – 4 races – 22,600 points
6. German Sports Line Challenge – 4 races – 25,800 points
7. NSX V’s Skyline – 4 races – 24,900 points
8. Fastest Fleet Shoot Out – 4 races – 27,100 points
9. Ferrari V’s Porsche – 4 races – 25,800 points
10. Lamborginhi V’s Ferrai – 4 races – 26,500 points

• 4 Semi Professional:

Semi Pro 1:

1. Puma 150 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 42,700 points
2. Recaro 200 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 44,800 points
3. Bilstein 250 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 46,500 points
4. Toyo 300 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 49,300 points
5. Sparco 350 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 48,900 points
6. BBS 400 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 54,500 points
7. Stoptech 450 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 54,900 points
8. Bridgestone 500 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 50,700 points
9. Motul 600 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 55,800 points
10. K&N 700 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 55,800 points

Semi Pro 2:

1. Class F Pre-’00 Asian Tour – 5 races – 41,600 points
2. Class F Post ‘00 Asian Tour – 5 races – 43,400 points
3. Class E Pre ‘03 Asian Tour – 5 races – 45,200 points
4. Class E Post ‘03 Asian Tour – 5 races – 45,800 points
5. Class D Pre ‘00 Asian Tour – 5 races – 46,500 points
6. Class D Post ‘00 Asian Tour – 5 races – 47,400 points
7. Class C Asian Tour – 5 races – 49,400 points
8. Class B Asian Tour – 5 races – 52,000 points
9. C;ass S Asian Tour – 5 races – 58,000 points
10. Class R2 Asian Tour – 5 races – 61,000 points

Semi Pro 3:

1. Class F European Tour – 5 races – 41,000 points
2. Class E European Tour – 5 races – 43,400 points
3. Class D European Tour – 5 races – 45,000 points
4. Class C European Tour – 5 races – 49,200 points
5. Class B European Tour – 5 races – 47,900 points
6. Class A European Tour – 5 races – 53,800 points
7. Class S European Tour – 5 races – 53,700 points
8. Class R3 European Tour – 5 races – 54,800 points
9. Class R2 European Tour – 5 races – 59,000 points
10. Class R1 European Tour – 5 races – 63,000 points

Semi Pro 4:

1. Class F Nth American Your – 5 races – 44,700 points
2. Class E Nth American Your – 5 races – 44,000 points
3. Class D Nth American Your – 5 races – 46,900 points
4. Calss C Nth American Your – 5 races – 47,200 points
5. Class B Nth American Your – 5 races – 53,000 points
6. Class A Nth American Your – 5 races – 56,000 points
7. Class S Nth American Your – 5 races – 58,000 points
8. Class R3 Nth American Your – 5 races – 63,000 points
9. Class R2 Nth American Your – 5 races – 64,000 points
10. Class R1 Nth American Your – 5 races – 66,000 points

• 5 Professional:

Professional 1:

1. Yaris S Trophy – 6 races – 68,800 points
2. MX5 Miata Trophy – 6 races – 72,000 points
3. ABARTH 500 ESSEESES Trophy – 6 races – 79,000 points
4. Mini John Cooper Works Cup – 6 races – 82,000 points
5. Hyundi Geniesis Coupe Tour Trophy – 6 races – 83,000 points
6. F355 Challenge Trophy Trophy – 6 races – 91,000 points
7. Murcielago LP640 Trophy Trophy – 6 races – 65,000 points
8. Porsche 911 GT3 Trophy Trophy – 6 races – 85,000 points
9. Ferrari F430 Trophy Trophy – 6 races – 90,000 points
10. FXX Trophy Trophy – 6 races – 101,000 points

Professional 2:

1. Aussie Touring Car Championship – 6 race – 111,000 points
2. Porsche 911 GT3 Showdown – 6 races – 111,000 points
3. German Racing Car Showdown – 6 races – 110,000 points
4. American GT3 Invitational – 6 races – 109,000 points
5. GT3 Invitational – 6 races – 109,000 points
6. GT2 Invitational – 6 races – 116,000 points
7. Japanese Invitational – 6 races – 119,000 points
8. Dream Machine – 6 races – 117,000 points
9. GT1 Invitational – 6 races – 119,000 points
10. LMP Invitational – 6 races – 116,000 points

Professional 3:

1. Class F World Tour – 6 races – 84,000 points
2. Class E World Tour – 6 races – 88,000 points
3. Class D World Tour – 6 races – 99,000 points
4. Class C World Tour – 6 races – 100,000 points
5. Class B World Tour – 6 races – 110,000 points
6. Class A World Tour – 6 races – 115,000 points
7. Class S World Tour – 6 races – 114,000 points
8. Class R3 World Tour – 6 races – 116,000 points
9. Class R2 World Tour – 6 races – 126,000 points
10. Class R1 World Tour – 6 races – 133,000 points

• 6 Speedway:

Speedway:

1. Class F Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 18,800 points
2. Class E Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 19,400 points
3. Class D Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 20,600 points
4. Class C Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 21,400 points
5. Class B Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 22,500 points
6. Class A Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 23,500 points
7. Class S Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 23,700 points
8. Class R3 Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 25,700 points
9. Class R2 Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 25,900 points
10. Class R1 Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 27,400 points

• 7 Drag Racing Heats:

Drag Races:

1. 250 bhp FWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 1,890 points
2. 300 bhp FWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 1,890 points
3. 350 bhp RWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 1,890 points
4. 400 bhp AWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 2,700 points
5. 450 bhp RWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 2,700 points
6. 500 bhp AWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 2,700 points
7. 550 bhp AWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 2,700 points
8. 600 bhp AWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 2,700 points
9. 650 bhp RWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 2,700 points
10. 700 bhp RWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 2,700 points

• 8 Closed circuit laps & races:

Closed circuit:

1. Fujimi Kaido Class F Series – 4 races – 38,400 points
2. Amalfi Coast Class E Series – 4 races – 29,000 points
3. Nurburgring Class D Series – 4 races – 38,400 points
4. Fujimi Kaido Class C Series – 4 races – 39,300 points
5. Amalfi Coast Class B Series – 4 races – 29,100 points
6. Nurnurgring Class A Series – 4 races – 38,400 points
7. Fujimi Kaido Class S Series – 4 races – 39,000 points
8. Amalfi Coast Class R3 Series – 4 races – 27,900 points
9. Nurburgring Class R2 Series – 4 races – 38,400 points
10. Fujimi Kaido Class R1 Series – 4 races – 38,700 points

Closed circuit – Lap Days:

1. Class F Lap Days – 3 races – 34,400 points
2. Class E Lap Days – 3 races – 34,500 points
3. Class D Lap Days – 3 races – 34,500 points
4. Class C Lap Days – 3 races – 34,400 points
5. Class B Lap Days – 3 races – 34,500 points
6. Class A Lap Days – 3 races – 34,500 points
7. Class S Lap Days – 3 races – 34,400 points
8. Class R3 Lap Days – 3 races – 34,400 points
9. Class R2 Lap Days – 3 races – 34,500 points
10. Class R1 Lap Days – 3 races – 34,400 points

• 9 Full-on Endurance Races:

Endurance:

1. 34 Lap Road Atlanta – 1 race – 72,000 points
2. 130 klm Circuit de Catalunya – 1 race – 74,000 points
3. 134 klm Twin RIng Mojetgi – 1 race – 83,000 points
4. 160 klm Silverstone Gran Prix – 1 race – 88,000 points
5. 32 Lap Mugello – 1 race – 92,000 points
6. 169 klm Suzuka Circuit – 1 race – 92,000 points
7. 31 Lap Sebring International Raceway – 1 race – 99,000 points
8. 128 mil Road America – 1 race – 110,000 points
9. 17 Laps Circuit de la Sarthe – 1 race – 110,000 points
10. 187 klm Nurburgring Nordschleife – 1 race – 110,000 points

• 10 Top of the Ladder Championships:

Championships:

1. Class F World Championships – 3 races – 18,200 points
2. Class E World Championships – 3 races – 23,900 points
3. Class D World Championships – 4 races – 36,600 points
4. Class C World Championships – 5 races – 53,000 points
5. Class B World Championships – 6 races – 82,000 points
6. Class A World Championships – 7 races – 106,000 points
7. Class S World Championships – 8 races – 157,000 points
8. Class R3 World Championships – 9 races – 216,000 points
9. Class R2 World Championships – 11 races – 314,000 points
10. Class R1 World Championships – 13 races – 428,000 points

Download Complete article

Make sure you come back for an even more detailed breakdown soon, we will have a downloadable and printable PDF for each set of races or class, so you can find out, the tracks, number of laps and points gained for each race.

Our next set of Forza 3 details will be dealing with various racing tips for each track, as well as some driving tips for the Novice, Intermediate and Expert drivers. Dealing with such things as Assists, Gears, slight changes to the Optimised Auto-Upgrades and several other great Forza 3 tips-n-tricks.

The main thing is to have fun, but also to hone your skills so that you get the best you can from not only Forza 3, but any decent racing game. Our aim is that you will walk away from the experience much more informed, and also with a greater respect for the game, and the work Turn 10 have put into the game.

Personally I’m looking forward to the next lot of Downloadable Content, and seeing the creations that come from the Forza 3 community. The game has its bugs, all games do. There’s no such thing as the “perfect” game or a game without flaws. They all have them. Forza 3 has its share, but they do not distract from the overall experience of the gameplay or the game in general.

©2009 Grant Smythe – Oxcgn

• Other games in genre at discount $’s for ALL OXCGN readers + Bonus Points

New in at Cinema Books: Winning The Racing Life of Paul Newman by Matt Stone and Preston Lerner, $30.00 cloth. Newman entered the world of racing with his role in the 1969 film Winning. With this movie  as a springboard, Newman went from amateur wins to professional IMSA to Trans-Am series as well as the 24 hour endurance races as Le Mans and Daytona. He partnered with Carl Haas to form the Newman/Haas  and produced eight CART/Champ Car titles in 25 years of Indy car racing.

Há algum tempo, a Federação Internacional de Automobilismo (FIA) e a ACO, que organiza a Le Mans, vêm travando uma batalha por não se entenderem em regulamentações. O principal ponto de atrito é a homologação de veículos gran turismo (GT). O problema é que a FIA sempre muda as regras para tentar igualar o rendimento dos carros, o que afastou muitos fabricantes. Agora, porém, tudo pode mudar.

De acordo com informações internacionais, a partir da próxima temporada os competidores da FIA GT poderão disputar também em Le Mans. Isso significa que várias equipes podem “tentar a sorte” nas 24 horas de prova. Com isso, Maserati, com o MC-12, e Nissan, com o GT-R, poderiam fazer parte da corrida francesa em 2010. De acordo com a revista inglesa AutoSport, isto já é praticamente certo. Só faltam os comunicados oficiais.

I am in love!

Photo credit: Edouard Monchecourt

- Gyro

Franck has returned to Le Mans this weekend, for a Peugeot Sport Meeting. I’ve never heard of this event before, but there’s some more info available. It looks like it’s all different types of Peugeot cars and drivers head to the track to entertain the fans.

Franck won’t be in the 908, but is still happy to drive, and will be sharing the wheel with Minassian and Sarrazin.

If you’re lucky enough to be near Le Mans, here’s a schedule for the weekend:

Friday, Nov 6
9:00 Drivers briefing
13:30 Qualifying session (1 hour)

Saturday, Nov 7
10h45 Signing session at the Peugeot motorhome
11:30 908 Demo
12:30 6 Hour-race start

Keep your eyes peeled for pictures!

On 23 October, 2009 Jean Todt became the new president of the FIA (Federation l’Internationale de l’Automobile). He was elected into office to take the place of Max Mosley who had been serving as president since 1993. Ari Vatanen was competing against Todt in the election for the presidency.
Despite the controversies that plagued Mosley’s tenure as president time and again (namely the 2008 sex scandal and the 2005 United States Grand Prix), Mosley was by and large a formidable leader. His contributions to motorsport and road safety must be recognized. He was also a major role player in bringing F1 to its current heights (with much help from former-colleague at March, Bernie Ecclestone).
What makes Jean Todt’s new position is the conflict of interest that his presidency implies…let’s begin with a quick background check…
Todt’s managerial career began in the 1980s heading the Peugeot works effort in the World Rally Championship. While managing, the rally team proved to be very successful, winning world titles in 1985 and 1986. The manufacturer battle during these years, between Peugeot and Lancia, developed cars that reached speeds that would make the FIA (then headed by Jean-Marie Balestre) ban them prior to the 1987 championship season. Todt was also heavily involved in Peugeot’s successful Paris-Dakar and Le Mans teams during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In 1993, Todt was hired by Ferrari to be the general manager of their fledgling F1 team. Ferrari had just finished their worst championship campaign and were looking to bring their team back to the top of the F1 pecking order. Todt proved to be what the team needed; he hired key members that were pivotal in developing Ferrari to what they would become in the 2000s. Ross Brawn was hired as race strategist, Rory Byrne as chief aerodynamicist, and the then two-time world champion Michael Schumacher was hired as their driver. The successes that followed (no less than seven manufacturers’ titles and six drivers’ titles) would return Ferrari as a major power in Formula 1. The marque accrued enough power to threaten their withdrawal from the sport twice in the 2000s, resulting in a high stakes poker game over television advertisement revenues between the FIA and the major car manufacturers that had huge sums of money tied into the sport. The leverage that Ferrari was able to find against the FIA made some believe that if there was no Ferrari, there would be no F1. The fans would go wherever Ferrari went (Ferrari threatened to try their hands in American open-wheel racing, good think that they didn’t…). Think something along the lines of if the Yankees left MLB, what would that do to the sport? To put F1 on par with baseball again… How would baseball fans feel if George Steinbrenner became the commissioner of MLB?
The FIA has already showed a strong amount of favoritism towards Ferrari, especially in the “spygate” scandal of 2007 where a former Ferrari employee passed confidential information from Ferrari to the McLaren F1 team. When this case resolved in England’s High Court of Justice, McLaren was banned from the 2007 world championship standings and was fined $100 million… The FIA presidential term is four-years in length, it’ll be interesting if Ferrari receives any more favoritism over the next years.

Seem to have suddenly found sources for a couple of toys I’d been looking for for a while and picked up a new Flying Fortress Teddy Troop, the Le Mans edition along the way.

Add that to news that Kidrobot are opening a London store at the end of next week and I can see my bank manager looking very nervous!

First of these finds was the ‘Saner’ Dunny pairing of Mictlantecuhtli & Xólotl

The big fella at 8-inches, is Mictlantecuhtli, Aztec God of the Dead. The little fella, standard 3-inch Dunny size, is Xólotl.

Also managed to locate one of the 3-inch Teddy Troop series, the rare Oups variant which had eluded me for a few months, thanks to the guys at Mintyfresh along with the new Le Mans Teddy Troop from Flying Fortress.

A Toyota já sabe muito bem o que irá fazer com sua equipe de F1 num futuro próximo. Para ser mais preciso, eles estão cogitando participar das 24 Horas de Le Mans.

Toyota: equipe pronta para voltar a Le Mans em 2010

Em julho, os rumores de que a saída da Toyota era iminente e o presidente da equipe (Toyota Motorsports) John Howett fez uma proposta de compra para a montadora. Tudo indica que a proposta de compra da equipe era nos mesmos moldes em que Ross Brawn adquiriu a Honda. Mas sua proposta foi recusada pela montadora, até porque os japoneses ainda não sabiam se iriam continuar ou não na F1.

Porém, assim que a Toyota declarou que não iria mais fazer parte do circo, Howett fez a mesma proposta novamente para a Toyota e essa, por sua fez, não aceitou novamente porque quer aproveitar parte do pessoal e aproveitar também toda a estrutura tecnológica disponível na fábrica para avançar em seus projetos.

A Toyota pretende mandar embora cerca de 600 dos 970 funcionários que lá trabalham, pois eles precisam de mais ou menos 300 pessoas para tocar o projeto da Toyota para correr em Le Mans. Parte dessa mão de obra dispensada deve arrumar emprego na própria F1, já que temos quatro novas equipes entrando no ano que vem. Além disso, a mídia especializada indica que a Toyota irá gastar cerca de 30 milhões de euros em indenizações.

Existe também a informação de que Toyota deverá reduzir em 30% o seu financiamento para o seu departamento voltado para as corridas, mas que no entanto, Akio Toyoda, o novo CEO da Toyota e reconhecido fã das provas de endurance, terá colocado 300 milhões de dólares à disposição do mesmo departamento para que este faça da Toyota a primeira marca a vencer Le Mans com um carro híbrido. Inclusive, Jarno Trulli já teria assinado um contrato de 4 anos e seria o responsável pelo desenvolvimento do carro.

Trulli teria um contrato de 4 anos assinado

Hoje temos a informação de que a Toyota poderá vender seu projeto – que já esta pronto – para alguma equipe novata. A notícia foi dada pelo jornal francês Le Parisien. Ao que tudo indica, os engenheiros da equipe optaram por completar o projeto do carro para 2010, mesmo depois de a fabrica anunciar o seu afastamento da categoria.

E o jornal foi além, disse que USF1 e Manor podem ser esses compradores, pois a Lotus confirmou nestes últimos dias a sua ligação com a Aerolab e a Campos tem um acordo com a Dallara. Inclusive, o carro da Campos já foi aprovado nos crash-tests frontal e lateral, exigidos pela FIA.

Acredito que a Manor compre o bendito projeto. Ken Anderson e Peter Windsor, chefões da USF1, trabalham no projeto da equipe desde 2006. Eles tentaram entrar na F1 em 2007 junto com a BMW americana e em 2008 com a Honda, também americana. Como já se sabe, ambas as tentativas falharam, mas Anderson conseguiu juntar 22 milhões de dólares através de investidores. Para quem não sabe, Anderson é um nome respeitado no meio, com várias vitórias em todas as categorias Top no automobilismo americano.

Essa é a única imagem do site da USF1

Fora isso, a FIA já visitou a fábrica da equipe por três vezes e seu novo presidente do senado da FIA, Nick Craw, informou que a USF1 pagou há 10 dias a taxa de entrada para o  Mundial co ano que vem, algo em torno de 440 mil dólares.

É esperar pra ver.