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Opinion

Gone Forever: Archerfield Speedway to Close, June 2023
News | Opinion

Gone Forever: Archerfield Speedway to Close, June 2023

ByScott Russell December 28, 2022December 29, 2022

Motor racing’s retreat from cities continues with news that Archerfield Speedway will close forever on June 3, 2023, ending 45 years of racing.

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Reflections on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Opinion

Reflections on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

BySteve Turnbull December 14, 2021December 14, 2021

Having had time to reflect on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, I feel a sense of disappointment despite it being one of the most spectacular finishes to a season I’ve witnessed. The inability of race control to decide what they should (or could/could not) do was an embarrassment to the sport. Experienced they may be…

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Hot Take: Truck Racing is the most underrated raci Hot Take: Truck Racing is the most underrated racing category. Action from Brands Hatch 1988. 📺 Barry Price (YouTube)
Your Spanish GP power rankings are in feat. tantru Your Spanish GP power rankings are in feat. tantrums from Max and Lance. Who’s Hot… 🔥 +3 🇩🇪 Nico Hülkenberg – Impressive drive to P5, his best result since 2019, and Sauber’s best since 2022. +2 🇬🇧 McLaren – Remember when the change to flexi-wing regs was supposedly going to bring the field closer? +1 🇲🇨 Charles Leclerc – Another strong drive for his 3rd podium in 5 races. Will be criminal if Ferrari can’t deliver him a WDC. Who’s Not… ❄️ -3 🇳🇱 Max Verstappen – Why? Deliberate crash before petulant ‘I’ll bring the tissues’ comment. Deserved to be DSQed. -2 🇨🇦 Lance Stroll – Allegedly swore at team members and ‘broke things’ in the garage before withdrawing with what AM called an ‘unrelated’ wrist injury. -1 🏁 Salesforce DOTD – DOTD Verstappen started 3rd and finished 10th after pulling a Jerez ‘97. Can we get rid of this poll yet? Points After Round 9 🇦🇺 Oscar Piastri – 9 pts 🇹🇭 Alex Albon – 6 pts 🇬🇧 Lando Norris – 5 pts 🇲🇨 Charles Leclerc – 5 pts
Great day at @qldraceway for the @speedseriesau GT Great day at @qldraceway for the @speedseriesau GT Festival - such awesome access to the cars and drivers. I love going to ant car racing but I reckon this is about the perfect level to see live. You get national level racing with some of the best drivers in the country, but it’s low key enough that anyone can get on the grid or wander through the paddock. Gotta hand it to speed series they put in a great show. GT4 was def the pick of the bunch with a 28 car field. Gotta love GT3 but co do with another 2-4 cars. Bit disappointing to see such low numbers in sports sedans but overall brilliant day out.
It’s called fashion… look it up Jeff Gordon, It’s called fashion… look it up Jeff Gordon, 1992 🕶️ 📸 Bob Harmeyer
Proof that cool things still exist ⚡️ 1992 Ho Proof that cool things still exist ⚡️ 1992 Hooters 500 2025 Indy 500
Honestly, it’s getting out of hand… Honestly, it’s getting out of hand…
Your Monaco Power Rankings are in! Who’s Hot… Your Monaco Power Rankings are in! Who’s Hot… 🔥 +3 🇬🇧 Lando Norris – Just what he needed. Great performance and much needed confidence boost. +2 🇫🇷 Isack Hadjar – More points so far in 2025 than Yuki and Liam combined. 2025’s biggest surprise? +1 🇲🇨 Charles Leclerc – Missing out on pole cost chance of a win, but masterful on the streets of Monaco as ever. Who’s Not… 🥶 -3 🇲🇨 Monaco + F1 – We love F1. We love Monaco. But the current combination of narrow streets and big cars doesn’t work. -2 🇬🇧 Aston Martin – Yes it’s all about 2026, but that this is Fernando’s worst year since McLaren-Honda says it all. -1 🇫🇷 Pierre Gasly – Can’t blame him for pushing so hard with poor machinery, but nonetheless, a weekend to forget. Points After Round 8 – Top 5 Overall 1. 🇦🇺 Oscar Piastri – 9 pts 2. 🇹🇭 Alex Albon – 6 pts 3. 🇳🇱 Max Verstappen – 6 pts 4. 🇬🇧 Lando Norris – 5 pts 5. 🇲🇨 Charles Leclerc – 4 pts
You’ve just ordered Pizza Hut and a 2L Pepsi. Yo You’ve just ordered Pizza Hut and a 2L Pepsi. You’ve loaded up Grand Prix 2 on your PC. No school tomorrow. Your parents don’t care if you stay up all night long. A perfect night. You are 39 years old. The year is 2025.
Randy Mamola’s mega save at the 1985 San Marino Randy Mamola’s mega save at the 1985 San Marino 500cc Grand Prix
It might just be one of the most impressive days a It might just be one of the most impressive days anyone’s ever had behind the wheel. 24 years ago Tony Stewart completed 1,100 miles of racing—with a 400 mile flight in the middle—to finish sixth at the Indy 500 and third in the Charlotte 600. To this day, he remains the only driver to have completed all 1,100 miles of the double, although three others — John Andretti, Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch — have competed in both races on the same day. Kyle Larson attempted it last year, his efforts curtailed by wet weather at both Indianapolis and Charlotte. He’s back at it again for 2025, looking to complete the 1,100 mile double 24 years after Stewart managed it. 📸 Unattributed
It is now 30 races - and over a year - since the s It is now 30 races - and over a year - since the second Red Bull finished in the top five of a race 😳 (including sprint races)
F1 x Disney, you say… Let us tell you the story F1 x Disney, you say… Let us tell you the story of Disney x Indy Racing League - the one-mile Walt Disney World Speedway Built on a triangular parcel of land adjacent to the Disney World theme park in Florida, the Speedway was built without any permanent facilities (these would be brought in for race weekend) to minimise capital expenditure, shorten construction times and most importantly… to free up valuable parking space the rest of the year. The first event was held in January 1996 when 51,000 turned up to see Buzz Calkins win the ‘1996 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World Speedway’, the first round of the newly formed Indy Racing League. The IRL would race there for five seasons, with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series hosting races at the track in 1997 and 1998. But the same decisions which helped get the facility up and running would ultimately contribute to its demise. The long lead time it took to erect temporary facilities before each race meant valuable car park spaces were unavailable during peak holiday season, while the costs of installing and taking down temporary stands added to the circuit’s operating costs. The January date posed further problems, serving as a distraction during the IRL’s pre-season testing. After the IRL and the Speedway couldn’t agree on a date for 2001, racing didn’t return. The circuit lived on as a test track and home of a number of driving experiences before finally closing in 2015 to make room for “transport improvements” (PR speak for car parking spaces). So… F1 in the Disney World parking lot? Stranger things have happened… 📸 Unattributed / Various
Your C+S Emilia-Romagna Power Rankings are in 💪 Your C+S Emilia-Romagna Power Rankings are in 💪 Who’s Hot… 🔥 +3 🇩🇪 Franz Hermann – Nordschleife GT3 lap record last week, 2 hour sim race on Sat night, Grand Prix win on Sunday. +2 🇹🇭 Alex Albon – With P5, Alex now has nearly triple the points of the next non-Max/McLaren/Ferrari/Merc driver. +1 🇬🇧 Lewis Hamilton – P4 was probably the best Ferrari could achieve. A glimmer of hope for Lewis after a difficult season. ⸻ Who’s Not… ❄️ -3 📲 Toxic fans – The vile and racist comments from a small number of Colapinto fans do not belong in F1. -2 🇫🇷 Alpine – Early days but Colapinto’s quali crash and P16 on Sunday did little to validate Doohan’s brutal axing. -1 🇦🇺 Oscar Piastri – A bit harsh, yes, but we judge Oscar as the WDC leader, and today was a rare off day.
Tamburello, Imola. Where Formula 1 got lucky… un Tamburello, Imola. Where Formula 1 got lucky… until it didn’t. Nelson Piquet (1987, top), Gerhard Berger (1989, middle) and Michele Alboreto (1991 testing, bottom) were amongst drivers to have heavy impacts at the high speed left hander - and survive. After his accident, Berger spoke to Ayrton Senna, telling him how someone could die at the corner one day. “After my accident, Ayrton called me to ask about my condition and I told him that someone would kill himself there, because the wall is too close to the track,” Berger later recalled. “You’re right,” Senna replied. But with a river right behind the wall - and perhaps a false sense of safety (after all, by 1989 no one had died during a Grand Prix weekend for 7 years) - Tamburello remained unchanged. But 5 years later, those ominous words came true, with the death of Ayrton Senna at the fearsome corner. Luck had finally run out. 📸 Unattributed
It’s a a grainy photograph of a moment nearly 40 It’s a a grainy photograph of a moment nearly 40 years ago. A moment of joy and elation. A moment that still means so much to the Tifosi. 358 days after the death of Gilles Villeneuve, Frenchman Patrick Tambay holds his hands aloft as he wins at Imola in front of the adoring Tifosi—the last time Enzo Ferrari would see one his cars first to the chequered flag. Gilles’ No. 27 is emblazoned on Tambay’s car as he passes a Canadian flag on the on the Autodromo Dino Ferrari (as it was then known) grid. Its a fitting tribute to the great Villeneuve and ends a tragic and tumultuous chapter in the Scuderia’s history that began with a Villeneuve-Piroini feud at Imola and culminated in Gilles’ death and an accident that ended Didier’s career. It was meant to be, as Tambay recalled years later in an interview with the Race. “Something strange was going on out there,” he said. “At one stage in the race, I was losing focus a little, then there was a loud bang and something pushed my helmet. I’ve no idea what it was but it woke me up. Maybe it was Gilles…” 📸 Unattributed
Gerhard Berger’s horrifying shunt at the 1989 Sa Gerhard Berger’s horrifying shunt at the 1989 San Marino GP - quick acting marshals had the blaze out in 20 seconds, saving his life. Berger escaped with burns to his hands, bruising and cracked ribs - but lived to race on for another 8 years.
Finally some common sense 🙌 People who move ne Finally some common sense 🙌 People who move next door to existing race tracks in Iowa will no longer be able to make noise complaints or take other action after a new bill was signed into law: Bill HF 645 reads: “A racing facility or racetrack shall not be subject to any action brought by a surrounding property owner under any nuisance, taking, or other theory if the racing facility or racetrack was built before the surrounding real property owner either purchased the real property or built in the area of the racing facility or racetrack.”
Happy 75th Birthday to Formula 1! 🎉 Today mark Happy 75th Birthday to Formula 1! 🎉 Today marks 75 years since the first ever World Championship Grand Prix - the 1950 British Grand Prix at Silverstone 🇬🇧
We’re in love 😍 How good is the GT-One inspi We’re in love 😍 How good is the GT-One inspired retro livery Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe will run on the No. 7 Toyota GR01 at Le Mans?
May 8, 1982. Final qualifying for the Belgian Gr May 8, 1982. Final qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix. Didier Pironi walks back to the Ferrari garage carrying his and teammate Gilles Villeneuve’s helmets. Villeneuve has just crashed, thrown violently from his somersaulting Ferrari after clipping the back of Jochen Mass’s March at over 200km/h. Pironi is one of the first drivers on the scene. He is lead away, distraught, while Villeneuve is rushed by helicopter to the University St Raphael Hospital. Tragically, he is declared dead that evening. One of the sport’s greatest talents lost at just 32 years old. Villeneuve had been flat-out, likely trying to beat Pironi’s faster time. A fortnight earlier at Imola the pair’s relationship had soured after Pironi ignored team orders to overtake Villeneuve and win. The move enraged the Canadian, who vowed never to speak to Pironi again. “Our relationship had always been good and I trusted him”, Villeneuve had said. “But I won’t make that fucking mistake again”. He never had the chance. After Zolder, Pironi would soon take the lead in the Championship, but something changed. “He went very… strange”, observed Harvey Postlethwaite. “He had big personal problems (including the dissolution of his marriage), but they didn’t seem to concern him too much. He became incredibly arrogant and overconfident.” Death would visit Formula 1 again at Montreal a few weeks later. Pironi, starting from pole, stalled on the grid and was hit from behind by young Riccardo Paletti. The Osella driver was killed, the sport’s second fatality in five weeks. By Hockenheim, Pironi was nine points ahead in the Championship when he suffered terrible leg injuries in an accident eerily similar to Villeneuve’s, ending his Formula 1 career. He took up offshore powerboat racing instead, frightening co-drivers with his fearless style. “He just wouldn’t back off”, Tico Martini said. “Even over big waves”. His luck ran out when he hit the wake of an oil tanker off the Isle of Wight. He drowned in the crash, leaving behind his pregnant girlfriend who would give birth to twins. Their names? Gilles and Didier. 📸 Unattributed
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