Created in 1962, the 24 Hours of Daytona has never stopped evolving since that year.In its early days, the race lasted 3 hours and thus counted towards the World Sports Car Championship.Subsequently, it is changed to a 2000km run, then to a 12 hour run, and finally a 24 hours race since 1966.
It became a kind of american Le Mans 24H race, however the race tarck is completely different (half oval with long bankings and half twisty infield).
The 24 hours of Daytona race was the 1st meeting of the world endurance calendar, until it left the world championship in 1982 when Group C regulations came into effect .
This race had its golden age between the end of the 60s and the beginning of the 90s.
The Peugeot 205 T16 is one of the most fascinating rally cars of all times.Based on the iconic Peugeot model, the little 205 that saved the french company from bankruptcy, the rally version was designed in the early 80s to comply with the homologation rules of the Group B category.
The 205 Turbo 16 was the first group B car that have been built practically as a road racing prototype, hoarding top-notch mechanics, performance and
innovations that made the most of the regulations of the time.
Masterfully directed by Jean Todt, Peugeot team and its little bomb was about to
defeat the all-powerful Audi and its soon outdated Audi Quattro.
Technically speaking, the car incorporated a tubular chassis, four-wheel drive and a turbocharged double camshaft 16
valves 4-cylinders engine located in central transverse position for an optimal weight distribution while
the 110-litre fuel tank was placed under the seats.
Between
1984 and 1986, the lion brand achieved 16 victories and two world titles,
with the two 205 T16 evolutions driven by some of the biggest names in rallying such as Ari Vatanen, Timo Salonen, Juha Kankkunen, Bruno Saby or Michel Mouton.
After the ban of Group B cars, the teamPeugeot-Talbot sport reconverted into Marathon Rallies and the 205 Turbo 16 went on to triumph in the Paris-Dakar Rally and Pharaoh rally, and also at the greatest mountain climb in
the world, the Pikes Peak in Colorado (US).
Since the Group B cars had been banned at the end of 1986 world Rally championship, the road was wide open for the Group A reasonable cars which were a kind of 2nd category in rallying since the new regulations took place 4 years before.
The Group A machines were derived directly from production models produced to at least 5000 units per year, and were allowed to introduce a relatively limited number of modifications and preparation.
In order to respond to these changes, Lancia had fortunatly in its catalog the perfect car to respond to these regulations. A model that had been exhibited in Turin a few years earlier, the Lancia Delta. Lancia
racing team concocted on its basis the Delta HF 4WD which had been marketed in spring 1987, of
which Lancia immediately extrapolated a rally version.
On the other side of the Alps, their big rival during Group B era, Peugeot, were not enthusiastic about the idea of banning the overpowered Group B cars even though they had to admit as everybody then that Group B couldn't go on for obvious security reasons. But the problem was that Peugeot didn't have in its catalog a model that could stand against Lancia in Group A.
For Lancia and the FIAT group, the Delta HF 4WD proved to be more than a good choice. The Delta Group
A allowed the Transalpine manufacturer to glean six consecutive WRC
titles between 1987 and 1992! A record never equalled, making it the
most successful car in rallying History.
Countless other wins in other championships at other levels including Rallycross added to the Delta record victories.
One of the 1st Group B rally cars, the Audi Quattro was already competing in WRC in the Group 4 class before FISA introduced a new category opened to cars using four-wheel drive and turbo -among other innovations- inaugurating an exciting and dangerous era in Rallying.
The only serious opponent to the Quattro during the 1st Group B years was the two wheels drive Lancia Rally 037. Maybe the Quattro had the advanced 4WD technology which gave it a clear advantage on most terrains (except on asphalt where the light weight, the rear engine and propulsion mode of the Lancia 037 were better options), but the Audi Quattro suffered some reliability issues the first years giving the title to the italian car.
Soon after, the Audi became dominant but that didn't last too long. In 1985 Peugeot and later Lancia through its new model, the Delta S4, came to shake up the leaderboard. The german car couldn't do anything more with its front engined car against road prototypes made specifically for rallying on slippery terrain.
The following Audi Quattro evolutions were built more in the Group B spirit than the original Quattro using an engine that delivered more than 500 HP. Unfortunatly this car came too late and won only 1 rally, the 1985 San Remo. After a dramatic 1986 Portugal Rally, Audi decided to withdraw from WRC before the end of the season.
As in some of previous posts about classic racing circuits that have been slightly or seriously modified, here is another example of a circuit - Kyalami - that is still appreciated even after it has been radically changed.
Some conservative fans don't like the new track, but it's still fast and in my humble opinion, technically much more interesting than its original layout.
The old one was a bit too fast, F1 were lapping around in less than 1'10".
Let's start these Kyalami videos with the old track...
Then the new one...
Enjoy this Senna onboard cam on the modified circuit during the 1992 south african GP...
Here's an epic collection of the F1 circuits ! The new Kyalami is among the set.
Nigel Mansell won't probably consider his Ferrari years as the best in his long career if he'd had to compare them to his Williams glorious era. But he'd have to admit he was among a very closed club of non-italian drivers that have won the tifosi hearts such as Gilles Villeneuve, Michael Schumacher, René Arnoux or Jean Alesi. Thanks to his bravery, commitment in driving, legendary fighting spirit and natural skills, he fully deserved the italian version of his british nickname "Lionheart", Il Leone.
From his incredible wins in Brasil and Hungary to some impressive moves like his overtaking on Senna at the Hungaroring in 1989, his stunning flatout 360° after Tamburello at Imola the same year and an "out of this world" overtaking from the outside on Berger at the frightening Peraltada parabolica in the penultimate lap of the 1990 mexican Grand Prix... There's no doubt his Ferrari period will be remembered for spectacular achievements that will remain as some of the most epic exploits in F1 History.
Nigel Mansell – Mexico ’90, Scuderia Ferrari - Giclee-Print
Despite a script that could hold in one page and dialogues of only a few lines, Le Mans will remain forever as one of the bestfilms - if not the best - ever devoted to motorsport.
It is more a report than a real film, the script being there only to serve as a pretext.
In a sense, it is closer to real cinema than the average Hollywood movie, in that it tells a story, albeit simple, based primarily on images.
For
the fans anyway, Steve McQueen’s"Le Mans" became lately, after it was released on DVD, a cult classic,
especially since it was shot during one of the most legendary races, the 24
hours of Le Mans, in its most epic era, that of the fight
between the iconic Porsche 917 cars and their rivals the Ferrari 512s.
The following two books are actually comic books. It's simply Le Mans movie adapted into a graphic novel. The original script is a bit rearranged to fit better a graphic novel.
Originally made in french, it is also available in english and other languages.
In my opinion, I think that among motorsports comics, those are the best ever made. At least from visual and technical quality point of view.
Except his 6 wins on Lotus, all Ayrton Senna successes were at the wheel of McLaren cars, especially the McLaren-Honda. Ron Dennis team was almost a second family for him.
Ayrton Senna F1 Canvas
by AM Design
80 x 60cm canvas of the Ayrton Senna in his 1993 McLaren MP4/8A
