Italian Grand Prix this weekend
Monza
Think of the great race at Spa in
Belgium, and now pray for the same at Monza in Italy. This
is another driver’s circuit; however, like many other
circuits, Monza has not been a single layout, but a series
of more than a dozen layouts which have ranged in length
from 2.4 km to 9 km. The circuit was opened in the Monza
Royal Park, near Milan, in 1922 and featured bankings,
though these were demolished in 1939. The bankings which
featured in some races, 1955-69, were new structures built
on the format of the original. Bankings were used for the
Italian GP in 1955, ‘56, ‘60 and ‘61, and were last used for
racing of any form in 1969 when the concrete became in need
of substantial resurfacing and rebuilding.
The 1971 Italian GP holds the record for
the fastest-ever Formula One race but, emphatically, that is
not the same as saying the fastest race for Grand Prix cars.
That honor remains in the possession of the 1937 Avusrennen
with Rosemeyer in the Auto Union recording a 276 kph lap.
After 1971, the circuit underwent some
revisions to discourage slipstreaming and to lower the
average lap speed. Chicanes were added in 1976 and, in 1994,
the second Lesmo Bend was tightened and the Curve Grande was
re-profiled.
The World Championship is still very
open, with five more GPs after this one (125 points up for
grabs), so we can expect that the main protagonists will
still be trying very hard. We will be watching from our
perches at Jameson’s Irish Pub (Soi AR, next to Nova Park)
and the racing commences at 7 p.m., but check your local TV
feed to be sure, as some providers can switch to delayed
telecasting. Join us around 6 p.m. for dinner (I do
recommend the carvery), a beer and a chat before the race
begins at 7 p.m.
New
Thai-built Ford Focus, as well as Fiesta for export
FoMoCo (Ford Motor Company) is building a
new (another) manufacturing plant in Rayong province which
will increase Ford’s South-East Asian production capacity by
more than 50 percent, and is part of a major push by FoMoCo
to increase its presence in emerging markets. It is expected
that the new Thai plant should be on-line by early 2012.
Ford had made similar investments in Argentina and Brazil in
recent years.
Focus on Thailand
The new plant’s annual capacity will
exceed 150,000 units and is designed to fuel the growing
demand for cars in the ten countries that make up the
Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
With Ford announcing that it will begin
producing Fiesta and Ranger models in Thailand from later
this year comes the news that other models may also be
sourced from Thailand once the firm’s new $450 million plant
is operational.
Although the list is yet to be finalized,
a Ford spokesperson told the Carsales Network in Australia
that the Focus, once slated for Australian production, was
“a safe bet” for inclusion in the Thai production schedule,
the car being produced in Asia for Australian, New Zealand
and South-East Asian consumption.
Autotrivia
Quiz
Last week I mentioned that Continuously
Variable Transmission (CVT) is common in cars today. I asked
which manufacturer used it first on motorcycles? The answer
was Rudge in 1912 with their Rudge Multigear.
So to this week. What British car,
designed with America in mind, broke 63 American stock car
records at Indianapolis over seven days?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be
the first correct answer to email [email protected]. Good
luck!
Is your
engine about to expire?
We have all become used to on-board
computers that can tell us how many km before the tank runs
dry, and how much fuel we are consuming at this speed, etc.,
etc., etc. But what about an on-board computer that can tell
you the engine is about to expire?
Andrew Yeoman
Trimble MRM, an expert in telematics, has
developed an in-vehicle black-box - officially called the
TVG660 - which is already provided to some of the UK’s
largest fleets, and is now being made available to the
public, and is called ‘Driver DNA’.
Andrew Yeoman, managing director of
Trimble MRM Europe says, “The technology provides real-time
information on vehicle condition as well as fuel efficiency
and CO2 emissions. This would mean the worry over breakdowns
will be a thing of the past. We’ve already seen how useful
‘Driver DNA’ is to our fleet clients but families could also
benefit hugely from having it in their cars.”
The pioneering device sends alerts with
information on engine, health, faults and even battery life,
improving both fuel economy and of course, the dreaded
repair and breakdown costs.
Used sensibly, you can begin to predict
when your vehicle really needs servicing, and whether or not
it is well enough to drive to Bangkok or Nakhon Nowhere. I
won’t put one on my Mira. It would tell me not to drive it
out of the car port.
This time
it’s F1 technology for bicycles!
Zircotec, a coatings manufacturer has
discovered a new application for their technology. The
coatings have two applications in braking systems. The first
is a ceramic coating that is used as a heat barrier on F1
cars and the second is the new bicycle application
F1 brakes
The UK based firm, formerly part of the
UK’s Atomic Energy Authority, originally developed its
technologies for use in reactors and in the last ten years
has been expanding into new sectors with a greater emphasis
on composites. The solutions for composites can be separated
into two categories; those that protect against heat and
those that protect against wear and abrasion. For wear, the
solutions are metal based and for temperature, they are
ceramic, notably zirconia. The composite materials that can
be coated include carbon fiber, sintered nylon and
fiberglass.
High-temperature plasma-sprayed ceramic
coatings can, on the other hand, provide lightweight, easily
packaged and highly durable thermal barriers suitable for a
wide range of highly aggressive environments. Zirconia has a
thermal efficiency of less than 1.7 W/m K (compared with 4
W/m K for alumina), creating a coating that is very
effective at inhibiting the radiation of heat from a surface
Believed to be the only product of its
type available commercially, the process is so effective it
allows composites to function in temperatures above their
melting point; testing for a typical application gave a
reduction in composite surface temperature of more than
125บC. This has been particularly useful in 2010 for F1
brake components such as air ducts. “With no refuelling in
F1 this year, the cars are heavier and the brakes are under
higher strains,” says Zircotec’s sales director Peter
Whyman.
Just like F1 teams, suppliers don’t stand
still and one of Zircotec’s latest projects is refining
anti-wear coatings that are expected to make a big impact in
the cycling world. “Our ultra thin ceramic coating provides
a tough, long lasting solution which allows cyclists to
retain the simplicity and weight benefits of rim brakes and
achieve improvements in stopping distance, wear and wet
weather performance,” suggests Whyman.
Up until now, however, using carbon as a
braking surface has led to compromises in brake performance,
notably in wet weather conditions or where high temperatures
are experienced such as on steep descents. Cork-based pads
reduce the risk of damage to the rim surface but these can
disintegrate in the wet. Other methods, such as aluminum
braking rings or switching to more complex disc setups
negate the weight benefits of a carbon wheel.
Whether we like it or not, the new
technologies are all around us, and being applied in all
kinds of different ways. Imagine a computer keyboard where
the numbers and letters don’t wear off!
Formula 1
technology for patient rehabilitation?
A new British company uses motor sport
technology to create objective analysis and measurement
physiotherapy products to improve patient assessment,
condition and the need for surgical intervention.
This new organization, combining Formula
1 technology and the experience of one of Britain’s most
renowned research physiotherapists aims to advance patient
rehabilitation and conditioning techniques.
The Gatherer Partnership, created by Don
Gatherer and motorsport engineering expert John Bailey, will
develop a range of innovative products and support packages
that for the first time, offer physiotherapists accurate and
objective data for the management of neuromusculoskeletal
conditions. Data such as peak force and fatigue rating of
voluntary muscle contraction will enable physiotherapists to
assess the patient’s true condition, determine the need for
surgery as well as the ability to create and administer
bespoke conditioning and rehabilitation programs.
“Physiotherapy often relies on subjective
data that can affect recovery levels and times,” says Don
Gatherer. “Our equipment will provide information on what
the patient really can achieve and how their condition is
developing over time. Extensive work undertaken with rugby
players suggests we can improve recovery times too.”
To acquire such objective data, The
Gatherer Partnership is incorporating electronic measurement
devices that are typically found in F1 racing cars. “Using
load-cells and associated telemetry will introduce
previously unseen levels of accuracy, repeatability and
quality data to the physiotherapy profession,” says John
Bailey. “It genuinely can revolutionize the role of the
physiotherapist.”
Aside from the professional sports sector
where Gatherer, a former Great Britain Olympic and England
rugby physio is highly regarded, The Gatherer Partnership
expects its tools to be relevant to a range of applications
including defense, medical, insurance and leisure
industries. “Examples include physical fitness assessments
and monitoring at a gym or whether a physical injury claim
was legitimate,” suggests Bailey. “Users would have access
to objective data on a patient’s condition and its
progression based on actual data rather than a subjective
assessment. This could be very useful to the insurance
industry or even for benefits agencies for example.”
Natter
Nosh and Noggin
The monthly car enthusiasts meeting will
be at Jameson’s Irish Pub on Soi AR next to the Nova Park
development. The car (and bike) enthusiasts meet on the
second Monday of the month, so this time it is Monday
(September 13) at Jameson’s at 7 p.m. This is a totally
informal meeting of like-minded souls to discuss their pet
motoring (and motorcycling) loves and hates. Many
interesting debates come from these evenings. Come along and
meet guys who have a common interest in cars and bikes, and
enjoy the Jameson’s specials, washed down with a few beers.
A great no-pressure evening.
