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BMW

ROWE Racing finishes 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers on the rostrum – Three BMW M4 GT3s within the prime six.

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Nürburgring. The BMW M Motorsport groups ROWE Racing and RMG efficiently accomplished crucial race weekend on the Nordschleife earlier than the 24 Hours of Nürburgring (GER). During the 24h Qualifiers, all three BMW M4 GT3s accomplished many laps and picked up precious information. In addition, there was racing success within the 4-hour race on Sunday. Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Maxime Martin (BEL), and Marco Wittmann (GER) drove the #98 ROWE Racing automotive to a second-place end on the rostrum. The sister #99 automotive and the BMW M Team RMV #72 BMW M4 GT3 completed in fourth and sixth locations, respectively.

The 24h Qualifiers consisted of two races, every 4 hours lengthy. On Saturday, the BMW M Motorsport groups targeted on set-up work. Dan Harper (GBR), Max Hesse (GER), and Charles Weerts (BEL) have been the highest-placed crew as tenth within the #72 BMW M4 GT3. Augusto Farfus (BRA), Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), and Dries Vanthoor (BEL) completed twelfth within the ROWE Racing automotive #99. The #98 BMW M4 GT3 retired after an unavoidable collision however made up for it with the rostrum end on Sunday. The race weekend was notably precious for Weerts and Marciello, as each accomplished their first races within the BMW M4 GT3 on the Nordschleife and have been capable of full many laps. Marciello additionally celebrated his first podium as a BMW M works driver.

At the 24h Qualifiers – additionally rounds three and 4 of the Nürburgring Endurance Series NLS – quite a few different classes have been current alongside the GT3 automobiles. BMW M Motorsport groups achieved a complete of 9 class victories within the two races.

Reactions after the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers:

Hans-Peter Naundorf (Team Principal ROWE Racing): “Our team and our drivers did a very good job this weekend. Despite the unprovoked retirement in the race on Saturday, we covered many kilometres and gained valuable insights about the new tyres. Our drivers were able to get used to the Nordschleife and the tuning again. We have already got into a good groove with Raffaele Marciello. Thanks to the good work of the team and some lucky circumstances, we were rewarded with a podium on Sunday, the second within eight days after our victory in the GT World Challenge Europe. It’s a nice reward for the intensive work in the past weeks.”

Stefan Reinhold (Team Principal BMW M Team RMG): “Overall, it was a good test run for the 24-hour race. On Saturday, we still had some things to sort out with the set-up and couldn’t keep up with the lead. Things went better on Sunday, although we had a slight collision in the first corner of the race and had to repair the car during the first stop. Charles Weerts has integrated very well into our team and was able to complete many valuable laps this weekend.”

Raffaele Marciello (#98 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing): “We can be very happy with the podium today. Our pace was good, and we had a good strategy. The main goal this weekend was to prepare ourselves as well as possible for the 24-hour race because that’s where it really counts. Of course, you can never be one hundred percent perfectly prepared for such a special race, but I think we are in a good position.”

Sheldon van der Linde (#99 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing): “Fourth place is a good result to end the weekend. We may not have had the fastest car, but our pit stops were great and ultimately got us to this position. Of course, the preparation for the 24-hour race was the main focus, and we ticked all the boxes on our list. That also applies to me personally. It was my first time this season on the Nordschleife, and I was able to complete many laps which helped me a lot. I feel very well prepared.”

Charles Weerts (#72 BMW M4 GT3, BMW M Team RMG): “It was a good weekend for us, where we could finish both races without major problems. As a team, we are still finding the perfect tuning for the new tyres. That worked out much better on Sunday than on Saturday. Personally, I learn something new with every single lap on the Nordschleife and am gathering many valuable experiences. Things are already going quite well, but I can certainly continue to improve.”

PeugeotUk

2024 PEUGEOT 9X8 UNVEILS ITS NEW SILHOUETTE, ACCENTUATED BY AN EXCEPTIONAL LIVERY

  • Having accomplished a number of thousand miles of checks, Team PEUGEOT TotalEnergies is delighted to unveil the 2024 PEUGEOT 9X8, which is able to make its aggressive debut on the 6 Hours of Imola on the 21 of April, spherical two of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship.

 

  • In order to take advantage of adjustments to the laws that enable groups to deploy a simpler tyre set-up utilizing completely different widths on the entrance (29cm) and rear (34cm), the PEUGEOT Sport workforce has tailored the aerodynamics of the PEUGEOT 9X8, while preserving 90% of the bodywork, which now includes a rear wing.

 

  • For the third yr working, PEUGEOT Design and PEUGEOT Sport have labored collectively to give you a really particular livery, designed solely by PEUGEOT’s in-house groups. The model’s emblematic Lion – a logo of velocity, flexibility and energy – lies on the coronary heart of the design.

 

After a primary full season within the FIA World Endurance Championship, together with an encouraging efficiency at Le Mans 24H and a maiden podium (3rd) at Monza, and having spent a lot of the opening race of the 2024 season on the entrance in Losail, the PEUGEOT 9X8 has been fitted with a number of substantial upgrades because it seems to be to play a number one function this yr in what is ready to be an extremely aggressive Hypercar class that includes 9 producers and nineteen prototypes.

In its preliminary model, the PEUGEOT 9X8 was designed utilizing a set of specs that met the technical laws drawn up in 2020/2021. However, between the design part of the automobile and its aggressive bow in the summertime of 2022, the laws modified, opening up the potential for bettering efficiency in sure areas. Some design settings had been due to this fact revised in an effort to maximise the potential and meet the formidable targets set by Team PEUGEOT TotalEnergies.

“We made choices that are no longer the right ones now and this difference in performance was not sufficiently offset by the BOP (Balance of Performance) in 2023,” defined Olivier Jansonnie, Peugeot Sport Technical Director. “The idea was, therefore, to go back to a car design that is similar to that of our rival’s car design, so that it would then be given equivalent treatment by the BOP. This is why we decided to drop the use of identical 31/31cm tyre widths on all the wheels, choosing to fit 29cm tyres at the front and 34cm tyres at the rear. Strictly speaking, it’s not a new car, as it has the same chassis, but there are a lot of upgrades. For the tyres to work effectively, we had to alter the centre of gravity of the PEUGEOT 9X8, which meant moving certain components and working to make others lighter. In order to have a better aerodynamic balance, we also had to look at redistributing the aerodynamic loads, which resulted in us redesigning approximately 90% of the bodywork components, most notably adding the rear wing. As well as all this, we decided to use this new homologation to add some reliability and performance upgrades to give us the best opportunities in the championship.”

The choice was taken in March 2023 to introduce some radical upgrades to the automobile for the 2024 season. Everyone at PEUGEOT Sport labored tirelessly to revamp the automobile concurrently participating within the 2023 WEC marketing campaign. “It was a project within a project, which increased the team’s workload substantially,” continued Olivier Jansonnie. “But we were able to rely on the unwavering commitment of Team PEUGEOT TotalEnergies and we’re now really looking forward to showing off the result of their hard work. The target is clearly to get back among the frontrunners, fight regularly for podiums and even challenge for race wins.”

These upgrades additionally offered a possibility to pursue the working relationship begun 4 years in the past with PEUGEOT Sport: “After an elegant, understated design to mark PEUGEOT’s return to Endurance racing in 2022, then the 2023 livery produced by the visual artist Demsky, celebrating both the Centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 30th anniversary of PEUGEOTt’s one-two-three at Le Mans 24H, this time we came up with a design that deploys the ‘Lion Head’ in different scales,” detailed Matthias Hossann, PEUGEOT Brand Design Director. ”This graphic design, symbolising a ‘Pack Of Lions’, conveys the sense of collective that displays the values of endurance racing completely.

We needed to focus on this workforce spirit and the wealth of expertise within the workforce. The design is produced in several sizes and completely different colors taken from the PEUGEOT Sport color chart, together with black, gray, white and kryptonite. This theme is equally deployed on the approach to life merchandising merchandise developed by PEUGEOT’s graphic design workforce.”

After making its ultimate look on the Qatar 1812km, the opening spherical of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship, which confirmed the progress made by Team PEUGEOT TotalEnergies, the 2023 model of the PEUGEOT 9X8 is now set to make manner for the 2024 model on the 6 Hours of Imola, spherical two of the FIA WEC season, on 21 April. It was, after all, at Imola’s Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari that PEUGEOT scored a surprising one-two end again in 2011.

Linda Jackson, Brand Chief Executive Officer of PEUGEOT, mentioned “2023, the first full year of Team PEUGEOT TotalEnergies competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship, was a rewarding experience for everyone involved as the team took shape, and showed its determination and passion, even though there were difficult times. For 2024, the target is still the same, to win races! We know that the competition will be even tougher this year but our team has worked very hard to develop a 2024 version of the PEUGEOT 9X8 that reflects the values of the brand perfectly. The energy and effort put in by Team PEUGEOT TotalEnergies have been invaluable. We are proud to be part of this new era in Endurance racing and we want to leave our mark on the sport.”

Jean-Marc Finot, Stellantis Motorsport Senior VP

“First and foremost, I would like to congratulate and thank the entire PEUGEOT Sport team for its excellent work. It really is no small feat to have been able to redesign part of the car in record time whilst managing to compete in the 2023 season. The PEUGEOT 9X8 was originally designed to meet the 2020/2021 regulations when the LMHs had to be fitted with equally sized tyres at the front and rear. The regulations have evolved since, enabling some of our rivals to fit larger tyres at the rear. We had thought that the BoP would be enough to offset our structural design handicap, but this has not been the case. It was therefore necessary to redesign part of the car to adapt it to the new tyre dimensions. We had to shift the car’s centre of gravity, alter the distribution of the aerodynamic loads, add a rear wing, produce lighter components, and so on. Our simulations and initial track testing sessions have shown that the car has more performance. We therefore hope to stay among the frontrunners without however getting close to the BoP limit, with minimum weight and maximum power.”

Peugeot Sport information

Find all the newest information about Peugeot Sport on its new web site (www.peugeot-sport.com) and on the next platforms:

Twitter: @peugeotsport

Facebook: @peugeot.sport

Instagram: @peugeotsportofficial

YouTube:  Peugeot Sport Official

Discover our final preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr6rZlMVAV0

Discover the brand new press package: right here

Media website/Photos/Video: https://www.media.stellantis.com/em-en/peugeot-sport

Peugeot Sport WEC Media Contacts:

Justine Morice / justine.morice@external.stellantis.com / +3376262287

Sonya D’Artois / sonya.dartois@external.stellantis.com / +33627816828

 
 
NewsNew

125 2-STROKES ON THE DYNO: THE WRAP

We simply accomplished our 2024 125 two-stroke shootout and it was a head scratcher. Two years in the past we in contrast the then-new 2022 Yamaha YZ125 with the GasGas MC125. The GasGas was sooner, lighter and dealt with virtually in addition to the Yamaha. They had been the very same value on the time, so the GasGas was a straightforward winner. In the 2 mannequin years which have passed by since then, the KTM 125SX, Husqvarna TC125 and the GasGas have all been up to date with electrical begin, throttle-body gas injection and digital powervalves. Now, the Yamaha is the one which’s unchanged. 

The very last thing we do in every shootout is take the bikes to the dyno. We don’t need check riders to know the numbers earlier than they supply their opinions. Usually, the dyno merely helps their seat-of-the-pants impression. But, that’s not precisely what occurred this time. Virtually all of the check riders felt the brand new variations of the Austrian bikes had misplaced energy–which was true. They additionally felt the Yamaha was the brand new horsepower champ on high–which wasn’t true.

PEAK POWER
Husqvarna TC125: 37.02 hp @11,430 rpm
GasGas MC125: 36.51 hp @11,530 rpm
KTM 125SX: 35.94 hp @11,430 rpm
Yamaha YZ125: 35.78 hp @11,670 rpm

PEAK TORQUE
Husqvarna TC125: 17.18 lb-ft @10,950 rpm
GasGas MC125: 16.91 lb-ft @11,060 rpm
KTM 125SX: 16.88 lb-ft @10,960 rpm
Yamaha YZ125: 16.47 lb-ft @10,940 rpm

As you may see from the Pro Circuit dyno, the height horsepower of all 4 bikes is comparable. There’s solely a 1 ¼ hp distinction between the strongest and the weakest on high. Before the height, nevertheless, the Yamaha lags behind the others. Sean Lipanovich, Mark Tilley, Carson Brown and Jared Hicks all felt the Yamaha was the strongest within the center. The Yamaha feels that means as a result of it has the least flywheel impact and essentially the most free-revving engine. The new Austrian motors with their throttle physique gas injection have a extra enduro-bike really feel and don’t reply effectively to clutch work. We contemplate the dyno an attention-grabbing instrument, however not the ultimate decide on something. How did all of them stack up on the monitor? The full check will seem within the April, 2024 print version of Dirt Bike.

GET PAID TO RACE!

Photo: Align Media

More producers have introduced contingency applications for 2024. Last month Kawasaki introduced a program that’s a giant step up from the previous. A Loretta Lynn’s Amateur nationwide Championship is price $2000 in lots of lessons. For a GNCC XC1 Pro win, the payout is $10,000. A 450 Pro win in NGPC will earn $6000. Most of the bigger A lessons pays $1000 to the winner in main off-road collection, with $300 going to the winner in smaller lessons.

Honda’s program pays $1500  for a win on the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur nationals. On the off-road facet, it’s price $7500 for a GNCC Pro win and $400 to many A category winners..

This week, KTM joined the listing with 7 million in choices. Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National Championship pays out $1000for a win in lots of lessons. In off highway racing, a GNCC XC-1 Pro class win pays $5000. Most of the opposite excessive profile off-road races (NH&H, NGPC, NEPG) pays $2500 for a professional win. The particular person lessons pay round $300 for a win. Husqvarna has additionally introduced a $7 million contingency program with comparable payouts to KTM’s. Pros will get a debit card whereas the amateurs will get a vendor debit card.

GLENDALE SUPERCROSS

See you there!

–Ron Lawson
BMW

FIA WEC – Hypercar class: BMW M Motorsport completes its squad of BMW M works drivers for the 2024 season.

Munich. BMW M Motorsport has accomplished its squad of BMW M works drivers who will line up within the Hypercar class when the producer returns to the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) in 2024. Dries Vanthoor (BEL) and Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) had already been confirmed, and at the moment are joined within the high class of the FIA WEC by Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Marco Wittmann (GER), Robin Frijns (NED) and René Rast (GER) within the two BMW M Hybrid V8s run by BMW M Team WRT.

 

Vanthoor will alternate on the wheel of the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 with BMW M Motorsport newcomer Marciello and Wittmann. Van der Linde shares the driving duties within the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 with Frijns and Rast.

Quotes on the FIA WEC line-up:

Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “We compete in the 2024 WEC season with a very strong selection from our high-class works driver squad in the Hypercar class. We have combined driving excellence with experience in the two BMW M Hybrid V8s – on the one hand experience with our LMDh car, on the other hand experience of the race series and Le Mans in particular. Like Sheldon van der Linde, Marco Wittmann has already driven the BMW M Hybrid V8 in the IMSA series. All the other drivers – including our newcomer Raffaele Marciello – have already tested the car and will continue to do so intensively in the coming months.”

Vincent Vosse (Team Principal BMW M Team WRT): “With our driver line-up in the Hypercar class, we have something of a dream team. We have worked with Sheldon van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor, Robin Frijns, and also René Rast for many years and know them very well. Marco Wittmann and Raffaele Marciello are new to us, but the first joint tests have gone very well. Now we as a team will be under quite a bit of pressure, because with these drivers we certainly do not lack speed in the cockpit.”

Raffaele Marciello (#15 BMW M Hybrid V8): “I am really looking forward to taking on this major challenge together with BMW M Team WRT. Challenging for race wins and titles in the FIA WEC, with so many big manufacturers, is exactly the challenge I was hoping for. Having been opponents on the racetrack for years, it is fantastic to now drive alongside Dries Vanthoor. And to have a BMW M Motorsport legend like Marco Wittmann on your side is fantastic. I hope to learn from the two of them.”

 

Marco Wittmann (#15 BMW M Hybrid V8): “It is both a pleasure and an honour for me to be part of the WEC squad. Having already driven the BMW M Hybrid V8 in a few races in the IMSA series, I am extremely excited about the Hypercar class in the FIA WEC. There is a lot of genuine hype around this class in 2024, with so many manufacturers and top-class drivers. It is fantastic to be a part of it. The challenge is huge, but I believe we are very well positioned with the BMW M Hybrid V8, BMW M Team WRT, the BMW M Motorsport engineers, and my extremely quick team-mates. The 24 Hours of Le Mans has always been on my bucket list. To drive in the top class in 2024, and hopefully challenge for victory, is a dream come true.”

 

Robin Frijns (#20 BMW M Hybrid V8): “I have worked very successfully with BMW M Team WRT for many years. I have gained experience in the LMP2 class of the FIA WEC – always with the goal of starting in the Hypercar class. I now have that opportunity with BMW M Motorsport, and am absolutely thrilled. Everyone is working very hard on the project to ensure that we have a good basis at the start of the season on which we can build and hopefully pick up a few podiums. I am obviously particularly looking forward to the mega event at Le Mans. My team-mates René and Sheldon are both super guys who I know well from the DTM. I am driving alongside two champions – what could possibly go wrong?”

 

René Rast (#20 BMW M Hybrid V8): “Driving for BMW M Motorsport in the Hypercar class is the start of a new chapter for me. I have driven for Audi in a few individual races in the top FIA WEC class in the past, but never a full season. After that, I raced in the LMP2 class. It is awesome to now be part of a new golden era of endurance racing. I am very much looking forward to the challenge and believe we will be competitive with BMW M Team WRT, the team of engineers at BMW M Motorsport, and the squad of drivers we have.”

NewsNew

2001 RM250 KEVIN WINDHAM TRIBUTE PROJECT: 2-STROKE TUESDAY

On this week’s 2-Stroke Tuesday we provide the first take a look at our accomplished 2001 Suzuki RM250 Ok-Dub Tribute undertaking. This construct began over two years in the past and technically continues to be not finished however we couldn’t maintain in our pleasure any longer! Tim Sharp did all of the wrench turning on this undertaking and we are able to’t thank him sufficient for his consideration to element. Our fearless chief “Ron $-Shot Lawson” did the honors within the studio so take pleasure in.

We labored with a handful of Suzuki race crew sponsors from 2001 like Lightspeed Carbon Fiber, Motul, Excel Rims, Michelin Tires, Pro Circuit, Mototass, Twin Air and Acerbis. Now as a result of it is a tribute and never a reproduction undertaking we additionally introduced some new folks into the combination that included Ride Engineering, Dubya USA, Superlite sprockets, Boyco Racing, ODI, AHM Factory Services, Specbolt, Gutts Racing and Throttle Syndicate topped the construct off with an superior retro graphics package.

The Ride Engineering full clamps bolted proper as much as our inventory body with completely no points and look wonderful as you’ll be able to see. The cut up fashion design brings a few of that modern-day know-how to the desk that may solely profit the general dealing with of this 20 plus yr previous RM250.

Pro Circuit was an enormous supporter of the 250cc Suzuki crew after they have been on two-strokes so we wished to make use of their exhaust. They even discovered a silencer with a stinger on it identical to the crew used again in 2001. Blew our minds. Specbolt offered us with a whole Nikel Wurks bolt package that actually clothes up the bike, we extremely advocate spending the cash on new nuts and bolts when doing a undertaking like this!

AHM Factory Services dealt with all our suspension wants together with the specialty coatings. Brandon and his crew made positive that the colours have been as near what crew Suzuki ran again within the day after which added some addition bling as nicely. We don’t know the way they made our clapped out suspension look so good.

If you might be constructing a Suzuki of any sort gold rims are the cherry on high. Dubya USA provides a inventory rebuild wheel  service that can depart you speechless. The manufacturing unit crew had loopy excessive greenback hubs that had mild gray tint to them, Dubya did a lightweight gray Cerakote, changed all of the bearings after which laced up a set of gold Excel rims utilizing chrome steel spokes. The photos don’t do the job they did justice! We once more added some bling with new {hardware} from Specbolt, a aluminum rear sprocket from Superlite, DID chain, Lightspeed Carbon Fiber and wrapped all of it up with some Michelin Starcross tires.

Teddy Boyco from Boyco Racing in Orange County California took care of all our engine work utilizing Pro X elements. Teddy has been across the bike trade for a very long time and his small store in California does an enormous quantity of labor for folks nationwide . If you might be having a crank rebuilt at your native store and they’re sending it out  there’s a good likelihood Teddy is perhaps aside of that course of.

It seems to be so good we nearly don’t wish to experience it! We at the moment are considering some retro No Fear gear, Aria helmet, Scott goggles and Alpinestar boots identical to Ok-Dub wore again in 2001 can be applicable for the motion images.

Motorsport

Six-Wheeled Toyota Land Cruiser Transformed into a Motorhome

Earthcruiser Australia has recently converted a Toyota Land Cruiser 79 Series into a 6X6 camper, specifically designed for off-road adventures. This unique vehicle, known as the Extreme 330 6×6, was created upon the request of a customer who has previously purchased other vehicles from the company.

The Extreme 330 6×6 features numerous upgrades to ensure optimal performance in rugged terrains. Earthcruiser has installed portal axles, which enhance ground clearance, and differential locks across all three axles. The middle axle also has a steering function, improving the vehicle’s handling capabilities. Additionally, a central tire inflation system allows for remote inflation of the tires while driving. This system can even adjust the tire pressures based on the vehicle’s speed using GPS speed sensing.


Cars

How the Legendary Plymouth Superbird Got Its Name

In October 1969, the first Superbird was completed. These vehicles were modifications of Plymouth Road Runners. In order to develop this car, Plymouth took advantage of obtaining the license of the famous Looney Tunes character, which cost them $50,000. The Superbird featured a car horn that made the distinct sound of the character and showcased a stylish Road Runner graphic.

As any muscle car enthusiast knows, the key to these vehicles is fully embracing their aesthetic. In creating the custom model, there was no better way to convey the fact that this was an enhanced bird than by naming it Superbird.

Plymouth did an exceptional job with the Superbird. They made adjustments to the hood, fenders, and other elements to improve performance. By incorporating elements of the Dodge Coronet with the Road Runner base, the production costs were kept relatively low.

Approximately 2,000 non-racing Superbirds were produced. These cars were equipped with a powerful Chrysler 426 Hemi V8 engine, making them impressive machines that still hold high regard to this day.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen Group has sold its shares in Volkswagen Group Rus to a local investor

Volkswagen Group has completed the sale of its shares in Volkswagen Group Rus LLC including its local subsidiaries (Volkswagen Components and Services LLC, Scania Leasing LLC, Scania Finance LLC, Scania Insurance LLC) to Art-Finance LLC who is supported by the Russian Dealer Avilon. With the registration of the transaction, ownership of the shares in the authorized capital of Volkswagen Group Rus LLC and its subsidiaries is transferred from the sellers to the buyer.

The new owner will acquire all shares in the Russian subsidiaries. The deal has been approved by the Russian government authorities. The transaction includes the production facilities in Kaluga, the importer structure (distribution and after-sales business) and the warehousing and financial services activities with all its associated employees.