Tag Archives: National

News

Huge delays anticipated as M25 part to shut for full weekend

A stretch of the M25 can be closed for a full weekend for the primary time subsequent week and National Highways is warning drivers to “only travel if necessary” and to count on big delays.

The motorway can be closed in each instructions from junction 10 (A3 Wisley) to junction 11 (A320 Chertsey Interchange) from 9pm on Friday, 15 March to 6am on Monday, 18 March. 

National Highways says the street will shut so it could possibly demolish the bridleway bridge at Clearmount and set up a big gantry.

The work may also improve the variety of lanes at junction 10, which, National Highways stated, will “make journeys safer and improve traffic flow”. Entry and exit roads to Wisley, Pyrford, Old Byfleet and RHS Wisley can be made safer, it stated, and air pollution may also be decreased. 

Jonathan Wade, challenge lead for National Highways, stated: “Drivers ought to solely use the M25 if their journey is totally essential. This is the primary of 5 full closures of one of many busiest junctions on our street community.

“We have spent months planning for these closures and ensuring there are diversion routes in place, however there’ll nonetheless be heavy congestion and delays.

“These improvements will bring long-term benefits to drivers who pass through this stretch of the M25, not to mention pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders who will also see positive changes in the area.”

As a part of National Highways’ programme to enhance junction 10, 5 full closures are set to happen between now and September 2024. 

The authorities physique has not but introduced the precise dates of the 4 different closures, however the subsequent one will happen in April to put in the brand new bridleway bridge at Clearmount. Closures is not going to happen throughout vacation durations, it stated.

Future closures will embrace the set up of the brand new Cockrow Green Bridge – the UK’s first heathland bridge, which can join the Ockham and Wisley commons and kind a pure and protected hall for native wildlife.

Between 4000 and 6000 autos journey between junctions 9 and 11 between 10am and 9pm on a weekend, National Highways stated, and it warned that journey to airports equivalent to Heathrow and Gatwick may very well be affected.

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2024 BIG BUCK GNCC VIDEO : RAW RACING ACTION, CRASHES & INTERVIEWS

The first spherical of the 2024 GNCC off-road National race was at Big Buck Farm positioned in Union, South Carolina, and was thrilling as normal. We captured the RAW terrain, RAW interviews, and RAW CARNAGE on your pure enjoymen. This GNCC protection is sponsored by: Red Line Oil: https://www.redlineoil.com P3 Carbon: https://p3carbon.com Nitromousse: https://www.nitromousse.com

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2024 NATIONAL ENDURO ROUND 1 RACE REPORT : LAFFERTY STRIKES FIRST

The opening spherical of the 2024 Red Line Oil AMA National Enduro Series offered by Beta Motorcycles and MSR was the FMF Sumter National Enduro. The occasion is held close to the air power base in Sumter, SC. Sandy soil and epic situations met the riders as they started the sequence.

Ryder Lafferty got here into the season able to make an announcement. He did simply that profitable 5 out of the 6 check sections onward to a 43 second victory. Ryder says “I got 2nd place here the last 2 years. I wanted to make sure I came in and took a win away from the Baylors.” Ryder is constant on the Coastal GasGas Factory Racing crew and now holds the factors lead after the primary spherical.

Second general was Steward Baylor Jr onboard his new journey with the newly shaped Red Bear Rocky Mountain Kawasaki crew. Steward mentioned “I really made sure that we got our team with the right equipment and get the bike dialed in so we can come out swinging in the first round.” Steward was the one rider that was capable of take a check win away from Lafferty in check 5.

A brand new face to the National Enduro scene of Johnny Girroir takes the ultimate spot on the NE Pro1 podium in third general on his Factory KTM. Johnny had a get off within the first check of the day to place him in a gap early. Johnny mentioned “I hit something in a fast straight that sent me flying through the air. After that I put my head down and put in a charge to make up some time the rest of the day. I am happy to finish on the podium.” Johnny was capable of take the second quickest time in 3 of the checks later within the day.

Fourth general on the day was AM-Pro Yamaha rider Ricky Russell. Fifth general was Enduro Engineering GasGas rider Josh Toth. Sixth general was Red Bear Rocky Mountain Kawasaki rider Thad Duvall. Evan Smith was capable of take seventh general on his Max Motorsports Husqvarna. Defending National Enduro Champion Grant Baylor suffered a mechanical downside in Test 5 knocking him out of competition after operating throughout the podium.

First place within the NE Pro2 Class and eighth general was Landers KTM rider Grant Davis. Grant received the primary two checks of the day earlier than giving a while again within the center portion of the day. The sixth and remaining check Grant put within the quickest Pro2 time to take the win by 21 seconds.

Nathaniel ‘Bubz’ Tasha was ninth general and second in NE Pro2 aboard his AM-Pro Yamaha. Bubz mentioned “I am really happy with my bike. I feel like I can go fast because I am comfortable on it.” Bubz was capable of win the third check on the day.

Another new face on the Pro podium was tenth general and third in NE Pro2. That rider was Babbitt Kawasaki rider Nicholas Defeo. Defeo rode 1 different National Enduro in 2021 within the B class. Sumter was his first NE Pro2 race and he was capable of take the ultimate spot on the Podium.

Winning the Womens Elite class on the FMF Sumter spherical was Red Bear Rocky Mountain Kawasaki rider Rachael Archer. The New Zealand rider received remaining three of 5 sections. She discovered her groove on the later a part of the day and was capable of stretch the margin to over a minute over second place.

Rachel Gutish was second within the Womens Elite class on her new Sherco journey. Gutish was capable of seize the primary two check wins. Gutish mentioned “Im happy to be on a real enduro bike with a head light and kickstand. I had a pretty smooth day and happy with how I rode.”

Fresh off of two knee surgical procedures final 12 months was the Womens Elite third place rider Shelby Turner on her new Enduro Engineering GasGas journey. The Canadian rider mentioned she was getting higher because the day went on and felt one of the best on the finish of the day.

Top AA rider was Caleb Baltimore on a KTM. Overall A winner was Chase Landers on a KTM. Jacob McPherson was the highest B class rider. Brayden Clark on a Kawasaki was the quickest C class rider.

The subsequent cease on the 2024 Red Line Oil AMA National Enduro Series circuit is on April 7 in Forest Hill, LA for the Beta Motorcycles Cajun Classic National Enduro.

News

Range Rover thefts: JLR boss needs motion to sort out organised crime

JLR boss Adrian Mardell has referred to as for an “urgent national conversation” about organised car crime, calling on the federal government to take a position additional to crack down on gangs, even when that comes as a substitute of tax cuts.

Concerns in regards to the high theft of Range Rover vehicles have led to a stories from homeowners of a pointy improve in insurance coverage charges. Asked in regards to the concern throughout a media name for JLR’s third quarter monetary outcomes, Mardell launched a passionate defence of the security of his agency’s vehicles, saying information suggesting a excessive theft fee of Range Rover and Land Rover Defender fashions has been exaggerated because of misreported information. 

Mardell acknowledged that organised car crime was “a serious issue in this country” that was “touchdown closely on all [manufacturers]”, together with JLR.

He added: “Our purchasers are affected by that, and most of the people on this nation gained’t like that, whether or not they’re struggling or not.”

But he insisted that lots of the stories on the excessive theft fee of JLR autos was primarily based on previous or incomplete information that has been misinterpreted.

Citing the latest full year DVLA statistics for 2023, Mardell mentioned: “Contrary to a widely repeated myth, the Range Rover does not feature in the top 10 vehicles in the UK stolen for calendar year 2023. It is not Britain’s most stolen vehicle. There are no JLR models in the top three stolen vehicles in calendar year ’23.”

The car theft figures for 2023 present the Ford Fiesta was the UK’s most stolen automobile, forward of the Ford Focus. The Range Rover Sport was fifth, with 1631 stolen, the Range Rover Evoque (1489 thefts) was sixth and the Discovery Sport (954) was tenth. Those numbers cowl all vehicles on the street, no matter age.

Mardell famous that the DVLA information exhibits a 27.2% year-on-year decline in Range Rover theft and a 28.6% decline in Range Rover Sport theft. He additionally cited information displaying minimal thefts of the most recent Range Rover and Defender fashions.

“For [the] Defender, since launch in 2019, only 130 cars have been stolen out of 45,200 vehicles, a rate of 0.3%,” mentioned Mardell. “The Police National Computer exhibits solely 0.08% of latest Range Rovers – simply 11 autos out of 12,800 autos which have been handed over to purchasers since launch two years in the past – have been stolen. It’s 15 for the brand new Range Rover Sport.

“I’m not sure which other brand could actually claim such a high level of security and a low level of theft.”

Mardell mentioned the figures meant “there is no reason whatsoever why any insurance company should not gladly and readily insure those new vehicles – zero reason, in any part of this country.”

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2024 NGPC ROUND 1 PRO RACE RESULTS: DELANO DOESN’T DISAPPOINT

FMF KTM Factory Racing rider Dante Oliveira has opened the 2024 AMA National Grand Prix Championship (NGPC) with a Pro Class victory at Round 1 in Delano California . Oliveira was locked in a race lengthy battle with Beta mounted Dare Demartile for the highest spot. Justin Hoeft, Cole Martinez, Mateo Oliveira, Ryan Surratt and others weren’t far behind all the 90 minute predominant occasion. You can see all the race action here!

Defending champ Dante Oliveira got here out swinging profitable a tough fought spherical one.

Beta mounted Dare Demartile in on fireplace proper now! He lead most the race and seemed very snug on the bike. He completed within the runner up spot however undoubtedly has the velocity to win.

Justin Hoeft put his Purvines Yamaha on the rostrum in third.

SLR Honda’s Cole Martinez was within the combine for the win and finally completed simply off the rostrum in 4th.

Mateo Oliveira rounded out the highest 5 aboard his manufacturing facility Red Bull KTM.

Ryan Surratt with out an official journey this yr borrowed an engine SLR simply to race the occasion and completed sixth.

Tyler Lynn is new to the SLR Honda workforce and completed a robust seventh on the opener.

Trevor Stewart has a brand new search for 2024 and completed eighth at spherical 1.

Vet racing famous person Giacomo Redondi combined it up within the premier class ending a strong ninth aboard his Gas Gas .

New to the open professional class Purvines Yamaha Jack Simpson rounded out the highest 10.

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14-TIME MOTOCROSS CHAMPION MERCEDES GONZALES-NATVIG HONORED

Legends and Heroes Honoree: Mercedes Gonzales-Natvig 14-time National Motocross Champion

Mercedes Gonzales-Natvig can be within the Legends and Heroes Moto Museum sales space on the January sixth. 2024 Supercross greeting pals and signing posters. She will then be honored on the Monster Energy Main stage by Legends and Heroes; Broc Glover, and Frank Vrettas.

View her precise championship race gear, meet a dwelling icon of Motocross historical past, and go to the bikes, tools, and bikes accountable for the over 50 years of Motocross.

For extra details about Legends and Heroes please go to: https://www.legendsandheroestour.org 

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NATIONAL HARE & HOUND ASSOCIATION PREPARES FOR 2024

PRESS RELEASE: The National Hare & Hound Association (NHHA) is thrilled to move into 2024 as soon as once more as the marketing physique for each the AMA National Hare & Hound Championship Series and the AMA West Hare Scrambles (WHS) Regional Championship Series.

Hare & hound (H&H) racing has been a staple of motorbike competitors within the western U.S. and is, by AMA definition, an off-road race normally within the desert and on unimproved terrain over a marked course with a minimal distance of 60 miles. It might be both point-to-point or run over at the very least two loops, nearly all of every loop run solely as soon as.

A hare scrambles, then again, “…is carried out over a closed course, utilizing trails and paths over pure terrain. These races are run for both a specified variety of laps or chief’s general time; for the Pro/AA race, that is two and a half to a few hours. Hare scrambles are usually on tighter trails within the woods on programs 10-15 miles lengthy.

While the AMA is the game’s sanctioning physique, the NHHA is a promotions group initially created in 2009 by 4 AMA District 37 golf equipment—100s M.C., Desert M.C., Four Aces M.C. and Vikings M.C.—who’d earned the marketing rights from the AMA. The NHHA acquired the rights to the WHS sequence in 2014.

Since 2015, Meg Argubright and Jacob Michna have captained the NHHA, Argubright serving as Chairman and Michna the Race Director. Since then, the duo have grown and advanced each sequence’ right into a constant, skilled, trendy expertise for racers, spectators and sponsors alike. Most not too long ago, Argubright acquired NHHA possession in early 2023, alongside Michna.

Change is, nevertheless, inevitable and after eight years of continued innovation and development in each sequence, Jacob Michna has determined to shift gears and transfer on to a brand new profession path. While he’ll be sorely missed, his effort within the sport has laid a strong basis for the NHHA group to proceed constructing on.

Argubright will assume the NHHA management position going ahead and notes, “Our organization is what it is today thanks to the efforts of Jacob Michna and his relentless hard work and passion for the sport of off-road motorcycle racing. The impact he made for our sport raised the bar of expectation for professional off-road motorcycle racing in the greater Western United States and we are better because of him.”

“Moving into the 2024 season, I am incredibly excited to continue pursuing our vision—alongside our talented NHHA team—through our mission of elevating the National Hare & Hound and West Hare Scrambles series by providing a truly authentic, consistent and professional experience.”

Motorsport

Ford Is The Most Recalled Brand In America For 2023 And It’s Not Even Close

According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) by means of December 20, Ford has issued 54 recollects probably affecting 5,692,135 autos in 2023, probably the most of any automaker. This yr marks the third yr in a row Ford has held the highest spot for recollects within the United States. 

Going strictly by autos affected, Ford had almost twice as many as second-place Kia at 3 million, the majority of which got here by means of a single recall for leaking brake fluid resulting in a fireplace threat. If you go by whole recollects, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles USA was second to Ford with 45, affecting 2.7 million vehicles. BMW had 29 recollects, Mercedes-Benz had 27, and Nissan rounds out the highest 5 for automakers at 22.


Motorsport

NHTSA Wants Your Opinions On Its Proposed Anti-Drunk Driving Tech

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration continues its effort to require new autos to function anti-drunk driving expertise. The federal company printed its preliminary report on such a mandate this week, laying out the challenges dealing with its implementation. NHTSA can also be asking for the general public to supply suggestions on the difficulty as a result of it’s nonetheless an open query about how new autos will monitor for impaired drivers.

The company is curious to be taught if the general public will settle for the potential for false positives that might forestall sober drivers from working a car. Even if the system is 99.9 % correct, that might nonetheless quantity to one million false positives a day, which can be arduous for the general public to swallow.

It additionally desires to know the way the federal government ought to educate the general public about privateness issues with the expertise. More sensors imply extra knowledge assortment and defending that data will seemingly be important to gaining shopper acceptance.

The report additionally raises issues that Level 2 driver-assistance options may masks frequent drunk-driving behaviors, like swerving or holding an inconsistent pace. NHTSA can also be involved that the system’s sensors won’t be capable of function in all situations, like heavy climate, poor street markings, or different inconveniences.

The European Union tried to mandate a similar interlock device on new autos that was supposed to enter impact in 2022. However, the bloc watered down the provisions, not requiring the system for all automobiles.

This alternative is among the few probabilities the general public has to affect future public coverage. The street to a world the place the automotive decides for those who’re match to drive continues to be lengthy, nevertheless it’ll solely grow to be simpler to implement such monitoring programs as expertise advances.

Congress handed laws requiring the adoption of the expertise by November 2024, however automakers and regulators appear unlikely to satisfy that deadline. The Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety advised The Washington Post that the group goals to have a working drunk-driver detector by the top of 2025. Automakers must determine how one can set up it in new automobiles even because the company notes the system may enhance prices and complexity, which can seemingly get handed on to the patron. 

You can go away a touch upon the proposal at regulations.gov by trying to find the docket quantity, NHTSA-2022-0079, and following the directions as soon as it’s been printed to the federal register. The public may also mail or fax their feedback to the US Department of Transportation.

Technology

Why The Lockheed P2V Neptune Aircraft Was Retired After Almost 40 Years In Service

Why was the Lockheed P2V Neptune aircraft retired after almost 40 years in service?

The P2V-1 Neptune, also known as the “Truculent Turtle,” made history in 1946 by becoming the first plane to fly nonstop without refueling from Perth, Australia to Columbus, Ohio, covering a distance of 11,235 miles in 55 hours and 17 minutes. However, its unrefueled distance record was later surpassed by the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress in 1962.

The P2V Neptune was a high-winged aircraft with twin engines that had an impressive load-bearing capacity for its time. It was capable of carrying payloads nearly 300% times its own weight, including four wartime pilots and even a baby kangaroo during its record-breaking flight.

When it was initially introduced, the P2V Neptune was equipped with radar, sonar, and magnetic anomaly detection sensors. It also boasted anti-shipping and anti-submarine weapons. In fact, it was the first Navy plane capable of transporting an atomic bomb, although this capability was temporary until the completion of the AJ Savage in 1950, according to the U.S. Naval Institute.

In its P2V-3C configuration, the aircraft could accommodate Mk1 atomic weapons with certain modifications such as reduced crewing, increased internal fuel, and compatibility with JATO (Jet Assisted Take-Off). The P2V-3C was even reported by Air & Space Magazine in 1950 as the largest aircraft ever deployed from an aircraft carrier.

Furthermore, in the same year, the P2V-5 Neptune became one of the first operational aircraft to be fitted with both piston and jet engines.

Despite its many accomplishments, the Lockheed P2V Neptune was eventually retired after almost 40 years of service.