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Is There Anything He Can’t Do? Brabec Does The Double At 2024 Mint 400

If there is a racer who’s eager to showcase simply what the phrase “winning ways” is about, it is Ricky Brabec. After beginning the 12 months by taking his second-ever Dakar Rally win (an unprecedented feat by an American rider), Brabec and famously mustachioed teammate Skyler Howes had been again at it once more in Las Vegas on the 2024 Mint 400.

The Monster Energy Honda teammates traded in two-wheels for 4, which is becoming since if you happen to add each their bikes collectively, that is the quantity you’d get anyway. We child. Anyway, the formidable pair on any variety of wheels drove their Honda Talon to win the BFGoodrich Mint 400’s UTV Pro NA class on the very first day. 

Brabec wasn’t carried out but, although. After scooping that UTV Pro NA win, he and one other Honda teammate, Preston Campbell, saddled up on a Honda CRF 450R and proceeded to win the 2024 Mint 400’s Open Pro Motorcycle division. Yet one other piece of shiny {hardware} for the trophy room!

“Yeah, you realize, was a extremely good weekend for Monster. And a extremely good weekend for Honda. Dakar’s the dream, however to return to the Mint 400 for the primary time in a facet by facet, with my Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally teammate Skyler Howes, yeah we did a extremely wonderful job. 1st in Pro non-turbo. Really cool to be a privateer crew and beat the HRC Factory Honda Talon Ridgeline program. That’s an enormous push there and we had been actually comfortable to perform this,” Brabec stated later in a press release.

 

And as a result of he did the double, we’ll do a factor we do not usually do and embed two of his joyous Instagram posts right here:

 

What About Skyler Howes?

For his half, Brabec’s Dakar teammate Howes expressed shock that Brabec invited him to affix him in piloting the Talon. In reality, he stated, he’d by no means really pushed one earlier than and likewise hadn’t raced on 4 wheels in a minimum of the previous three years. While Brabec powered by means of the primary two laps to safe the lead, Howes was in a position to deliver it house after the extraordinary nine-hour race. Though, we suppose, after a number of days doing the Dakar, 9 hours most likely is much less daunting than it may be to anybody else.

Howes added in an Instagram submit that this Mint 400 win was particularly significant to him, since his household’s early racing historical past was on 4 wheels. In reality, his grandpa was each a mechanic and a driver within the Baja Boot, and likewise had Mint trophies courting again to the early Seventies. That’s fairly a feat to have within the household, for certain.

 

Congrats to the teammates, their crew, and everybody who likes to have a superb time on any variety of wheels. 

How the Czinger 21C will change automobile manufacturing for good

‘Doing the naked minimal’ as a phrase has pejorative connotations. 

It implies a component of coasting, refusing to surpass expectations and settling for mediocrity – even, maybe, giving up. But right here we’re in 2024, when producers (not simply of vehicles) are confronted with hovering manufacturing prices and are rigidly dedicated to lowering their affect on the surroundings.

Products mustn’t simply be cheaper to make: they need to even be lighter than ever earlier than, use minimal supplies of their make-up and be fabricated quickly, utilizing as few sources as attainable. Doing the naked minimal, it’s clear, is now nothing lower than an overarching goal for the business.

Nowhere is that felt keener than at 19601 Hamilton Avenue, Torrance, California, in any other case referred to as the headquarters of producing masterminds Divergent – or, as it would little question quickly come to be recognized, the epicentre of a daring new period for the automotive business.

Divergent is finest recognized for being the dad or mum agency of Czinger, creator of the ludicrously highly effective and fascinatingly engineered 21C hypercar – a 1233bhp V8-powered showcase of what could be achieved with the agency’s new-school strategy to car manufacturing.

When it was revealed again in 2020, the 21C shortly got here to be referred to as the ‘3D-printed hypercar’, which is an outline that’s directly each vaguely correct and one thing of an undersell. Because there’s absolutely no automobile, road-going or in any other case, being constructed proper now, wherever on the earth, that may lay declare to such magnificence in its engineering.

Its rear subframe twists and wraps hypnotically round its masterfully offered engine, freed from ugly welds and clearly as mild because it might presumably be with out sacrificing a mite of structural integrity.

Its intimidating, ground-sucking aerodynamic addenda – producing 2000kg of downforce at 190mph – speaks of its track-honed efficiency potential. And its cockpit would appear to have been lifted straight from a Le Mans Hypercar have been it not for a centrally positioned driver’s seat and one other behind for a fortunate passenger.

Scientists’ Efforts to Improve Astronauts’ Sleep in Space

Our sleep patterns on Earth are influenced by our environment and a 24-hour cycle called circadian rhythms. These rhythms regulate our alertness and sleepiness, impacting various bodily functions. The cues in our environment, such as light, affect these rhythms. Light signals our bodies to wake up, while darkness signals sleep.

However, in space, there is no natural 24-hour day cycle. To address this, the International Space Station (ISS) follows Greenwich Mean Time to establish a consistent schedule for astronauts’ sleep and wake cycles. Nevertheless, researchers aim to enhance the astronauts’ sleeping conditions within this cycle. One approach is to use lighting that simulates different times of day, with a soft red glow at night resembling a sunset and a bright blue light in the morning similar to the sky.

The European Space Agency has initiated an experiment called Circadian Light. Astronaut Andreas Mogensen will test this experiment to investigate if changing light conditions can improve his sleep. The lighting not only changes color, but it also varies from day to day, simulating diverse weather conditions. This variability aims to provide a more engaging experience in an otherwise monotonous environment.

Toyota West Virginia Never Sheepish on Renewable Energy

Toyota West Virginia has come up with a unique and environmentally-friendly approach to maintaining its 5-acre solar array. They have enlisted the help of a herd of 20 sheep to perform some important “lambscaping.”

In order for solar panels to effectively generate power, vegetation around them must be kept low. Uncontrolled growth can cause unwanted shadows that block the sun’s rays. This is where the sheep come in.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a single sheep can consume up to four pounds of grass per day. They can easily fit underneath the solar panels and munch on any stray sprigs and weeds that grow in hard-to-reach areas.

Using sheep for this task has several advantages. Sheep have a lower carbon footprint compared to typical commercial mowers, and they also don’t spray rocks and debris that could potentially damage the equipment. Additionally, because sheep have a varied diet, the need for pesticides and other chemicals is reduced.

David Rosier, President of Toyota West Virginia, expressed the importance of embracing new ideas and innovative approaches to environmental stewardship. He believes that this program will help save money, lower emissions, support local farmers, and align the company with nature.

Toyota West Virginia is the first Toyota plant in the United States to implement agrivoltaics, which involves using land for both agriculture and solar energy generation.

The sheep are confined to a locked, fenced enclosure, and they will be monitored daily with the assistance of a dog. They will be on-site from April through October.

The solar array at Toyota West Virginia is the largest in the state, capable of generating 2.6 megawatts of power. This is enough to power over 400 homes. Furthermore, the solar generation reduces the plant’s CO2 emissions by an estimated 4 million pounds per year. Along the main road leading to the facility, there is also a series of five solar flowers that provide power to the employee services buildings and three electric vehicle charging stations.

In addition to its solar initiatives, Toyota West Virginia has created a biodiversity park on its premises. This park features various habitats, including forests and wetlands, as well as a pollinator garden, an outdoor classroom, bird houses, bat houses, and a nesting platform to support local avian species.

Toyota West Virginia is the only Toyota plant in North America that combines engine and transmission production. Furthermore, it is the sole manufacturing plant on the continent that produces hybrid transaxles. With a facility size of almost two million square feet, the plant employs over 2,000 individuals and has invested more than $10 million in local philanthropic and educational initiatives over the past twenty years.

Originally published August 16th, 2023