Baku City Circuit

Many people can't find Azerbaijan or Baku on a map. Ever since 2016, though, it has played host to Formula 1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix. I am not as educated about today's F1. After seeing it and thinking about it, this is a pretty interesting race track. So I'll be talking about the Baku City Circuit in this blog post.

Fun Fact:

Baku, Azerbaijan is a Sister City of Houston. Find out about other Sister Cities of Houston here: www.sistercitieshouston.org.

---

Baku City Circuit

---

Here is a look at the Baku City Circuit:




^ from: (Wikipedia) - Baku is the fourth-longest circuit on the Formula 1 calendar and one of the fastest temporary courses in the world.

Baku is the capital of the transcontinental European country of Azerbaijan. This track debuted in 2016 and is a great challenge among one of the more modern Formula 1 racing circuits. It is also one of the fastest of the temporary courses. Baku City Circuit is all of 3.730 miles (6.003 kilometers) in length. It was developed by a familiar figure- Hermann Tilke.

The first six corners of Baku are all 90-degree corners. It is a series of left, left, left, right, left, and right. You fly into Turn 1 before facing the first corner. A brief straight follows leading into Turn 2. A straight about three times longer than between Turns 1 and 2 follows leading into the left at Turn 3. A short straight connects Turn 3 with the right at Turn 4. After a medium straight, the Turn 5 and 6 chicane complex follows. The road bends a bit leading into a very sharp right at Turn 7 follows. The toughest corner on the track is the Castle corner, a one-lane left-right chicane that makes up Turn 8 of Baku. Afterwards, the track goes uphill a bit. Turns 9 through 11 is an uphill series that goes uphill. Turns 9 and 10 are a double apex left connected to the right at Turn 11. After Turn 11, the track goes downhill into the left at Turn 12. A brief uphill follows into a kink at Turn 13 followed by going downhill into another kink at Turn 14. Turn 15 is an open sharp left that goes downhill. Be careful not to tag the outside wall upon exit. After going downhill out of Turn 15, Turn 16 is another open 90-degree corner. A rather sharp right kink for Turn 17 follows. Turn 18 is a medium left followed by a medium right at Turn 19. After that, it is flat out to the finish line or make a pit stop. The only thing is that a fast right kink makes up Turn 20 down this front stretch. That is my lap description of Baku. Formula 1 cars could reach over 200 mph heading into Turn 1 after the long front straight.

To me, the Baku City Circuit is as technical as the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore, and very fast like Sochi. I like the challenge it provides. I have never played this track in any game or simulator, so I don't know the actual experience of this track. The lap record for Baku is 1:43.009 by Charles LeClerc in 2019 for Scuderia Ferrari.

Video Preview.

Here is a lap demonstration of Baku:


^ 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Valtteri Bottas' Pole Lap | Pirelli

For More Information...

To learn more about the Baku City Circuit, visit its official website at: www.bakucitycircuit.com.





That's all for this one, thanks for visiting! Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) in any capacity if you love my work. Share my blog post(s) with others if you enjoy my work. Support me further by connecting with me on social media; and if you are inclined, feel free to donate to me (donations are voluntary but would be appreciated). Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

Visit my JohnMarineDesigns Weebly site, subscribe to My Blog(s), and/or Follow on Bloglovin! Let's connect:
Contact Me via E-Mail	Contact Me via Discord	(donations are voluntary)

Visit and Subscribe to My Blogs...
Subscribe to John's Blog Space (JBS)	Subscribe to John's Creative Space (JCS)	Subscribe to John's Race Space (JRS)	Subscribe to StyleSpace (SS)	Subscribe to John's Life Space (JLS)

Get Social With Me!
Facebook (Friends)	Facebook (Fans)	Twitter	YouTube
Pinterest	LinkedIn (professionals only)	TikTok	Discord

Support My Creative Works!
JMDesigns		John on Envato
Patreon	Soundcloud	Bandcamp
Twitch	OpenGameArt	TurboSquid

read more...

Hendrick Motorsports Garage 56 Camaro ZL1

It seems comical for a stock car to challenge the 24 Hours of Le Mans. For most people, what makes a stock car even fit to race a nearly 8.5-mile course against ultra-sophisticated race cars and world-class drivers? However, Hendrick Motorsports was bonkers enough to bring a stock car to Le Mans. Considering the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans was special since it is the centenary anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, this race was going to be special for many reasons. So why not add a little more intrigue to this race besides the potentially frenzied Hypercar class battles? I was so intrigued about this stock car that I decided to blog about it. It is about time I positively waste your time again with another solid blog post. Let's go!

---

Hendrick Motorsports Garage 56 Camaro ZL1

---

WARNING: This blog post has some spoiler data regarding the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans! If you do not want to know about the results of this car skip the section called "Racing Summary" later in this blog post. You have been warned.

Before I get into the details of this car, I must explain something.

The "Garage 56" namesake relates to a specific garage at Circuit de la Sarthe designated to an experimental vehicle. These are for any vehicles that are outside of the regulations of the original classes that race Le Mans. The last such experimental car at Le Mans was the funky Deltawing race car. Leave it to one of the most successful and most powerful racing teams in NASCAR to entertain the thought of challenging the 24 Hours of Le Mans not with a prototype or GT car, but... with a stock car. Two words:

Challenge accepted.

For 2023, Hendrick Motorsports built themselves a stock car that can take on Le Mans. They would be the latest entry to take advantage of Garage 56. They knew a basic stock car in its basic form probably wouldn't stand much of a chance at Le Mans. So to that end, they engineered the Camaro ZL1 stock car to be able to handle the rigors of Circuit de la Sarthe and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Prior to something like this, I seen stock cars that had lights affixed to them to see in dark conditions. Namely in the 2002 24 Hours of Daytona, I saw a Trans-Am car fitted with some lights. When the former IROC series raced around the Daytona International Speedway road course, all of the Pontiac Firebird/Trans-Am cars were had lights fitted to them for racing at night. This Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 is RADICALLY different from those two cars I mentioned just now.

While it may seem new for a stock car to race around Circuit de la Sarthe, it really is not anything new. There were efforts around 1976 for stock cars to race against some world-class drivers and against world-class manufacturers and race teams. The best a stock car lasted in the 24 Hours of Le Mans was about 11 hours. Considering that past stock cars have failed to finish the 24 Hours of Le Mans, what makes anyone think a modern effort would succeed in today's landscape of GT/Sportscar/Endurance racing? Well, if you have followed NASCAR and all of the evolution of technology and engineering stock cars, the newer Generation-7 (or Gen-7) is engineered in such an sophisticated way that this new effort by NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports served as a unique challenge to help further develop stock cars but also take on what may seem like NASCAR is engaging in a battle NASCAR knows it can't win. If NASCAR and/or Hendrick Motorsports fielded a completely stock Camaro ZL1, it would get eviscerated by the more sophisticated cars and sophisticated drivers. Anyone who knows stock car racing knows that "stock" does not mean *stock." Stock cars are not the "race on Sunday, sell on Monday" type of cars, as these stock cars are pure purpose-built racing machines boasting the silhouette of the cars they represent. For instance, have you seen Toyota offer their Camry with a V8 engine north of 800hp? I rest my case.

Among some of the changes to a basic stock car, the most obvious difference between this and a basic stock car are the inclusion of lights. A bevy of LED-type lights light the way from the headlights and from the lower lights. The car also includes functioning brake lights. The car weighs just over 400 lbs. (more than 181.44 kg) less than an average 3480 lbs. (approx. 1548.53 kg.) stock car. The car has the same style NASCAR V8 but mated to a five-speed manual transmission with paddle shifters. It also had its regular brakes replaced with carbon fiber brakes. Winglets were added to the car to help aid in aerodynamics. In case of rain, the car has rain racing tires as well as a windshield wiper to battle in the rain. Despite all of its sophistication, the Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 still has the familiar stock car elements of having no functioning doors (just go through the driver's side window to get in), the window net, and the lip spoiler. Overall, the car is beautiful and a real vision of what a sophisticated stock car could be like. It even includes a lovely blue/silver/gold livery baring the logos of NASCAR and Chevrolet.

The 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans effort included the three-driver team of Jimmie Johnson, Jenson Button, and Mike Rockenfeller. This is a championship-winning trio that includes championships in NASCAR, Formula 1, and DTM. This was going to be a different experience to pilot a stock car around a track like Circuit de la Sarthe.

Testing.

Hendrick Motorsports went through some 3600 miles (or approx. 5793.37 km) of testing to try to shake down this race car for Le Mans. This included basic tests of the car's aerodynamics and handling character. Other tests includes wet weather testing and tire testing.


It was then off to Le Mans, France in the Pays de la Loire part of France for all of the practice work. As I saw the different practice videos, you could hear the familiar roar of a NASCAR V8 as it reverberated around the Bugatti Circuit and the public roads around Le Mans. I was even entertained seeing an actual stock car race around a track with its own lighting. The Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 stock car was reportedly as fast as a lot of the GTE AM field but obviously slower than the LMP2 class. As it got its practice work in, it was time to race. Let's get it!

Racing Summary.

NOTE: Skip this section if you want to avoid spoilers about its race performance.

It's show time! It was time for the Hendrick Motorsports Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 to go to work. Once NBA superstar LeBron James waved the tricolor du France, it was time for the Johnson/Button/Rockenfeller trio to work their magic in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans. The headlines for this race were primarily on the debuting Hypercar class of racing. Despite this, the G56 Camaro ZL1 tried to last the whole 24 Hours. This car was met with lots of fanfare and adoration from racing fans. The early stages of Le Mans was met with a lot of Slow Zones for crashes and even some rainy conditions and wet roads. The G56 Camaro ZL1 held its own despite the brutal conditions early on. With the pit stops, the team even took on NASCAR-style pit stops. Only difference is that there were drivers who had to climb in and out of the car during pit stops. Remember- this car has no functioning doors! The only real problems I heard this car had were either some transmission issues or some brake issues. Otherwise, this car did what one of the past stock car efforts couldn't accomplish- lasting longer than 11 hours. The team drove commendably and masterfully all race long. Most of all, the Hendrick Motorsports Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 completed the entire race, finishing 39th overall out of just over 60 entries.





Final thoughts on this car and this Le Mans 2023 effort are next.

---

Hendrick Motorsports Garage 56 Camaro ZL1: Final Thoughts

---

Hendrick Motorsports has done a commendable and admirable job racing the 24 Hours of Le Mans with this stock car effort. Even as some people put together as many memes about it and thrown around as many jokes about seeing this car race the 24 Hours of Le Mans, this car still performed as competitively as nearly any other driver or team in this field. The 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans was an amazing race as it was. It was even more amazing considering what Hendrick Motorsports was able to accomplish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.


I would say that this effort by Hendrick Motorsports possibly have inspired people about NASCAR and possibly even get some exposure about NASCAR. It also helped to gain some knowledge in further developing NASCAR stock cars to be even more capable than they are now. Taking on a challenge like this seems odd to some people. Did NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports had to take on this challenge of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a stock car? No. Did they want to take on this challenge? Absolutely. The fact people gave this car so much attention is awesome in its own right. It speaks to the level of respect for this car and this effort to manifest such a racing effort. Even for a race car not suited for taking on the rigors of road racing and endurance racing on a usual level, the G56 Camaro ZL1 did an amazing job. All of the engineering, testing, and actual racing paid off in this car running the entire 24-hour distance. One would be surprised at just how well this car handled racing around a track like the Circuit de la Sarthe. NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports should be applauded for their valiant and noble efforts putting forth this sort of effort and execution.


As I was praising this race car on social media, I saw some people say this Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 possibly could be the new road racing package for NASCAR road racing events or even spark a new class for IMSA sportscar racing. This car and this Le Mans effort opened a lot of eyes and impress many a racing fan. Even if you don't care one iota about NASCAR or stock car racing, you have to at least "give this car its flowers." I know a lot of people regard something like Formula 1 or sportscar racing higher than NASCAR, but even a motorsports enthusiast like myself can appreciate and admire what this powerful NASCAR racing team did in one of the most unusual, most unlikely challenges for stock car racing. This was an amazing story to follow even if this effort will be a one-time only deal for a stock car to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. If this Garage 56 effort is a "one-hit wonder," it surely provided an incredible hit that will not be forgotten for a long while.


Congratulations to Hendrick Motorsports on an incredible effort! Bless all of you on an amazingly awesome effort at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans!

Video Insight and More Information.

Finally to end this post, allow me to post this video showcasing the culmination of what I've discussed in this entire blog post. Check it:

^ Year in review: Garage 56, NASCAR to Le Mans


For more information about Hendrick Motorsports and this Garage 56 effort, visit: Hendrick Motorsports (all Garage 56 articles)






I hope you enjoyed this blog post as much as I have making it. I blog about whatever my heart and my mind want to share opinions on to the world. If you appreciate my efforts, please Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) in any capacity if you love my work and want to support me any way you can. Share my blog post(s) with others if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

Visit my JohnMarineDesigns Weebly site, subscribe to My Blog(s), and/or Follow on Bloglovin! Let's connect:
Contact Me via E-Mail	Contact Me via Discord	(donations are voluntary)

Visit and Subscribe to My Blogs...
Subscribe to John's Blog Space (JBS)	Subscribe to John's Creative Space (JCS)	Subscribe to John's Race Space (JRS)	Subscribe to StyleSpace (SS)	Subscribe to John's Life Space (JLS)

Get Social With Me!
Facebook (Friends)	Facebook (Fans)	Twitter	YouTube
Pinterest	LinkedIn (professionals only)	TikTok	Discord

Support My Creative Works!
JMDesigns		John on Envato
Patreon	Soundcloud	Bandcamp
Twitch	OpenGameArt	TurboSquid

read more...

Speedvision Returns!

Speedvision blew minds in 1995 with its devotion to automotive culture and motorsports. It became Speed Channel in 2002, and that offered more automotive awesomeness. It also had more NASCAR and Americana than Speedvision. It all ended in 2013, as Speed became FOX Sports 1. Now around 2022 and 2023, Speedvision rose up like the legendary Phoenix and became reborn as free ad-supported television (FAST). I'll be sharing some thoughts on the reborn Speedvision in this blog post, and I will also show some retrospective.

---

Speedvision Retrospective

---

I learned about the new Speedvision back on March 25, 2023 when I was watching a commercial on a network on Local Now. Before discussing the new Speedvision and know a lot about its importance to me as an automotive enthusiast and motorsports enthusiast, I must provide some retrospective. Because I have been such an avid Speedvision fan, I have a LOT of retrospective to cover before getting on to the main point of this blog post. Journey with me here...

My Retrospective on Speedvision.

The FOX-owned Speedvision hit airwaves first in 1995. The channel has had a handful of great shows and even at times some automotive-related movies. Speedvision was also well known for coverage of motorsports worldwide. Speedvision was best known for showing most motorsports not usually shown on the major networks. This is what made Speedvision so loved and revered. It would show a lot of racing events ranging from grassroots motorsports all the way to major events such as the Formula 1 World Championship, the World Rally Championship, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

What made Speedvision unique also related their unconditional love of any vehicle with a motor. Usually, Speedvision would dedicate Tuesday to "Two-Wheel Tuesdays," and Wednesdays would be "Wings and Water Wednesdays." Tuesdays were all about motorcycle racing usually with coverage of World Superbike and MotoGP. Tuesdays would also see a quality motorcycle show called "American Thunder," focused on some cool cruiser motorcycles and chopper motorcycles.

"Wings and Water Wednesday" was what it sounded like it was about- planes and boats. So on these days, you would watch things like plane races on the planes side. A handful of races involving powerboats, hydroplanes, jet skis, and more would make up "Wings and Water Wednesday."

Weekends were mostly devoted to both racing action as well as some automobile movies. So you could see movies like "Le Mans" or "The Speed Merchants" on Saturday nights. The weekends also had "Speedvision News" with all of the latest news updates in the world of motorsports. Usually when NASCAR was done, there would be coverage of international racing series such as the British Touring Car Championship, DTM, Australian V8 Supercars, and more.

In addition to quality automotive programming, it also sponsored SCCA racing with touring cars and GT cars with the Speedvision World Challenge series. This was an opportunity to see quality road racing featuring many racing talent racing across tracks in the United States and Canada. These were fun-to-watch racing events that further enhanced the appeal of Speedvision. Speedvision did have something different from the mainstream racing series when the USAR Hooters Pro Cup was featured mostly on Thursday nights. It also played host to covering non-racing events, such as the Barrett-Jackson Automobile Auction. Speedvision even shown off coverage of the SCCA's greatest showcase of talent- the SCCA Runoffs.

Speedvision did have some featured programs that I remember best in the Speedvision days. "Motorsport Mundial" was a great show showcasing the world of racing in a 30-minute program. "Legends of Motorsport" takes you back in time with past names, races, and marques who helped shape motorsports history. Speedvision also featured the "Victory by Design" series, which highlighted on certain world-class marques. The cars were driven and narrated by the late Alain de Cadenet (whom I loved). There was even the fun show, "Dream Car Garage," featuring the late Tom Hnatiw and Peter Klutt. This show had some very nice cars featured and worked on. For some perspective on automotive news, Speedvision shown "Autoline Detroit" with host John McElroy.

A lot of the personalities that made Speedvision included (but not limited to) Bob Varsha, David Hobbs, Calvin Fish, Dorsey Schroder, Rick Benjamin, Greg Creamer, Tommy Kendall, and Alain de Cadenet.

Speedvision had bigger plans for when 2002 came around. Gone was Speedvision and in will become Speed Channel the following year. Speedvision will be gone and be reborn as... Speed Channel.

My Retrospective of Speed Channel.

That magical formula of Speedvision would be modified when Speedvision became Speed Channel in 2002. With Speed Channel, more of Americana would make Speed Channel a bit more mainstream with NASCAR and some other mostly American racing series. Some would feel Speedvision lost its luster when it started being more NASCAR-friendly rather than stick to its love of all things automotive and motorsports. While it wasn't the perfect formula to some, the same love of automotive culture and motorsports was still alive. Many more new shows would surface as well as a broader array of featured motorsports events with Speed Channel.

So what did this new Speed Channel bring? Well, there is now two different Speed News shows- one devoted to NASCAR, and one devoted to all other motorsports. NASCAR Practice and Qualifying was on Speed Channel. It was mostly Mondays that were devoted to NASCAR. Tuesdays were still motorcycle-friendly. However, there wasn't any more of "Wings and Water Wednesday." Weekends were still about full-speed racing action. Some Speedvision purists would probably think this new Speed Channel shyed away from what Speedvision was all about. If Speed Channel brought something great, its grandest show was "WindTunnel With Dave Despain," a one-hour call-in show featuring motorcycle aficionado Dave Despain talking about the world of motorsports and interviewing many motorsports and automotive personalities.

What about shows? Between 2002 and Speed's demise, a lot more unique shows came along. Among the many- Hi-Rev Tuners, Sports Car Revolution, LUCAS Oil On The Edge, Fifth Gear, SpeedFreaks, MotorWeek (syndicated), Forza Motorsport Showdown, Pinks, Pinks All-Out, 100 Cars You Must Drive, Pass Time, Wrecked, Test Drive, World's Greatest Auto Shows, Tuner Transformation, I Wanna Date a Race Car Driver, Texas Hardtails, Setup, Drag Race High, and Wrecked. That was quite enough shows to keep automobile fans busy!

As Speedvision became Speed Channel, the Speedvision World Challenge would become the Speed Channel World Challenge. Personally around this time with "Sports Car Revolution," this was where I got to appreciate Chip Herr when he raced in the series. There were still a lot of great series that were aired on the network. In the later years of Speed Channel before its demise, it would even be the home of AMA Supercross.

Most of the same talent that made Speedvision great returned for Speed Channel. Among the newer names were Robin Miller, Leigh Diffey, Jamie Howe, and more.

What is this "demise of Speed Channel" I speak of? Well, some time in 2013, Speed Channel started airing things... other than motorsports. Speed Channel shown a pageant featuring Hooters girls, and they even aired some football (as in soccer) from the English Premier League. This was where Speed Channel was going to become FOX Sports 1. Additionally, Fuel TV, a channel devoted to outdoor sports, was to become FOX Sports 2.

Then on August 17, 2013; Speed Channel would become... FOX Sports 1, and Fuel TV would become... FOX Sports 2. Gone are 18 years devoted to automobile programming and motorsports programming. In their places are a sports network devoted to different kinds of sports but still airs racing from time to time. I called this move as "the biggest middle-finger to motorsports fans" when Speed Channel became FS1. Media would be without a true motorsports home.

Life After Speedvision/Speed Channel.

What happened after Speed Channel became no more? Mostly NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) had a good deal of featuring motorsports including the IndyCar Series, MotoGP, and even Formula 1. When NBC Sports Network became no more, the various NBC Networks (NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, and USA Network) have shown various racing series as well as other sports. CBS Sports Network featured a lot of motorsports also. This included the LUCAS Oil Off-Road Series and the Blancpain GT3 Series among others. The only networks close to what Speed Channel used to provide are MavTV for motorsports, and then Motor Trend TV for mostly automotive programming, and MTTV shows the 24 Hours of Le Mans on American television.


Even with these channels offering here-and-there content, it wasn't Speedvision or Speed Channel. Different channels with the same devotion is like having multiple friends or lovers for different things... only no singular entity offering all that Speedvision had to offer. That is... until 2022 and 2023...

---

Speedvision Returns!

---

Now for the main course of this blog post- Speedvision RETURNS! Speedvision returns as a free ad-supported television (FAST) network with over 500 hours of automotive programming. It can be seen on a number of platforms and TV apps. I watch Speedvision on Local Now. However, it can also be seen on other platforms like PLEX.

Speedvision has a lot going for it as a FAST network. Shows new and old are on this new Speedvision. Among them, Gearz, Truck U, Graveyard Cars, AmeriCarna, My Superbike Family, and more. Some other automotive programs are in the pipeline for the future of Speedvision. Shows like "Zero-60," "14th Street Wheels," and "Radford Reborn" are coming in the future as of April 3, 2023.

The new Speedvision does have one or two programs I saw that reminded me of the old Speedvision- two programs devoted to plane documentaries. One of those shows I saw was on the Tuskegee Airmen.

What I Want for the New Speedvision.

The amount of content for Speedvision so far is very good. I do, however, want Speedvision to somehow get itself some motorsports programming. This is to purely be like the former Speedvision. A number of other FAST networks have motorsports coverage, including (but not limited to) MavTV Select, MotorRacing, motorsport.tv, and Auto AllStars. The only thing I'm unsure about is if they could have themselves old school Speedvision and Speed Channel shows- just to take things back in time.

I wouldn't mind seeing something like "Legends of Motorsport" return with classic motorsports coverage. On the racing coverage front, I wouldn't mind seeing maybe some Trans-Am, SCCA racing, NASA racing, some grassroots racing, time attack, just a variety of racing. I just want to see a modern Speedvision drawing on past energy to produce some great material for the future.

That is more of what I am after- give newer viewers a quality experience of Speedvision, but then also let the old Speedvision fans get to enjoy the Speedvision that has been absent for a number of years.

Preview and More Information.

This is the official trailer for the new Speedvision. Check it...



^ SPEEDVISION is Back - Auto Enthusiasts Rejoice!

...and to learn more about the new Speedvision, please visit www.speedvisionnetwork.com.


I am glad to see Speedvision return, and I have a good feeling this reborn channel will last. At least this will last longer than, say... G4 TV.





Two-thirds of this blog post was retrospective, but I still had my say on the new Speedvision while looking back on the former Speedvision/Speed Channel. I hope you enjoyed my work here! If you enjoy my work, please Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) in any capacity if you love my work and want to support me any way you can. Share my blog post(s) with others if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

Visit my JohnMarineDesigns Weebly site, subscribe to My Blog(s), and/or Follow on Bloglovin! Let's connect:
Contact Me via E-Mail	Contact Me via Discord	(donations are voluntary)

Visit and Subscribe to My Blogs...
Subscribe to John's Blog Space (JBS)	Subscribe to John's Creative Space (JCS)	Subscribe to John's Race Space (JRS)	Subscribe to StyleSpace (SS)	Subscribe to John's Life Space (JLS)

Get Social With Me!
Facebook (Friends)	Facebook (Fans)	Twitter	YouTube
Pinterest	LinkedIn (professionals only)	TikTok	Discord

Support My Creative Works!
JMDesigns		John on Envato
Patreon	Soundcloud	Bandcamp
Twitch	OpenGameArt	TurboSquid

read more...

Remembering IROC

The International Race of Champions, or IROC, was the premier showcase of talent racing in American racing series. It was a circuit racing challenge where drivers were put into stock cars performing circuit racing. As its name suggests, drivers from around the world competed in IROC in its existence. The first season of IROC began in 1974. The sunset of IROC was in 2006. This blog post is not a complete look back at IROC, but it is my own look back on IROC. I also will wonder what it will take for IROC to return to its past glory if it were to be revived. Let's begin!

---

Remembering IROC

---

Let's take a look at IROC here.


^ from: (YouTube) - A world of talent races in IROC to determine the finest racer in all of the United States.

Being a solid racing talent will get you noticed. In the International Race of Champions (IROC), being solid racing talent puts you in company of being among the best racers in North America. IROC brings together top-level talent from different disciplines of motorsport to all compete in a circuit racing challenge. This is a unique series where you will find talent from racing disciplines such as stock car racing, Indy car racing, various forms of off-road racing, and even drag racing. While the racing involves a world of talent, the racing all takes place mostly in the United States. It is therefore somewhat of a joke to some people that a race of involving a world of motorsports talent mostly races in the United States. IROC is not any kind of World Championship racing series. What it IS, though, is a showcase of great racing talent in the USA.

The cars primarily consist of tubeframe chassis stock cars. All cars are identically-prepared, meaning it all comes down to the driver as to who will win the race. A number of cars were used as the IROC cars, including the Porsche Carrera RSR, the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Avenger, Dodge Daytona, and the Pontiac Trans-Am. All of the cars come in similar liveries set apart by various color combinations. The only non-American car used in IROC was the Porsche Carrera RSR, used in the inaugural championship in 1974. The most used car was the Chevrolet Camaro.

Most of the racing took place basically on ovals run by NASCAR. However, IROC has raced at a number of road courses and a few temporary road courses. One of the most unique seasons of IROC was in 2006, when the series raced on the road course of Daytona International Speedway at night. The cars were fitted with lights to see through the darkness even with the big lights illuminating the Daytona road course.

The talent that has raced in IROC over the years is a Who's Who of talent racing in American racing series. Among those names? Try this list: Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Al Unser Jr., Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti, Eddie Cheever, Bobby Rahal, Tony Kannan, Steve Kinser, Frank Kimmel, and Max Angelelli to name a few. Mark Martin has been one of the most successful racers in IROC, having been a four-time IROC Champion. Tony Stewart was the last IROC champion when he won the IROC championship in 2006.

This section gave you a general overview of IROC racing. So how does this deal move forward? Could it possibly be revived? If it can be revived, how can you make it better? My thoughts are coming up!

---

Reviving IROC?

---

What if IROC were revived? How could you make it better? How could you make it a big deal to race in? I'll try to offer my own perspectives here.

Reviving IROC: The Cars.

IROC mostly seems like a joke to a lot of people since it primarily involves a majority of NASCAR ovals and NASCAR talent. That even includes the stock car style machines. I would like to see IROC use machines like modern Trans-Am or even the series nowadays known as the Michelin Pilot Challenge Series.

If going the Trans-Am style car route, the series can go with cars like the Chevrolet Camaro or the Chevrolet Corvette. They may even try these cars if they prefer race cars closer to their road-going cars: the Ford Mustang GT4, the Ferrari 488 GT3, the latest Porsche 911 RSR, or even the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport. I sort of want to lean on the side of Trans-Am style tubeframe chassis cars for IROC.

Car count doesn't mean too much to me. It isn't as if there is an aim for having 30 or more cars to an IROC grid. Most IROC races have had fairly limited car counts since only a select few make up the IROC field. This is a series of championship drivers and even highly-talented racing drivers. I don't think we'll see anything at least north of 14 drivers unless you want to combine as many motorsports disciplines as possible. More drivers from more disciplines for this series will mean more cars to a track.

Reviving IROC: The Tracks.

The majority of racing venues in IROC competitions past are mostly on NASCAR ovals. There are about two methods I'd recommend here.

Trans-Am style cars were meant for road racing. So they would not be really recommended for true oval racing. Low-level GT cars would not fare very well or seem boring on long ovals. So therefore, I think IROC should not focus so much on ovals. Do away with ovals if you can. Challenge the oval specialists to prove their worth in road racing.

I don't think the series needs proper international track representation, but seeing some non-American (and even non-Canadian tracks) would be interesting. You can have maybe some tracks in Europe or the Asia-Pacific for some international track representation to match the international appeal of the racing drivers. If you want IROC to feel like a World Championship without being a true World Championship, I say have a four-race championship with two venues in North America followed by one race in Europe (or maybe Africa) and one race in the Asia-Pacific (Middle East, mainland Asia, any Asian islands, Australia, New Zealand, etc.).

Reviving IROC: Other Considerations.

This involves a lot of mostly what other things to look at for IROC races. I would try to get a number of different drivers of differing disciplines. I would even include drag racers, rally racers, rallycross racers, off-road racers, and even drifters. I would probably even make the races last for maybe 40 minutes plus one lap. What would be interesting is if you even have motorcycle racing riders from the likes of supercross, motocross, and various forms of Grand Prix motorbike racing or even real road racing motorcycles.

What would be strange on the track front would be if IROC incorporated racing events to be run on dirt ovals or on rallycross tracks. You would then need to go with some rallycross style cars to make good racing on such courses. You would need to implement a Joker Lap deal for rallycross races. Or at some road courses or ovals with road courses, designate one section as the Joker Lap section. There has been road racing with a Joker Lap section, such as one race in the FIA World Touring Car Championship that took place on the streets of Villa Real in Portugal.

If IROC wanted to make it a North America vs. world kind of contest, IROC could invite championship or high-level talent from non-American racing series. For example, you can invite certain top-tier drivers from the BTCC, DTM, perhaps even Japan's Super GT, or maybe even drivers from the V8 Supercar series to take on the North American talent. That would increase the car count and entry list to add some extra spice.

Can IROC Be Revived and Be Successful?

Sufficient money, sufficient involvement, and plenty of interest will make for a successful revival of IROC. I tend to find IROC a big deal even if it mostly seems like a glorified NASCAR. I would love to see IROC be given some new life and try a number of new ideas to modernize IROC.





I hope you found this post to be a good read. I'm glad you dropped by! Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

Visit my official website at johnbmarine.com, subscribe to My Blog(s), and/or Follow on Bloglovin!
Subscribe to John's Blog Space (JBS)	Subscribe to John's Creative Space (JCS)	Subscribe to John's Race Space (JRS)	Subscribe to StyleSpace (SS)	Subscribe to John's Life Space (JLS)

Support My Creative Works!
JMDesigns	Patreon	Soundcloud	Bandcamp	Twitch	OpenGameArt	TurboSquid

Get Social With Me!
Facebook (Friends)	Facebook (Fans)	Twitter	YouTube	Instagram	Pinterest	LinkedIn (professionals only)

Questions or Comments? Contact Me (serious inquiries only)...
Contact Me via E-Mail

read more...

Mondello Park

The only Irish international motor racing circuit is Mondello Park International Racing Circuit. Mondello Park is Ireland's premier racing facility. Situated in Kildare (or Caragh?), Ireland; this 2.268-mile (3.503-kilometer) race course features 13 corners along with a pretty nice flow overall to it. I will be sure to mention this racing track in further context with this blog post.

NOTES: This a blog post I first created in 2014, but I never finished the post until now in 2018. So this post was mostly four years in the making! I also found out this is the first time I blogged about a race track in over three years! What is old is new again!

---

Mondello Park International Racing Circuit

---

Here is a look at Mondello Park (picture may change if I am unable to use it for copyright reasons):


^ from: (Motor Sport Magazine; best I could find and use) - Mondello Park in Ireland.

Mondello Park was established in 1968. Many gamers may have first played this track in "ToCA Race Driver 3." There are a good amount of elevation changes on a rather twisty track. The layout I know of best is the Mondello Park International layout. It has played host to a number of motorsport disciplines. Among others, it has hosted touring car racing, single-seater formula racing, motorcycle racing, and even drifting.

If you ask me, Mondello Park is a pretty tough course. Its layouts have a competitive flow that will keep you honest all lap long. This is a lot more of a technical course than any high-speed battleground. You folks over in Ireland have a very solid race track in Mondello Park.

Video Preview.

Here is a video lap of this challenging course:


^ Mondello International - Qualy Lap

For More Information...

To learn more about Mondello Park, please visit their official website at: www.mondellopark.ie.





I love all of my readers and visitors worldwide. Maybe some of you Irish folks can appreciate me talking about your country's fine motor racing facility. Be sure to Subscribe/Follow in some capacity if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

Subscribe to My Blog(s), and/or Follow on Bloglovin!
Subscribe to John's Blog Space (JBS)	Subscribe to John's Creative Space (JCS)	Subscribe to John's Race Space (JRS)	Subscribe to StyleSpace (SS)	Subscribe to John's Life Space (JLS)

Support My Creative Works!
JMDesigns	Patreon	Soundcloud	Bandcamp	Twitch	OpenGameArt	TurboSquid

Get Social With Me!
Facebook (Friends)	Facebook (Fans)	Twitter	YouTube	Instagram	Google+	LinkedIn (professionals only)

Questions or Comments? Contact Me (serious inquiries only)...
Contact Me via E-Mail

read more...

Drone Racing League

The Drone Racing League is a racing league featuring drones. The DRL is like a video game come to life. Imagine using a virtual reality headset trying to pilot your drone through a neon-lit course with many ups and downs and loops. The DRL is surely a competition that is catching steam and is very intriguing. The ESPN networks are showing these races in highlight shows. Various people worldwide are competing in these events. I don't know everything about the Drone Racing League, but I will make the effort to introduce you all to this fine series.

I understand there are other drone racing series, but this blog post is focused on one of the many- the Drone Racing League.

---

Drone Racing League

---

Considering how popular drones have become the past five to ten years, a series like the Drone Racing League is something that is really catching on. Imagine a race in which you pilot a drone at some high speeds through a neon-lit course with a number of different obstacles. You have to be able to control your drone around a specific course. You have to do things like weave between columns, through certain loops, various gates, and more.

These racing drones are controlled by a drone remote control along with the pilots wearing virtual reality headsets to see the drones in action. These are drones that may light up pretty in neon and such, but they are very much business machines made to take on some unique courses. The races all start with the drones perched on some platforms and take off ready to go. From there, it is up to the pilots to navigate their drones from the Start position to the Finish gate.

Most of the courses are usually set in venues ranging from certain abandoned buildings to even some proper sporting locales. So the various venues are quite unique and have some interesting character as drones fly around trying to take on the various obstacles. It is really one of the more unique sports out there.

Video Preview.

Let me give you an idea of what the racing is like with the Drone Racing League. Check out the video content I have provided for this blog post:


^ Drone Racing Through the Miami Dolphins Stadium

Pretty cool, huh?

---

Drone Racing League: Final Thoughts

---

As one of a number of different drone racing leagues, the final thoughts expressed here will be varied.

Final Thoughts in General.

I think the Drone Racing League can really catch on if it hasn't already. It is surely unique in the racing venues and in some of the competitive drone racing. It takes a good deal of skill to pilot these machines and to maneuver them across some interesting courses. I want to imagine how many more courses can be created. I can even imagine what if more fans started watching a lot of the races live (if possible).

The Future of Drone Racing?

The Drone Racing League is showing that it is possible for this kind of racing to be as popular among robotic series like Robot Wars or similar series. I want to imagine more people maybe take part in drone racing much like there is sufficient interest in remote control racing. If racing with average RC cars is popular, this drone racing could end up being just as popular.

For More Information...

If you'd like to learn more about the Drone Racing League, visit thedroneracingleague.com. Follow them on social media also.





Thank you so much for visiting "John's Blog Space!" So let me know what you think...

What do you think about the Drone Racing League? What about drone racing in general?

Please Subscribe and Follow in some capacity to keep up with my work if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

"Like" me on Facebook, Follow JBS, Follow me on Bloglovin', and/or Contact Me via E-Mail!
Subscribe to John's Blog Space (JBS)	Subscribe to John's Creative Space (JCS)	Subscribe to John's Race Space (JRS)	Subscribe to StyleSpace (SS)

read more...

Same Name

Know people whom share the same name as you? Are there any famous people you like who have the same or similar name as yours? This is actually a blog post I wanted to start up a long time ago... only I've only completed it now. For this blog post, this is where I ask my readers/viewers if there are any famous people whom share the same name as you or similar that you like or admire.

However many people you can recall may mostly depend on your name. Since my name is John, "John" and "Jon" are actually going to be more popular than a lot of other names. Heck... "John" is even in The Bible!

Anyhow, let's begin!

---

Same Name

---

In case you don't know, my name is John. So I will be looking at some folks with my name or with certain variations of my name.

How This Post Works.

Here is how this post works:
• personality must have the same name or a similar name as yours.
• if you go by a certain English name, only those with the same or similar name is allowed.

So for example, if your name is Don or Donald, you think of someone like Donald Trump. If your name is Carly, you may think of someone like singer Carly Rae Jepsen (call me maybe?). Your name may be Lily, and you think of someone like Lily Allen. Your name may be Bill, and people who come to mind include Bill Clinton or William Tell. Ladies named Jennifer may know of Jenny Chu or Jennifer Hudson. If you know your name in another language, then it is fair to know your name is Joe/Joseph and know someone like José Bautista.

Conversely, this is not a post about if you have a first name which is a surname. For example, this is not about if your name is Carlton and think of people like Larry Carlton or Vanessa Carlton.


Got it? So let me begin with various folks with the same name as mine.

---

Same Name: John or Jon (in my case)

---

This will be my list of notable folks with my name or a similar name. I'll try to identify a number of folks with my same name. You don't necessarily have to like those who share your name. Having said that, here are a number of folks who have the same name as me.

These are not the most famous ones with my name, but several folks with my name just to show you what this post is about. I'll be mostly brief with some different names.


• John Hancock
When asking for a signature, usually people will refer to it as signing your "John Hancock." John Hancock was one who signed on the Declaration of Independence. The John Hancock known these days is an insurance company.

Need some help with your History lesson? Check this for more on John Hancock: John Hancock - American Revolution on HISTORY.com.


• John Elway
John Elway is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. He is a multi-time Super Bowl champion doing his damage with the Denver Broncos. John Elway was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004. He is currently the general manager and executive vice president of the Denver Broncos.

• John Force

John Force is one of the winningest racing drivers in any discipline of motorsport. As of November 25, 2016; John Force is a 16-time Funny Car champion in NHRA Drag Racing. He even won the championship every year in the 1990s except 1993. His first championship was in 1990. His most recent was in 2013. John Force is an overall great guy. He'll even be a good story teller with his racing career. But don't take my word for it...


^ The Best of John Force


• John Cena
I honestly don't know why people hate on John Cena. He's one of the most consistent and capable wrestlers ever. Maybe he's not like a part of the WWE's "Attitude Era," but he's the best wrestler in the WWE for his era. He's currently a 15-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Only Ric Flair has more reigns as World Champion with 16.

Besides wrestling, John Cena has done quite well in media ranging from acting to being a recording artist. Want to get yourself going? Here's some John Cena raps for you:


^ ""


• Jon Miller
People mostly know of play-by-play announcer Jon Miller as the voice of ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball as well as him as the play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball.


• Juan Pablo Montoya
John in Spanish is "Juan," so here's my first Juan entry. I would have never followed (then) CART had it not been for Juan Pablo Montoya. The native of Bogota, Colombia is one of the best race car drivers today. Among his list of accomplishments are being a two-time Indianapolis 500 champion, the 1999 CART Champion, and what I think is the toughest thing to do in all of racing- win a Formula One race. Juan Pablo Montoya is surely Hall of Fame material if he isn't already.


• Juan Manuel Fangio
One of the best Formula 1 racers in history was Juan Miguel Fangio. In the early years of Formula 1, he was the F1 World Champion five times. Many regard him as the greatest F1 racer that ever lived.


• Giancarlo Stanton
I learned "Giancarlo" is a combination of "John Charles," so that expands the array of names somewhat. Giancarlo Stanton is a beast of a baseball player. He is known for being a solid baseball player as one who furiously hit home runs. You hang 'em, he bangs 'em- HARD. It's like you hold your breath when he bangs balls out of the ballpark.

Other Notable Johns/Jons.

A few others to make mention of...

• Lil' Jon (Jonathan Smith) - hip-hop recording artist.
• John Legend - R&B recording artist.
• John Cougar Mellencamp - rock music legend.
• John Heisman - legendary college football coach, trophy named for single-best college football player.
• John O'Korn - current college quarterback, played for Houston but now with Michigan.
• Johnathan Joseph - professional gridiron football player (currently of the Houston Texans)
• John David Booty - professional quarterback (and former Houston Texan)
• John Stockton - legendary basketball player.
• John Wall - professional basketball player
• John Smoltz - legendary baseball pitcher.
• Jonathan Toews - professional hockey player from Canada.
• John Andretti - professional race car driver from the famous Andretti family.
• John Kernan - motorsports broadcaster and anchor of former ESPN show "RPM2Night."
• Giancarlo Fisichella - former Formula 1 race car driver.


That's some of the many different Johns or Jons out there. I could name more, but I'll stop here.





I hope you found this post fun. So let me ask you...

What famous people share your name? How many such people can you identify?

That's it for this blog post. Remember to Subscribe and Follow my blog(s) for more of my content when they become available. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

"Like" me on Facebook, Follow JBS, Follow me on Bloglovin', and/or Contact Me via E-Mail!
Subscribe to John's Blog Space (JBS)	Subscribe to John's Creative Space (JCS)	Subscribe to John's Race Space (JRS)	Subscribe to StyleSpace (SS)

read more...

Formula Hybrid

Formula Hybrid is where colleges and universities build formula race cars powered by green and alternative engines. Started by Dartmouth College in 2006, colleges worldwide have made and tested their own electric or plug-in hybrid formula race cars. Students are challenged to make such machines applying what they learn in the classroom to make such racing machines. As you would imagine, it is great fun to make and build such cars and put them in competition.

If you have taken part in or represent a certain college or university that has competed in any formula competition (including Formula Hybrid), allow me to make a special hello to you and welcome to my main blog- "John's Blog Space!"

Formula Hybrid: Competition.

The events take place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire- popularly known as "The Magic Mile." The competitions that these schools take part in include acceleration, autocross, and endurance. The Acceleration event is a performance test of how well a car can get up to speed. Since these are alternate source cars, these cars can have instantaneous acceleration. The Autocross event is a performance and handling test where you must try to race around a set course and clear it as fast as possible. Clipping cones can result in time penalties added onto your run. Finally, the Endurance test is a challenge of how well these cars can sustain themselves and last around a set course for a long period of time. Usually, this is a test lasting anywhere between 10-30 minutes. Only other thing besides these competitions is primarily design competitions.

My Thoughts on Formula Hybrid.

To me, I think it is cool that college and universities. A lot of people can attest to wanting to not having to sit in a classroom learning things when they could be applying what they learn into the real world while also (hopefully) enjoying applying what they learn in the real world. You do have that sort of school pride that goes into the whole process. Because after all, you would hate to be a Michigan student getting upstaged by Michigan State or Ohio State. As much as I love regular formula race cars, it is great seeing these alternative sourced machines built and raced by colleges and universities. Even those who eventually don't become part of the automobile engineering realm gain some quality lessons to learn in life. As you would imagine, what these colleges and universities demonstrate through programs like Formula Hybrid become vital and instrumental in further development of automobiles. So imagine being in college and learning these things to help influence making better and more efficient cars through competitions like Formula Hybrid. Sounds like a win, eh?

For More Information (and a demonstration)...

For more information on Formula Hybrid, including signing up for the next competition or learning more about the Formula Hybrid challenge, you can visit www.formula-hybrid.org. This is a video demonstration of Formula Hybrid:


^ "Formula Hybrid 2015"

Cross-Promotion/Other Reading.

I plan on making an updated post or an update to this past post (or both) to this topic. So if you like colleges and universities making formula racing cars, here is the only other post I can offer you:

Formula SAE (John's Blog Space)
^ This blog post takes a look at the largest and most popular competition for building formula race cars- Formula SAE.


That's all.





I enjoy the opportunity to post about things off the top of my mind in a casually professional manner. I hope you got to enjoy this blog post, just like any of my others. So be sure to Subscribe and Follow this blog if you enjoyed your time here. Be sure to visit my other blogs as well, as well as Subscribing and Following my other work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

"Like" me on Facebook, Follow JBS, Follow me on Bloglovin', and/or Contact Me via E-Mail!
Subscribe to John's Blog Space (JBS)	Subscribe to John's Creative Space (JCS)	Subscribe to John's Race Space (JRS)	Subscribe to StyleSpace (SS)

read more...