rage2’s ramblings

With less than a week before the cars roll off pitlane in 2007’s first official GP practice, McLaren has released their preview of the Austrailian GP. Alonso is confident and aiming for a win. Hamilton is optimistic, working hard over the winter, but with a few shunts already under his belt in pre-season testing, I don’t expect him to outpace Alonso just yet. The team brass seems confident as well, even though they seem to be more happy in the fact that Vodafone defected from Ferrari to McLaren this year.

I don’t know how I feel just yet. They have been showing good pace all throughout winter, but I still fear Scuderia Ferrari, who at the last day of testing just basically told everyone to pack their bags and go home with some stellar laps from Massa. Was Ferrari sandbagging until the last session or is McLaren STILL sandbagging?

On an sorta unrelated note, this year marks my 15th year of watching (almost) every single race live. It was a tradition that I started when my dad woke me up early one Sunday morning to catch Senna in action. That day was March 28th 1993, the Brazilian GP, 2nd race of the season. I’ve watched a few races here and there and followed Senna’s career before that day, but since that day, I got really into Senna’s drive and intensity on the track (explains a lot about myself too). Senna was a god, and I cheered for him and only him, throughout his career at McLaren and Williams (I never watched F1 during his Toleman or Lotus years).

I’ve witnessed a lot over the years, Senna’s death at Imola ‘94, the beginning of my hatred for Michael Schumacher from the clash of Adelaide ‘94, Jerez ‘97 +0.000 top 3 qualifying, Schumacher’s collision at Jerez ‘97, Villeneuve the Canadian champion at the same venue, the chaos at the start of Spa ‘98 (and the subsequent 3 wheel’d Schumacher assault in the pitlane with Coulthard)… there’s so many more good and bad memories that it would take me hours to write up. Of all the bad memories, Senna’s death really shook me… it was really hard to watch the ‘94 season without my hero. I wasn’t cheering for anyone. I wasn’t cheering for any team. I just watched the races to see who would finish, who would win, who would crash, who would retire. It wasn’t until the last race of ‘94 before my emotions returned when Schumacher did the unthinkable.

As Schumacher moved up the ranks, it was tough for me to cheer for anyone because really, nobody had a chance. So I ended up cheering for teams. Since Senna was in a Williams when he died, they became my team. And when Canadian Jacques Villeneuve joined and won the championship, life was great for this Canadian F1 nut. In 1999, when Villeneuve left Williams to join BAR, and Ralf Schumacher joined in his place… it was tough for me to cheer for a Schumacher (yes I know it sounds stupid). That was the same year that I fell in love with Mercedes Benz, after owning and driving a 1999 SLK 230 Kompressor. So the logical jump happened… I became a McLaren Mercedes fan, and have been to this day. I’ve also been driving Mercedes Benz cars to this day, moving to a SLK 320, SLK32 AMG, E55 AMG, and next (if AMG makes the damn thing), SLK63 AMG.

A funny story that’s related to this massive amounts of rambling… last year I got tickets to the Canadian GP in Montreal, a race in which Schumacher passed Kimi for 2nd place in his Ferrari. One of my friends hooked me up with VIP Ferrari tickets to the event. We were told that Michael Schumacher would show up at one of the dinners. My plan was to walk up to him, refuse to shake his hand, and tell him I haven’t forgiven him for Adelaide ‘94. Lucky for Michael, he never showed up. To fit in with the Ferrari crowd over the weekend, I had to deck myself out in Ferrari gear. Ferrari hats, Ferrari shirts, etc. Right beside our seats were the McLaren Mercedes seats. On race day, I decked myself in McLaren gear and got some funny looks from all the Ferrari fans which surrounded me. As I walked upstairs to get a drink, Kimi was thanking everyone right beside me in the McLaren VIP area. Like a little kid on Christmas morning, I was in complete and utter shock… the top driver for MY team standing just several feet away from me. After about 30 seconds of being stunned, I ran down to my seat, grabbed my camera and McLaren gear, and hoped to sneak in and get some pictures and stuff signed by Kimi. Alas, during the time that I ran down the stairs and back up, he was gone, joining the rest of the drivers in preparations for that afternoon’s race.

Anyhow, that’s my story, hopefully at least one of you out there found it enjoyable. As for that race I missed? It was the US Grand Prix, Sept 24th, 2000 where Ferrari finished 1-2. I was on my way to a Chicago flight when the race started. Unfortuantely, it was a work related trip, so I couldn’t really skip it to continue my streak. If it really matters, I caught the first 15 minutes of the race… but it doesn’t matter, that was the race that I missed. There were a few close calls as well… the houseboating trip on the Austrian GP weekend of May 18th, 2003 where I brought my own satellite receiver and dish pointer on the houseboat to get a satellite feed. Then subsequently I got completely hammered and passed out at my cousin’s house sometime around 3am… yet I still woke up without an alarm at 5:30am to catch the San Marino GP of ‘02! There were a few more, but the dates elude me… either the actual race wasn’t terribly memorable, or my state of mind was in no condition to remember much from those races.

So this year, the continuation of my almost streak begins again, year #15… I thought it’d be fitting to throw all this in with my team’s season opener preview. Go McLaren!

Fernando Alonso
“Having spent the winter getting to know my new team and new car, I feel really at home and am very motivated to start racing. I always enjoy Australia, there is a great atmosphere and I am excited to get out there and see where we are compared to the other teams. There are a lot of new things in the sport this season such as new rules, all teams running on Bridgestone Potenzas, drivers changing teams. Everyone is starting from zero and it is going to make things very interesting. Am I going to go out at Albert Park and win my first race with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes? We are certainly going to push hard to try.”

Lewis Hamilton
“Taking to the grid Australia is the end of one journey for me and the start of an even bigger one. I have been working incredibly hard towards this moment over the past few months, testing, physical training, working with the engineers at the McLaren Technology Centre and studying the regulations. I feel I have the experience I need and I definitely feel ready to get out there. This year will be a learning curve for me, Albert Park is one of the seven new tracks I’ll be racing on, but it is not a huge problem more an exciting challenge. I have always enjoyed street circuits, so it is great to start my career in Formula 1 with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes here.”

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren CEO
“Building up to this race, everyone within the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team has been pushing through a concentrated period of learning and development with the MP4-22. We have completed over 13,300kms over 36 track days with the car. Pre-season testing has been productive, but it is always difficult to determine the true competitive performance and the eagerness to get the car racing within the organisation is palpable. This is also felt by our Partners, their technology and support as we have approached this season has been vital. The race also marks the Grand Prix debut with our new Title Sponsor Vodafone. It is going to be an exciting championship and we intend to play a major part in it.”

Norbert Haug, Mercedes VP
“At the start of the season in Australia we have a lot of new things to offer. The World Champion of the last two years, Fernando Alonso, is now driving for our team. Lewis Hamilton is a very talented young man who as an up-and-coming driver has been an integral part of our system for almost ten years. The team’s new Title Sponsor Vodafone is a great partner and a global player, which has the same objectives as we. However, prior to the start of the season, ‘new’ does not mean untried, as the team has tested more intensively than ever before and has completed more test kilometres than before every other season opener so far. During the past six months, the technicians and mechanics for both chassis and engines had to cope with great challenges. Their efforts to prepare for a successful season were as exemplary as the work of test and race teams during the 19 test days between 17th January in Valencia and 1st March in Bahrain. I thank all involved for their great commitment. It’s obvious what would be the best reward for all these efforts and it would be even better to receive it already in the first race of the season in Melbourne, as it has happened already three times before.”

Turns out she’s not fat… just preggo. I’m refusing to post the rest of the pics, because frankly, a short mexican chick with no makeup isn’t really that hot, especially when there’s pregnancy involved. But those knockers look absolutely delicious.

Continuing with our mystery series, may I present to you Cameron Diaz. On the left, a recent photo of her in a bikini. On the right, the wicked witch of the west Cameron from October (click here for a closeup).

I’m just shocked that we have the medical technology for her to go from a hideous wrinkly hag to a hot piece of ass, but we can’t cure herpes. Because if we could cure herpes, which Paris Hilton has, it would make my night with her much more enjoyable when I strike her off my Celeb-Top-5-Fuck-List.

More hot Cameron below:

Mercedes Benz and AMG unveiled their 2007 DTM competitor today at the Geneva Motor Show. Replacing the already hot CLK-Class DTM, the new car is based on the upcoming new C-Class. Even with the agressive fender flares and other aerodynamic aids, there’s no mistaking it for anything else. These pictures speaks for itself.

Kristin Cavallari, former star of Laguna Beach, poses for this month’s GQ magazine promoting her new movie Spring Breakdown. There’s something about hot chicks with guitars… girl rockers (or even wanna be ones) are damn fine! Gives me a great idea for a hotties trend. Of course, the ones below don’t disappoint either!

Eddie Van Halen checked into rehab today, meaning fans waiting for the Van Halen reunion tour will have to wait a while longer. EVH was scheduled to appear with his bandmates in NY at the Rock and Roll induction ceremony. He has posted a message on his website:

I would like Van Halen fans to know how much I truly appreciate each and every one of you. Without you there is no Van Halen.

I have always and will always feel a responsibility to give you my best. At the moment I do not feel that I can give you my best. That’s why I have decided to enter a rehabilitation facility to work on myself, so that in the future I can deliver the 110% that I feel I owe you and want to give you.

Some of the issues surrounding the 2007 Van Halen tour are within my ability to change and some are not. As far as my rehab is concerned, it is within my ability to change and change for the better. I want you to know that is exactly what I’m doing, so that I may continue to give you the very best I am capable of.

I look forward to seeing you in the future better than ever and I thank you with all my heart.

Love,

Ed

Here’s a recent video of EVH talking about the secrets of his Frankenstein guitar., featured in last month’s Guitar World magazine. A must see for guitarists that are curious how EVH gets his sound, the history of the Frankenstein, and the steps involved in building Fender’s amazing replica of the guitar, right down to the cigarette burns on the headstock.

Gossip sites around the globe is reporting that Gisele may be pregnant, sperminated by Tom Brady, who looks to have knocked up his ex-gf Bridget Moynahan in Dec. before breaking up with her and hooking up with Gisele.

You know, this Tom Brady dude is almost my hero. Why almost you ask? He’s was banging a hot chick, gets her preggo, and dumps her ass cuz he wants to hook up with Gisele. Gets her preggo too as soon as his ex announces that she’s going to squirt out a Tom Jr.

So what’s wrong with this picture? The story’s almost good enough for a made for TV movie… but he made one blatant mistake… he didn’t pull out. I mean, pulling out is THE ultimate win-win move. No preggo, and you get to drop a load porn star style. In your choice of orifices if you’ve got the aim (I sure the fuck do). And when you do, and let out that grunt, that’s da bomb.

More of Gisele below… you won’t see hotness like this for another 12 months if the rumors are true.

Willi Weber, manager of the Schumacher brothers, hinted today that Michael might be buying a F1 team, instead of joining Scuderia Ferrari as team boss. Michael, already an advisor for Ferrari, is looking at F1’s other Italian team… Scuderia Torro Rosso.

“Perhaps we will go and ask a billionaire if he wants to sell us his spare team,” Weber was quoted as saying. “I don’t know it for sure, but I could imagine that Michael buys a team. But he is never going to be Ferrari’s team boss. All that responsibility, work and stress - why would Michael Schumacher want to do that? But if he owned a team, it would be a different task.”

My thoughts on this? Just because you were a legendary driver breaking all sorts of records, doesn’t mean you could successfully run an F1 team. Just look at someone else who’s career nearly parellel’s yours… The Professor Alain Prost. He tried to run a team by buying out Ligier, and look what happened to that venture.

Ralf Schumacher is pissed. He’s pissed because nobody thinks he’s a great driver. He thinks he’s a top 3 driver, alongside 2 time world champion Fernando Alonso, and Kimi Raikkonen. He hasn’t won a race since 2003, and believes it’s the car. Well you know what Ralf? If you were as good as you think you are, you wouldn’t be stuck in a mid tier’d team.

“You always depend on your car as a driver,” he explains. “In a Minardi for example, my brother would not have won a world title.”

Comparing yourself to Alonso and Kimi is crazy enough, but to compare yourself to your brother, who has pretty much smashed every single F1 record? I’m not a Schuey Sr. fan, but jesus christ… this is beyond crazy… this is Britney Insanity. See the full article here.

What a deadly combination of vices… featuring:

• Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera
• Maserati GranTurismo
• Tramontana
• Fiat Bravo

Everyone who knows me knows that drifting is the auto racing discipline that I enjoy most. They also know that I enjoy odd challenges, breaking the mold a bit, such as drifting in a Mercedes Benz SLK32 AMG, or my Porsche 944 Turbo. Not your typical drift cars. In fact, you can follow how my drifting addiction started on my old website that I’ve sadly neglected.

Anyways, back on topic… Hankook debuted their newest addition to the Formula D series… A 600hp Porsche 993 based drifter. Because the 993 is rear heavy, suspension tuning is quite a bit softer than on your typical 50/50 weighted drift cars. The usual steering angle hacks (control arms, tie rods, knuckles) are part of the mix. The car is set to debut at the Long Beach Formula D season opener. Here’s the full PR with more details.

Hankook Tires/JIC Drift Team Completes Successful Test Day at Willow Springs

Hankook-Sponsored Porsche 993 GT2 and Nissan S15 Silvia Formula Drift Championship Contenders are Being Readied for their debut at Long Beach Grand Prix – April 8, 2007

WAYNE, NJ (March 8, 2007) – Hankook Tire America Corp., rolled out its drifting hardware at a test day at Willow Springs Raceway in Rosamond, CA. on Thursday March 1. The Hankook Tires/JIC Magic USA Porsche 993, driven by veteran drift racer Tyler McQuarrie, and the Nissan S15 Silvia driven by Kenji Yamanaka are both expected to be strong championship contenders in the 2007 Formula Drift Series, which begins April 7 at the Long Beach Grand Prix.

Jay Lee, Hankook Tire Product Manager from the North American headquarters and engineers from Korea and Hankook’s Tech Center in Ohio were on hand to oversee the fitment and performance of the Hankook Ventus R-S2 tires. “Drivers need speed through the corners to get the tires to spin and drift, but they also need great grip so they can place the car where they want it,” said Lee. “Control is the key to winning these competitions and our tires provide the ultimate grip.”

Because the drifting market currently is much larger in Japan than in the U.S., the tires Hankook selects for its North America drifting teams have already gone through approximately three years of testing and competition in Japan by D1 drivers.

“When we announced a drifting Porsche, there were a lot of skeptics and doubters,” said Bill Bainbridge, Director of Brand Communication for Hankook Tire America Corp. “The truth is you can drift just about anything as long as it is engineered correctly.”

The Hankook Tires/JIC Magic Porsche has been re-engineered with a JIC/Cross suspension that incorporates a special drifting setup opposite of the norm. Since Porsche models are heavier at the rear, softer rear springs allow the car to “squat” to get better traction. Custom control arms, tie-rods and knuckles had to be created to get the extreme angle needed for competitive drifting, to keep the tires from rubbing as the car turns. Final modifications include a 600-hp engine and relocated oil cooler.

“There are still a few minor tweaks to make on the Porsche before it takes to the track in Long Beach,” said Bainbridge. “We have great confidence in Tyler’s driving skills and the technical prowess of the JIC Magic crew to get everything buttoned up in the next few weeks. I look forward to my next report being from the winner’s circle.”

During the test session the Hankook Tires/JIC Magic USA Nissan S15 Silvia, driven by both McQuarrie and Yamanaka really raised a few eyebrows. Both drivers used the Willow Springs test session to refine the car’s handling since team engineers and mechanics have added an additional 100 horsepower under the hood since last year’s Formula D finals.

What happened to everyone that voted for her? I guess everyone wanted her out of American idol so she can take on some of the cool gigs she’s been offered. Hefner wants her to pose for Playboy, Joe Francis wants her to host a Girls Gone Wild, XXX rental house SugarDVD wants her to be their spokesman. Whatever she chooses, please choose the one that gives us the most T&A.

Goodbye Antonella, you will be missed, hope to see your titties real soon!