2012 F1 Car Release Dates

As a designer and racer I love this time of year. All the new F1 cars come out in February. If you didn't know each F1 team designs a brand new car for each year. Which is very cool as it is. You can never tell too much from the first edition of the new car, but they are fun too look at. Through out the year they add updates to the car so the cars constantly changing but come Feb you at least get to see what everyone if bringing to come play with. Here is the current schedule:

McLaren will be the first team to take off the wraps of their car, but after that the unveilings come thick and fast.

1 Feb - McLaren (Woking)

3 Feb - Force India (Silverstone)

3 Feb - Ferrari (Maranello)

6 Feb - Sauber F1 Team (Jerez)

6 Feb - Red Bull (Online)

Fast and Rare

My buddies and I just launched a Tumblr for cars called "Fast and Rare". It is a place you can post the Fast and Rare cars that you see daily. As well as the Absurd cars we all come across that make us ask WTF do you need a 8 foot spoiler on your Dodge Intrepid. We literally just started it so please bare with us:

www.fastandrare.com

Race Anything

My good friend Tim Harney of HarneyBoy Motorcycles made this kart with a Toilet on it for Jimmie Johnson the NASCAR drivers new video game. It is the 70mph ShitterKart...



Watch out for him racing it against JJ soon!

My thoughts on Dan Wheldon's death

“You ask me about tragic accidents? If I am on my tractor at my farm and it rolls over on me and kills me, that's a tragic accident. If I die in a race car, that's life. I died doing what I love.”
― Dale Earnhardt

Dan Wheldon's death was a tragedy because it never should have happened.

Sunday afternoon I tuned into the highly publicized IndyCar finale. Once again the championship was coming down to Dario Franchitti and Will Power. There was also the intriguing story of Dan Wheldon racing from last place for the win for 5 million dollars. Added the fact it was the largest IndyCar field on a high banked 1.5 mile oval. Oh the excitement.

With the race coming up both drivers and owners voiced concern about the high banks and larger fields. After the test the driver made comments about how fast it was and how they were going to be a lot of side by side racing at 220+ MPH. It is hard to say, but the drivers seemed a little uncomfortable about this, but they are paid to race.

This event was the brain child of Randy Bernard the CEO of IndyCar who was newly appointed last year (2010). He came to IndyCar from PBA (Professional Bullriding Association) which he built into a very successful sporting league in 15 years. Unfortunately he did not know anything about racing. Bull riding is very dangerous but it only last 8 seconds and it is one on one, one rider and one bull. I am not sure that he understands racing is dangerous from the green to checkered which can take 2 to 3 hours with 20-30 people racing at 200mph.

Randy has felt it is important to increase the sport visibility. To do this he has tried to create more intriguing story lines. He has manipulated the racing and made it more dangerous. Well Mr. Bernard you got IndyCar in the spotlight. Not beacuse of an exciting championship finale. But for the lose of great driver, a driver who never should have died. But you cute little plan to add a lot more cars to the track and let Dan race from the back had to happen. Lets just endanger everyone for rating, fans, driver and crew.

This is not Randy's first stupid mistake in managing IndyCar, but it should be his final one. At New Hampshire Motor Speedway in August Randy ordered the start on a wet track. Five cars wrecked before getting back to the green flag. Drivers and Owners were enraged. Bernard should have been fired the next day.

Unfortunately IndyCar still had faith in someone who is willing to gamble with the lives of drivers. Well in Vegas he lost. We all lost. We lost Dan, who was an amazing driver and person. The Drivers lost a brother. The worst part is Dan's children lost a father and his wife lost a husband.

If the race was run like any other IndyCar race with a cap on the field and no gimmicks with people racing from the back. We would have seen an exciting season finale. But we saw something very very different. Something we have not seen in very long time. Something we will not hopefully see ever again. I know personally as racecar driver that is not the case. But the first step to protecting drivers is finding someone to run IndyCar that puts the drivers before the rating.

RIP Dan Wheldon 1978-2010

My Racecars!

In order Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint, Lotus Super 7 and Nissan Z. In these cars combined, I have won 8 races, finished 2nd 6 times and several 3rd places. Unfortunately this year the coupe had issues, I never drove the Lotus but the Z was good to me! Next year I think I will stick to these cars and only these cars if possible! Unless the opportunity to drive something faster comes along!

BFDracing RMVR Enduro 2011

Andiamo da corsa

Amo la mia corsa d'epoca Alfa Romeo. Purtroppo la mia Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint avuto problemi tutto l'anno. Ho finito per avere la possibilità di guidare i nostri altri Alfa però. Ecco alcuni dei dietro le quinte di Pietro (me) corsa in America.

Road America KIC 2011 weekend


US Vintage Grand Prix 2011 behind the scenes

Coming in on a rope... 2011 racing season recap!

Coming Soon!

Michelin Challenge Design 2013

HALF! Lightweight with a passion! Michelin Challenge Design 2013!



One of the top transportation design challenges! Entry opens this Sat Oct 1st and submissions must be complete by June 3rd 2012 (closed). Last time the competition drew 18,000entries from 88 countries.

Here is the entry form and challenge:
http://www.michelinchallengedesign.com/MCD_2011/mcd_how_to_enter_2013.php

Here is write up of the last competitions.
http://www.core77.com/blog/competition/michelin_announces_lightweighting_theme_for_2013_design_competition_20642.asp#mor

I am going to at least think about it and see if I can come up with something for this! I will update it here.

UPDATE:
Here is good concept already produced achieving these goals.
http://www.likecool.com/eVLC_Super_light_electric_car--Tech--Gear.html
I am going for a 6 person concept I have already started my research and sketching

(o=v=o)

Get it:

Coupe: (o=v=o)

US Vintage GP at The Glen 2011

Just got home from this years 2011 US Vintage Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. It was, as usual, a very fun weekend. The same problems plagued the coupe. We think we have solved it though, unfortunately the motor has to come out, again (Sorry Paul)!

The weekend started off wet from the passing storms and on Friday Morning the fog moved in and the track was under a delay for several hours. Once I was able to take the coupe out it only made it up the esses before losing power. The motor is retarded, it is actually losing timing and retarding! So no coupe for this year.






Then I got a cool offer. My buddy Chip who preps the Alfa Romeo's for us offered for me to co-drive his 914-6 in the 90 minute Big Bore Enduro. Other than that: A)I have never driven this racecar B)I have never driven a racing Porsche period C)I have never driven a car this fast at the glen D)We are in class with LeMans, CanAm, NASCARs, Sports racers and Huge 911's and E)I would be entering the race to learn to drive this car for my first time in the middle of a race with all these fast cars. I was super excited and nervous.This was the car we were racing:





Here is tour of the Big Bore grid I shot before the race started:


Chip was going to run the first segment, I was going to run the 2nd segment and Chip would finish the race off. Here is Chip's first run:


Chip pulls in early and says Pete I think I have gear box problem. I say lets take it back to the garage we do not want to hurt it. Chip says nope go get 4 laps and bring it in! Pardon me, now you want to give me a sick car I have never driven to go get run over by a Audi LeMans car. OK I am in, belt me down! Did I mention that it is a proper doglegged gear box where first gear was down. I have driven one of these before (my 16v had one) on racecar on a race track I had not though.

Here goes nothing. Down to first, clutch out, lets roll. Pulling out on the track I have no idea how hard I can hit the gas whether the rear end will step out on me like in a 911. All of this and I am going to have cars closing on me at double my speed. First lap very gentle and mildly scary with faster traffic, 2nd lap ok this car handles really well lets give it some more juice, 3rd lap I am getting this still not pushing but this car feels good, feels like it is on rails. Let me get one more semi quick lap. I am starting to enjoy it! Oh crap cant get into 2nd gear hope I dont break down on track. Phew got it going, OK lets get this car back to the pits. Most stressful test/practice/race I have ever done. In a car that is not mine and I have never driven that was acting up. Here is the video of me:


Thank you very much for the opportunity Chip. Please let me get a test session in that bad boy and I think I can go pretty quick in it.

Then on Sunday I was able to take out our #100 Alfa Romeo in the group 3 feature race. Once again I had never been in the car but Alfa's are easy to drive and wouldn't have CanAm cars flying past me.


My dad's girlfriend finished the first race 27th, so that is where I would start. The car felt very snappy on the formation lap. I figured I would get on the throttle on the start and pass a few cars. That didnt happen. The car seemed to lose power at the end of the power band and the power band was not long enough. Oh well it was time to go.

Ended up finishing 16th overall and 4th in class! Thanks for lending me the car Kristine!

Off to Denver next to have a similar weekend racing 2 cars that are not mine. One I have driven once and the other is open wheel FV which I posted on the blog but I have never driven one of these in my life! Should make for a interesting video and post the following week.

Oh by the way, Chip and I did finish first in class in the Enduro even though we did not finish! So I got at least one win this year!

Do you know this man?

Let me give you a hint...


Only the greatest racecar driver who has ever lived! And now the best documentary of the year on his life and death!


I have been waiting since Sundance film festival since last year to see this Movie:


It opened on August 12th in NYC! I am going on Thursday!

The Fighter Vee!

Last year my close friend sent me a craigslist listing and the email said "what is this and is it fun". It was a Caldwell Formula Vee and yes it is fun.


He started racing it this year. Successfully passing his student racing test and winning the novice open wheel race. Congrats! (fast forward in 2:45min to get to the start)


Then came the decision to wrap the car and how he should do it. He wanted to possible wrap it in vintage F1 livery I suggested we wrap it to look like WWII fighter plane. The results are pretty amazing. Full disclosure after suggesting it and sending some reference images I had nothing else to do with it. But the people who did do it did an incredible job.




The best part of this is I get to co-drive the car with my friend later this year in a RMVR enduro race in Colorado.

UPDATE 10-05-11: Im too tall the roll bar does not fit over my head! GRRRRRR!

Racecar Parade from Vintage Weekend at Road America 2011

Every year Road America in Elkhart WI, hosts a Large Vintage Weekend. Once known as the Chicago Historic it is now known as the Kohler International Challenge. Thanks to the support of the Kohler company one town over. If you go through my blog you will see plenty of entries of my love hate relationship with Road America.
That being sad it is one of the premier vintage car racing weekends in the country and one of the coolest parts of it is the racecar parade. Over 500 drivers enter the weekend races at the track and some decided to take part in the racecar parade. I shot video of them coming into town and trying to leave. Maybe one year I will drive my racecar in or maybe not.

Racecar's coming into town:


Racecar's trying to leave:

Road America 2011 Group 2 Alfa Duetto

The Vintage racing at Road America was blast. But unfornuatly I did not get to race my car because something was wrong with. So my dad let me drive his.


This car would not run right:


My dad gave me his car to drive, that is what is in the video:


And we also rented a 2011 Camaro SS and it made a friend:

BFDracing Flipcam Vids from HPR

Racing my EP Nissan Z at HPR 07-03-11

More pics from Montreal!

F1 Cars!





Supprt racing Formula 1600, Histroric GP and Ferrari Challenge:





AMG Cars everywhere:

On another note...

...I will be driving one of these all weekend!

Alfa Romeo Duetto

BFD racing US Vintage Grand Prix 2010 at Watkins Glen 1

And I am running the Alfa again! But not the Lotus, oh well!