Purpose

I will try my best to provide detailed info on various cars and what is like to live with them, I have already produced a few for Jaguar-car-forums, I will do my best to be unbiased, but it will be hard for some cars. I will re-produce press releases and copy from other motoring news.
Showing posts with label Drivers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Drivers. Show all posts

Monday, 19 June 2017

Ford uses this years Goodwood to debut the new Fiesta to the UK as well as racing cars GT and Mustang.

  • Ford GT road car to make its Hillclimb debut in the hands of Ford Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell at the 2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed
  • Ford Mustang GT4 race car will be piloted by Ford Chip Ganassi Racing driver Billy Johnson; Vaughn Gittin Jr returns with Mustang RTR to compete in a new drift category
  • All-new Ford Fiesta makes UK debut at Goodwood alongside sporty new Ford S-MAX ST‑Line model shown for the first time
The road-going version of the Ford GT will make its first dynamic appearance in the UK later this month, in the hands of Ford Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell, at the 2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed. 
Priaulx and Tincknell will be joined on the Hill by their team mate, Billy Johnson, swapping his usual seat in the Ford GT race car for the fearsome Ford Mustang GT4, a track-ready race car unveiled at the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, to tackle the challenging 1.16-mile Hillclimb course. 
Drift star Vaughn Gittin Jr also returns to Goodwood this year in his Mustang RTR to compete in the Festival’s first-ever Hillclimb Drift Championship. 
In addition to the track action, visitors to the Ford stand at Goodwood will discover models including the all-new Ford Fiesta making its UK debut. Also on show will be the Ford ST-Line range of Ford Performance-inspired models, including the Fiesta ST-Line.
Activities at Goodwood House, West Sussex, begin on Thursday, June 29 with the Moving Motor Show, followed by the Festival of Speed from Friday, June 30, to Sunday, July 2.

Saturday, 1 August 2015

Calais crisis is now starting to hurt the Scottish Export business - This must be dealt with NOW.


The continued chaos in Calais is impacting Scottish exports and the French Government must take action on the migrant situation in the port as a matter of urgency - is the message from the FTA today.  

Responding to the Scottish Government’s call for ‘action’ to help alleviate the delays to exports  - the Freight Transport Association (FTA) reiterated that the situation is not just affecting the south east of England but that it is a much wider issue affecting industry nationwide. 


The combination of industrial action and migrant activity in and around the port of Calais has continued to cause chaos both in the UK and France, including the implementation of Operation Stack on the M20 in Kent causing delays for some truck drivers for hours  – some up to 20 hours at a time.
Scottish businesses from the fishing and food processing sectors have raised their concerns regarding the impact of delays and potential delays on their businesses.
Margaret Simpson, FTA’s Country Manager - Scotland said: “The situation in Calais is having a huge impact on the Scottish freight industry.  The delays on both sides of the Channel are causing financial and logistical implications for operators and it can’t be allowed to continue.  Every year we are subject to disruptions of some kind at the French ports and the migrant issue this year has simply compounded an ongoing problem.”
FTA has previously highlighted the detrimental effect on the national supply chain because of lengthy delays to cross the Channel, and warned of the cost to the economy as loads are being damaged by the extensive delays and those being rejected by customers because of contamination when migrants break on board of trucks.
Operation Stack is used to park HGVs on the M20 and can affect 35 miles of the motorway.  The system is normally used during cross-Channel disruption, and has been implemented on 26 occasions in the past six weeks causing subsequent chaos in Kent not only for freight operators, but also for residents, tourist traffic and local businesses.

Friday, 31 July 2015

With the Calais situation getting worse, here are some tips to avoid the queues, and no, not shoot the Idiots.

TMW THOUGHTS

I am sorry, but what the hell are the French doing, if this were any other country in the world, anyone trying to illegally gain access to another country by crossing the border without permission would be be arrested, sent back or shot, Now I am not saying that we should shoot them, but something has got to be done.

The vast sums of money involved in keeping the lorries backed up is now running into hundreds of millions of pounds, at £100 per hour per truck, it can soon build up.


Why are these illegal immigrants not being dealt with on the French side, surely they are illegal in France, so why are they not being taken into custody, processed and sent home, why, well, they French just don't care, they seem to think that if they can lose a few by them coming here, it's less for them to worry about, it seems like they are happy to let them come here, rather than deal with it.

Well NO, I care little if the French like us or not, these immigrants are breaking the law in France, FACT, the French are seemingly doing little to stop it, FACT, it is costing the UK haulage industry Millions every day, and not just us, what about those countries exporting to the UK, they are being hit too, it is about time that fines and compensation should be awarded to the British drivers and companies that are out of pocket.

But it is not just the drivers and associated companies, what about the high street businesses, the shops that can not get their stock, like fresh flowers, our local news had a report where shops were having to close because of a lack of stock and refunds having to be given due to no items to supply.

The French need to get of their baguette filled arses and do something about it, because believe me, if they don't, they will continue to invade the tunnel daily, until they either succeed, or there is a lot more deaths, neither will be acceptable.
---------------------
Information and links for anyone affected by travel disruption at Calais. This will be updated as the situation develops.
Border controls in France.

Calais situation: 30 July 2015

There is an ongoing possibility of disruption to cross-Channel services as a result of industrial action and migrant activity in and around Calais.


Check online with your chosen operator and plan your journey to avoid disruption

If you are in the UK and have a booking, check online with your operator for more information before you leave and consider making alternative arrangements if necessary.

If you are in returning to the UK from abroad and you have a booking, check online with your operator for more information. You may also wish to consider alternative routes for returning to the UK.

General travel advice

Cross-Channel passengers travelling from Dover/Folkestone to the Port of Calais are advised to check online with their chosen operator and plan their journey to avoid disruption. You may also want to follow local radio for travel updates.

Cross-Channel passengers planning to travel through Calais are advised to check online with their travel operator. Information about alternative routes and operators is available via this interactive map.

If you require emergency assistance, emergency services in France are contacted by dialling 112. If you require assistance from the British Embassy, please contact 00 33 (0)1 44 51 31 00.

Compensation and exchanging tickets

If you need to exchange travel tickets, contact your operator. For advice on compensation and your rights, visit the ABTA website.

Read guidance on EU Regulation 1177/2010, which establishes the rights of all maritime passengers to assistance in the case of delayed or cancelled departures.

Contacts for cross-Channel operators
Dover/Folkestone – Calais/Coquelles cross-Channel operators

DFDS Seaways also operates out of Amsterdam, Dieppe and Dunkirk:
  • Twitter @DFDSUKUpdates
  • telephone:
    • Calais, Dunkirk and Amsterdam +44 (0) 344 902 0265 and +44 (0) 871 882 1777 for sailing information
    • Dieppe +44 (0) 844 576 8836, INT 0800 650 100 and +44 (0) 844 576 8836 for sailing information
P&O Ferries also operates out of Rotterdam and Zeebrugge:
  • Twitter @POferries for ferry updates
  • telephone +44 (0) 800 13 0030
Eurotunnel operates from Coquelles:
  • Twitter @LeShuttle
  • telephone: +44 (0) 8444 63 0000 (24 hour pre-recorded travel information), +44 (0) 8443 35 35 35, +33 (0) 810 63 03 04
Other cross-Channel operators and routes

Details of alternative routes for returning to the UK. Check availability and book ahead before considering travelling to another port of exit.

Brittany Ferries operates out of Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Roscoff, St Malo, Bilbao and Santander:
Condor Ferries operates out of St Malo and Cherbourg:
  • Twitter @CF_Travel_News
  • telephone +44 (0) 1202 207 216, St Malo +44 (0) 825 165 463, Cherbourg +33 (0) 233 88 44 88
Stena operates out of Hook of Holland:
Additional contacts
Road traffic information
UK road traffic
France road traffic
What the government is doing (SOD ALL -ATM)

We are working closely with the French government to seek an urgent return of normal services. We have also increased security and Border Force operations at the port.

We continue to closely monitor the situation and will update travel advice accordingly.

The government’s COBR emergency committee has met to discuss the situation in Calais and review implementation of our contingency plans.

Law and order in and around Calais is the responsibility of the French authorities, but the UK continues to work with its French counterparts to strengthen the security of the border to stop migrants entering the UK illegally.

Border Force put its well-rehearsed and practised contingency plans into operation to ensure security is maintained during this period of disruption to cross-Channel services and as they return to normal. 

We have deployed additional Border Force staff and sniffer dogs in northern France as well as bolstering screening checks at Dover for both tourist and freight vehicles. This is on top of already rigorous border controls, which include 100% freight screening at Coquelles and Calais.
The government:
  • has agreed to additional funding of up to £7 million towards increasing security at the Channel Tunnel railhead at Coquelles
  • is providing funding to bolster the security and infrastructure of ports in northern France and Belgium – this includes a £2 million upgrade of detection technology, a £1 million extension of dog searching capacity and an additional £12 million to reinforce security at the juxtaposed border
  • has installed new fencing in Calais to enhance security at the port and help protect traffic on the road leading to it
  • has announced there will be a new secure area for freight at Calais port
  • is tackling the roots of this problem by increasing joint intelligence work with the French to target the organised crime gangs behind people smuggling
  • has granted an exceptional temporary relaxation of the enforcement of EU drivers’ hours rules for drivers delayed due to Operation Stack in Kent
More than 39,000 attempts to cross the Channel illegally were prevented in 2014 to 2015 – more than double the previous year.

Friday, 1 May 2015

The last batch of tickets are available for this years BBC Children In Need Car Fest events.

  • Remaining tickets on sale from 8am tomorrow morning
  • Choice between weekend, camping, single day and VIP entry
  • Boomtown Rats on Friday’s live music bill at both venues
  • To date CarFest – inspired and hosted by DJ Chris Evans – has raised £3.5m for BBC Children in Need
The final tickets for CarFest – summer’s fast and furious fun-fuelled family festivals – have just gone on sale. Chris Evans, BBC Radio 2 DJ and the inspiration behind the two motoring and music-themed extravaganzas, has released the last batch at 8am yesterday (Thursday 30 April) morning during his award-winning Breakfast Show.


Evans again will be the perfect party host for both events – CarFest North (Oulton Park, Cheshire, 31 July-2 August) and CarFest South (Laverstoke Park Farm, Hampshire, 28-30 August) – with the promise of more magical music and motors… with lashings of mouth-watering festival food and eye-catching family fun thrown in for good measure.

Indeed, now entering its fourth season, the two spectacular shows are packed with even more features aimed at inspiring and amazing those of all ages. New additions include: goalfest, stunt school, the beach complete with deck chairs, a vintage village, mega land plus a lot more surprises still to be announced. 

The car content has been revved up, too. Track stars this year will include everything from Batmobiles and beach buggies to historic F1 racers and the very latest supercars. 

But to join the party, festival-goers will need to move quickly by logging onto the official www.CarFest.org website tomorrow morning. When the first tranche of tickets went on sale in November they sold out almost instantly. Demand for this final batch is likely to be even stronger.

Fans are also encouraged to consider individual day tickets – priced from £60 for adults – should they miss out on the limited number of remaining £142 weekend camping tickets.

As ever, CarFest will be raising money for BBC Children in Need with a minimum of 25 per cent of all ticket revenues going directly to the charity: now in its fourth year, CarFest has already donated more than £3.5 million to Children in Need.

Full details of both 2015 CarFests – including the bands performing which this year include The Boomtown Rats, Seasick Steve, Texas and Paloma Faith – can be found on the official website at www.carfest.org

CarFest is the brainchild of radio DJ and TV personality Chris Evans. Featuring a medley of fast cars, great food, live music and a rich mix of family entertainment, the inaugural weekend event was staged at Laverstoke Park Farm in Hampshire in August 2012 with a second show at Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire in September 2012. Together, they raised almost £1 million for BBC Children in Need.

In 2013, CarFest North switched to Oulton Park in Cheshire while CarFest South returned to Laverstoke Park Farm, raising £1.1m for the charity – a figure that increased to £1.5m in 2014. A minimum of 25 per cent of the price of each ticket benefits BBC Children in Need with all further profits from the running of CarFest also donated to the charity.

BBC Children in Need

BBC Children in Need is a charity registered in England and Wales (802052) and Scotland (SC039557) whose aim is to make a positive change to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK. 

BBC Children in Need’s vision is that every child in the UK has a safe, happy and secure childhood and the chance to reach their potential. 

BBC Children in Need are currently supporting over 2,600 projects that are working with children facing a range of disadvantages for example, poverty and deprivation; children who have been the victims of abuse or neglect or disabled young people.

Friday, 17 April 2015

Infiniti Red Bull Racing looks towards Bahrain with a Q and A with Ricciardo and Kvyat.

Daniel Ricciardo
Q1: What are you looking ahead to in Bahrain, after Shanghai?
Ricciardo: We stay in possibly the coolest hotel of the season. I haven't explored Manama, but out near the circuit where we're based we stay in a hotel with its own beach. Obviously the weather is great, and for training and relaxing for a few days before the event, yeah, it's pretty sweet.

Q2: Rumor has it the Bahrain International Circuit is your second favorite at Sakhir.
Ricciardo: Ha! Yeah, there's a really good go-kart track next to the circuit. Last year after testing you could go down there and hang out with the guys working at the track and do a few laps – obviously in your race overalls and helmet trying to look as cool as possible. Pretty good.

Q3: …and the grand prix circuit?
Ricciardo: It was the location of possibly my best qualifying lap ever, so I've got a few nice memories of Sakhir. Over one lap there's nothing that really has the "wow!" factor, but for racing it's a little better. Last year the race was one of the best. You can pass, and moving to an evening race spices things up a little. It kept you guessing with the tires. Yeah, it's a good track to race on. There's some tricky corners. Turn 10 is a funny turning-turning-braking-braking that's very technical, and when you get it right it feels good – but there's nothing that feels sick…

Q4: "Sick" in the Urban Dictionary sense?
Ricciardo: Yeah, that's the one.

Daniil Kvyat
Q1: On to the Sakhir circuit, the first night race of the season: Is that something you enjoy?
Kvyat: It makes a difference. The temperature is a lot easier on you as a driver. The tarmac is not so hot. The lighting is very good. There's no real issue with driving under lights. The track itself is what I would call a kind of "classic" configuration. It's got some flowing sections, some interesting corners. I enjoy it; it's a good racing track. The facilities are great and it's a good paddock.  

Q2: Is the circuit layout one that you like?
Kvyat: I had quite an unlucky race there last year but that doesn't make it a bad track for me. I think if you're fast and you're winning then any track is a good one! If you hit the right lines, if you hit on the right set-up and the right approach to the weekend, you're going to enjoy yourself.

Q3: And off-track?
Kvyat: We stay in a nice hotel in Bahrain. It's right by the beach and the atmosphere there is really nice. I haven't really been to Manama as it's pretty much just hotel and track!