Blog Archive

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Proximity-sensing bike tail light warns encroaching drivers

A large percentage of automobile-bicycle collisions occur when a car hits a bike from behind. The UK-designed SureLight bicycle tail light was made with this in mind, as it actually warns motorists when they’re getting too close.

Featuring a water-resistant body that’s milled from a single block of aircraft-grade sandblasted/anodized aluminum, the SureLight automatically powers up when attached to an included magnetic mount on the bike’s seatpost. Its array of 22(!) red LEDS then remain steadily illuminated until the light is pulled off again.

As is the case with many other modern bicycle tail lights, the SureLight also contains an accelerometer that detects when the bicycle starts suddenly slowing down. When this happens, the red LEDs temporarily get brighter, serving as a brake light.

Additionally, however, the SureLight also incorporates a rear-facing proximity sensor. When this device detects that a vehicle behind the bike is getting dangerously close, it triggers

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Bycycle
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Grosjean: Drivers to discuss concerns about Bahrain outer loop layout – F1

Formula 1 drivers will discuss concerns about plans to use the outer loop layout of the Bahrain International Circuit in December, according to GPDA director Romain Grosjean.

F1 announced last week that the second race in Bahrain – the Sakhir Grand Prix – would be staged on the track’s outer loop layout, promising lap times of under 55 seconds in qualifying.

The 11-corner circuit is just 2.202 miles long, meaning the race will last 87 laps. A pole position time of 53.9 seconds has been predicted by F1 following its own simulations, smashing the previous record held since 1974 by Niki Lauda.

While some drivers including Renault’s Esteban Ocon have praised the call, calling it “awesome”, Haas driver Grosjean said last week in Belgium that he was not “fully convinced” by the decision, believing it could be a “nightmare” in qualifying and with blue flags in the race due to

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Automotive
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Auto racing roundup: Tennessee driver’s bid to repeat as IndyCar champ gains hope with win

MADISON, Ill. — Josef Newgarden raced to his second IndyCar victory of the season Sunday, holding off rookie Pato O’Ward before the event at World Wide Technology Raceway finished under caution — one week after Takuma Sato won the Indianapolis 500 in the same fashion.

In the second of two weekend races at the short oval just outside of St. Louis, it was Sato who brought out the caution with four laps remaining when he hit the wall. With no time for a restart, O’Ward was denied a chance to challenge the reigning series champion for the win.

Newgarden, in a Chevrolet for Team Penske, won for the 16th time in his career, and the Hendersonville, Tennessee, native closed the gap on championship race leader Scott Dixon — who won Saturday — in the season points standings.

Dixon has won four of IndyCar’s nine races so far this season.

Newgarden

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Automotive
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What IndyCar drivers said after the 104th Indianapolis 500

became the 20th driver to win more than once in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing:” data-reactid=”19″INDIANAPOLIS — Recapping what NTT IndyCar Series drivers said after Sunday’s 104th Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Takuma Sato became the 20th driver to win more than once in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing:

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Automotive
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F1 drivers relishing Turkey return, expect ‘easy flat’ Turn 8 – F1

Formula 1 drivers are relishing the pending addition of Turkey’s Istanbul Park to the 2020 calendar, and expect Turn 8 to be “easy flat” in the modern cars.

F1 is set to confirm the return of the Turkish Grand Prix in the final 2020 calendar in the near future, reviving the race after nine years off the schedule.

Turkey will take up a November date slot ahead of back-to-back races in Bahrain and the season finale in Abu Dhabi in mid-December, lifting the schedule to 17 races.

Of the current grid, only Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen and Sergio Perez have prior experience in F1 machinery at the circuit.

Romain Grosjean raced at Istanbul Park back in GP2, winning races there in 2008 and 2011, and was excited by the prospect of the track returning.

“It would be mega,” Grosjean said when asked by Autosport about going back to

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Automotive
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Tony Stewart on why this year’s unusual Indy 500 could be ‘a lot easier’ for drivers

Tony Stewart, probably like most people, knows the 2020 Indianapolis 500 on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, NBC) is going to look and feel totally different compared with past years. And that goes for the drivers at the track and the fans, whose only option this year is to watch from afar.



Tony Stewart looking at the camera

© Provided by For The Win


Typically, the Indy 500 is a massive production with a celebration throughout the whole month leading up to the race — and that month is usually May. There are parades and concerts and other racing-related competitions, like to see which team has the best pit crew. And by the time race day rolls around at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which has a capacity of at least 350,000, fans flood the massive grandstands and infield to create what Indy 500 pole winner Marco Andretti recently described as an “electric” atmosphere.

“Honestly, it’s not going to

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Automotive
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F1 reserve drivers: Who is eligible to race as a replacement? – F1

After McLaren’s confirmation that Paul Di Resta will be its reserve driver for the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, a spotlight is on the drivers still eligible for a superlicence.

McLaren had previously announced that it has access to Mercedes reserves Stoffel Vandoorne and Esteban Gutierrez, and has given both men a seat fitting and time in the Woking simulator.

However this weekend Vandoorne is committed to the Formula E finale in Berlin, while it emerged over the Silverstone weekend that Gutierrez has forfeited his right to a superlicence due to a change in the regulations for this year.

The FIA’s International Sporting Code now says that any driver who has not raced for three full seasons has to complete 300kms of testing within 180 days of the licence application – in other words as of now any driver who has not raced in F1 since 2016, and has not tested

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Automotive
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Haas F1 drivers welcome FIA review of radio restrictions – F1

Haas Formula 1 team drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen have welcomed the FIA’s planned review of formation lap radio restrictions.

Both drivers were docked 10 seconds at the Hungarian Grand Prix after they discussed a change to slick tyres with their respective engineers, before pitting at the end of the formation lap.

To the surprise of the team after the race they were penalised on the basis of a 2017 FIA technical directive that restricts pre-race radio conversations to matters of safety.

That was designed to stop discussion of start procedures, such as clutch bite points.

Haas team boss Guenther Steiner was adamant that it shouldn’t be applied to matters of tyre choice, especially when the driver concerned pits and doesn’t actually take the start.

FIA race director Michael Masi confirmed at Silverstone that the rule is now under review, indicating that it could be modified to take account

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Automotive
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Rival F1 protests take credit away from team, say Racing Point drivers – F1

Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll feel the protests lodged by Racing Point’s Formula 1 rivals take credit away from the team’s “incredible job” in producing its 2020 car.

Racing Point was hit with a 15-point constructors’ championship penalty and a €400,000 fine after it was deemed to have copied the design of Mercedes’ 2019 brake ducts for its 2020 car.

The team has openly admitted it based the concept of its RP20 car on the 2019 title-winning Mercedes W10, claiming to have reverse engineered the design by using photographs in a legal manner.

Ferrari and Renault have both lodged appeals over the ruling against Racing Point, seeking a harsher penalty, while Racing Point itself is also appealing the case in a bid to clear its name.

Racing Point has enjoyed a significant uplift in form at the start of the 2020 season, qualifying in the top three twice and regularly

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Automotive
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Milk and Cookies: IndyCar drivers talk first cars and one said he’d be a ‘dirtbag’ if he wasn’t racing

In February, before the days of social-distancing and masks, Dave Calabro talked with IndyCar drivers on a series of topics.

AUSTIN, Texas — In February, before the days of social-distancing and masks, Dave Calabro packed up his milk jugs and cookies to head to Texas for some quality time with the IndyCar drivers. 

First car

Dave Calabro: What was the first car you drove on a regular basis when you got your license?

2018 Indy 500 winner Will Power: Was a VL Comodore.

Dave: Was that a cool car?

Power: It was a Chevy. It was a cool car for a young guy.

Dave: Did you pick up chicks in your new cool car?

Power: That’s the sort of thing you do with that car.

Power: You would pick up chicks.

2008 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon: I had a Honda Prelude. It was red…had one light. It had the

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Automotive