iPaying Attention. The James Bond movie series totals 25 films, 23 of them produced by Eon Productions, who now holds all of the rights to the Ian Fleming novels (and spinoffs) that first popularized James Bond in print. The James Bond movies are the single most successful movie franchise ever created and are justifiably well known for their spectacular stunts and special effects. Each film begins with an amazing opening that involves spectacular (and dangerous) stunts but before the film starts to play in movie theaters, the producers seed the market and whet the appetite of millions of James Bond fans over the world with equally spectacular movie trailers. The next James Bond film, coming late in 2015, is SPECTRE, a film named after Bond’s long-time criminal nemesis (Special Executive for Counter-Inteligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion). It’s scheduled for release in November of this year and will again start Daniel Craig, who has developed into the very best version of Bond since Sean Connery. Here’s the latest trailer for the next Bond movie.
RISI COMP POST QUALIFYING NOTES CONTINENTAL TIRE MONTEREY GRAND PRIX
Pierre Kaffer took on the responsibility as qualifying driver today in the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia GT for tomorrow’s Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix powered by Mazda race. He was able to put the Prancing Horse third on the grid in the extremely challenging GTLM class.
As the only privateers against two-car factory BMW, Porsche and Corvette teams, the Risi Competizione team is a bit of an underdog. That wasn’t obvious in today’s qualifying when Kaffer held his own as he sought his best lap times lap after lap in the brief 15 minute GTLM qualifying session. The Ferrari is running a new ACO homologated aero package, called the 2015 “evolution of type”, which is only allowed every two years and is part of the Balance of Performance between manufacturers.
The Risi Ferrari team has a bit of positive momentum going after collecting second place finishes in the past two races (12 Hours of Sebring and Long Beach sprint race). The popular red Ferrari team has made 15 appearances at the scenic 11-turn, 2.238-mile Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca circuit. This year’s race will feature all four IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship classes competing together for a total field of 35 entries.
PIERRE KAFFER, No. 62 Ferrari 458 Italia, Risi Competizione qualifying driver:
“I’m pleased with this result, I mean we did what we could. We improved the car session-by-session and that’s what we have right now. Obviously, it looks like the BMW has a very, very, very strong package when we see the lap time of Werner, which was the same like Auberlen in Long Beach. The rest of the field looks like everyone is very tight together. I really appreciate what the (Risi) boys have done before the qualifying and now we need to concentrate on our race. Obviously, Fisichella and myself have done a lot of laps and for qualifying we needed to squeeze the last hundredth’s out of the car and the tires. I’m happy to be third tomorrow in the race and thanks to my team and to Michelin. They have all done an awesome job.”
RICK MAYER, No. 62 Ferrari 458 Italia Risi Competizione Race Engineer:
“Well, Pierre did an exceptional job, actually. We’re struggling a bit with having to have the ride height so high to avoid bottoming (out) on the downhill. I don’t think we have the best BoP so I’m pretty happy with P3. I honestly think other guys that had better BoPs would be faster than that, so that was pretty exceptional. And to see it that close is pretty good, as well. But, we kinda expected the BMWs to be quick. I’m rather surprised the Porsches aren’t a bit quicker but we’ll see how it goes in the race.”
The Weekend Concert Series: Phil Collins-The Last Farewell Tour
The Hunt For New Music: Phil Collins is not a new musician but he has produced such a body of work, that some of his songs may be new to you, despite his worldwide fame and success. Collins has enjoyed a very successful career, first as the drummer/singer for Genesis, where he replaced the talented Peter Gabriel as lead singer, and then as a solo artist. He is one of only three solo artists (Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson are the other two) to have sold over 100 million records. Wikipedia–as they always do–has a very nice overview of Collins’ career. Collins has backed away from a heavy touring and recording schedule in recent years, although he has been emphatic that he has not retired, so maybe you haven’t had a Phil Collins fix in a while. This weekend concert should solve that.
One reason Phil Collins is not quite as visible as he once was (and he was everywhere) is health. First, a medical issue with his vertebrae has made it impossible for him to play the drums (nerve damage) and he was–as you’ll see in this concert–one of the great rock drummers of all time. He also had a hearing issue, when his hearing was severely compromised by an infection; he would not be the first rock musician to suffer hearing issues, as the volume levels on stage for world-class bands like Genesis or solo performers of Collins stature are immense, but Collins problem was more severe than just rock&roll wear&tear.
Collins is a very gifted song writer as a well as performer, and is an Academy Award winning film composer for his song “You’ll Be In My Heart”. Some critics have unfairly bashed Phil Collins simply because at one point in his career, he appeared to be everywhere, but that premise is both short-sighted and ridiculous: why knock a human who does something so very, very well just because he’s so popular or ubiquitous. He’s got gifts. He used them. Enjoy it. Being productive is not a defect for an artist. For this weekend’s installment of Weekend Concert Series, it’s Phil Collins Performing live in Paris in 2004 ; the concert is full length and very well recorded. Play this back through the big speakers. Special thanks to all involved for making this one possible. Enjoy the performance and the evening.
The Fine Print: Made available via embed from YouTube. Thank you. All rights belong to the respective owners. Special thanks to Phil Collins (www.philcollins.co.uk) for allowing the posting of this concert for enjoyment by his fans. This concert was produced/recorded in Paris in 2004. Also special thanks to the Piano Keys Sessions Channel for curation and preservation.
Disrupting the Auto Industry
A startling article on the front page of Bloomberg.com by writer Julie Verhage forecasts the future of the automobile industry. Verhage illustrates her article with a chart that breaks the auto industry into four quadrants and as one moves through the chart, it is possible to see the auto industry’s past, present, near future, and distant future. Importantly, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas says that the chart “will be the focus of the rest of my career” and he is correct but not in the way that most people would think.
Jones astutely has picked up on something that others who follow the auto industry may have overlooked: the real threat posed by companies like Tesla and, to a different degree, Uber, is not so much the technology but the business model. Tesla is a car company developed around a modern, Silicon Valley style business model: agile, innovative, adventurous, software driven, totally comfortable with rapid iteration and cross-technology/industry idea development.
The automobile industry today is anything but that model; it is inward focused, silo managed, slow to change, low tech, highly unionized, non-flexible, and far too heavily invested in an outdated distribution and production model that suffers the “union penalty” in terms of cost and performance.
Put Jonas on your “keep up with” list.
The revolution is now very, very public.
RISI COMPETIZIONE SEEKING A VICTORY AT THE CONTINENTAL TIRE MONTEREY GRAND PRIX
Risi Competizione is back at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend, May 1 – 3, site of two victories, four additional podiums and three poles in 15 seasons of competition at the scenic Northern California road course. Round Four of the 2015 IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship series will feature the quick and productive driving duo of Italian Giancarlo Fisichella and German Pierre Kaffer behind the wheel of the Houston, Texas-based No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia, clad in Ferrari’s traditional Rosso Corsa (racing red) color.
Unlike last year’s double header race meeting, all four classes of the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship will be on the track at the same time for the 2015 Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix, with an extended race time of 40 additional minutes, for a total of two hours and forty minutes. Risi Competizione enters the fourth round on the 10-race season in third place in the GTLM class Team and Driver’s Championship points, following back-to-back second-place finished at Sebring and Long Beach.
The results of the popular Risi Ferrari team and it’s Fisichella/Kaffer pairing include an impressive five podium finish in the past eight races, including two victories (at Road America and VIR in 2014) and three second-place finishes (Indianapolis 2014 and Sebring and Long Beach in 2015). In that eight-race span they also have two poles (Indianapolis 2014 with Fisichella and VIR 2014 with Kaffer).
Risi Competizione celebrated victories at the 11-turn, 2.238-mile Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca circuit in 2006 and 2007, while their other four podium finishes were in 2002, 2003, 2008, and 2014. This weekend will be Kaffer’s sixth appearance at the Monterey, California circuit; his best showing was a victory in 2004. Fisichella makes his third appearance at Laguna Seca this year with his previous best finish a third-place last year with Kaffer.
The 2014 race at Mazda Racing Laguna Seca was the first one in which team owner Giuseppe Risi paired Fisichella and Kaffer and it immediately produced a podium result (third)– their best of the four races to date on the 2014 calendar. The duo went on to collect victories at Road America and VIR (Virginia International Raceway).
PIERRE KAFFER, No. 62 Ferrari 458 Italia, Risi Competizione Driver:
How do you think the Laguna circuit is suited for the Ferrari race car?
“It’s very good, I mean last year we had a very good car and Giancarlo did a very good job in a qualifying. I remember when we swapped to new tires and I handed the car over after a great pit stop, we were leading the race. We also finished on the podium last year, so for us it has been a very good track so far and when I consider this whole season so far. It’s a shame we could not finish at Daytona, but our performance this year and how we work as a team, together, I think everyone from the outside sees that we are very competitive. From a personal side I have to say I am really proud of this privateer team. Although he was not at Long Beach, Giuseppe Risi would have really enjoyed the race at Long Beach. He is a really patient man and I’m really happy and proud that I can play my part in the whole picture. I’m really looking forward when he will be on the pit stand again in Monterey and I feel we will be very competitive against the many factory teams. It should make Ferrari Italy really proud of what he’s done.”
What are your thoughts on returning to Laguna Seca for round four?
“I’m really looking forward to going to Laguna. For me it was a very emotional moment last year here when I stepped back with Risi Competizione when Giuseppe Risi gave me a chance to drive for him again since 2009. Last year we did pretty well, and I have to say our car should be in really good shape at Laguna. It will be such a pleasure to drive again for the team this race. I think we have a really good atmosphere within the team. It’s really nice to be a part of this whole team and I’m really looking forward to driving at Laguna again.”
GIANCARLO FISICHELLA, No. 62 Ferrari 458 Italia, Risi Competizione Driver:
What has your experience been like racing at Laguna Seca?
“Well, I’ve been to Laguna the past two years those were my first times and it’s been a really great experience. It’s a very challenging circuit with all the ups and downs (hills). There are a lot of high straight corners, which I like. Last year we were on the podium. I think this year we can score another podium since we have such a good package and set-up for this race. I’m really looking forward to it.”
With the momentum you have going into this race, do you think it will carry you and the team through to the finish?
“Absolutely, of course, it brings a lot of energy into the next race with two back-to-back podiums. It’s important to keep that speed and mentality because we are a great team and should keep doing well the whole season.”
RICK MAYER, No. 62 Ferrari 458 Italia Risi Competizione Race Engineer:
What is it going to take for the team to qualify on the pole for Sunday’s race since this is something that is particularly important at this track?
“This will be very difficult with the competition we have and the current BoP (balance of performance). We have to have the setup perfect and do our fast qualifying lap at the perfect point for the tires and others have to be off a bit on setup and not be perfect in qualifying, as we don’t feel we have the best BoP for this venue. But in saying that, I don’t think we will be far off or at a large deficit. But the margins in lap time we are talking about are very, very small. We have a new aero package for this event (giving a small downforce improvement) but it comes at a price of a smaller air restrictor (less power) and added car weight. We are not sure if these changes will be a gain, the same or a slight loss in a sense of BoP within GTLM at this track until we run them in the first practice or more likely we won’t know until the race unfolds.”
Sand onthe track in always a factor at Mazda Raceway. The Michelin tires are strong and you have great drivers. How do you overcome the constant sand issue?
“You don’t, there’s nothing any tire can do with the sand. If you qualify at the front and stay out front of the pack the sand issue will have less of an effect, as you can at least choose your driving line when you have clear track. There’s a lot of luck needed. If you catch traffic at the wrong time the sand on the track could be a factor. The first part of the race will be the most difficult as all the Am drivers will start in GTD and PC making it more difficult for all the GTLMs, as the Am PCs drivers are typically slower than the GTLMs and the Am GTDs are not all consistent with holding position while being passed. This sometimes requires the GTLMs to use a non-ideal line to pass in traffic and the risk of getting sand on the tires is higher.”
What spawned the Evo kit and other aero dynamic changes you have made to the car for this race? Was this a BoP change and if so, why?
“It’s not really a BoP change. It was an ACO accepted 2015 evolution of type (Evo kit), that was accepted by IMSA as a separate evolution of type document, but cost the GTLM F458 a smaller air restrictor and additional car weight. The F458 has the least usable downforce in GTLM and IMSA is trying to allow the field to be more level in how the lap time is achieved. IMSA’s thought is add some downforce then reduce the air restrictor and add a little weight and the ‘performance’ should be equal but you’re achieving the lap time less from top speed (smaller air restrictor) and more from cornering speeds (and braking) from the downforce. Manufactures are allowed to petition for changes every two years currently in the ACO homologation system, which the GTLM rules are based on. Unfortunately the team (Risi or others) have little to no input and no control over what is requested or approved. Outside of setup parameters there is little any team can do to improve their cars ‘base’ performance. The ‘base’ is all controlled by IMSA with an ACO influence in GTLM.”
Dave Sims, No. 62 Ferrari 458 Italia Risi Competizione, team manager:
This track plays to the particular strengths of the Ferrari and the team has done well here in the past. What things need to happen to get to clinch the victory this time at Laguna?
“We’re going there with the new aero bodywork. We haven’t tested it, but they have tested it in Europe and it looks pretty positive. So, we’re going there with a good sense of success. I think it’s always difficult when you’re running a one-car team against all the other manufactures with two cars because they can do strategy with two cars, especially in a two-hour and forty minute race, so we’ve got to be on top of it from the word ‘go’ to combat that like we were at Long Beach. We’ve got to start off in practice to get a good setup and match ourselves with the others who are going to be quick. It’s going to be close, probably one of the closest GTLM races at Laguna in a few years.”
You’ve been coming to Laguna Seca with Risi for sixteen years now. Are there any specifics that are key to success at this circuit?
“I can remember back and we’ve been on the podium quite a bit here. It’s one of the best circuits we go to. A good indication for us is in practice because Laguna is a real drivers circuit and handling circuit. Once you establish a good setup straight away and with just two drivers, it’s good. Pierre will mainly do the setup and Fisichella likes Pierre’s set-up. We’re really looking forward to it. “
Ultimate Irony: A Tweet Crashes Twitter Stock
Paying Attention. If you spend any time at all on Twitter, you quickly become amazed at the sheer speed and velocity of information that runs through the “Twittersphere”. Pick a topic to follow, and you find, inevitably, that Twitter delivers the news on that topic faster and from more different perspectives than any other media, social or mainstream. The speed of Twitter is faster than than the speed of most websites, television channels, radio stations, or other forms of media. Stuff is pushed out on Twitter and then then it’s picked up and “retweeted” by followers and the distribution of that item goes exponential (or viral, depending upon whether your selection of similes is mathematical or biological).
Yesterday, 28 April 2015, Twitter became a victim of the medium of communications it created. On a day on which Twitter was to release its quarterly earnings report, a financial intelligence company, Selerity, released a series of Tweets that contained information about Twitter’s revenues, earnings, and user figures. The Tweets came in advance of Twitter’s own release of its’ information and the result was nearly instantaneous and very dramatic. Twitter stock took a big hit (down 18% for the day) and trading in the stock was halted at Twitter’s request, according to a Tweet issued by the company at 3:01PM. If you were on Twitter yesterday, the news swept through the Twittersphere like a runaway train. The damage to the wealth of Twitter co-founders Jack Dorsey and Evan Williams was about minus $750 million for the two of them. That the company would be a victim of its’ own invention is irony on roids.
Investors have not been happy with Twitter’s pace of growth; perhaps these investors have set an unrealistically high bar for the company or perhaps Twitter’s early ascent created an atmosphere of performance expectations that would be tough to meet. For the most recently ended reporting period, Twitter’s revenues rose 74% and it is still a relatively young company with lots of headroom and new technology for growth. The business model is yet to be perfected, but there is much to like about Twitter and the future of the brand/franchise could be astounding. The addition of Periscope digital video to Twitter’s toolbox creates the possibility of instant distribution television networks and newscasting. The service has long been able to broadcast photographs (i.e. provide competition to Instagram) and in January, Twitter added private messaging so that groups can communicate behind closed digital doors about the messages and information moving through the service. They have also recently added a custom search engine (working with Google) to allow users to pinpoint the information they need as it flows through the Twittersphere.
How far down Twitter stock will go is unknown. The pessimists will continue to sell but I would not bet against them. The company has a very wide range of communications abilities, is still growing very rapidly, and the service is massively easy to access. Best of all: it is ultra portable and we all know how important portability and mobility is in today’s ultra-now world.
Despite a very rough Tuesday, the smart optimist might see this dip as what may later be defined as a historic buying opportunity.
Below, a ClickPak on Twitter’s rough day on Wall Street.
Twitter Misses Revenue Estimates (Source: Bloomberg)
CFO of Twitter Hits the Credibility Wall after Earnings Report (Source: Bloomberg)
Bloomberg Overview of Twitter Stock (Source: Bloomberg)
How A Tweet Caused Twitter Stock To Fall (Source: Boing Boing)
Twitter’s Stock Tanks (Source: Wired.com)
The Tweet That Knocked Twitter’s Stock Down (Source: Time.com)
A Twitter Wiki (Source: Wikipedia)
Godard
“ALL YOU NEED FOR A MOVIE IS A GUN AND A GIRL….”
THE LAGUNA SECA PREVIEW: RISI COMP'S TEAM ENGINEER GETS YOU READY TO RACE
Risi Competizione has been featuring Rick Mayer’s pre-race commentary for almost a decade now. Rick is the Team Engineer for Risi Comp, and is responsible for setting up the car for the course and the conditions. He has a very unique perspective on the race track, our car and drivers, and the competition, and he brings his knowledge and viewpoint to every Preview that he writes. If you read only one thing about the Laguna Seca TUDOR United Sports Car Championship race this coming weekend (or any race that Risi Comp enters) it should be Rick’s column, because he will provide you with perspective and insight that is just not available elsewhere. Enough of the warmup; here’s the real thing: Rick Mayer on what it will take to win at Laguna Seca.
General: Laguna Seca is a 2.24-mile long permanent road course that resides in the very picturesque Laguna Seca State Park outside of Monterey, California. The track has several long-duration medium to medium-high speed corners and a low top speed of 240 kph or 150 mph, one of the lowest top speeds of all the tracks we run. The track has some elevation changes, including the famous ‘Corkscrew’ turn, a steep drop away over a blind 90-degree left-hand bend that immediately sweeps away to the right. It’s the signature corner complex of the track.
GTLM competition: The number 3 Corvette won here last year, and was on pole, but the BMWs were also strong and had the fastest race lap and finished 2nd. This year we will have many cars with balance of performance changes from last year, which could shuffle things up a bit. The BMWs generate a lot of downforce and low speed grip and are always fast here. This year the BMWs have a larger air restrictor, making them even faster. The Corvettes were fast here last year with the 3 car winning; they should again be quick. The Porsches currently have the best balance-of-performance in GTLM. The current rules give the Porsche the best power and most downforce, and this is a downforce track. The Falken Porsche could win here. Falken makes a very competitive soft tire, which is typically the tire of choice here. The Ferrari finished third last year and has only improved. This will be the first run of the GTLM Ferrari’s 2015 aero kit and other Evo kit items accepted by the ACO and IMSA, but it will also gain some weight and get a smaller air restrictor starting at this event. The Ferrari’s balance-of-performance (weight, air restrictor and downforce) within GTLM is not as strong as others for this type of track but the Evo kit should improve this. Pit stops will again be key here and the Risi crew always stand out in that area and will hopefully push the car forward as it did last year.
The Track: The surface is relatively smooth as the weather is very consistent all year round and the track is not heavily used. The general grip level is typically low due to one of the big issues at Laguna which is that sand surrounds the track edges, as opposed to grass at most permanent road courses. As the higher downforce cars run near the edge of the track (or unintentionally off it) the sand is sucked onto the surface which makes the track low grip and slippery, and not always predictable. A moderate wind will also bring sand onto the tarmac. Shortly after the start, the track will only have one racing line. It’s difficult for GTLM cars to go off-line to pass, or get passed by faster classes, and retain any grip. If you go, or are forced, off-line it takes several laps to clean the sand off the tires. The track is also surrounded by gravel traps, a safety feature as there’s quite a lot of motorcycle racing here, and if you go off into any of those you’ll also lose laps while the safety crew extricates you from the gravel.
Setup: Laguna Seca is typically a low grip understeer track. The only real change of direction is in the Corkscrew section, but it’s relatively slow and falling away downhill. It’s a unique corner all to itself and you don’t spend any time setting up for this complex, although it does tend to set the minimum ride height for the car; cars usually ‘bottom’ here, i.e. the floor of the car touches the surface of the track. A moderately stiff setup is better at Laguna Seca. Pitch platform is important for braking and turn-in, and you need support through the long corners which you can’t do with dampers (shocks). This track is hard on brakes. The last corner is quite slow (70 Kph/43 Mph), a good exit is important here as this leads to the main pit straight and to Turn 3, which is a prime passing area. The car needs good low speed traction to get off the last corner quick for a run down to Turn 3.
The Race: This year’s race will have all four classes, totaling 38 cars, in a 2-hour, 40 minute race. Last year there were two separate 2-hour races with classes split. We expect some cautions periods this year with the larger field and increased Pro-Am content, with all the gravel traps which make it difficult to go off-track and not get stuck. It’s very difficult to pass at Laguna Seca, making qualifying position more important for this event. The race will be two stops (minimum) for all GTLMs and with such a tight, competitive field the strategy is nearly always the same…be the first to make the shortest last stop and be ready to race to the finish.
Risi Competizione has had good cars here in the past; we’ve had class wins, and a pole position as recently as 2013. The track suits the Ferrari and hopefully that’s the case again this year.
THE LAGUNA SECA PREVIEW: RISI COMP’S TEAM ENGINEER GETS YOU READY TO RACE
Risi Competizione has been featuring Rick Mayer’s pre-race commentary for almost a decade now. Rick is the Team Engineer for Risi Comp, and is responsible for setting up the car for the course and the conditions. He has a very unique perspective on the race track, our car and drivers, and the competition, and he brings his knowledge and viewpoint to every Preview that he writes. If you read only one thing about the Laguna Seca TUDOR United Sports Car Championship race this coming weekend (or any race that Risi Comp enters) it should be Rick’s column, because he will provide you with perspective and insight that is just not available elsewhere. Enough of the warmup; here’s the real thing: Rick Mayer on what it will take to win at Laguna Seca.
General: Laguna Seca is a 2.24-mile long permanent road course that resides in the very picturesque Laguna Seca State Park outside of Monterey, California. The track has several long-duration medium to medium-high speed corners and a low top speed of 240 kph or 150 mph, one of the lowest top speeds of all the tracks we run. The track has some elevation changes, including the famous ‘Corkscrew’ turn, a steep drop away over a blind 90-degree left-hand bend that immediately sweeps away to the right. It’s the signature corner complex of the track.
GTLM competition: The number 3 Corvette won here last year, and was on pole, but the BMWs were also strong and had the fastest race lap and finished 2nd. This year we will have many cars with balance of performance changes from last year, which could shuffle things up a bit. The BMWs generate a lot of downforce and low speed grip and are always fast here. This year the BMWs have a larger air restrictor, making them even faster. The Corvettes were fast here last year with the 3 car winning; they should again be quick. The Porsches currently have the best balance-of-performance in GTLM. The current rules give the Porsche the best power and most downforce, and this is a downforce track. The Falken Porsche could win here. Falken makes a very competitive soft tire, which is typically the tire of choice here. The Ferrari finished third last year and has only improved. This will be the first run of the GTLM Ferrari’s 2015 aero kit and other Evo kit items accepted by the ACO and IMSA, but it will also gain some weight and get a smaller air restrictor starting at this event. The Ferrari’s balance-of-performance (weight, air restrictor and downforce) within GTLM is not as strong as others for this type of track but the Evo kit should improve this. Pit stops will again be key here and the Risi crew always stand out in that area and will hopefully push the car forward as it did last year.
The Track: The surface is relatively smooth as the weather is very consistent all year round and the track is not heavily used. The general grip level is typically low due to one of the big issues at Laguna which is that sand surrounds the track edges, as opposed to grass at most permanent road courses. As the higher downforce cars run near the edge of the track (or unintentionally off it) the sand is sucked onto the surface which makes the track low grip and slippery, and not always predictable. A moderate wind will also bring sand onto the tarmac. Shortly after the start, the track will only have one racing line. It’s difficult for GTLM cars to go off-line to pass, or get passed by faster classes, and retain any grip. If you go, or are forced, off-line it takes several laps to clean the sand off the tires. The track is also surrounded by gravel traps, a safety feature as there’s quite a lot of motorcycle racing here, and if you go off into any of those you’ll also lose laps while the safety crew extricates you from the gravel.
Setup: Laguna Seca is typically a low grip understeer track. The only real change of direction is in the Corkscrew section, but it’s relatively slow and falling away downhill. It’s a unique corner all to itself and you don’t spend any time setting up for this complex, although it does tend to set the minimum ride height for the car; cars usually ‘bottom’ here, i.e. the floor of the car touches the surface of the track. A moderately stiff setup is better at Laguna Seca. Pitch platform is important for braking and turn-in, and you need support through the long corners which you can’t do with dampers (shocks). This track is hard on brakes. The last corner is quite slow (70 Kph/43 Mph), a good exit is important here as this leads to the main pit straight and to Turn 3, which is a prime passing area. The car needs good low speed traction to get off the last corner quick for a run down to Turn 3.
The Race: This year’s race will have all four classes, totaling 38 cars, in a 2-hour, 40 minute race. Last year there were two separate 2-hour races with classes split. We expect some cautions periods this year with the larger field and increased Pro-Am content, with all the gravel traps which make it difficult to go off-track and not get stuck. It’s very difficult to pass at Laguna Seca, making qualifying position more important for this event. The race will be two stops (minimum) for all GTLMs and with such a tight, competitive field the strategy is nearly always the same…be the first to make the shortest last stop and be ready to race to the finish.
Risi Competizione has had good cars here in the past; we’ve had class wins, and a pole position as recently as 2013. The track suits the Ferrari and hopefully that’s the case again this year.
The Weekend Concert Series: St. Paul and The Broken Bones
The Hunt For New Music. St. Paul and The Broken Bones are breaking out. The seven piece band from Birmingham, Alabama plays R&B and soul with an intensity and urgency seldom seen on stage. Fronted by singer Paul Janeway, who commands the stage with messianic presence and energy, the band of Janeway (vocals), guitarist Browan Lollar, bassist Jesse Phillips, drummer Andrew Lee, keyboardist Al Gamble, and a two-man horn section that features Allen Branstetter on trombone and Ben Griner on trumpet, is re-interpreting soul and R&B music while expanding the performance edges of the genre. The band’s first full length album, Half The City, had all the right Alabama music trademarks involved: part of the album was recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals studio (the Rolling Stones, among others, have also recorded at Muscle Shoals) and the album was produced by Ben Tanner of the very hot band The Alabama Shakes. The band’s recorded repertoire (which includes the full length Half The City and the EP Greetings from St. Paul and the Broken Bones) is small but impressive, but if you really want the full impact of St. Paul and The Broken Bones, you need to see them live. To get you in the mood, here’s a concert they did in Boston on October 21, 2014. The band is currently touring; as a look at this video will confirm, you certainly want to catch live when you get a chance.
The Fine Print: This concert made available through YouTube. It was recorded on October 21, 2014 and is from WGBH Boston’s Front Row Boston music series. All rights belong to their respective rights holders. We thank YouTube, WGBH, and St. Paul and The Broken Bones for making this concert available.