Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

This year I have been a very good boy. I have eaten all my greens, went to bed when I was told and have not been on the naughty step for at least a week!

For Christmas I would like...

BTCC - Lots of nice, shiny, new NGTC cars, all rear wheel drive so the cars oversteer like real race cars and not understeer like my dads boring car...

F1 - can your elfs show McLaren and Ferrari how to build a car like Red Bull as I am bored of Vettel winning all the time...

NASCAR - The two car drafting is a bit silly, and the old pack racing got a bit dull so something in the middle where the cars stay together but can still overtake would be nice...

Better racing at the mile and a half tracks as there are so many of them...

Less "fuel mileage" finishes as there were far to many of them...

Another close Chase as years was really good...

INDYCAR - A new car that drafts and races well at Indy as I really like the Indy 500...

Oh and a Buzz Lightyear...

And a Lightning McQueen...

Please

Thank you...

James
Age 3.2 going on 32.

Cars 2, The Review

I am on holiday this week, so have not seen a single lap of the Brickyard 400 or the latest GP, so...

Sometimes critics take themselves and their chosen art too seriously. Be it a food critic harping on about "cooked to perfection", a motoring journalist getting excited by "feel and balance", or a movie critic boring everyone with "characters and emotion".

There are times when everyday people want food that is good for the price they are paying for it, most of the time people choose a car because they like it, and at times people just want to watch a movie that entertains!

The vast majority of reviews I have read about Cars 2 talk about the lackluster plot, the average this, the not good enough that. It's not as good as the Toy Story series or Wall-E. It doesn't have enough for adults to be entertained, and it only exists as a merchandising money stream for Pixar.

Does any of the last paragraph matter to me...

NO!!

I have just watched Cars 2 with my wife and my 5 year old daughter and we loved it!!

If you are a child you will love it! If you are an adult, and are willing to leave your adultness at the door and let your inner child out for a couple of hours, you too will love it! If not go watch some black and white foreign move with subtitles.

In a word Cars 2 is fun. It is entertainment that never takes itself seriously and just revels in taking you along for the ride.

The plot is good fun, save the world and trust your friends. The script is a laugh, from "Tow Mater, average intellegence" early on, to Flo and Sally eyeing up the Italian racers "open wheels" without letting on to Ramone or Lighning near the end. The film never slows down, from one action sequence to the next, one laugh to the next or from one stunning piece of animation to the next, and the animation is wonderful. The racing sequences are a delight, while the car-ified world is fabulous. One big diffference between the original Cars movie and this sequel is the number of "real" cars in this one. In Italy Luigi dances with a new Fiat 500, and in London the police cars are Ford Mondeos... ok maybe I am taking this a little too seriously.. back to the "fun"...

The in-gags are there to be spotted too, a banner at one of the races for "LasseTyres" is a cool one for the man himself to slip in there, and "Big Bentley" and a train called "Stephenson" and... and...

The film is very much the Mater show. It doesn't have the deepest characters or greatest plot in movie history. It does nothing to move the art of the computer animated motion picture on, even half a step.

BUT as I said earlier, does any of the last paragraph mater to me...

If you are a car person, if you want to have a laugh, if your inner child needs to be let out for a bit...

Watch Cars 2, you will love it!!

This review was written for "Shiftin' Gears" by James age 3.2... going on 32... 

Favourite Race Cars Part 2 - NASCAR

With the motor racing off season upon us I found myself questioning... what does the author of a topical motorsport based blog write about when there is no racing??

The first answer I came up with is to talk about what I love about racing, starting with my favourite race cars, so here we go...  Part 2...

NASCAR

1952 "Fabulous" Hudson Hornet

Ahead of its time... quick... good looking... voiced by Paul Newman... what's not to like...

 

1967 Plymouth Belvedere - Richard Petty

Good looking, fast, dominatingly fast!! Helped build the legend!!

 
 1967 Ford Galaxie 500 - Mario Andretti

Pretty road car, even prettier race car, one of my favourite drivers of all time!! 

1970 Plymouth Superbird

They may have been a only year only thing but they have a place in NASCAR history for all of their speed and drama. Detroit discovers aerodynamics...

 
Mid 90's Chevy Lumina - Dale Earnhardt

I grew up watching the Luminas, T-birds, Grand prix, even Oldsmobiles going head to head... the "3" Chevy of Earnhardt is my favourite NASCAR car! Dark, menacing, and fast!! RIP!!

1997 Craftsman Truck Series Chevy C1500 Silverado

The trucks were introduced to be the short track NASCAR series and the early trucks were square, flat fronted and looked like the road versions. The late trucks look good, but the early short track trucks are my favourite!

2010 Sprint Cup "Car of Tomorrow"

This may be controversial but, as regular readers will know, I like the latest Cup car! Developed to improve safety and racing, NASCAR has continually evolved the car to improve the looks and the racing... and the racing has been good!! 2011 sees the end of the splitter which I am sure will improve the cars again!!


2011 Nationwide Series "Muscle Cars - Mustang/Challenger"

Next season brings the Mustang and Challenger full time to the Nationwide Series. As with the latest Cup car this new design should improve safety and racing. The fact that the cars look great and have more of an identity for manufacturers is great too!

Cars like these and many more in the NASCAR Hall of Fame... come on America give it a chance!!

Oh one more...

Ker Chow!!

Part 3... Open Wheel...