Belgian Grand Prix this weekend
Spa
After the four week break, it is back to
the action this weekend, at a circuit that everyone enjoys -
Spa Francorchamps (are you listening, Bernie).
Now we get a real race circuit, Spa
Francorchamps, with Eau Rouge being the corner for those
with big hearts (and large cojones). Will Mark Webber still
be on top of the driver’s championship by the time the
chequered flag drops? The championship is certainly very
open at this stage, with every one of the top five in with a
chance. Michael Schumacher is not in with even a sniff of a
chance, and starts Spa 10 grid spots down from wherever he
qualifies for his stupid (and dangerous) move on Rubens
Barichello in Hungary.
Pit Stop
The race will start at 7 p.m. our time
and we watch from Jameson’s Irish Pub on Soi AR, next to
Nova Park. Come early for a meal (the carvery is great
value) and a drink and discussion and let’s hope for some
real racing.
The pit stop photo comes from a book
given to me by Nic Demet on Spa Francorchamps. For those
days (1950’s), 22 seconds was a rather quick stop. That Alfa
was also timed at 320 kph, by the way! On ‘bicycle’ tyres
too!
Honda race
meeting at Bira this weekend
Honda
traffic jam
The Bira circuit is again the local venue
for some close racing, with the Honda one make racing. With
races for Civics, Yaris and older Hondas, it is a packed
program.
With Grand Prix International’s Anothai
Eamlumnow being in the organizers, these meetings are well
run and professionally administered.
Racing generally begins around 11 a.m.
Saturday and Sunday, and you will find all car parks full of
Hondas; however, they won’t turn you away in your Toyotas!
They even let my Mira in.
Remember the Bira caf้ at the back of the
pits for a good cheap lunch and cold fluids.
Autotrivia
Quiz
Last week I mentioned that Sebastian
Vettel called his Red Bull race car “Luscious Liz”. I asked
what very popular car from the late 70’s and early 80’s
started off life being called “Brenda”? The answer was the
Mk2 Ford Escort. Brenda was its code name while it was being
jointly developed by Ford UK and Ford Germany.
So to this week. Let’s stick with names,
with beauties such as in France the Toyota MR2 which is
pronounced “Emm Air De” which became “merde” which is French
for poop! So, what manufacturer sold a car called “Penis” in
Brazil?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be
the first correct answer to email [email protected] Good
luck!
‘Our’
Fiesta range heading down-under
GoAuto from Australia reports that the
2011 Fiesta range will be imported for the first time from
Thailand in the final quarter of this year.
The WT Fiesta model will be available in
five-door hatchback and, for the first time, four-door sedan
body styles.
Thai Fiesta on way to Australia
As with the newly Thai-sourced Mazda2
built for Australia in the AutoAlliance factory in the
Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate, the revised Fiesta will
no longer be available in three-door hatch guise.
The Ford variant will be powered by an
all 1.6 liter four cylinder engine range, as opposed to the
1.5 liter engines in the Mazda2 range.
Ford’s new six speed Powershift
dual-clutch automatic transmission will be available in both
the new Fiesta five-door and sedan.
Another option is the Euro-made,
manual-only Econetic 1.6 Duratorq diesel engine with 66 kW
and 200 Nm while returning a fuel consumption rating of 3.7
L/100 km and CO2 emissions of just 98 g/km.
GoAuto states that as expected,
production of the 2011 Fiesta in Thailand, which has a free
trade agreement with Australia, has coincided with an
increase in standard specification, although pricing will
not be revealed until closer to launch.
All Australian Fiestas will, however, be
fitted as standard with electronic stability control, the
potentially life-saving safety feature that is currently
standard only on the Fiesta Zetec.
Five airbags, ABS brakes and emergency
brake assist will also be standard across the range, with
seven airbags - including a driver’s knee airbag - to be
standard on all but the entry-level models, which also score
standard Bluetooth connectivity with voice control. All
Australian export Fiestas will come standard with an aux-in
connection for personal audio devices.
While a new range of nine exterior paint
colors and three interior trim choices will be available,
most changes apply to next year’s Zetec model, which will be
fitted with a new sports suspension comprising specially
tuned front struts, bushings and anti-roll bars, plus new
sports front seats.
GM sets
about rebuilding globally
Martin Apfel, the local president of
General Motors Southeast Asia Operations, General Motors
(Thailand) and Chevrolet Sales (Thailand) announced the
company’s vision and mission including GM’s business growth
plan which involves fostering engagement and building
relationship with key stakeholders, developing quality
products, enhancing service level and focusing more on the
customers. The plan is aimed at maximizing growth for GM
across the region as well as promoting Thailand and
Southeast Asia to be the global hub for the US’s biggest
automaker.
On top of that, GM head office in the US
has announced that Edward E. Whitacre, Jr. will step down as
CEO on September 1, and as chairman of the board by the end
of the year, having successfully led the company’s return to
profitability after the most turbulent period in its
history.
Dan Akerson, 61, who has served on the GM
Board of Directors since July 2009, will become CEO on
September 1 and chairman by the end of the year, ensuring a
smooth transition and continued positive momentum for
company.
“My goal in coming to General Motors was
to help restore profitability, build a strong market
position and position this iconic company for success,” said
Whitacre. “We are clearly on that path. A strong foundation
is in place and I am comfortable with the timing of my
decision.”
Whitacre, 68, joined GM as chairman of
the board on July 10, 2009. On December 1, 2009, he was
named chief executive officer. He led the company after it
emerged from a historic bankruptcy to become a profitable
automaker again.
“Ed Whitacre was exactly what this
company needed, at exactly the right time,” said Pat Russo,
lead director on the GM Board. “He simplified the
organization, reshaped the company’s vision, put the right
people in place and brought renewed energy and optimism to
GM.”
“Dan Akerson has been actively engaged in
and supportive of the key decisions and changes made at the
new GM. He brings broad business experience, decisive
leadership and continuity to this role,” said Russo. “The
Board of Directors deeply appreciates the leadership Ed has
provided and is pleased with the serious commitment Dan is
making to the company. We look forward to his leadership.”
Perhaps a note here about just how large
GM actually is, will be of interest. General Motors traces
its roots to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit,
Michigan, USA, GM employs 217,000 people in every major
region of the world and does business in some 140 countries.
GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 34
countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the
following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, FAW, GMC, GM
Daewoo, Holden, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. (More information
on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com or
www.gmthailand.com).
Driver’s Championship table
01 Mark Webber 161
02 Lewis Hamilton 157
03 Sebastian Vettel 151
04 Jenson Button 147
05 Fernando Alonso 141
06 Felipe Massa 97
07 Nico Rosberg 94
08 Robert Kubica 89
09 Michael Schumacher 38
10 Adrian Sutil 35
11 Rubens Barrichello 30
12 Vitaly Petrov 17
13 Kamui Kobayashi 17
14 Vitantonio Liuzzi 12
15 Nico Hulkenberg 10
Black Friday battery
We had a Black Friday (13th)
in August. It rained heavily, and when I damply got into the
Mighty Mira the battery gave a strangled bleep and refused
to work again.
Being prepared for such eventualities, I
have a set of jumper leads in the car. But I don’t have an
umbrella!
Using my spare key for the family
Fortuner on my bunch of keys, I drove the Fortuner out,
nosed it up to Mira, lifted bonnets, joined up the two
batteries, kicked Fortuner into life and left it idling
while I jumped into the Mira to start it on the key. But
where was the Mira key? Yes, on the bunch in the Fortuner.
Rushed even more damply into the house,
got the main Fortuner key and retrieved the Mira key and
bingo it was running and ready for my morning trip to the
hospital.
The number one item on my agenda was to
find a battery shop (and one that wasn’t going to rip me
off). Fortunately, my wife who knows all these things,
suggested the new little 3K battery shop on Sukhumvit Road
Jomtien, between the Ford showroom and the Caltex garage
outbound on the left side (after Tesco/Makro on the right).
I was dealt with immediately by a very
pleasant young man who spoke excellent English, who quoted
me a good price and the deal was all done in five minutes.
It is a family business with just he and his wife and they
have been there for three months.
I was so impressed, here are the contact
details. His name is Songphon Taeng-On, telephone 038 232
288, mobile 080 566 4407. File the address somewhere. You
will need it one day. Batteries in this country seem to last
two years and that’s it.
