mika
Still Wondering
TodayÔÇÖs Birthdays / Calendar
BMW Group Press Club:
In the BMW Showroom:
BMW Group PressClub US
MINI Press
MINI USA HIGHLIGHTS SOUGHT-AFTER MODELS AT THE 2006 LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW
11/20/2006
BMW Group PressClub Australia
HIGH-BEAM ASSIST SHEDS LIGHT ON NIGHT DRIVING IN AUSTRALIA
11/20/2006
BMW Group PressClub UK
Approved Used Cars News in Brief
11/20/2006
World of BMW news
Pfeiffer wows the crowds ÔÇÿDown Under.ÔÇÖ
BMW MOA Chartered Club:
ÔÇ£Celebrating 21 years of service.ÔÇØ
What a great thing to say as an opening line to a motorcycle club.
Central Cal BMW Riders, #147
Founded:
3/1/1985
Contact:
Ellen Kuykendall (president@ccbr.org)
418 13th Street
Modesto, CA 95354 US
www.ccbr.org
Meetings:
2nd Sunday each month at 10 AM, location varies. See website.
Events:
Autumn Beemer Bash, 2nd weekend after Labor Day, Location varies
Spring Fling campout (for members), 1st weekend in May
News from the 2007 Rally area:
Gem??tlichkeit
There is no direct translation for the word Gem??tlichkeit. However, Gem??tlichkeit is the warm, comfortable feeling one receives from pleasant surroundings and atmosphere. I think you will find that when you come here.
West BendÔÇÖs German Sister City: Heppenheim/Bergstrabe, Germany
Ozaukee ÔÇô Washington Daily News
Fond Du Lac Reporter
The Sheboygan Press
Daily Citizen, Beaver Dam
Weather
West Bend WI
Current
10 Day Forcast
United States
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
Canada
Meteorological Service of Canada
News:
Bikes in the Fast Lane, looks at the Aprilia NA 850 Mana, the naked automatic transmission bike from the Italian manufacturer. There is a 2 min 9 sec video at the end that is interesting even if you do not speak Italian.
Then Bikes in the Fast Lane looks at my Italian heartthrob the Ducati Hypermotorad.
The supermotorad theme is taken up by Motorcycledaily.comÔÇÖs report on the Husqvarna Street Supermotorad. This will be in competition with the X-Country and the X- Moto from BMW.
The BelfastTelegraph.co.uk gives us the story of ÔÇ£How Biker Ed took the Curvy road..
Going its own way, as always, gizmag.com is on the trail with first commercially available, BMW GS killer, diesel motorcycle.
Adventure Posts:
The Flight of the Platypus: La Serena, Part 2B: Valle Del Elqui
Technology:
Our friends at gizmodo.com linked me to AVING.net and they are asking if we want to ÔÇ£Transmit data through human body?!ÔÇØ A few weeks ago we looked at a wired hand grip. What wrist gadgets are in the motorcyclistÔÇÖs future?
Wonderings:
As a father I remember when my daughters were teens and what I warned them about when we talked about making out with guys. Have you notice that Chris Pfeiffer has been making out his way around the world?
What kind of stunts is this going to lead to next?
Will his health insurance cover it?
Will this forum keep its PG13 rating if I cover it?
Just wondering.
Bike Candy:
VYRUS
http://www.vyrus.it/images/news/news3.jpg[img]
[img]http://www.motorcyclenews.com/jpeg/603/18209765.jpeg
From motocyclenews.com by: Chris Newbigging
From: Motorcyclistonline.com article by Alan Cathcart, Tom Riles and Brian Nelson.
Unless noted otherwise, I have no known commercial interest in any products discussed in the Morning Reads
The Pit Crew View: Racing News:
BMW Motorsport PressClub
FORMULA BMW AS THE STEPPINGSTONE FOR A SUCCESSFUL MOTORSPORTS CAREER
11/20/2006
DELL Formula BMW World Final 2006.
Munich, 17th November 2006. The DELL Formula BMW World Final, held from 24th to 26th November 2006 in Valencia, will feature 37 talented young drivers with two distinct aims in site. Not only will they be competing for the coveted winner's prize, a test drive with the BMW Sauber F1 Team, but the youngsters will also have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills to the international motor racing experts. The fact they receive the necessary education for a successful career in the four international Formula BMW series in Germany, Great Britain, Asia and North America, is illustrated by a look at the careers of many of their predecessors.
The main idols of the young racing drivers are naturally those drivers who have made it into Formula One. The current test and reserve driver for the BMW Sauber F1 Team, Sebastian Vettel (GER), for instance, achieved his breakthrough in 2004, when he convincingly won the title in Formula BMW Germany. Six-time Grand Prix winner Ralf Schumacher (GER) also started his single-seater career in Formula BMW in the early 90's. The winner of Formula BMW Germany in 2002, Nico Rosberg (GER), completed his maiden Formula One season in 2006. Timo Glock (GER), Rosberg's predecessor as title holder in Germany, will take part in his first test with the BMW Sauber F1 Team on 30th November. While Formula One test driver, Adrian Sutil (GER), also had his first outing in a single-seater in Formula BMW Germany.
The graduates from Formula BMW, however, are also successful in other motorsport categories. Currently former Formula BMW drivers are gaining a lot of attention in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport. Adrian Zaugg (RSA), who took part in Formula BMW Germany in 2004, not only secured pole position in the first event of the season in Zandvoort , but also claimed victory in the first race. In race two, the 2005 Formula BMW Germany Champion, Nicolas H??lkenberg (GER), stepped into the spotlight and crossed the finish line in first position. As well as Zaugg and H??lkenberg, James Hinchcliffe (CAN), S?®bastien Buemi (SUI), Michael Devaney (IRE) and Armaan Ebrahim (IND) are four further Formula BMW youngsters in the A1GP flying the colours of their home nations.
Meanwhile in North America Formula BMW USA is developing into a more and more promising training ground for the ChampCar World Series. Andreas Wirth (GER), who won the first Formula BMW USA title in 2004, celebrated his debut in this hard-fought championship at the end of October. In Australia, the 21-year-old immediately shone by finishing ninth. Many other drivers, who broke into the world of Formula racing via Formula BMW, have aroused attention with good performances in the 2006 ChampCar Atlantic Championship, which is an ideal training ground for higher categories. Among these drivers were Graham Rahal (USA), who also entered A1GP, Tim Bridgman (GBR), Richard Philippe (FRA), Alan Scuito (USA), James Davison (AUS) and Michael Patrizi (AUS).
In 2006, numerous Formula BMW drivers managed to make their mark in Europe. Ho-Pin Tung (CHN), 2003 Formula BMW Asia Champion, won the title in the German Formula 3 Championship. Jonathan Summerton (USA) finished ninth in the Formula 3 Euro Series, in which Vettel took the runner-up spot. Bruno Senna (BRA), the nephew of three-time world champion Ayrton Senna (BRA), gained his first Formula experiences in the Formula BMW UK Championship in 2004, and successfully entered the British Formula 3 Championship.
Additionally, a multitude of former Formula BMW drivers such as Chris van der Drift (NZL), Eduardo Piscopo (ITA), Sam Bird (GBR), James Sutton (GBR) and Dean Smith (GBR) were able to prove their talent in various national and international Formula Renault series.
In the DELL Formula BMW World Final, the highlight of the 2006 Formula BMW season the spectators have a special event to watch. Not only can they look forward to seeing many gifted young racing drivers determined to grab the opportunity to conduct a Formula One test, but also it is highly likely the other competitors will in the future be battling for victory on a high level in other race series.
DELL Formula BMW World Final 2006.
Munich, 20th November 2006.
The first free practice session on Friday at 09:00hrs kicks off the most important Formula BMW race weekend of the 2006 season. Thirty seven talented young drivers will compete in the DELL Formula BMW World Final. The driver who emerges as the winner after qualifying, three intermediate heats and the exciting final will have a Formula One test with the BMW Sauber F1 Team.
However, before the participants get into the cockpits of the Formula BMW FB02 cars, they will get the chance to witness the unique excitement of the winner's prize. On the Thursday last year's Formula BMW World Final champion, Marco Holzer (GER), will complete his test for the BMW Sauber F1 Team at the "Circuit de la Comunitat". The 18-year-old is determined to leave a good impression on the engineers during his maiden Formula One outing. With this test, Holzer achieves the highlight of his motor racing career to date as he has a common goal with all the competitors in the Formula BMW series in Germany, Great Britain, Asia and North America: All young racers want to make it into Formula One during their career.
Following the appearance of the 2005 champion, the BMW Sauber F1 Team will also entertain the fans at the World Final on Saturday and Sunday with some very special test drives. Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) celebrates his comeback at the wheel of a Formula One car. The 40-year-old will take to the track in a 2006 BMW Sauber F1.06 that has been specially modified for him. The modifications include just one pedal for braking on the right side of the car and the accelerator on the shift paddle on the left side of the cockpit. In this year's World Touring Car Championship, Zanardi created many "magic moments". In addition to several podium finishes, he claimed his second world championship victory at Istanbul.
On Friday at 15:35hrs local time (14:35hrs GMT) the DELL Formula BMW World Final participants need to be completely focussed for the first time, when Group 1 of the entries will start qualifying at the 4.005-kilometre track. The qualifying session for Group 2 is scheduled for 16:20hrs. On Saturday, the competition format has a super pole competition featuring the top-eight qualifiers and four heats are on the agenda. Two more heats follow on Saturday, before the lights go out for the 2006 DELL Formula One World Final at 14:30hrs on Sunday.
AMA
Carmichael named AMA SPEED Athlete of the Year
ISDE
[url=http://www.transworldmotocross.com/mx/news/article/0,13190,1561189,00.html]TRANSWORLDMotocross.com gives the Toyota AMA Arenacross Series Reno Results.
MotoGP
BBC Sprot Motorsport tells us the understated obvious ÔÇô ÔÇ£Hayden expects fierce title fight.ÔÇØ
Speedtv.com: Rossi Happy with WRC Rally Run
Superbike-news.com looks at KawasakiÔÇÖs 2007 MotoGP team.
WSB
Superbike-news.com: Valencia ÔÇô 2006 WSB Organizer of The Year Award Winner
F-1
PaddockTalk.com: Schumacher Nominated for GermanyÔÇÖs Highest Decoration.
The OttawaSUN.com has Villeneuve possibly buying a NASCAR team of his own because the officials have ruled that Roush racing, who was in negotiations with the Canadian F-1 former champion, has the maximum number of cars it can run in the Nextel Cup.