Alastair's BLE 2 Blog

2012年6月29日金曜日

Official: Pikes Peak Hill Climb postponed due to Colorado wildfire

2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

The 90th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has been officially postponed after race officials met with the U.S. Forest Service yesterday afternoon. The event was originally scheduled to run on July 8th, with technical inspections starting July 3rd, but a wildfire in the area, which began on June 23rd, is less than five percent contained and has currently burned over 18,500 acres. The decision to postpone the race was less about direct interference with the fire - the blaze is currently heading away from Pikes Peak - and more about taking away resources desperately needed by the city of Colorado Springs and the surrounding area.

"At the end of our meeting today, it was clear that we would not be able to go as scheduled," said Tom Osborne, Chairman of the Board of the PPIHC, in a statement released yesterday. "Our deepest concern is for the safety of the public and the competitors, and it was obvious that several agencies charged with public safety would not be able to commit the resources and manpower required to ensure those requirements because of the critical need for their resources at this time. Our city is in an unprecedented struggle right now and we are deeply sensitive to it."

The 211 competitors, many of them from outside the United States, have already been notified of the event's postponement, and a new date will hopefully be selected within the next two weeks. Race officials have assured that any tickets already purchased will still be honored and all agreements with sponsors and vendors will be fulfilled.

You can read the official announcement from the PPIHC below.

Continue reading Pikes Peak Hill Climb postponed due to Colorado wildfire

Pikes Peak Hill Climb postponed due to Colorado wildfire originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 09:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/28/pikes-peak-hill-climb-postponed-due-to-colorado-wildfire/

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2012年6月28日木曜日

Top 10 Thursday: Biggest draft questions

That headline ought to be fairly self-explanatory. Here are the 10 things I'm most intrigued to see in Thursday night's NBA draft: 1. Who goes No. 1 overall? (Kidding. I hope I have your attention now.) 2. OK, seriously, who goes No. 2? Now this is an intriguing question, one we've argued before in this space. With Anthony Davis such an obvious No. 1 pick, this is really the only top-two suspense in this draft, made all the more so by the simple fact that the Bobcats could pick just about anybody and become immediately better.

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/60614/top-10-thursday-biggest-draft-questions

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Official: New Mazda Flairwagon offers nothing of the sort

Filed under: Budget, Minivan/Van, Wagon, Japan, Mazda

New Mazda Flairwagon - pink - front three-quarter view

Joining the AZ-Wagon, AZ-Offroad, Carol and delightfully named Scrum Wagon, Mazda has completed its micro-mini line-up with this, the Flairwagon. Underneath the badging this is actually a Suzuki Palette, a five-door, four-seater kei car introduced in Japan in 2008.

It appears Mazda has maintained most of the Palette's option sheet, so depending on trim the Flairwagon is available with either a naturally aspirated or turbocharged 660-cc VVT engine, front-wheel drive or full-time all-wheel drive, keyless entry and pushbutton start, Hill Hold Control and Stop/Start, a cold storage glove box, folding rear seat, and a power sliding rear door on the left. The only transmission on offer will be a CVT.

That's the top tier IS Limited Edition trim pictured above, and even it looks like it keeps its flair on the inside - which probably isn't such a bad thing. Scroll down to read a press release with more info on it.

Continue reading New Mazda Flairwagon offers nothing of the sort

New Mazda Flairwagon offers nothing of the sort originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/27/new-mazda-flairwagon-offers-nothing-of-the-sort/

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Did You Know: NBA Draft Edition

Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesAnthony Davis and his Kentucky teammates have a chance to make history at the 2012 NBA Draft.Trivia question: Anthony Davis will become the second player in the common draft era (since 1966) to be drafted first overall the same season as winning a national championship and being the AP Player of the Year. Name the other. Here are a 10 more facts to impress your friends with as we get ready for draft night. Did you know that… Fewest PPG In Final College SeasonNo.

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/60538/did-you-know-nba-draft-edition

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Official: McLaren Automotive looks back on its first year

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, MISC

It's been one heck of a first year for McLaren Automotive. Since setting up shop twelve months ago, the Formula One team's new sportscar-making unit has sold over 1,000 examples of the MP4-12C supercar, but that's not the sum total of its achievements.

To get there, McLaren set up a global network of 38 brand-spanking-new dealerships in a total of 22 countries, including those in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and right here in North America.

The newest British automaker orchestrated it all from its new facility in Woking, right next door to the F1 team's headquarters, which was officially opened by the British prime minister. And while it was at it, McLaren also set up the Special Operations division to build even more unique versions of its supercars like the High Sport, as well as its own racing division to handle the MP4-12C GT3 that's taking on racing series around the world. Oh, and Macca rolled out an upgrade of the 12C while it was still in its infancy as well.

Not bad for a year's work, and we can't wait to see what next year brings. Recent rumors have included a roadster version of the 12C and even a supposed shooting brake of some sort in the works, but the biggest splash will be made when the successor to the mighty McLaren F1 jumps into the pool. Watch this space.

Continue reading McLaren Automotive looks back on its first year

McLaren Automotive looks back on its first year originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/27/mclaren-automotive-looks-back-on-its-first-year/

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