Items by Steven

• Checkpoint 10: or how I got out of the fictional F1 media

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  It was four-thirty on Sunday morning, somewhere on the outer edge of the Formula 1 universe. In the little suburb, twenty miles from the nearest city, the streets lie deserted beneath the lampposts. Only occasionally, there would be a vague roar of a high-flying jet or [...]
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  Posted: November 15, 2009, 7:30am EST
  by Steven

• Checkpoint 9: The Great Automobile Race

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 2
  The following story first appeared on this blog in September 2006. It is republished here with a few modifications.
  
  
  The year was 2014. It was a quiet year for open-wheel racing. The IndyCar Series had folded at the end of 2013 after an unprecedented [...]
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  Posted: November 14, 2009, 10:00pm EST
  by Steven

• Checkpoint 8: Books

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 3
  I'm an avid collector of auto racing books. Over the last decade, I have amassed a collection of two shelves full of Autocourse annuals, Indianapolis 500 yearbooks, and many other books on Formula 1, Indy cars, and sports cars. Most of my books came from used and specialty booksellers all' [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 11:00pm EST
  by Steven

• Checkpoint 7: Innovation

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 1
  A car with three wheels
  
  A car with three hundred small wheels
  
  A car with no wheels
  
  A car powered by batteries
  
  A car powered by the sun
  [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 10:00pm EST
  by Steven

• Checkpoint 6: Simulations

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  In 1995, I got Papyrus IndyCar Racing for my birthday. It barely ran on my 486 and I had no sound card, but it ran okay if I turned off all the graphics options. I learned all the default circuits (including Long Beach, Milwaukee, Portland, Michigan) using the keyboard! I [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 3:00am EST
  by Steven

• Checkpoint 5: The Speed

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  When I was a teenager, I went several times to SpeedZone, a go-kart/amusement park in Los Angeles. I became somewhat addicted to the "Slick Trax" where you had very little grip and could drift through corners. My friend and I would compete for best times, and inevitably I would be [...]
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  Posted: November 10, 2009, 9:00am EST
  by Steven

• Checkpoint 4: The Art

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [...]
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  Posted: November 09, 2009, 3:00am EST
  by Steven

• Checkpoint 3: The Event

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  I grew up in the car crazy Southern California during the 1990s. The CART series came to town every year at Long Beach, and for several years they raced at Fontana, too. I was fortunate enough to attend the races there before the decline of the series.
  
  In 1998, [...]
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  Posted: November 08, 2009, 12:00pm EST
  by Steven

• Checkpoint 2: Racing Heroes

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  Indianapolis 500: The Simulation came with a manual that had pictures of Indy 500 winners, arranged in chronological order, and I remember noticing how the cars would look faster and faster throughout the decades (this made perfect sense, as it kept with the progress of technology). I also remember learning [...]
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  Posted: November 07, 2009, 6:00pm EST
  by Steven

• Checkpoint 1: Green Flag

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  
  This is my first memory of auto racing... or, maybe not precisely the event depicted in the video, but something close to it.
  
  From an early age, I always associated Marlboro with racing, even before cigarettes. And I have this vague memory of seeing a Marlboro-liveried, open-wheel formula [...]
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  Posted: November 06, 2009, 10:56pm EST
  by Steven

• A lap at Interlagos

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 2
  I never quite liked Interlagos, but having driven a whole season's worth of circuits, I must admit that the long-time venue of the Brazilian Grand Prix is now one of the better circuits on the calendar. It has a variety of corners and some interesting elevation changes. Too many slow' [...]
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  Posted: October 17, 2009, 1:41am EDT
  by Steven

• A perfect race at Homestead

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  A miraculous thing has happened over the weekend: the IndyCar series has run an oval race without any safety car periods. It is what I would call a perfect race----a real, continuous 200 lap race, not a series of short sprints.
  
  We have now learned that Dario Franchitti's car' [...]
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  Posted: October 11, 2009, 4:38pm EDT
  by Steven

• Seemed like a nice gesture to me

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 2
  When I first heard that Alonso had dedicated his Singapore podium to Flavio Briatore, my first thought was, it seems like a reasonable thing to say, a nice gesture to a friend, and a decent way to finish the Singapore scandal. I thought no more of it.
  
  The media, [...]
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  Posted: September 28, 2009, 2:26am EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Suzuka

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 2
  If there is a reason why you should give racing games a shot, Suzuka would be it. This John Hugenholtz-designed circuit has it all: fast and slow corners, esses, blind turns, elevation changes, and even the unique crossover section. On paper, it looks twisty and slow, but let me tell [...]
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  Posted: September 28, 2009, 1:08am EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Singapore

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 1
  The Marina Bay Street Circuit will forever be linked with the "worst act of cheating in the history of sport," but it's actually not a bad racing circuit. The corners feel reasonably fast, there are some bumpy sections that can unsettle a car, and of course there is the novelty' [...]
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  Posted: September 19, 2009, 1:26pm EDT
  by Steven

• Yet once more...

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  On my coffee table there is a recent issue of Motor Sport magazine which features a cover picture of a smiling, optimistic Flavio Briatore. It is very sad to think that, just four months after this magazine was published, Briatore would be pushed out of Formula 1 in disgrace.
  
  [...]
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  Posted: September 16, 2009, 9:30pm EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Monza

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 3
  Like Spa, Monza needs no introduction to race fans, so I do this only for completeness. The spiritual home of Ferrari, this 3.6-mile circuit is one of the fastest on the Formula 1 calendar. Maximum speeds are in excess of 210 mph down the long straightaways. The circuit used to [...]
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  Posted: September 07, 2009, 11:49pm EDT
  by Steven

• The fictional F1 media? (Part 4)

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 1
  As I entered the conference room for my weekly meeting with my mysterious editor, I noticed something unusual. Yes----seated next to my boss was a hunched figure in a dark trench coat and a hat that shaded much of his face. Wanting to seem polite, I introduced myself and reached [...]
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  Posted: September 06, 2009, 10:55pm EDT
  by Steven

• Blame the rules for "race-fixing"

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 2
  When you have a lot of rules, you will only see more and more creative loopholes being employed. This concept holds true everywhere from the business world with its "creative accounting" practices, to the agricultural fields where pests evolve more and more sophisticated ways to resist a variety of pesticides. [...]
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  Posted: September 02, 2009, 11:48am EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Spa-Francorchamps

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 4
  The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is typically regarded as one of the best on the Formula 1 schedule. Attempts to remove it from the calendar have always been met with fierce opposition from racing fans. So, as I climbed into my Ferrari F2007 (in support of Luca Badoer this weekend), I [...]
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  Posted: August 27, 2009, 11:38pm EDT
  by Steven

• Luca Badoer's race lap analysis

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  An analysis of the Ferrari drivers' lap times shows that Luca Badoer lapped about 2 to 3 seconds slower than Kimi Raikkonen during the first stint of the race, but decreased the gap to 1 to 2 seconds by the end of the race. While Raikkonen' [...]
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  Posted: August 23, 2009, 7:37pm EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Sears Point

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 13
  I would consider Sears Point one of the more underrated road courses in the United States. It features numerous blind corners, elevation changes, and almost no place to rest. It's also a relatively "primitive" facility, but I mean that in a good way, as the circuit reminds me of the' [...]
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  Posted: August 23, 2009, 12:34am EDT
  by Steven

• Luca is not that slow

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 6
  I'll admit it----I'm a long-time fan of Luca Badoer, and I have been hoping for his comeback since 1999, when he was denied the opportunity to replace Michael Schumacher following Schumacher's accident at the British Grand Prix. Afterwards, it seemed like we would never see what the 1992 Formula' [...]
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  Posted: August 22, 2009, 11:59am EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at the Valencia Street Circuit

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  A year ago, I posted my impressions of the Valencia Street Circuit, calling it "another Hermann Tilke circuit with walls." This year, I provide an updated, perhaps more informed, opinion based on my driving around on rFactor. My lap time: 1:41.237, which is about 2 seconds slower than the [...]
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  Posted: August 21, 2009, 2:19am EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Mid-Ohio

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  When I first followed auto racing in the 1990s, my favorite driver was three-time CART champion Bobby Rahal. For several years, I cheered on the bespectacled Ohioan, who was known for quietly winning races and championships through consistency rather than outright speed. He seemed to be quite intelligent as well----Rahal [...]
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  Posted: August 08, 2009, 3:16am EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Edmonton

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  Going back to regular programming here, I continue my season-long tour of the IndyCar circuits at the Edmonton circuit. Set partly on airport runways and partly on purpose-built roads, Edmonton offers a wide racing surface and generous runoff areas. It's a bit like Cleveland crossed with a street circuit.
  [...]
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  Posted: July 27, 2009, 11:16pm EDT
  by Steven

• The pitting game

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 2
  I've done some thinking about Fernando Alonso's loose wheel and the subsequent penalty from the FIA, and it's been a little challenging to formulate an opinion. On the one hand, I have always believed that the FIA should avoid meddling with the races, except in extraordinary circumstances, such' [...]
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  Posted: July 27, 2009, 1:21am EDT
  by Steven

• My responses to the closed-cockpit debate

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  Number of comments: 0
  Following another head injury caused by flying debris, I present to you my responses to some common criticisms to the closed-cockpit idea:
  
  "This is another knee-jerk reaction to a freak accident."
  The possibility of being hit in the head is a risk that has been with the sport [...]
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  Posted: July 25, 2009, 1:17pm EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at the Hungaroring

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  The Hungaroring is twisty, relatively flat, and produces some of the least entertaining races year after year. I wasn't looking forward to learning it and making a video. But surprisingly, it actually feels like a proper racing circuit from a driving perspective. The corners are numerous, but they are not' [...]
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  Posted: July 24, 2009, 1:46am EDT
  by Steven

• A case for the closed cockpit

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 7
  Why don't single-seater open-wheel race cars have closed cockpits? All of these cars have suspension pieces, tires and wheels hanging out, just waiting to be sheared off and sent flying in an uncontrolled manner. It seems to me that drivers play a game of Russian roulette every time they drive' [...]
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  Posted: July 21, 2009, 12:46am EDT
  by Steven

• No president is good for Formula 1

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 2
  Lately, there's been some buzz regarding the candidacy of Ari Vatanen for the position of FIA President. Apparently, the former rally champion has the support of the American automobile club, as well as at least one Formula 1 team principal. Surely, with Max Mosley being such a repugnant leader, [...]
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  Posted: July 12, 2009, 9:31pm EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Nürburgring

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 1
  To many enthusiasts, Nürburgring means the classic circuit that includes the 14 mile-long Nordschleife, often hailed as the greatest circuit ever built. Unfortunately, on today's Formula 1 schedule, the Nürburgring is a boring, technical circuit with little charm or character, seemingly designed with a ruler and compass. It requires frequent [...]
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  Posted: July 11, 2009, 2:37pm EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Toronto

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 1
  The Toronto street circuit and I go way back to 1995. At the time, I was playing the PC game IndyCar Racing, which had Toronto as one of the default circuits. Since then, I've driven it on IndyCar Racing II and CART Precision Racing.
  
  Currently, there are no' [...]
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  Posted: July 11, 2009, 12:18am EDT
  by Steven

• Deal with CVC? Bleh.

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  The latest story in this very confusing Formula One drama is that FOTA is coming close to a new Concorde Agreement with CVC Capital Partners, owner of the Formula One Group. While the teams are likely trying to negotiate a much larger share of the profits, they really should [...]
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  Posted: July 09, 2009, 11:55pm EDT
  by Steven

• Formula 1 and Hitler in the elevator

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 1
  At my workplace, the elevators have a little television screen that usually shows the weather, news headlines and fun facts. Today, as I was going up to the cafeteria in a crowded elevator, I looked up and saw the headline: "Ecclestone apologizes for Hitler remarks." This was followed by a [...]
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  Posted: July 09, 2009, 1:48am EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Watkins Glen

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 2
  If I had to name just one thing that the IndyCar series has gotten right, it would be that they race at the legendary Watkins Glen circuit. In fact, they race on the same full-length "Grand Prix" layout previously used for the United States Grand Prix during the 1970s. I [...]
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  Posted: July 03, 2009, 5:01pm EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Richmond

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  At 0.75 miles, Richmond International Raceway is the smallest circuit in the IndyCar series. It is also one of the more difficult ovals from a car set-up perspective. After a hundred laps of testing, I still could not get my car set up properly, and recorded a lap of [...]
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  Posted: June 28, 2009, 11:57am EDT
  by Steven

• FOTA negotiates victory for Bernie and Max

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 2
  Deals like this make me lose faith in humanity. It is a victory for tyranny and greed. A defeat for courage, progress and democracy.
  
  I believe people were paralyzed into inaction due to their fears of a CART-IRL death spiral, which I have repeatedly argued would not [...]
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  Posted: June 24, 2009, 10:27am EDT
  by Steven

• FOTA Should Race Here, Vol. 3: Zandvoort

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 3
  Designed by John "the anti-Tilke" Hugenholtz, Zandvoort is one of the few circuits that has retained much of its original design even after decades of racing. Although it underwent a significant reprofiling in the 1990s, the best parts of the circuit have remained unaltered, and the new parts have actually [...]
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  Posted: June 23, 2009, 12:29am EDT
  by Steven

• FOTA-FIA is more like CART-USAC than CART-IRL

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  Qwerty over at Motor Racing Journal has written a great post on why we should not assume that the Formula 1 split will end up like the open-wheel split in America.
  [T]he biggest mistake of all was then that both series went spec. A single specification series absolutely killed [...]
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  Posted: June 20, 2009, 1:33am EDT
  by Steven

• Fear not the breakaway series!

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  I congratulate FOTA on their announcement of a breakaway series.
  
  The announcement should not be seen as a move to damage Formula 1. This is, instead, a long-overdue rejection of the authoritarian leadership of Max Mosley and the greed of Bernie Ecclestone. Any other solution involving "compromise" with [...]
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  Posted: June 18, 2009, 7:37pm EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Iowa Speedway

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  All too easy. This is a video of me within ten minutes of driving on Iowa for the first time, using my trusty Milwaukee setup. Lap speed: 184.859 mph (easily beating the actual lap record of 178.490 mph). Didn't have to brake, didn't have to lift. All I needed to [...]
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  Posted: June 18, 2009, 12:52am EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Silverstone

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 1
  This year's British Grand Prix might be the last one to take place at Silverstone, site of the first Formula 1 race back in 1950. It's a shame, because Silverstone is one of the last circuits to feature some really awe-inspiring corners, despite being progressively mutilated with chicanes and slow [...]
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  Posted: June 17, 2009, 11:46pm EDT
  by Steven

• The fictional F1 media? (Part 3)

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 2
  (Link to Part 1 and Part 2 of this story)
  
  I was playing on rFactor when the Mole rushed into the basement and shouted: "Look what the FIA has released!" I abandoned my virtual McLaren at the side of the road and followed the mysterious journalist into [...]
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  Posted: June 16, 2009, 9:13pm EDT
  by Steven

• FOTA Should Race Here, Vol. 2: Brands Hatch

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 1
  Brands Hatch was the site of the British Grand Prix alternate years from 1964 to 1986, until the race moved full-time to Silverstone. Gerhard Berger once said, "For me, the best circuit in the world is Brands Hatch. But it's a bit dangerous now for Formula 1" (quoted in' [...]
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  Posted: June 13, 2009, 5:21pm EDT
  by Steven

• FOTA Should Race Here, Vol. 1: Laguna Seca

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 2
  Today's release of the 2010 Formula 1 entry list has done little to stop the discussions about a possible breakaway series. In this new feature, I shall add some vivid illustrations of what a post-FIA Formula 1 series could look like. What if FOTA decides to hold a race [...]
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  Posted: June 13, 2009, 2:17am EDT
  by Steven

• FOTA should "split" from the sinking ship!

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  1996 Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill is the latest commentator to warn that a Formula 1 split would be damaging to the sport:
  You only have to look over the pond to see what happens when you split a championship . . . It's difficult enough to draw' [...]
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  Posted: June 10, 2009, 10:39pm EDT
  by Steven

• An optimistic look into the crystal ball

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  Here's what I'm hoping will happen to Formula 1:
  
  June 2009
  FOTA joins the FIA Formula 1 season unconditionally, as requested by Max Mosley.
  
  Mosley adds all ten of the current Formula 1 teams to the entry list, and grants entry to three more. Those three will be [...]
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  Posted: June 09, 2009, 9:36pm EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Texas

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  The Texas Motor Speedway is another easy oval. Nothing to say here except push the gas down for the entire lap. Yawn.
  
  
  
  In more exciting news, I've been tinkering with the demo of Bob's Track Builder. I figure if I'm going to complain about the quality' [...]
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  Posted: June 07, 2009, 2:03pm EDT
  by Steven

• FOTA can create a new golden age for motorsport

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  In this times, people are talking about why we shouldn't have another open-wheel split. I say we should, and in fact, I believe we must have a split if Formula One should have a chance to regain any of its glory so badly damaged by greed and thirst for power.' [...]
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  Posted: June 05, 2009, 12:10am EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Istanbul Park

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 4
  Don't let all the hype about Turn 8 fool you. Istanbul Park contains all the classic design trademarks of Hermann Tilke: a technical "test track"-type layout that attempts to cram in as many kinds of corners as possible, a wide racing surface with lots of extra space for errors, annoyingly' [...]
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  Posted: June 03, 2009, 2:37am EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at the Milwaukee Mile

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  The Milwaukee Mile, site of this weekend's A.J. Foyt 225, is also one of the oldest speedways in the world. It was known for its treacherous bumps and uneven surface until it was resurfaced into a slightly boring track for the 1996 season.
  
  I had my first' [...]
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  Posted: May 30, 2009, 11:11pm EDT
  by Steven

• Is Formula 2 slower than Formula 3?

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 5
  Robert Wickens set a pole position lap of 1:27.775 [.pdf] at the Circuit de Valencia for the first round of the FIA Formula Two Championship. While Formula 2's spin machine has proudly announced that "The whole field was evenly matched, with less than a second covering the'" [...]
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  Posted: May 29, 2009, 8:46pm EDT
  by Steven

• Customer cars and four-car teams: the solution?

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  What if Formula 1 allowed customer cars and more than two cars per team? It would be cheap for small teams like iSport and Campos Racing to buy an old McLaren to run, and learn how to be a proper Formula 1 team. And economies of scale would make [...]
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  Posted: May 20, 2009, 11:37am EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Monaco

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 1
  While the battle for control of Formula 1 continues, I'd like to turn our attention to Monaco, the site of the next Grand Prix. Everyone knows this is the "crown jewel" on the Formula 1 calendar, but driving on it you really understand why.
  
  
  
  Monaco might be' [...]
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  Posted: May 16, 2009, 12:33pm EDT
  by Steven

• Paul Page: the voice of the Indy 500

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  Number of comments: 1
  
  I grew up watching Paul Page commentating on IndyCar broadcasts. Page's unique voice has a way of making IndyCar seem exciting and meaningful; he is perhaps the only contemporary motor sport commentator in the United States who can be considered an equivalent to the legendary Murray Walker.
  
  It' [...]
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  Posted: May 14, 2009, 11:43pm EDT
  by Steven

• Time for a revolution

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 2
  This is a response to "The FIA must not let its row with Ferrari become a split that would destroy F1" from F1 Fanatic. Contrary to that post, my feeling is that it would be good for Formula 1 teams to make some revolutionary changes to the sport without [...]
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  Posted: May 13, 2009, 12:37am EDT
  by Steven

• Today's Indy car can be beaten by the 1990 model

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  Helio Castroneves won the pole position for the 2009 Indianapolis 500 with a four-lap average speed of 224.864 mph, about 1/2 mph slower than the blistering 225.300 mph run set 19 years ago by his countryman Emerson Fittipaldi, driving for the same team.
  
  For all the millions [...]
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  Posted: May 10, 2009, 12:56am EDT
  by Steven

• A very fast lap at Indianapolis

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  In the year 2011 the Indianapolis 500 will mark its hundredth anniversary. If the rulemakers permit the same kind of increases in speed in the next quarter century as they have in the last, the winner might well run the track at 270 mph or more. Already, designers talk of [...]
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  Posted: May 06, 2009, 11:40pm EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Barcelona

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 1
  I first encountered the Circuit de Catalunya in Grand Prix 2, and I didn't like it then. Compared to all the other classic circuits in 1994, it stood out as a soulless, technical circuit more useful for testing purposes. Somehow, it has stayed on the Formula 1 calendar for' [...]
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  Posted: May 03, 2009, 4:08pm EDT
  by Steven

• Budget capping: I'm still not convinced

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 1
  From one arbitrary number to another, the FIA has raised the budget cap from 30 to 40 million pounds. They have also released a Q&A in defense of the new regulations; however, some of their comments raise more questions than they answer. Consider the following:
  Q: What measures are [...]
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  Posted: April 30, 2009, 10:34pm EDT
  by Steven

• On private number plates

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  Number of comments: 0
  Recently, I was asked to do a little feature for numberplates.com, a club for private number plates enthusiasts in UK. As you know, I don't endorse things unless they seem interesting to me, and this seemed like something that might be of genuine interest to UK-based car owners.
  [...]
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  Posted: April 26, 2009, 1:34pm EDT
  by Steven

• A race at Kansas

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  Kansas is a 1.5-mile oval with relatively high banking. It's nearly flat out through the entire lap. What else to say? Just make sure your car is relatively stable on the inside, the middle and the outside of the turns. It's so easy that even Marty Roth qualified 7th [...]
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  Posted: April 22, 2009, 12:02am EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Bahrain

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 1
  It turns out that Bahrain is Shanghai is Sepang. Hermann Tilke's first three Formula 1 circuits use virtually the same general layout:
  
  A long straightaway followed by a sharp right-hander, soon followed by a left turn before a medium-length straightaway, at the end of which there' [...]
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  Posted: April 19, 2009, 1:15pm EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Long Beach

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  The Long Beach street circuit was one of the first I ever learned, having shipped with Papyrus IndyCar Racing back in the 1990s. Since then, it's gone through some changes, but the basic idea has remained the same: it's an unforgiving "concrete canyon" with a great mixture of fast and [...]
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  Posted: April 12, 2009, 11:20pm EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Shanghai

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  The Shanghai International Circuit has the charm of a test track and little or nothing in common with the classic racing circuits such as Spa, Monza and Suzuka. Built at a cost of $450 million in a country that had no previous racing tradition, this Tilke-designed Shanghai circuit will surely [...]
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  Posted: April 12, 2009, 1:50am EDT
  by Steven

• Extraordinary Meeting of the World Motor Sport Community

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 5
  The stewards of the Australian Grand Prix and the FIA President are invited to appear before the millions of devoted fans of the FIA Formula One World Championship to answer charges that, in breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code,
  on 29 March, 2009, they penalised Trulli in [...]
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  Posted: April 09, 2009, 12:10am EDT
  by Steven

• IndyCar overtakes Formula 1 in professionalism and excitement

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  The opening round of the IndyCar series was fun and action-packed, and it reminded me what racing should be and why Formula 1 is all screwed up.
  
  There were many attempts at overtaking and numerous incidents during today's St. Petersburg Grand Prix. For example, there was a messy crash' [...]
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  Posted: April 05, 2009, 11:10pm EDT
  by Steven

• FIA penalty watch

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  This season, I'm going to keep track of all the FIA decisions on one convenient page at the Checkpoint 10 presents: FIA penalty watch page. Check it out!' [...]
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  Posted: April 04, 2009, 2:00pm EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at St. Petersburg

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  I've decided that I should expand my circuit knowledge to the IndyCar series, too. Since I refuse to drive the hideous Dallara-Honda, I got a hold of the 1995 CART mod and took a 1995 Penske-Mercedes onto the circuit. My lap time was 1:01.048, just a tenth slower than the' [...]
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  Posted: April 04, 2009, 1:29am EDT
  by Steven

• Another disgusting episode involving the FIA

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  Just when you thought Formula 1 was getting exciting again, the FIA has dragged it further down into the muck, this time over a seemingly trivial case of place-swapping that occurred during the closing laps of the Australian Grand Prix.
  
  The FIA has access to all the on-board footage, [...]
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  Posted: April 02, 2009, 10:34pm EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Sepang

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  The Sepang circuit was Hermann Tilke's first original design for Formula 1. It contains many of his trademark elements: fast straightaways that end with tight hairpins, a very wide racing surface and generous run-off areas.
  
  This was a new circuit for me, and took several days of practice to' [...]
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  Posted: March 29, 2009, 6:51pm EDT
  by Steven

• FIA intervenes again

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  When is the FIA going to stop handing out penalties for driving mistakes? Whoever's "fault" it was that Vettel and Kubica came together in the closing laps of the Australian GP, it didn't look like anything besides a normal racing incident. Why penalize poor Vettel any more, especially when he [...]
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  Posted: March 29, 2009, 4:47pm EDT
  by Steven

• I hope Brawn wins by a lap

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  Very eagerly anticipating the Australian Grand Prix at the moment.
  
  I've said many times that I became a fan of Formula 1 after seeing McLaren dominate the 1998 Grand Prix, and it looks like we are in for a repeat of that level of performance.
  
  I see' [...]
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  Posted: March 28, 2009, 4:45pm EDT
  by Steven

• A Checkpoint 10 Film Review: "Speed Dreams"

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  Got something else in my e-mail today: a representative from the Documentary Channel asked me to watch a short film called Speed Dreams. Since it's not everyday I get a chance to be a film critic, here goes.
  
  Speed Dreams was written and directed by Greg Whiteley, whose' [...]
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  Posted: March 25, 2009, 12:03am EDT
  by Steven

• A lap at Melbourne

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  In my quest to become a more literate Formula 1 fan, I'm going to try to learn all the circuits in rFactor prior to watching the race. This week, I spent some time at Melbourne, which I kind of knew from an older game called Grand Prix' [...]
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  Posted: March 21, 2009, 6:00pm EDT
  by Steven

• How to defeat the $42 million budget cap

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  Back in May last year, I wrote an article listing out all the reasons why budget capping won't work. Not surprisingly, Max Mosley has decided that it's a great idea anyway, and has introduced to the sport a fantastic new challenge for race teams: how to spend more than [...]
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  Posted: March 19, 2009, 12:07am EDT
  by Steven

• Watch this video, but don't buy the product

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  For years, I've tried to maintain the integrity of this blog by rejecting countless requests to promote products and web sites. That is, of course, unless it has to do with McLaren, my all-time favorite racing team.
  
  Today, I was contacted by some guy who represented a viral video' [...]
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  Posted: March 17, 2009, 3:03am EDT
  by Steven

• Real radical ideas to save Formula 1

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 2
  Today, FOTA announced its plans to keep Formula 1 largely the way it's been, claiming that "The current race format is not viewed as fundamentally broken (across all levels of Formula One interest) and therefore doesn’t require radical alteration." This, despite the fact that there are only 20 virtually' [...]
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  Posted: March 06, 2009, 12:28am EST
  by Steven

• Childhood memories of driving on the Speedway

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  [...]
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  Posted: February 28, 2009, 2:53am EST
  by Steven

• Hotlapping Putnam: Episode 3

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  There are those people who say that a beautiful car is a fast car. I'm not one of those people. Today, I present to you this ugly lap with an ugly car. The BMW 320 E21 is like a regular BMW coupe on steroids. It's got these massive spoilers on [...]
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  Posted: February 08, 2009, 4:28pm EST
  by Steven

• Hotlapping Putnam: Episode 2

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 1
  By request, I tested the Fiat X1/9 Dallara, another Italian car from the 1970s. I'd say it's a pretty user-friendly car; there's not much you can change with the set up besides springs, tires and a little wing at the back. Gearing only requires that you determine the final gear' [...]
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  Posted: January 31, 2009, 5:28pm EST
  by Steven

• Hotlapping Putnam: Episode 1

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 2
  Here is the first episode of a series I am calling "Hotlapping Putnam." It's like the Power Laps segment of the hit TV show Top Gear, except I'm doing the driving instead of the Stig, and we're going to feature the beautiful test track Putnam Park, located in' [...]
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  Posted: January 31, 2009, 1:54am EST
  by Steven

• A video test with the Lancia Stratos

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  
  As I said in my previous post, I'm going to start making more videos for Checkpoint 10. I made this one today. Just me driving around my favorite test track, Putnam Park, in my Lancia Stratos. Editing was done using rFactor's in-game "Replay Fridge" and then polished in CyberLink [...]
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  Posted: January 18, 2009, 1:45am EST
  by Steven

• My plans for 2009

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  I'm going on an off-season break from Checkpoint 10. Just need to recharge for a while. But don't worry, I plan to be back in 2009.
  
  I've been thinking of some new ideas for next year. First of all, I would like to reduce the amount of event commentary' [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2008, 12:42am EST
  by Steven

• BMW's beautiful new racer

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 1
  During testing at Barcelona, BMW Sauber unveiled their 2009 challenger, which features a new aerodynamic package in conformance with the new Formula One regulations. The car, known as the F1.09, has been declared by most observers to be one of the most attractive Formula One cars built since the early [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2008, 2:28am EST
  by Steven

• Fantastic last lap of worst Formula One season ever

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 5
  I feel lucky to have watched the Brazilian GP, which will surely go down in history as one of the most dramatic season finishers ever. As a McLaren supporter, I an happy that Lewis Hamilton became the world champion, but I must say that the championship race should not have [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2008, 12:23am EST
  by Steven

• FIA apologizes for "bringing the sport into disrepute"

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  On the eve of the Brazilian Grand Prix, the FIA has issued a rare apology for the distress and uproar caused by the recent announcement that Formula One would move towards a standardized engine and transmission.
  
  The press release stated, "Over the past week, the FIA has noted the" [...]
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  Posted: October 29, 2008, 10:36pm EDT
  by Steven

• Touring the McLaren Technology Centre

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  Many of you know that I've been a longtime McLaren fan. I'm thrilled to report that, after this year's Chinese Grand Prix, I got the opportunity of a lifetime to visit the team in Woking.
  
  I had won a "McLaren fan fiction" contest and earned an afternoon at the' [...]
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  Posted: October 23, 2008, 12:03am EDT
  by Steven

• CVC sells out to FOTA

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 2
  After weeks of negotiation, the Formula One Teams Association has purchased a controlling interest in the Formula One Group, the group of companies responsible for the promotion of the FIA Formula One World Championship and exploitation of the sport's commercial rights. The Formula One Group was previously owned by CVC' [...]
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  Posted: October 18, 2008, 7:12pm EDT
  by Steven

• A revolution in Formula One!

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 1
  Just two days after the shock resignation of disgraced FIA president Max Mosley, the FIA has scrapped all plans to go forward with the standardized engine and gearbox for Formula 1, and has instead made a commitment to simplify the regulations and open up competition to a wider specification of [...]
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  Posted: October 18, 2008, 12:40am EDT
  by Steven

• "Formula None"

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  Here's a fantastic article titled "Welcome to Formula None, where racing is illegal."
  ' [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2008, 11:07pm EDT
  by Steven

• Massa gets another point

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  The stewards really need to learn to stay out of the business of race fixing. None of the racing incidents during the Japanese GP deserved a penalty. The drivers go out there with the understanding that things might not always go their way. They don't need the intervention of the' [...]
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  Posted: October 12, 2008, 11:53am EDT
  by Steven

• Live blog from the Japanese GP

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  Pre-race - I'm watching SPEED's coverage of the Japanese GP, at the very reasonable hour of 9pm Saturday evening. It's not every race I get to watch live without being in a half-dream state, so I'm celebrating this fact by blogging as I watch.
  
  Lewis Hamilton's on pole, alongside' [...]
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  Posted: October 12, 2008, 12:02am EDT
  by Steven

• One for the record books

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  With the expunging of the Canadian Grand Prix from the Formula 1 schedule, the 2009 season will be the first ever without a race in North America. Since 1950, the World Championship has maintained at least a United States GP (including the Indianapolis 500 during the 1950s) or a Canadian [...]
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  Posted: October 08, 2008, 2:35am EDT
  by Steven

• FIA invokes the doublethink argument

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  The FIA has ruled that McLaren's appeal is "inadmissible." The rationale was that a 25-second time penalty applied after the race equals a drive-through penalty that never actually happened. This is, of course, similar to the argument that 2 + 2 = 5. The thing that makes this a' [...]
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  Posted: September 23, 2008, 11:12am EDT
  by Steven

• Valencia street circuit unimpressive

  —Checkpoint 10

  Number of comments: 0
  I saw the onboard video of Formula 1 at Valencia and I have to say that it simply looks like another Hermann Tilke circuit with walls. The circuit is too wide to look like a real street circuit, too smooth, too flat and too much run-off. Note that much of [...]
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  Posted: August 23, 2008, 2:18pm EDT
  by Steven