Spultured

Paying my respect to motorsport: maybe you should too

NASCAR, Speedway, Spultured

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One major racing incident occurs and suddenly every second person is an expert on racing.

Motorsport is something that is barely covered in the media, but once a surreal incident occurs, way too many keyboard warriors jump on board the blame wagon.

The incident that occurred Saturday night involving NASCAR driver Tony Stewart and 20-year-old Kevin Ward Jnr was an absolutely devastating situation, making news around the globe and within minutes of the catastrophic event happening. Police immediately investigated Stewart about the death of young sprint-car driver Ward Jnr, but have ruled out that the NASCAR regular will be charged with manslaughter. The incident is however still under investigation.

A completely heart-breaking situation, yet people are still quick to judge saying crude and disgusting comments involving the beauty of hindsight. And if you were one of those who quickly jumped to a conclusion and started to blame – shame, shame, shame. Just to let you know, your face wasn’t inside either of the drivers’ helmets.

This was an incomprehensible tragedy, but this has happened before. Motorsport is dangerous, and it needs to be treated with respect. People involved in the sport are fully aware of the dangers, and so should the audience in order to fully understand the big picture.

I’m also not attaching the incident to this article, just to pay my respects to both drivers in this shocking situation.

My prayers go out to Kevin Ward Jnr, Tony Stewart and their families during this difficult time. Rest In Peace Kevin Ward Jnr; another racer taken too soon.

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Dan Ricciardo = Australia’s New Hero

Formula 1, Spultured

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He’s the young pup who started out in Formula 1 with his teeth covered in braces and his ambitions high to make it to the top. Well, four years later and this rising star has clinched his maiden Grand Prix win in Montreal, with his dentist gifting Ricciardo the biggest smile any racer has ever had, making Aussies more proud than ever.

The world was not ready for his smile, let alone the skill and determination this Australian has to offer. Many non-believers thought he would end up in the same position as Mark Webber being defeated by his four-time world champion teammate Sebastian Vettel.

Oh boy, were they wrong.

Of course the Merecedes’ Silver Arrows have dominated the 2014 season so far, but Ricciardo has been the talk of the pits with his dominance in the Infiniti Red Bull team this year. He also broke the Mercedes winning streak, being the first driver this year to defeat the victorious Nico Rosberg and the swag of Lewis Hamilton.

Not only is the rookie sitting third in the championship, he’s out-performing Vettel. VETTEL! The guy who was booed every time he was on the podium last year. Just, wow.

Only two Australians have tasted Formula 1 world championship glory – Sir Jack Brabham and Alan Jones – I wouldn’t mind betting$1,000 that Ricciardo makes that tally three.

Ricciardo may have an Italian last name, but his heart is full of Aussie gold. He has the Australian fighting spirit and has blood the colour of wattle. This bloke is going to break history, and eventually will give us the Formula 1 championship that Webdog was so close to claiming.

And you know what, who cares about the Queen’s fake birthday. Let’s make this public holiday dedicated to Daniel Ricciardo and his firstFormula 1 victory. Happy Daniel Ricciardo Day people, hope you had a lovely long weekend.

And Dan, cheers to your maiden victory at the Canadian Grand Prix!

 

Published by Spultured

(Image source: ABC)

Pastor “Crashdonado”

Formula 1, Spultured

Pastor ‘Crashdonaldo.’

A name used by many to describe Pastor Maldonado, a driver who could quite possibly be the most overrated Formula 1 winner of all time.

I don’t like bagging drivers – and I completely respect them for what they do for y’know, a day job. But seriously, after the incident at Bahrain, how dare you flip poor Esteban Gutierrez! And not to mention he flipped Gutierrez mid-corner just coming out of the pits? That’s simply not on.

I feel sorry for Esteban, and in his defence the rollover was very stylish. I completely agree with him in saying, “What was that!?”

Now what made me REALLY laugh, was this crash at Round Five of the Championship in Shanghai.

“I crashed,” Maldonado said.

“Oh,” Lotus said.

“I’m sorry,” Crashdonaldo continued.

But wait, it gets better. Check out how his pit crew at Lotus reacts right here.

Clearly, Lotus is ecstatic about Maldonado replacing their beloved Kimi Raikkonen.

Of course there’s more (yes, this is an article about Maldonado crashing). Check out Maldonado crashing out in Q1 at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Oh, but it couldn’t hold it in for the race despite only qualifying 22nd, so this happened.

By the way, here’s a fun fact. Maldonado was supposed to be banned from the Monaco circuit after a race when he was racing Formula Renault a few years ago. He didn’t obey a yellow flag, and he actually injured a marshal. Of course, his investors jumped in and paid for the injured to come good; therefore he got away with not being banned. What!

This year he actually made it around the Monaco circuit, his first time of not retiring since, ever.

We all have our point of view, but I’m sure this article may have made your point a little clearer. We are only halfway through the Formula 1 season, and he’s pretty much crashed at every race.

You could say this article made you LOLdonaldo.

Aussie Ambrose Hit with 25k Fine

Australian V8 Supercars, NASCAR, Spultured

Ambrose

Our Tassie Devil driver Marcos Ambrose, currently racing on circles in NASCAR, has been fined $25,000 for punching fellow driver Casey Mears after a massive stock-car style crash in Richmond, Virginia.

Not only was Mears suffering from a black eye, he was also hit with a 15k fine after pushing and riling-up the Aussie, enticing Ambrose to crack Mears in the face.

Mears said in an interview though that’s its all good with Ambrose, but that he’ll never forget being punched in the face.

Ambrose still managed to finish the race in 18th, alongside Mears in 19th place.

Both drivers have been put on probation until May 28, with neither drivers suffering suspension for the post-race incident.

Ambrose, a former V8 Supercar champion, is known for his fiery attitude at the racetrack after having a similar altercation with New Zealand driver Greg Murphy at the Bathurst 1000 in 2005.

In 2012 Ambrose was asked if he had any regrets in his career and said, “anything I regret? Yeah. There was this guy in Australia – and I regret I didn’t punch him.”

Greg Murphy was also fiery and when he saw the footage of his old rival smashing a guy in the face in America, Murphs didn’t think he had it in him.

“Maybe he saw a picture of my head on Casey Mears’ shoulders. Who knows?”

The Talladega event (Talladega nights? Yep, we all though it) is this weekend; let’s see if Ambrose and Mears can shake and bake it out.

Check out Ambrose getting a hook-in on Mears:

An ABC Kids 90s Flashback

Film and TV, Pop Culture, Spultured

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It’s all come back, the A for Apple, B for Bee and the C for Carrot… This video has made me realise just how good I had it as a kid.

I’ll just leave these quotes with you.

“And I said HEY! What a wonderful kind of day..”

“Postman Pat, Postman Pat, Postman Pat and his black and white cat…”

“Have you ever, ever felt like this…”

“For your big fat information this is our imagination…”

“We love our bread, we love our butter…”

Gone are the days of watching our koala friend Blinky Bill running a muck.

Gone are the days of Daria reading Sick Sad World.

Gone are the days of those goddamn Bananas in Pajamas chasing teddy bears.

Gone are the days of Fireman Sam saving the day.

Gone are the days of Brum terrorising the streets and sneaking back into the garage.

Oh dear lord, childhood, you were amazing!

How can you forget shows like Trap Door, Babar, Budgie the Little Helicopter, Rocko’s Modern Life,Where’s Wally? and Spot…

Not only has this made me realise I should have never grown-up, but that I have always had a tender love for cars. I mean, how many other girls would love Thomas the Tank Engine, Noddy, Brum and Postman Pat?

Here’s the video folks. Sorry, but we couldn’t embed it. If you’re having a bad day, you’re about to get the biggest grin going on.

New F1 Cars Are Too Bloody Quiet

Australian V8 Supercars, Formula 1, Spultured

F1

After never attending a Formula 1 race, I was more than excited to hear the roaring sound and ear-piercing ring of what people had explained a Formula 1 car to be… Unfortunately this year, they sounded flatter than a lawnmower on a Saturday morning.

Not only were fans disappointed with the new V6 Turbo-charged power-train, but so was the Australian Grand Prix Coordination’s (AGPC) organiser Andrew Westacott, who said the new cars took away the fascinating spectacle of Formula 1 racing.

“One aspect of it was just a little bit duller than it’s ever been before and that’s part of the mix and the chemistry that they’re going to have to get right,” Westacott told Fairfax radio.

Westacott also mentioned that AGPC chairman Ron Walker told Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone that the new sound may have breached race contracts with Formula 1 management.

“Ron spoke to [Ecclestone] after the race and said fans don’t like it in the venue.

“We pay for a product, we’ve got contracts in place, we are looking at those very, very seriously because we reckon there has probably been some breaches.”

Not only were the big bosses disappointed with the sound of the new cars—the fans and racing drivers were in disbelief with the V6-turbo sound, including NSW Formula Ford Driver, Daniel Holihan.

“They should definitely bring back the V8 or even the V10 and V12 engine, it’s the fans that come to hear the high pitch roar of a Formula 1 around the city of Melbourne,” Holihan said.

“I was getting more of a thrill watching the rolling starts of the V8 Supercars.”

Although the cars were not as loud — the racing spoke for itself, with the drivers battling for position throughout the whole race, while trying to not break down.

The competition level was high and the winner was unpredictable before the race had even started, with reliability also playing a big part during the first race in Australia.

“I loved the action, the race was very entertaining because it was a complete fresh start for every team and there was a lot of passing going on,” Holihan said.

Not only did the race deliver great action and unpredictability, it also saw controversy unfold as Australian young gun Daniel Ricciardo was disqualified after a fuel-flow sensor error.

Ricciardo’s team at Red Bull have appealed the decision, with the answer expected to take a few weeks to be decided.

Nico Rosberg was the eventual winner of the race, with McLaren rookie driver Kevin Magnussen replacing Ricciardo for second on his Formula 1 debut, with McLaren teammate Jenson Button rounding out the top three.

Formula 1 management are yet to comment on the hybrid-generation cars.

Hear for yourself, what do you think?

Dumb Things Drivers Say

Australian V8 Supercars, Film and TV, Formula 1, Spultured

In the world of motorsport, you could say the occasional F-Bomb and the oh-so delicate word for faeces gets thrown around pit lane, but most of the time it never gets recorded on television.

Well, with a sprinkle of LIVE television and a teaspoon of emotional driver, you have yourself a recipe for something quite exciting – and of course, rather unfortunate for the driver’s bank account.

Warning: the following videos contain offensive language.

Scott McLaughlin – 2014 Clipsal 500

The 20-year-old Kiwi didn’t expect to finish second on debut with Volvo. He also didn’t realise he was going to drive the fans wild after his speech…

Kimi Raikkonen

The Ice-man is no stranger to the media for his comic-remarks, but hey, it’s why we love him, isn’t it?

Jim Richards – 1992 Bathurst

Nothing could have possibly better-welcomed Mark ‘Skaifey’ Skaife into the V8 Supercar world, especially when your teammate calls a group of wound-up fans this…

James Hunt – 1976 British Grand Prix

Oh, and this is James Hunt. Known as the biggest larrikin to ever win a Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship. Bloody good on him.

Now, let’s wait for this weekend and see what the drivers’ can bring at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Adelaide… So Hot Right Now

Australian V8 Supercars, Pop Culture, Spultured

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At this point in time, Adelaide is the place to be. Not only is the weather fantastic and the people super friendly, but also the events taking place at the moment are taking over the city – and if you’re from another state, why not come down!

The Adelaide Fringe (14 February – 16 March)

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You’ll be lining up for hours – but once you are in The Garden of Unearthly Delights, you’ll understand why.

Full of live music, comedy acts, dancing and bars, it’s a beautiful place to be and it’s held right in the heart of the city, ironically right next to the Clipsal 500 circuit (because you know, Adelaide is tiny).

Entry into the garden is free, but head onto their website to check out Fringe Tix and find a stage show to check out!

Clipsal 500 Adelaide (27 February – 2 March)

 

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One of the biggest motor racing events in Australia kicks off today and the city streets will rumble of the sweet notes of V8 Supercar racing.

Not only will there be live racing from V8 Supercars and support categories, but musicians too will rock the place, including Bliss n Eso, Empire of the Sun, Kimbra, Guy Sebastian and Keith Urban.

There is live entertainment throughout the whole weekend and also great food, grid girls and fast-paced racing! Tickets are still available here.

Soundwave Festival (1 March)

 

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The Soundwave Festival never fails to please, with two of the greatest rock bands of the 90s, Green Day and The Living End, to headline this year.

Held down at Adelaide’s Bonython Park, it’s a great place to grab a beer and attend a mosh so you scream until your lungs bleed.

Other main bands playing include Avenged Sevenfold, Alice In Chains, A Day To Remember, Korn, Panic! At The Disco and many more, with tickets still available.

WOMADelaide (7 – 10 March)

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One of the nation’s favourite outdoor festivals, with a great atmosphere and friendly vibe for all ages to enjoy.

WOMAD is run over four days, in Adelaide’s Botanic Park in the city, featuring performances and workshops over seven stages, including music from the world’s best contemporary and traditional musicians.

Adelaide Cup (10 March)

 

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Not just a public holiday for uni students. The Adelaide Cup is the perfect place to get all dressed up and win some dollars betting on the horses with the best names.

Only a few minutes drive outside the city located at the Morphettville Racecourse, with punters and racing enthusiasts entertained by the Group 2 race of the day, the Yallambee Stud Classic, the Group 3 RN Irwin Stakes and the Group 3 Auraria Stakes.

Future Music Festival (10 March)

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Being an obsessive fan of Pharrell Williams, Future is going to go off this year. And not to mention the likes of Deadmau5, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Eric Prydz, Cut Copy, Rudimental and many more performing live, in Adelaide!

The festival will be held March 10 in Adelaide’s Showgrounds, with tickets still available.

We also have a new oval…

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So, you inter-staters think Adelaide is boring, hey? I’d like to see you hold onto those little savings of yours at this time of year. This is why we are called “The Festival State.”

Nosing into the 2014 Formula 1 Season

Formula 1, Spultured

Ricciardo RB10 stop Jerez D3_600

So most of us motorsport fans are thinking, what is the deal with the new Formula 1 front-ends? They look weird, but knowing the deal with Formula 1 there is a reason why the cars have changed.

The FIA have decided to add new rules into the sport for 2014, making this year’s cars arguably the most unattractive of our time, but hey… It will be better for the trees.

Formula 1 has changed the size of the engine to a turbo-charged 1.6-litre V6 in a bid to make the cars more environmentally friendly.

Not only have the cars changed for this year, but so have the teams. In fact you could say there was a bit of shuffling going on in the pits during the off-season. Three rookies will also attack the field this year, and Kamui Kobayashi is back for Caterham.

Unfortunately for us Aussies, there is only one Australian participating in the Formula 1 season this year. Young Daniel Ricciardo replaces Mark Webber at Infiniti Red Bull Racing, partnering new-dad Sebastian Vettel.

The biggest test of this year you ask? Well, Kimi Raikkonen back at Ferrari – of course. Going back to a former team with a former world champion by the name of Fernando Alonso is sure to be interesting and very competitive.

And because of our good German friend Sebastian Vettel winning the past four Drivers’ Championships, the FIA has decided to introduce a ‘double points’ feature for the final round, just to make it a little more interesting. Even though the Red Bull driver won the last championship with races to spare, the FIA believe this will spice up the final round.

Another fun fact, drivers this year are able to choose what number they want to race with for the Formula 1 season. Interestingly, Pastor Maldonado chose unlucky 13.

Pre-season testing kicked off a few weeks ago in Jerez, which saw the favourites for this year, Red Bull, flying back to headquarters in England to work on electrical faults. Further testing got under way in Bahrain over the weekend and you know it’s going to be a strong season when the testing can’t identify who will win the first round in Australia.

So, in summary – new cars, new engines, new points advantages, new numbers… I mean, this season is going to be more unpredictable than ever, so please don’t head down to your local TAB and place a bet on the Australian Grand Prix. In case you’re wondering, it all kicks off March 14 on the streets of Melbourne.

#KeepCalmF1SeasonIsNear

@LorenHazelwood

The Bloke’s Guide to Valentine’s Day

Pop Culture, Spultured

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Well, it’s that time of year again and you’re thinking, “What the hell does this Valentine’s Day shit”mean? To be honest – no one really knows. Yet, of course, the retail chains L-O-V-E to take advantage of this non-holiday event.

But more importantly, you’re thinking, does my girl even care? Coming from a tomboy like myself, yes, oh God, she definitely does.

So here are some tips.

She will tell you that she doesn’t care.
Earth-to-man, she really does dig this day, and she’s just saying that so she doesn’t look selfish.

Just buy something.
If she’s not too materialistic, she won’t care if it’s just a photo frame with you in it. Girls aren’t as complex as you think.

Tell her she’s beautiful.
This is something guys struggle to do, and it’s gentlemen like – think brownie points. Plus, it’s better than calling her sex-muffin.

If you’re single, get out of the friend-zone.
This is the time, don’t be a pussy; what’s the worst she could do? I mean, she could say no, but at least you can crawl back into that friend-zone you just tried to escape.

Look and smell nice.
If you’re a tradie, make the extra effort to go home and trade in the fluoro for a nice button-up shirt with a squirt of cologne, that way when you’re running late, she can forgive you because you look better than usual.

Don’t be cliché.
The worst thing you can do to a girl is freak her out, so if you’re thinking of popping the question with a bottle of champagne to a girl you’ve known for ten-minutes, just don’t.

Remind her of an event.
Something very extreme for guys to do, but just think how nice it would be to go down to the beach where you guys had your first date, or whatever.

Don’t freak out.
Just show your affection more on this day than ever. That way she can brag to everyone and all-that-jazz.

Nervous? Yeah, good.
This shows you actually care about this girl. And if you do love her, just be yourself and do something nice. I generally report motorsport for Spultured, so don’t question my theories… they will work.

I am still female and I can be your cupid on Twitter if you follow @LorenHazelwood.

#ValentinesDayIsOverrated #LoveSpultured Follow us on Twitter: @spultured