Paddon builds electric rally car being ready for testing in the spring of 2020

New Zealander Hayden Paddon has had hectic days, launching his campaign to finance a WRC comeback, book on his career and so today Paddon Rallysport released the news that he is developing an electric rally car! 

Hyundai Kona EV is being built for the rally forest, it is Hyundai’s electric car that the team has taken into the workshop for development, the idea is that when the first prototype is launched it will be able to run a whole competition on just electricity!

The car is in the design stage, explains the team, but believes that the first tests can be done as early as April 2020. Behind the development stands AEMD which is part of the Paddon Rallysport Group formed – the abbreviation stands for Alternative Energy Motorsport Development!

Electric cars on the rise, also in rally

Together with Hyundai New Zealand, YES Power and technical partners such as Manfred Stohl’s Austrian companies STARD technologies, Canterbury University and Callaghan Innovation, the focus is now on the new electric car.

– Even today, the technology with performance is enough for the rally forest, there are two things above all. Refine the technology to fit rallying on all surfaces and, above all, the range to handle a very long rally day.

One of the biggest resistances to electric cars is the sound, but Paddon claims to have found a solution, There we have a solution, the sound is a safety issue for spectators to hear the cars so it is a solution we obviously looked at early. You should hear the car when it’s time for testing,” Paddon explains.

The first real tests will be held in the spring of 2020 where a car will later be driven in some competition of the New Zealand Championship to test, collect data and be shown to the public. For 2021 a full season awaits and then the car will be able to handle a rally distance without any problems!

Hayden also thinks that once the car can handle a full rally distance, then it can be quite exciting to enter the sprint rally and back races, then you can use the effect for a significantly short time and then reach a cruel performance.

Motor sport part of the Olympics once more?

With the production of competitive electric cars, many in the WRC and the rest of the motorsport world hopes that motorsport once again can become Olympic sport. After the removal of motorboat racing in the 1908 Summer Olympics, where three motorboat races where part of the Olympics, motorsport has not been part of the Olympic family.

International Motor Sports Association FIA was approved by the International Olympic Committee in 2012 and are now recognized as a global sports federation by the IOC. And even if there is still some time before we can expect motor sport in the Olympics, the use of electric cars might be a step in the right direction. Until then, we will have to enjoy the Olympics in other ways, such as watching the new sports in the Olympics 2020.

Hayden comeback in the WRC?

While working on electrifying a rally car, Hayden is working for a rally comeback in the WRC series, a dialogue is underway with M-Sport about more starts after the cancelled Finnish World Cup adventure – a deal is about to be finalized with the team for at least one start. It would be nice to, once again play Paddon on motorsport PC, mobile and console games or in console in 2020.

Back in the rally car, however, Hayden is already at the weekend, Australian Eureka Rush Rally he teams up with Samantha Gray in a rented Hyundai i20 R5. It is a competition in the FIA ​​Pacific series – a final qualifying competition for the big Asia Pacific finals!

 

As things stand – drifting is growing to become one of the most popular motorsports in existence. There are a number of reasons as to why this is the case. It may seem confusing to some of you. After all, the numbers are drastically falling for some of the leading motorsports in existence. NASCAR events and Formula One events and even Moto GP events are losing in popularity. This has been going on for quite some time now. So, how can the sport of drifting actually be becoming much more popular?

Drifting – exciting as h*ll!

Well, the first thing that we must mention is that drifting can be incredibly exciting. We’re not just saying that it’s exciting for the participants. It’s also highly exciting for those that witness the drifting events. As a sport, it takes a lot of technique and skill to maneuver cars at high speed and make them drift. You will be able to see astounding combinations and maneuvers that some of the drifting drivers perform on the tracks. And all of this will happen at dizzyingly high speeds, while the drifters compete with one another.

And this is the main reason as to why this sport has spread from the ground up. Drifting events originally started in a remote place in Japan. Now they have spread to the rest of the world with ease. Asides from the technical skill that the drivers need to implement while they’re drifting, there’s the importance of the cars as well. Different cars and car models have different characteristics. They will influence the style of drifting. This adds an additional layer of intricacies that make the sport a lot more exciting. You can begin to appreciate its depth.

Drift-lovers are everywhere

But if there is one thing that keeps the sport up and going, then it would have to be the drifting community. There are drift-lovers from all around the world that dedicate a big portion of their time to their love of drifting. So, no matter where you live, chances are that you will be able to find a smaller or a larger drifting community. The community will consist of people that will love nothing more than to just share information with you of the sport. So, if you wish to learn more about drifting and to appreciate the sport better, join a drifting community. You’d be surprised at how many things you can learn just by being a member in one of these drifting communities.

That being said, it’s up to you to begin appreciating the sport of drifting. We cannot force you to do it. The best way to start without investing a lot of time and effort is to watch some videos online. Chances are that you will be all fired up at seeing the skills with which the drivers maneuver their cars. If this doesn’t make you fall in love with the sport of drifting – then chances are that nothing will. We hope that you will enjoy your time seeing some of the greatest drifting events that you can witness.

No matter who you are or where you live, chances are that you have heard of the sport of Formula One. We’d even go so far as to say that chances are that you have watched a Formula One event. It’s a really exciting motorsport that continues to capture the imaginations of millions of people from all around the world. But what makes this sport so popular? What has made it rise to the pinnacle of popularity in the world of sports?

The start of the Championship

Well, Formula One originally started as a sport for rich people. They had enough money and time to and have a race or two – the races being very thrilling and exciting. This was at the turn of the last century. It was not until the 1950s when the sport became accessible to the regular masses of people. This was the start of the Formula One World Championship.

The sport quickly rose to prominence. In the next decade, the 1960s, there were many sponsorship deals that concerned Formula One. This served to promote the sport even further around the world. But the critical point in the growth of the popularity of the sport can be traced back in the 1980s. This is the time when television got widely accessible and Formula One sports events were broadcasted all around the world. Millions of people have gotten to know what Formula One is back at this time.

We have already mentioned the fact that the Formula One races are very exciting to watch. This is because of the fact that the cars themselves are some of the most powerful vehicles in terms of speed and acceleration. Chances are that you already know what a regular Formula One car looks like. They are designed in a way as to be very fast. They look nothing like the regular cars that you see on the streets every day.

Positioning in Formula One

One of the most exciting parts of the Formula One race is the start. This is the time when the drivers battle for optimal position. They are so close to one another that it’s easy for them to crash into one another. This is why it’s important for the drivers to still be careful and maneuver their cars with skill and dexterity. However, the drive can be even bigger for these individuals to drive speedily and take a better position. And this is why this part is so very thrilling and exciting.

There are, of course, the pitstops. They serve to change the car’s wheels after a number of laps and to make a number of adjustments to the cars themselves. Due to the fact that the cars race at great speeds, the tires can get destroyed rather easily. And this is why it’s important for the drivers to pick the optimal time for going into the pitstop. The pitstop team must work fast. There is a dozen of people or so that give their best effort to change the tires and make additional adjustments.

And all of these elements combine to create one of the most popular sports in existence. Go ahead and watch a Formula One event. We can promise that you won’t be disappointed by it.

The Basics Of Dirt Track Racing And How To Boost Its Audience

Oval dirt tracks are coming back in full force even though they used to be thought as outdated. Local dirt tracks such as Marion Center Speedway are rising in popularity with several paved tracks reverting to a dirt track state. Dirt track racing became a prevalent form of automotive racing in the 20s and the 30s, particularly in the US because there were lots of racing tracks with thoroughbred horses. Two kinds of conventional racing cars have towered over dirt track racing, namely stock cars and open wheel cars.

Dirt tracks are usually oval shaped with a length of less than a mile at a maximum of ½ a mile. There are other tracks ranging from 1/8, ¼, 1/3, and 3/8 of a mile in their length. Longer tracks have a tendency of being more dangerous because of higher speeds that increase the likelihood of racecar damage and injury to the drivers. Typical dirt track surfaces are clay in nature for moisture retention and tackier conditions enabling reduction of dust and enabling better grip of the track by the cars.

Each sanctioning body and racetrack keeps up specific regulations that stipulate the classes of each racecar including equipment prohibitions and requirements, engine size, and dimensions. Mostly tracks usually organize with several other tracks to provide for the widest venue for every type of car. The collaboration enables the drivers to compete on a variety of racetracks, increases the competitors’ likelihood of winning, and it allows racing associations to cultivate an array of race events to boost fan interest.

Why dirt tracks should collaborate

Single tracks cannot go about the sport by themselves and 3 tracks will call to more dirt track enthusiasts and drivers than one track. More dirt track options will cause more drivers and fans to flock to the area especially if it is out of state. Areas with more than three dirt tracks have a higher likelihood of attracting permanent residents and weekend travelers who are racetrack fans.

The future of dirt track racing depends on attracting a younger new fan base or audience. Drawing attention to even a single fan within the area could sell tens of seats in a few years. That fan could bring a new friend to the track every few months or a few times a year which ends up increasing the audience for the sport. This is why it is important for dirt tracks to work together instead of trying to snuff each other out. It will eventually work in everyone’s best interest and will boost further interest for the sport.