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Alpinestars, Nelson Piquet and Death Spray Customs show how to look good crashing

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Truck, Chevrolet, GM, Celebrities, Design/Style, Racing

Nelson Piquet Jr. - son of (obviously) Piquet Sr., a three-time Formula 1 champion - currently races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the Nationwide Series. Piquet and sponsor Alpinestars decided it would be cool to have the racer's Number 30 Chevrolet Silverado painted up by David Gwyther of Death Spray Customs ahead of the Charlotte round of the truck series.

The artist came up with a motif he calls "Heat Signature", and the livery was duly printed on vinyl and applied to Piquet's machine. We think it was one of the better liveries in recent NASCAR history, being instantly recognizable and suitably different while not being terribly gaudy. Just gaudy enough, in other words.

We'd love to tell you that the special paint job gave Piquet an extra few horsepower and the willpower to overcome some classic rubbing-is-racing-style adversity, but alas, the race ended for Piquet's Silverado after coming into contact with the wall in turn four. As is said in the video below, at least it looked good going out in a blaze of glory.

Continue reading Alpinestars, Nelson Piquet and Death Spray Customs show how to look good crashing

Alpinestars, Nelson Piquet and Death Spray Customs show how to look good crashing originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Jun 2012 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Road to Targa Newfoundland, Part 3: Homework and gearing up

Zach Bowman — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Convertible, Performance, Mazda, Canada, Racing

We're officially less than five days from the first stage of the 2011 Targa Newfoundland, and I'm frantically busy trying to cram as much information into my brain before arriving in St. John's as I possibly can. Having never navigated in a rally, there's a slew of symbols, terminology and theory to absorb before the green flag drops on September 12.

Then there's the small issue of establishing a working relationship with the Terratrip on-board vehicle computer. The thing has an instruction manual that could have been written by a Soviet-era novelist, and while I think I'll only be responsible for a few button mashes here and there, I don't want to be the guy who accidentally recalibrates the machine or keys in the self-destruct code. Keep on reading to see how the rest of our preparations are proceeding.

Continue reading The Road to Targa Newfoundland, Part 3: Homework and gearing up

The Road to Targa Newfoundland, Part 3: Homework and gearing up originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Just another day in the life of Travis Pastrana

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos

Travis Pastrana ruins two cars in 24 hours - Click above to watch video after the jump

A day in the life of Travis Pastrana is probably a bit more exciting than our own 24-hour standard stretch of day-in/day-out minutia. We don't race rally cars, do multiple back-flips on a dirt bike or try our hand at NASCAR. Interestingly enough, it's that last one that seems to be giving Pastrana some trouble. He's a man not used to failing, but so far his Pastrana-Waltrip Toyota racecar has an unhealthy attraction to the wall.

Travis was behind the wheel at the K&N Pro Series West NASCAR race when he crashed multiple times. The car went on the trailer and Pastrana headed for a waiting jet, which whisked him off to Salem, Missouri. There, Pastrana hopped into the more familiar territory of his Subaru rally car. Competing in the Rally America National Championship, things were looking good until Pastrana's Subie decided to dance with the tree-lined surroundings. Mother nature won but driver and co-driver, thankfully, walked away.

It certainly makes for an interesting 24 hours. We're glad that it was only cars that were hurt, and we're also glad the cameras were rolling. Click past the jump to spend 24 hours in Pastrana's Alpinestar shoes.

[Source: Vimeo via Alpinestars]

Continue reading Video: Just another day in the life of Travis Pastrana

Video: Just another day in the life of Travis Pastrana originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Airbags on motorcycles: Alpinestars introduces Tech Air Race motorcycle suit [w/video]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:22:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Safety, Motorcycle

Alpinestars Tech Air Race prototype suit - Click above to watch the video after the break

We traveled out to Alpinestars' U.S. headquarters near Los Angeles, California today so that the giant manufacturer of automotive and motorcycle safety gear could show us its latest high-tech hardware. The most important aspect of the visit was a closely held trade secret, but it's now out in the open: the Tech Air Race motorcycle suit.

Airbags in motorcycle suits aren't necessarily anything new, but the big breakthrough here is that the system is small enough to be integrated directly into the Electronic Airbag Protection Suit and is controlled by a high-tech electronic brain. As Alpinestars says, a motorcycle crash isn't all that difficult to describe in words, but in mathematical terms, things get much more difficult.

As such, there is a very complicated set of algorithms that are constantly monitoring the rider's movements, and there are five levels of programing that ensures the airbag doesn't deploy when it's not necessary. First and foremost, though, the system does not arm unless it senses the rider is moving and the engine is running. Interestingly, it's been tested on machines powered by both internal combustion engines and electric motors.

It takes a total of about eight milliseconds for the electronic brain to determine whether a crash is imminent. Once the seven sensors placed all over the suit trigger the airbag system, it takes just 50 milliseconds to fully inflate and stays fully inflated for about five seconds. After 25 seconds or so, the bag completely deflates. After the event, a GPS system is used to help determine exactly where the accident took place.

Alpinestars' airbag system includes two separate cylinders that set off a cold charge of nitrogen. It takes roughly one minute for the system to rearm itself after the initial firing. Currently, Ben Spies, Mika Kallio and Dani Pedrosa are running the data logging suits at MotoGP races.

So, what does the future hold for the Tech Air technology? Alpinestars promises that there will be applications for racing, street and even off-road riding. Currently, the initial consumer-ready suits are targeted for June of 2011, and other applications will follow in the coming years.

Time will tell how effective such active safety technologies prove, but Alpinestars' data certainly looks compelling. At present, the technology is expected to add roughly $2,500 to the cost of a standard suit. A hefty tag for sure, but it's tough to put a price on safety.

Click past the break to watch a video of the airbag being deployed on a rider.

Gallery: Alpinestars Tech Air Race suit

Continue reading Airbags on motorcycles: Alpinestars introduces Tech Air Race motorcycle suit [w/video]

Airbags on motorcycles: Alpinestars introduces Tech Air Race motorcycle suit [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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