Dope. #177

Image courtesy of Kaspar Orasmäe.

What to watch this Weekend (April 3rd - April 9th)

• Pirelli World Challenge 2013. Lime Rock Park. Thursday @ 5:30pm - 6:30pm (MAVTV) replay
• Formula 1 - Grand Prix of Bahrain. From the Bahrain International Circuit in Manama. Practice. Friday @ 11am - 1pm (NBCSN(HD)) live
• Formula 1 - Grand Prix of Bahrain. From the Bahrain International Circuit in Manama. Qualifying. Saturday @ 11am - 12:30pm (CNBC(HD)) live
• Formula 1 - Grand Prix of Bahrain. From the Bahrain International Circuit in Manama. Race. Sunday @ 10:30am - 1pm (NBCSN(HD)) live
• WRC. 2014 Rally action from Portugal. Sunday @ 6am - 7am (MAVTV) live 
• Sunday @ 10:30am - 1pm (NBCSN(HD)) replay Sunday @ 2:30pm
• Top Gear (UK). Marathon of past episodes. Monday @ 4pm - 11pm (BBCAmerica(HD)) replays
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (VelocityHD) new
• Legendary Motorcar. A shoe fit for a car. Tuesday @ 10pm - 10:30pm (VelocityHD) new
• Wheeler Dealers. Dodge Charger. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (VelocityHD) replay

F1 and WRC this weekend and more importantly some warmth and sunshine. I may actually get around to getting the winters off my DD, but I digress. With one race under their belts, F1's second act was definitely a contrast to the first. Qualifying, however, was just about the same. Petronas Mercedes up front, Lewis and Nico in 1st and 3rd respectively. Instead of Ricciardo up front, Vettel was the faster of the two RedBull drivers, in 2nd. Qualifying was a very wet affair, and it was a battle of wills on who would push the hardest on their tires for pole. The race, in great contrast, was dry. The big take away's here was that Hamilton's mechanical issue from Australia was rectified and his car stayed fast all day. Nico had another strong race, but wasn't fast enough to chase Hams down. Vettel had a solid race, but couldn't catch either Mercedes. Ricciardo's bad luck continued with a horrible pitstop where his front left wasn't completely fastened bringing him to a stop for a push back. The stewards piled on with a stop and go penalty for unsafe release. During the wheel fix some damage sustained to the front end made itself known during the race and he had to pit again, front wing cutting his tire. He later retired right before the race finish. Meanwhile in Williams, Felipe Massa had his team tell him his teammate was faster than him over the radio...again. He held firm ignored the team and stayed in front of Bottas until the end, finishing in his best position of the year 6th. Alonso was consistent as always finishing 4th. Hulkenberg is on a smoking hot start, finishing 5th. Ham's took the flag, but Nico is up on points. Vettel took third, but is further down the standings after his DNF. Raikkonen is still looking weak out there, finishing 12th. 

Current top 5: Nico, Hams -18, Alonso -19, Button -20, Magnussen -23. This is the best McLaren has performed in quite some time. Bahrain should be exciting. Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of TopGear.

Future Classics: Porsche 993 Used Car Guide | Top Marques UK | Andy Pringle (AutoTrader)

The gang from Auto Trader UK bring us a very comprehensive buyers guide for those looking at a used Porsche 993. While this is based primarily on the UK market, most everything is translatable to the Worlds' markets with some adjustment for local currency.

Video courtesy of AutoTrader.

Neo-Vintage: The Joy of the Jaguar XK140 Comes in Driving It (Petrolicious)

The gang from Petrolicious being us a short film highlighting the owner of a lovely, 1955 Jaguar XK140. You don't need a ton of car in your garage, just an automobile that makes you feel special.

Video courtesy of Petrolicious.

Automotive Workshop: The Secret Storage Facility of Audi Sport - Inside Quattro (Drive)

JF Musial and the Drive Network continue the Inside Quattro series, this time visiting Audi Sports' little known storage facility. It houses several decades worth of motorsport's finest performers.

Video courtsy of Drive.