Simon Tibbett

2012 American Le Mans Series Television Schedule

Simon Tibbett — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:11:51 +0000

American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón 2012 TV Schedule

60th Anniversary Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida
ABC | Noon ET, March 18Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach
LIVE on ESPN2 | 7:30 p.m. ET, April 14
ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey presented by Patrón (Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca)
ESPN2 | 5 p.m. ET, May 13
American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix (Lime Rock Park)
LIVE on ESPN2 | 3 p.m. ET, July 7
Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport
LIVE on ESPN2 | 1 p.m. ET, July 22
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge
LIVE on ABC | 1 p.m. ET, Aug. 4
Road Race Showcase (Road America)
ESPN2 | 2 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT, Aug. 19
Baltimore Grand Prix
ABC | 1 p.m. ET, Sept. 2
VIRginia International Raceway
ESPN2 | 5 p.m. ET, Sept. 16
Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda (Road Atlanta)
ABC | 1 p.m. ET, Oct. 21

Naked!

Simon Tibbett — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:03:19 +0000

If it’s not already clear I have an obsession with 911-GT1s. Good morning beautiful.

Photo link: http://www.supercars.net/gallery/119513/2552/972068.jpg

Credit: Tristan De Carro

It’s That Time!

Simon Tibbett — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:30:48 +0000

It’s that time of the year, the Rolex 24 is this weekend! The 50th anniversary at that. It’s that time of the year where the new year kicks off with hopes and dreams staring at a TV screen for 24 hours, I considered going to it, but I’ll be at home. Everyone there better get some awesome photos and have a great time!

SPEED will have live coverage of the race starting tomorrow at 2:30PM ET.

Toyota TS030 LMP1

Simon Tibbett — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:53:37 +0000

Toyota has released their new LMP1 car for 2012. The TS030 uses a 3.4l naturally aspirated V8 with hybrid technology. The stored energy will power either the front or rear wheels, it’s still being decided through testing.

The car looks stunning, resembling the Dome closed cockpit car from a few years back. With Peugeot now out of the game, can Toyota pick up the heat and give Audi a run for their money?

Video:

Flashback: Petit Le Mans 1998

Simon Tibbett — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:09:11 +0000

I’m always browsing YouTube for cool racing videos, especially from the late 90s and what not. I loved that time in sports car racing so when I ran across this rare video from the 1998 Petit Le Mans (the first Petit Le Mans) I was excited. I actually watched this race on TV and attended my first Petit in 1999 and have not missed one since.

These are not my videos.

Happy New Years!

Simon Tibbett — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:39:56 +0000

Happy New Years! I hope all of you are recovering nicely from your NYE parties. I hope 2012 brings much success.

The 2011 ARRC

Simon Tibbett — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:12:41 +0000

Well we ran the ITA Neon at the 2011 American Road Race of Champions. I am sort of delayed in a recap of the event but better late than never.

The event started as most events do far before the event itself. What am I trying to say? The four day event was a two week battle to get the car ready. Although it was “pretty much” ready to run there were numerous small tasks here and there plus the basic prep work needed that really pushed me hard to finish the car in time, in fact the car wasn’t even on the ground and running until 9:00pm the night before the test day.

I arrived at the track and unloaded the car Thursday morning for the test day. I’d do a session or two and my co-driver was coming later in the day to drive as well. The first session out the car felt great, the tires were working like glue and everything felt solid. The second session came and once again it felt even better. I stayed out the whole session with a smile on my face.

As lunch rolled around my co-driver arrived and he would drive the next session. As luck would have it, the car broke on his out lap. After a tow back to the paddock we quickly found the problem which was just a pesky little shift linkage bushing that worked its way up popping the linkage off. Easy fix and it was ready for the next session, then the rain came. Since Thursday was the only day with a chance of rain I didn’t bother bringing any mounted rain tires so we had to sit the last session out.

Our race was the ECR series three hour enduro on Sunday, but I had a busy rest of Thursday. The car actually did not have a logbook and I needed to get one then, which was scarier than anything else that weekend. Luckily the car passed without a single mention and we were on our way. The next two days I just enjoyed the other races and did some extra work to the car such as new brake rotors and a few other small things to insure the car would be good for the whole three hours.

As race day rolled around I let my co-driver qualify since he had just driven the car half of an out lap so he needed some seat time. He qualified without any hiccups and we were good to go.

The race came and my nerves were high, my co-driver started the car and every lap seemed to take forever as I was nervous until the car passed by lap after lap. Around thirty or forty minutes into the race we had an accident. A simple splash into the gravel trap did more damage than it seemed. As the car came into the pits I popped the hood and immediately saw fluid leaking out of the radiator, I said we were done but everyone else had something else in mind. My crew jumped on the car and pieced it back together enough for me to turn laps in the race, which was the coolest thing out of the whole weekend.

My short stint in the car was bittersweet. The car had a coolant leak from a busted radiator and the gravel trap stole my alternator belt as well, so it was a ticking time bomb but the car just kept going and going. As the temperature rose I’d slow down and let it cool down some, that slowing down brought a lot of pickup to my tires and made it a miserable ride especially on the back straight, the vibration was insane.

Eventually my pit board came out and they wanted me to pit. I went in and they thought they found an alternator belt but it didn’t fit, the aftermarket pulley on the car didn’t use an OEM Neon belt so finding the right belt was a pretty hard task in the heat of the moment. At that point I had a decision to make. Continue on until I blow it or the battery dies, or quit and take what I had home. I decided to call it quits to save the car, it was a hard choice as I really, REALLY, REALLY wanted to finish that race but I made the right choice.

Our day was over, but what a great overall experience. I learned a lot from the weekend, specifically that crap happens in racing and you just have to make the best of it. I was very pleased my mother could make it out who’s suffering from leukemia. The part that hit me most during the weekend was running the test day and being in some heavy traffic when it hit me that these cars next to me were the cars I watched racing growing up attending the ARRC, sounds stupid, but these guys were my idols growing up, it’s a small accomplishment in a big picture but running the ARRC was one dream I have completed.

There are photos and videos from the event on my website: www.simontibbett.com

Review: Forza Motorsport 4

Simon Tibbett — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:04:50 +0000

Gran Turismo has always been considered the holy grail of console racing games with realistic physics, graphics, and a car collection aimed at enthusiasts. Gran Turismo 5 however has only been a disappointment for many after numerous release date cancellations and the overall feel of an unfinished product at the actual release. Oh and it took years to make.

Forza has always been considered the arcade racing game with a little less realistic physics, but that’s about all you can complain about. Forza 4 has changed it all though.

Popping in the first disc you notice far more modern menus, similar to what GT5 has and a car collection that can make grown men act like kids. What’s the second disc you ask? Oh you know, another 5+GB of cars and what not.

Whether you want to drive a Hummer or a LMPC ALMS car Forza 4 has it all. The game feels completely new as well. The graphics are amazing, the sounds are amazing, and the best yet the new tire model has turned the “arcade” game into a real racer. With the help from Pirelli, the designers have made a wonderful realistic experience available while laying on your couch.

That’s not all though. The game has something for everyone. It’s not just racing now, there are other challenges such as Top Gear challenges such as bowling with your car, there are online car clubs where you can share cars, race, etc. There are special events such as driving a much faster car around a track full of slower cars with a goal of passing say 75 cars within two laps. There is also multi class racing, exhaust flames, better tire smoke, the list goes on and on!

If I had to complain about anything it’s that there is no more Porsche. However with everything else said that’s a small thing in a big picture and that’s coming from a huge Porsche fan. The car lineup from the release is amazing, you don’t know what you want to buy or build. There will be more coming as well which I can’t wait to see.

I am placing bets that GT5 owners and their designers cried a little last night on the day of the release.

The 2011 American Road Race of Champions…Lets Do This.

Simon Tibbett — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:49:34 +0000

This season has not been the best as well it hasn’t really happened.

November 4-6, 2011 is the American Road Race of Champions presented by GRM and I WILL be there one way or another. Whether it’s sprint racing or endurance racing.

We will also be racing for charity though supporting the Leukemia Research Foundation. There is more information on my website abut it and ways you can help.

I am currently seeking sponsors large or small, it doesn’t matter, every cent counts. If your business sponsors me fifty percent of your sponsorship investment will be donated to the Leukemia Research Foundation, so not only are you getting a great advertising deal but you’re helping to find a cure for blood related cancers. Please contact me for more details, I have no set prices for this event, like I said, every cent counts!

Petit Le Mans 2011

Simon Tibbett — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:45:08 +0000

What a race, what a week!

For me Petit started out Sunday for the Sunday and Monday ALMS/ILMC test days. I worked for the track doing F&C and boy did my hands hurt from blue flagging and that was only half the field!

We went back up Wednesday to camp for the remainder of the event. The amount of traffic on track was amazing.

The event as a whole was a huge success, another year down and nothing short of BIG.

The race itself was action packed with full course cautions and brutal wheel to wheel racing. Peugeot took the overall win with the privateer Oreca car in second and a petrol car in third in the form of the factory Aston Martin squad. Audi had a bad race overall including a nasty shunt while dicing with the Peugeot past a lapped GTC Porsche. Audi fan boys will say the Peugeot pushed him into it but…nah.

Anyway, another props to my friend Casey Carden for taking 2nd in the Playboy MX-5 Cup race in the Skip Barber division. Strong drive and he did it all with an ill car missing 5th gear!

Here are some videos from the net to showcase some of the event.