#tribute racer

[metalcultbrigade]

Evil Lives A True Metal Tribute To Black Sabbath 01/06/2004

Featuring: Iced Earth Primal Fear Jag Panzer Icarus Witch Racer X George Lynch Vince Neil Dofka and more...Great tribute album,imo.

[boanerges20]

Yamaha XSR700 Tribute To The FZR750 "Gauloises" by Workhorse Speedshop.

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Kimera EVO37 "Martini 7," 2023. Kimera Automobili have revealed a new limited-run version of their Lancia 037 replica that pays tribute to Martini Racing’s iconic Group B racer. Production will be limited to 37 cars which are built from scratch using a monocoque chassis fabricated from tube steel covered with carbon fibre panels. There's also a new carbon fibre aerodynamics package. The engine references the Lancia original, with a 2.1-litre 4-cylinder DOHC motor that is both turbo and supercharged to produce 543bhp. Development has been overseen by one of Lancia’s original powertrain engineers, Claudio Lombardi

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

1970 Boss 429 Mustang

In 1970, lawyer and drag racer Al Eckstrand put together a Lawman Racing Team, consisting of two 780hp Boss 429 Mustang drag cars and six 428 Cobra Jet Mach 1s, to tour U.S. military facilities around the world. It was during the Vietnam War, and servicemen were happy to see some of the musclecars from back home.

Two Lawman Boss 429s were built, one for Eckstrand demonstrations in Southeast Asia and the other for use as a show car in Europe.

The first car was destroyed at sea when an 8-ton ship container fell on it (possibly the USS Coral Sea, ID 43).

So, Eckstrand hastily finished the second car, which was flown by Air Force transport to the south Pacific.

Over the next three years, the Lawman United States Performance Team performed demonstrations to an audience of over 240,000 servicemen.

In 1999, Eckstrand reacquired the Lawman Boss 429 from Sam Eidy, who had purchased the car and maintained it as a tribute to Eckstrand.

[batsplat]

always am obsessed with motorsport champions that decide to run the number 1 plate vs those who’ve stuck with their number. because it reveals so much of each of their inner philosophies, whether they are deeply superstitious, or seek a tangible everyday proof of their victory, or concerned with branding/legacies, or trampling the inner critic that believed deep inside of them that they were cut out to be a champion. just so interesting to parse through possible motivations

you're so right anon!!

of course, a big part of it is historical context... you can't really disentangle the choice of whether to run the number one plate or not from the era within which they made said choice. until fairly recently, it was entirely the norm to pick the number one plate - and beyond that, even those who didn't finish in first tended to just adopt the number that represented the place they had finished in during the previous year's championship. so for instance in 1987, gardner was first, mamola second, lawson third, haslam fourth, macckenzie fifth, and so on. in 1988, gardner ran the number 1 plate... mamola 2, lawson 3, haslam 4, mackenzie 5, etc etc. the only champion who broke with tradition was british racer barry sheene (500cc champion in 1976 and 1977), known for being a rebel - and even the styling of his iconic number 7 was apparently a wee bit controversial:

sheene stuck with the 7 both after his formula 750 title and then after his two 500cc titles:

there's some ways in which sheene is kinda the prototype of the modern rider, and he was the first to reap the benefits of having a distinctive number associated with him

in the eighties and nineties, it was all back to number one plates - but then of course another rider decided to break with tradition

incidentally, the generally purported story for why valentino took the number 46 is that it was his father's number. if his autobiography is to be believed, the truth is a little different:

I am Valentino. Graziano chose that name for me because he wanted to honour the memory of his best friend, who drowned at sea, near Pesaro, at the age of eighteen. The fact that St Valentine's Day is just two days before my birthday was also a reason. Number 46 originated when I raced minibikes. I was on a team with two kids from Gatteo a Mare, Marco and Maurizio Pagano. They are the brothers who lent me the Aprilia 125, which I used for my debut at Misano. All three of us had number 46 because we raced in three different categories. They too loved Japan and Japanese riders. One day we were mesmerised by a wild-card entrant at the Japanese Grand Prix who pulled off the most amazing tricks and seemed to have no fear whatsoever. He was number 46. And from that day on, so were we. For me, that lasted until I moved up to the Italian championship and, later, the European series. But when I finally made it to the world championship, I was asked to choose a number. I discovered that 46 was Graziano’s number when he won his first Grand Prix on a Morbidelli 250cc, back in 1979. Which was the year I was born. That’s why I decided that I, too, would be number 46. For me that number represents my career and, partly, my life. It certainly symbolises my massive, incredible, adventure. 

so valentino was only the second premier class rider who stuck with his number. the norm of just following the previous year's standings to choose your number was kinda starting to die out in the late nineties anyway. by 2002, when valentino was defending his title for the first time, if you look down the list it's basically personal numbers all the way. still, valentino was the one to break tradition for champions - the first to do so in a couple of decades. valentino did also know sheene personally as a result of the link through his father, who was a friend of sheene's and had raced him:

^valentino with sheene, valentino wearing a tribute helmet with the iconic '7' on it after sheene's passing (also with the rainbow helmet colours and the word 'pace' or 'peace' on the back during the 2003 invasion of iraq), and valentino's 2005 championship celebrations for his seventh title, his shirt again featuring sheene's seven

hayden didn't follow valentino's example and instead went for the number one plate in 2007. casey made the same choice for the 2008 season, then jorge in 2011... so for a hot moment it really did look like valentino had been just another blip. if anything, the trend was going the other way, with a couple of high profile instances of riders who hadn't won the title rejecting their established numbers:

this particular trend didn't catch on, and from 2010 onward dani decided to just stick with the 26. because all the non-valentino aliens just couldn't stop faffing about with their numbers, 2010 is the only year in which all four aliens are actually concurrently running the numbers we most commonly associate them with

then, by 2012 apparently people were starting to get a bit superstitious about the number one plate. here, from an interview with casey:

the idea is that you can't defend the title if you're sporting the number one plate. which is true! in the 21st century, three guys chose the number one plate, and they defended their titles a grand total of zero times. one bloke stuck to his number, and he defended his title five out of seven times. so yes, it is technically correct that nobody with the number one plate had defended their title, though it is equally true that nobody not called valentino rossi had defended their title. I suppose we'll never know what the bigger factor was

anyways, if picking the number one plate was already a sure thing before, I reckon this sort of silly talk about 'jinxes' would have made casey even less likely to change his mind for 2012. not only is he stubborn, but he also takes an extremely dim view on superstitions

That race was the twelfth in a row that had been won by a rider not starting from pole, which was a new record. People were making a big deal about it and questioning whether, psychologically speaking, it wasn't a good thing to qualify on pole position at all. Maybe to the superstitious riders out there it had become an issue but I have never allowed myself to be affected by outside influences like that and I put an end to the stat by winning from pole in the next round at Laguna Seca in California. It is amazing how many riders have superstitions, which to me are completely ridiculous. Pretty much every one of them has a little mascot or a lucky pair of undies that they once had a good result in and have been stuck with ever since (so to speak!). Superstition is basically just fear and as an athlete my view is that by allowing it to enter your mind you are effectively handing over control. My approach has always been to deliberately tackle it by doing things differently to the last time, just to make sure I don't get into a restrictive habit. Some riders look at their qualifying position and think, I never go well from fifth position, or arrive at a circuit thinking about past results there and say, 'I've never done well here before, it's not my favourite circuit.' You have to be in the mindset that every day is a new day, a new set of circumstances. Every corner is different, every situation is different, and if you are not prepared to open your mind to that then you will always struggle more than necessary. You might have been through one particular corner a thousand times before but with a slight change in temperature, a new bike, a different tyre or a rider trying to pass you on the inside it becomes a completely different challenge and you have to be ready to deal with that.

given that casey is like, neurotically anti-superstition - well, he was probably always going to do the same thing as he did in 2008, but now he definitely would never just stick with his number. unlike jorge... who did change his mind, having run the number one plate in 2011 - but decided against making the switch in 2013. funnily enough, this did not help him defend the title. the eventual 2013 champion ended up also opting to stick with his number... and, well, marc's title defence went a little bit more smoothly. after jorge's 2015 title, he once again stuck to his 99, while marc has used the number 93 throughout his career. by the time you get to 2020, it's easy to have a warped perception of how common it is to keep your number. if you're born in, say, 1997 or later, you think it's basically the done thing to stick to your number, and it's really only a few outliers who use the number one plate. but even in the 21st century... it's really just valentino and marc who were doing it, plus jorge two out of three times. but between the two of them, they sure were winning enough of the titles to make it feel like the established norm

by this point, there really was a bit of a superstition about how the number one plate was 'cursed'. obviously, this wasn't actually a 'curse' as much as it was 'the dominant force in the sport in the noughties decided this number one plate thing wasn't for him and the dominant force in the 2010s who also happens to a massive fan of the other guy also decided not to make the switch either so that probably explains it'. it's not 'you won't defend your title if you're sporting the number one plate', it's 'you won't defend your title if your name isn't valentino rossi or marc marquez'. but obviously, sports drives people insane, so it was always going to be something that prompted a lot of speculation until someone finally managed to defend the plate

following his 2020 championship, mir didn't depart from the new tradition, with a suzuki video to announce his decision:

and fabio did likewise after his 2021 title:

obviously, sticking to their numbers didn't actually help joan and fabio defend their titles, and after his 2022 championship it was pecco's turn to make the choice. pecco went about this in the most pecco way imaginable, with just a touch of public hand-wringing about the whole thing:

just as a quick reminder, before pecco there had been 28 premier class champions. five and two thirds decided against the number one plate - sheene, valentino, marc, joan, fabio, and jorge twice. "I have always been fascinated about riders with number one" describes something that until very recently had been completely normal. not even remotely noteworthy. cheers valentino

eventually, presumably after some extremely extensive introspection, pecco decided to go for the number one plate:

and also this:

and also this (look he's got a lot of thoughts on the matter, please allow him):

and talking about defending the number one:

pecco has continued talking about it sporadically since then. he's spoken about it in the context of defending his title, which as he points out he can only remember marc and valentino doing:

and then the pressure inherent to sporting that plate, from after he'd successfully completed his title defence:

hm. right. let's unpack

the thing about this whole 'running the number one plate' business is that in motogp, each rider's individual choice has to be read with that history in mind. for many years, this wasn't even really a question... it's just what you do when you win the title. sheene was the rebel, the one who decided to do things differently, who wanted to be associated with his very own number. and valentino, who himself knew sheene and was already attached to his own number and has always had a good sense for personal branding, decided to stick with 46. of course, valentino being valentino, he's inescapable enough within motogp that ever since he made that choice, every single champion after him has had to actively make a decision one way or another

so you've got jorge, who had used the number one plate in his title defence during his 250cc campaign in 2007 - and also used it in 2011 as motogp defending champion. he ended up changing his mind for his following two campaigns... remember, he only started using the number 99 in 2009 after his fractious split with his manager during 2008 (see more on numbers lore here). here was what he said about his decision in 2011:

versus his decision in 2015:

jorge in particular does of course have a bit of a complicated relationship with the numbers he's used during his career - and unsurprisingly he's clearly put quite a lot of thought into the whole matter. he's determined to still have the number 99 represent him in some way even in 2011, while also thinking about how he can integrate the number one into his initials - and since it's jorge, of course it's particularly important that his fans approve. he "won't forget" his 99, it was still on his leathers because it's still 'in his heart'... but he explains it by saying he has "earned the right", that it's a "unique opportunity". then, a few years later, his main cited reason for sticking with the number 99 is how it 'represents' him

very much a question of identity, then, something about how jorge made the choice to use the 99 and how it was an expression of liberation for him... he was tempted by the number one once and only once - a statement in itself, following on from jorge's title win in 2010 where the oppressively popular defending champion had been taken out of contention through injury. jorge says he's 'earned the right' because he feels like he deserves it and he wants to tell the world as much. did his failure to defend the title play into his decision not to run the plate again or did he just decide it wasn't really for him after all? did he realise he had grown so attached to the number 99, what it symbolised to him, that he didn't want to give it up again? or did he just realise it was better for personal branding?

last year, here's what casey had to say:

it's fun how the perception of it has changed so drastically, hasn't it? now it's kinda the brave decision to take it... and that's mainly the legacy of two blokes who happened to monopolise this century of racing and decided to make their numbers their own (you may have noticed that there's considerably less material out there on why they made the choice they did). it's gone from something that you just sort of did automatically to something that puts a bit of a target on your back. because that's the subtext, right - everyone wants to 'take the number one plate'... which obviously they do anyway, but all this talk of curses and jinxes attempts to give it a bit of extra weight. is it presumptuous to take that number? valentino and marc made the call to stick to their numbers - and years later it's become a statement to deviate from that path. in that fabio quote above, in context he's really just trying to say he feels like he's the number 20 and nothing other than that - but "I feel like I'm not number one" is still a teensy bit loaded. how did marc's injury affect the choice made by those in his absence?

casey is unsurprisingly very firm on the whole thing, "you are world champion and you should be wearing number one". as if doing anything else is shying away from this duty. defending the title is another "challenge" that he says he likes - almost like a way of putting extra pressure on himself. though in a different interview, casey also says this:

just a number after all, then? it's also interesting how they frame it in different ways, isn't it? for casey it's "recognition" of an achievement, for jorge it's something you've "earned"... and for pecco, it's something you "need to respect". it's about something that puts "pressure" on you... perhaps that's partly because so much of the discourse about the number one plate has become about defending the title (or failing to do so), but pecco discusses it more as a responsibility than something he deserves. you can tell that it's clearly preoccupied him for a while - it's something he's "fascinated" by, he's "admired" people who have done it, he's "always loved it". for both casey and pecco, part of it seems to be about respecting the history of all the blokes who have used the number in the past, like it's an act that pays tribute to that heritage. you'd think this shouldn't have been such a tough choice in the first place, wouldn't you? goes to show how much of a break with tradition it's become - tradition, of course, that was really started by pecco's own mentor. would it be that surprising if that's part of the reason for the reticence? and, at the same time, would it be that surprising that his mentor's long shadow might make him feel like he needs that big and bold number one? what does pecco think it's saying that he went a different way? all this public hand-wringing just because he's breaking a trend

for jorge, the number one plate was a public declaration that he'd made it, naysayers be damned. to pecco, "the number one plate means you need to demonstrate you are number one". it's like giving yourself a point to prove... is it mainly a matter of pride or giving yourself something to live up to? both of them go to great pains to stress their continued attachment to their original number, how they're continuing to integrate it into all their cute designs... and that is something that has changed pretty definitively - not entirely as a result of valentino, but around the same time as valentino emerged as the figurehead of the sport, and he's certainly a big part of it. even the riders who go with the number one still want to have their number and to be known by it. the numbers have become such an integral part of branding and rider identity that riders want to make clear how important they are to them, whether they stick with the number as defending champions or not

at the same time, the fact that taking the number one plate has been de-normalised means that this decision places extra focus on the challenge of defending the title. pecco might not frame his choice in opposition to valentino and marc's to keep their numbers, but he does repeatedly link it to how they alone had been able to win successive titles. for him, then, it becomes an indirect way of living up to a legacy - counterintuitively by doing the opposite of what they did. "since I remember, was just marc and vale have repeated the title" “I thought about it many times this season in all the races we were struggling that the only two riders able to win two years in a row were marc and valentino"... that's what he's trying to live up to, this simultaneous source of inspiration and insecurity. are you lacking confidence if you need to see the number one to believe yourself that you are the number one? or is it conversely shying away from something you have rightfully earned if you can't bring yourself to take the plate? is it an expression of ego if you think your personal number is more meaningful than the number one could ever be? personal branding decisions aside, wouldn't manufacturers much rather you display the number one plate proudly on their bikes?

kind of remarkable, isn't it? it should be such a simple choice... and yet. not only is it now a question of branding and identity, but within motogp it's also become one of how you relate to the legacy of two specific riders. maybe it'll gradually become more common again to take the plate - after all, the curse has now been broken. or maybe it will be the source of much hand-wringing forevermore... we shall see. we shall see

[needingthatsomething]

MATCHLESS CAFE RACER Tribute to G45

[cuzikan]

1970 Boss 429 Lawman Mustang being loaded aboard the USS Coral Sea. 🇺🇲

In 1970, lawyer and drag racer Al Eckstrand put together a Lawman Racing Team, consisting of two 780hp Boss 429 Mustang drag cars

and six 428 Cobra Jet Mach 1s, to tour U.S. military facilities around the world. It was during the Vietnam War, and servicemen were happy to see some of the musclecars from back home.

Two Lawman Boss 429s were built, one for Eckstrand demonstrations in Southeast Asia and the other for use as a show car in Europe.

The first car was destroyed at sea when an 8-ton ship container fell on it

(possibly the USS Coral Sea, ID 43).

So, Eckstrand hastily finished the second car, which was flown by Air Force transport to the south Pacific.

Over the next three years, the Lawman United States Performance Team performed demonstrations to an audience of over 240,000 servicemen.

In 1999, Eckstrand reacquired the Lawman Boss 429 from Sam Eidy, who had purchased the car and maintained it as a tribute to Eckstrand.

[radracer]

The BMW 3.0 CSL Lothar/8 Mystery Car

This car has had me going down a rabbit hole trying to find out if it even exists. What I mean by that is there is no documentation that this race car ever raced or was even really built. Jean Pierre Beltoise is written in the window, and he was a famous French race driver. But this specific car Lothar/8 is not the one he won the championship in as far as I can tell.

Above are the only “real” pics of the car I could find based on the livery. The only other matches I could find after a lot of digging are of a model car:

1976 BMW CSL Championne Production. As far as I can tell it was a model car from the 70s sold in France.

When I saw this I got hopeful that it must have been based off a real car, possibly one that won a championship in 1976. So I looked into all the leagues that were around back then and there were CSL BMW race cars but none that matched the livery.

I knew that I had seen this car before though and then it hit me.

1977 “Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo”

So after scanning through all the race scenes I grabbed a couple screenshots of the mysterious Lothar/8 BMW. This one sports the number “8” where as the toy model was “20”.

Since this movie took place in Monte Carlo it is possible that the production company was just paying homage to a popular model car that was a tribute car? Although it is definitely not in many scenes and was not one of the main cars in the movie.

So now I have no idea what to think, the “real” photos of the car at the top of this post have no numbers on it making this even harder to solve.

If anyone has any insights to this phantom car I’d really like to solve this it’s driving my ocd mad. (Pun intended)

To be clear I’m trying to find out if this specific car with the livery Lothar/8 was ever a real race car or just a model tribute.

Thank you!

- Rad Racer

[chenouttachen]

those missing pit babe hours? not a phase.

the laptop is on, the doc is open and thoughts are being thunk. it's finally time to write my tribute piece to the scene between alan and dean in episode 10 because it's been months and i'm still not over the way that made me feel.

what's the gist? a bit of a character study of alan having doubts and feelings and a bad time. how long will it be? at most, 3-4k. idk how it takes a village made it to 32k but that was a fluke!

but behold! a sneak peek!

Life in the X-Hunter garage had never really been normal, Alan supposes, but there had once been a well-oiled routine. He would come to work early, the sun not yet touching the sky outside. His fingers would find the light switch and the garage would flicker into being; blue-wrapped cars elevated on scissor lifts, North’s tools strewn across his station, Dean’s gleaming helmet abandoned after a hasty polish at the end of the day. Fucking kids.

These tiny reminders of his team kept Alan company until the garage slowly filled with the early-morning grumbles of gruff mechanics and an even gruffer Babe. Alan would smile, because despite his hatred of the hours prior to ten am, the young racer insisted on being the first to show up, the first to take his car on the track, the first to start training. Babe’s constant presence, his drive to improve, to succeed – it made Alan strive to do right by him, by Way, by all of X-Hunter. His team was his own driving force, and it kept him coming in, even when he was tired or frustrated or ill.

It wasn’t just the morning routine though, that pulled Alan through each day. On any given day, Alan would be treated to a symphony of Dean’s enthusiastic questions, Way’s answering laughter and Sonic and North’s frequent antics and non-existent hazard perception.

More recently, the day-to-day chaos had grown to include Charlie’s vibrant energy as he threw his all into racing, or curled himself around Babe’s body like the rambunctious puppy he was. And, of course, there was Jeff.

[waksworldrebooted]

Some Speed Racer 2008 Doodles

Did this as a tribute to my favorite live action remake. It may have aged in some parts visually but it as an overall package still holds up

[boanerges20]

Yamaha XSR700 tribute "FZR750 Gauloises" by Workhorse Speed Shop

[cupidseok]

DISCLAIMER my works are solely intended for entertainment purposes and do not represent real individuals. any resemblances to names, characters, businesses, places or events are purely coincidental and fictional.

NOTE i will place content warnings before the start of my works when necessary. please take note of these warnings if you're sensitive to any particular topics. if i have missed out any warnings please inform me.

📁 — SCENARIOS

things that evoke memories of riize

terms of endearment with riize

the different sides of riize that they only show when with you

spending christmas with riize

riize as enhypen songs

how riize would confess

📁 — SERIES

CUPID HOTLINE : FOR THE LONELY LOOKING FOR LOVE

[ social media au with some written chapters, dating app au, university au | fluff ]

— when your loneliness has finally gotten to you, you decide that you really need to find a boyfriend to motivate and support you through your horrendous university life. or just someone to simply keep you entertained when you weren’t studying. ( you really weren’t asking for much ) and the pink-coloured app, namely cupid hotline, seems to be glowing at you, begging you to download it

📁 — ONESHOTS

NECKLACE OF STARS, WAITING FOR YOU BY THE CAROUSEL

[ reincarnation au, soulmate au | angst, fluff ]

— eunseok remembers all of his past lives. when he finally found his lover, he was unfortunately robbed of their time together. eunseok then continues to live multiple more lives, always in search of his lover, hoping they’ll meet again in another life.

˚.⋆ 🐸 : SUNGCHAN THOUGHTS ˎˊ˗

📁 — DRABBLES

##22:57 — racer!wonbin

##20:16 — guitarist!wonbin

##02:27 — best friend!wonbin

📁 — DRABBLES

##13:00 — district 4 tribute!anton

˚.⋆ 🦕 : ANTON THOUGHTS ˎˊ˗

© cupidseok — do not copy / repost / translate my works

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

1970 Dodge Challenger

The legend returns: Unveiling the powerful 1970 Dodge Challenger ‘Black Ghost’ with its iconic HEMI V8 engine

Posted on March 4, 2024

Emerging from its mysterious past as a street drag racer piloted by a police officer, the 1970 Dodge Challenger “Black Ghost” has now claimed the title of the most coveted classic Mopar.

Honoring its legacy, Dodge has introduced a contemporary tribute based on the 2023 Challenger Hellcat Redeye Widebody. In addition to this homage, the enigmatic “Black Ghost” is gearing up for its moment in the spotlight at an upcoming auction.

Captivating audiences at Kissimmee 2023 in January, the “Black Ghost” was proudly displayed alongside its contemporary counterpart. For those eager to witness its numbers-matching 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI V8 come to life, YouTube’s “DtRockstar1” recently shared footage of the legendary vehicle making its grand appearance at a few classic car events.

Although the video doesn’t showcase drag racing or burnouts, the striking all-black 1970 Challenger, now road-worthy after years in storage, is a breathtaking sight. Remarkably, the car remains in near-original condition, save for a few upgrades like a rebuilt brake booster, new carbs, radiator, master cylinder, and tires.

But what truly sets the “Black Ghost” apart from other classic cars, and how did it earn its intriguing moniker?

The original owner, Godfrey Qualls, was a Detroit police officer by day and a secretive drag racer by night. Risking his career, he would make unexpected appearances at local gatherings, dominate quarter-mile races, and then mysteriously vanish.

While Godfrey’s Challenger wasn’t entirely stock during its racing heyday, he kept modifications minimal, opting for a muffler delete, an aftermarket coil, and slick rear tires on stock wheels.

The HEMI V8’s impressive 425-horsepower output was more than enough for him to claim countless victories before disappearing for good in 1975. By then, the “Black Ghost” had already secured its legendary status in Detroit.

The enigmatic Challenger driver’s true identity remained a secret for decades until Godfrey revealed his thrilling drag-racing tales to his son, Gregory. Inheriting the car when his father passed away, Gregory brought the “Black Ghost” to light in 2017, sharing the astounding story of officer Qualls and his legendary vehicle.

Beyond its captivating history, this Mopar is an exceptional rarity from the golden age of muscle cars. Of the nearly 77,000 Challengers sold in 1970, a mere 356 were equipped with the formidable 426-cubic-inch HEMI V8. Godfrey’s choice of a four-speed manual gearbox further refines the car’s status to one of just 136 produced.

But the exclusivity doesn’t end there. With the added SE package, it’s one of only 60 Challengers ordered with the bundle. Considering the color and other options, it’s possible that fewer than 10 such examples were ever made.

In summary, this Challenger is the epitome of rarity, boasting a captivating story worthy of a book. It stands as a highly collectible classic that could very well be more valuable than any other 1970 Challenger in existence.

[batsplat]

Thank you for typing all that out!!!! I was like they had beef??? But it makes sense. I was listening to Casey on the gypsy tale podcast, he mentioned how he was envious of Marc/Vale who had no fear of the track. Makes sense that Marc - the limit of the bike is when I crash - and him would clash even if it wasn't malicious or personal.

(about this) haha no problem! and yeah for sure I don't think it's anything particularly malicious and it's not even BEEF as much as a low-level grudge, the kind of thing that naturally bubbles up when you have athletes' egos existing within a team structure. though I do think the stuff you mention (ie marc's approach to the sport) is something that never did become much of an issue between the two of them, but only because... well they weren't on-track rivals

ofc that's one of motogp's biggest 'what ifs' - what if we'd actually seen casey and marc compete - so none of this is particularly original, but, look, it's a fun one to discuss! casey's for the most part been pretty schtum about marc's actual races and various controversies, but has on occasion mentioned not necessarily being the biggest fan of marc's approach, eg (from 2013):

the "humiliate them" bit is most interesting to me - does feel a similar vibe to some of his complaints about valentino's propensity for mind games. the implications of marc wanting to humiliate opponents would be that for marc, it's not just about just wanting to win, it's about what effect he's having on rivals, about wanting to mess with them

so I - like everyone else - can only IMAGINE what it would've been like if casey had actually had to live the full marc marquez experience. it's a respectful relationship irl because it's a rivalry that never actually got to play out, so casey doesn't have any real motivation to criticise marc much beyond low stakes honda hijinks. and marc probably would have enjoyed getting the chance to race casey, but from casey's side? eh

obviously casey's issues with valentino's riding standards are pretty well-documented (as well as his issues with other rivals, including a younger jorge) (and various somewhat less significant figures, like him and his buddy in 125cc giving alex de angelis the truly terrible nickname of 'alex dangerous'. casey please). marc is relentlessly aggressive in a way casey would not have enjoyed at all, and would've also objected to on grounds of principle. the fearlessness thing you mention from that very very long podcast episode is interesting to me, because yes casey would have liked to emulate that in some ways... but he does also have his issues with riders who ride without fear to the extent that they don't care about their own safety. from his autobiography, explaining his increasing disillusionment with MotoGP:

The most fitting tribute to [Simoncelli's] memory shouldn't have been a plaque by the side of the track where he lost his life, but a real change in the way riders respect each other and respect the limits. Unfortunately, I don't feel that this happened. I have always been very aware of what can happen in this sport, which is why I have always shown respect to my fellow racers. You might not like the person next to you on the grid but you have to be aware that if an accident happens, anyone can be hurt or killed. Sometimes young riders are so desperate to win that they forget what's most important. They get built up so much that they start to believe the hype, they feel invincible. Nobody is, especially in bike racing. And if a rider doesn't care about his own safety then it stands to reason he doesn't care about anybody else's either. Don't get me wrong, MotoGP is as safe as it has ever been in terms of the gravel traps, circuit layouts and rider equipments, but the fact that certain riders were still putting others at risk even after Marco's death bothered me a lot.

which, yup, can't see casey being a fan of marc. he's got some very ironclad beliefs when it comes to riding standards and the importance of rivals respecting each other and what that looks like on track in terms of hard racing - it's just an outlook and approach that would always have clashed with marc's. (also, yeah, like casey admits, it does just scare him! laguna seca 2008 wasn't fun for him because he was worried about his safety! which is entirely understandable, but I can't imagine if that's the case he'd feel particularly comfortable or indeed safe racing marc marquez.) on marc's side, even in 2013 he was pretty good at shrugging off these kind of critiques from his rivals, including ofc from dani and especially jorge that year. so maybe it'd be mostly one-way antipathy, but probably not all that pleasant for anyone involved. livio suppo said back in 2020 that casey would've suffered a lot from marc's personality, and also in 2023 said this:

I don't really agree with suppo about 2008 and it does lean into the frustrating trope (which casey also chafed against in his autobiography) that seeks to explain all of casey's struggles and defeats by what was going on in his head. like, I do think he would've done a good job fighting marc! he would've won plenty of their duels, even when they were fighting wheel-to-wheel! he did say repeatedly after laguna seca 2008 that if something like that happened again, he wouldn't roll over for valentino (unfortunately we never really had the chance to properly test this but oh well)! he just wouldn't have enjoyed it, which is kinda why he retired in the first place

basically, they respect each other just fine because they never had the chance to fight on track. if they HAD fought on track, things would've inevitably been more fraught, not least because of their very different approaches to racing, as well as how by marc's own admission he's an asshole as a teammate. that difference in approaches is where the 'fearlessness' of marc comes in, and not in a good way for that relationship. who knows how it would have all turned out

just one more thing - marc is actually asked about the "he wants to humiliate them" quote in a presser, but unfortunately the question is formulated in a kinda messy way so marc doesn't really end up directly addressing the comments. though my guess is at least one person present understood exactly what casey was getting at:

[tetedurfarm]

my pigeon cock is not doing very well the last few days :( he's acting fairly lethargic, and is quite thin, though he is eating and drinking still. he had been going through a moult but he seems...worse than usual. poor lil guy.

i have had him for four years, and i have no idea how old he was when i plucked him from the pier in downtown seattle, so there is a good likelyhood he is simply just...old. he was one of my first pigeons and my second wildling, and i miss my flock with all my heart. if he does die, i will probably just sell my hen, because honestly i need as few animals as i can emotionally handle right now between my spouse losing his job and me not really having optimal housing for pigeons in general. i won't make her live alone and i don't really need to buy another companion for her.

my goal was to have a loft this year but we decided to put our money towards the barn instead. which i don't regret, but i miss my pretty birds. maybe next year. provided we have an income by then.

here is a video of leftovers doing his sexy man dance for fishsticks (who i'm 99% positive is living feral again in my nearest town alongside pidge, another of my feral cocks, and an unnamed racer that i bought at auction lol) as tribute

[ar3s-r4t-qu33n]

Okay headcanon nobody asked for-

I think Johnny tampered with Maria's car the day she was supposed to leave.

I know that her car was already old and breaking down, but she states in her postcards home (source: Maria Flores Tribute on Instagram) that she had already managed to fix it herself, and was planning to get it checked out soon.

And who just so happens to live in a literal scrapyard, has a family member who runs a gas station and is the nephew of a famous drag racer..?

Not to mention his oil stained gloves. I know it's a detail I bring up a LOT but that's because I feel like it's very important!! Johnny is totally a mechanic I don't wanna hear otherwise-

I know that her car breaking down was very well set up and foreshadowed in her postcards, and it very likely (in canon) did break again on its own. But I like to think that Johnny, still reeling from realising he has- ew- FEELINGS, found out that Maria was leaving the next day and totally did something to her car that night. It's just a happy accident that she broke down so close to home (at least, for him it is)