2024 O-NE SUPERRACE CHAMPIONSHIP - Inje Night Race

The Summer Racing Season trilogy of the 2024 O-NE SUPERRACE CHAMPIONSHIP concludes with the Inje Night Race. Drivers are wrapping up the summer season with intense night-racing action that fans watch all night.

Fans who visited Inje for the last night race of the season are treated to pre-race events such as the Prius PHEV Cup, the Korea Trofeo, the second round of Superrace's first Alpine Class, the mixed GT and GT4 Class race, and musical performances by Han Yohan and BBGirls. As night falls, the Super 6000 fighters came out for one last Saturday drive fever of the season.

Screengrab from Superrace

Although the last night race of the season witnessed three drivers throwing in the towel due to mechanical issues, Choi Kwang Bin of One Racing edged O-NE RACING's Kim Dong Eun and Seohan GP's Jang Hyun Jin to win the Inje Night Race.

Summer Racing Season's finished but there are three races left this season and the next one will be at Korea International Circuit this October 12-13, the Jeonnam GP.

Let's Do The News! (August 24, 2024)

     

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- The spokesperson of Police Regional Office 11 confirmed that there's one man died due to cardiac arrest when the police served an arrest warrant on Pastor Apollo Quiboloy at the KOJC compound. The police stormed the KOJC compound in Davao City to serve the arrest warrant against the fugitive.

- As of yesterday, over 178K liters of oil have been collected from the MTKR Terranova in the sea of Bataan.

- The body of the late tech tycoon Mike Lynch's daughter, Hannah, was found in the Sicily shipwreck, completing the search.

- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his presidential campaign and pledged support to Donald Trump.

- Several were reported killed in a knife attack in the western German city of Solingen.

- Uralkali has made a bid in the Dutch courts to seize the Haas F1 team's assets over an outstanding payment.

- Jack Doohan will now race with the Alpine F1 team this F1 '25 season alongside Pierre Gasly.

- The Uma Musume Cinderella Gray TV anime will air this 2025. Tomoyo Takayanagi will reprise the role of Oguri Cap.

- The ONE PIECE Netflix show casts Charithra Chandran as Vivi.

- Colorado has banned Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler from asking questions of football coach Deion Sanders or other members of the football program.

- Jermaine Jenas apologizes after he was fired by the BBC over "inappropriate messages".

TTFN.

My Top 10 Favorite Grand Tour Episodes

Popped up from the time Trump won the presidency, The Grand Tour welcomed back the infamous Clarkson Hammond and May trio for more exciting motoring mayhem since leaving Top Gear in 2015. For eight years, fans have witnessed their globe-trotting motoring mischief from Portimao to Sahara, but sadly, the time has come to say goodbye as The Grand Tour's series finale is coming next month.

The Grand Tour Episode 1

As the world prepares for The Grand Tour's final road trip, it's time for me to jot down my top ten favorite episodes from the hit Prime Video TV series.

10) Season 3 Finale - Season 3 finale not only marked a fitting tribute to Ford saloons but it also marked the final time the show featured the tent full of audience and the Eboladrome.

9) Season 2 Episode 3 - The third episode of The Grand Tour Season 2 featured James May driving a Kia Stinger against skateboarders. Hammond and May turned a business park into a racetrack for salarymen to enjoy. And Clarkson took a trip from Monaco to Italy in the Bugatti Chiron. The Chiron segment is my favorite in terms of mindfulness.

8) Mongolia Special - The penultimate episode of The Grand Tour Season 3 saw the boys explore the Mongolian wilderness using their DIY off-roader. With scarce supplies at their arsenal, the trip became a struggle for survival. The epic struggle of survival comes with massive twists even at the end of their Mongolian adventure.

7) Season 1 Episode 11 - This episode of The Grand Tour features the trio driving second-hand Maseratis in the north of France. The climax is truly a thriller and comedy gold, and I couldn't stop laughing at the "Deshabille" sign on James' Zagato Spider.

6) Season 1 Episode 2 - The second episode of the first season saw the boys in a military training ground in Jordan which involves rescuing a VIP from a hijacked plane and escorting the VIP to safety while being pursued by terrorists. After several attempts later, the boys cleared the exercise...only if they didn't count Jeremy Clarkson as a casualty at the end of the exercise. On the plus note, we get to see the Audi S8 Plus in action.

5) Seamen - After the end of Season 3, The Grand Tour moved on to focus on cross-country adventures, and one such is Seamen; where the boys are on an aquatic adventure from Cambodia to Vietnam. The watery hijinks and some history lessons from Clarkson made this adventure one of my favorite Grand Tour episodes to watch over and over.

4) Season 1 Episode 9 - This episode features one of Clarkson's craziest inventions: a Mercedes SL rigged with monster off-road wheels called "The Excellent." It also showcases post-apocalyptic vehicles that are not immune to attacks from military vehicles such as tanks and battleships.

3) Season 1 Episode 3 - This episode of The Grand Tour features the trio on an epic Italian road trip. They drive an Aston Martin DB11, a Rolls Royce Dawn, and a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. While in Venice, Hammond's American habits ruin the rest and relaxation of the other presenters. Even after they reach the end of the trip, no one is safe from Hammond's American antics. In the segment following the road trip, Hammond and May destroy Clarkson's home after losing a bet from the pilot episode.

2) Season 2 Episode 5 - This episode of The Grand Tour features one of my favorite moments. Jeremy Clarkson stages his own Gymkhana-style video using a Subaru Impreza WRX. In true Clarkson fashion, some sheep are killed in the making of that clip.

1) Eurocrash - Of all the Grand Tour episodes I've watched, this ended up being my favorite. In Eurocrash, the boys set off on a road trip no one tried; from Gdansk, Poland, to Lake Bled, Slovenia. A cheeky-named backup car, Formula Easter, the second-largest Jesus statue in the world, an old WW2 POW camp, a stolen Nigel Mansell wax statue, a Praga Bohema hypercar, archers, and a climactic race to the airplane, this is The Grand Tour like no other.

The Grand Tour presents One For The Road premieres this September 13, 2024, exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Before the tearful finale, be sure to binge-watch the entire series!

Let's Do The News! (August 23, 2024)

    

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- According to the Bureau of Immigration, Alice Guo remains in Indonesia. Meanwhile, the NBI prepares cases against Shelia Leal Guo and Cassandra Ong.

- The Sandiganbayan overturned the conviction of Senator Jinggoy Estrada in the case of direct bribery and 2 counts of indirect bribery.

- US Vice-President Kamala Harris says she will make a pitch to "all Americans" as she accepts the Democratic nomination for president.

- The body of tech mogul Mike Lynch was found in the Sicily shipwreck but his daughter Hannah is believed still missing, according to reports.

- The Grand Tour's series finale, titled One For The Road, will stream on Prime Video this September 13, 2024.

- Aston Martin's new V12-powered supercar will be revealed this September 2, 2024.

- The Mazda CX-80 will go on sale in Japan this autumn. It will be offered with a choice of SKYACTIV-D 3.3, e-SKYACTIV D 3.3, and SKYACTIV-PHEV.

2025 Mazda CX-80

- NFS UNBOUND's Volume 8 update adds Porsche 959 and Lotus Evija to the car roster, plus new Hot Pursuit mode with playable cop cars to collect.

- Isotta Fraschini announced its dropout from the 2024 WEC Season.

- Meet the winners of the 2024 K-World Dream Awards.

- K-pop girl group VIVIZ renewed their contracts with Big Planet Made Entertainment.

- Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz and assistant Jon Budmayr are suspended for the Hawkeyes' season opener as part of a school-imposed penalty for a recruiting violation in late 2022.

- Influencer Andrew Tate placed under house arrest as Romanian prosecutors probe new human trafficking and sexual exploitation allegations.

- According to reports, TV presenter Jermaine Jenas was fired by the BBC over workplace conduct.

TTFN.

My FH5 Log: The Last Toyota Camry

In case you forgot, Toyota ended sales of the Camry executive midsize sedan in Japan at the end of last year. Japan did bid farewell to the Camry and with it popped up on Forza Horizon 5, it's time to have my last words with the Camry.

The tenth-generation Toyota Camry popped up on Forza Horizon 5 as a prize car in the High-Performance Dailies Storm Season Playlist and now that I got it, it's time for the final word with the last Camry sold in its native market.

The tenth-generation Toyota Camry was launched in the summer of 2017 and it runs on the TNGA platform. In Japan, it's offered only as a hybrid and it features a brand new 2.5L A25A-FXS petrol engine mated to an 88kW electric motor and a Li-ion battery, resulting in a combined power output of 211PS of power. With a CVT standard, fuel efficiency varies by 28.4 to 33.4km/L based on Japan's JC08 Mode standards. With sales of the Camry ending in Japan at the end of 2023, the 10th-generation Camry will be the last Camry sold in Japan.

This marks the third TNGA Toyota car to enter the world of Forza since the Lexus LC500 and the Toyota GR Yaris and here's hoping for more TNGA Toyotas.

The car shown here is not the one I mentioned. It's the North American-exclusive Camry TRD. It has a 301-hp 2GR-FKS 3.5L V6 petrol engine mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. It also has a TRD-tweaked aero kit and improved dynamics.

It's amazing that North America still has V6-powered Camrys like this, although the tenth-generation model marked the final time a Camry is powered by a V6. Anyway, long story short, it's time to find out just how good the un-Japanese Camry TRD is by tackling the competition in one of the four new sprint races that debuted in the High-Performance Dailies update. Let's roll the tape.

This Camry TRD is a road-legal NASCAR hero. It's a lot of fun to drive, especially since it may be the last time a Camry like this is powered by a not-for-Japan V6 engine.

The Toyota Camry is already discontinued in Japan, but it continues to be sold in other countries. It's a sad time for Japanese car enthusiasts and another sign that Japan is becoming more of an isolationist state when it comes to world cars. Yes, I said that at the moment Toyota announced the end of the Camry in its home market after 43 years. Long story short but you get the point.

Sayonara, Toyota Camry. You made us proud.

Maserati GranCabrio (AM189)

The second-generation Maserati GranCabrio is similar to the hardtop GranTurismo, but it has a foldable soft-top roof. The GranCabrio has most of the same features as the GranTurismo, including a powerful engine, luxurious interior, and sleek exterior. Let's take a deep dive into the newest GranCabrio.

2025 Maserati GranCabrio

The second-generation Maserati GranCabrio is the convertible version of the second-generation, Maserati GranTurismo. The GranCabrio is the evolution of the definitive Italian grand tourer, and is primed and ready to tackle the new normal with its quintessential style and dramatic performance that you would expect from a Maserati. 

The previous Pininfarina-styled shape is gone, and replaced by an MC20-inspired one penned by Maserati themselves. Although it bears similarities to its predecessor, the new shape adds drama and valor to this grand tourer, giving observers a whole new meaning of passion at first sight.

Inside, the new model is display overload behind the wheel because you will be greeted by not one, not two, but five displays such as the 12.2-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch satnav, 8.8-inch climate control touch panel, a heads-up display, and a digital clock that dramatically displays the Maserati logo when you start it up. 

Like the previous model, it's a 2+2 setup but you can only fit through the front because the rear seats are rather small, meaning you'll have to fit your poodle behind you as well as your designer handbags in case you can't find more room in the 172-liter boot capacity.

The Trofeo variant, priced at 235,000 Euros plus additional costs, is powered by a 3.0L twin-turbo Nettuno V6 engine derived from the MC20. In the Trofeo version, it produces 550hp of power and 650Nm of torque. With the 8-speed automatic gearbox and 4WD, a first for a Maserati Grand Tourer, it does 0-100kph in 3.6 seconds and flat out in 316kph, faster than the previous GranCabrio. 

The all-electric, 210,700 Euro, GranCabrio Folgore, meanwhile, features a tri-motor setup that powers all four wheels, generating a power output of 761PS of power and 1350Nm of torque. It will go from 0-100kph in 2.8 seconds and flat out at 290kph. As for its driving range, it's good for 455km. The ideal zero-emission grand tourer.

The all-new GranCabrio is fitted with a range of driver assistance features such as Maserati Active Driving Assist, which provides autonomous emergency braking, active lane assist, emergency lane keeping, Dynamic Road View, rear emergency braking, and a surround-view camera. While this is controversial for Maserati fanatics, it's the new normal for luxury cars.

The second-generation GranCabrio, like its hardtop GranTurismo equivalent, rewrote the rules of what an Italian grand tourer should be judging by its dramatic style, interior, performance, and technology, not to mention the all-electric Folgore variant. This is Maserati, reloaded.

Photo: Maserati

Let's Do The News! (August 22, 2024)

   

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- The PH House of Representatives confirmed at the Quad-Committee hearing that the Bureau of Immigration of Indonesia is holding Cassandra Lee Ong who is linked to dismissed Mayor Alice Guo.

- The Infinity Spa in E. Rodriguez, Quezon City, issued a statement after the local government announced that a new case of mpox came to them, a 33-year-old male. Residents of Quezon City are urged to calm down following the recent mpox case.

- The fish caught in Cavite is now safe to eat. According to Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla, this is based on his conversation with DA Sec. Francisco Tiu Laurel, after almost a month of ordeal caused by the oil spill.

- The Traffic Regulatory Board will penalize drivers without RFID or have insufficient load starting August 31, 2024.

- About 36 flights were canceled while 201 flights were delayed at the New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, Japan this weekend after a store near the boarding gates lost its scissors. 

- Former US President Bill Clinton made his appearance at the Democratic National Convention, strongly expressing his support for Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential fight as well as her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

- Two more bodies from the Sicily shipwreck were found.

- Authorities in Pakistan have arrested a man on suspicion of cyberterrorism, about disinformation thought to have fuelled the UK unrest.

- Four people, including three children, died in the house fire in Bradford, UK, as the suspect is arrested on suspicion of murder.

- Nike teams up with the Forza franchise to bring a special 1969 Chevrolet Camaro that was themed after the Jordan Luka 3 "Motorsport" shoes. The special playable car will be gifted to players of Forza Motorsport this September 9 and Forza Horizon 5 this September 10.

- The ONE PIECE Netflix show's second season casts Katey Sagal as Dr. Kureha and Mark Harelik as Dr. Hiriluk. The second season will cover the manga's Drum Island arc.

- A civil lawsuit against former NBA star Dwight Howard alleging sexual assault and battery has been dismissed, according to reports.

- Joey Votto, the six-time All-Star and 2010 MVP in the National League, announced his retirement.

According to reports, Ousted Utah State head coach Blake Anderson intends to sue his ex-employer for wrongful termination.

TTFN.