#motor trend car of the year

[theamandacollection67]

January 1, 1964 Motor Trend Magazine

[alpha-mag-media]

Luxury mansions, cash, cars and jewelry – inside CAB searches as over €6.3 MILLION seized from criminals in one year | In Trend Today

Luxury mansions, cash, cars and jewelry – inside CAB searches as over €6.3 MILLION seized from criminals in one year Read Full Text or Full Article on MAG NEWS

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

1948 Mercury Templeton Saturn

"ONE OFF." The only one in THE WORLD! Built for Lloyd Templeton, The Templeton Saturn A.K.A. as The Bob Hope Special Roadster. Powered by a '48, 239.4 Cubic Inch Flathead V8 with two 2 barrel Stromberg 94 Carburetors, Speedway Heads, and a manual transmission. While in Hollywood, California to appear in a movie, it was driven regularly by Bob Hope, hence it's name. People didn't know what the vehicle was and referred to it simply as The Bob Hope Special Roadster. The body is a mixture of curves and flat surfaces for a very unique ride. It has a Chrysler hood lengthened, Mercury windshield, rear fenders were formed from '46 Chevy fenders, and the rear deck lid came from a Hudson hood. The grille is a cut down from a '48 Dodge and bumpers from a '46 Pontiac. The interior is styled after the cockpit of a plane with multiple gauges most being period Stewart Warner with white-on-black faces along with various knobs and switches. Why was it named the Templeton Saturn? Simply because it was named after Lloyd "Templeton", and Lloyd felt it would "run circles" around any cars of it's time, therefore the name "Saturn." The vehicle has received multiple awards and accolades from coast to coast, from the Pan Pacific Auditorium in California, to the 1952 Speedarama Show in Minneapolis and down to a Silver Spring Gardens event in Florida. The same year the Saturn was displayed for 10 days as the Car of Tomorrow in a tent across the street from the Iowa State Fairgrounds. It appeared on the fairway by invitation at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d' Elegance. It also received an extensive 12 page article in Motor Trend Classic Winter 2012 Edition along with appearing in Bill Jepsen's book Iowa Customs. A true Collectible and a piece of American Automobile History!

[things-about-cars-in-posts]

Do you have anything to say about my baby, the Honda CR-Z?

(Please excuse the low resolution, I wanted to introduce it with a pic from my collection and this was the only stock one I had)

Oh, the CR-Z... Pepperidge Farm here remembers obsessively following its debut on Top Gear Magazine! Pepperidge Farm and not many others, it seems, as in present day the CR-Z seems to be as relevant in today's car world as basket weaving. Wait, no, less.

In fact, coming up with an answer to this question was the most I thought about the CR-Z in almost a decade.

But thought I have, so here's your answer:

I don't get it.

I mean, don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like it! I am on record as a serial Honda liker -hell, to those who think it counts I own one- and I see no reason this one should buck the trend (although I've always felt it would look better with something between the headlights to stop it looking so big-snooty, as the bumper below does a good enough job of exemplifying that I won't bother rendering something better).

It's just that... I don't know what the point of it was. And looking at its sales that seems to be the experience of most vertebrates.

(To be fair, U.S. sales started in August 2010 and production ended in 2016 with the following years's sales just being stock clearing - but still, pretty bleak picture.)

It's not like we don't know what Honda were going for, they told us plainly: it's a sporty hybrid car, light on the wallet but heavy on the fun. And Honda would know of sporty compacts - what were they producing as the CR-Z rolled out?

Oh. It's the most hated of all six Civic Type R generations. Hm.

It's a joke, "most hated Civic Type R generation" is a bit like saying "most normal Kia Soul commercial".

If that car looks unfamiliar to you yankees, however, that's because y'all got different looking Civics for a while, such that your sporty Civic was this, the Si - seen here in the bewinged Mugen trim.

The Si is meant to sit below the Type R, but, since America wasn't getting the Type R, the yankee Si and non-yankee Type R were free to get the same 200hp from the same venerable engine (one day I'll go over all that makes the K20 so great) and the usual great handling, courtesy among plenty things of a limited slip differential. Wait, why is that not a link? Ah, right, I've never explained differentials... well, for now you can just trust that it's a cool type of differential that helps maintain grip when you're giving it the beans. Wait. Is it "giving it the beans" because you're stomping the gas pedal? Surely not. What is it from? Let me google this... Okay, sources seem scarce and shaky but apparently the idea was that if you fed horses beans they wou- wait this post is about the CR-Z. How did we get here? I swear this NEVER happens.

In short, Honda knew, and has always known, how to make proper sporty cars and give them great engines, whatever their size. So can it possibly have been a surprise when this thing came out and, forget motoring journalists, even the more talkative stray cats were meowing that the CR-Z did not have the engine grunt to back up its sporty pitch?

And look, if anyone here will say a car with as little as 120-130hp cannot be worth bothering with, it won't be a diehard of the Mazda Miata, which sold well over half a million units no more powerful than that. But that's a car that focused on open top enjoyment and getting a lot out of a little, just like the 60s European spiders it threw back to. What did the CR-Z throw back to?

Well that'll be the CR-X.

Introduced in 1983, the CR-X was a coupe version of the Civic of the time (hence its 1987 update corresponding with the Civic's). And just like the Civic in question, it is most fondly remembered for its sporty, proper-fun Si guise (pronounced "ass eye", because eye me dat ass) and the even sportier SiR that yankees never got. Which makes perfect sense, considering its main appeal against the Civic was the sportier looks.

Sure, since the CR-X left us North America got a Civic coupe in its stead, but am I going to pretend this thing looked half as good as the CR-Z that was about to join the lineup?

Not for free I'm not.

So now, imagine the stellar engine and manual transmission from a Civic Si/Type R, but now with electric assistance for even more power AND fuel efficiency, all in a car hundreds of kilos lighter, significantly shorter -thus more agile- and with the sleek CR-Z looks.

Then keep imagining.

The CR-Z never got an Si or Type R version, it was just left to sit there with its 122hp (later begrudgingly upped to 130) that, forget the contemporary sporty Civics, compared unfavorably to its 30 year old predecessor.

The CR-X was the sportier Civic. If its successor gets walked not just by the Civic but even by the CR-X itself, what's the point of the resurrection?

However, I concede there's an objection to this argument: this graph.

These are the US sales figures for the second generation CRX (which I think dropped the dash?), and, if you were to be able to parse it, you'd notice that the sporty Si version made up about a third of the sales - meaning most buyers forewent the sportiness in favor of the lower cost of the standard DX model or the High F-iciency of the even slower HF model. So if those versions sold well, why shouldn't the CR-Z have?

Well, if you ask me: image is more than looks.

This blog -and other affiliated entities- touched on the concept of race wins on Sunday bringing sales on Monday, and the same phenomenon happens with cool sport versions. Today's Corolla is a much cooler car in the eyes of the people who see in it the underlying foundation of its extraordinary GR version, and this phenomenon is most amplified the smaller the gap -or perceived gap, at least- between the version you're admiring and the more modest version you could realistically be interested in. I strongly believe that many people bought the dog slow CRX HF because the CRX Si ingrained within them the idea that they were buying something cool.

And Honda, as we touched on, had the perfect engine to dump into the CR-Z to make a wicked sport version. Hell, they could even have just given its regular engine forced induction - and we know it because the CR-Z Mugen RZ did just that!

Here at last was a perfectly respectable sport version that, while still underneath the Civic's best power-wise, was more than good enough to make car enthusiasts give a damn about the CR-Z. And what did Honda do with it? They limited the production to 300 units and only sold them in Japan. Take a fucking drink.

I cannot fathom why they would do that. It's not that they couldn't homologate the power additions or whatever, because a. that doesn't justify the limited production run and b. the supercharger (or at least a supercharger, not sure if it's the same) was made available in the US in the form of a dealer-fitted optional extra. Not by selling a supercharged special version altogether, no no, that may cause the public to -gasp- notice and care.

What was the point? Were they deliberately trying to keep the CR-Z's image one of an efficiency-focused... sleek hatch-coupe with minimal backseats?

Wait what?

Dear God, yankees, what have you done to Honda to get done so comically dirty?

Is it just that they thought y'all too big to fit back there?

That makes it even crazier!

Why in tarnation would they think people would care about a sleek, three-door, two seat, manual... efficiency-oriented hybrid?

Oh, right. Because they made the first generation Honda Insight. Which I myself love.

This was even sleeker and more hardcore than the CR-X: it was as light as the lightest ones despite the electric powertrain, it did without backseats entirely, it was the most aerodynamic production car that had ever been built... but all this wasn't about performance at all. It was about milking every drop of your hard-earned fuel for every single fucking inch of forward movement it was worth.

And it sold very well! I mean, look at the yearly sales figures!

Look how much America loved it! In a year of production that started from December it sold around a third the units the CRX sold in a full year!

So imagine what the production numbers were like for the year 2000!

huh?

Oh you mean these are the total sales. Like, all the first generation Insights ever sold in its entire six years and change of production. Oh. And it totals to like 17.000. Which is around how many CRX Si they sold in a year in North America alone. Hm.

Yeah, it suddenly makes a lot more sense how the second generation Insight was a Prius wannabe.

In fact, now that I look at it... that back looks familiar, doesn't it?

Wait...

Wait!

Well, now suddenly the car makes a lot more sense. And actually, come think of it, let me check the sales figures for the Mk2 Insight...

Considering, again, the CR-Z's US debut happened in August 2010, they match up pretty well, and it would be a pretty reasonable sales split if we were to consider them the 5 and 3 door versions of the same car.

Now, this may make it seem like it wasn't such a failure after all, and it did well in the segment it was actually intended to compete in. But let's give some context on how good those Insight sales figures are.

Yeah. Yeah no. The second Insight just wasn't a hit either.

But at least, now I can say I get the car. The Insight was pretty big and... uncool, so the CR-Z was a good way to offer that same hybrid efficiency to people who wanted a more compact, sleeker package - though perhaps not as extreme as the first gen Insight. Unless you're a yankee, I assume.

The name still doesn't make sense.

I mean, it would if I could see Honda seeing CR-X as just... a body style, and its resurrection of it akin to resurrecting, say, the Civic Shuttle.

(It was the only side picture I had saved.)

And Honda's press material made another point to this end, that I wasn't aware of.

So sure. Point taken. The CR-X was shaped by the quest for efficiency, so it follows that its successor would be efficiency focused as well.

But that's not how the CR-X is remembered. In everyone's minds, the CR-X is cemented as the sporty version (that Honda sold, mind - this is not like with the Supra, whose reputation was defined by modders). And the weirdest thing is, they don't just know that, they bring it up.

And indeed, they call the CR-Z's role "quite different from the original Insight coupe's" - they want this car to "change the current perception of hybrids" by blending hybrid efficiency and sportiness. They rightly sell its looks as sporty, take great pride in the manual transmission and explicitly state it's for driver engagement, over and over talk about 'enthusiastic' owners and 'enthusiastic' driving and 'enthusiastic' engine note etc etc. They brag about how much of a difference their Sport mode makes. They call attention to the valves per cylinder. They constantly remind of how (unlike the Insight) it has the legendary V-TEC. (If this is the first you hear of it, ask about it in the tags).

This is the press release for a sports hatch.

But when time came to give it a sports hatch's power? Japan got 300 units, North America got a dealer-fitted kit with a numbered plaque two years before the car's nixing, and we had to hope to never have a flat tire because Europe didn't get jack.

Was it to avoid stepping on the toes of the sporty Civics, because if the sporty CR-Z's potential buyers will otherwise just get a sporty Civic then why make two models to get the same amount of buyers? If so, I'll tell you why: because that was the only chance of moving regular CR-Zs, which surely must have been a worthwhile pursuit if you made the damn thing.

Was it the fear of a power-focused engine resulting in fuel economy so underwhelming it would undermine the model's eco premise? If so, heyo, you have electric assistance, which means you can either get more speed out of the same engine marking a win for the hotboys or get the same speed out of a more efficient package - and in both cases you're showing a hybrid powertrain bringing something to the table, which is how you actually "change the perception of hybrids" in the minds of people who consider them synonymous with boring.

I'm not saying my counters are bulletproof or that there is no argument against a hot CR-Z. I'm just saying that if there is, it's an argument against the regular CR-Z also. Because if the CR-Z was never to be something worth considering over anything that could be called sporty, then they should never have bothered to begin with - at least, if they were going to aim it so squarely at "the enthusiastic drivers".

In short,

Honda sought to make a sportscar - be it to sell the car itself or to sell a concept like "we're committed to preserving driving enjoyment even into electrification" or "hybrids are cool, so buy a hybrid, and please don't whine if we ever need to make a hybrid Type R or whatever thanks". And I'm always down for Honda building a sportscar. It was Honda that wasn't, for whatever reason. And so there the CR-Z stood, waiting until its passing for a sportier engine that would show the world how cool it was. But it never came. And it bugs me. Because I find it a shame. Because I remember reading of the Mugen prototype and waiting with bated breath for the production version that we ultimately never got. Because I still would love to see them about more than I do. Because I wish the second generation that apparently was in the works got to see the light of day.

Because, even after all these days of thinking about Honda's strategy and learning all we went over, and perhaps because of it,

I still don't get it.

Links in blue are posts of mine about the topic in question: if you liked this post, you might like those - or the blog’s Discord server, linked in the pinned post!

[offender42085]

Post 1170

Time tends to alter one's appearance a bit.....

Just a simple traffic stop and an astute deputy.....-Sheriff

Bryson Throckmorton, Florida inmate N71663, born 2002, incarceration intake February 2023, at age 20, scheduled for release February 2037

Burglary, Grand Theft Firearm, Burglary of an unoccupied structure, Conspiracy

On Friday, February 15, 2019, a Polk County (Florida) deputy stopped a vehicle for speeding near North Church Avenue and Bridgeport Lakes in Mulberry. That stop eventually led to the arrest of two teens and one adult for their roles in more than two dozen burglaries in southwest Polk County, over the previous four months..

During the traffic stop, a 9mm handgun was found on 16-year-old Alejandro Castro. The firearm was determined to have been stolen during a trend of car burglaries in that part of the county, so Castro was questioned about his part in the burglaries. 

Detectives were able to link Castro to a total of 25 burglaries and a vehicle theft between November and January in the south Lakeland and Mulberry areas. Bartow Police Department was notified after Castro implicated himself in burglaries in their jurisdiction as well.

The investigation identified 16-year-old Bryson Throckmorton and 22-year-old Adam Bustos (Florida inmate H81644), as participants in many of the same crimes.

"Thanks to just a simple traffic stop and an astute deputy, we got a big break that, at this point, has resulted in the arrests of three people for as many as 25 car burglaries and a motor vehicle theft.

It is imperative that these three are held accountable for their crimes and the negative impact they have left on the community." - said Grady Judd, Sheriff.

Alejandro Castro was booked into Polk County Jail in February 2019 and made bail in May 2020; and has since absconded.

4f

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Pontiac Tempest Safari, 1963. The first generation Tempest was Pontiac's first foray into the compact market. It was developed under John Z. DeLorean, Pontiac's chief engineer and general manager. The car had a transaxle gearbox and was powered by a "Trophy 4" 3.2 litre 4-in-line engine that was half of Pontiac's Pontiac's 389ci "Trophy 8" V8 engine. The rear-mounted transmission helped give the Tempest a near ideal 50/50 front/rear weight distribution. This, along with a 4-wheel independent suspension, helped make it a nimble-handling car for the era. It was Motor Trend magazine's 1961 Car of the Year. However when the second generation model arrived in 1964 it grew in size to become an intermediate-sized and lost the transaxle.

[dystini]

Indycar - Social Media

Who, what, where to follow.

Social Media

NTT INDYCAR SERIES YouTube - videos go back 15 years. Twitter Instagram TikTok

Team Penske (Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin, Will Power) YouTube - a mix of all the series Penske runs in. Go look for the Penske Games - they're hilarious. Twitter Instagram TikTok

Andretti Autosport (Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood, Romain Grosjean, Devlin DeFrancesco, Marco Andretti) YouTube Twitter Instagram TikTok

Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team (Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi, Felix Rosenqvist, Tony Kanaan) By far the most active and on-trend of the Indycar teams. YouTube Twitter Instagram TikTok

Chip Ganassi Racing (Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Alex Palou, Marcus Armstrong, Takuma Sato) YouTube Twitter Instagram TikTok

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (Graham Rahal, Christian Lundgaard, Jack Harvey, Katherine Legge) YouTube Twitter Instagram TikTok

Juncos Hollinger Racing (Callum Ilott, Agustin Canapino) YouTube Twitter Instagram TikTok

Ed Carpenter Racing (Rinus Veekay, Ryan Hunter Reay, Ed Carpenter) YouTube N/A Twitter Instagram TikTok N/A

Dale Coyne Racing (David Malukas, Sting Ray Robb) YouTube N/A Twitter Instagram TikTok N/A

AJ Foyt Racing (Santino Ferucci, Benjamin Perdersen) YouTube N/A Twitter Instagram TikTok N/A

Meyer Shank Racing (Helio Castroneves, Simon Pagenaud) YouTube N/A Twitter Instagram TikTok N/A

Indianapolis Motor Speedway YouTube Twitter Instagram TikTok

Indy NXT (Indycar Junior series) YouTube Twitter Instagram TikTok

Media/other

RACER YouTube Twitter Instagram TikTok N/A

Marshall Pruett YouTube Twitter Instagram TikTok N/A

INDYCAR on NBC YouTube Twitter Instagram TikTok

Nathan Brown (IndyStar) YouTube N/A Twitter Instagram N/A TikTok N/A

Dalton Kellett (former driver) YouTube Twitter Instagram TikTok (tech explanations)

Speed You Later YouTube N/A Twitter Instagram TikTok N/A

TikTok

Misc Caterina Masetti Zannini (Callum Ilott's girlfriend) Behind the scenes and Indycar tech explained, some F1 content. James and Becky Hinchcliffe (hasn't been updated in some time) Honda Performance Development - features all series that use honda engines so you'l have to search for the Indycar stuff.

Drivers Pato O’Ward Conor Daly Callum Ilott Christian Lundgaard Alex Palou

Instagram

Misc PitFit (The gym a lot of drivers use)

Podcasts

Racer's Roots - A deep dive into the history of motorsports and the genealogy of the racers we know and love.

The B1tch Stop is a podcast about motorsport hosted by Charlotte, Almay and Steph: an exasperated sports fan who'd make a better team principle than half the paddock, someone that reads about the aerodynamics of cars for fun, and a woman with a lot of opinions and no driver's licence. Follow for biweekly breakdowns of major race series (including F1, 2 and 3, Formula E, W Series, F1 Academy and IndyCar), the judgement of professional drivers based on their birth chart, and very valid and correct opinions about which drivers would catfish each other.

The Race IndyCar Podcast Race reviews and analysis from the fastest circuit racing in the world. Jack Benyon hosts, ex-Indycar racer JR Hildebrand adds expert knowledge, while a host of special guests bring colour and insight. Join us for the ride!

The Week In IndyCar The Week In Indy Car features one or more guests to weave through the latest news in North America's premier open-wheel series and its related junior formula. Like The Week In Sports Cars show, it's an interactive affair driven by listener questions submitted via social media.

Motorsport101 - covers F1, MotoGP and FE as well as IndyCar

Did I miss anything? Have a podcast to recommend? Send me a message.

[ipobrain]

Fundamental Analysis of Maruti Suzuki

Established in February 1981 as Maruti Udyog Limited, Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) is now the largest passenger car manufacturer in India. A joint venture between the Government of India and Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan, the latter currently holds a 58.19% stake in the company. With a diverse portfolio of 16 car models and over 150 variants, Maruti Suzuki caters to various consumer segments, from entry-level small cars like the Alto to the luxury sedan Ciaz.

Sales and Industry Trends

Indian passenger vehicle industry saw record sales of 4.1 million units in 2023, becoming the third largest market globally

Share of utility vehicles in the industry increased to 53% in Q3, with SUVs contributing to about 63%

CNG vehicles saw a share increase to about 16.5% in the industry, with CNG sales reaching an all-time high of ~30%

Company crossed annual sales milestone of 2 million units in 2023 and had highest ever exports of about 270,000 units

Q3 FY23–24 saw total sales of 501,207 vehicles, with net profit rising over 33% year-on-year

Retail sales in Q3 were higher than wholesales, with discounts of INR 23,300 per vehicle

Maruti Suzuki Financials

Revenue and Net Profit: In FY23, Maruti Suzuki witnessed a YoY increase of 33.10% in revenue, reaching Rs. 1,17,571.30 crore, with a net profit of Rs. 8,211 crore, marking a 111.65% YoY increase.

Profit Margins: Operating Profit Margin (OPM) and Net Profit Margin (NPM) improved in FY23, standing at 9% and 6.83%, respectively.

Return Ratios: Return on Equity (RoE) and Return on Capital Employed (RoCE) showed improvements in FY23, reaching 13.28% and 16.02%, respectively.

Debt Analysis: The Debt to Equity ratio slightly increased to 0.02 in FY23, with a healthy Interest Coverage ratio of 70.37.

[coochiequeens]

In his submissions to the court, Patterson shifted his claimed vulnerabilities multiple times, first arguing that had a difficult upbringing due to being of Indigenous heritage, then claiming he identified as a “transgender woman” named “Rachel” and would be at risk in an American prison." There it is, a violent man was reaching for any reason to get some protection in prison and found that claiming to be trans is the current trend

By Shay Woulahan December 18, 2023

A source at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) has confirmed the transfer of a violent male offender to the facility following his conviction for bludgeoning an acquaintance to death. Kevin Patterson, who initially fled to Canada following the murder, attempted to use his transgender identity to avoid extradition to the United States.

Patterson, who often goes by the names Haedyn-Khris Beaumann and Rachel Patterson, was charged in 2014 with murdering Richard Bergesen, 57, with the help of a younger accomplice named Christopher Shade.

At the age of 19, Patterson, who was homeless, met Bergersen through Overlake Christian Church in Redmond. Out of sympathy for his situation, Bergersen offered Patterson a place to stay at his home in Sammamish, Washington. At the time, Patterson already had multiple convictions from offenses he committed as a teen.

“He looked like a very nice kid and Richard took him under his wing to help him… [Richard] was approached by a pastor from his church to help Kevin,” a neighbour would tell law enforcement after the murder.

According to Shade, he and Patterson beat Bergersen to death with a shovel while his hands and legs were bound. The two had reportedly only met the day before they committed the murder together.

The pair stole Bergersen’s money, credit cards and car before fleeing to the Canadian border, which was less than 3 hours away. Bergesen was found dead in his home with multiple skull fractures, and a police search was launched to locate his killers. Both Shade and Patterson were arrested the same day in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada after using Bergersen’s credit cards to go on a shopping spree and host a party at a local hotel.

Both were initially charged with first-degree murder, first-degree robbery and theft of a motor vehicle.

When questioned by police in Canada, Patterson admitted that he did tie up Bergesen and take his wallet but immediately attempted to shift the blame onto Shade, claiming the other had been the mastermind behind the plot.

Detectives on the case revealed in police documents that Patterson had confessed to the murder over the phone to a friend, saying he bashed Bergesen’s head with a shovel after rejecting the 57-year-old’s sexual advances.

Shade was quickly sent back to the United States as he had illegally crossed the border and ultimately pleaded guilty to second degree murder. During the hearings, Shade revealed that he and Patterson had originally planned to drug and rob Bergesen before fleeing to Canada. However, Patterson deviated from the plan at the last moment, taking a shovel from the garage and beating him to death.

But while Shade was being sentenced in the US, Patterson’s extradition case was complicated by the fact that he was a dual-citizen and had been born in Canada.

Patterson quickly began to fight against extradition in court, filing 8 motions in total in which he raised a number of concerns regarding his “safety” in the United States justice system, and fear of being subjected to the death penalty if convicted for first degree murder.

In his submissions to the court, Patterson shifted his claimed vulnerabilities multiple times, first arguing that had a difficult upbringing due to being of Indigenous heritage, then claiming he identified as a “transgender woman” named “Rachel” and would be at risk in an American prison.

“S/he is transgendered. This poses a real risk for her in jail,” Patterson’s counsel wrote in a submission to the court in 2018. “She says she simply doesn’t belong in a men’s remand [center], and increasingly I can see her point.”

Explaining why it took so long for his transgender status to be raised as a concern, his counsel suggested stigma was to blame.

“In short, it would seem that you have not been told the whole story – not through anyone’s oversight but from Ms. Patterson’s genuine fear of reprisal if her transgendered state (and state of mind) should be revealed. I must admit that my initial assumption was that Kevin was heterosexual. I was mildly surprised when he came out and declared himself homosexual.”

Patterson’s appeals were eventually heard before the Supreme Court of Canada but, in 2018, the decision to extradite him to the US was upheld. His counsel then fought for assurance that when extradited, his gender identity would be recognized and he would be given protections as a “transgender woman.” Patterson was finally released into American custody in June of 2020, where he was held at the King County Correctional Facility awaiting trial.

Patterson was convicted of first degree murder in 2022, and quietly transferred to the Washington Corrections Center for Women, where he now reportedly has a projected release date of 2040.

According to a source at the facility, Patterson has been “totally manipulating” other inmates and staff using his transgender status, and has reportedly said he wants to get someone pregnant despite identifying as a homosexual.

“He’s not even attempting to be ‘womanly’ at all,” the source says. “And he’s trying to use the trans issue to get sent back to Canada where he thinks he’d only have to serve half the sentence.”

Like other trans-identified male inmates, Patterson has made a profile on a website called “Caged Ladies,” which is intended to serve as a dating platform for incarcerated women.

In his profile, Patterson calls himself “Haedyn Beaumann” and describes himself as a “transgender individual” who is “non-binary” and “pansexual.” This is despite him previously identifying as a gay transgender woman while fighting extradition.

Patterson is just the latest known male to be housed at WCCW, which has seen a wave of transgender inmates be transferred in since 2021. Of the male offenders known to be at the facility, approximately 80% are serving sentences for violent crimes committed against women or children.

Earlier this year, Reduxx revealed that a violent male pedophile had been moved to the prison after beginning to identify as transgender. Jolene Charisma Starr, born Joel Thomas Nichols, was convicted in 1995 of two horrific attacks on young girls.

In July of this year, another male pedophile who was convicted of sexually abusing a 9 year old girl was also moved to WCCW. This is despite his history of violence against cellmates whilst being housed in a male prison.

According to an Incident Report obtained by Reduxx, the inmate, Christopher Scott Williams, was charged in 2012 after brutally attacking a man named Christopher Barrett while serving a sentence for failing to register as a child sex offender.

[mariacallous]

FREMONT – From redesigning intersections to increasing crosswalk visibility, Fremont has been doing a lot to try to lower its traffic fatalities. It’s all part of the city’s ambitious Vision Zero plan, an initiative launched in 2015 with the aim of eliminating deaths on the city’s roadways.

In the seven years since then, the number of traffic fatalities in the city has dramatically decreased, although higher speeds and reckless driving are on the rise, according to Fremont’s Public Work Director Hans Larsen.

“Zero fatalities is an ambitious commitment, but it takes a bold commitment to really make a paradigm shift,” Larsen said in an interview.

“We’re at about a quarter of the number of fatalities other communities around the country are experiencing, but, nationally, the numbers have been going up.”

On Dec. 2, Fremont recorded its seventh traffic fatality of the year, putting the city nearly on track to match last year’s total of nine traffic fatalities. However, before that, the city had cut its fatalities by 45% from 2015 to 2020, with less than five deaths occurring in 2020.

Larsen said the increase in the past two years is mostly due to an increase in speeding. “We are caught up in the current national trends of an increase in reckless speeding,” he said. “The issue has just become a new phenomenon since the pandemic. The roads are emptier, and people are frustrated and they’re driving recklessly.”

Fatalities have increased across the country, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The agency has recorded seven consecutive quarters of year-to-year increases since 2020, and estimates that 20,175 people died in motor vehicle crashes in the first half of 2022 – an increase of about 0.5% from the first half of 2021.

Robert Prinz, advocacy director for Bike East Bay, a nonprofit promoting safety for bicyclists, said that his organization has also noticed an increase in speeds.

“Since the start of the pandemic, there’s been an increase in biking and walking crashes in most East Bay cities. We think that’s due to increased speeds, especially at points like crosswalks and intersections,” Prinz said in an interview.

“However, Fremont has been bucking the trend overall. We feel that their ongoing infrastructure investments have played a big part in this.”

Vision Zero

Such investments have been part of the city’s Vision Zero campaign. Vision Zero is a national initiative where cities use data to address high-risk locations and behaviors. The plan focuses on redesigning roadways in a way that will reduce the risk of injury when crashes occur.

Fremont engineers have made a number of changes since the city signed on to the program, including improving lighting on roadways, upgrading crosswalks and adding more speed bumps to residential streets.

The narrowing of traffic lanes has also been a major part of the project. “Prior to Vision Zero, the travel lanes in our local street system were designed the same width as they would be on a freeway, which are designed for high-speed travel,” said Larsen.

“Studies have shown that the more space you give to cars, the faster they’re going to go. The contemporary best practice for urban settings is 10-foot lanes as opposed to 12-foot lanes. So, we’ve narrowed traffic lanes to slow down traffic and to free up space for cyclists. We’ve also narrowed intersections so that people approach them at a lower speed.”

Prinz said that this has been a particular help for cyclists and pedestrians. “It’s definitely having a big impact. Fremont has a lot of wide streets that were planned back in the days when everything was really focused on cars and no one really thought about bike or pedestrian traffic,” he said.

“Those wide roads make turning movements very fast and that makes it hard for a driver to see and react to a pedestrian or cyclist, even one with the right of way. By making the turn radius’ tighter at intersections, it can really slow down speeds and it gives everyone the chance to see each other.”

Further plans

Many of the changes have been made in school zones. From 2013 to 2015, Fremont police recorded nine major collisions involving children aged 15 years or younger. From 2018 to 2020, only one such crash was recorded.

Fremont Boulevard, which runs through the city’s downtown, has also been an area of particular focus. “When we started our Vision Zero plan, half of our fatalities in one year had occurred just on Fremont Boulevard — a 10-mile corridor in a city with 500 miles of streets. So we’ve had quite an intense focus there,” Larsen said.

Upcoming projects in other areas include installing new traffic and pedestrian signals, adding more crossing signs at high-priority locations and upgrading bikeways by closing gaps in bike lanes, adding green pavement markings to highlight areas of conflict between bikes and vehicles, and installing vertical posts to create separated bike lanes.

Prinz said that all of the work has led to more people using bicycles in the city. “We’re seeing a lot of new people on bikes in Fremont – people who may not have gotten out there if it wasn’t for the better infrastructure. We’re also seeing older people getting out there more, especially with the popularization of e-bikes,” he said.

“The next big thing would be making sure that it’s all connected, because if you’ve got islands of safety but weak spots in between, those weak spots will often be how a person determines what route to use or if they’re going to bike at all. So, what we want to have is a connected and protected network that brings a low-stress, high-safety experience throughout.”

[fastlanewithjeff]

I’ve been working for Lexus for 7 years now and have seen the release of several new models. A particularly memorable year was 2018 when the all-new LC was released along with a totally redesigned LS. The LS is the flagship sedan, and the LC is a large luxury sport coupe. For the first time, the all-new LS 500 received a turbo 6-cylinder engine rather than the traditional V8 that had been used in the LS since its origination with the brand. The 2018 LS 500 received a boost of 25 horsepower over the outgoing 2017 model. Having driven both models I can be certain that the LS 500 is a superior driving machine and though the power boost on paper is less than ten percent the change in driving dynamic is profound.

                Having spoken with many Lexus owners during ride-alongs and elsewhere I know that reliability is a particularly important selling point. Working as a technician I question if the reliability of the reliability of the three-and-a-half-liter twin turbo V6 is up to par with the outgoing V8. We have seen some issues with the new engine, but I would say that the failure rate is rather low and the 4.6 V8 was not without its issues, especially with over one hundred thousand miles. The original 4.0 and 4.3 V8 engines were the best that Lexus ever made and are arguably the most reliable engines of all time. In 2022 Lexus sold 2,679 LS 500 models in 2022. A rather pathetic figure when compared with RX sales, which topped 96,000 units in the same year.

                The RX is Lexus’s bread and butter, in fact, it is the best-selling luxury car period. Not just the best-selling luxury SUV but the best-selling luxury vehicle across all model designations. For 2023 Lexus unveiled the all-new Lexus RX which for the first time received a turbo four-cylinder engine. I imagine you are seeing a trend at this point toward smaller cylinder counts, and Lexus is not alone in that trend. Government mandates and consumer demand have compelled manufacturers to turn out smaller more efficient engines. The challenge is to beat the power, reliability, and refinement of the larger motors. Lexus cannot simply match the outgoing engine they must surpass it even with the smaller cylinder count. Lexus’s first four-cylinder turbo motor was the two-liter 8AR-FTS. It debuted in the 2015 NX and 2016 IS, RC, and GS. This motor makes a poultry 241 HP in its most powerful form and response feels delayed especially in IS and RC models. The new 2.4 turbo motor in the 2023 RX does not suffer from this problem and manages to outperform the V6 in power, feel, and refinement.

Image Credit:

Lexus News Room. (2023). 2023 RX Gas. [Photograph]. https://lexus-cms-media.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/wp- content/uploads/2022/05/2023_RX_Gas_HERO-1500x1000.jpg

[naturalrights-retard]

After January's disappointing 'stall' in the linear demise of inflation, consensus expectations were for a re-acceleration of the YoY decline in headline CPI (from 6.4% to 6.0%), and the actual print came in right on expectations (+0.4% MoM, +6.0% YoY). That is the lowest YoY CPI since Sept 2021...

Source: Bloomberg

Services dominated the headline CPI YoY shift with Shelter continuing to be a main driver...

On a MoM basis, Services and Shelter also dominated, with Used Car prices lower (which lags the real shift as Manheim prices have risen for two straight months)...

The index for shelter was the largest contributor to the monthly all items increase, accounting for over 70 percent of the increase, with the  indexes for food, recreation, and household furnishings and operations also contributing. The food index increased 0.4 percent over the month with the food at home index rising 0.3 percent. The energy index decreased 0.6 percent over the month as the natural gas and fuel oil indexes both declined.

Core CPI was expected to slow only marginally in February from 5.6% YoY to 5.5% YoY and it did - dropping to its lowest YoY print since Dec 2021...

Source: Bloomberg

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.5 percent in February, after rising 0.4 percent in January.

The shelter index continued to increase, rising 0.8 percent over the month. The index for rent rose 0.8 percent in February, while the index for owners’ equivalent rent increased 0.7 percent over the month. The index for lodging away from home increased 2.3 percent in February. The shelter index was the dominant factor in the monthly increase in the index for all items less food and energy.

Among the other indexes that rose in February was the index for recreation, which increased 0.9 percent, and the index for household furnishings and operations which increased 0.8 percent.

The airline fares index rose 6.4 percent, ending a string of four consecutive declines. The index for motor vehicle insurance, the index for apparel, the index for personal care, and the index for new vehicles also increased in February. In contrast, the index for used cars and  trucks fell 2.8 percent in February,  continuing a recent downward trend.

The medical care index fell 0.5 percent in February, after falling 0.4 percent in January.

The index for physicians’ services continued to decline, falling 0.5 percent after declining 0.1 percent in January. The hospital services index and the prescription drugs index were unchanged in February.

The costs of putting a roof over your head remains a critical factor for The Fed to deal with:

Feb Rent Inflation 8.76% YoY, up from 8.56% In Jan; highest on record

Feb Shelter Inflation 8.10% YoY, up from 7.88% in Jan; highest on record

There is some good news... egg prices appear to have peaked...

Increases in Transportation costs outweighed a drop in Medical Care costs...

Crucially, the core inflation measure Powell watches - core services excluding rents - went in the wrong direction. Up 0.5% versus 0.36% in January. The year-on-year rate came down slightly, to 6.15% from 6.22%.

Source: Bloomberg

Finally, this is the 23rd straight month where Americans cost of living has outpaced their wage growth with real average hourly earnings down 1.3% YoY...

Source: Bloomberg

Obviously the world is a different place after the SVB collapse and bailout, but The Fed still has a job to do.

Before the print, the market had priced in 17bps of hikes for March's meeting next week

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

Cadillac V16

Although the brand has fallen into obscurity in recent years, there was a time when Cadillac was the pinnacle of American luxury. A case in point was the Cadillac V16. This beautiful luxury car hit the market at a time when automobiles were still fairly new. But the folks at Cadillac knew that there was a portion of consumers who wanted more in their vehicles. Taking a look at the Cadillac V16, drivers know that it’s something special (via Motor Trend).

Under the hood is also special thanks to the signature V16 engine. As time went on, Cadillac would adopt a smaller engine pattern. But the V16 at the time was one of the most advanced and luxurious vehicles on the road. Between the styling and the unique performance of the car, the V16 was unmatched in terms of automotive design.

[rabbitcruiser]

New York became the first U.S. state to require automobile license plates on April 25, 1901.

License Plates Day

License Plates Day is celebrated on April 25 to celebrate the first-ever issued license plate in the U.S. in 1901. Prior to this, there was no official marking or designation on any vehicle. The lack of acknowledgment hurt the vehicle owners because horses and carriages had more rights, and they could be denied access to roads. With the passage of the law, New York became the first state to issue a license plate on vehicles, and the trend was swiftly picked up by the entire West Coast states. Today, there are more than 250 million registered vehicles in the country, and each of them has a unique number plate.

History of License Plates Day

It’s amazing to think that today’s norms are yesterday’s discoveries. It wasn’t until the 20th century that someone thought of distinguishing vehicles on the basis of number plates. In 1901, New York Governor Benjamin Odell Jr. signed a new bill into a law that required motor vehicle owners to be registered with the state. Initially, the bill included directions about the design of the plate, which were later scrapped after the big automobile boom of the ‘50s. Individuals could design their own plates, as long as the characters were three inches high. On May 2, 1901, George F. Chamberlain became the first person to receive a license plate for his vehicle. A week after the law came into effect on April 25, 17 people had already applied for licenses. Within a year, the number of license plates in America climbed up to 1,566.

Although individually marking vehicles at the time came at a cost and effort to both authorities and citizens, it was also a relief. Without proper marking or acknowledgment, vehicle owners were harassed by laws that differed in each state. The U.S. took its lead from the Netherlands and France, which started a national database for license plates in the early 1890s.

License plate historian Keith Marvin notes that the license plate fashion parade was a spectacle of the past, with owners resorting to the use of metal, leather, and even wood to adorn their plates. The license plating took a turn from the initials of the owner to state numerals as their numbers increased. Subsequently, the state took over the issuance, designing, and database of license plates. On April 25, people take their cars for a stroll and display their unique plates in pride. License plate exhibitions are held across the country, and passionate souls come together to share their love for the interesting history of license plates.

License Plates Day timeline

1901 The First American License Plates

New York’s Governor passes the first law mandating the use of license plates on vehicles.

1902 The Number Climbs

1,566 automobile owners register their vehicles in the first year after the law is passed.

1903 The State Takes Over

Massachusetts becomes the first state to distribute state-issued license plates to vehicle owners.

2014 Petersen Automotive Museum

The Petersen exhibition opens up in Los Angeles to present vintage license plates and other historic automotive parts.

2021 Exponential Growth

16.1 million new vehicles are registered in the U.S. in one year.

License Plates Day FAQs

How can I get a license plate?

License plates are issued by the state. You can get a license plate from your county’s Department of Motor Vehicles.

Is it legal to drive my car without a license plate?

You are allowed to drive your newly bought car without registration or license plate. In most states, you are required to get a permanent plate within 90 days of purchase of the vehicle.

Do I need a rear license plate?

It depends on where you live — 31 U.S. states require both front and rear license plates, whereas 19 mandate only the front plate.

License Plates Day Activities

Read the legislation

Study road safety laws

Be the change

The License and Registration Act was the beginning of a new era in America. This landmark legislation changed the status of automobiles in the country. Following the recognition from the state, cars went from being an embarrassment to the riches to a household necessity. License Plates Day is a great day to brush up on that old history and honor the legislators behind this change.

When was the last time you acquainted yourself with any laws, let alone road safety laws that impact us all? It’s time to pick up the rule book and go by the page to absorb all safety laws and measures that you can adopt to become a better co-passenger of the road.

With a swipe of a pen, New York’s governor ushered in a new set of laws in the country which benefited the vehicle owners and the government. On the anniversary of his most impactful decision, emulate his life’s teaching and be the change that you wish to see in the world.

5 Fascinating Facts About License Plates

The oldest plate

U.S.P.S. royalty

The uniqueness of Pennsylvania

Potato for the win

The vanity of Virginia

The first-ever license plate issued by the state of Massachusetts in 1903 still holds an active registration.

Vehicles owned and operated by the United States Postal Service are exempted from bearing a license plate.

Vanity plates were introduced to the U.S. by Pennsylvania in 1931.

The first-ever graphic license plate was that of a potato, issued by the state of Iowa in 1928.

Virginia issues the most number of vanity plates, customized as per the owner; while Texas comes last in the list.

Why We Love License Plates Day

It’s an opportunity to get creative

It’s unique for all

It goes into the national database

Customizable license plates and vanity sets are unique spoils of America. Most vehicle owners see license plates as an extension of their personality. On April 25, you have a chance to spruce up your own set and fill it with details that no one else has yet.

There have been a couple of hundred million unique license plates on the road ever since the first plate was issued in 1901. In a world where everything can be copied and originality has been reduced to a buzzword, our license plates stay true to the promise of being one of a kind.

Maintaining a central registry of every vehicle ensures accountability in times of need. The unique identity helps in keeping a trace of the vehicles and keeps a census of the automobiles on the road.

Source

[researchvishal]

Rail Wheel and Axle Market Analysis by Size, Share, Growth, Trends up to 2033

During the forecast period, the global rail wheel and axle market size is expected to expand at a steady CAGR of 5.6%. At its present growth rate, the global market for rail wheels and axles is expected to be worth $4,402.3 million by the year 2023. In 2033, the demand for rail wheel and axle is projected to reach US$ 7603.4 Mn.

Competitive Landscape

The global rail wheel and axle market is highly competitive, with many companies operating in this space. These companies are engaged in a range of activities, including the production of rail wheels and axles, the repair and maintenance of these products, and the supply of related services.

There are several key players in the global rail wheel and axle market, including Amsted Rail, ArcelorMittal, Bradken, GE Transportation, Klöckner Pentaplast, Lucchini RS, NSSMC, Vyatka, and Wabtec. These companies are well-established players with a strong presence in the market and a reputation for producing high-quality products.

Overall, the global rail wheel and axle market is highly competitive, with a diverse range of companies operating in this space. Companies in the market are constantly seeking ways to differentiate themselves from their competitors, such as through the development of new technologies or the expansion of their product offerings.

For more information: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/rail-wheel-and-axle-market

Due to the growing sophistication of rail networks and trains, as well as the present trend toward autonomous technology, train makers are devoting significant resources to R&D to develop lighter materials for wheels and axles for freight trains, passenger trains, and short-distance trains.

Nearly 7 billion people take trains each year, and they all want to travel as quickly, easily, and economically as possible. It's for this reason that the research and development of fully driverless trains is continuing to advance. Computerized monitoring systems installed on autonomous trains can detect problems with rail wheels and axles.

There are numerous benefits to using a solar rail system instead of traditional diesel trains. Diesel-powered trains usually have two engine cars. In contrast, solar-powered trains use solar gears in place of traditional gears. Solar panels have been put on the bogie roofs, and electric motors and batteries have been installed in the second diesel compartment.

The electrical needs of railway engines, which normally require 750 V to 800 V to move the rails, may be met by solar panels set atop trains providing voltages of 600 V to 800 V. Demand for these trains is likely to rise, which is good news for manufacturers of rail wheels and axles.

The rail wheel and axle market is an important segment of the global rail transportation industry. Rail wheel and axle products are essential components of rail vehicles, such as trains, trams, and subway cars, and are used to support and propel these vehicles. There are several factors that are driving the global rail wheel and axle market, including growth in rail transportation, urbanisation and population growth, environmental concerns, and technological advancements.

However, the demand for rail wheel and axle is also facing several restraints or challenges, including high capital costs, cyclical demand, a complex supply chain, competition from other modes of transportation, and regulatory challenges. Despite these challenges, the rail wheel and axle market is expected to continue growing in the coming years, driven by increasing demand for rail transportation and ongoing technological advancements in the industry.

Key Takeaways

It is estimated that the US market for rail wheel and axle will be worth $570.8 million in 2022.

Market value in China, the world's second largest economy, is projected to reach $878 million by 2026, expanding at a CAGR of 6% from 2023 to 2033.

Over the projection horizon, both Japan and Canada are predicted to grow at rates of 2.9% and 3.8%, respectively.

The demand for rail wheel and axle in Germany is projected to expand by 3.3% this year.

[dystini]

Indycar Driver Lore

Indycar Driver Lore Masterlist

Alexander Michael Rossi

Birthdate: Sept. 25, 1991 Hometown: Nevada City, California Residence: Indianapolis Height/Weight: 6’1”/154lbs

Rookie Year: 2016

Team: Arrow McLaren

Follow him on: Instagram Twitter

Career Stats

2016: Andretti Herta Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian - 11th Overall 2017: Andretti Herta Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian - 7th Overall 2018: Andretti Autosport - 2nd Overall 2019: Andretti Autosport - 3rd Overall 2020: Andretti Autosport - 9th Overall 2021: Andretti Autosport - 10th Overall 2022: Andretti Autosport - 9th Overall 2023: Arrow McLaren - 9th Overall

Podcast: Off Track with Hinch and Rossi

Ask Off Track Twitter

Off Track with Hinch and Rossi on YouTube

IMSA 2014 DeltaWing Racing Cars – Daytona 24 2019 Acura Team Penske – Daytona 24, Sebring 2020 Acura Team Penske – Daytona 24, Petite Le Mans, Sebring 2021 Konica Minolta Acura – won Daytona 24, Sebring, Watkin’s Glen, Petite Le Mans 2022 Konica Minolta Acura – Daytona 24 2024 Pfaff Motorsports – Daytona 24

2018 Baja 1000 2nd in class 2019 Baja 1000 mechanical problems 2021 Baja 1000 Class 7 victory 2019 Supercars Bathurst 1000 18th

-Co-Hosts a popular podcast with fellow driver James Hinchcliffe called “Off Track with Hinch & Rossi” -Competed in Season 30 of CBS’ “The Amazing Race” with fellow driver Conor Daly as his teammate. The duo appeared in every episode. -A music lover, he enjoys everything from alternative rock to country music. -Enjoys skiing, dirt bikes, wakeboarding, cooking, and cryptocurrency. Recently obtained his private pilot license. His favorite city is Lake Tahoe, California. -When unable to enjoy the great outdoors, you can find him fawning over his bourbon collection, hanging with his two dogs or binge-watching TV shows with his fiancée, Kelly. -doesn't eat breakfast -Makes good bacon -Mint choc ice cream -will only run when chased, prefers to swim -Obsessively researches things he is interested it (smoking meats, pool chemicals) -Has a pilot's licence (small aircraft) -Tattoos: heartbeat on inside left forearm near elbow. Unknown on ankle -Co-owns a plane with Ed Carpenter -Prefers to be called Alex -has a ‘candy closet’ in his basement, which is exactly what it sounds like. -lived with James Hinchcliffe when he first came to Indianapolis (as did Conor Daly at the same time)

Iconic/memorable moments

INSIDE THE RACE: Alexander Rossi // Road America INDYCAR 101 // ALEXANDER ROSSI Alexander Rossi shares his "Rossi's Risotto" recipe | IndyCar | Motorsports on NBC A Winning Strategy: Inside Alexander Rossi's Indy 500 Win! - Motor Trend Presents Alexander Rossi explains his Indycar journey and transition from Formula One Outside the Line: Alexander Rossi 7 Things with Alexander Rossi NAPA KNOW HOW Blooper Reel with Alexander Rossi Alexander Rossi + Avalanche HONDA PACE CAR // COLTON HERTA AND ALEXANDER ROSSI Alexander Rossi and Juan Pablo Montoya messing around with Tony Kanaan | 2022 Indy 500 Group Photo Breakout Room Highlights with Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, and Alexander Rossi Andretti IndyCar Drivers Test Their Pit Stop Skills | #AllAndretti | Indy 500 IndyCar's Alexander Rossi and Conor Daly on their The Amazing Race experience Conor Daly's epic reaction to Alexander Rossi vs Santino Ferrucci! Conor Daly & Alexander Rossi Visit Space Camp Doug and Drivers: Alexander Rossi Doug and Drivers, season 2: Alexander Rossi Alex's Aliens Butt Chugging Sunlight Guess the song Tiny Cars with James – Alexander Rossi Giving milk to Alexander Rossi James Hinchcliffe and Alexander Rossi: sharing a car at Daytona 24 Don’t touch the cones!!! How tall are McLaren drivers? Arrow McLaren: Red Flag Green Flag

Arrow McLaren: Red Flag Green Flag Again Measuring noses Alex making faces Which driver smells the best??? Wakeboarding Alex and Felix put up a tent Nashville Cowboy hat shopping Indianapolis Motor Speedway Fair Imitate Famous Landmarks Phone Flip - Drivers in the Paddock Part 1 Part 2 Driver Superlatives Part 1 Part 2 Trying Different candy part 1 part 2 Holiday Tree Blindfolded Challenge Holiday Family phototshoot Behind the Scenes Baking Challenge: Part 1 Baking Challenge: Part 2

Alex’s Creed obsession Rainy day activities Spill your guts game Intro Part 1 Part 2 Off Track with Hinch and Rossi – The Papaya One Area Codes Our cinnamon rolls Alex has a Pickleball court Go-to Karaoke song

Long Beach Runoff

Alex is known as the grumpy one, rarely smiling (so rare that it became a meme of sorts on social media of to comment when he did in 2022). This may be changing in 2023 with a change to McLaren after six years at Andretti. New season, new team, new Alex? Time will tell. He still isn't the most social of people, preferring people people (friends and family) over people (everyone else). He has a soft spot for child fans, often going out of his way to interact with them.

His conservative upbringing shows on occasion, particularly on his podcast where he and good friend James Hinchcliffe discuss the latest racing news and whatever else comes into their heads. The number of times James has said "No, Alex. We've talked about this." when Alex says something that could be considered concerning for a rational person to say (often related to those conservative views he was raised with) is numerous. Much credit to Mr. Hinchcliffe for having the patience to educate his friend.

Alex extensively researches (perhaps obsessively) what catches his interest, be it smoking meats, the PH of his pool, or weird flavored soda cocktails. He is generous to his closest friends, recently planning a "not Bachelor party" weekend for a friend. He is something of perfectionist and a (self-admitted) clean freak. He enjoys betting on sporting events, although now must do his betting through friends as he allowed James to parental lock the betting app on his phone.

Fanfic Lore

Good friends with James Hinchcliffe, James Hinchcliffe and Marco Andretti. The four could be considered a 'band of brothers'

Often paired with one of the others of the band.

Paired with teammate Pato O'Ward