Race Thru Hell

At first Dubai may seem like an unlikely place for horse racing but, as the city that built a snow dome in the desert, perhaps it should come as no great surprise that this Middle Eastern shopping paradise also hosts the world’s richest horse race.

The race was founded in 1996 by the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the owner of Darley Stud and Godolphin Racing, one of the world’s leading thoroughbred breeding and racing operations.

Held annually at the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse, the 2000m track is a left handed dirt course. The race is most notable for being the world’s richest race, with some US$6 million at stake, and the race is recognised as the centrepiece of international racing and hailed as the thoroughbred “World Championship”.

The fact that the race takes place in the Middle East is especially significant, as every thoroughbred horse in the world is descended from three Arabian stallions which were originally exported from the Middle East: the Darley Arabian, the Byerley Turk and the Godolphin Arabian. These stallions were bred with English mares and all modern thoroughbreds carry the genetics of these Arabian horses.

The image of Arabian horsemen charging across the desert is still a strong part of Arab mythology, and there has long been a strong association between the Middle East and horses that has been recognised worldwide for many centuries.

Historically, horses were used as a symbol of power, wealth and status within Middle Eastern society, and horses where selectively bred generation upon generation to increase speed and stamina, which is now seen in many thoroughbred horses across the world.

The race draws horses, riders and racing fans from all over the world and offers a number of upmarket hospitality events for punters. The ‘Breakfast with the Stars’ event features live commentary, celebrity interviews with top guests and live entertainment, with a lavish breakfast buffet that is served on the lawns next to the paddock.

International Village is the heart of the Dubai World Cup social scene and is a great spot to soak up the exhilarating atmosphere of the races. A ticket-only event, the International Village incorporates a multitude of food and beverage outlets and also features the bubble lounge, exhibition stands, live entertainment and giant digital screens to view the live action racing.

Those wishing to visit the world’s richest horse race and looking for accommodation can take their pick from Dubai’s beach hotels, downtown hotels, or Marina hotels, which together offer a selection of upmarket, luxury places in which to base yourself during the Dubai World Cup.

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Racing car games are loved by people of all ages, right from children to adults! These racing car games are really entertaining and one of the most popular genre of gaming. The kids especially love racing car games. There are many kinds of racing car games available depending on game-play, difficulty and you can even play them online. There are mind boggling number of racing games available in the market today. In the racing car games, you can find several simple funny games and also the international racing car championship games. There is a racing car game like Rudy’s Fruities, and in this game you have to help the car to get the fruits around it and then score the points while some involve complex game-play like to finish the projects given by the chief, and by finishing the deals you can finish the race step by step.

One of the most famous and most widely played racing car game is the ‘Need For Speed’ and its many versions they have launched and still keep coming. What can be better than racing around in cars like Ferrari, Mc Laren, May Bach, Audi, Aston Martin Vanquish, Lambo Gallardo, Maserati, Mitsuoka, Pagani Zonda, Subaru Impreza, and Viper? Its every mans dream! With the advent of technology the level of the graphics introduced in the games has gone up, producing actual depiction of the cars as well as the tracks and surroundings. The aim in most of these races being to finish the said number of laps with podium finish. Before starting the car racing games, you can select the car from the garage and change the colors of the car from the galleries, also you can change the parts and accessories of the cars to suit your own style and then you can get ready for the race. This is like a dream come true, to design n modify your own Ferrari! The racing car games mostly liked by the kids are Four Wheel Madness, 3D Rally Racing, Heat Wave, 3D Racing, Ice Racer, Street Racer, Lego Racer, Dune Buggy, Speed Racing and the list goes on.

Some of the racing car games come with some adventures or tasks and you have to win the race by beating the clashes which are coming in between the race. These types of car racing games are a bit complicated and require practice to win with an advantage. All these games are available to shop on the internet. There are also free online racing car games available in the internet, though due to the fact that they are online, the graphics, the game-play and the features are not comparable with those on CD’s and DVD’s.

With such features in gaming available today, a chance to modify your own dream car and race around at break neck speed, it goes beyond doubt why racing games are so popular today! So grab your gear, fill her up, and let it burn!

Geelong will host more than 1000 triathletes on 10th February 2008 as they converge on the Victorian bay side city to complete in the Geelong World Ironman 70.3 series.

The event which is managed by ‘Ironman Corporation’ will start at 7am with a 1.9km swim leg from, and returning to Geelong’s Eastern Beach from where triathletes will collect their bikes and head out of town on the 90km ride via Portarlington Road to Hermsley Road. Finally, contestants will need to complete the 21.1 km run returning to Eastern Park overlooking the picturesque Corio Bay. In total contestants will need to complete 113 kms (70.3 miles) to finish the course with the first 75 across the line qualifying for the Ford Ironman 70.3 mile event to be staged in Clearwater, Florida, USA during November 2008, which in turn is a qualifying event for the elite and world famous Hawaii Ironman.

The Geelong World Ironman 70.3 event will include representatives from around the world including countries such as Canada, China, Germany, Mexico, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the USA.

Australia will be well represented with past championship leader Chris Legh in he men’s event competing against the likes of Luke Bell and Mitch Anderson from Victoria and international athletes Courtney Ogden, David Dellow and Craig McKenzie

The women’s event is expected to be closely contested with many well regarded competitors including the current women’s ironman champion Rebekah Keat; Kate Major who finished third in this years gruelling Hawaii Ironman; Rina Hill winner of the Gold Coast Ironman and other well regarded triathletes including Belinda Harrison, Charlotte Paul, Mirinda Carfrae and Geelong’s own Jo King in the women’s. King recently won the Tasmanian Half Ironman and is focused on rebuilding her ironman career after a three month break.

A maximum limit of 1200 competitors has been introduced for the Geelong Ironman 70.3 event. Geelong is located just 75kms from Melbourne and is well serviced by trains, buses and airflights with a variety of excellent accommodation

available during the event.

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One of the hottest new extreme sports is called adventure racing. Far from being a sport with one set of rules, it features a variety of competitions like an Extreme version of the Olympics. The name tells you all you need to know about the makeup of the sport: it’s all about competing and winning. Whoever crosses the finish line first wins. Be forewarned! The combination of a highly competitive sport matched with the extreme sports makes for an adrenaline rushing experience.

As a touch of information to those of you who are new to the thought of extreme sports: competing in an extreme sport isn’t about having a some kind of death wish or enjoying getting hurt, or even a desire to take crazy and outlandish chances. Extreme sports competition is all about challenging yourself to beat the odds, no matter what. It’s about achieving a level of focus and determination, which results in accomplishments you had previously doubted yourself capable of. Several sports “officially” qualify as adventure racing. We’ll take a look at some of them.

Many of these races can be quite long and involve training as rigorous as marathon or triathlon training and in fact many of the athletes cross-train in other sports. Adventure races often have an element where navigation is a stand-alone event, but even where it’s not it’s still an important component in every event. Navigation is all about your ability to read a topographical map, use a compass, and find a target location before your competitors. Again, this is similar to paddling in that it’s many competitors’ weakest skill.

The next is Hiking or Scrambling which is held on any and every terrain and in any kind of weather. These competitions often start with a run from an easy starting point to and through tricky terrain which requires hiking and scrambling. FYI: scrambling is climbing difficult terrain without ropes and using only your hands for balance. You can’t grab things to pull yourself up. We’ve all paddled a canoe, rowboat, or kayak, but it’s usually across a pool, a gentle lake or a calm bay. Adventure racers paddle in all water and weather conditions. Being good at paddling in all conditions is a huge advantage in adventure racing because for many adventure racers it’s their weakest event.

Many races will include a climbing or rappelling element. This is an important event to practice so you can stay safe and be fast. You need to buy lightweight climbing gear and only bring what is absolutely necessary so you don’t weigh yourself down needlessly.

Most people think that for a mountain bike race you should get rid of the extra weight like the headlight. This is a bad idea in the world of adventure racing because there’s a good chance you’ll be racing at night. A good idea is to employ a powerful lightweight headlamp with high and low settings. Tip: everyone on your team should have the same bike so you can swap parts when necessary, which can be often.

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e – ripping your torso as you hit a curve launching your sprint kart down the circuit. Pressing on the accelerator as you exercise dead-on hand-and-eye coordination determining the smartest way to turn the drift in the 21st minute of an hour-long enduro race. Or perhaps be a spectator – routing for the likes of Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher as they race neck-and-neck on the last lap.

Guess what – you are breathing and witnessing (even smelling the distinctive aroma of clay dirt on the dirt track) the atmosphere that comes with go-kart racing. Developed in the 1950´s by pilots with a zest for tinkering with motorcycle engines to propel simple frames, go-karting extended internationally after the construction of the first go-kart by Art Ingels in Pasadena. Before dwelling on it’s mass European appeal and discussing the pinnacle of Formula 1 racing, let’s backtrack for a second. Riding go-karts (or karting) is the best way to break into professional racing. It is the simplest means of exploding your chassis down the track before getting into the sophisticated arena of professional racing. Single cylinder engines, basic chassis models, and lack of speed producing components provide go-kart racing with the air of simplicity, geared towards beginners and novices.

The concept of sprint karting comes to our mind when we think of the prototypical kart & track in amusement parks, recreational areas, and arcade palaces. Impeccable karts with sleek designs and sturdy frames rip through on short tracks, usually made from asphalt or concrete – ranging from half a mile to a mile in length.

Sprint karting is divided into classes (think boxing middleweights and welterweights) that distinguish engine-types (two-and four-cycle), driver (classified according to age and weight), brand of kart (Yamaha and Honda are popular choices), and specifications. No carbon-fiber made frames and McLarens built with lightweight materials here! Sprint karting is a simplified, scaled-down form of professional go-kart racing with shorter tracks, downgraded technology, less experienced drivers, and downgraded components across the board. Other forms of karting include enduro racing. Endurance racing, or “enduro” for short is a prolonged version of sprint. Propelled by aerodynamical butterfly steering, enduro karts are an upgrade over sprint karts – participating in races lasting an hour or more. Dirt, oval tracks is the staple of endurance racing and is more prevalent in the Midwest than anywhere else. Because of the long racing period, special emphasis is paid to durable karts and pit stop maintenance than focusing on just speed.

In runner’s terms, enduro is a marathon – not a sprint. If you sacrifice chassis and tire maintenance for speed throughout the course of a race, reaching the finish line is out of the question. Behind every successful sprint car are its well-performing components, specifically its frame, engine, and tires. The dynamics of a go-kart is two-fold: to be built to withstand the rigors of racing and to serve as the backbone for speed. Usually made of steel, frames have the option of being flexible or not. Flexible frames mean easier maneuvering along the track, especially when turning as to maintain good “side bite” and control of the kart. Because non-professional go-karts have no sophisticated traction and suspension system to withstand bumps, frames are usually subject to more punishment.

Sprint kart tires usually do not have indented grooves, as they are soft in nature and more suited to all-terrain. 900 BHP horsepower engines are the norm for souped-up Honda Formula One karts. Capable of reaching speeds of 200+ mph, they represent the all-out nature of karting technology. For the novices, a simple 2-cycle engine will do! Running on gasoline and electricity instead of petrol (typically mixed with other fuels to suit environmental conditions for Formula One,) sprint karts run on either 2-cycle or 4-cycle engines. 4-cycle engines are the weakest engine around, with horsepower topping 20 HP. Think of the power needed to run a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner – that’s how much power a 4-cycle engine exerts. 2-cycle engines are typically associated with the likes of Vespas (European motor scooters) and mopeds. These go up to 90 HP. Added cylinders (individual horsepower generators in go-karts) can boost horsepower, adding pure speed & power to your machine. Perhaps 10-cylinder Formula One kart engines and its incredible capabilities ring bells to you now! Want pinpoint control over the speed of your go-kart? No problem here! Go-karts have basic transmission systems with gears that control speed to its desired amount.

Coming with clutches, shifter karts (a popular type of sprint kart that allows you to move at a certain amount of speeds) make the best use of engine power when zipping along a straight path or maneuvering over the short or wide curve. Depending on the amount of cylinders and engine, shifter enthusiasts can lay opponents in their dust blazing trails up to 90 mph. Shifters usually run on larger road courses known as road racing. It is flush in structure with qualification criteria like class of kart, weight of driver, etc. Honda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha are popular suppliers of engines. These companies are at the forefront of karting technology, regularly tinkering with what’s already available or creating new concepts of their own. Sprint karting opportunities are available to everyone.

If you want to enjoy it as a form of recreation instead of competition, visit your local track and rent a kart! Make sure to sign any insurance waivers and become acquainted with the rules and regulations! If you like to compete, inquire from within. Sprint karting is one of the least expensive sports out there. People from all walks of life and all economic backgrounds can drive a kart, or even purchase their own with a powerful engine. There are many karting schools available all over the nation that will let you ride their karts for a nominal fee.

In essence, karting is more than a pastime. It is a bonafide sport capable of preparing you for more advanced karting by helping you shape your judgment, hand-eye coordination abilities, and technological/dynamical know-how of the instruments you’re using.

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