In September 2022 I was delighted when Chris Demaras, the team manager of Demaras Racing, asked me to write an article about the history of the Brazilian Formula Vee. The Demaras is a family of committed gearheads competing in the Canadian F1200, one of the most exciting and competitive classes in the Canadian Vintage series.Continue reading “Brazilian Formula Vee”
Author Archives: Rubens Junior
The Widow Maker
During the Korean War (1950-1953), Allied pilots had the unpleasant opportunity to face the new Soviet jet fighter, the MIG 15. This new plane was fast, nimble, sturdy, and well-armed. The only thing that prevented the communists to dominate the skies in Korea was another extraordinary fighter, the F-86 Sabre, flown by well-trained American pilots.Continue reading “The Widow Maker”
The Fastest Rider on Earth.
Many years ago, I had the chance to ride a beaten-up 1995 Yamaha V-Max, I didn’t have the guts to go full throttle, but even at half of it, the front wheel insisted on not touching the pavement in first and second gear, and by the time when I shifted to third, the speedo wasContinue reading “The Fastest Rider on Earth.”
Motor Show
It’s summertime in North America and for the gearheads all over Canada and USA, that means race season, car meetings, and air shows. But down south things are a little different, take my home country, Brazil, for example; in some cities close to the equator, it is summertime year-round, but if go deeper south, wintertimeContinue reading “Motor Show”
The First Paris-Dakar Rally
“Do Not Go Where The Path May Lead, Go Instead Where There Is No Path And Leave A Trail” – Ralph Waldo Emerson. Riding a motorcycle in a desert rally can be tricky, the car racers have the luxury of carrying a navigator along, still, the bikers have to do it all by themselves. InContinue reading “The First Paris-Dakar Rally”
Rock & Roll Car Show
As part of the Canada Day long weekend, the city of Stouffville, Ontario (50 km from downtown Toronto) promoted the “Rock’n Roll Car Show” with an emphasis on muscle cars and American iron in general. The event took place at the “Village of Stouffville”, a picturesque historic downtown area, filled with boutique shops, and niceContinue reading “Rock & Roll Car Show”
Vintage Car Racing in Canada
Since the Coronavirus is somehow in our rear view mirror, we like to tell that “life is back to normal”, even if we know it is a lie. Recession, climate change, and the danger of nuclear armageddon are just a few reminders that life is far from normal. Undoubtedly, some aspects of life are goingContinue reading “Vintage Car Racing in Canada”
The First Jet Powered Car
The space-age, which started at the end of the 1940s and went all the way through the 1960s, was such a wonderful time. Humanity was fascinated with the possibility of “boldly going where no one has gone before“. Various fields of society have been inspired by space travel, including literature, films, fashion, and so on,Continue reading “The First Jet Powered Car”
Murderdrome
The passion the Americans feel for the oval race tracks is nothing new, it goes back to the beginning of the last century. The idea of a track where the drivers could go flat out almost throughout the whole course isn’t new, but oddly enough, it started with a very popular sport in the mid-1800s,Continue reading “Murderdrome”
The 1966 Batmobile
Batman is back on the big screen, this new movie comes 33 years after the American director Tim Burton revived the character with his haunting and stylish version of the Caped Crusader. Speaking as a fan, it is always exciting when a new movie pops up but speaking as a gear head, there will alwaysContinue reading “The 1966 Batmobile”
Wristwatch
A brief account of this obsolete piece of machinery that refuses to fade away. Picture above: Roger Dubois, Huracán edition. At the beginning of the 1969 movie Easy Rider, right before the start of his journey across the USA, the character Wyatt (Peter Fonda) gives one last glance at his wristwatch, removes it from hisContinue reading “Wristwatch”
Chasing a Spy Plane
The Cold War was a dark period in history when humanity came, for so many times, too close to total annihilation. When this “war” came to an end, in 1991, the danger of a nuclear Armageddon became a thing of the past and now we can, in a more relaxed way, look back at someContinue reading “Chasing a Spy Plane”
When NASCAR Went to Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the most traditional and prestigious motor race in history. Every year, since 1923, the best race teams and drivers from all over the world go on a pilgrimage to the Circuit de la Sarthe, located in the city of Le Mans, France, for a gruesome 24 hours race,Continue reading “When NASCAR Went to Le Mans”
Gilles Villeneuve
“Why do we even bother? He is different from the rest of us. On a separate level” – Jacques Laffite, talking about Gilles Villeneuve.- A few years ago I was chatting with some friends, we were casually listing a few great Formula One drivers when I said: – Gilles Villeneuve -, while most of theContinue reading “Gilles Villeneuve”
The Bizarre Collision Between an American Carrier and a Soviet Submarine.
On the foggy morning of January 15, 2022, the American carrier USS Kitty Hawk departed from the Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington for its last voyage, the destination is a shipbreaking facility in Brownsville, Texas where the emblematic vessel is set to be scrapped. The ship was decommissioned in 2009 and had been onContinue reading “The Bizarre Collision Between an American Carrier and a Soviet Submarine.”
Lucky Custom’s “Cheetah”
The (north) American way of life has permeated the whole world, through movies, music, and TV shows and we, the poor cousins from South America are, perhaps, the biggest suckers of it, especially when it comes to cars and bikes. We sure love the European and Asian stuff as well but nothing sends a shiverContinue reading “Lucky Custom’s “Cheetah””
The Mini
During the 1950s North America experienced unprecedented economic growth but on the other side of the pond, in Europe, things were a lot different: they were trying to rebuild the continent from the ashes of WWII, and the economic situation was awful. For those fortunate enough to afford a new car, the options were notContinue reading “The Mini”
The Classic Machines 