Well, hi everyone, welcome to all our readers here in New Zealand & around the world, I'm Whetu Ngapo & you're tuning in to my KiwiAvenger blog here on blogger (And a big shoutout to my half-bro of Jansi Jans who is celebrating his 22nd birthday in Tutira which is located in the Hawke's Bay province out there today so I want to wish him all the best, despite his efforts of recovering that really serious back injury that he's always had as well as him being accident prone as he tends to wreck his vehicles that often), but first that the last CART race to be held before 9/11 (Just like the 2001 Belgian Grand Prix which was the last before the tragic events unfolded in America as the Grand Prix was marred by Brazlian driver Luciano Burti suffered a near fatal accident that he was involved along with British driver Eddie Irvine that almost took his life (And then the race was red flagged indicating that had been stopped as Burti (Who was kept in hospital with facial bruising & a head knock until September 10th, but his crash further enhance safety as Luciano Burti was transported to the circuit's medical centre by ambulance without emergency treatment. After a medical inspection, he was flown by helicopter to the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Liège in a conscious and stable condition with a serious concussion) had been taken to a local hospital, but it was the second major accident Burti had sustained in more than a month as he barrel rolled twice after colliding with the rear of Michael Schumacher's car at the start of the German Grand Prix in July 2001, while the effects of the accident caused Burti to suffer from seizures and amnesia for the next four months, both of which required medication, meanwhile the FIA analysed the accident to enhance safety and prohibited the creation of holes in helmets allowing drinking tubes and radio communication wires to pass through) which had him hospitalized in he suffered a concussion caused by the accident (And he managed to survive because of the vehicle & circuit safety improvements had been made following Senna's fatal crash in San Marino 1994), but was ruled out for the rest of the season as he was replaced by Czech driver Tomas Enge (Who was dropped for the 2002 season due to a lack of experience which forced him to go back to Formula 3000) after being discharged from hospital 6 days later & returned to Monaco to continue his recuperation after he underwent further tests & was placed into induced coma until he left intensive care on September 4th as he sustained facial and head bruising and he underwent a brain scan, which revealed a head injury though no swelling of the brain while Luciano Burti would face a lengthy layoff which lasts about 2 months to complete a full recovery, while the wreck was a talking point for days after the race, with Alain Prost noting that Burti's impact would have been fatal about 10 years earlier, & former driver Jacques Laffite praised the strength of the modern Formula One car's monocoque) was in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada as Brazilian Roberto 'Pupo' Moreno won the shortened race 5 seconds ahead of eventual champion & championship leader of the late Gil de Ferran who finished 2nd, then it was 'Mikey Mike' of Michael Andretti who rounded out the podium as he finished 3rd in the race as well as the last completed race for Italian Alex Zanardi who is the 2nd most successful international race car driver in Champ Car history before at Lausitzring in Germany (Which took place after the tragic events on September 11th in the United States, then the Italian GP had taken place which was the first F1 race to be held post 9/11, & the US GP was the first international major sporting event held within US boundaries for which the grieving nation were on a slow recovery, 4 years before it turned sour when the fans were experiencing less charitable memories as 6 cars turned up on the circuit instead of the full 20 car grid for the whole 73 lap race as a result of a tyre dispute that turned into a farce or fiasco I should say as the unhappy fans pelted projectiles onto the track such as water bottles & beer cans during the strangest race ever (Who Pops thought it was dreadful & they needed a security firm to show the red card on unruly fanatics who should be thrown out of the venue when I revealed the whole story in full to both him (Who still has little interest about it whilst I can recall about the terrible events being unfolded) & Carole while we were there at Columbus Cafe in Mitre 10 on the 29th of April this year) in which drivers of cars equipped with Michelin tyres withdrew from the June 19th race amid fears by the manufacturer that it was dangerous to drive at turn 13, one of the circuit's quickest parts. Ralf Schumacher, Michael's brother, had crashed during practice when one of his Michelin tires blew out on the turn as the 2005 United States Grand Prix became infamous due to a tyre dispute. Michelin tires, used by most teams, experienced failures during practice, leading to concerns about their suitability for the race. Despite Michelin's request for a track change to slow down speeds, the FIA refused, forcing all Michelin-equipped cars to withdraw before the race, leaving only Bridgestone-equipped teams to compete, while the race was won by Michael Schumacher, the only Bridgestone-equipped team to compete, leaving a sour taste in the mouth of fans and highlighting the controversial nature of the race in which the 2005 United States Grand Prix was a controversial event marred by safety concerns regarding Michelin tires, specifically on the banked turn 13 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After several tyre failures during practice, including a major accident involving Ralf Schumacher, Michelin declared that their tyres were dangerous to run at full race speed through the banking. Despite Michelin's fears and a request for a chicane to be installed, the FIA refused, leading to the Michelin-backed teams withdrawing from the race, meanwhile the race started with only the six Bridgestone-shod teams, leaving many fans disappointed, gutted & bewildered about the 2005 US Grand Prix made headlines as seven out of the 10 teams had refused to race & will live long in the memory for all the wrong reasons as the race began with just 6 drivers turned up on the grid in the aftermath of 14 Formula One race car drivers withdraw as a result of safety fears over the Michelin-made tyres on their vehicles, while the 2005 season saw a new loophole introduced that restricted drivers to a single set of tyres for both qualifying & the race, & also that 2005 saw mid-race tyre changes cracked down/prohibited, so that the tyres would had to last the whole race. As changing tires every 10 laps wasn't an option, & all 14 Michelin-shod competitors retired their cars at the end of the parade lap on safety grounds after a spate of Michelin tyre failures, & after spending the weekend arguing about tyres, seven teams pitted at the end of the formation lap, leaving just 6 cars on track to contest what remains one of the strangest races ever, & if not one of the most in history embroiled by controversy (As well as being the most bizarre, as well as one of the weirdest events & the biggest political crisis in Formula One history, but the race itself featured one moment of excitement, when Michael Schumacher almost collided with Barrichello after a pit stop, forcing Barrichello off the track for which it should've been a timed penalty as of today for forcing another driver off the track, meanwhile that the 2005 US GP is remembered as the race that only six cars started after Michelin hit problems and all its teams withdrew after the formation lap as Michael Schumacher won a farcical United States GP where fans threw missiles on track in anger, as the 2005 US Grand Prix saw only six cars race due to tyre safety concerns, angering fans significantly that ruined their reputation, & almost destroyed F1 in the United States of America in the process & is considered one of the worst F1 races ever, & the most controversial of all time, but the event is one of the most infamous but notorious races in motor racing history, as all six cars made the chequered flag, with Schumacher (Who claimed a hollow win at the USGP way back in 2005 as the United States Grand Prix of 2005, forever tarnished as one of Formula 1's most shameful days for what was potentially hazardous, what is going on (And I told Pops on our way home about it on April 26th in which he has little interest about it, but that really to me was despicable that the cars with Michelin tyres opting to pull out of the race at the very last minute thinking that it's dangerous, leaving 6 cars with Bridgestone tyres to race the full 73 laps throughout the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, wow! (And is anyone here after Belgium 2021? Guys, honestly that was lame as the teams running Michelin tyres had to peel straight into the pits, & come in then retire after a single lap in protest over safety concerns which prompted a negative reaction from the crowd in a Grand Prix infamously known as F1's Brickyard blow up which was considered the worst in Formula One history where 6 cars ran, just 6 cars! Unbelievable! In what was the US Grand Prix that will go down as one of the most bizarre & controversial events in sporting history in which the angry fans demanding refunds by confronting the people at the ticket office before police officers arrived on the scene to assist of keeping order) leading home Barrichello, and Jordan's Tiago Monteiro (An ex-CART driver way back in 2003 who was the only one who was cheered by the fans when he finished behind Rubens Barrichello, but ahead of his Indian teammate of Narain Karthikeyan who achieved the best result for an Indian in Formula One, finishing 4th ahead of the 2 Minardis of both Dutchman of Christjian Albers (A former DTM driver also way back in 2004), & an Austrian of Patrick Friesacher (Who last competed in Formula One way back in 2005 at the British Grand Prix, before Dutch-Monegasque driver of Robert Doornbos (AKA Bobby D) filled in for him for the remainder of the season) taking the final podium spot, for Jordan's last ever podium finish to date for the constructor once owned by the now late Irish team owner & businessman Eddie Jordan who recently passed away in March this year because of a terminal illness) that he lost both legs in an accident there after being involved in a gruesome collision with Canadian Alex Tagliani who was fortunate & lucky to escape any harm such as injury in which he was unhurt on that occasion.
And secondly in Super Rugby Pacific related news such as the Blues having a comprehensive rout over the Western Force at Eden Park in Auckland, just a day before the Fijian Drua toppled the Queensland Reds in an epic game at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva, before the Hurricanes decimated the top of the table Chiefs (Who led at halftime after Daniel Rona had scored a try off an intercept, before Josh Jacomb converted it, then both sides headed to the dressing rooms until the start of the second 40, but they had been given a reality check following their defeat against the Hurricanes in Welly before their potential but possible match-up preview of the Super Rugby Pacific final against the Crusaders (Who took a bye, but they have the same number of points as the Chiefs who lead on points differential) in a top of the table clash in round 13) with Bailyn Sullivan who just come onto the bench to replace the unfortunate Kini Naholo with an injury as he scored 4 tries in an exciting but pulsating game at Sky Stadium in Wellington for what was my 2nd most standout moment of the 12th round of the comp this year (In which the Hurricanes-Chiefs encounter this year, is the game that made Bailyn Sullivan compared to last year where the game that also made Wallace Sititi of reaching the final to unsuccessfully challenge for the Super Rugby Pacific championship against the Blues), before the ACT Brumbies remain Australia's best as they wallop the New South Wales Waratahs at GIO Stadium Canberra in Canberra, which comes only a day before Moana Pasifika finally get their first win against the Highlanders (Who should've won after Taniela Filimone attempting to pass to Sean Withy, but it wasn't to be as the ball had sailed into touch before referee Paul Williams blew the final whistle, meaning that Moana had made history again (And just both the Blues & the Chiefs are the sides to have never lost to Moana Pasifika before) in another on of those marvellous games (The big moments were Folau getting that monster of a pass to set up a try scored by Jonah Lowe (The man who was named after the late Jonah Lomu, then it was one of the loose forwards of Miracle Fai'ilagi (AKA 'The Miracle Man') who scored the next try before reserve hooker Jack Taylor (Who was on the park for first choice Highlanders hooker Soane Vikena) went over off a rolling maul), & one of the reserve halfbacks of Manu Samoa player of Melani Matavao (Who just come on to replace the regular starting halfback of another one of the Manu Samoa players of Jonathan 'JT' Taumateine) scored the try off a charge down as he was too good in the corner ala Mark Tele'a against England for New Zealand last year (2024) during a test, before Patrick Pellegrini (Who replaced Jackson Garden-Bachop when the 2nd half had started) nailed an excellent conversion from the sideline for which was Damian McKenzie revisited also taken from last year against the English in the same test match) at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin for which was my standout moment of round 12 of the competition (And I mean, nice one again uce, CHEHOOO!!! (Great work guys, thank you, how about that! You & your men deserve it (But I was cheering on for Moana just like Pops when I rewatched the game, especially the last 10 minutes first, then the whole 2nd half when I watched it again once more).
And thirdly that I'd be able to shed some light that there was once a cricket related story about the late Tony Greig being born in South Africa (Just like the other South African players choosing to play for England just like Greig such as Allan Lamb, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott, Craig Kieswetter, Jason Roy & Dawid Malan, but here in New Zealand we once had Neil Wagner, Grant Elliott, Kruger van Wyk, BJ Watling, Glenn Phillips & Devon Conway as the list of South African born cricketers playing for our country, while Australia once had Kepler Wessels & now Marnus Labuschagne (The one who went to an Afrikaans language school in Brisbane) who is playing for them now), but had made the decision to play for England mainly because of his Scottish parentage when South Africa were in sporting exile as a result of the apartheid regime before being readmitted to international sport way, way back in 1992 (Same year that they made an appearance in the semi whilst making their tournament debut, but they didn't get the result against the English who would march on into the final due to inclement weather that ruined their day), before retiring to become a successful commentator when he lived in Australia working for the Nine network along with former Aussie players Ian Chappell (Who retired from commentary since Fox Sports & Channel 7 have the broadcasting rights to the cricket there in Australia, but he revealed that he had cancer just like the late Greig), Bill Lawry (Tony's old sparring partner, but I heard that he still doesn't watch cricket nowadays since he hung up the mic, & is always into pigeons including him cleaning up the mess with his old baggy green cap) & the late Richie Benaud (Who revealed that he was a cancer sufferer just like the late Tony & Chappell) from 1978 until his passing back in 2012 due to a terminal illness.
And finally that I alluded to Pops before we went to the Cobb on the 28th of April this year about me getting a phone for my birthday this year, but I have to pay monthly for texts, calls & data, meanwhile that I'm saving my money from now on so I could go on my future holiday to Wellington in order to reconnect with Cathey, Paige & Norah one day, & take a selfie with the 3 of them even if I have my phone with me (But Pops said that he could catch up with Kathryn again when he's with Aunty Tan & Rejean in Northland which means that I'm on housekeeping duties by looking after Pops home, but Dad would check up on me if Pops is away, especially if he goes to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands with Carole this October).
So that is my 609th blog of the year 2025 (MMXXV) & my 33rd of this year, viva Ukraine & Palestine.
P.S. And the motor racing world is in mourning as former German race car driver & broadcaster who won in Spain during the Spanish Grand Prix way long ago in 1975, & at Le Mans long ago in 1989 of Jochen Mass has passed away aged 78 due to a stroke so all thoughts, prayers & heartfelt condolences go to the Mass family, rest in pieces (RIP, but first it was team owner & businessman from Ireland of Eddie Jordan (Who passed away already as a result of cancer), & now Jochen Mass the former Le Mans winning driver & F1 star from the 70's? As the world of motor racing mourns the loss of both brilliant individuals who are now gone in recent times).
Jochen Mass
1946 - 2025
No comments:
Post a Comment