Fun Stuff

Practising ahead of Saturday night’s Acer Arena show in Sydney, the daredevil rider admitted he had not done his homework on the physics of the drop-in jump, which involves riding off an elevated platform and landing on a ramp. The ramp was not positioned correctly for the stunt and he nearly missed the crucial tilted section entirely before landing heavily on a flatter part further down. “I was like ‘this is going to hurt’," Maddison, 29, said. "I saw the end of the ramp, I could see I was going too fast so I leant right back to brace for it... I thought ‘this is going to smash me’, but I rode out of it, so I got lucky. “It was a pretty brutal impact.”  The rider was checked by a paramedic after the jump, but was cleared OK. “It’s tough to ride off the edge and make the bike go into a front dive," he said. "You want to keep the wheels under you, and not go face-forwards, but if you land in the right spot, the best technique is to be pointing towards the ground and it’s smoother. But your gut instinct takes you off and you’re trying to lift the wheels up and that’s what I did on the first jump and it was really dangerous. “It’s a tough jump, getting the angles right is the key and once I get them right I just need to ride off the edge really slowly... “There (are) calculations to work this out but I haven’t been bothered to figure it out, I just kind of roll the dice and go with it. I’m just a dare devil. “...now I sit down and think about it, it’s something I should have been doing leading into this.” Maddison is no stranger to injury – he has broken about 30 bones, ruptured his scrotum, broken his neck and almost died from viral meningitis and encephalitis when he was young. “I’m a product of western medicine, that’s the only reason why I’m here,” he said. Maddison, who stunned crowds when he jumped almost 30m onto the Arc De Triomphe in Las Vegas in 2009 and then jumped off it, admitted to still getting nervous before his stunts. “It’s what I do, I live on the edge, and it’s scary out here, it’s just what I deal with,” he said.  “It is what it is, I’m just happy to step up to the plate and take it on and whatever the consequences are, I’m happy with them.  “I try not to think about what could go wrong.” Maddison’s first child Kruz was born in the US last month and he has only spent seven days with his son because of the Demons tour. Kruz has encountered some health problems, which has made the separation even more difficult to cope with. “It’s been hard for me to stay focused and grounded,” he said.  “It’s killing me.”

Usain Bolt is used to spending his days at a track, but for once he is not the fastest thing there. The current 100m and 200m world-record holder spent some time at Ferrari's Fiorano test track in Maranello, Italy, as both passenger and driver of the 599 GTB Fiorano and 458 Italia.Ferrari test drivers Dario Benuzzi and Raffaele De Simone took the wheel first, before handing the keys to Bolt for some laps and lessons on car control."It’s a little bit like me, very reactive and determined!" Usain Bolt says, having stepped out of the 458 Italia. “I was really scared, but it was a good scare. I’m excited like a child.” he says.Usain Bolt is not new to driving fast cars. Major sponsor Puma provided Bolt with a new BMW M3 Coupe, which he crashed in April 2009 when driving on a wet highway. The crash rolled the BMW several times, but Bolt escaped with only minor injuries.

Nursing assistant Sylvia Soos, 56, has won the stunning Peugeot RCZ sports cars with her SMS entry in the competition, in which car fans around Australia voted to pick the best vehicle at the Australian International Motor Show. “Are you serious!,” Ms Soos exclaimed when told of her win. “I’m stunned – it’s a great car. A beautiful car… and I never dreamed of winning,” Ms Soos entered from the gallery in the Sydney Daily Telegraph Carsguide, and said she was delighted to have won as she hadn’t owned a car for about eight years. “I’m quite speechless. I really have to pinch myself. I feel very privileged. “When I was a young girl I always adored sporty fast cars. “This is a dream come true…it is more than wonderful.” Already an icon of automotive design with its unique curved roofline and chic European lines, the RCZ is a real headturner and guaranteed to make a splash in Ms Soos’ street in Kingsgrove, NSW. She will be driving the special 200th Anniversary version, worth more than $68,000 on the road, powered by a 2.0-litre turbodiesel and finished with a carbon-fibre roof, premium pearl white metallic paint, 19-in 'Sortilege' alloy wheels set off by matt black brake callipers - and the RCZ carbon-fibre luggage set. The winner of the RCZ was selected at random from all those who voted, no matter which car they chose in the competition. While Ms Soos voted for the Maserati, the Peugeot RCZ itself was judged Carsguide Car of the Motor Show by the public across most of the country, with 17 per cent of the vote topping the polls everywhere except Tasmania and the Northern Territory (who favoured the Lexus LFA). However the Lexus finished at fifth overall in the close to 30,000 votes received. Second place was claimed by the HSV GTS with 12 per cent of the votes, while third went to the Audi A1 and fourth to the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG ‘Gullwing’. Winners of the $3000 Caltex fuel cards were: NSW/ACT: Tim Tadros Victoria: Margaret Tescher Tasmania: Lindsay Reddington Northern Territory: E Moyd Queensland: Rhett Wheeler SA/WA: Helena Swayne

A big machine teetering over a big hole. It's not hard to see where this is headed...

The event takes place at Olympic Park from 3-5 December and thanks to Dunlop - the official tyre of the V8 Series - you have a chance to be part of the heart-stopping ride.

If you want to start a heated argument, just try and put forward a list of the best driving songs... of any category.  Everybody has a different view, it seems. And the British certainly have a different view from the drivers in the Carsguide office, judging by the top 10 songs nominated in a recent study there.Lynard Skynard’s Sweet Home Alabama pipped Britain’s Katrina and the Waves summer hit Walking on Sunshine for pole position in the survey. And their top 10 is dominated by songs from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.  The only song recorded in the past 10 years is the-less-than-summery Mr Brightside, by The Killers, at number four.TOP TEN BRITISH DRIVING SONGS 1 Sweet Home Alabama - Lynard Skynard: 52%2 Walking on Sunshine - Katrina and the Waves: 48%3 Summer of 69 - Bryan Adams: 43%4 Mr Brightside - The Killers: 40%5 Club Tropicana - Wham!: 36%6 Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys: 33%7 Love Shack - The B52s: 33%8 Rio - Duran Duran: 30%9 Lovely Day - Bill Whithers: 27%10 Sun is Shining - Bob Marley: 19%Music label Ministry of Sound has a vastly different idea, with their just-launched annual Maximum Bass Ultimate 3-CD compilation featuring much more recent tracks, divided into hip-hop, dubstep/drum’n’bass and hardcore. The Maximum Bass set is always the high-energy driving companion of the year, and this year’s release will be no exception.And that got us thinking about another category: the great Australian driving song. What do you think is the best one… and why? Let us know in the comments box below in 25 words or less, and you could be one of the lucky 20 winners of the Maximum Bass Ultimate pack, valued at around $150, and consisting of:-          A copy of Maximum Bass Ultimate (RRP: $29.95)-          A copy of Running Trax (RRP: $29.95)-          A copy of Clubbers Guide To Spring 2010 (RRP: $29.95)-          A Ministry of Sound iPhone cover (RRP: $19.95)-          A Ministry of Sound T-Shirt (guys or girls, depending on winner – designs may differ from image) (RRP: $40) The winners are: Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} Jeremy Wilson, Amanda Gorton, Nicole Kan, Jan Wilson, Jessica.D, Teague Leigh, Leisa Meier, Carol King, Robert Smith, Megan Heinrich, John Robinson, Matthew, Kira Campbell, Jessica, Wendy Keam, Kelly Jones, Ian Hawkins, Rob Gamble, Tim Van. MOS will be in touch shortly to get your details!

THANK YOU FOR ENTERING. THE COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. Any entries received after 5pm AEST on 11 November 2010 will not be accepted. HOW TO ENTER   To enter, an Eligible Entrant must answer approximately 25 words "Why are you the biggest V8 Supercar fan?" at carsguide.com.au during the Promotion Period. The best answer, as decided by CarsGuide, will be considered the winner. Eligible Entrants can enter as many times as they wish. TERMS AND CONDITIONS   Information on how to enter and prizes form part of these Terms and Conditions. Participation in this promotion is deemed acceptance of these Terms and Conditions. Entry is only open to Australian residents aged 18 years or over who can travel between 02/12/10 and 5/12/10. Employees (and their immediate families) of the Promoter and agencies associated with this promotion are ineligible to enter. Immediate family means any of the following: spouse, ex-spouse, de-facto spouse, child or step-child (whether natural or by adoption), parent, step-parent, grandparent, step-grandparent, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, brother, sister, step-brother, step-sister or 1st cousin. The Promoter reserves the right, at any time, to verify the validity of entries and entrants (including an entrant’s identity, age and place of residence) and to disqualify any entrant who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these Terms and Conditions or who tampers with the entry process. Errors and omissions may be accepted at the Promoter's discretion. Failure by the Promoter to enforce any of its rights at any stage does not constitute a waiver of those rights. Incomplete, indecipherable or illegible entries will be deemed invalid. Multiple entries are permitted. If there is a dispute as to the identity of an entrant, the Promoter reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to determine the identity of the entrant. Promotion commences on 25 October 2010. Entries close at 5 PM AEST on 11 November 2010. The final decision on the winner will be made at 12:00pm AEST 12 November 2010 at Level 2 464 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne VIC 3004. Winners will be notified by phone and mail and winners’ names will be published on carsguide.com.au on Friday 12  November 2010. This competition is a game of skill and chance plays no part in determining the winner/s. Each valid entry will be individually judged on the basis of literary and creative merit. CarsGuide’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. The determined winning entry will win a trip for two (2) adults to attend the 2010 Sydney 500 event taking place from 03/12/10 to 5/12/10, valued at up to $5,000 depending on point of departure. Prize includes: Return economy airfare to Sydney from the winner’s nearest capital city (if necessary); Return transfers from the airport to the accommodation venue; Four (4) nights twin share accommodation; Corporate box tickets for two (2) adults to the Sydney 500 event for three (3) days; and Dinner for two (2) adults with V8 legend John Bowe. If the winner is from Sydney then the prize does not include airfares and the airfare component of the prize is not redeemable for cash. In addition if the winner is from Sydney, they will receive return transfer from their place of residence to the accommodation venue. Spending money, additional meals, insurance, transport to and from departure point, additional transfers, items of a personal nature, in-room charges and all other ancillary costs are not included. Prize must be taken between 03/12/10 and 5/12/10 to coincide with the Sydney 500 event with flights subject to booking and flight availability. Itinerary to be determined by the Promoter in its absolute discretion. Frequent flyer points will not form part of the prize. The winner (and his/her companion) must depart from and return to the same departure point and travel together. Prize is subject to the standard terms and conditions of individual prize and service providers. Winner may be required to present a credit card at time of accommodation check in. If for any reason a winner does not take the prize or an element of the prize at the time stipulated by the Promoter, then the prize or that element of the prize will not be redeemable for cash. In the event of war, terrorism, state of emergency or disaster, the Promoter reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the promotion, subject to any written directions from a relevant regulatory authority. Subject to the unclaimed prize draw clause, if for any reason a winner does not take the prize or an element of the prize at the time stipulated by the Promoter, then the prize or that element of the prize will be forfeited. If the prize (or part of the prize) is unavailable, the Promoter, in its discretion, reserves the right to substitute the prize (or that part of the prize) with a prize to the equal value and/or specification, subject to any written directions from a regulatory authority. Total prize pool value is up to $5,000 (depending on place of departure). The prizes, or any unused portion of the prize, are not transferable or exchangeable and cannot be taken as cash. A re-judgment for any unclaimed prizes may take place on Monday 15 November 2010 at the same time and place as the original draw, subject to any directions from a regulatory authority. Winners’ names will be published in The Australian on Tuesday 16 November 2010. Entrants consent to the Promoter using the entrant's name, likeness, image and/or voice in the event they are a winner (including photograph, film and/or recording of the same) in any media for an unlimited period without remuneration for the purpose of promoting this competition (including any outcome), and promoting any products manufactured, distributed and/or supplied by the Promoter. If this promotion is interfered with in any way or is not capable of being conducted as reasonably anticipated due to any reason beyond the reasonable control of the Promoter, the Promoter reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to the fullest extent permitted by law (a) to disqualify any entrant; or (b) subject to any written directions from a regulatory authority, to modify, suspend, terminate or cancel the promotion, as appropriate. Except for any liability that cannot be excluded by law, the Promoter (including its officers, employees and agents) excludes all liability (including negligence), for any personal injury; or any loss or damage (including loss of opportunity); whether direct, indirect, special or consequential, arising in any way out of the Promotion, including, but not limited to, where arising out of the following: (a) any technical difficulties or equipment malfunction (whether or not under the Promoter’s control); (b) any theft, unauthorised access or third party interference; (c) any entry or prize claim that is late, lost, altered, damaged or misdirected (whether or not after their receipt by the Promoter) due to any reason beyond the reasonable control of the Promoter; (d) any variation in prize value to that stated in these Terms and Conditions; (e) if the V8 Supercars Sydney 500 event is cancelled for any reason beyond the reasonable control of the Promoter (f) any tax liability incurred by a winner or entrant; (g) attendance at a prize event. As a condition of accepting the prize, the winner (and his/her companion) must sign any legal documentation as and in the form required by the Promoter and/or prize suppliers in their absolute discretion, including but not limited to a legal release and indemnity form. The Promoter collects personal information in order to conduct the Promotion and may, for this purpose, disclose such information to third parties, including but not limited to agents, contractors, prize suppliers and, as required, to Australian regulatory authorities. Entry is conditional on providing this information. The Promoter may, for an indefinite period, unless otherwise advised, use the information for promotional, marketing, publicity, research and profiling purposes, including sending electronic messages or telephoning the entrant. Entrants should direct any request to access, update or correct information to the Promoter. All entries become the property of the Promoter. The Promoter is Goodyear & Dunlop Tyres (Aust) Pty Ltd (ABN 86 004 098 346) of Level 2, 464 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne, VIC 3004, telephone (03) 8416 7366.

He gets to live in one. And it doesn’t have rails… Having amazed audiences with his insane driving skills for years, Ken Block’s latest video Gymkhana THREE is an absolute thriller! Showcasing Block’s immense talent for driving a car on the absolute edge, his new Ford Fiesta gets closer to walls at high speed than you’d feel comfortable with in the supermarket car park. The stage is the l'Autodrome de Linas in France, where Block spins, jumps and smokes the 650 horsepower all-wheel-drive Fiesta. The circuit features stunts on l’Autodrome’s oval track which was chosen specifically due to its 51 degree banking, a feat which had not been attempted before. “When Ford partnered with Ken Block for the Fiesta and WRC rally programs, the opportunity to participate in projects like Gymkhana THREE was an attractive part of the overall package,” said Jamie Allison, Director Ford North America Motorsports. A 2011 Fiesta was used as the starting point for Block's new car, with extensive modifications including aggressively flared wheel arches, a six-speed sequential paddle-shift gearbox, and the purpose-built 650hp engine (detuned from its maximum 850hp) that can propel the car to 100kph in 2 seconds. With over 5 minutes of non-stop madness, Gymkhana THREE will knock your socks off!