Graveyard !

We just stopped by at the Cadillac Graveyard ! Its a popular turist attraction here in Texas and of some reason there's 10 cadillacs stocked into the ground !? But it's fun to have been there !

On the road again !

Today we've mainly driving the whole day across Texas ! Drove for awhile on Route 66 so now I can check that from my bucket list as well !! Most of the view has been desert and every town looks like a old cowboy movie ! I even saw this buffalo that you could buy for $ 19.999 !!!

Best,
Marten

Never the same !

We have now checked in at the hotel in New Mexico ! We've been driving the whole day started with sunshine to snowstorm and then driving in the desert !! And we will continue tomorrow morning again !

Contrast

When we left the hotel this morning its all warm and sunny ! Then we started to drive north up to Grand Canyon and right now we're stocked in a snow storm ! Its not too bad and I think we will drive back !

Best,
Marten

It gets crazier!

So after working out at the gym,climbed a mountain we decided to skydive !! Its super cool, the free falling was kind of crazy but then it became very peaceful ! And our instructor was a hold other story ! Let say; he didn't tell us anything about what will happen, the safety or the landing ! Until 5 seconds before its time to do it -crazy !

But now I can check skydiving from my bucket list !

Full Speed !

Last night we ate some dinner and relaxed infront of the fireplace and just catched up with everything ! Then after midnight we went to the gym and worked out ! Went to bed 2am then 6am we started climb a 2.6 miles/4.2km high mountain !!! -And more will come !

Best,
Marten

Road Trip # 3 !

I just arrived in Phoenix ! It's nice here 70F / 20C warm and the flight went great ! I got this cool picture of Lake Tahoe !! And I believe tomorrow officially starts Road Trip # 3 !!

Best,
Marten

Happy Holidays !

The holidays has been great ! I celebrate christmas with a lot of food both on christmas eve and christmas day ! And I'm very proud of my own christmas stocking with my name on it ! A friend gave me this nice engraved christmas tree saying God Jul = Merry Christmas !! Today I worked out and then used this super hi tech massage chair = Heaven ! Then went to the theater to watch True Grift, a great movie !! Right now I'm packing for my trip tomorrow to Phoenix !

Happy Holidays !
Marten

Merry Christmas !

First of all; Merry Christmas everyone and here's my gift to all of you ! A cool video of the 25hrs of Thunderhill I raced for Team Copa December 3th-5th ! Christmas and New Year's Eve is all about spending time with great people and appreciate all the good from the past year and look forward to the next one ! And this race was a perfect example of all that !!


Merry Christmas everyone !
Marten

Race for a Cause !

Here's a video from the Race for a Cause event I attended to last Sunday ! They even managed to capture me in a picture in the end !


Best,
Marten

...back then !

I got this video clip forwarded to me:

I love watching old racing videos and I've so much respect for the drivers back then. "There are brave heroes, there are old heroes but there are no old brave heroes" Unfortunately that how it's when the safety = zero !

Best,
Marten

Charity !

Last night my friend Tony Hunt hosted a go-cart charity event ! It's a great event; raced some go-carts, met some people and of course help out for a great cause !!



















































Tony became 6 times USAC Sprint Car Champ this year ! Very impressive !! I've been fortune to test and race with Tony and with his team Tony Hunt Motorsport, great people and a great team !
















Foto: Clevland Digital Imaging

Best,
Marten

Contrast !

I got this great picture from my parents from a very snowy Sweden ! Saying "Happy Birthday Marten" :) I hope it will be another great year and I'm excited about 2011 ! It still feels weird to not have any snow here for Christmas and the other day I saw this:





















A Christmas tree surrounded by palm trees !!

Best,
Marten

Nice Trip !

Today I went with a friend to Napa Valley ! It's a perfect day, 70 F/ 20 C warm and just enjoy great foods, drinks and the beautiful view !!

Best,
Marten

The last couple of days have been really good ! Been cruising throw the days but still been productive ! We still get a lot of good feedback from the 25 hrs race and it’s such a great experience ! It’s still weird for me to see all the Christmas decorations and have no snow ! And last Saturday it even get weirder because I got invited to a Caribbean theme Christmas party ! Dressed up with surfer clothes and funny sunglasses in the middle of December ! We even got super lucky with the weather that day 68 F/ 20 C !!!! Pretty cool to have the Golden Gate Bridge behind you !
















Best,
Marten

Really good until...

Dave Smith started the race and did a great job the first couple of laps with cold tiers and a green track and then he picked up a fast pace around the track ! Right before I jumped in the car 6pm Jared Thompson had been fighting with the car with no power steering and drove in rain with slicks on !

It took me 10 laps to get use to the dark and get a feeling for the heavy rain and try to control the 700+ hp ! We did double stints which means we were out the for little more than 2hrs each. But during my session it started to get crazy out there, cars were flipping, oil on the track etc. Which made me drive for 4 ½ hrs !!!

Drive in the rain is one of my strongest side and was able to take us from 8th overall to leading the race with 12 laps !! It’s a great feeling to be the fastest guy and lead the race in an amazing Ford GT against a Grand-Am Porsche team with factory drivers, who actually won the race last year ! Then at midnight we got hit by a Mazda Miata and broke the right rear suspension, and our race were over :( That’s racing sometimes and it’s hard to swallow because we were leading the race and had a great chance to win the race, in our class and the overall title !!

Overall it’s a great weekend I couldn’t ask for more, we were just unlucky with the result !

Here’s some pictures from the race weekend !

Best,
Marten

Yeah !!

Right before qualify Dave went out with soft tiers and did couple of super fast lap times ! And when it was time for qualify it started to rain and with a lot of traffic we still pulled off a good lap time and got 3rd overall !!! We have been 2 seconds faster than the pole position time but we just got stocked behind traffic ! We are all happy and confident for the race tomorrow at 11am !

All Good !

Yesterday of practice went very well, we've big advantage with our 700 hp wich really helps with all the passes ! Today, friday we will just fine tune the set up and it seems it will rain during qualify :S

It's very hard to get any service here at the track, but I'll try to update as much as I can !

Best,
Marten

Now it starts !!

The race weekend have officially start ! No rain so far and the team is preparing the car for the first test ! We even have a big time celebrity here, Paul Walker from Fast & the Furious is pitted next to us and will drive a Mazda !!

Best,
Marten

Racing Video !

Here's another cool video from our latest test day, it's very windy and cold that day but driving a race car makes up for it though !


The team have fixed a cool suprised for us for the race, a great marketing attention ! One little sneak peak...


















Best,
Marten

Getting closer !

Right now I've a good mix of a christmas feeling and racing ! On my way home last night I saw this house decorate in the american style ! But in the morning I headed down to the race shop to figure out some radio problems. The guys were fully focused to install the new data system in the car, hi tech stuff !!! I've been looking on the weather forecast every day now and it seems it will rain the whole weekend :(

Best,
Marten

Calm before the storm !

The last couple of days have been very relaxed and comfortable ! Had a great Thanksgiving with plenty of food, met up with some friends, watched movies and just enjoyed the holidays. Its weird to hear all the christmas carols already and no snow !

Next week will be crazy, meetings all day on Monday, Tuesday and I probably need the whole wednesday to just pack and prepare for the four days at the race track !!

Best,
Marten

Brakes ? -No !

Todays test didn't really turn out like we wanted to. Had some problem with the handling and my last session in the car we also got a brake problem, and exactly the same happened to me last year ! Oh well !! Now all of us will enjoy Thanksgiving and charge the battery for next week !

Best,
Marten

Test Dummy !

Just come home from our team meeting; talked about the strategy, set up and prepared everything for our additional test day this wednesday !! And the boss decided I'll be the test-dummy that day ;) one for the team I guess !!! Pretty cool to see 1500 hp of motors in one of the corners in the shop today ! When I got back home I went for a run and can't believe is still so nice weather here, not really used to it !!

Best,
Marten

It's Official !

December 4th Marten Hansen will compete in the 25 hrs of Thunderhill in an amazing 700 hp Ford GT.

I’m very grateful to be given this opportunity and to race for Team Copa. It has already been one of my best moments in my life and together with Steve Tarpley, Jason Montgomery, Dave Smith and Jared Thompson we’ll fight hard to finish first overall. We know it will not be easy to do but with our equipment, team and co-drivers we fully expect to be one of the contender !

This Ford GT is a piece of art and fulfills the reputation of being an icon race car. 700 hp, 600 ft.lbs / 800 Nm under the carbon fiber body creative one of the funniest car I’ve ever driven !

I'll update Live here on my blog how it goes from the first practice day Dec 2th through the whole 25 hrs race, Dec 4th-5th !

You will find more pictures right Here !

Stay tuned,
Marten

Racing Video

Here's a cool video from our two days of testing in this 700 hp Ford GT ! The sound is amazing and we did about 160 mph on this relative short straightaway at Thunderhill !


Enjoy !
Marten

Car Show

After many many laps of testing, this beautiful Ford GT is now resting in Fords' Official booth in one of the biggest car show in California !! It's super cool to have this car right in front of the 2012 Mustang and marketing ourself for the 25hrs race !! Even Arnold Schwarzenegger stopped by !

A lifestyle magazine noticed the Ford GT and posted it on their blog !

Best,
Marten

700 hp of Fun !!

Last Tuesday and Wednesday turn out to be two really great days ! The whole team went up to Thunderhill Raceway to test out the new race car ! Unfortunately I cannot say too much about the test and the car. But it's very successful days and this 700 hp beast really put a big smile on your face !!

Best,
Marten