Sparco

Timmy Hansen (20) made a name for himself in RallycrossRX after an impressive start to the FIA European Rallycross Championship in Great Britain. The young Swede switched this year from formula racing to RallycrossRX and instantly found himself at the top of the results. The Sparco-equipped driver was flying in his Hansen Motorsport Citroen DS3 SuperCar and he’s now third in the overall championship standings after the second round in Portugal.
“I know I am in a top-team surrounded by good people giving me a fantastic car to drive” Timmy says, “I feel motivated being in such a competitive Championship”.

Kenneth Hansen, himself a 14-time FIA European Rallycross Champion, now manages Hansen Motorsport, having a young and strong driver line up to take care of.
“It is a challenge, but a nice one, to try to lead and guide the young drivers to be the future Superstars” Kenneth comments, “Timmy showed early his capacity and we know that with good partners and sponsors backing him up he can go a long way in his motorsport career”.

Round 3 of the FIA European Rallycross Championship will be held in Hungary (25-26 May). Good luck Timmy!

Paolo Di Credico is a Sparco fan who has succeeded in turning his passion into something real. Actually, something very close to real:a high-performance simulation game station. We met its creator to find out more.

When did you first come up with the idea of a Sparco game station?

I first started to give some thought to game stations some four years ago: I was having a hard time succeeding in my passion for engines because costs are just too high: so I thought I could exploit the high-quality simulations offered by videogames like rFactor and that’s how the idea of a Sparco game station was born.

Tell us more about your game station. Which are its main components?

At the beginning, my head was filled with all sorts of ideas. The first component I focused on was the seat. I wanted it to be slender and elegant as well as solid, so I came up with the Sparco Rev, a seat that you just have to try before you say anything.
Then, I bought the steering wheel and the pedals (Logitech G25) and had a thirty-years-experience blacksmith create a custom frame. The result resembles faithfully a racecar set up: the steering wheel, the gearshift and the distance between the seat and the pedals can be adjusted to the driver’s height and according to the specifications of different motorsports (Gran Turismo, F1, Rally, DTM). Besides, I designed a board in front of the steering wheel, to be able to use a laptop PC as well as a PS3. On top of it all, there is your sound system, adding and boosting up the emotion of a real drive.
Unfortunately, as my funds were rather limited, I had to wait for ten months before to finally bring my Sparco Game Station to completion. It was too bad to look at that frame and all the other gear sitting there in my garage, without being able to play with them – Now, though, the sheer thrill to be able to ride 700-800 cv bullets in my lounge has made it all worth it.

Any more upcoming projects for high-quality simulation?

Sure! My next goal is to reproduce car motions and road imperfections and grant a yet richer driving experience. It would be wonderful to work at this project with Sparco and to finally make my dream come true – A dream I hold on to since I was just a ten-years-old kid.

“Aerobatics with gliders means controlling every gram, every metre, every instant of energy.
Energy is our vital lymph, our blood, our oxygen. You give me speed, and all I need to feel free to be myself in the sky.”

The words of Luca Bertossio, 22 years old aerobatic glider pilot, unequivocally express the passion that moves him to fly and delight the public with his silent aerobatic evolutions.
Aerobatics are his life. Since he began, three years ago, Luca has clocked up an incredible number of flying hours, and achieved results no one near his age has ever managed: 4 times on the top step of the podium, with the Italian National Anthem in his ears and a gold medal around his neck.

There are a couple of things Luca would never be without whenever he climbs into his glider. And these include his Sparco shoes.

“Sensitivity is absolutely of paramount importance. I don’t wear gloves, not even in winter because they act like a ‘filter’ between me and the glider. I only use polarised sunglasses with titanium frames and my Sparco ankle-free shoes, the only ones that let me feel every gram of pressure I put on the pedals (controls that are vital for correctly executing the figures). I wouldn’t wear any other kind of shoe.”

We’re very proud of our contribution to improving Luca’s flying conditions and really looking forward to cutting trails through the sky with him again soon.

Find out more about Luca Bertossio:

http://www.bertossio.it
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Luca-Bertossio/218398968183408

How many uses are there for a fire-proof racing suit?
Would you put space missions on the list?
Well, now you can.

For some years now, Sparco has been supplying technical clothing for the scientists, astronauts and space tourists that train at Spaceland, the world’s first-ever privately-funded zero-g, lunar and Martian space flight research centre.

Spaceland is the only place you can get certificates officially qualifying you as an astronaut through training courses just like the ones they do at NASA, and then get to fly into space.
The courses are held at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral and at the European Space Center.

Check out the schedule at www.spaceland.it and catch the next training missions “on the fly”!

So, want to be a space pilot?
If you’ve got a Sparco suit you’re already half way there.

He started out on karts back in 1987, then a pause to get a university degree and a grand return to the circuits in 2002. Now at age 38, Jesús Pérez-Santander has the experience of 14 kart seasons behind him, full of incredible thrills and victories.
We met up with this Spanish driver for a chat and he told us all about his favourite passions: Karting and Sparco.

How and when did you start racing karts?
I ran my first ever race when I was 14, but karting is a long-standing tradition in my family, so I’ve been breathing karts since I was born.

They say you’ve been using Sparco stuff right from the start. What was it you liked about it?
True, true. I’ll always remember my first racing suit. Sparco was already legendary in the ‘eighties, so when it came to choosing it was really no contest.

Since you came back to the circuit in 2002 you’ve always gone for the Rotax Max Challenge. Have you ever thought of racing in other categories?
Absolutely not. I still think the Rotax Max Challenge is the most interesting category, especially for the Grand Finals that are practically the Kart world cup, with all the winners of the national championships competing, and each one representing his own country. And the level is extremely high. It’s the dream of every kart driver.

How did it feel, the first time you won the Rotax Grand Finals in Egypt in 2009?
It went much better than I had ever hoped. I was absolutely psyched up for the races and I will remember the entire week for the rest of my life. Stepping onto the top step on the podium in category DD2 Master was one of the best moments of my entire career.

Are you going to encourage your 8 year old son to race karts?
I certainly am. Actually he’s already started on a Federación Aragonesa de Automovilismo program. When I was his age I saw some of the greatest drivers in the history of motorsports wearing Sparco suits, so I know he’ll likely do the same. He’s only 8, but like me when I started out, he’s already made his choice: Sparco.

It’s now several months it’s been travelling around Italy and Europe, attending many of the most important motorsports events: it was at the 24 Hours of Spa Franchorchamps, at the Kart World Championships in Sarno, at the Mont Blanc Rally and the Principe de Asturias Rally.

What are we talking about? The Sparco Motorhome, ever ready to set out and take Sparco wherever it’s needed.

The Motorhome is equipped to offer all kinds of services to drivers and teams, and fans as well, to answer all your questions and give you the chance to get a hands-on feel of what Sparco’s all about.

Now it’s at the 53rd Sanremo Rally and will be moving on to the Legend di San Marino Rally in October, and then on to the Monza Rally Show in November. If you’re there, don’t forget to look us up to get a preview of all the latest stuff and chat about our favourite passion.