It’s mid July, so it must be Belgium...
People often say that Belgium is famous for relatively little but with a motorsport heritage that includes the Zolder circuit and drivers of the calibre of Jacky Ickx, Thierry Boutsen and Olivier Gendebien, it has a lot to be extremely proud of. This weekend, the Superleague series travels to Zolder for the third time in its history, for the next round of the 2010 calendar.
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British Racing Green - it’s coming home...
This weekend sees the Formula One World Championship coming home, with the teams arriving en masse in Northamptonshire at Silverstone. Expectations are high that the country will see a British victory to compensate for the woeful performance of our footballers in South Africa.
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Helping the front line, from the front row of the grid...
Last week, a number of motorsport organisations were to be found in the heart of Millbrook in Bedfordshire, on the 23rd and the 24th June, showcasing their wares to the military world at the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Equipment and Support showcase event, DVD2010. It’s a time for the military world – in terms of both the purchasers of equipment and the front line soldier - to talk directly to the manufacturers of all types of equipment in order for that dialogue and communication to seek to further improve the quality of the equipment on the frontline.
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Germany vs England – the Superleague way!
This weekend sees the next chapter being played out of the increasingly popular Superleague Formula series, with the fifth round taking place at the Nurburgring, in Germany. Home to the legendary Nordschleife circuit, the Eiffel Mountains simply ooze motorsport history and it’s another boost for the championship to be returning to such hallowed ground, having last been there in 2008, during the debut season for Superleague.
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Viva Espana
The Superleague Formula season continues to go from strength to strength and yesterday saw the MCT support truck complete its long trek from Leafy Oxfordshire to Jarama for this weekend’s fourth round of the championship. Unless you live on the moon, you’ll know that it’s World Cup time in South Africa – and if you do live on the moon, you can probably hear the sound of the vuvuzelas even from there! But it’s a wonderful time for football and the carnival atmosphere of the World Cup – and Superleague continues to bring the worlds of football and motor sport together at some of the world’s leading racing circuits.
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Against the clock...
To the casual sports fan, motorsport is Formula One. Little else matters to many across the world who follow the ebb and flows of the World Championship, without worrying about the other layers of the motor sport panthoen. However, the sport is so much more than just a Grand Prix and this weekend sees the annual pilgrimage of many tens of thousands to La Sarthe region of France for the annual 24 hours of Le Mans endurance race.
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Delivering the spectacle
We’re just three races into the 2010 Superleague season, but already I get a sense that people are increasingly impressed with the sheer quality and spectacle of the racing in the series. At Silverstone, Assen and now Magny-Cours, we have all had the privilege of witnessing some of the finest, contemporary single-seater racing seen in a considerable time.
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Back to back Superleague rounds for MCT
After spending last weekend at Assen in Holland, Menard Competition Technologies’ (MCT) support team is heading to Magny-Cours for the third round of the Superleague Formula series, which is taking place this weekend, 22/23 May. The back to back rounds have meant that the MCT truck has travelled the 900kms from Assen to the Magny-Cours circuit in south-east-France directly, in order to be on hand to provide technical support to the teams.
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MCT heads to Assen with Superleague
The grandstands at Assen will this weekend (15-16 May) echo to the striking sound of Menard Competition Technologies’ (MCT) V12 engines, as the Superleague Formula championship moves to Holland for the second round of the 2010 season. The opening round at Silverstone in April saw the first competitive running of the V12s in 2010, with the 17 MCT V12s covering a combined distance of 8,337 kilometres during the weekend.
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England 2, France 1
This weekend’s opening round of the Superleague Formula series at Silverstone witnessed the first competitive running of the MCT V12s in 2010. Although a little damp due to the mixed weather conditions, the Easter weekend event delivered some superb racing, a home win for Tottenham Hotspur and another excellent reliability performance by the MCT V12 power units.
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New kids on the block…
This weekend sees the first round of this year’s Formula One World Championship. Hopes are high across the industry that 2010 will bring one of the most closely contested championships since 1950. All is to play for – and the world will be looking on with great anticipation.
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MCT’s Magic Numbers
Menard Competition Technologies' (MCT) 750bhp, lightweight, V12 mesmerised Superleague Formula spectators across the world in 2009, with its stunning performance and spine-tingling exhaust note.
Here are just a few facts and figures from a stellar second season.
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MCT extends the lifespan of London’s black cabs
Menard Competition Technologies (MCT), one of the world’s leading motorsport and advanced automotive organisations, has turned its knowledge of precision engineering to provide assistance to black cab drivers. MCT was approached by a specialist taxi repair company to develop a solution to an ongoing mechanical issue faced by cabbies.
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MCT wins coveted business award
Menard Competition Technologies, (MCT) one of the world’s leading motorsport and advanced automotive organisations, is celebrating this week after winning the Motorsport Industry Association’s (MIA) highly coveted Technology and Innovation Award. Fighting off strong opposition from companies such as Williams Hybrid Power and Millers Oils, MCT was presented with the MIA Business Excellence accolade, at the NEC in Birmingham, on 14th January, for its outstanding design and engineering work undertaken on the Superleague V12 racing engine.
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A New Year’s resolution for the motorsport industry
Much was made in the press during 2009 regarding the future of the motorsport industry, in light of the recession and the withdrawal of a number of vehicle manufacturers from F1 and the WRC. Menard Competition Technologies’ Managing Director, Kevin Lee, looks at some of the lessons learnt from a challenging year.
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MCT invests in infrastructure
MCT, one of the world’s leading motorsport engine constructors, has continued to improve its service, by investing in an additional three CNC machine tools. The new arrivals give MCT the ability to further reduce turnaround times on milling projects, in addition to increasing the company’s total solution capabilities.
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MCT powers a two wheeled British icon
Menard Competition Technologies’ (MCT) latest project will be unveiled at this week’s International Motorcycle & Scooter Show, in Birmingham, as part of the first public appearance of Norton’s highly-anticipated 961 Commando range. Developed and manufactured by MCT exclusively for Norton, the 961cc parallel twin engine encapsulates the style and performance of Norton’s legendary heritage, albeit with a modern twist of fuel injection.
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The flag drops on MCT’s 2009 Superleague season
The final chequered flag has dropped on another incredible Superleague season for Menard Competition Technologies (MCT). This year’s championship has not only seen MCT’s bespoke Superleague V12 engine become shortlisted as a finalist for this year’s British Engineering Excellence Awards, but also improve on its extraordinary reliability record. Indeed, the 2009 title fight witnessed the eighteen Superleague teams clock up a combined distance of nearly 50,000kms across the year, without recording a major engine failure.
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MCT putting quality first
Menard Competition Technologies Limited, (MCT) one of the world’s leading motorsport and advanced automotive organisations, has been rewarded for its continued drive for quality with the latest ISO 9001 certification. Its new ISO 9001:2008 certification required a more in-depth assessment to include the additional production processes now utilised by the company for its specialist low volume, high performance engine production. MCT’s latest ISO upgrade marks seventeen years since the team first gained ISO accreditation.
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Another accolade for MCT’s Superleague V12…
Menard Competition Technologies (MCT) Limited’s bespoke Superleague V12 engine - a project that went from initial design to full manufacture in less than six months - has been shortlisted as a finalist for this year’s British Engineering Excellence Awards (BEEA), organised by Findlay Media. The 4.2 litre V12 unit powers the Superleague Formula single-seater championship and has continued to turn heads with both its performance and reliability this season. The V12 motor, with its spine tingling exhaust note, has kept Superleague fans enthralled throughout the opening half of the season, adding to the emerging series’ reputation for close, exciting racing.
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MCT looks to the skies
This month sees Menard Competition Technologies (MCT) celebrating the fifth anniversary of its relationship with aerospace company, Wilksch. MCT has been machining cylinder heads for Wilksch’s innovative three cylinder aviation engines for half a decade and the relationship looks set to blossom into other arenas, as Wilksch grows while endeavouring to keep its key supplier base in the UK.
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Something to be proud of….
Despite the challenges that the motorsport sector is currently facing, the UK industry should look to the future with a great deal to be positive about. Menard Competition Technologies’ (MCT) Kevin Lee takes a look at why the UK should stand up and be proud...
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MCT’s Magic Numbers
Menard Competition Technologies' (MCT) 750bhp, lightweight, V12 mesmerised
Superleague Formula spectators across the world in 2008, with its performance and
spine-tingling exhaust note.
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The Motorcycle Diaries
Norton, the iconic British motorcycle brand, has formed a partnership with
Menard Competition Technologies (MCT), for the Oxfordshire-based business to
develop the motorcycle manufacturer’s engines. MCT, one of the world’s leading
engine specialists, will, initially, be responsible for development of the power
units for the 961/SS Commando model. With the recent return of Norton to the
UK, after its acquisition by British-based entrepreneur Stuart Garner, the
motorcycles will be built in the Midlands, at Norton’s new Donington Park facility.
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MCT attend Autosport International
Menard Competition Technologies (MCT), one of the world’s leading advanced
automotive development organisations, will be taking centre stage at this week’s
Autosport International Show, at the NEC in Birmingham. MCT will be
showcasing its contribution to the BLOODHOUND SSC, the land speed record
attempt unveiled in London at the end of last year by Richard Noble.
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MCT’s world-beating trio…
Menard Competition Technologies (MCT), one of the world’s leading advanced
automotive development organisations, will be taking centre stage at this week’s
Professional Motorsport World Expo, at Koelmesse in Cologne. With one of the
biggest areas at the show dedicated to the organisation, MCT will be highlighting
its work across the land speed record, international single-seater and advanced
production car sectors.
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Bloodhound’s dual-pronged attack
BLOODHOUND SSC, the land speed record attempt unveiled in London today
by Richard Noble, will be utilising a Menard Competition Technologies (MCT) –
designed V12 engine as an integral part of the propulsion package for the
project, alongside a Eurofighter jet engine. The V12 unit will be providing over
27,500 pounds of thrust and delivering a tonne of propellant within 17 seconds to
the car’s rocket, whilst also powering the vehicle’s electronic and hydraulic
systems. If the car reaches its 1.4 mach, 1,000mph target, the V12 motor will
become the fastest piston engine in history.
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Come together…
Much is being made in the automotive media, as well as the wider press,
about the validity of motorsport as a discipline in an increasingly
environmentally-aware society. Indeed, there are those that predict that in
as little as twenty years time, motorsport that utilises fossil fuels will be as
socially acceptable as smoking is now.
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Superleague Formula facts and figures…
The Superleague Formula Championship kicks off this weekend, 30-31st August,
at Donington Park, UK. The series is powered by the glorious noise of MCT’s allnew
V12 engine. For the number crunchers, here’s a few facts and figures about
the powerplant…
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Football focus…
This weekend, August 30th – 31st, sees the first round of the all new Superleague
Formula Championship, at Donington Park in the UK. The race will also see the
debut of the series’ powerplant, with all cars powered by a bespoke 4.2 litre, 750
horsepower V12 engine from Menard Competition Technologies
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The future relationship between the automotive sector and
The automotive industry is changing at an astonishing pace, driven by
globalisation, reductions in pre-production and time to market lead times - and
the challenges of a society increasingly driven by a more environmentally
responsible outlook
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A V12 production line…
Work continues apace at Menard Competition Technologies (MCT), in the run up
to the first Superleague Formula race, with 15 V12 engines now having been
completed at its Leafield production facility. Enough engines, plus spares, will be
built, ‘dyno’ed’ and tested to power the entire field at the first all-team test
session at Barcelona on 29 July, prior to the highly-anticipated inaugural race at
Donington Park, on 31 August.
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Further expansion at MCT…
Menard Competition Technologies (MCT), one of the country’s leading
motorsport and advanced automotive organisations, has taken on more staff as
demand for its services continues to grow at its Leafield base in Oxfordshire. The
company, which is responsible for a number of touring car, single seater and
road car complete engine programmes, has appointed eight new employees to
join the company.
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Power to the people…
We’re told, constantly, that motorsport is no longer a sport but that it is a business employing thousands in a niche industry sector that we should all be proud of. And those observers of motorsport are right. However, to see that as the complete picture is to miss the point.
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Something of the night…
Menard Competition Technologies (MCT), one of Europe’s foremost motorsport and advanced automotive organisations, has this month recruited a nightshift team to increase its manufacturing capacity, offering a total 24 hours a day, seven day a week service. The move comes as its order book grows and the company seeks to improve further on its world-beating customer service and delivery capabilities.
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