66 replies to this topic

[D-Type]

Getting back to the original theme:

~
Not those moments when we've seen stunning car control, or gawping at Matra exhausts, but little moments that even though we know about our sport, have surprised us.
~

For me: The announcement of the Tyrrell six-wheeler was one of these "I don't believe it" moments.

Plus some of the antics of messrs. Ecclestone, Mosely, Balestre, Todt etc on the political front.

[f1steveuk]

Little off topic.
Petrolprice Trier Germany: €1,749
Petrolprice Luxembourg (10 miles away): €1,394
Per litre, offcourse.

Yes, jaw dropping!

[remus]

Quattro S2, Clumber park "85 - Wow!

(Naughtily) climbing up the fence and leaning over the top under the dunlop bridge at Donny during MotoGp qualifying... mind blowing

Standing right behind the curious BMW X5 with a LM V12 I think in it as it started up,

Sitting in the 2nd row of the Grandstand on the run down from La Source in '98 and watching F1 wheels fly by - yikeees!

First time I climbed the rear stairs and walked into the stands on the main straight at LM prior to the 24hrs

First time I saw a top fuel dragster take off having never seen a drag of any kind - made me giggle and nearly drop my insides all at the same time. Chuckling now just thinking about it.

[f1steveuk]

On the other side.

I was at the pre Grand Prix tyre testing session at Brands Hatch, which memory tells me was 1982. I was there as a guest, and was on the little step, over the pit lane from the garages, just behind the Armco. Having just crossed the pit lane, I was just being offered some ear defenders when someone (who I was told was Piquet) lost it, and clouted the barrier, head on into the barrier right where I was standing. I shall never, as long as I live forget the bang, sounds of scraping, cracking fibreglass or kevlar/carbon and tyre noise, as we all dropped for cover. You'd have thought a plane had crashed. Seconds later, the driver vaulted the barrier, and jogged across the pit lane. Me? dazed and really unable to concentrate on what the hell was going on.

[RJE]

I wasn't even born, but I remember my father telling me about standing at Donnington when the Merc's and Auto Unions first came and seeing them take off at the top of the hill on the opening laps.

[chunder27]

Take my breath away moments

Martin Schanche and Will Gollop in perfect sideways harmony in a heat of the 1990 Internations Cup rallycross. The pair of them uutterly sideways through Samson Curve at over 110mph, simply beautiful.

Frankie Wainman Jr at Sheffield about 2000, he is leading the last race, clips a tyre and bends the front inside wheel under the car, tried to hold off Andy Smith, and fails just, and in the pits is annoyed with himself! I was like a kid that day.

Simon Crafar spinning up the rear wheel of his YZR500 Yamaha out of the old hairpin at Donington, and leaving a black line about 50 yards long, with a small break for a gearchange in it. God at work.

Walking into Clumber Park late for teh RAC rally, but being priviliged enough to see Toivonen, Rohrl and others come right past us wrming up their brakes and tyres! We missed them in stage!

Stretton 4 wheel drifing a P34 Tyrrell down Craner Curves

Being at Santa Pod for a test day and totally ******* myself when Gordie Bonin's team blipped the engine, it was about half a mile away yet seemed louder! And then watching it off the line, dont anyone ever tell me those guys dont earn their corn! At least once go and watch a fueller do a proper run.
And many more

[arttidesco]

I don't remember the exact circumstances but I think it was in 1986 at Donington during an F3 race that I was surprised to look up and see what turned out to be Andrew Gilbert-Scotts Ralt go airborne twixt the chicane and the finish line and land belly first in the catch fence right in front of me.

The jaw dropping moment was when I saw a photo of the incident on the front cover of Motoring News on the following Wednesday and realised the MN photographer had kept on snapping away while he was standing between the spectator enclosure fence where I was and the catch fence where the car landed !

[Graham Clayton]

I'll stick with the technical side.

When I attended the scrutineering session for the Australian round of the World Rally Championship in the mid 1990's, I expected the works Subarus and Toyotas to have some support.
My jaw dropped however when several vans pulled up, and mechanics started bringing out on trolleys multiple turbo units and gearboxes to be scrutineered. It was then that I realised the chasm between a "works" car and a "privateer".

[kayemod]

I'll stick with the technical side.

When I attended the scrutineering session for the Australian round of the World Rally Championship in the mid 1990's, I expected the works Subarus and Toyotas to have some support.
My jaw dropped however when several vans pulled up, and mechanics started bringing out on trolleys multiple turbo units and gearboxes to be scrutineered. It was then that I realised the chasm between a "works" car and a "privateer".

Was that the event where Toyota would have preferred it if their turbo units hadn't been scrutineered at all?

[Ralliart]

The '76 Long Beach Grand Prix. First day, first practice. One could go practically anywhere and I went to the hairpin. The cars would
make the turn and then floor it to go down Shoreline (pre chicanes). I stood right where they'd start to get on it and all that separated me from the cars was a chain link fence. I was acutely aware that if someone crashed there I was going to be in trouble but got off some photographs with my Instamatic (!). The fence kinda ruins the photos but, for my own perusal, there is Lauda and company coming right at me. Was there by my lonesome the entire practice. When they had the first qualifying later in the day, I noticed they'd put security there and it was off limits from then on.

[AJB]

Stretton 4 wheel drifing a P34 Tyrrell down Craner Curves

Just the four?

[alansart]

Just the four?

Or in this case 12

http://www.anf1blog....rrell-P34_3.jpg

[sterling49]

[quote name='chunder27' date='Mar 4 2012, 11:43' post='5566316']
Martin Schanche and Will Gollop in perfect sideways harmony in a heat of the 1990 Internations Cup rallycross. The pair of them uutterly sideways through Samson Curve at over 110mph, simply beautiful.
[quote]

This era of the sport was incredible, the raw speed, power and traction just amazing and both of the guys mentioned, just top exponents of the sport.

[Eric Dunsdon]

The 19th of July 1952 at Silverstone where I first heard and saw the Mark 1 V16 BRM raced in anger.

[GMACKIE]

Easter, 1963........Driving full-tilt down 'The Esses' at Bathurst for the first time.

Last Saturday.......Driving an HQ Holden at Wakefield Park in the pouring rain, when the wipers failed. Visibility = ZERO.

[macoran]

Take my breath away moments

Stretton 4 wheel drifing a P34 Tyrrell down Craner Curves

How the hell did he DO that !!!!!!!

[garoidb]

How the hell did he DO that !!!!!!!

Bit of understeer, perhaps!