Jacques, and the treatment he has received from the media, come into another light when viewed from this angle. Certainly, I don't really like his grunge appearance and dyed hair, but that is a part of his open non-conformity to a situation he probably sees as all too plastic.
I don't really know what to think about many of these things, but I know it will be a cold day in hell before I can really refrain from being interested in motor racing.
I abhor, like Jenks apparently did, what has happened to it, but it is still the only sport in which I take any interest beyond a fleeting glance.
The money side of it depresses me, the anxieties that people go through to try and join in at top levels must be suicide material. There has been one improvement over the past 25 years.. that 'buy drives' are less available to people without the talent, that the money available to the teams encourages them to scour around a bit to find new talent, so some drivers do stand a chance. If they have the right connections, are in the right place and are lucky.
Then there is the level of dedication that is required to get there and stay there. The most unrealistic way of living there is, in my view. Everything subordinated to the need to achieve in this one endeavour... what you eat, when you sleep, just like an Olympic athlete, but probably worse, for at the end of it all you can still drive into a concrete wall and bring it all to an end.
15 years of hindsight, the current F1 world champion is a tattooed beringed, gangsta. How times change!
Further down there is mention of 'weathering' blocks. That was not an uncommon process in the past, cast and semi machined blocks were allowed to weather. Perkins among other did it all the time. Then final machine it for racing using all the accepted processes.
A used block is probably better because of the heat cycles hardening it. Providing it is not rusty.
All blocks walk and creep, used ones already have so are best suited,, though it is far harder to handpick one. Just get what is accepted to be the best casting numbers or similar.
A weathered block that has then been heat treated is probably better for a manufacturer.
