279 replies to this topic

[Lotus23]

David Birchall and lanciaman, thanks for your terrific memories!

David, I have the feeling that there are a few other "there I was" tales you might relate to us. I'm glad I owned only an open-face helmet or I'd likely have done the same thing!

lanciaman, now that you've piqued my/our interest, would you care to expound a bit on any/all of those moments? Especially re Luigi Chinetti, my old boss from LeMans 62?

[lanciaman]

Originally posted by David Birchall
Can't let that go by Ray!


"Finally, after a long delay, we are told to saddle up. The guy alongside me in a super hot GT350 Mustang gets in, the next fastest guy in a Lotus Seven Twin Cam climbs aboard, then its my turn, the star of the show! I stroll across to the car trying to be cool because I'm not used to this much attention, I open the (superlightweight) door, grab my helmet, look up at the crowd and smile, then put the bloody full face helmet on backwards!!!
15 minutes of fame my arse!!

I love it David! FUBAR.
And one of my own:
Our national sponsor's motorsport rep was coming to a national SCCA race, the first he'd been to. A charming man, and we really wanted to put on a good face to justify the money. Before the first practice we had the MGB spotless, endlessly wiping here and there, touching up the paint, waxing the tools, polishing anything that could be polished; we'd spent the week freshening the engine, washing the hauler, starching the crew suits, and laying in goodies for paddock pleasure. Everyone was on best behavior, no stone left unturned, etc.

Came time to leave the paddock for first practice. I, in all my Hero Race Driver glory, buckled up, the engine started and I pulled onto the racetrack, accelerating hard for the sake of exhaust noise (such as it was!). I got about 50 yards, just enough to build up a little speed, and the hood flew back on its hinges, bent itself on the rollbar and stayed there. We'd forgotten to insert the hood pins.

I had to drive the damn thing all the way around the track, blindly peering around the hood, to the hilarity of all corner workers, in order to get back to the pits. Not a word was said of the incident. We wreaked a quick body slam on the hood to straighten it, hood pins were located and I went out again, in glorious mortification.

[lanciaman]

Originally posted by Lotus23

lanciaman, now that you've piqued my/our interest, would you care to expound a bit on any/all of those moments? Especially re Luigi Chinetti, my old boss from LeMans 62?

I was pitted at Daytona next to a Newman NART (IIRC?) Ferrari Daytona driven by Paul Newman et al, I think 1979, and I believe Mr. Chinetti was there for that; in any case we ended up seated next to one another on the flight home, and while both of us wanted to snooze, I badgered him with questions and he was very polite in telling me about bringing Italian cars to the USA. When I told him I worked for Lancia, he was more outgoing and actually had kind things to say about the cars, though he was prescient in his opinion the folks in Montvale had their heads up their orifices. I regret not bringing myself to ask him more about his long history with Ferrari, but I think he was having another problem with the factory at the time....

[CADBLACK]

TWO "PRICELESS" MOMENTS

Moment One: Watcing AJ foyt put his dirt car on the pole at Milwaukee in a field filled with all rear-engined champ cars. Forget the year. He finished the race second; and had driven the dirt car at DuQuoin the day previous -- on the dirt!

Moment Two: Watching Andretti finish Third in a Formula 5000 car against the full GP field at Ontarion (the road course) in about '72. The event was called the Questar Grand Prix.

In both cases the cars driven were vastly inferior to the competition. In both cases pure violations of physics were taking place. Pure "John Henry" stuff -- man over machine.

Things like this don't seem to happen much anymore. Perhaps it's the "corporatization" of the sport that prevents it...

Cadblack@aol.com

[Lagonda]

My F1 priceless moment was at the Barcelona GP last year when a friend who works for a Williams sponsor got us in to the paddock and the Williams motorhome. Meeting JPM and chatting to him about Goodwood was amazing, Gatecrashing the Michelin Party was great, watching my partners feeble attempt to chat up Louise Goodman by laughing at her numerous bangles was hysterical. But the defining moment was watching Monty give an interview in the Garage while the mehanics worked on the car and then meeting Sir Frank. I'll never forget that day, meeting so many heros and being so close to the show.

My most pricless race was Johnny Herbert winning the European grand prix with Ruebens coming third for Stewart.

[scheivlak]

Originally posted by CADBLACK
Moment Two: Watching Andretti finish Third in a Formula 5000 car against the full GP field at Ontarion (the road course) in about '72. The event was called the Questar Grand Prix.

You'll find quite a few threads at this forum about the 1971 Questor Grand Prix - actually it was won by Mario, but not in a F5000 but in the beautiful Ferari 312B F1! Perhaps you're mixing it up with Mark Donohue's great performance in a F5000 car in that race?

[roger ellis]

The opposite to "When did you loose interest" - what was the blinding event that meant from that moment on, motor sport or racing cars were going to dominate your life.

I have just excitedly opened up " Open Roads & Front Engines" & one of the first pictures I saw - it's on page 180 - and there,captured by Geoff Goddard, is PWT 846 - an almost vintage looking Jaguar XK140 awaiting scrutineering at 1956 Le Mans. We have history this car & I, in fact it represents my "Damascus" moment.

I was 10 years old when I was taken for a ride in this Jag XK that belonged to Robbie Walshaw ( a work colleague of my fathers) just after its return from La Sarthe. A private entry ( but the car was works prepared), Robbie & Peter Bolton were cruelly robbed of at least a top ten finish when re-fuelled 1 lap too soon with only a handfull of hours to go & were immediately disqualified.

Although I had been around cars all my life, a blast in this noisy, powerful RACING car did it for me.

Well back to my new book.....

[EDWARD FITZGERALD]

I have been thinking of a similar topic only recently , I was taken to my first motor race s in 62 , Dunboyne and The Park ,and was hooked ,and still am .But my most memorable moment would be John Sparrow ex works Cobra and Peter Clarke GTO coming through Dunboyne village , the sound the vibration is still with me today , there are others but its ther at the top of my list .

[LotusElise]

There have been two moments, although I have been into motorsport on and off since childhood.
The first came in a university computer room, when I was bored, and I managed to put a face and a name to the mysterious female F1 drivers my Dad had told me about. Knowing who they were and that they really existed made motorsport something I could really take part in, as a girl, for some reason. Going through the names showed me a lot about the male drivers too, I must add.

The second moment came about a month afterwards when I visited the Goodwood Festival of Speed for the first time and experienced the noisy, colourful, visceral and totally alive world of racing cars close up. I've never looked back.

[David Beard]

I first went to Silverstone when I was 6 years old, after many years of nagging dad to take me.

Cars were always being mended in the garden, Motor Sport magazine was always in the house. I learnt to read on that (or at least the captions in the Pictorial Review section), and Broons annuals.

I'm not sure that you are a proper enthusiast if you can remember a time when you weren't interested...

[frogeye59]

My mum insists I was taken on club rallies in and around Yorkshire strapped in my carry cot in the back of a supercharged anglia during my early months, 1964 onwards. (Seven Dales Rally ?? anyone ??)

However, My first memories are of wonderful days spent with my brother and stepdad in the forests of Yorkshire watching the RAC Rallies as they passed through Cropton & Dalby.

I'm unsure of the first I went to, but names like Lampinen, Aaltonen, Makinen were fascinating and exotic to a young Selby lad, as were rally prepped SAABs, BDA Escorts, Minis, Imps, VW's and even the odd forces entered Landie (which I viewed as cheating....).

My interst in motor racing was cemented by the excitement of following closely and attending the victory podium of Roger Clarks RAC victory in 1972.

At the age of 12 I ditched comics and the like for a monthly delivery of Motorsport on the back of Roger doing it again on the RAC and James splashing to the championship in '76.

David

[Rob Miller]

Christmas 1958. My Godmother put four copies of Road & Track in with my present. I still have them.

[ian senior]

Originally posted by frogeye59
I'm unsure of the first I went to, but names like Lampinen, Aaltonen, Makinen were fascinating and exotic to a young Selby lad, as were rally prepped SAABs, BDA Escorts, Minis, Imps, VW's and even the odd forces entered Landie (which I viewed as cheating....).

David

Someone else who spent some of their formative years in Selby. I don't know whether to jump for joy at finding a fellow sufferer, or send you my commiserations.

[frogeye59]

Originally posted by ian senior


Someone else who spent some of their formative years in Selby. I don't know whether to jump for joy at finding a fellow sufferer, or send you my commiserations.

Commiserations definately.

I escaped in 1979, and my rehabilitation is going very well.

Cheers

David

[Chris Bloom]

I first became enthralled by motor sport in 1981 when I was 11. I guess I should have discovered it earlier, I do remember seeing Gilles digging himself out of the Dutch sand in his three wheel Ferrari but for some reason at that time it didn't grab my imagination.

You could actually say that it was by accident that I got interested in Formula One. One day in 1981 my Dad brought home a VCR (Video 2000 for those who might remember that format) I went about setting the timer to record anything of even moderate interest that I could find listed in the Radio Times One of the programs was the highlights of the French GP at Dijon. From that moment on I watched all but two F1 races until this season where fortunatly I have managed to miss quite a few more;)

[sterling49]

Over the years spectating at various events and venues, both in Racing and Rallying, you witness something very special, I reminisced today of watching a very young Henri Toivenen on a Welsh Forest Castrol Autosport round in the early '80's at about this time of the year. He was driving a works Talbot Sunbeam Lotus with, I think, Paul White co driving. I spectated on a fresh air bend, where a miscalculation would have had dire consequences (over she goes). Henri came round completely sideways and blipping the throttle, the rear wheel tracks, after he had gone, were seen to be just inches from the sheer drop and he was so visibly faster than the competition......I watched his progress with great interest and was an instant fan, watching him on the RAC was just so special!We all witness great spectacles when we watch motorsport, but that for me was a very defining moment

[MCS]

Am I alone in thinking we've just had a thread like this...

sterling49, do you know how to use the Search BB facility ?

[sterling49]

Originally posted by MCS
Am I alone in thinking we've just had a thread like this...

sterling49, do you know how to use the Search BB facility ?

Sorry, I looked but could not find.... point me in the direction and I will post it there

[Tim Murray]

Here are a couple:

Your 'Road to Damascus' moment...

What's your " priceless " moment ?

[Tim Murray]

And another:

YOUR most memorable motorsports memory

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by sterling49
Over the years spectating at various events and venues, both in Racing and Rallying, you witness something very special...

It's comparatively recent, but one of the most eye-opening things I've ever seen was Antonio Pizzonia threading an FRenault through the Craners with a delicacy and grace I've never seen in any other driver. I still think his car control is the finest I've ever seen - and that includes quite a few World Champions. OK, FRenaults aren't chariots of the Gods, but you could've put Prost in that car and he would've looked ragged next to Antonio.

It was as if Jungle Boy was thinking the car through the corners, barely needing to exercise any physical control over the car at all. Truly, eye-openingly brilliant, and I fear, like Jan Magnussen, he was another great driver whose career exploded at StewartJaguarRedBull and was never the same afterwards, psychologically.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Tim Murray
Here are a couple:

Your 'Road to Damascus' moment...

What's your " priceless " moment ?

Perhaps I can request that Twinny merges the thread with one he deems most suitable, thanks in anticipation

[jimmyc]

The first auto race I attended was the sole F5000 run at Michigan International . Jody Scheckter was a revalation Before half distance I was saying to myself; this guy is going to be world champion.

[Jerry Entin]

Hi Jim: Sid Taylor and I ran the car at Michigan for Jody in 1973. Ron Bennett and Kerry Agapiou worked on it. We had Vasek Polack there with us also. Vasek had come to watch Jody. The track manager bet us Jody couldn't break the Track record held by an Indy car. I said OK what do you want to bet. He said dinner. I told Jody the Track will take the whole Team out for a nice dinner if he breaks the track record. It took him 2 whole laps to accomplish this. The track took us to a nice place called Win Schuler's and we had a ball that night. In the race Jody just ran away with it. Derek Bell driving for Carl Haas/Jim Hall Team did a good job and finished 2nd. Brian Redman wasn't able to attend that race and Derek Bell filled in for him. Glad you enjoyed watching Jody go in the day. Tyler Alexander came out to watch Jody at Michigan and brought Gordon Coppuck with him also. I told them we needed help with the car. Tyler was the team manager for McLaren and Gordon was the designer of their Fromula One car. After they saw Jody run they asked me was I kidding!

Here is Jody in the car. Kerry Agapiou in the front Ron Bennett at the rear and me with the hat at the back. Car is called Trojan -T101.

[jimmyc]

Thanks for the reply, Jerry. This was also the time I became interested in photography. My early results were not too successful, but I will check my pictures and if there is a decent one of Jody I will post it.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by jimmyc
The first auto race I attended was the sole F5000 run at Michigan International . Jody Scheckter was a revalation Before half distance I was saying to myself; this guy is going to be world champion.

Watching Jody in the Ford Escort Mexico series was just amazing, along with Gerry Marshall, Stuart McCrudden and Rod Mansfield and co.....so very competitive, 16 cars, all more or less equal with about 90bhp and assorted determined drivers to pilot them, watching Scheckter at Paddock Hill Bend was superb, I don't think he ever found the middle pedal! Such great car control

[Dan Soiney]

Several...

Accelerating out of the pits during my 1st drivers school in a Mazda RX-2 at Road America. Seems like a lifetime ago!

Having a conversation with Fangio at the Concours in Elkhart lake, when he asked if the Ferrari we were standing in front of was ours. Got a big laugh when we explained we drove Volkswagens!

Sneaking into the pits at my first ever race, and taking pictures of the Wolf can am car! Must have been '77 or so....

Seeing the Mustang GTP in it's only win in the pouring rain in '83

I could go on

Dan

[jamesmac80]

David Leslie, Ralt RT4 - Ingliston!

[JacnGille]

Originally posted by sterling49


Watching Jody in the Ford Escort Mexico series was just amazing, ...I don't think he ever found the middle pedal! Such great car control

Sounds like when I saw him at Road Atlanta in Vasek Pollak's 917-10 Can Am car. Jody threw it around like a big kart.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by JacnGille


Sounds like when I saw him at Road Atlanta in Vasek Pollak's 917-10 Can Am car. Jody threw it around like a big kart.

......but I was also at Silverstone '73, when Big John was nearly put out of racing......a BIG Slide Jody!!!After that GP, everybody knew who young Jody was