71 replies to this topic

[lordy]

Spent the weekend with my dad, and having discussed the state of contempory f1, we talked about past years. This got me thinking about my earliest memory of motorsport.

My earliest proper memory is I vividly remember seeing the front page newspaper photograph of Niki Lauda's flaming Ferrari at the Nurburgring in '76, the day after the accident, when I was three years old.

I obviously was too young to appreciate this at the time, but i can still see the newspaper on the floor now.

I also remember having a huge poster of James Hunt on my bedroom wall. I can't remember exactly when, but I assume it would have appeared some time in late '76 or '77.

I also remember seeing fragmented BBC coverage of rallycross, with Murray Walker commentating, and also seeing the Birmingham Super Prix on television.

I was probably about thirteen when I seriously got into f1, as i can still remember the anguish at seeing Mansell's tyre explode at Adelaide '86. From this time forward I can pretty much remember everything.

Ahh, the good old days!

[Konsta]

It was most likely 1976 Rally of Thousand Lakes. I remember how saddened I was at the end of SS2 when Stig Blomqvist had to retire because he´d broken the oil pan of his Saab 99 Turbo.

[LB]

Earliest vivid memory is me throwing a tantrum because my parents wouldn't let me stay up to watch the highlights of Italy 1978. Obviously they didn't want me to watch Ronnies accident.

I can't put a date on it but I remember watching a race from Brands with a pace car which makes me wonder if it was the USAC race in 1978. Though I think the memory was on the long circuit not the Indy circuit so maybe not.

I can remember a fair few things from 1979 and from 1980 onwards I can remember most of it

[tifosi]

Watching USAC midegts slide around a dirt-track bullring at the Tulsa State Fairgrounds on Saturday Nights. Great fun.

I got into "professional" racing late, probably in my teens. A couple of vivid memories which stood out were Swede Savage's horrific crash at Indy and Mario Andretti clinching the WDC in '76. I remember seeing it on TV (F1 was not exactly a known in sport in the US), and runnin gout of my house screaming Mario Andretti is the World Champion! Like anyone gave a crap, haha.

[Owen]

As a young boy, my dad bought me a book about Grand Prix in 1985. It had lots of info on Senna in it. I thought his black and gold Lotus was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. I watched every race in 1986 (first full season of watching it) and it was a stonking season, including 2 wins for Senna. From that point onwards, I was hooked.

[brunopascal]

My earliest vivid motorsport memory was the 1986 San Marino GP, and I instantly became a fan of Nelson Piquet. Surprising to some perhaps, because Stefan Johansson (swede like me) was driving Ferrari back then, but I didn't become a fan of Ferrari until 1989, when Mansell went there.

What I liked about Piquet was his helmet design, colours on the Williams, and that he was from an exotic country (Brazil).

Ever since that race I've been hooked on F1. I instantly fell in love with the spectacularity of the races, the wide tires, and the sparks generated from the floor of the car touching the track.

I also have very early memories of reading my father's Michel Vaillant books.

[The Kanisteri]

Early 80's Keke Rosberg black flagged from one race. Can't remember what it was and our tv didn't show F1 in regular basis back then.

[Gemini]

Lauda crash in 1976 seen in TV news. Considering I was growing up behind Iron Curtain it was followed by commentary of following sort: "... here is another tragedy brought by this decadent entartainment of capitalists, while their working class is suffering..."

[Risil]

Jos Verstappen's car going kablammo at Hockenheim in 1994, when I was 4 years old. Left quite the impression on me, truth be told.

[ensign14]

I can remember Sunday Grandstand in '78 showing Monaco and Depailler's first win. Must have made an impact cos I remember drawing at primary school later in the year a dead good Andretti JPS Lotus.

[Risil]

Originally posted by Gemini
Lauda crash in 1976 seen in TV news. Considering I was growing up behind Iron Curtain it was followed by commentary of following sort: "... here is another tragedy brought by this decadent entartainment of capitalists, while their working class is suffering..."

Wow. Not really surprising the Soviet Formula One championship didn't get off the ground, huh?

[Bloggsworth]

Brands Hatch, Kentish 100, 1957 was when I attended my first motor race - I was aware of the sport before then, but that was the bait that hooked me for life......

[PassWind]

Originally posted by Bloggsworth
Brands Hatch, Kentish 100, 1957 was when I attended my first motor race - I was aware of the sport before then, but that was the bait that hooked me for life......

Doing anything for your 50th Bloggsworth?

Treating yourself to a Goodwood maybe? Before I die and thats hopefully at least another half century away I will visit the festival.

First Vivid memory was Johny Ried in the Coke'a'Cola Funny car at Heathcote Drags, Moffat/Bond 1/2 at Bathurst in the big Falcons. I am pretty sure dad had me at the speedway before that.

I know I was in the back seat in a basinet when he crashed his FX with fluted bonnet on the Ocean Grove causeway racing in 72'. No seat belts of child seats back then. It was only a small crash but somehow I have a memory of it.

Remember Dad racing his MG/Triumph/Home made clubman in the 70's, Remember my uncles E Type rolling that in a paddock of all things, he used to race that on club days.

Unlce on the other side had a XY GT Ford which he used to Drag a bit and send my Gran into a flat spin the money he used to spend on it. It was damn fast and he kicking himself now he knows what it is currently worth.

All these were sorta 3-7 year old memories.

Imagine this My dad had a Austin Gypsy, with chrome wheels, it was blue with flame graphics from the nose to the tail. He was a spray painter/panel beater him and the uncles used to do some wacky **** to cars back then and I used to sit in the shed sucking up the thinners while intently watching the creations unfold, many customised cars over the years, his latest a AC Cobra (replica hand built himself less the glass shell)

[Frank Tuesday]

I know I watched racing prior, because I knew who many of the drivers were, but my first memory of auto racing was Michael Andretti passing his father (who was out of gas and coasting) shortly before the finish line in Portland. I think it was in 1986 on Father's Day.

For any type of motorsport, it would be watching my dad race motocross when I was 4. I don't remember any specifics, but I do have vague memories. A couple years later, I wanted to go see Bob "Hurricane" Hannah when he came to town. I still love the smell of two-stroke.

[Aquarius]

I remember seeing the footage of Mansell's rear tire exploding at Adelaide '86... don't think it was live, most likely it was shown during sports news. Although we were behind the Iron Curtain at the time, so maybe I saw it in '90 . Anyway, that's my earliest memory.

[John B]

Originally posted by LB
Earliest vivid memory is me throwing a tantrum because my parents wouldn't let me stay up to watch the highlights of Italy 1978.

That was also the first F1 race I remember seeing portions of too. I think it must have been on tape delay because I vaguely remember the commentator mentioning 'the race that Ronnie Peterson was killed.'

I remember watching many GPs on Wide World of Sports when they were cut into 15-minute shows that were mixed with sailboat races, track and field, and that sort of thing. You'd come back from a commercial and the race had skipped from lap 3 to lap 40, and half of the top 6 were unaccounted for before ESPN starting showing full races. I used to cut race reports out of Road and Track and tape them together as an unofficial Autocourse

The first race of any kind I remember was a NASCAR race at Darlington sometime between 1975-78 where Benny Parsons beat Darrell Waltrip.

[lustigson]

A clear view of a dark-red Ferrari with a white number 1 on it. Begin Prost in 1990, though I'm not sure which race. Could have been the Duth tv news showing Senna and Prost clashing in Japan.

[WHITE]

Sebring 1966, Gurney pushing his car to cross the finish line. It seems he had run out of fuel.

[Group B]

Amateur banger racing in a muddy field with Nutrocker coming over the tannoy. I must've been 4 or 5. There was a huge ditch that cars vanished into if they overshot the corner; who needs gravel traps?

[Muzza]

Mine is the tv coverage of the 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix, with Jarier at the lead. Funny enough, I don't recall watching Pace winning the race.

[Atreiu]

Do monstertrucks count?

My Dad took me to a monstertruck event at the Superdome back in the 80s when we lived in New Orleans. I might have been 6 or 7, I really don't know.

I also remember watching the finish of the 1989 rain soaked Australian GP and being glad Boutsen won, even though I had no idea of who he was.

[911]

I attended a Porsche club event at Riverside International Raceway as a 3-year old in 1967. I was hooked after that!

[paulsky]

monaco 1996

Olivier Panis Ligier/Mugen-Honda 2:00'45.629 124.014

[Collective]

1987 Mexican Grand Prix. I was 5, and my parents took me to the race. After that I was hooked... made them take me to all Mexican GPs from 88 to 92, Prototypes in 89 (with Baldi, Schummi, Frentzen!!!), and I'm sure I haven't missed more than 10 F1 races since then.

[FredF1]

Motorsport. The summer of either 1969 or 1970 (when I was either 4 or 5) watching old wrecks going round and round at the bottom of a gravel pit. I hated the noise (especially from the VW Beetles) and demanded that we leave.


F1 would probably be footage of Monaco from the same period. It was of Jackie Stewart taking off at the entrance to Casino Square, landing inches from the barrier, gathering it up and hurtling off into the distance. Most likely it was footage from Weekend of a Champion

[Muddie]

Early 90s as a very small child being told to sit down and shut up cos the F1 was on. No idea which race. By the end, I had somehow decided that Jean Alesi was the coolest thing in the whole world. Ever.

[united]

I vaguely remember yellow-green Benettons of 1993 (and I really don't know why), but the first remembered memory is Senna's crash. I watched it live and at that time I did not realise the guy was a master.

There was no background knowledge of F1 in our country as F1 was broadcast for the 1st time in 1992 (apart from 1986 when Soviet TV showed footage from Hungarian GP). Iron curtain and all the communist **** perfectly described by Gemini. Only that I lived further to the East where it was much much harder.

I actually remember a funny fact. Our (Belarusian) TV never showed F1 till 2006, but Russian TV (it was RTR channel then) signal was broadcast here. But in 1996-1997 F1 moved from state RTR to another channel and the only way to watch F1 was a satellite dish. At that time I could not afford it and that was why I had to rely on press. I remember perfectly well that in 1997/98 I had to wait till Wednesday to buy a weekly newspaper (!) to simply get the result of the race. Then I had to use my vivid imagination. There was no internet and it was perfectly OK for mainstream media to ignore F1.

I can say that I saw all the races I missed years later, but then it was quite frustrating. When internet became a common thing even here and it became much easier.

That's why I still have a great time reading a good GP report

Sorry for a longish post about my troubled childhood.

[robnyc]

I really got into F1 because of Ayrton Senna, unfortunately to say this but his tragedy was the reason I paid so much attention to the sport. From that moment I decided to re-watch almost all of the races since 1987, at that time I struggled to find VHS with the best races but luckily during the time of his death there was a TV special running weekly where they would show most of his impressive wins. I was really impressed to see his style and talent which was way beyond everyone else who shared the track with him. RIP Senna.

[molive]

First vivid recollection: Emmo's 72 title ( I was 8yo)

What got me really interested: Emerson's 3 titles and Gilles Villeneuve's accident.

What made a real fan: Piquet's 3 WDCs

What made me a devoted follower: The Senna x Prost years

[ensign14]

Originally posted by molive
First vivid recollection: Emmo's 72 title ( I was 8yo)

He won the Austrian GP the day I was born.

[SeanValen]

Originally posted by robnyc
I really got into F1 because of Ayrton Senna, unfortunately to say this but his tragedy was the reason I paid so much attention to the sport. From that moment I decided to re-watch almost all of the races since 1987, at that time I struggled to find VHS with the best races but luckily during the time of his death there was a TV special running weekly where they would show most of his impressive wins. I was really impressed to see his style and talent which was way beyond everyone else who shared the track with him. RIP Senna.

Pretty much like me, but I didn't start looking back straight after his death, it would be 5 years later, as I thought the sport was dead after Senna, not that I watched it much, but I knew a important man was lost, but I didn't watch it enough to spot Michael then. I spotted Michael Schumacher's live telecast in hockenheim in 1999, when he was out with a broken leg, immediately then, I knew he was a important driver out of the show at the time, and was curious about his return, and return he did at Sepang, 1 second faster then the rest in quali, then handing the win over to Irvine and Irvine saying "Not only is he the best no 1 driver, but he's the best no 2 driver, what are we going to do with him" I love that stuff what a a return, someone who had missed his racing so much, he was on fire, quite Ron Dennis on that as well. So I went back watching everything, especially his famous drives in the rain, from the back in the rain in Spa 95, Spain 96-showing off in style for his ferrrari win, wet weather brilliance at Monaco 1998, and the Hungary 3 stopper in 1998 to outflank the mclarens and more, his dominance of Spa 1997 in the wet again, the drama of his once again brilliant performance at Spa 1998 in the rain until the incident with DC slowing down, the do or die effort of Japan 98 until the tyre burn out, so many moments he gave the sport, brilliant.

I also went back and rewatched the Senna/Prost/Mansell/early Schumacher years




I think Nigel Mansell in the ferrari was a brief memory, and him and Senna battles, when I was very young.

[Zoe]

That thread should really be in the nostalgia forum

Anyway, I got interested in those fast looking cars with the huge tires and bold men behind the wheel by the Ford Motorsport calendars my dad brought home with him in the very early seventies.

Unfortunately Mum was heavily opposed to Dad and the kids attending any noisy and dirty motor sports events, and that was that

Zoe

[giacomo]

As an Austrian, I was roughly informed about Laudas career.
Earliest memory was his crash at the 'ring, than the Brabham fan car.

After Lauda retired, I became a Piquet/Brabham fan.
My favourite memory is Piquet going down the Schoenberg in his 1982 BT50.
I simply loved the combination turbo & wingcar.

My interest faded when Piquet left Brabham, it faded more during the dirty Prost Senna wars and it died in Imola 1994. I didn't follow F1 for roughly ten years.

2005, after the endless and paralyzing Schumacher dominance, F1 became interesting again.
And 2007 looks like a really good season so far.

[robnyc]

Originally posted by SeanValen



So I went back watching everything, especially his famous drives in the rain, from the back in the rain in Spa 95, Spain 96-showing off in style for his ferrrari win, wet weather brilliance at Monaco 1998, and the Hungary 3 stopper in 1998 to outflank the mclarens and more, his dominance of Spa 1997 in the wet again, the drama of his once again brilliant performance at Spa 1998 in the rain until the incident with DC slowing down, the do or die effort of Japan 98 until the tyre burn out, so many moments he gave the sport, brilliant.

those were Schumacher's best years to be honest as a racing driver. I don't think anyone came close to matching him during that time. Mika tried but he wasn't Michael. JV was a breath of fresh air but he only had two years with a good car after that it was all downhill from there. From 2001 till 2006 its a different story and I have different opinions..

[snash]

My dad took me a few times to watch club racing at Mosport. I would have been 4 or 5 years old, so around 1970.

[Rob29]

Must have been the London-Brighton veteran car run,first time it was run after WW2,my parents and/or granny took me -it passed a few hundred yards from our home until 1955.For racing,Crystal Palace-was advertised on the back of buses when it opened in 1953.

[Levike]

Around 1982 if i remember correctly when Keke Rosberg ran out of fuel and played left-right to reach the finish line....

[Levike]

Originally posted by Levike
Around 1982 if i remember correctly when Keke Rosberg ran out of fuel and played left-right to reach the finish line....

I was 6 years old then...

[turin]

sadly Zolder 1982

[SphereTL1000S]

I was 8 years old, 1979, I looked at a Magazine already opened in a bookstand with Nelson Piquet picture in a Brabham BT-48, full of mechanics around him, at the Monaco GP.

This is the car: http://www.sweb.cz/p...am_bt48_002.jpg Horrible car, though. Another one: http://www.gptotal.c...uet/79esp06.jpg


What impressed me most was how low the car was, I could only see Piquet's helmet and the mechanics knees in the picture. Was the lowest car I had ever saw in my life. I had a lot of questions to ask to my father: can one drive laying down? Can they see anything? Isn't it dangerous to be so close to the road? How fast they can go? Oh, sometimes they die driving?? Is that a sport? They must really like it, huh?

Inside the magazine, can't remember which was, there was a column of Jody Scheckter, the eventual WDC that year, describing the horrors of St. Devote.
Only 6 drivers finished the race, out of 24. Look at the depth of the field then (not all of them in good cars, though). Great amazing races from Villeneuve, Arnoux, Reutemann...

From then on, I never missed a race. Not one, taped or live.

Jody Scheckter

Gilles Villeneuve

Alan Jones

Jacques Laffite

Clay Regazzoni

Carlos Reutemann

Patrick Depailler

René Arnoux

John Watson

Didier Pironi

Jean-Pierre Jarier

Mario Andretti

Jean-Pierre Jabouille

Niki Lauda

Elio de Angelis

Nelson Piquet

Jacky Ickx

Jochen Mass

Riccardo Patrese

Hans Joachim Stuck

Emerson Fittipaldi

Hector Rebaque

Patrick Tambay

James Hunt

Bruno Giacomelli

Keke Rosberg.

[giacomo]

Monaco 1979, one of the greatest grids ever.

8 champions and 14 GP winners.

[SphereTL1000S]

You bet!

[Muzza]

Originally posted by ensign14

He won the Austrian GP the day I was born.

Blimey! I always thought you were older than me...

[noikeee]

The Suzuka 89 crash between Prost and Senna on TV. I was.. 3 years old.

[Alfisti]

P.Brock and J.Richards humiliating the field in the A9/X torry at Bathurst.

[Marlowe]

The event that I will never forget and the one that introduced me to F1 was actually the death of Senna. I never watched or paid attention to motorsports in general until that day he died. Here I was this kid that never even knew of Senna until that day was saddened by the news. I will never forget the face of the and look of the man that announced his death on television. I never stopped watching F1 from that moment on.

[Levike]

Originally posted by Marlowe
The event that I will never forget and the one that introduced me to F1 was actually the death of Senna. I never watched or paid attention to motorsports in general until that day he died. Here I was this kid that never even knew of Senna until that day was saddened by the news. I will never forget the face of the and look of the man that announced his death on television. I never stopped watching F1 from that moment on.

For the truth i saw the first part of the race at my grandparent's house at the other side of my country. I had to go with bus at home. It took nearly 4 hours. At the beginning of this time i was angry because i thought it's another 10 points....later after i heard that his injuries are serious i began to feel some big fear without realizing how serious those injuries could be. Later on i took off from the bus, arrived at home, switched the TV on, gone to the RTL's teletext and the first word i was realising were 'Senna starb im klinik nach einem Schweren unfall'. I realised it's over i was totally shocked. Something' changed and it will be never the same. And it's not the same. At least for me.

[Dolph]

My first memory is when Mansell was leading the race in a Ferrari and my dad was telling me he is the quickest man on the track (at that point another Mansell fan was born), but that he has to stop again, so he might not win the race. After pitstops Mansell fell behind others...


Next memory:

McLarens driving around track.


Next memory:

Prost winning ahead of Mansell. Both in Ferraris.

[FeralMetal]

My first recollection is of Stirling Moss' accident.My first meeting was a club meeting at Snetterton 1963,that did it for me,the noise,smell,crowd,it became my spiritual home.It was there I first saw Senna in Formula Ford,the week after Damon Hill was racing LC Yamahas,that was the early '80s.
I was there with a team running a car in Formula Renault in 1994,someone had a TV in a garage,we went back to seeing to the cars during the safety car period,then the accident,nobody spoke,there were several there who knew and had worked with him in his earlier years.
My first Monaco was 1981,on the rocks,90 francs,it was roasting hot,there was a fire in the Loews hotel, the water flooded the tunnel and the race was delayed 2/3 hours.the tifosi were amusing,they were all heading for the station when Gilles inherited the lead and they all came streaming back.
I think I have a book in me

[SennasCat]

First TV memory - black and white (we didn't get colour till '75) Colin Bond winning Bathurst 500 as it was then, in a Monaro. I was eight. It was a pretty big year for me too as it was also the year of the first moon landing.

First race meeting - Oran Park touring car championship (as it was then). 1974.

We didn't get GP on TV till 1981. Our coverage is still third world.

First F1 meeting attended - Adelaide 1985. Saw Senna's qualifying lap first-hand, putting an inferior car on pole. Driving it like a 1000bhp kart. It still resonates.