Hi-de-hi
-as they say on the south coast holiday beaches....
Well it is 11pm-ish on monday the 14th, & I'm going to bash this out now to free up the rest of the coming fortnight. We got home tonight at about 9pm after leaving Nurburgring at about 9am. But I must start this back at the wedding where I left off last time..........
Having those 3 days off was quite a mix of socialising & mental down time. The drive down on friday with Steve & his wife Michelle was not much of a mental break though, because their way of relating to each other is through a narrow range of english slang from " dick head" to " bitch" - well that about covers it really. All the grief they have in their relationship & all the councelling I have given Steve......it turns out this is the norm for them - infact domestic dis-harmony is listed on their C.V's under hobbies & interests. They could bicker for England. When we got down to London...well Egham is on the far outskirts of London, I had a quick shop for a wedding card, a pint of ploughmans piffle (or something) then back to the B&B for 40 winks. Owing to my inability to sleep on the way down 'cos of Michelles high pitched squawks at Steve & his macho retaliations, I woke at the time I was meeting others in the carpark. A record breaking prep later & we were in the reception area, just down the road, in a Tudor Mansion that 'en-er-y the eightf used for a hunting lodge. Met & chatted with so many different people & stayed so late that the bar closed & we had to start paying for our drinks......This, in effect made me stay even longer as I sat trying to work out how 2 bottles of average wine cost me £40....thats about $120! Yeah I think that exclamation mark is justified, I can't remember when I last spent that on anything I couldn't wear, ride or give to Selene. That was the first drinks I've paid for since leaving home, so naturally it was a rude awakening! The BBQ the next day was spent sitting in the sun drinking water because my body was lacking it quite drastically, I was not alone! There were many other sorry faces from the night before.
After the bbq I had a really nice trip into Victoria station in London. Yup, the big smoke.London. Lahndin, aahhh Laahhndin!- & then straight back out again after I realised I'd added an extra & unneccessary change into my route! I pressed on to Eastbourne, slept most of the way, confident that Eastbourne being end of the line would find me delivered safe.
This is the bit where my internet excursions & connections into the seedy underbelly of society are revealed. I was met at the station by Biff - a complete stranger to me, I met him online. He is my internet lover & psycho -OOops! bit of a typo there, he is my internet BIKE lover & psCYCLIST friend! He met me in his wifes Ford Ka, took me home & we I sat outside with his wife, Ruth, & two sons (7 & 4 year olds). I drank more water & continued to wear sunglasses. Even when it got dark- it was about now that he was probably wondering what the hell he'd met on the internet & invited into his home......The incredible hospitality continued for the whole stay, but it was sunday that was the big day for me...Biff loaned me his 29er single speed....for those of you who don't know- a lovely simple steel frame bike, with only one gear, no suspension & wheels of 29 inches with knobbly mountain bike tyres ( the normal size is 26 inches ). Fifteen of us met for a ride on the south downs. Lovely rolling Sussex countryside with a chalk base & lush green pastures. My first bike ride for about 4 months & I needed it more than I thought possible. Totally freeing of all the stuff cluttering my head, all the work I have to do before I leave here - I don't mean I HAVE to do it, I just have some projects that are important to finish for ME, nothing to do with clients, race dates, money, Jaffa cakes or any other pressures. It was Biff that insisted I go down, take a break from all the car stuff, & I am very greatful to him for the twist of my arm, he was of course correct- I cannot come all this way JUST to work on cars.This made the weekend the total polar opposite of my previous weekend at Silverstone & having to deal with 2 car failures. So thanks Biff ! It was particularly enlightening to ride past "The Hungry Monk" in Jevington, the place where Banoffi pie was invented way way back in............1972. hmmph, I was alive then, kinda doesn't feel so special, maybe if it was 1572 I'd be more impressed. But that begs the question where'd they get their 'nanas? So 1972 it is. When Biff & I got back Ruth went out with a friend for her weekend time exchange with Biff. So the boys, William & Thomas played "power rangers" against Me & Biff ( we were the alien giants) up in the forest behind their house.
The train ride back to London was a little strange 'cos the people across the south east coastline villages are either from eastern Europe or complete nutters. Or both. Trouble with the train meant a bus ride for the last 6 stops. When we drove into a little village in Kent with a pond, duck shed in the middle of the pond & a couple of pubs & a big willow I new I'd been there before. Yeah the description could be one of a thousand English villages but I insatntly recognised this place & as we drove out I saw the sign - Otford. All those memories from being there in 1976. Wee Gary & I drove north & arrived in Stafford at 2.30am.
- mondays news after my return....rain storms hit the area, streets flooding.....homes awash & damaged. I didn't mean to create such a ruckus.
Two days later we were on the road again-this time to Nurburgring in Germany. Gary's youngest daughter, Jade came with us 'cos it is summer holidays. She's 13 & we had to take the van so we could fit all her suitcases & changes of clothes in. She also got dibs on the centre third of the van-the front where you drive or sit bolt upright in the passengers seat, the back where we stash all our gear to support the racecars with....only this time it was all in the lorry. Jade had about 2 meters of legroom, a reclineable seat , the fridge with cool drinks & chocolate & her portable DVD player. I had a road map & cramp. After Gary told me about once taking a wrong turn near Koln & heading north instead of south to Nurburgring, I got super paranoid & didn't do my usual & catch up on sleep. Instead my eyes were on stalks as I flipped the map over & scanned the horizon, road signs & the expression on the faces of other drivers for any clue that I may have fucked up.........We made it ok. The return trip was just as stressful. A Kiwi that has been living in London since ' 73 , had had an accident in his mechanics van ( another kiwi- no not the van, the mechanic ) whilst on his way to the airport to get his wife. She was flying in from eastern Europe & was avoiding the kaos at Heathrow......no doubt you all know what I'm talking about, we were quite oblivious on our way over- apart from the 6000 phone calls we had re: the subject. Anyway, the kiwi - lets call him Ross 'cos that's his name- wrote off the van & the speeding 911 Porsche that was racing up the hill near our hotel. This left his mechanic without a tow vehicle, Gary offered our services, because it is a small world AND Ian Jones the mechanic is a great friend of Big Chris & Gary's. So, Gary got tired & I took over driving. No sooner had I got behind the wheel, it started to rain. I HAVE NEVER been in rain so heavy. The French motorway was flooded & I was doing 60 to 70 mph in a van with $300,000 ( 1 million nz bucks !) worth of M8 Mclaren racing car & sweeeeeet trailer-aquaplaning! At least it kept me awake! Gary woke at one stage to say " ye-um watch s'roads for agwa plane-um-ing. They're bah-steds....." And promptly returned to his sleeping. I quite often have to force myself to sleep in the car. But for some strange raeson, as soon as I start driving I have to force myself to stay awake! We made the ferry on time to be greeted by qeues.....the terrorist thing &/or school hols. The weather through northern France & Belgium must be pretty wild at times- alot of the bridges have signs & windsocks to warn of strong wind. I noticed on the way to Germany alot of the windsocks were in tatters......on the way back it was after a weekend of eating lots of cabbage. So it was windy- but only when I was walking around petrol stations, kicking stones....dead casual like. I knew when we got to Germany 'cos whenever we went by a layby there were always 3 or 4 black german saloons with tinted windows. And a tall dark & handsom guy getting out slipping on his black suit jacket & striding across the carpark to shake hands with the others. De ja vu ww2.
When we got to the Nurburgring we had a few delays with setting up, just 'cos of how busy they are, but on saturday.....Paul took as around the Nordscheiefe ( the old north circuit built by Hitlers mob )in his Range Rover. Shaun ( muscles ) , Jade & pauls wife.. Hil's. I totally loved it & will return. Hil's got quite a kick out of it judging by all the shrieking & protests....... Paul was saying " but I'm only doing 80 ! -come up to this corner-don't brake- just a lift off & back on the power " whilst grinning and scanning the track 360 degrees for any cars wit a huge speed difference. Overtaking an Audi TT, round the outside in a 4 wheel, 4 wheel drive drift...........priceless! Paul really is a tremendously good driver.
Our cars were ok......Paul quit from the 3 hour marathon race on the Nordschleiefe on friday 'cos of the rain....He was running 5th at the time, but values his life, so made a wise choice. Meanwhile I was back in the pit garage with Pauls Chevron B8 finishing my prep.....the first time we'd driven it was when I'd fanged it up & down the road on the previous tuesday just to make sure I had all gears. It went on to have a great test session & 3 good races on the "normal" circuit. Paul is now going to keep the car so it is earmarked for a winter rebuild. The 2 Mustangs went really well on the GP circuit, but we did get a suspension mounting point fail on Big Chris' Mustang......it is 42 years old after all. Sundays racing was delayed by an hour due to low cloud.....when I opened the pit garage door clouds came in ! The weather in the Eifel mountains is truly fantastic! It does what it wants, when it wants.
Well it is now thursday night & I didn't bash this out on monday as intended. We have all been working late to get the cars all done for 2 weekends time. 3 cars go to Oulton Park & 2 go to Brands Hatch...I think I'm off to Brands.......
Keep taking fluids, they're not as dangerous as is made out,
Warm regards,
Tim Von Stantonburger.
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