Greetings groovers, my 3 months has started with a bang, 5.30am gmt sunday morning....up early to make it to the british formula 1 GP. After all the horror stories about traffic it all seemed too easy...well it was easy should I say. The drive down with Jane & her 2 daughters Jade & Felicity took about 2 hours till we hit the qeue, half an hour later we were parked up & walking into the infield. It was about now that Gary rang to say he had a pass for us to get into the infield with the car...oh well too late !
When we got into the circuit it was my chance to meet Gary because he'd been down at the track since thursday. His wife jane had picked me up from Manchester airport on saturday morning & we'd sat in the sun talking after our trip to Newcastle on Tyne for me to get a phone & for a supermarket trip for vegetarian specific supplies.....a small head of broccoli cost approximately $nz3.30!!! I couldn't bring myself to grabbing my usual amount- I have had to flesh out my dietry requirements with Jaffa Cakes!
We all got access to the British Racing Drivers Club & mosied our way around all the huge motor homes, found "our" one &set ourselves up at "Abbey" possibly one of the better viewing points.The grand prix was supported by some other races & the Red Arrows air display in their jet planes (not jelly ones-real ones) The air display was so long, they just kept coming, I thought these guys just don't know when enough is enough, they're just gonna do this till they run out of smoke or crash- whatever comes first! But they did it till they did a huge love heart in the sky complete with arrow through it! Then it was time for the formula 1. The Porsche race had been pretty fantastic WAY better than any Porsche race in Aussie or NZ in terms of driver conduct. The F1 stunned me with the sound & speed. The scream of the engines combined with the booms of partial throttle moments under traction control made for a peculiar aural experience that, by the end of the race was a relief to be rid of - even with ear plugs. The historic race had quite a collection of Ford GT40's, Lola T70's, Cobra's, Chevrons, Elva's & a solitary Porsche 910-all in all an impressive field of about 30 cars. One of "our" drivers ( Hans Hugenolt- ex Ford works driver well known ferrari driver & 11 times at LeMans)had allready withdrawn after an engine failure on the saturday, the other car, a Lola T70 spyder ended up fighting for 7th after his tyres went "off" in the closing laps. I saw quite a bit of the race but was somewhat distracted because from the pit wall we were right in front of all the F1 teams packing up! Then the associated press started to assemble outside the Renault pit garages, & I thought "hullo"....so I waited & waited....Then the team came out for a photo -all the mechanics & technicians....AND Flavio Briatore AND Fernando Alonso!!! Cheering & punching the air for my camera! After that I stroked some F1 cars in park ferme & thought "what the hell just happened? How did I get here? What am I doing here? Who the hell am I? ...." It was all a bit much to take in....like 3am on friday morning I was putting a gearbox in an Aston Martin!!!!!
So after the drive home, some Chinese takeaways from the local and shower I put my sunburnt nose to bed.....that had been an incredible day. A hot 30 degree noisey, incredible day.
Today is monday & I have spent the day putting the final touches to "my" Mustang & arranging all the spares I'll be needing for next weekend. I say " I ' L L " because it is just me. I fly out on wednesday morning from John Lennon airport in Liverpool with the navigator Richard, & we head straight to Bologna, Italy. Then I get a rental car, meet the transporter that leaves tomorrow with the Mustang, unload the car & my spares, & we head to meet Doug the owner. Doug is 72, Sisty his "girlfriend" who is 70 & was friends with Andy Warhol, they are both of independant means & own considerable stuff in Aspen- thats all I know. Then from saturday to wednesday Sistie & I chase Doug & Richard over Tuscany & Emelio Romagna ! Wednesday night the rich & famous miss the chance to rub shoulders with Tim from Sydenham 'cos I'm in a 40 foot transporter with the Mustang & a whole lot of other cars heading for Dijon. That is where the next race is & I meet the other guys & 4 or 5 other cars.....One of the guys is staying back at work to get Hans' GT40 ready for the Le Mans historic 24 hour...
So that should do it for my first installment,
Love & Regards where necessary,
gotta fly....
Little Tim from wee Sydenham
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