My dear Jimmy.....for a man who's never been to Brisbane ...you have an amazing knowledge of our Bathurst [NSW] 1000 race from OZ
Derek
hello derek,
I actually know quite a bit about your amazing race, and feel as though I have been there "spiritually".
Neil , my mate and I were chatting about motor racing some time ago and how tame F1 had become( not this year though I might stress) but our own touring car races were full of excitement, and how I had always had a yearning to go to Le Mans.
He told me to forget that lot, and pulled some dvd's from his cabinet. These are what you want to watch he said.
He had shared a house with another petrol head called Scotty if I remember , in Canberra and told me that the full race of an endurance race called the Hardy Ferrodo was televised each year and they made a pact to get the beers in and watch it that year.
The following year they decided to go to the race because Stirling Moss was teaming up with an older Oz Racing driver ( I forget the name neil gave me) But I think it was Jack Brabham, and they both pitched up and sat at the Esses for the weekend. Sadly I believe, Neil told me that the vintage pair failed to get off the start line with a broken gearbox.
Anyway the dvd's that neil lent me had been sent by his mate for the last 3 years of the total 2 days live coverage from the TV, including the old classic cars (that used to race in the 70's and 80's) in their own short limited lap races.....and they were not hanging around either.
I have never seen racing like it, and it made even our BTCC and European TCC races look positively tame, let alone the LeMans on Sunday.
So, if you that think LeMans is exciting, get hold of some coverage of the Bathurst races, with the 6 litre V8's thundering round a track at 200mph, that is a public highway,half the width of LeMans and then you'll see what real racing excitement is.
Jimmy
............oooops Sorry, Jim.