Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Psst, have Y'all heard 'bout Ronnie Howard's 'lil racing movie?




From the dusty book shelves of Tomaso Manor, the jacket cover to Meine Story, the autobiography of Niki Lauda. (TTC)
As I'm sure Y'all know about the much publicized Formula 1 movie titled RUSH, not to be 'Cornfuzed with thee Power Trio, aka RUSh from Up North Eh! but instead the Ron Howard movie about James Hunt v Niki Lauda for the 1976 F1 world championship Driver's crown which finally opened nationwide this past Friday...


And I've known about "Niki-the-Rat" since beginning my Formula 1 indoctrination circa 1986, albeit Niki had already left the pinnacle 'O motorsports, having decided to retire for good upon the completion of the 1985 season, which he'd spent frustratingly defending as the reigning world champion vs. upstart McLaren teammate "The Professor," aka Alain Prost.

'Wayback, probably some 20+ years ago when I could still read books, I feverishly read a 'lil gem titled Meine Story, the autobiography of Niki's life up to that point, detailing his triumphs 'N tragedy - from the brink of being given last rights to going onto claim another two drivers world championship titles along with turning his back upon Il Commendatore, nee Enzo Ferrari who seemingly considered Lauda weak for having pulled out of the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix, hence giving his nemesis Hunt that year's drivers crown by one lone solitary point! Which Y'all know is now documented in 'lil Ronnie Howard's excellante film...


As it's funny how I've felt that Niki is a pompous ARSE for a number of years now, I suppose ever since he sent Jaguar F1 into its inevitable tailspin, as say what Yuhs want to 'bout "Booby Ruble," (Bobby Rahal) but; he was pretty spot-on in his failed attempt to spirit away Adrian Newey, eh?

Yet you can't say alls bad towards Lauda, I mean after all he did win the world championship twice for la Scuderia... As I've even seen a few of his ex-Formula 1 rides in action at both Monterey and Sonoma's "Hysterical's," nee Historics over the years... Hmm? might even try pulling out a long, lost photograph I'd taken of his No. 11 racecar, I believe?

A very old photograph of a Clay Regazzoni Ferrari at Monterey Historics? (TTC)
'Whale Otay, actually I'm pretty amazed I could even find this photo squirreled away at Tomaso Manor since I'd taken it 'Wayback in 1994 at the Monterey Historics when Ferrari was the honoured marque. As the No. 11 was actually 'Regga's, nee Clay Regazzoni's car with Niki's being the number 12 - as I think this is the 1975 312T?, which hopefully some sharp eyed Ferrarista will correct me upon? Although I know for sure I've seen Lauda's No. 12 and 1976 312T2 No. 1 in action over the years...

Thus, it was interesting to see how an Englishman's perspective towards these  two protagonist's was when he was just a 'Wee lad of four years old that summer at Brands Hatch where they dueled Hammer 'N Tongs just weeks prior to Lauda's near death accident... 


As I hope to have my RUSH movie review posted shortly...

Book cover image and 'Regga racecar photo courtesy of The Tomaso Collection (TTC)