Monday, April 27, 2015

RETRO: ’RevHead Roam’s Down Under on Motorsport Holiday...




Mark "Frosty" Winterbottom FRP Ford V8 Supercar. (Image source: motorsport.com)
Don’t Y’all just ‘LUV how time SCREAMS by these days? Whale at least it does for Mwah, your humble No Fenders scribe – who seemingly is suffering a most acute case ‘O ADD when it comes to deciphering what story to scribble and when, with this year's just concluded 'OZ Grand Prix, blink! A  FREAKIN' MONTH AGO! Reminded Mwah I hadn't posted this yet...

Clipsal 500 (March 17-20, 2011)
V8 Supercars - Adelaide, Australia
Some Quick Notes taken during my 'OZ Holiday 'Wayback in 'Twenty-Eleven, albeit very sketchy & incomplete now while trying to cleverly craft a story outta them some four Bloody years later, Mates!

Thus, the OZ Grand Prix is already becoming another fleeting memory, albeit a very good one, as I still cannot believe it all went so damn smoothly ‘Down Under! Of course this was helped immensely by my cadre of travel experts: Krista, my AWESOME Hostess (with the MOSTEST...) Paul, our logistics officer; Jake – my most Excellante Sighted Guide, Patrick, our lyrical entertainer, and last, but not least, Deb & Steve’s Crew, our wonderful Melbourne Host committee.

Friday, 3/18
Jumping ahead of thee main course, nee Australian Grand Prix, Mates, thanxs largely to my 'OZ Host Committee, I was able to make my debutant trip Down Under into the ultimate ‘'REV-HEAD holiday, by arriving early ‘Down Under in order to soak in some Petrol Head activities at the ‘Mega V8 Supercars race held annually on the Streets of Adelaide, which much to my chagrin... I quickly stepped outside my Parlour Friday morning as I think I can hear racing cars? Err; I THINK I HEARD SOME V8 SUPERCARZ? (I CAN, I CAN!) I said out loud joyously... As why did that make me think of Good ‘Ol TweetyByrd? As we can most definitely HEAR ‘DEM!  The V8 Supercars from the house & backyard...

Saturday, 3/19
So I was unawares of the term ‘RevHead – which is used quite commonly to describe us motorsports freaks, until arriving Down Under, where I learned other good slang like Cactus; Hya! And thus it was a Boyz day out, as Paul, Jake, Patrick and I made the quick trip to Downtown Adelaide for the day’s running of the V8 Supercars, along with the support classes, i.e.; Ute’s & various 'OZ racing cars.

V-8 Ute’s
This was a term I was unfamiliar with until arriving at the Adelaide Street race, as Ute refers to Utility, having been 'Australianized, with the two main protagonists being the very same Holden (GM) and Ford manufacturers who contest the main V8 Supercars series. As these vehicles are typically 2-door car chassis with a "package  tray" in back; ergo 'PickemUp trucks! And although they're good, fun racing, I don't recall being overly impressed by them...


'OZ racing cars
Funny, how I don't remember any of this NO more 'cept for the afternoon's sprint race, which to Mwah seemed to be vintage racers, or as Artiste Dave says: "Old Men in Old Cars!" Remembering casually mentioning to Krista, who took cursory notes for Mwah, (below) not only could I S-E-E the cars, I could feel 'em too!

As thankfully, I managed to find an 'Aussie recap of that long ago day's support races on Zed Internetz, and hence I'll defer Y'all to that instead, since I don't recall seeing any single seater action that day, although the Australian Formula Ford  class was racing in the afternoon. As I tend to recall we went home after the V8 Supercars race...

Whilst the article also denotes that the other ARS; NOT American Racing Series, forerunner of Indy Lights, but the Australian Racing Series was on hand...


But I do recall Bloody 'Ol Murray Walker being on the PA system, finding that a treat while jotting down: Murray Walker’s Extreme Speed event – whatever that was? Which actually is Murray Walker's Extreme Machines, for which I cannot find which exact vehicles participated 'Wayback in 'Twenty-eleven, but such Supercars as these were listed for the 2009-10 events: Pagani Zonta, Koenigsegg CCR, Lamborghini Murcielago, Gallardo, Porsche 959, GT40, Ferrari 599, F430...


And I'm pleasantly surprised, that like the Support Race Wrap web link the following article from the local Adelaide newspaper I'd found four years ago is also still active.


Notes
  • F-18 flyover.
  • Patrick & his Army tanks = Armored Personnel carriers; 2-onhand.
  • Watched them everywheres' Mates!
  • Garth Tander won Saturday's event – rain soaked Sunday event won by Jamie Wynncup...

Otay, it's all very foggy now, but I do somewhat recall the day's outing, which thankfully we went on the sunny, dry day vs. Sunday morning's deluge!

Recall sitting on the grass during the morning or was I-T afternoon slog? Although remember watching the V8 Supercars blitz by on the cordoned-off four-lane  street, which was a blur with A-L-L the various white lane striping.

And know we walked around the Paddock, since remember thinking how the Commodore Utes' reminded me of some ugly modern day bulbous El Camino's. And perhaps we did look at some Formula Fords? Since I think I remember looking at some tiny single seater racing cars?

Then we moved to the opposite side of track, as just Jake & I went off to watch the V8 Supercars 'Qualie Top-10 Shootout from afar, as it was really fun watching the individual Commodore's and Falcon's blasting along the straightaway into the corner, which reminded Mwah of Formula 1 Knock-out qualifying, since the times kept getting quicker 'N quicker before DRAT! Garth Tander in  a 'Chebbie; Err Holden Commodore took Pole.

As Jake good naturedly jibed Mwah 'bout my boy' Mark Frosty' Winterbottom not getting the job done; Hya! Since being a "Ford Guy," naturally I was rootin' for Frosty in the FRC Ford, since think he  was Ford's top performer then...

Yeah, we actually sat on that "Grassy Knoll" in the afternoon for the day's race, since I remember now how we kept wonderingg if they'd ever finish the race after multiple late race wrecks! Before we left for the day, Mates!

While in-between the Shootout and race,  while  on the courses backside, I later mentioned to Krista  at one point they were so close to the track, that every time a car came past, my face got covered by sand! As that was what I'd loosely deemed vintage racer's, although they were actually denoted as Touring Cars Masters, which I tend to think included a vintage 'Stang? As its pretty funny to Mwah that the Ford Falcon name still lives on Down Under, since whenever I think of that name, I think of the original pre-Pony Car original Falcon instead...

To continue reading, see; RETRO: ’RevHead continues Roaming Down Under on Motorsport Holiday...