Just checking a few headlines before departing for Montreal for qualifying tomorrow and the race on Sunday. I came across an interesting item at the Williams Grand Prix site, a moment by moment recount of what their drivers have been up to since Monaco. It's nice to know how hard GP drivers work during their days off... you can read more about it here
One of my favorite memories about going to Montreal, besides the racing and Crescent Street, was the mechanics "boat" races held before the serious work of an F1 race got underway. The boats were crafted from packing crates and various other bits and "crewed" by experts in water that was, in truth, only a few feet deep. The winners got the glory of being pelted with eggs or whatever else could be thrown at them that would leave a nice nasty mess. It was great fun. I ran across an old Emerson Fittipaldi interview where he talked about the boat races:
"The first thing I remember about racing in Montreal actually happened off-track," Fittipaldi said. "The mechanics always had a boat race on Thursdays of race week in the canal behind the pits. I think the canal was also used for an Olympic rowing race. The team built boats out of leftover car parts and things they found in pit lane. Each team picked one guy and they had to row from one side of the canal to the other. There were red boats made from parts from Ferrari, and so on. A bunch of boats sank because they were all put together half-way."
Toyota's F1 team put out a great video for the Canadian Grand Prix. Take a look at it:
Enjoy and adieu until I blog next - hopefully - from Canada (assuming I can get an internet connection!)
Friday, June 6, 2008
First post
Ahh...the first post. So much to say, so little time. I'm in between wrapping up the week and getting ready to head off to Montreal for the Grand Prix this weekend (it's one of our annual pilgrimages).
So what's this blog about...I suppose a good first question. It's about auto racing, something I'm passionate about. I grew up around cars and auto racing. I spent every May in Indianapolis as a kid. I wanted to race cars, did race karts and a little Formula Ford, but found my talents were in writing about racing, the history of motorsports and being a "hanger on" at races and with teams around the world (actually I wrote PR for teams and auto racing related articles for magazines and newspapers, but I still prefere the term "hanger on" 'cause that's what I was really doing).
Along the way I've amassed a head full of stories, a room full of memorabilia, thousands of books, magazines and newspaper clips and videos of just about every race broadcast on TV since, well, they started broadcasting races on TV. I never meant to become a motor sports anorak; it just kinda happened and I'm ready to admit it to everyone in cyberspace.
So, what am I going to share here? Video of races (you can also check my youtube page for more), stories, my opinions, for what they are worth, other's opinions, cool things, maddening things, hopefully entertaining things.
Do I work in motorsports now? Ahh, I question I get a lot. The answer is not anymore. Though the vagabond, drifter gypsy life of a freelance motorsports writer/PR person appealed to me when I had hair and couldn't get a date...now I don't have hair, I do have three kids and a wife and a mortgage, so my involvement in racing amounts to recalling "the glory days" and revelling in modern racing - but on special occasions rather than regular weekday work. These days I am happily involved with a newspaper group and trying to buy a historic race car to restore.
When I first decided to take the plunge and create this blog, I read columns from those who blog a lot. One suggested "Top 10" lists are popular. I don't know. I've never been a conformist, so I tend to rip top 10 lists apart....which may explain their popularity. Conformists love 'em 'cause it tells them what to do and non-conformists love 'em 'cause we get something to bitch about.
Anyway, I found one and here it is. I'll make my own as well, and invite anyone out there who wants to suggested some to feel free to suggest away (but it's my site and I make the rules, so I get to say what goes on the list. - Ed Note: OK, enough with the temper tantrum)...
So here's a link to that "Top 10" list (which, for the record, is a list of the Top 10 car racing web sites courtesy of http://www.lovetoknow.com/top10/auto-racing.html
Finally, the last bit for today, here is a video from my site. It'll have to do for now until I can figure out what else to write...
So what's this blog about...I suppose a good first question. It's about auto racing, something I'm passionate about. I grew up around cars and auto racing. I spent every May in Indianapolis as a kid. I wanted to race cars, did race karts and a little Formula Ford, but found my talents were in writing about racing, the history of motorsports and being a "hanger on" at races and with teams around the world (actually I wrote PR for teams and auto racing related articles for magazines and newspapers, but I still prefere the term "hanger on" 'cause that's what I was really doing).
Along the way I've amassed a head full of stories, a room full of memorabilia, thousands of books, magazines and newspaper clips and videos of just about every race broadcast on TV since, well, they started broadcasting races on TV. I never meant to become a motor sports anorak; it just kinda happened and I'm ready to admit it to everyone in cyberspace.
So, what am I going to share here? Video of races (you can also check my youtube page for more), stories, my opinions, for what they are worth, other's opinions, cool things, maddening things, hopefully entertaining things.
Do I work in motorsports now? Ahh, I question I get a lot. The answer is not anymore. Though the vagabond, drifter gypsy life of a freelance motorsports writer/PR person appealed to me when I had hair and couldn't get a date...now I don't have hair, I do have three kids and a wife and a mortgage, so my involvement in racing amounts to recalling "the glory days" and revelling in modern racing - but on special occasions rather than regular weekday work. These days I am happily involved with a newspaper group and trying to buy a historic race car to restore.
When I first decided to take the plunge and create this blog, I read columns from those who blog a lot. One suggested "Top 10" lists are popular. I don't know. I've never been a conformist, so I tend to rip top 10 lists apart....which may explain their popularity. Conformists love 'em 'cause it tells them what to do and non-conformists love 'em 'cause we get something to bitch about.
Anyway, I found one and here it is. I'll make my own as well, and invite anyone out there who wants to suggested some to feel free to suggest away (but it's my site and I make the rules, so I get to say what goes on the list. - Ed Note: OK, enough with the temper tantrum)...
So here's a link to that "Top 10" list (which, for the record, is a list of the Top 10 car racing web sites courtesy of http://www.lovetoknow.com/top10/auto-racing.html
Finally, the last bit for today, here is a video from my site. It'll have to do for now until I can figure out what else to write...
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