Thrown together from bits of phone footage and the in-car camera our crude first video. I’m sure there will be a really cool professional attempt but for now this will have to do. It already seems a long time ago… The Bell should be open? Fancy a pint?
1963 Mark II Jaguar- rebuilt from the ground up. Driven by the most skilled British driver East of the Nile. Co-Piloted by the most investing person in the world. The most challenging rally race in the world. La Carrera Panamericana
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
More enthusiasm than talent..
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Better late than never, apparently. (From Top Shelf)
I didn't know what to expect which was probably just as well because I really would never have expected to be tear a@#!ing up the Mexican equivalent of the Himalayas in a Red Suburban full of baggage, tools (not just the ones in the back either) and spares for a MkII Jag, Welsh Rappers 'Goldie Looking Chain' blaring. Bad German accents, Tip Tops, I say and Ding Dongs still ringing in my ears. Pipes being pointed all over the place.
Welcome to Team 304 support crew:
Fearlessly lead by Mr Nick (or St Nick, the local ladies thought it was Christmas when he was around)
Ably supported by El Guapo, Jim the Gent and yours truly, ( from here to be known as the 'Dirty third of a dozen'(DTD). Please don't attempt to pronounce after drinking).
Management consisted of Team owner and Co- Piloto Richard Upton, a through gentleman and possible the most resourceful man I have ever meet. Fraser Stevenson Piloto and Mr unflappable.
Typical car briefing, whilst waiting in a beautiful 16th century Spanish town square, crowded with locals, inflatable arches erected for end of stage presentation, Richard would text Jim the gent what attention was required for the Bell.
A short time later Police sirens would be heard as they escorted the competitors into town, normally in groups from 1 to 10 cars. About mid field the Bell would appear. Nick would be trying to steer them toward a park amongst the crowd and other cars.
Kids, teens and whole families would come up to take pictures with the car and Piloto's and crew. Rich and F were a crowd favourite's with the kids, they would put them in the car or on their shoulders so friends or family could get pictures of them behind the wheel of Jag 304 or with the famous crew.
Nick was a favourite with the young ladies as he was putting them in the car for photos shots with their friends. Darrell would be busy taking score's of photo's and keen to pick up on any attention from the ladies that Nick may have missed.
Jim and I would get busy arranging beers for crew and believe it or not we'd be competing with Richard who seemed to have a rather unworldly ability to summon waiter's complete with trays of beer in almost any setting.
Amongst these festivities Fraser would have a quite word to Mr Nick about how the car was running. Mr Nick would subtlety have a poke about, Richard would turn up and ask what do we need to make this happen.
And on a few occasions some quite random things had to happen.
El Guapo had to meet a strange Red hatted man at an Airport freshly flown down from Mexico city with brake rotors, disc pads suitable for a MkII Jag etc, from a Mr Whan in Mexico city. He was under strict instructions that the Red hatted man had return to Mecico City on the same plane.
A mechanical workshop was sourced in Oxacaca complete with mechanics prepared to work late into the night.
I was sent on a treasure hunt across Queretaro where after being lost with a non-English speaking cab driver, unable to track down a Mr David and crew, after a few icy cold Sol beers as I was unwilling to return to the DTD empty handed a note from Mr David was handed to me by a Holiday Inn receptionist. On the note were directions to a beautiful Jag 150 in an underground car park nearby on top of which I would find a box containing a complete new distributor suitable for Jag 304.
After 8 hard days of racing (pre-qual was counted as day 1 apparently) it was over and it was Jim's fortieth so we had a few drinks, I was quite surprised how close as a group Jag 304 Team had become and how proud we all were of how Fraser, Richard, crew and the Bell performed. Not bad for a group gathered together from all around the world and after a few drinks was all over the place.
All the Best
Topshelf
aka
Tea stain Tony
Two bottles Tony
No phone Tony
Plus a few more.
Ably supported by El Guapo, Jim the Gent and yours truly, ( from here to be known as the 'Dirty third of a dozen'(DTD). Please don't attempt to pronounce after drinking).
Management consisted of Team owner and Co- Piloto Richard Upton, a through gentleman and possible the most resourceful man I have ever meet. Fraser Stevenson Piloto and Mr unflappable.
Typical car briefing, whilst waiting in a beautiful 16th century Spanish town square, crowded with locals, inflatable arches erected for end of stage presentation, Richard would text Jim the gent what attention was required for the Bell.
A short time later Police sirens would be heard as they escorted the competitors into town, normally in groups from 1 to 10 cars. About mid field the Bell would appear. Nick would be trying to steer them toward a park amongst the crowd and other cars.
Kids, teens and whole families would come up to take pictures with the car and Piloto's and crew. Rich and F were a crowd favourite's with the kids, they would put them in the car or on their shoulders so friends or family could get pictures of them behind the wheel of Jag 304 or with the famous crew.
Nick was a favourite with the young ladies as he was putting them in the car for photos shots with their friends. Darrell would be busy taking score's of photo's and keen to pick up on any attention from the ladies that Nick may have missed.
Jim and I would get busy arranging beers for crew and believe it or not we'd be competing with Richard who seemed to have a rather unworldly ability to summon waiter's complete with trays of beer in almost any setting.
Amongst these festivities Fraser would have a quite word to Mr Nick about how the car was running. Mr Nick would subtlety have a poke about, Richard would turn up and ask what do we need to make this happen.
And on a few occasions some quite random things had to happen.
El Guapo had to meet a strange Red hatted man at an Airport freshly flown down from Mexico city with brake rotors, disc pads suitable for a MkII Jag etc, from a Mr Whan in Mexico city. He was under strict instructions that the Red hatted man had return to Mecico City on the same plane.
A mechanical workshop was sourced in Oxacaca complete with mechanics prepared to work late into the night.
I was sent on a treasure hunt across Queretaro where after being lost with a non-English speaking cab driver, unable to track down a Mr David and crew, after a few icy cold Sol beers as I was unwilling to return to the DTD empty handed a note from Mr David was handed to me by a Holiday Inn receptionist. On the note were directions to a beautiful Jag 150 in an underground car park nearby on top of which I would find a box containing a complete new distributor suitable for Jag 304.
After 8 hard days of racing (pre-qual was counted as day 1 apparently) it was over and it was Jim's fortieth so we had a few drinks, I was quite surprised how close as a group Jag 304 Team had become and how proud we all were of how Fraser, Richard, crew and the Bell performed. Not bad for a group gathered together from all around the world and after a few drinks was all over the place.
All the Best
Topshelf
aka
Tea stain Tony
Two bottles Tony
No phone Tony
Plus a few more.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
A Bit More Video - Apparently
Here we are. Home. Washing machine full of clothes, family’s happy, jet-lagged and not a cheese and ham sandwich in sight. I think we all made it home OK? I know 'Two bottles' Tony could have done without the Quantas strike and loosing his phone. R made it home for Halloween so the Gent must have got home safely as well? Nick landed DXB this morning. D had the shortest flight so were all good...
I'm Just trying to make sense of the hard drive of images and video (it's not happening today) and these came to the surface. Mil Cumbres (thousand hills), 15 mins of madness which I'm sure we will treasure.
Mil Cumbres from Turnpin Lane on Vimeo.
The next is rather more sedate. It’s more sedate because we just didn’t like the look of it, watch the video and you will see why.
Untitled from Turnpin Lane on Vimeo.
With both videos you don’t get any real idea of the gradients. Going uphill you just felt so sorry for the old girl as she was thrashed to within an inch of her life trying to get the best from her very long gearbox. Going downhill slowing her down was always at the forefront of your mind as you had the hit the pedal twice before you got any brakes and by the end of the stage there simply wasn’t any brakes left. Sounds like a nightmare but it was predictable and in the end quite good fun… "apparently"
F
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