Sporting wood in the UK....

Hi guys,

Well, it=E2=80=99s been quite awhile since my last road trip report, and I=
=E2=80=99m sorry=20
that I=E2=80=99ve been quite remiss in getting this out--it=E2=80=99s severa=
l weeks late. In=20
fact I have been quite busy, travelling here and there and enjoying my GT-35=
0=20
about as much as humanly possible.

Since it will take an age to load, you might as well click on the link below=
=20
and let the photos download while you read further:

http://members.aol.com/mikeldrew/sportingwood.jpg

For the past year and a half, I=E2=80=99ve been blasting all over Europe, vi=
siting=20
friends, attending various races, club events and vintage car rallies, but i=
n=20
all that time I=E2=80=99ve really never done any traditionally touristy stuf=
f.

Last Christmas, in lieu of =E2=80=98stuff=E2=80=99, I presented my 70-year-o=
ld mom with a=20
simple gift--a book consisting of two- and three-day scenic drives through r=
ural=20
England, and the promise to fly her over there first class, and then take he=
r=20
wherever she would like to go. Of course, Christmas time is not really=20
appropriate for such activities, so we agreed that early September would be=20=
more=20
appropriate.

And so it was that one day earlier this month, we flew down to Los Angeles=20
and from there, directly to London, utilizing my employee passes to get firs=
t=20
class accommodations for the both of us. Quite a treat, especially when you=
=20
consider that the normal fare for such seats is $15,890--each!!!

Upon our arrival in London, we took a cab to the home of Geoff Peters, who=20
has proven to be a most generous host and an excellent caretaker for my car.=
=20

The next morning, my mom and I set off to visit East Anglia, one of the less=
=20
densely populated regions of the country, and one-time home to hundreds of=20
airfields during WWII. We had a wonderful and remarkably slow-paced drive=20
through the countryside, plonking along at 40 mph or so, stopping every few=20=
minutes=20
to check out a little village, or a stately home, or some other point of=20
interest. We even spent one night at the home of Andy Prill, my Porsche 356=
racing=20
buddy--his house was originally a bakery when it was first constructed in=20
1640, and it was interesting getting a tour and seeing how homes were built=20=
back=20
then.

We returned to Geoff=E2=80=99s house in time to attend his wedding reception=
.. Johnny=20
Woods, my companion at this year=E2=80=99s 24 Hours of Le Mans, was also pre=
sent,=20
although he left his Pantera behind and drove up in his beater Porsche 912 (=
which=20
he has since sold, and a 911 will soon take its place).

Geoff=E2=80=99s new wife Kim was formally inducted into the Order Of De Toma=
so by=20
being coerced into the Pantera for a photo shoot--except it took place in th=
e=20
engine bay, not the cabin!

The next day, my mom and I continued our travels and spent the next five day=
s=20
wandering around Wales and Devon, visiting with George Gordon-Smith (fallen=20
Mangusta owner and my co-pilot on the Euroclassic earlier this year) and als=
o=20
spending a night at Johnny Woods=E2=80=99 house. We also visited Robert Bro=
wn, my=20
London Bus Company-owning friend who is piecing together his Jaguar XK120-ba=
sed=20
race car after wrecking it on a twisty road a few months ago, when the radia=
tor=20
cap blew off, blinding him with steaming radiator fluid!

The GT-350 proved to be an extremely comfortable mount for such activities,=20
thanks to its Recaro seats, and people really got a kick out of seeing it. =20
They were quite taken aback seeing my mom hop into the passenger seat and (b=
y the=20
end of the week) expertly strap herself in with the Simpson five-point racin=
g=20
harness!

At the end of the week I was struck with the fact that I have never, ever=20
driven so slowly for so long! The whole time, I rarely saw the far side of=20=
2000=20
rpm, and in fact several times I found myself pulling over to let faster=20
traffic pass me--ME! How many times I wished that my mom was of a more spor=
ting=20
bent--some of the roads that we were travelling on were just begging to be=20
thrashed upon! But no....

On Thursday morning, I took her to Heathrow where she flew off to go visit=20
her family in Canada; I then drove to Gatwick to pick up Ron Wade and his=20
girlfriend Sharon, Pantera owners from Washington state who were flying in t=
o visit=20
Geoff. After they got settled in at the house, I took them to visit=20
Brooklands, the spiritual home of British motorsport.

For those who aren=E2=80=99t aware, Brooklands is a storied place filled wit=
h=20
tradition. It was the world=E2=80=99s first purpose-built automobile racing=
circuit, and=20
consisted of a large, irregularly shaped loop with steeply banked corners. =20=
It=E2=80=99s=20
probably larger than Indy. It is also the home of the British aerospace=20
industry, and in fact the old Vickers aircraft company still has a factory t=
here,=20
where they built the wing assemblies for the various Airbus planes.

The track fell into disuse when WWII broke out, and later much of it was=20
destroyed to make way for housing developments and an industrial park, but m=
uch of=20
the original banking remains, as well as the old garages, buildings and the=20
runway contained within the circuit.

We had an enjoyable afternoon wandering from one building to the next,=20
admiring the various pre-war racing cars and motorcycles which once did batt=
le on=20
the high banks. Also interesting were the various aircraft on display, eith=
er=20
inside hangars or outside on the grass. Close to 100 volunteer docents were=
=20
on-hand, and every time we turned around, somebody was cheerfully giving us=20=
a=20
more in-depth explanation of what we were seeing.

This is very much a =E2=80=98living=E2=80=99 museum, and a 1929 Grindlay Pee=
rless motorcycle=20
had been taken out and was being ridden around by a journalist there to do a=
n=20
article on the bike. It is completely original, exactly as it finished its=20
last race at Brooklands in the 1930s.

Touring this museum merely whet our appetite for what was to come, for the=20
upcoming weekend would see Lord March once again playing host to the vintage=
=20
motoring faithful at his large estate--this was the weekend of the Goodwood=20
Revival.

The Goodwood Revival is a very unique event. Rather than a simple exhibitio=
n=20
of old cars, this is an attempt to recreate the sights, sounds, and most=20
importantly, the *feel* of the old Goodwood race track, which was in operati=
on=20
from 1948 to 1964.

To that end, the event organizers have issued an extraordinary edict that=20
spectators won=E2=80=99t be allowed inside the circuit unless they are attir=
ed in dress=20
appropriate to some point during that period. No jeans and T-shirts, unless=
=20
you=E2=80=99re a Rocker astride a BSA caf=C3=A9 racer and wearing a period b=
iker jacket and=20
puddin=E2=80=99 bowl helmet and goggles.

No, the dress code for an English Motor Race was fairly formal back then, an=
d=20
that meant slacks, coats, ties and hats. I was armed with my =E2=80=98unifo=
rm=E2=80=99 from=20
last year, consisting of a nice tweed flat cap, slacks, shirt and (De=20
Tomaso-themed) tie. Unfortunately I don=E2=80=99t have a tweed jacket, but=20=
Geoff loaned me=20
one from his late father=E2=80=99s wardrobe. =20

Ron and Sharon planned to visit London and do the main touristy bits on=20
Friday, but I was having none of it--the Revival is a three-day event, and I=
=20
planned to see everything possible!

So that morning, I jumped into the GT-350 and sped down the A3 towards the=20
south of England. Following the excellent signs, I soon turned off the A3 o=
nto=20
much smaller roads which wound their way through the countryside, past=20
centuries old farms and through small villages, until finally arriving at th=
e border=20
of Lord March=E2=80=99s estate, known as Goodwood.

Lord March has himself a very sizable piece of land--the kind of land that=20
stretches to the horizon. It has a gigantic manor house, whose driveway is=20=
the=20
scene of the Goodwood Festival of Speed each summer. But it also has an=20
absolutely wonderful, and extremely fast racetrack.

The facility has a history dating back to W.W.II, where Lord March (widely=20
known as Freddie) allowed a portion of his sizable estate to be used as an=20
aerodrome. Its grass strip housed several RAF squadrons, and Spitfires were=
=20
launched to defend London during the Battle of Britain and beyond.

While the runways themselves were grass, a paved road circled the field, and=
=20
shortly after the war it was suggested that this pavement would make for a=20
fine motor racing circuit. Lord March had been an apprentice at Bentley Mot=
ors=20
and had been a works driver for MG, so he was amenable to the idea, and the=20
first race was held in 1948. (The winner of that race was a young Stirling=20=
Moss,=20
driving a 500cc single-seater.)

The circuit saw continuous use, with the only modification being the=20
introduction of a rather formidable chicane on the front straight in an effo=
rt to keep=20
speeds under control. Rather than attempting to describe the track itself,=20
I=E2=80=99ll let Stirling Moss do it for me:

http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/tracks/goodwood.html

The track saw its final race in 1966, as the speeds had simply become too=20
great for the track to safely support. It was formally retired, and lay in=20
disuse until Freddie March=E2=80=99s grandson decided to reopen it for a rev=
ival.

Unlike vintage races as we known them (i.e. the Monterey Historic Races),=20
which are modern, glitzy events which just happen to feature old cars (with=20
varying racing provenance), the revival was from the outset designed to be a=
=20
nostalgic affair, spiritually more akin to a Renaissance Faire. To that end=
, strict=20
rules were laid down to help restore a properly nostalgic feel to the event.

Simply put, anything manufactured after 1966 is banned from view. This incl=
u
des clothing, and therefore ALL participants, and spectators, are required t=
o=20
be dressed in period attire if they are to be allowed into the confines of t=
he=20
circuit proper. No modern vehicles are allowed to be in view either; modern=
=20
cars are parked in fields blocked by large hedges. The original grandstands=
,=20
pits and marshaling stands have all been restored, and the result is a very=20
convincing approximation of what the track would have looked like in its hey=
day.

When I pulled through the gate (which was simply a hole in a hedge off a=20
little road), I made my way through a time portal and found myself in a gian=
t=20
field filled with cars manufactured before 1966.=20

I have mentioned before how marvelous it is to me that British enthusiasts=20
actually DRIVE their cars, rather than cosseting and polishing them and trea=
ting=20
them like four-wheeled Faberg=C3=A9 eggs. As I was shutting down my car, I=20=
heard=20
the distinctive sound of a V-12 Ferrari, glanced in the mirror and saw a=20
familiar red silhouette pass behind. A glance revealed that it had the gene=
ral=20
look of the fabled 250 GTO, although something struck me as being a bit =E2=
=80=98off=E2=80=99=20
about it.

I figured initially that it was a =E2=80=98recreation=E2=80=99 formed atop t=
he chassis of=20
some lesser Ferrari such as a 250 GTE. I saw the owner get out, slam the do=
or=20
and walk away without so much as a glance over his shoulder. When I approac=
hed=20
it, I noted that the fenders had been ever so slightly flared to accommodate=
=20
wider wheels and tires. A shame, I thought...but then I thought further:

If you are going to go through the time and trouble to fabricate a replica o=
f=20
a 250 GTO, aren=E2=80=99t you going to take great pains to make it look =E2=
=80=98right=E2=80=99? I=20
got right up to it and looked inside, and was just shocked.

Both doors panels were absolutely covered from top to bottom, front to back=20
with tech inspection stickers from various events. Le Mans 1962, Sebring 19=
63,=20
and on and on--at least a hundred stickers from venues around the world.

This, friends, was a REAL Ferrari 250 GTO! Something on the order of $12 to=
=20
$14 million worth of motorcar, parked up and left sitting in a field as thou=
gh=20
it were a VW Beetle.

Amazing!

The parking lot was a sea of desirable cars, and I took a quick walk through=
..=20
There were several tidy Mustangs for sale, with asking prices that indicate=
=20
that they are gaining appreciation overseas. A decent 1966 Fastback was=20
asking =C2=A320K (about $36K) while a 1967 GT, 1968 GT and 1966 convertible=20=
were all=20
priced at =C2=A325K (about $45K).

After spending about 45 minutes admiring the hundreds of classic cars that=20
people like me had driven to the event, I entered the grounds to check out t=
he=20
racing action.

The various racing classes were filled with significant racing automobiles,=20
with a distinctly European flavor. There were Ferraris of every description=
,=20
Maseratis too, plus some wonderful Jaguars and Listers. Shelby was extremel=
y=20
well-represented, with seven 289 Cobras (all of them were titled as =E2=80=
=9CAC Cobra=E2=80=9D=20
although many of them were Shelbys, not ACs), plus a 427 competition Cobra=20
and two original Daytona Coupes. Oh, and there were no less than seven Mk 1=
=20
GT40s as well.

The Saloon class had a broad mix of cars, all of which raced against one=20
another in period. Besides European offerings such as Alfa Romeo 1600 GTAs,=
=20
Jaguar Mk IIs, Lotus Cortinas and Mini Coopers, there were some brawny Ameri=
can=20
bruisers, including an original Alan Mann Mustang (converted to right-hand-d=
rive,=20
and to be raced at the event by Alan Mann himself), two Ford Falcons (one=20
raced by Bobby Rahal), and four Ford Galaxie 500s!

Most people don=E2=80=99t know that the Galaxie 500 was an extremely popular=
and=20
competitive racing car in England in the early 1960s. Holman & Moody took=20
NASCAR-spec Galaxie 500s and set them up for road racing, and exported them=20=
to the=20
UK. There, they absolutely dwarfed the other cars they races against, but a=
rmed=20
with powerful 427 side-oiler engines, they also outran them, winning the=20
national championship in 1963!

I was also quite surprised to find not one, but TWO De Tomaso racing cars. =20
One was a 1962 De Tomaso-Alfa Romeo F-1 car, which I had seen last year, but=
=20
the other was a new one to me--a 1962 De Tomaso Formula Junior, powered by a=
1.1=20
liter Ford Anglia motor with a trick cylinder head. In fact I spotted the=20
car from a distance and instantly recognized it as being a De Tomaso, becaus=
e it=20
was fitted with the wheels which were subsequently used on the De Tomaso=20
Vallelunga. Both cars were being campaigned by all-Italian teams, with not=20=
a=20
single word of English between them, so sadly I was unable to speak with the=
m=20
(although the mechanics did get a kick out of my De Tomaso-logo necktie!)

Besides the automobiles, there were also tons of vintage motorcycles that=20
would be competing in their own race, many of them ridden by celebrity rider=
s.

Friday was a practice day, and thus I was able to see all classes out on=20
track on the same day. One of the amazing things about this event is the al=
l-star=20
cast of celebrity drivers. Among the famous drivers competing in the variou=
s=20
races (and many drivers drove two, three or even four different cars through=
=20
the course of the weekend) were Barrie =E2=80=9CWhizzo=E2=80=9D Williams, De=
rek Bell, Richard=20
=E2=80=9CDicky=E2=80=9D Attwood, Henri Pescarolo, Patrick Tambay, Sir John W=
hitmore, Alan=20
Jones, Jackie Oliver, Lyn St. James, Ren=C3=A9 Arnoux, Stirling Moss, Mark H=
ales,=20
Nick Mason, Peter Hardman, Bobby Rahal, Rauno Aaltonen, Tiff Needell, Dario=20
Franchitti, Emanuele Pirro, Gerhard Berger, Jochen Mass...and all these driv=
ers=20
could be found just in one of the classes!

In between the practice sessions were aerial demonstrations by WWII aircraft=
,=20
including the Sally B, a privately owned B-17 Flying Fortress, which was use=
d=20
in the making of the film =E2=80=9CMemphis Belle=E2=80=9D.

At the end of the day, I returned to Geoff=E2=80=99s house, where he and I w=
ent to=20
dinner with Ron and Sharon, and were later joined by Johnny Woods and his fr=
iend=20
Mark. This time Johnny drove his Pantera, and as he drove past the=20
restaurant car alarms started sounding--what an entrance!

I knew that all of them were a bunch of lazy slugs and would be hard-pressed=
=20
to get an early start in the morning, so I contacted Nate Stevens and coaxed=
=20
him out of his lair. Nate is an American who has both a Pantera and a Mangu=
sta=20
undergoing restoration (as well as a very tidy Ferrari 365 Boxer), and as an=
=20
employee of the U.S. Government, he is posted to England on a three-year tou=
r,=20
living out in the countryside only a few miles from Silverstone. Nate got u=
p=20
at the crack of dawn and drove down to meet me at Geoff=E2=80=99s house at 7=
:00 a.m.,=20
and we set off for Goodwood again.

This was the first day of actual racing, and the racing began with the=20
Goodwood Trophy, a 12-lap race for 1948-54 Grand Prix, Formula Two and Formu=
la Libre=20
open-wheeled cars. The field was primarily filled with Maseratis, but=20
significantly, of the 14 ERA (English Racing Automobiles) ever built, seven=20=
of them=20
were entered in this race!

Nate and I wandered through the vendor display area, before setting off on a=
=20
trek around the circuit. All around us were people dressed in period costum=
e=20
(as we were), along with big bands and =E2=80=9850s rock n=E2=80=99 roll ban=
ds. Various=20
highly specialized clubs added to the atmosphere, including a group of Livin=
g=20
History buffs dressed as WWII Home Guard personnel, in their own encampment,=
a=20
rather large group of 1950s police officers with suitable police cars and=20
motorcycles, and a collection of WWII fighter planes were parked on the gras=
s,=20
accompanied by pilots, mechanics and various others in the proper period cos=
tume.

Periodically during the day, the racing would be halted while the WWII=20
fighters took to the air and performed aerial demonstrations--among them wer=
e two=20
P-51 Mustangs, a P-47 Thunderbolt, Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, and even a fl=
y-by=20
of a Lancaster bomber, still owned and operated by the RAF!

One part of the garage area had been turned over to what passes for a=20
=E2=80=98featured marque=E2=80=99, this year being AC Cars. There were abou=
t 20 different AC cars,=20
including quite a few Aces. One looked very odd, as it had a streamlined fr=
ont=20
end. This was the 1962 AC factory entrant at Le Mans, which was purchased=20
immediately after the race by a Frenchman, who owns and drives it to this da=
y!

Thanks to the wonders of cell phones, during the course of the day we=20
periodically were able to link up with Geoff and his new wife Kim, and Johnn=
y Woods=20
and his friend Mark. This was the maiden voyage for Geoff=E2=80=99s Pantera=
, which has=20
been undergoing restoration for the better part of two years. It had some=20
shakedown miles on it, but this was the first time that it had ventured afie=
ld. =20
Geoff was armed with a large assortment of tools for the inevitable=20
breakdown, and Johnny was following behind to provide the mechanical experti=
se. So it=20
was a shock to everybody when Johnny=E2=80=99s Pantera suddenly sputtered to=
a halt=20
just a few miles short of the track!

Johnny, who is so self-confident that he purposely travels without any tools=
=20
whatsoever, found himself among the pedestrian brigade! The trouble was=20
traced to an electric fuel pump failure, actually a failure of the electrica=
l=20
connector on the end of the wire. With the help of Geoff=E2=80=99s tools, h=
e was able to=20
affect a field fix, and they were soon underway once more.

Despite the fact that their Panteras were made well after the 1966 cutoff=20
date, they were able to successful blag their way into the vintage car park,=
=20
where the Panteras drew quite a crowd.

The De Tomaso Formula Junior put in a credible effort during its race,=20
starting and finishing near the back of the pack, but competing mightily wit=
h a pack=20
of three other cars and finally prevailing.

Among the other events during the day was a tribute to Jackie Stewart, where=
=20
almost 30 cars that he had driven during the course of his career were parad=
ed=20
around the track, with Jackie at the wheel of the lead car. Chrysler also=20
pulled out all the stops, and in an attempt to market the current Chrysler 3=
00=20
in Europe, had a special parade celebrating 50 years of the Chrysler 300. T=
hey=20
had representative examples of each of the models made from 1955-1965,=20
gathered from Sweden, Norway, Italy, England and the USA, and they put on a=20=
nice=20
parade, demonstrating the history of the =E2=80=9CDuesenberg of the 50s=E2=
=80=9D and hopefully=20
shining some light on their current product, which is poised to go head-to-h=
ead=20
with the 5-series BMW at a significantly reduced cost.

Nate and I stuck together and watched the races until the end of the day,=20
then made our way back to the car park where we linked up with Geoff and Joh=
nny. =20
While most other people were heading for home, we had grander ambitions.

The De Tomaso Driver=E2=80=99s Club of the UK had planned a track event of s=
orts, to=20
be held that evening. Sadly, due to ever-escalating prices and more stringe=
nt=20
noise restrictions, normal roadracing track events are becoming scarce in th=
e=20
UK, and the small De Tomaso club simply can=E2=80=99t afford to stage them.=20=
However,=20
the Shoreham airport (located on the south coast of England) closes to air=20
traffic at 7:00 p.m., and the airfield management have taken to renting out=20=
the=20
runway for drag racing!

So we travelled in convoy to the airport, arriving around 7:30 p.m., just in=
=20
time to catch the driver=E2=80=99s meeting. Word had gotten out and there w=
ere quite=20
a few cars present, although many of the De Tomaso club members had elected=20=
to=20
bring cars other than their De Tomasos.

Peter Saywell, a car collector of some renown, brought no less than FOUR car=
s=20
to the event: Lamborghini Murci=C3=A9lago, Koenigsegg CCR, AMG Mercedes SL5=
5 DTM,=20
and (for his wife), a Mazda MX5. These are some pretty spendy rides; the=20
Mercedes was a week old and cost $450,000, and the Koenigsegg (which I saw f=
or=20
the first time at Le Mans) was upwards of $650,000. But to his everlasting=20
credit, Peter doesn=E2=80=99t just buy cars, he DRIVES them!

There was much screwing around as the timing equipment was set up, and by th=
e=20
time the cars were ready to run, it was pitch dark.

Oh, but wait--what=E2=80=99s this crowd gathered around Geoff=E2=80=99s Pant=
era? Ron Wade=20
had devised a carbon fiber shift linkage; version 1.0 snapped like a twig=20
during installation, so the car was now equipped with version 2.0, which had=
its=20
own fundamental design problems. The supposed carbon fiber rods were twisti=
ng=20
like torsion bars, and side-to-side movement of the shift lever was resultin=
g=20
in substantially less rotational movement of the shift rod where it entered=20=
the=20
gearbox--and thus reverse had gone away.

Some screwing around coupled with some well-chosen words of profanity had th=
e=20
linkage tightened up somewhat and the car was good to go.

The runway had no lights at all, and thus the cars were set to launch into=20
the inky blackness, relying on their high beams to illuminate the way. A ca=
r=20
was sent 1/4 mile down the runway and parked with its headlights shining acr=
oss=20
the runway, to denote the finish line, and floodlights were set up to=20
illuminate the launch.

Almost none of the drivers had ever done any drag racing, and thus it was=20
rather humorous to watch their initial launches. Some would slip the clutch=
=20
mercilessly, others would bog and stumble, while others (like Johnny Woods)=20=
would=20
initially launch well, but then blow the upshift and go into 4th gear instea=
d=20
of 2nd. Geoff=E2=80=99s Pantera, armed with a ridiculously tall rear end ra=
tio that=20
gives 40 mph per 1000 rpm in top (that=E2=80=99s a 240 mph top speed), still=
managed to=20
accelerate smartly thanks to the 550 ft/lbs of torque coming from the=20
427-inch Windsor stroker. Not so much shifting required, as he crossed the=20=
finish=20
line in 3rd gear.

The most outrageous car there was a 1952 Allard, which had been owned since=20
it was only a year old by the current owner. While Allards are revered as=20
vintage race cars (and are very valuable), this one looked like a junkyard d=
og, as=20
it had suffered at the hands of its owner a host of modifications over the=20
years. To his credit, he had used the car in a variety of different ways,=20
including setting a speed record of 198 mph at Bonneville in 2000. Now powe=
red by=20
a killer big-block Chevy, it was completely set up for drag racing, which=20
looked decidedly odd! It had just the previous week won the Brighton Speed=20
Trials, establishing itself as the fastest car in England, turning a sub-9-s=
econd=20
quarter mile (not bad for a 50-year-old sports car!)

After watching most of the cars make numerous runs, the cold started to get=20
to us and we finally called it a night and headed back to Geoff=E2=80=99s ho=
use. =20
Traffic was mercifully light and I was able to cruise right along on the M-2=
5. =20
Some clown in a perfectly normal car started harassing me on the motorway,=20
tailgating me, then passing me, then pulling to the left and slowing, tailga=
ting me=20
again, etc. I didn=E2=80=99t know if he was drunk or just obnoxious--there=20=
was no=20
indication that he was any admirer of my car however. Finally I found an op=
en=20
stretch of road and just matted it, zinging it up to 5800 rpm in top gear, a=
n=20
indicated (although perhaps even slightly pessimistic) 135 mph. The pest=20
rapidly turned into a speck in the rear view mirror, never to be seen again.=
....

The next morning, I found myself travelling solo down to Goodwood again. =20
Geoff and Kim had had enough, and Ron and Sharon wanted to tour London some=20=
more.=20
As Kim had parked her Mini at the track but then ridden home with Geoff for=
=20
some strange reason, Geoff accompanied me down there to pick up his wife=E2=
=80=99s car=20
and drive it home (let=E2=80=99s see--SHE abandons her car an hour and a hal=
f from the
house for no particularly good reason, but then HE is sent to retrieve it=20
the next day? Welcome to marriage!)

I then spent the day wandering around by myself, taking the opportunity to=20
more closely examine specific cars in the pits. I ran into Bill Cotter, who=
I=20
had come to know at the Goodwood Festival of Speed; he was again back with h=
is=20
Scarab F-1 car, which sadly broke a driveshaft right at the drop of the gree=
n=20
flag.

The De Tomaso F-1 car faltered early in its race, after having set a very=20
competitive qualifying time, and stopped on course. When the race was=20
red-flagged after a spectacular wreck, it fired up and limped back around to=
the pits,=20
but was then declared DOA. =20

Near the end of the afternoon, I managed to link up with Colin Bradshaw, the=
=20
owner of a very late Pantera GT5-S, who I had last seen at the Indianapolis=20
corner cruise at Le Mans. He managed to come up with a ticket to the=20
grandstands, and there I watched the last few races along with his wife, Kim=
..

One thing that really struck me was how clean the racing was this year. In=20
past years I=E2=80=99ve noted that these races, and particularly the TT race=
(featuring=20
Cobras, Corvettes, Ferraris, Jaguars etc.) were more like demolition derbies=
,=20
with drivers haphazardly crashing into one another on a routine basis. =20
Apparently Lord March really put his foot down this year, because everybody=20=
drove=20
with their heads and there was almost no car-to-car contact in any of the=20
classes.

When the event ended, I found I could barely tear myself away from the place=
..=20
I hung around in the paddock, watching as the cars were slowly put to bed=20
(including the spectacular sight of seeing the original Ecurie Ecosse=20
transporter being loaded up with three original Ecurie Ecosse cars--Jaguar C=
-type,=20
Cooper Monaco, and Lister Jaguar), glimpsing a bit of the awards ceremony (p=
resided=20
over by Lord March, of course), and then spending another hour or more just=20
wandering around in the parking lot, watching the classic cars firing up and=
=20
setting off.

It was almost 9:00 p.m. before I finally had to acknowledge that the event=20
had drawn to a close, so I hopped into my car and smoothly returned back to=20
Geoff=E2=80=99s house.

It was with a certain feeling of sadness that I packed up my gear and set of=
f=20
for the airport the next morning--I had enjoyed fantastic weather throughout=
=20
my stay, visited with quite a few different friends, seen many charming litt=
le=20
villages, churches and castles with my mom, attended a wonderful wedding,=20
toured one of the more significant automotive and aviation museums in Europe=
, and=20
capped it all off with what is arguably the very best vintage race event=20
anywhere in the world.

As I trundled through the airport, I consoled myself that it wouldn=E2=80=
=99t be long=20
until my next automotive escapade, as the following weekend was the Nor-Cal=20
Shelby Club Mini-Nats at Sears Point, where an entirely different batch of=20
friends would be campaigning their cars.

And although my Mustang remains in Europe, it is far from forgotten--in fact=
=20
it will soon see me once again behind the wheel, embarking on what may perha=
ps=20
be my greatest adventure yet! But for that story, you=E2=80=99ll have to st=
ay=20
tuned....

Mike