Part The Fourth - The Best Bit
August 2006. An Olde Worlde Pub next to a Travel Inn near Oulton Park. Note it is an "Olde Worlde" pub not an old pub as such and thus is a construct of a marketing man and while benign, completely forgettable. Alan (tenkfeet) and I have just driven down thorugh Dumfries on the A76 in light traffic at a rapid, although I considered quite conservative pace, and he is deconstructing my driving using beer mats and my fag packet. And some fairly harsh words as he had just done a driving course.
A "Do you always drive like that?"
P "Like what?"
A"Well it is your overtaking that concerns me, it is so aggressive. And, well, dangerous."
P "I thought I was quite restrained!!"
A "Why do you have to drive so close to the car in front? Have you ever tried hanging back a bit? It's not a race you know?"
P "I don't like to surprise folk, suddenly rushing past them at a high differential speed."
cue long heated discussion dissecting my frankly excellent driving that lasts long into the night.
9 months later. Somewhere North of Fort William.
A small black car leads a convoy of similar cars in a variety of colours as they hurtle along in very light traffic along some of the best roads there are. Anywhere.
As I glance in my mirrors I see a yellow car starting to grow closer on some of the longer straights. Behind it, on the longest straights a blue car mirrors it, weaving in and out of what traffic there is, Lotus' included. Catching.
Now I am not the quickest track driver but on the road I'm no slouch. My car is standard so I suffer from not having 048s but I do have Sat Nav so I have a moving map display* which helps but these guys are getting closer and as the roads open up I see it's Tut. But who the fcuk is that in the blue car keeping up with him. Must be another Honda.
I stop watching my mirrors and press on.
Tut sits behind me for a while but when he realises my Vmax is significantly less than his he whistles past and I follow him for a few miles, and then I recognise the blue car is Alan. In a standard 111S. Keeping up with me then going past.
I follow Tut until we stop for fuel. I think we passed a castle, I don't really care all I remember is a tarmac ribbon stretching in front and the rear of a small yellow car occasionally spitting flame.
If you have never been to TT then, if there is another one go.
Every year for 7 years now my wife and I have taken first the S1 and then the S2 up the west coast to some of the Hebrides and until this weekend they represented the best driving I have done. Suzy and I share the driving and she can drive, there is nothing quite like racing for a ferry to give you a sense of impetus. Nothing that is except for chasing, or being chased, by a bunch of like minded folk in similar cars on the world's best roads.
After the first fuel stop Alan, AndyD and myself spent the next 200 miles or so hooning around (in between stopping for Tam and <sorry I've forgotten your name> in his GORGEOUS 340R so they could catch up). It was ace. Alan lost his rear screen to Andy's 048s. I killed a hare. A family of sparrows attempted to nest in Andy's radiator but misjudged his closing speed.
We drive the same. we pushed each other's limits and fcuk ME IT WAS FANTASTIC.
Saturday Night. Tut Towers.
P: "I thought you said I drove my elise all wrong."
A: "I was wrong."
I could wax lyrical about other hours, the sight and sounds of a Sport 160 1/2 a mile away popping and crackling as it climbed the ski slopes of Braemar; about driving as close to my limits as I can and still having a 135R filling my mirrors but if you were there you saw that (or something similar) and if you didn't, and you understand, you will see it.
Cheers Tut. Good idea. Well executed.
Right so my wife is now giving out about the amount of time I have spent posting here in the last few night, she hasn't actually said anything but I can tell
so nuff said**??Pete
*I know I'm a bloke but I can multi task. I can use a moving map to read the road ahead. I can also urinate and brush my teeth at the same time.
I don't always mean to...
**And the people were ace. OK you knew that because you are one of them but is needed said.
Nice
