donnie

tut · Post by **tut** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 12:40 am

I flew Martin into Silverstone from our hotel in 1990 when he was driving for Lotus.

Bristows had a contract to fly the hospitality punters into the track from the Swallow hotel, and several of the F1 drivers used to stay there.

Although he had his own helicopter, he did not have an instrument rating, the weather was crap, the roads were jammed, so I flew him and three other drivers in as they would not have made it in time.

Of course I proffed from it as well, but it was a bad day for Lotus as both his car and Derek Warwicks had HGF or similar.

tut

Andy G · Post by **Andy G** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:22 am

Massive thanks to Ali for coming down and supporting us (Ape and myself)! Also thanks to Dan and Luke - good to see you again boys!

Racing with Donnelly was epic, although I seemed a bit cursed all weekend.

Learning the track while qualifying (on the wrong f***ing setting, my fault) was just daft. Hadn't touched things since the wet race at Combe, which also explains its waywards tendancy's in France! Pissed off with myself for not having driven the track or done any set-up work as it cost me big time!

Race 1 - started really well, up to 5th eventually gaining on 4th, who then lost it big style, and I spun taking evasive (FFS - i was sideways through the corner on entry!). Ended up the wrong way round on the exit at the old hairpin atching the feild streaming towards me unable to restart - not the highlight of the season! Got restarted but rejoined 2 laps down.

Race 2 - Did 2 headlights and indicator and a driving light in race 2, was going really well, and then had to take evasive to avoid being crashed in to by a red misted person, and ended up 16th. James and I had been having an epic race till that and he finished 5th.

Ape finished 3rd in class b in Race 1 and Race 2 Kell ran him wide, so he ended up off roading at 120 - good lad! Spun but avoided any obstacles

and retired

Highlight of my weekend was racing with Donnelly for 3 laps in Race 1, after I'd rejoined (2 laps down). I let him and Gav K through as they were having an epic scrap (and my race was f***ed) and i then hung on to them all the way home. Gav was elated afterwards and he ran Donelly really close! I was gutted that I simply wasn;t on the pace to be doing the same this weekend

Despite feeling really down after this weekend, the highlight is without question the people that we race with - I am aware that there are some great people there who I'd be delighted to know whether we are racing or not - but this joint passion for little plastic cars lets us hang out and be mad for a weekend a month! Brilliant!

Also big thanks to Golding, who despite having made a faux pas with the hotel bookings, managed to sort rooms at the drop of a hat at a nicer hotel for me, Ape and Ali. He's a top bloke!

Andy

Post by ed » Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:26 am

Good write up, sorry about the results!

Check out this pic from donnie:
http://forums.lotrdc.com/viewthread.php?tid=343

mckeann · Post by **mckeann** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 4:51 pm

http://www.trackmad.eclipse.co.uk/video/spinners.wmv

andy's spin.

Kelvin · Post by **Kelvin** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:02 pm

It actually looks like both cars span on some fluid on the track...

mckeann wrote:http://www.trackmad.eclipse.co.uk/video/spinners.wmv

andy's spin.

jamie · Post by **jamie** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:16 pm

Quit a few drivers, me included were convinced there had been a fluid leak the first corner and the old hairpin were interesting to say the least

Andy G · Post by **Andy G** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:59 pm

Kelvin wrote:It actually looks like both cars span on some fluid on the track...

mckeann wrote:http://www.trackmad.eclipse.co.uk/video/spinners.wmv

andy's spin.

I was sliding going in and on tightening my line to try and miss Hans, went totally sideways - you'd think with my desire to travel using the side windows I'd have sorted it by now

robin · Post by **robin** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 7:22 am

As a matter of interest, did they do any power testing?

Cheers,
Robin

mckeann · Post by **mckeann** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 8:46 am

nope.

Also noticed, it would be far too easy to run light for qually, or more power for qually, or below minimum height for qually, then fix it overnight, and start the race legal, but with an advantage.

I couldnt possibly name names though.

Andy G · Post by **Andy G** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 8:48 am

having said that normally we have parc ferme after qually, where they can randomly test you????

This one we were back to our pit garages from the pitlane - liked the fact the Prsche Cup boys were asking permission to walk through the garage

jamie · Post by **jamie** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:31 am

Andy G wrote:
This one we were back to our pit garages from the pitlane - liked the fact the Prsche Cup boys were asking permission to walk through the garage

did like that

Rag_It · Post by **Rag_It** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 2:33 pm

You can now see why the women love him!