Sadly not what I intended

I was going to have an evening writing up a blog entry after my last marshalling event of the year at Rockingham, reflecting on the season and how, overall, it’s not been that bad. Three countries, one grand prix, two 24 hour races, two big incidents, lots of little ones, new friends (and to be honest a new list of people to avoid in the future).

Highlights were the trip to Le Mans and the trip to Long Beach, California, for the American Le Mans Series and Indycar races. In fact I was going to write the entry while watching the season ending race for the Indycars from the Las Vegas 1.5mile oval track (same size as Rockingham, where I’ve been this weekend).

The build-up did it’s job, the race started, it looked crazy with 34 cars jostling for position on a sub-30second lap. Then it happened.

13 laps in, what can only be described as hell broke loose. Cars touched and flew over each other. As cars slowed, unsighted cars came piling over the top. Cars caught fire, cars broke apart. 15 cars were caught up in it. It was over in seconds, and it was devastating.

When the race was stopped, attention was being drawn to two cars. One was upside-down and being righted by the safety crew, and the other was wheels down, but worryingly missing it’s all important roll hoop from above the drivers head. British driver Pippa Mann (still recovering from a cracked vertebrae sustained less than two months ago) was helped from the rolled car into the ambulance. The other car with fellow Brit Dan Wheldon onboard was still being attended to.

The power and the peril of social media went into a frenzy for the next hour or so, while the tones from the track became more sombre. Drivers who had given confident interviews to camera shortly after the crash were now in team tents openly crying. Then it was confirmed that Dan Wheldon had succumbed to his injuries.

I feared it was coming. After seeing some of the photos and footage, if most people are honest, they would all have suspected it was coming. But it hasn’t happened for so long in such a high-profile event, that when it does, it’s a dreadful shock.

If it had been a driver with a reputation, or a dark side, or a reckless streak then the comments I’m seeing fill my Twitter stream now would have been massively different to what I am seeing. Dan Wheldon was a good guy, a professional driver, a respected driver, a multiple Indy 500 champion, and the guy given the responsibility of developing the new car that all the drivers will race next year. Drivers-for-hire don’t get those chances, but respected drivers do.

I’ve rambled enough, but it helps me get the thoughts out of my head. I’ll talk about my season and the plans for next year another time. One less driver will be part of those plans.

Rest in peace Dan Wheldon, and condolences to family, friends, colleagues and supporters.

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Itchy Feet / Wanderlust / Stuck

Long time no blog, but I feel the need to get this down, because it’s been a funny sort of day, as Arkwright used to say around this neck of the woods.

At this moment in time, my sister, brother-in-law and their daughter are enjoying the first night of their holiday on P&O’s Ventura, heading to the Med (comp upped into a suite, thank you very much!). This weekend I should have been in Atlanta, Georgia, for the Petit Le Mans sports car race, my second stateside marshalling trip of the year after Long Beach in April.

Much earlier this year, I decided that the trip would be too much, and used some of the holiday days elsewhere, and committed to marshalling this weekends 24hr Britcar race at Silverstone.

However this morning I got itchy feet, wanderlust, whatever you want to call it. Knowing my sister was going, and after seeing my Twitter feed full of comments from drivers, journalists and other marshals already at / preparing for the weekend in Georgia, I wondered if there was any possibility of there being any late flights or package deals. The next two days are rest days from work, and the time’s already booked off work for the Silverstone weekend after all.

That’s when the fun started. A quick glance showed flights out on Wednesday (tomorrow) and back post-race on Sunday being available, and not out of reach price-wise. There are plenty of hotel rooms and car-hires available, again within budget. It was do-able, but would mean giving back-word for Silverstone, where I am in a position of some responsibility for 1/2 of the main 24hr race, and we’re already short-handed. I was umming and ahhing.

Then I screwed up. My cash is in the bank, but I needed it on my pre-load credit card. While I was still thinking, I set up a transfer. As soon as I accepted it, I realised that it would take 3 days to happen. Plans knackered there and then with a click of the mouse.

If I’d have gone to a local shop with top-up facilities, it would have been on my card in 15mins. Looking at the ATM tonight, the cash is gone from my bank, but floating in the ether waiting to credit onto my card. In the meantime, there’s no point looking at the travel plan any more because I would need the card & deposit tomorrow for the car hire and probably for the hotel check-in, and I don’t think the current balance of £46 will get me very far. The race-track isn’t close to downtown Atlanta, so public transport isn’t an option, and I’ve been stung by cab firms before to race circuits (Laguna Seca a few years ago cost a fair bit!).

So now, in some ways annoyingly but in others enthusiastically, I have the 24hr race at Silverstone to look forward to this weekend. I’ll have the radio, timing screens and news feeds coming from America, but I’ll be very much in Northamptonshire. The worst thing will be on Thursday night or Friday morning when I get the text message saying ‘your funds are now available on your credit card’.

Too late, was the cry. Too late.

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Marshalling dates 2011

For those of you with an interest in these things (and who haven’t seen my note on Facebook), here’s my marshalling dates for this year

February

  • 26 – VSCC Pomeroy Trophy @ Silverstone

March

  • 20 – HSCC @ Donington

April

  • 14-17 – American Le Mans Series / IndyCar @ Long Beach, CA, USA
  • 23-24 – BARC Trucks @ Donington

May

  • 8 – BRSCC / Britcar @ Donington
  • 14-15 – BRSCC @ Donington
  • 21-22 – MSV @ Cadwell Park

June

  • 4-5 – FIA GT @ Silverstone
  • 8-12 – Le Mans 24hrs, France
  • (the rest of June is pretty much dedicated to Glastonbury ;) )

July

  • 7-10 – British Grand Prix @ Silverstone
  • 16-17 – World Touring Car Championships @ Donington
  • 23-24 – British GT @ Donington

August

  • 6-7 – BRSCC @ Donington
  • 13-14 – MSV @ Donington
  • (music festivals intervene again, this time Leeds Festival over the August Bank Holiday weekend)

September

  • 3-4 – British GT @ Rockingham
  • 9-11 – ILMS @ Silverstone
  • 24-25 – British F3 / British GT @ Donington
  • 29-2/10 – American Le Mans Series Petite Le Mans @ Road Atlanta, GA, USA  —OR— Britcar 24hr @ Silverstone (I’d like to go to the ALMS, but will see how finances & plans look later in the year)

October

  • 8-9 – British GT @ Silverstone
  • 15-16 – BRSCC @ Donington
  • 29 – MSV @ Silverstone

November

  • 5 – BRSCC / Britcar @ Donington

December

  • 26 – BARC Plum Pudding Meeting @ Mallory Park

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Ticked off

I don’t like to rant…much…and I suppose this isn’t really a rant, but I think I need to vent.

So in no particular order…..

  • I wish I felt better (had a dose of man flu last week which has left behind a pesky cough and a complete lack of enthusiasm)
  • I wish I was somewhere less rubbish (mostly the fault of weather and politics)
  • I wish train operating companies would just get their act together and stop making excuses and actually tell customers what is going on.
  • I wish I had any other job than trying to justify what the train operating companies are doing.
  • I wish I hadn’t screwed up several years ago. Personal, financial and  vocational.
  • I wish my room wasn’t such a tip (alright, in the grand scheme of things not a massive issue, but this is my venting so back off).
  • I wish I’d checked the coolant before trying to drive my Land Rover yesterday. I fear a cooked and warped engine.
  • I wish I knew the 6 numbers for the next lottery.
  • I wish I could speak my mind.

Thanks, I needed that.

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Quick housekeeping note

My daily Twitter digest is being moved to a different blog to clear this one up slightly. Hope no-one minds :)

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From Twitter 09-26-2010

  • 10:44:50: Picture 1 mounted, framed & hung – http://moby.to/2donmx
  • 10:45:11: 26092010292.jpg http://flic.kr/p/8E72qm
  • 11:17:47: Cocked up mounting & framing my 2nd (& bigger) photo, tried lifting to reposition it, but it stuck to the glass & ripped.Bring out the spare
  • 11:32:47: Slightly more troublesome, but lion pic 2 finished and up :)http://moby.to/tm97wp
  • 11:50:13: Right, enough of this crafty stuff, off to the shop for F1 time snacks :)
  • 12:21:03: Just bumped into an old friend & his wife at the supermarket, it’s their 12th wedding anniversary today. This is hugely depressing :(
  • 12:46:21: Martin struggling to find anyone really involved in the race today, so far grid girl, Mrs Hamilton to be, Ron Dennis. Danny Sullivan now.
  • 12:55:37: And switch commentary to @5livef1…now :)
  • 13:00:02: I predict… VET & WEB & BUT collision on lap 1, carnage in about 12th, safety car and strategy calls and HAM to win
  • 13:01:54: Oi red button bods. @5livef1 comms not working!
  • 13:07:12: Well that was dull. Massive strategy call by Smedley
  • 13:09:12: Digiflags really working well in the night races
  • 13:21:15: Red button lost the @5livef1 comms again. Stuck with ‘this is crucial’ :(
  • 13:26:56: Fletcher own goal. Another great day in the fantasy league :( back to the f1 then
  • 13:33:29: The race has settled, so I’m watching the driver tracker. Yes, it’s dull
  • 13:54:58: Kubica losing a lot of time to Rosberg on the last few laps in traffic
  • 14:06:30: Bruno you tit.
  • 14:12:39: The Virgins need to shift at the restart
  • 14:22:42: Vettel needs to crash into monobrow soon.
  • 14:30:15: Huge gaggle of cars stuck behind Sutil, expect trouble
  • 14:43:07: Glock very slow
  • 14:52:19: The bbc driver tracker is ace, ALO-VET and WEB-BUT both close scraps
  • 14:58:12: The leaders will catch big traffic before the end
  • 15:04:58: RT @GlastoWatch: RT @tnash: Please stop with the f1 button joke, every weekend, it was funny 3 years ago…
  • 15:07:53: Heikki was actually being sensible – don’t take a blazing car into a pit lane full of people & fuel
  • 17:07:30: So Sutil gains place at turn 1 illegally & holds up over half the field for most of the race then gets a post-race penalty??
  • 17:27:25: Again, the BBCs shortened headlines working wonders (not to make light of the story but)… RT @bbcworld: Drones ‘kill seven in Pakistan’
  • 17:37:36: Nice to see that the Stewards have finally finished their 15 course dinner, wine & post-meal cognac, now down to business @martinhaven
  • 17:54:25: Oh he’s even putting ‘crucial’ in his Tweets now. Back to football for you soon Legard.
  • 18:15:22: The Alan Green Daily is out! http://bit.ly/cZOTn2 ▸ Top stories today by @fakeF1 @eddieizzard @bbcf1 @Jamesallenonf1
  • 18:22:32: Sunday night americana – Flicking between NASCAR & NFL, and waiting for news from Coventy on the Ice Hockey.
  • 18:23:59: Well done @H_Kovalainen, as I said at the time, you don’t take a blazing car into the pit lane.
  • 18:51:00: Balls! Forgot #wonders was on BBC2 at 6, iPlayer later then :(
  • 19:03:33: RT @buff_s: @shellk1984 @_MissAnnie_ Quali 0600, Race 0700, Vettel hitting Alonso 0701 ;)
  • 19:17:36: RT @clubforce: Final order is now ALO, VET, WEB, BUT, ROS, BAR, KUB, MAS, SUT, HUL <<No, still in the wrong order at the front ;)
  • 20:35:12: RT @Simmsey: Steelers fall asleep 3rd period. Blaze wake up 3rd period. Final score 5-1 Coventry <<Dammit :(

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From Twitter 09-25-2010

  • 14:26:05: Oh no, come home from town too early, now have to put up with 30 minutes of the three stooges before the F1 starts
  • 14:56:06: Ahh, at last, hello @5liveF1. Now Vettel in the wall in Q1 please.
  • 15:10:04: Massive problem for Massa
  • 15:51:58: RT: @Fake_Kamui_K: BANZAIIIIIIII :)
  • 16:00:29: Vettel – wall; wall – Vettel….. oh well, we can hope
  • 16:09:06: Jeeeezy chrreezy, who on earth is going to win tomorrow? #f1
  • 16:52:20: Best result for Doncaster today – @Ed_Milliband being new Labour leader. Now if he can do something about QPR that’d be nice #drfc
  • 16:55:02: Fair to say that the Fantasy Leagues have taken a beating today :( #fb
  • 16:58:06: Now then @Ed_Miliband, don’t screw it up, Doncasters got a bad enough reputation as it is.
  • 17:18:30: I think I’ll go to the Steelers ice hockey tonight. First time this season. Should be good :)
  • 18:14:24: The Alan Green Daily is out! http://bit.ly/cZOTn2 ▸ Top stories today by @IndyCarNation @bbcnews_ticker @NMEmagazine
  • 21:35:12: I know it was only Edinburgh, but 8-0 and we looked good :) #eihl #fb
  • 22:31:14: RT @officialEIHL Braehead Clan end Nottingham Panthers unbeaten start to the season with a 4-3 win <well appreciated 40miles up the road :)
  • 22:33:44: Sad to hear of a death on the McRea Stages Rally today, thoughts with all involved :(
  • 22:53:04: RT @bbcworld: Police try to crack Farc laptops http://bbc.in/bpSsXE <<Should try iPhones instead, crack at the slightest thing, apparently

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From Twitter 09-24-2010

  • 11:39:18: RT @ccDoncaster: #ICD Paul John Chambers, Doncaster Room: 2 at 10:02 <simple tweet, big story #twitterjoketrial
  • 14:32:07: Woohoo, home in time for fp2, excellent stuff :)
  • 15:00:30: The Singapore track does look ace in the floodlights. I know it’s all for Bernie-vision but it does seem to work
  • 15:41:39: Mirror, signal, reverse, stall, f#*k. Unlucky ‘Nando :) … Oh, don’t forget HAHAHAHA
  • 15:46:56: How on earth are 20-odd cars going to thread through that chicane on race lap 1?? #f1
  • 15:50:25: Glocks car looks like a complete pig to drive #f1
  • 18:13:36: The Alan Green Daily is out! http://bit.ly/cZOTn2 ▸ Top stories today by @NMEmagazine @Ustream @bbcnews_ticker @andrewbensonf1
  • 18:46:55: A #FF this week for @GlastoWatch and the lovely #twisto peeps. Get to know them before we plunge into Glasto ticket buying frenzy next w/end
  • 18:48:45: A #FF for the armchair petrolheads too: GP this weekend so @5liveF1 obviously, and Petit Le Mans next w/end so @radiolemans
  • 18:54:27: And #FF @shellk1984 and @buff_s Lovely ladies who’ll educate you in the finer points of motorsport. And fake tan. And much more besides :)
  • 19:25:05: RT @legardj: Alonso stopped because of a gearbox problem <<Of course he did :rolleyes: Tit.
  • 20:12:06: RT @marshallpruett: #ALMS: Audi Cancels 2011 LMP Plans – http://t.co/S1yDXMb <Thats a blow for the ALMS, needed a strong manufacturer entry
  • 21:02:50: #eihl weekly show on Sky
  • 21:22:42: Favouritism at McLaren??? > RT @TheFifthDriver: Just generated a Tweet Cloud, my top words are: lewis, race1b, vodafone………
  • 22:06:59: From tomorrow my MP could be labour leader (EdM). Interesting concept.
  • 22:35:56: No 5am alarm call, & no motorsport to go dashing off to, but a lot of Land Rover bits to sort before @silverstoneuk 24hrs next w/e. Nightall

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From Twitter 09-23-2010

  • 15:37:00: What on earth?!? Winter Series race meeting moved from @rockinghamuk to Pembrey? Grrr :(
  • 16:53:38: Think we’ve gotten away with the weather today in Doncaster. Until now that is, and now there’s vengeance and fuuuurious anger :(
  • 16:56:11: RT @Golfingbx: Doncaster! Think its gonna rain! http://twitpic.com/2r7guf <<Yep, it’s now dumping it down in DN3
  • 17:28:45: Moyles says he’s “not a morning person”. Strangely enough, I’m not a Moyles person. Life goes on. #thisisstillnewsworthybecause?
  • 18:31:53: I see a bandwagon….. and… jump!…………
  • 18:32:01: The Alan Green Daily is out! http://bit.ly/cZOTn2 ▸ Top stories today by @andrewbensonf1 @autosportnews @Ustream @NobleF1
  • 22:15:57: RT @Brands_Hatch: Snetterton is about to undergo a major revamp – Help us name the new corners <Hairpin,90left,double apex left,flat left…
  • 22:19:23: More epic rainfall in Doncaster. Bouncing off the window & forecast to carry on all night :(
  • 22:37:44: Looks like the Silverstone 24hr will be between 50 & 60 entries. Lots of TBAs in the drivers list. Got a NatB licence? spare next weekend?
  • 22:38:16: Massive thunderclap just then, from the depths that one!
  • 23:05:34: For the avoidance of doubt with #twitterjoketrial in town & in the spotlight tomorrow, I’m @al_green and nothing to do with @davidallengreen

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From Twitter 09-22-2010

  • 04:37:34: RT @TheIndyNews: Clegg to discuss same-sex marriage with Cameron <see, the wives were a cover story all along! :D
  • 17:10:35: For the 2nd time today, how reading a headline might not tell the true story >> RT @bbcworld: MoD reveals Snatch’s replacement
  • 19:16:40: RT @jonsnowC4 Gov whip may resign over planned new rail route http://bit.ly/9HMZKC <I’m becoming more convinced that HS2 is doomed. HS-ECML?
  • 19:41:41: RT @bbcnews_ticker Home Office set to scrap body which regulates bouncers & other security workers in UK http://bbc.in/cz7gd7 <Terrible idea
  • 19:49:05: Security at festivals, sports events, etc may not be great sometimes, but at least they’ve been checked, not just a gang of tooled up mates
  • 21:34:59: Great run-out Morgan! #cricket
  • 21:44:33: Just seen someones Facebook status update, and think it’s part of an elaborate scam to get time off work #devious
  • 22:29:33: RT @steelershockey: Sheffield Steelers 6-6 Cardiff Devils (Result) <<<WTF!!!

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