Was it good for you too?

[DAVID PATERSON]

Now that i have your attention!

At this time of year it's appropriate for all of us racers to come in here and tell everyone how we went this year.

Where did you end up in the championship? What was your best result? What were the highlights and lowlights of the year? Any special moments that will live with you forever. Any lifetime ambitions achieved?

[Snapper Baz]

Mine was standing behind a tyre wall at Quarry when "Someone" in a Super Mighty Mini tried to wake me up!

[Adam43]

I am trying to write my season review for my website.

Overall it was good. Class wins and poles. And some great racing against machinery the same as mine and some very different. the odd giant killing too (beating people in modified cars - mine's standard class)

I throughly enjoyed it. I'll post a link when it's done (don't hold your breath).

[roscoe]

I only raced at the Nurburgring (Nordschleife)and Bathurst this year and I have to say the beer is pretty good at both places. The hot dogs are better at the Nurburgring but at Bathurst you can get a Chicko Roll and you have no chance in Germany!

[DAVID PATERSON]

It was my first season in the Torana, having sold the Datsun I raced since '96. Unfortunately, having stepped up a class, i am no longer class competitive, the Datsun won it's class in the club championship six years in a row but the Torana is regularly outpaced by other Toranas. However, I am now more competitive outright and that's fun.

The highlights for this year were, racing at Bathurst for the first time and winning a race for the first time.

[Amaroo Park]

Well I went no where fast....................

[Stephen Green]

Mine was chatting to Olivier Panis and HH Frentzen when their cars stalled on the practice start grid for the British GP this year. I've never been a HHF fan but he turned out to be a really nice guy and spent ages standing close to the car so the crowd could get some good pictures of him when he could just as easily have walked back down the pit lane.

[275 GTB-4]

Originally posted by DAVID PATERSON
It was my first season in the Torana, having sold the Datsun I raced since '96. Unfortunately, having stepped up a class, i am no longer class competitive, the Datsun won it's class in the club championship six years in a row but the Torana is regularly outpaced by other Toranas. However, I am now more competitive outright and that's fun.

The highlights for this year were, racing at Bathurst for the first time and winning a race for the first time.

I had a really good year (I think )

Highlight was Eastern Creek and Sandown Historics, Bathurst was OK except for the appalling camp sites and oh by the way when the letter comes in February 2003 asking for expressions of interest I will be shooting my self in the foot by saying something like "would really love to come but wouls like to here or see on a website somewhere that the situation for officials has changed (segregated campsites etc)

But I suppose the biggest highlight was shaking hands with a Green Meanie Torana driver at Bat-hurst called DAVID PATERSON

[Crash Test]

275- I think I can go one better than that- I managed to shake hands with the green meanie after his big win at QR!

Roscoe- I don't know what to say with respect to our chicko rolls. I remember once at school when a deputy principal was trying to explain to a Japanese exchange student that "Chicko rolls are filled with Chicko...". Anyhow, it was good to see you on TV Roscoe!

[Demo King]

I was lucky enough to drive in two rounds of the VMRC (Victorian Motor Racing Championship) in the Under 2lt Sports Sedan. It seems that there a few Aussie's on this forum so you may also be at the same events. I was driving Jamie Augustine's Ford Escort 55. We had a dreadful year with reliabilty problems. Some of the luck that i had was unbelievable. Try this. One event at Sandown: qualifying 1st hot lap the fuel cell fell out, missed first race trying to repair and get new bits. 2nd Race: starting from back of grid, 2nd lap coming into turn 1, downchanging to 3rd gear and the gear shift breaks off in my hand. Final Race: starting from back, 1 lap in it started raining on half the track, we were still on slicks, a few laps later the whole track was wet, cars spinning everywhere. A weekend to forget.
See some of you this year.

[Warwick]

Highlights

2nd
NZGP F1 sidecar in our novice seasons and setting
fastest lap of the day in our class.

2nd
NZ Road Race champs in a 250 superkart with a mostly
homebuilt chassis.

Lowlights
Blowing a big hole in the engine on the sidecar
running second with one lap to go at the 3rd round,outa the race and out of the series.

Stacking the outfit at the last round of the club series in practice and tracktesting my leathers and Kelly fracturing her ankle.

[DAVID PATERSON]

Sidecar racing is a great sport.

It gives an outlet to people who believe that motorcycle racing, javelin catching and python wrestling are just too safe and boring.

[FatBoy]

Originally posted by DAVID PATERSON
Where did you end up in the championship? What was your best result? What were the highlights and lowlights of the year? Any special moments that will live with you forever. Any lifetime ambitions achieved?

Finished 8th in my class in NSW (Australia) State Championships in my RX-7... My highest placing was also a 7th at Oran Park GP back in June...

The highlight i guess was actually making my racing debut at Wakefield Park in April. I was ****ting myself surrounded by maniacs and on the Saturday the car gave me so much grief i considered throwing in the towel and taking up lawn bowls...
Come Sunday and a new starter motor and battery and beating a couple of cars home gave me a new outlook on a sport i'd always wanted to get involved in, but never thought i would...

The moment that will live with me forever is the first time i discovered cold tyres and brakes don't work real well at about 180km/h... i should have framed the undies for posterity but silly me washed them...

I guess a lifetime ambition was achieved by simply getting out there and racing. I've now set my sights on being the first to greet the chequered flag sometime in the next year or so, and gradually improving my equipment is helping in that area... fingers crossed i'll get there one day, but the real reward for me is just being out there having a go..

Cheers, (and Good Luck in 2003 to all !!)
Paul...

Oh, and another highlight was getting our website happening... www.fibremaster.com.au/grumpe.htm

[Warwick]

Thanks David I can see your quote being used on a T shirt in the immediate future,the checks in the mail for the royalty payments!

[Jenny]

Mine was overtaking six of 'em at Castle Combe in July with two at Camps Corner on the last lap...YES!

[roscoe]

Originally posted by Jenny
Mine was overtaking six of 'em at Castle Combe in July with two at Camps Corner on the last lap...YES!

You obviously sorted the engine problem you had earlier in the year Jenny.

[Jenny]

The engine was sorted for just 3 races out of the 14 I started, Roscoe, carb problem apparently that stopped its revs at 8gs. Mass Engines (part of Cambridge Motorsport who look after the engine for me and do a very good job) told me at the Autosport show that they have no cracked it (figuratively speaking I hope!) Looking forward to testing it at the end of the month and hope to be more competitive this season...

[Stephen Green]

Well good luck to the both of you, I hope both your seasons give you great satifaction and excellent racing!

[Jenny]

Cheers!!

[goughy]

Highlight for me was winning in my first season of single seater racing in the North-West Formula Ford championship after ditching the team I was driving for and running a car of our own for the last 4 races of the season where I won 3 of those races and had a 2nd.

Also pleased to end the year by testing for Medina and Kevin Mills in Formula Ford Zetec setting lap times good another for a top 10 grid slot in National Formula Ford, even though the track was damp in places and I was on old tyres.