I was asked recently by one of my young mentoring clients what was the first race car that I had driven on a race circuit, where it had been, and when.
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He was quite surprised when I had no difficulty recalling the occasion, albeit it was more than 50 years ago. It sticks in my mind because what should have been an exciting experience for me actually turned into one of the most unpleasant. As to the type of car, that too is etched on my mind for all the wrong reasons.
Visiting the annual Racing Car Show was a must ever since I had gone to the British GP at Brands in 1968 and watched Jo Siffert do the business! In those days, the Show was held in London, and I think it was 1971 when Olympia was the venue. I know Grand Prix World Champion Sir Jack Brabham opened it. As I was walking down one of the crowded aisles, a guy in a racing suit stopped me and asked if I would like to try the F3 simulator. It turned out to be F1 driver Trevor Taylor. He told me that the person with the fastest lap time of the day would earn a free trial at Motor Racing Stables, the Brands Hatch-based racing school.
It didn’t start very well! The large wooden steering wheel came off in my hands… To call this old F3 race car chassis with a screen balanced on the front of it, today’s generation of e-sporters would laugh at a simulator, but to me, it was the bee’s knees.