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back in 1977 i used to race a holden eh fender bender sedan at the now defunct berkshire park raceway on the outskirts of sydney long before parramatta speedway was even thought of. my car was a holden eh sedan number 14 and called " shnook '.i had always wanted to be a racing driver of sorts, i didn't care whether i raced a speedway sedan or circuit racing sedan, it just did not matter to me.
i was only 21 when i achieved my dream, to race, as the accompanying photo's show i was much younger then.
these were the days when all you had to do was to show up at the track with a helmet and overalls and you were in, not like today.
if i'm not mistaken, i raced the car for about 15 meetings before i decided to give up racing for something more lucrative , like working for a living.
in the time i raced it, i didnt win any races but sure had fun trying to win. racing on a slippery clay surface was sure as hell a lot harder than i imagined it would be. it took a while to get the hang of it but i did in the end.
the team was mine and i was the main driver with my mate eddie chapman as relief driver, the crew were mitchel holmstrom, and jimmy bastian, this all added up to "shnook racing".
each week i will be adding more information about those geat days gone bye and my ambition to race again, hopefully in a sydney street stock sedan at tyrepower parramatta city raceway in the near future.
ok im back, today is wednesday 04/06/08 so i will continue my story.
one thing that sticks in my mind is when i started racing, the first time i showed up at the track the scrutineers told me that i should have mounted the radiator inboard so that it wouldnt get damaged, i had the last laugh though, heaps of races later i didnt have any damage to the radiator, goes to show that if you dont hit things you dont break the car.
so anyway, i soon learned that a slippery surface is hard to drive on as the pictures on this blog show, very first race i couldnt keep the car in a straight line, lesson number one, dont accelerate to much or you go nowhere quickly.
by now the racing bug really got me good and propper, but i only ever did it for fun,because if you dont get any fun out of anything, why do it.
now , years later, i still want to get out there and see if i still have what it takes.
my main ambition is to do 1 or 2 years of racing and finally quit, or until i get the demons out of my system once and for all.
one of my greatest accomplishments was watching my mate eddie, racing my car , that was a very proud day for me, my car racing on the track being driven by a driver of my choice, that was an eye opener for me because i could see what was right or wrong with the car from the outside, nerve wracking but nice.
another milestone in my racing life was having my dad watching me at all the races that i competed in, i told him i wanted to race and i got to achieve that , he's gone now, he passed away 13 years ago, so, if i get to race again there will be a part of me that will be very sad that he wont be there to watch me, but maybe he will be watching over me from above.
ok thats enough for tonight, but i will add more in the very near future.
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Posted by joseph123 on 2008-06-01 05:50:31 | Rating: | Views: 44
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My friend, it sounds to me as though racing runs through your veins! But I am wondering why you seem to think that racing is the only thing you do well. After all, racing - especially the old-school/driving by the seat of your pants type of stuff, requires nerves of steel, trusting your own instincts and high level skills in engineering to be able to keep your 'horse' going. There are many academics who are lacking in these types of skills. You sound like a gutsy type of guy to me. Oh, and I didn't mention the leadership involved in heading your own raceteam. I say follow your heart because life is meant to be lived - not just suffered. Wanting something badly enough will make you get it in the end, and with your Dad as your guardian angel, what more can you ask for? Do him proud and go for it!
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Posted by windorf
on 2008-06-08 04:35:53
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