What, when and where?- your first motorsporting encounter.

[Lazy B'stard]

What, when and where was your first motorsporting encounter- the day that probably changed your life, and what has been your most memorable motorsport moment to date?
 Mine was the 79 Mintex Rally somewhere in the early hours of an icey cold Feb morning somewhere in Dalby Forest. Never forget the sound of a BDA on full song coming through the trees, the lights, the sweet smell of castrol and burning brakes- pure magic. I was only 6 years old and knew from that moment what I wanted to do with my life!

[Piglet]

Ohh good thread 

Probably around 1978/9 ish, I'd have been 8 or 9 ish, perhaps a bit earlier.  Smeatharpe Stadium, Stockland, Devon - watching stock car and banger racing.   

What stuck with me was the smell (mmmmmm, oil and fuel!) and my mum drilling into me to never, ever stand with my back to the fencing around the track - stood me in good stead for marshalling I guess! 

[Werner]

1000 km Nürburgring 1971: My Dad took me there when I was 12 years old and I became addicted with sportscar racing. I'll never forget the Elford/Larrousse 908-Porsche in the classic Martini livery crossing the finish line, what a beautiful car . Same for the Ferrari 312 with Ickx and Regazzoni and the Alfa T33, one of them driven by Rolf Stommelen. In those days most F1-drivers did sports car racing as well.

[vqdave]

Thruxton, Touring cars with the big winged cosworths etc support races were mg migdets and B's and then BMW 2002's Bertie Alfas and all that stuff, had to be late 80's ish at a guess........

[garyfrogeye]

Haringay Stadium to watch the Banger racing about 1969/70 because I'd seen it on World of Sport on Saturday Mornings. I remember a little fiat 500 (or something small like that) winning as it dodged out of the way of the large Morris and Austins. The driver must have been bonkers.
the noise is and the steam pouring from ruptured radiators is what I remember most.

[Nordic]

my first clear memory is 1977 going to the TT at Silverstone in late september.

The drive from west sussex (before the M25 and M40) was long and we  stopped for Breakfast at a pub that was open somewhere near Amersham as we always did, I wish I could recall it. It was near my Birthday and I remember getting some presents there.

The cars, BMW CSL's, Capri, and the Broadspeed Jags. Around that time My dad had a Alfa and was a member of the AOC so parked with the ofther alfa owners, I think trackside, and cheered on the GTA's.

I also have recollections of and inflatable tent, it had kind of ribs running up the four sides to form a dome. We always took this to the GP's when we stayed overnight. One year it burst and me and my dad and brother slept outside while my mum had the comfort of an amercian station wagon he had borrowed for the trip.

The other thing was the morning sprit at the GP, when the gates opened it was then a mad rush ladden down with deck chairs and food to get the best spot before spending the day in the baking sun. Happy days.

I was at many meetings from the early 70's onwards. but have sadly no memory at all of them. The one I wish I could remember most was Pedros win at the BOAC 1000k in the rain 1970.

[Bob U]

Haringay Stadium to watch the Banger racing about 1969/70 because I'd seen it on World of Sport on Saturday Mornings. I remember a little fiat 500 (or something small like that) winning as it dodged out of the way of the large Morris and Austins. The driver must have been bonkers.
the noise is and the steam pouring from ruptured radiators is what I remember most.

More or less the same as Gary. Stock Car racing Vauxhall Stadium in Great Yarmouth 1967. 20ish cars being driven flat out on a very small track The noise and the smell was unforgetable,and that was just from the guy standing next to me . I loved it. I don't know why it took me so long to get to LM even though I'd seen ariel shots of a GT40 on The Mulsanne on World of Sport a few years earlier.

[fagey]

for me it was the early 70's and sand racing at st ouens bay, the sprints along the 'five mile road' 9behind the sand racing, and the bouley bay hill climbs.. then in the mid 80's it was the babtism of fire.. Le Mans.. when you could pick up your camping tickets on the peage on the sat AM!!

[SteveB]

Pretty much as many of you ... Banger racing at Newton Abbot or St Austell

Lasting memories of figure of 8 tracks and either 2 cars chained one behind the other
or car towing caravans...

[knetter]

Early 90's, Formula 1 race at Spa, Schumacher was still in the Beneton and Jos Verstappen was his teammate!

[termietermite]

1961, Rufforth.  A fairly standard mixed meeting, if I remember rightly, Formula Junior, Saloons etc. 

Ah, the smell of Castrol R in the morning...

[mgmark]

Nice thread subject!  

1968, Curborough Sprint course near Lichfield, where I helped to marshal at the tender age of 9.

This experience was occasioned not by a parent, but by my primary school teacher.  She was a) ravishing (even a then 9-year old recognises that a slim, attractive, young blonde bird teaching you is a bit different from the others!) b) a Lotus Elan owner c) A sprint club member.  She had asked if anyone wanted to help marshal, I volunteered, and that is where it all started.  

From that first event, I remember a mixed field of everything from a white road-going A-H Sprite with its lights taped heading sidweays up the inside bank on the first corner, to some brand new private Formula 5000 machinery.  There was a very early production Datsun 240Z there which upset a load of the traditional British sports cars of the time around, plus plenty of specials (a Morris Minor fitted with a Jaguar engine, and a Ford Popular with a stonking big american V8 both made a firm impression) .  

The sights, smells, colours, and proximity to the action, from helping marshal a corner to pushing cars around in the paddock and at the start line, are still clear, as is the sound (first) and then the sight of a dark blue Ford GT40MKIII, as it motored into the paddock......

Needless to say, I continued to volunteer to help out, and the rest just sort of followed naturally from there...

MG Mark  

[Pieter]

1969, Silverstone annual MG Car Club race meeting would be one of the first meetings I've been to, but the memories aren't that vivid since I was 2,5 years old. Nonetheless, my father was very proud of my one year older brother and me, because we could identify the different types of MGs. I still consider that event as the start of my love for car racing. Whenever I smell Castrol R, it brings back memories of those days and I'm glad to see I'm not the only one. I was at a classic event a couple of years ago and a Mini was revving hard on Castrol, spreading its particular smell. Everybody close to the car pointed his nose in the air to catch the smell of days gone by. 

[DelBoy]

More or less the same as Gary. Stock Car racing Vauxhall Stadium in Great Yarmouth 1967.

Caister. 

My first meeting was at Snetterton circa 1960 - just a club meet, but it got me hooked.

Del

[Bob U]

More or less the same as Gary. Stock Car racing Vauxhall Stadium in Great Yarmouth 1967.

Caister. 



Del

It must have been close to GY because we were staying at North Denes caravan site and we cycled to the stadium.

http://www.yarmouthstadium.co.uk/

Inbetween the two