Re: I just sat in a REAL 1967 Repco-Brabham F1! Impressions:

On Wed 12 Jul 2000 04:49:29am, Sam Senior wrote: >Scene: Zupan Historical Races, this past weekend, Portland OR. The >owner, from Seattle, was kind enought to help me into one of the >last three existing cars and photo me!<snip> You lucky so-and-so! Best I've ever done in that department was a sit in Johnny Herbert's 1991 (I think) Lotus at the Autosport exhibition (it was bloody cramped in there!). -- David. (GPLRank handicap: +19.68) "After all, a mere thousand yards - such a harmless little knoll, really." (Raymond Mays on Shelsley Walsh)

Oh how I envy you... :) Did you check to see if the mirrors show more in GPL than in real life? (of course they'd tend to vibrate a bit due to the high speeds, but still...) <g> -- -Brett http://www.geocities.com/cartstop Goodbye Greg Moore 1975-1999 "I will see you at the front, and wish me luck..." - Greg Moore Goodbye Adam Petty 1980-2000 "It's all about racing on the track." - Adam Petty Goodbye Kenny Irwin Congratulations to Juan Montoya, 2000 Indy 500 Champ! "While the Indianapolis 500 victory is an impressive achievement one must remember that this is not the race it once was. The opposition was really not up to much in the overall, global scheme of things. The Indy racing League field, whether Tony George and his people like it or not, are not good enough to make it in CART-level competition..." -The Mole (F1 Racing Magazine) Sam Senior <[email hidden]> wrote in article <[email hidden]>... > Scene: Zupan Historical Races, this past weekend, Portland OR. The > owner, from Seattle, was kind enought to help me into one of the last > three existing cars and photo me! His value on the car: 750K. He also > had a Lotus 35, and in his shop, the Ferrari we drive in GPL! My > impressions: (1) tight fit. I am 6' and 180, and I could squeeze in, > but NO elbow room! How those guys could wrestle it around hairpins, I > don't know. Wheel is very small. gearshift, a one inch nubbin. Very > small gate, looked like only 4 gears, with one more (reverse?) gated > out. (2)Tires: huge, fat, wide tires, gummy, must be modern. Fuselage: > needle-like, a torpedo. GPL doesn't capture that. (3) the car looks > like a huge engine bolted to a needle-like rocket. The owner said that > the car was roomy, compared to most racecars. Geez! He also owns GPL, > but has never tried it, too much fun driving the real cars. I asked > him his driving impressions. "Marvellous!" Parker Johnstone was there, > to drive the car, but it was showng low oil pressure, so it didn't > run. Bummer! I wanted to hear it. BUT I got photos of me in the car, > which will go up on the wall when developed! Made my whole month! > Sam Senior >

Scene: Zupan Historical Races, this past weekend, Portland OR. The owner, from Seattle, was kind enought to help me into one of the last three existing cars and photo me! His value on the car: 750K. He also had a Lotus 35, and in his shop, the Ferrari we drive in GPL! My impressions: (1) tight fit. I am 6' and 180, and I could squeeze in, but NO elbow room! How those guys could wrestle it around hairpins, I don't know. Wheel is very small. gearshift, a one inch nubbin. Very small gate, looked like only 4 gears, with one more (reverse?) gated out. (2)Tires: huge, fat, wide tires, gummy, must be modern. Fuselage: needle-like, a torpedo. GPL doesn't capture that. (3) the car looks like a huge engine bolted to a needle-like rocket. The owner said that the car was roomy, compared to most racecars. Geez! He also owns GPL, but has never tried it, too much fun driving the real cars. I asked him his driving impressions. "Marvellous!" Parker Johnstone was there, to drive the car, but it was showng low oil pressure, so it didn't run. Bummer! I wanted to hear it. BUT I got photos of me in the car, which will go up on the wall when developed! Made my whole month! Sam Senior

Forgot to mention, yes, it's the BT24. Same as in GPL. Sam

On Wed, 12 Jul 2000 03:49:29 GMT, [email hidden] (Sam Senior) wrote:

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>Scene: Zupan Historical Races, this past weekend, Portland OR. The >owner, from Seattle, was kind enought to help me into one of the last >three existing cars and photo me! His value on the car: 750K. He also >had a Lotus 35, and in his shop, the Ferrari we drive in GPL! My >impressions: (1) tight fit. I am 6' and 180, and I could squeeze in, >but NO elbow room! How those guys could wrestle it around hairpins, I >don't know. Wheel is very small. gearshift, a one inch nubbin. Very >small gate, looked like only 4 gears, with one more (reverse?) gated >out. (2)Tires: huge, fat, wide tires, gummy, must be modern. Fuselage: >needle-like, a torpedo. GPL doesn't capture that. (3) the car looks >like a huge engine bolted to a needle-like rocket. The owner said that >the car was roomy, compared to most racecars. Geez! He also owns GPL, >but has never tried it, too much fun driving the real cars. I asked >him his driving impressions. "Marvellous!" Parker Johnstone was there, >to drive the car, but it was showng low oil pressure, so it didn't >run. Bummer! I wanted to hear it. BUT I got photos of me in the car, >which will go up on the wall when developed! Made my whole month! >Sam Senior

Hey Sam,I saw this Brabham the week before at SIR(Seattle International Raceway) at the NW Historic races.I posted a few pics here http://photos.yahoo.com/ampville click on racing.Was Pete Lovely at PIR with his 49B?Wish I could have made it down :( Any more things to share? Thanks DaveK

(1) tight fit. I am 6' and 180, and I could squeeze in, > but NO elbow room! How those guys could wrestle it around hairpins, I > don't know. Great feeling isn't it? I got to sit in a Williams FW14B some years ago (Mansells 1992 car). The photo adorns my desktop to this date. Nigel was a big guy although possibly a little shorter than me. I'm definately less well endowed than him in the weight department, weighing in at 70 kg compared to his 85. Whilst sitting in the car I couldn't help but think what it must have been like to be running alongside the likes of Senna at 190mph in a cocoon so tight that I could hardly move my feet inside the footwell. To think that he won that year whilst nursing broken bones in his ankle heightened my admiration of the achievement. As for elbow room, the cockpit was cramped but I couldn't really tell how it would have been to steer that thing round a course as the wheel had been removed. My impressions was, however, Nigel made the right choice abandoning the Maclaren ride. The guy is far more broad shouldered than myself and mine were being pinched somewhat. My last memory of that day ---- All the people around me laughing their asses off when I tried to extricate myself from the tub. Single seater drivers must have knees that bend backwards <G>. Needless to say, it took more than the mandatory 5 seconds that the real drivers need to do it in......... MS

DAVE!! GREAT PHOTOS!! THANKS!! Dave K <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> On Wed, 12 Jul 2000 03:49:29 GMT, [email hidden] (Sam Senior) > wrote: > > >Scene: Zupan Historical Races, this past weekend, Portland OR. The > >owner, from Seattle, was kind enought to help me into one of the last > >three existing cars and photo me! His value on the car: 750K. He also > >had a Lotus 35, and in his shop, the Ferrari we drive in GPL! My > >impressions: (1) tight fit. I am 6' and 180, and I could squeeze in, > >but NO elbow room! How those guys could wrestle it around hairpins, I > >don't know. Wheel is very small. gearshift, a one inch nubbin. Very > >small gate, looked like only 4 gears, with one more (reverse?) gated > >out. (2)Tires: huge, fat, wide tires, gummy, must be modern. Fuselage: > >needle-like, a torpedo. GPL doesn't capture that. (3) the car looks > >like a huge engine bolted to a needle-like rocket. The owner said that > >the car was roomy, compared to most racecars. Geez! He also owns GPL, > >but has never tried it, too much fun driving the real cars. I asked > >him his driving impressions. "Marvellous!" Parker Johnstone was there, > >to drive the car, but it was showng low oil pressure, so it didn't > >run. Bummer! I wanted to hear it. BUT I got photos of me in the car, > >which will go up on the wall when developed! Made my whole month! > >Sam Senior > Hey Sam,I saw this Brabham the week before at SIR(Seattle > International Raceway) at the NW Historic races.I posted a few pics > here http://photos.yahoo.com/ampville click on racing.Was Pete Lovely > at PIR with his 49B?Wish I could have made it down :( > Any more things to share? > Thanks > DaveK

,On Wed, 12 Jul 2000 06:13:16 GMT, Dave K <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>On Wed, 12 Jul 2000 03:49:29 GMT, [email hidden] (Sam Senior) >wrote: > >>Scene: Zupan Historical Races, this past weekend, Portland OR. The >>owner, from Seattle, was kind enought to help me into one of the last >>three existing cars and photo me! His value on the car: 750K. He also >>had a Lotus 35, and in his shop, the Ferrari we drive in GPL! My >>impressions: (1) tight fit. I am 6' and 180, and I could squeeze in, >>but NO elbow room! How those guys could wrestle it around hairpins, I >>don't know. Wheel is very small. gearshift, a one inch nubbin. Very >>small gate, looked like only 4 gears, with one more (reverse?) gated >>out. (2)Tires: huge, fat, wide tires, gummy, must be modern. Fuselage: >>needle-like, a torpedo. GPL doesn't capture that. (3) the car looks >>like a huge engine bolted to a needle-like rocket. The owner said that >>the car was roomy, compared to most racecars. Geez! He also owns GPL, >>but has never tried it, too much fun driving the real cars. I asked >>him his driving impressions. "Marvellous!" Parker Johnstone was there, >>to drive the car, but it was showng low oil pressure, so it didn't >>run. Bummer! I wanted to hear it. BUT I got photos of me in the car, >>which will go up on the wall when developed! Made my whole month! >>Sam Senior >Hey Sam,I saw this Brabham the week before at SIR(Seattle >International Raceway) at the NW Historic races.I posted a few pics >here http://photos.yahoo.com/ampville click on racing.Was Pete Lovely >at PIR with his 49B?Wish I could have made it down :( >Any more things to share? >Thanks >DaveK

Dave, If the 49B is a Brab, yes it was there. I managed to get a picture of myself in that car, too. I thought it was the 24B, but the owner mentioned that there was a formula one nearby, and while searching for film, which I got from Dale DeFolette (sp?) the track manager, I found Zimmer, the BT24 owner. I was armed with the Brab "Best Laps" sheet from GPL, and showed it to him. I said I had at least 200 hours on that car. THEN I admitted it was a Sim! But he said no prob on a "photo op," and personally shoehorned me into it. I also showed the best laps sheet to Parker Johnstone, and he was killer impressed until I said it was a Sim. He said driving the real car was a lot different, because of the responsibility and, of course, the risk. I said the sim is actually technically harder because you tend to drive all your laps like qualifying laps, with it all hung out on the very edge, and OFTEN over it. He didn't seem convinced. Sam

On Wed, 12 Jul 2000 11:35:34 +0100, "m.seery" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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> >(1) tight fit. I am 6' and 180, and I could squeeze in, >> but NO elbow room! How those guys could wrestle it around hairpins, I >> don't know. > >Great feeling isn't it? I got to sit in a Williams FW14B some years ago >(Mansells 1992 car). The photo adorns my desktop to this date. Nigel was a >big guy although possibly a little shorter than me. I'm definately less well >endowed than him in the weight department, weighing in at 70 kg compared to >his 85. > >Whilst sitting in the car I couldn't help but think what it must have been >like to be running alongside the likes of Senna at 190mph in a cocoon so >tight that I could hardly move my feet inside the footwell. To think that he >won that year whilst nursing broken bones in his ankle heightened my >admiration of the achievement. As for elbow room, the cockpit was cramped >but I couldn't really tell how it would have been to steer that thing round >a course as the wheel had been removed. My impressions was, however, Nigel >made the right choice abandoning the Maclaren ride. The guy is far more >broad shouldered than myself and mine were being pinched somewhat. > >My last memory of that day ---- All the people around me laughing their >asses off when I tried to extricate myself from the tub. Single seater >drivers must have knees that bend backwards <G>. Needless to say, it took >more than the mandatory 5 seconds that the real drivers need to do it >in......... > >MS > >

M.Seery, Yeah, I don't know how long it would have taken me to get out on my own. I was admonished not to touch the windscreen as it was VERY expensive, and it would have made getting out MUCH easier. As it was, I had the owner on one side and one of his staff on the other, carefully lifting me out. Getting in is easier as you can put your hands behind on thestrut(?) tops to lower yourself. But I'm sure in an emergency situation, using the screen I could exit quite rapidly. Most racers look to me to be pretty small and wiry compared to me. But that car is absolutely claustrophobic. I'd hate to have to drive it fast. You literally can hardly move. It felt like being stuck in a sewer pipe. I couldn't even find or feel the pedals with shoes on. I worked eight years (four days per year) for CART as an inspector (scrutineer) and the Indycars seem a good dear roomier to me. That BT24, though, is probably the most beautiful race car I ever saw. No clutter of wings and other garbage. Sam

On 12 Jul 2000 04:34:32 GMT, "Brett" <[email hidden]> wrote: >Oh how I envy you... :) Did you check to see if the mirrors show more in >GPL than in real life? (of course they'd tend to vibrate a bit due to the >high speeds, but still...) <g> > >-- >-BrettBrett, Didn't really look at the mirrors. Will check when the pictures are done. I took quite a few, from all angles.After I got in, he put the wheel back on, and I was mostly focused on what it felt like to "pilot" a real F1 for the first and no doubt last time of my life! Sam

Sam Senior <[email hidden]> wrote: : That BT24, though, is probably the most beautiful race car I ever saw. No : clutter of wings and other garbage. Hmm... I was looking at a cluster of late 60s and early 70s race-cars last year at Coy's and beautiful was not a word that sprang to mind with the Brabhams I saw - particularly the late 60s ones. "Agricultural" was probably nearer what I was thinking. Stacked up next to an equivalent Lotus, the Brabham looks like it's been welded together by a bunch of enthusiastic amateurs. The Lotuses of the time now THEY were beautiful race cars. (Until they became horrible wedge shaped monstrosities - ick). -- Richard G. Clegg Only the mind is waving Networks and Non-Linear Dynamics Group Dept. of Mathematics, Uni. of York UPDATED WWW: http://manor.york.ac.uk/

>You lucky so-and-so! Best I've ever done in that department was a sit >in Johnny Herbert's 1991 (I think) Lotus at the Autosport exhibition >(it was bloody cramped in there!). Yeah, the best I've managed is sitting in Jimmy Vasser's CART car a few years back. I was amazed at how limited the view was. Racer X Veteran Sim Racer #4 Corvette C5-R in the GTIC #24 Monte Carlo in the DORL Victory Lane- http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/1423/

The '49B' is a Lotus type-number, not a Brabham, Sam. -- Regards, Bruce Kennewell, Canberra, Australia. --------------------------- Sam Senior <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > If the 49B is a Brab, yes it was there.

What's the saying? "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder", I think. -- Regards, Bruce Kennewell, Canberra, Australia. --------------------------- Richard G Clegg <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8ki7k8$1te$[email hidden]... > Sam Senior <[email hidden]> wrote: > > : That BT24, though, is probably the most beautiful race car I ever saw. No > : clutter of wings and other garbage. > > Hmm... I was looking at a cluster of late 60s and early 70s race-cars > last year at Coy's and beautiful was not a word that sprang to mind with > the Brabhams I saw - particularly the late 60s ones. "Agricultural" was > probably nearer what I was thinking. Stacked up next to an equivalent > Lotus, the Brabham looks like it's been welded together by a bunch of > enthusiastic amateurs. The Lotuses of the time now THEY were beautiful > race cars. (Until they became horrible wedge shaped monstrosities - ick). > > -- > Richard G. Clegg Only the mind is waving > Networks and Non-Linear Dynamics Group > Dept. of Mathematics, Uni. of York > UPDATED WWW: http://manor.york.ac.uk/