Memories of 2011: Motorsport

Thinking back to the first Formula One race of the year in Australia, it seems hard to believe that in-between now and then, a momentous collection of highs & lows, thrills & spills, and bump & grind has completely jammed the calendar year in Motorsport. Despite this, it doesn't require too much of a thought triggered headache to remember such highlights, ranging from the premier heights of the Formula One season, right down to the 'nitty gritty' grass roots Motorsport, both of which I have been lucky enough to have followed almost religiously throughout 2011.

Stuff of Legends: The monstrous
McLaren F1 GT up close and personal. 

 So, I'll start off chronologically, regardless of the fact that I most probably won't maintain such order. In mid-January, the annual Autosport International motor-sport show kicked off the forthcoming season in conventional fashion, at the NEC in Birmingham, of which I was luckily able to attend. With accurately 53764343 stands or cars, bikes and err, brolly dolly's on offer, it's certainly one of my most fond memories from the year, with the chance to meet McLaren-Mercedes driver Jenson Button and F1 commentary god Martin Brundle, only adding to the pleasure of the day. Other specific memories from the day include being up close and personal with the then brand new NGTC specification Toyota Avensis, watching Tiff Needell and touring-car legend Jason Plato p**s about so to speak in Jaguar XKR's, and getting to see in the flesh- well the metal, the amazing McLaren F1 for the first time. Needless to say, I'll be attending again next month!

Quick Solution: McLaren had so little time,
that the diffuser had to be made of titanium
instead of the lighter Carbon-Fibre!

 Coming back to the subject of the Australian Grand Prix, the quite frankly staggering fact that Lewis Hamilton finished second was in my eyes, nothing short of a miracle. Now, by staring at that fact outright, it doesn't sound all that amazing really, considering that Hamilton indeed found himself starting at the rear diffuser of a Red- Bull for the best part of a whole season. Anyway, the gifted reader with a sharp memory will remember that prior to the Austrailian Grand Prix, McLaren-Mercedes were expecting nothing more than a point or two, down to the tragically awful development route the team from Woking had taken with there rear diffuser during pre-season. In fact, at the concluding Pre-Season test, McLaren stood no less than a second shy of the pace setters Red-Bull on average, with yet another fruitless and wasted Pre-Season being ultimately confirmed. However, having scraped an entire winter's worth of development on the rear diffuser, and designed a much more 'Red-Bullish' and simpler design in under a week before going to Oz, McLaren had delivered a master-stroke; one that would see the team pick up 18 points under the banner of Lewis Hamilton, and be re-instated as the best of the rest, which unfortunately, rather become there forte throughout the forthcoming season.

Audi you like that?: Audi regained their
former dominance this year at Le Mans.

 Audi's win at the Le Mans 24 Hours has to be one of the highlight's this year, despite the relatively boring appeal of the race as a whole! Having followed the buil-up to the race, and watched snippets of the race at random intervals in the race, all the talk and figures led to a dominant Peugeot win on their home turf. However, with the French squad suffering numerous break down's and misfortune during the endurance classic, the former kings of the North France circuit reigned once again, with Marcel Fassler crossing the line at the end of 24 hours in the car he shared with the relatively inexperienced pairing of Andre Lotterer and Benoit Treluyer. It may be pretty processional, but theres no denying that Le Mans does have a whiff of magic about it.

Back in Business: WTCC graced
Donington Park for the first time this year.

 On a more regional level, Donington Park has once again been graced with a full programme of events this year, on the back of two difficult years of dealing with abandoned construction work and a lack of any real racing as an ultimate consequence. After circuit owner leased out the circuit on a 25 year deal to the Adroit Group, this year has seen internationally recognised events hosted at the Derbyshire track once again, such as the World Superbike Championship, Superstars International Series, and the World Touring Car Championship. The latter of these is an event I was able to attend, and stands out clearly as a top class day from the past year. Watching the series itself aswell as the equally exciting single seater Auto GP series was merely the icing on the cake, as the chance to meet the worlds finest Touring Car drivers, talk and mingle with team officials, and witness racing once again at the track I consider my own, played a big part in making the day as a whole, one to remember.

Amazing: Jenson put the rest of the F1 field to shame in Canada.

 If you ask any Formula One fan which race this year stood out for them over the course of the season, the resoundingly singular answer will undoubtedly be the Canadian Grand Prix; and I am certainly no different. For me, it wasn't just race which Jenson Button sensationally won from the back of the pack, but a race that finally cemented the Surrey-born ace in the illusive group of superstars within the sport. Sure, Jenson has won a World Championship, kudos given where kudos is deserved, but there has always been a feeling with Jenson that without the dominant Brawn GP, he is no more than an average racer and a very smooth driver. However, having carved his way through the field at an unbelievable rate of knots, and putting his retired, under pressure team mate very much in the shadows, Button came to the fore half way around the last lap of the Grand Prix, having forced the apparently unbreakable Sebastian Vettel into an extremely rare mistake. It epitomised for me, the very reason I love Motorsport. That edge of the seat moment, or moments in Jenson's case, where time seemingly slows down as you breath in and wince at what unravels in front of your eyes. Anyhow, it's not as if I could ever escape the audio clip from my memory of my dad shouting 'Yes! Get in! I told you he was better than Hamilton!'. Just for the record, in the grand scheme of things I still disagree with him on that one.

Awestruck: Rare chance to meet a
legendary machine- 

  On my travels this year, aswell going Donington Park and to the Autosport International Show in Birmingham, I was lucky enough to go to Rockingham Speedway in mid-September to the venue's round of the BTCC. Two highlights in particular stand out from this day: firstly the rise of youngster, rookie, and ferociously fast touring car driver,Frank Wrathall. Now, for those readers that have never had the pleasure of attending a motor sport event, the general rule is that you talk amongst yourselves in the grandstand, and then occasionally applaud an overtaking manoeuvre that universally grabs the attention of the spectators. However, during the second race of the day, fan favourite surged through 30-strong field of some of the nations finest drivers, to within touching distance of the podium in fifth place. By doing so, Wrathall had the main stand at Rockingham on it's feet; applauding and cheering the heroic drive with the occasional air horn being more than welcome for once. A further highlight from the day came from witnessing AJ Foyt Junior's former Penske Racing CART car attack the rarely used oval circuit at Rockingham. It was awesome; a few minutes to witness one of the fastest car's on earth fly around the circuit at full speed, with a facial expression that resembled that of a child in a sweet shop. Just staggering. On top of this, I later found myself in the car's garage (with fully authorised permission of course...), around that machine that nowerdays is looked upon as more of an artefact. I felt blessed, and was privilaged to have seen it both up close and stretching it's V10 Mercedes engined legs at well over 210 mph.

Goodbye/Ciao: Two giants of there
specific disciplines Motorsport.Of course, with 2011, comes a great sense of sadness and remorse at the loss of so many great faces that once graced the sport. Two of the most prolific tragedies came in the form of two active racers, who died doing what they loved, and what they were best at. The deaths of both Dan Wheldon and Marco Simoncelli,  were both events that trigger the memory to ask itself that oh so cliché ridden question: Where was I when I heard? I remember exactly where I was for both. In the tragic case of British Indy Car racer Wheldon, I was greeted with reports of a catastrophic car accident during the season ending Indy Car race at Las Vegas via Twitter, which later was confirmed as a fatal occurance in case of Dan Wheldon. I could honestly write a book on Wheldon's life, achievements, and abundance of talent, or like I already have done- a blog entry, but I doubt I'd be able to do the great man justice. Speaking of a 'great man', Marco Simoncelli was far from one. He was infact, no more than a boy generally speaking. At the tender age of just 24, 'Super Sic' lost life in a horrific accident during the Malaysian Grand Prix on the 23rd October, 2011. Where was I? I was in the back seat of my Step-Dad's car, on my way back home after a weekend in Eastbourne looking at the University campus there as a prospective student. The horror of hearing the horror through the in-car radio haunted me all the way home, for all 4 hours of the journey time. Truth be told, writing about it now, it still does. Wheldon and Simoncelli are just two examples of the many who lost there life this year in and around Motorsport though: former V8 Supercars driver Jason Richards (aged 35), Karting guru Martin Hines (aged 64), and former Sportscar racer Christian Bakkerud (aged 26), are just a few more to mention.

 So despite the raft of fond memories I will take from 2011 and as will others, there is a huge feeling of regret, that one can only help is not replicated again in 2012, or any other forthcoming year.
 None of the less, 2011 has been massive for the sport, so with regards to carrying forward the sports success and dropping the tragedies that have been reluctantly picked up throughout the year, we can only hope for a bigger, better 2012 with many more of fond memories to come!

Happy New Year readers :)

P.S: Feedback comments/selecting the 'follow' option/helping to distribute my work would all be massively appreciated!