Comments on: 2008 Southern Festival of Speed

By: admin

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:12:37 +0000

Hi Allan - thanks for the note! I’ve moved most of my racing stories to: http://www.FlyingRubberRacing.com - check it out when you have a moment. I really appreciated and enjoyed my NZ racing experience, however a few others in my group did not. NZ is one of my top places to visit - I love the country and the people. I just got back from Targa Newfoundland (yet another 02 dubbed “Willy” - check FlyingRubberRacing.com) and hope to do Targa in NZ either next year or the following. …and yes, your customs folks were outstanding! Indicative of the NZ culture in general. Cheers! Jack

By: Allan Dick

Allan Dick — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:45:37 +0000

Hi Jack and Team.
Just stumbled across this saga of your New Zealand experiences. As the owner of a 2002 myself I was aware of your visit.
I’ve been writing about motor racing and cars in general in New Zealand since, ahem, 1964 . . . I started very young!
The advice that maybe classic racing in the UK may be easier than NZ shouldn’t be believed. They possibly have an stronger passion for competitive racing than we do and most classic racers there suffer from terminal red mist.
Things you needed to know about NZ — Rugby is our national sport. Few sports are as contact-centred as this — it’s at least as physical as American football, but without the padding and helmets.
The second is that we are a nation of Do-It-Yourselfers and cars are cheaper here than where you are. That, combined with our fiercely competitive nature when it comes to any sport means that we aren’t as “protective” of our cars as Americans are. If we hurt them, we fix them.
It’s just the way we are.
Even if our classic drivers are more aggressive than Americans, I’ll be you found our Immigration and Security people at our airports a lot more friendly than your people
Despite the cultural differences your story made very interesting reading. Well done.
Allan Dick

By: Chris Cardinal

Chris Cardinal — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:36:04 +0000

Thanks for posting this little travelogue. I must say that I was a bit taken aback by the cavalier attitude of the kiwi folks with regards to pricey vintage racing iron. It’s a lesson learned for everyone who ever wanted to do something similar. Maybe the UK is a better choice for an international racing saga.

Keep the shiny side up in 2008.

Cheers,

Chris

By: Helen Carter

Helen Carter — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 08:41:48 +0000

Suzanne and Jack, what a fantastic story of your trip Down Under. I must say, as a spectator and wife of Roger Carter, I am very disappointed that you experienced such bad behaviour from a few drivers on the track! In my opinion, I believe you are rightly justified to be disappointed that respect is not given toward drivers and the value of the classic cars raced in a so called - friendly race, and that crash and bang is OK! I agree that the fines are a joke when you consider the $value of the repairs needed after such careless and inconsiderate driving.

Roger and I are pleased that you enjoyed your time in New Zealand once again and thank you for taking the time to write and include the video footage of your races. Roger enjoyed the two days at Ruapuna and Timaru also.