Finally the Grand Prix season is underway and I am certainly looking forward to sitting in Shenanigans this Sunday. I believe the starting time here
(it’s 2 pm in Melbourne) will be 10 a.m., but I’m ducking into Shenanigans early, just in case!
While McLaren-Mercedes and Ferrari are still the cars you can expect on the top
of the heap, there is no doubt that the others are going to be up there too. Even Jean Alesi has been delighted with the new Prost AP 04, setting quick times in testing and
managing to string together several race distances without the Prost expiring, such as it did incessantly last year.
There are also several new faces - Montoya (BMW Williams), Burti (Jaguar), Bernoldi (Arrows), Raikkonen (Sauber), and Alonso (Minardi). Montoya has been
setting equivalent times to regular BMW Williams pilot Ralf Schumacher, and with his years of racing experience in the USA CART championships will be a force to contend with.
The others? Expect them well down the field, though Raikkonen could surprise as the Sauber has been setting some competitive times.
BAR are also looking good. New signing, Olivier Panis has been beating
Villeneuve’s times in testing, though you never know how light the cars were running and things like that, so you cannot draw too many conclusions. Villeneuve has a strong
following, but I must say I’ve never been all that impressed.
Minardi? What can we say? Ex-pat Aussie Paul Stoddart has bought into the team and taken it over, but it really will be a case of running last year’s
cars, which were already the last on the grid. At the time of actually writing this article, there was still no news of the second driver to partner Alonso!
Ah well, we’ll all know by mid-day Sunday how the first round went. See you in Shenanigans.
Automania Quiz
Last week I asked you what was the British car that the BBC Sportsview programme chartered for the 1961 Monte Carlo Rally? Would you believe it was a
London taxi!
So to this week and let’s stick with taxis. In many countries, the ubiquitous taxi can be a make which is revered in other countries. Take the Berlin
taxis, which when last I visited were all Mercedes Benzes, or the Volvo taxis in Sweden. However, in one country’s capital, the taxis had a connection with an accounting
system! What country and what was the name of the taxis and what was the connection?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first correct answer to fax 427 596 or email [email protected]
By the way, a couple of weeks back I asked about the V8 engine car from South Africa which was called the Piranha. The correct answer came from a Rod Brown
in Australia who emailed back after receiving notice of his win - “Did I win? The only reason I knew of it was that it was featured in a group of cars in the last London to
Sydney marathon doco which was on TV last year. I’m currently residing in Melbourne but if there’s a free beer going I’ll be over there around June. I’ll travel
anywhere if there’s the right incentive.” Now there’s a true Aussie. We’ll have that beer in June, Rod!
Nosh, Natter and Noggin Nights
Last month, after a chat with Martyn Quartly, I asked if there were enough like souls who were interested in meeting up for a “motoring” night. I was
very heartened by the response, with eight of us showing up at Shenanigans on Monday, the 12th of February. Some brought pictures of their pride and joy which ranged from a
(in no particular order) TR3, Jaguar XK8, and a Renault Caravelle and much discussion ensued over which was the worst car any of us had been lumbered with in our motoring
lifetime. A Triumph Spitfire figured highly here, as did a Citroen CX2200.
It was also obvious that lovers of fine machinery also had an affinity for the two wheeled forms of conveyance, though in one chap’s experience, there
was just a little too much trauma while stepping inelegantly off his BMW K1000 - scars and pictures to prove it.
We took advantage of the “Stake Out” night and hoed into the 195 baht special T-bone and soup and enjoyed ourselves so much it was decided to meet
again on the 2nd Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in Shenanigans.
So the next Nosh, Natter and Noggin night is Monday 12th of March. Just bowl in around 7 p.m. - we will be in the “Cottage” area of Shenanigans, which
is on your right as you come in. You know what I look like, so you’ll have no problems in identifying the group (I’m the good looking guy with hair just turning slightly
grey) so just walk up, introduce yourself, and you’re very welcome. See you on Monday 12th March.
Do you want to race at Bira?
Yes, it is possible for you to go racing - with the usual provisos, of course - the first one being how deep is your wallet? Last year some of you will
remember my waxing eloquent over the AIM Series I concept cars. AIM Racing, under the eye of the very accomplished racer, Prutirat Serireongrith, built these as
“rentaracers” and the concept was very successful, with full grids for the exceptionally well built race cars.
To foster the sport here in Pattaya, and at our local Bira Circuit, AIM Racing have decided to use the Concept I race vehicles as training cars for race
drivers too. This is where you (and your money) come in. AIM Motor Sport is running race driving schools at Bira. The two day course covers rules and regulations, technique,
practical instruction and finishes with a mock “race” between the students. Emma Chizzit? The word is that it costs 25,000 baht per student and includes one night’s
accommodation in Pattaya, two lunches and dinner at the circuit. At the successful completion you will receive a basic race licence. Now for us, since we’re here already,
there should be a deduction for the one night’s accommodation, so it will be a little less. I know a couple of the instructors, so English is not a problem either.
School’s in this March 17/18, May 19/20, July 21/22, September 15/16, November 17/18. If you are interested, contact AIM Racing Project 02-940 6600, ext. 606.
Personally, I believe it is a very inexpensive way to cut your teeth in the sport, and the cars are genuine race vehicles. I recommend this very highly.
A scary tale
Received a call from a local enthusiast who had restored and brought into Thailand a classic British sports car. This had been a total ground up
restoration, including new body panels - the whole box and dice. It is a 30 year old car made “yesterday”, it is that good.
The Customs and Excise department here thought it was that good too. “New car, so must pay duty.” “Not new, it is restored.” “Oh, in that case
must pay luxury tax!” We’re not talking about small numbers here either - try 300,000 baht for size.
Of course, the owner had no option other than pay the usury or leave it on the docks. However, he was looking forward to registering it and enjoying this
now rather expensive toy. ‘Was’ turned out to be the word for it. The registrations people in Chonburi refused to register it because it was a “new” car, so it had to
have a catalytic converter. Pleas that 30 year old cars didn’t have modern catalytic converters fell on deaf ears. Documentary proof from the manufacturer didn’t sway the
intransigent officer either.
So our local enthusiast is left with the option of attempting to retro-fit a catalytic converter to a classic sports car or parking the beast in his lounge
room and sitting in it to eat his dinner.
This type of bureaucratic nonsense doesn’t just apply if you are trying to bring something in to this country. I am led to believe that if you find the
classic car of your dreams under a coconut tree in Nakhon Nowehere, before you can export it, you have to pay all the registration fees to bring it to a current status. When
you are looking at a 1924 Hanomag (I found one in Chiang Mai), you have to pay 77 years of registration fees, at today’s prices naturally!
If anyone out there has the answer to the chap’s problem in the first part of this article then let me know and I will put you in touch with him. I’m
sure there’s a trip around the block in it if he can get it registered.
