Two great ‘public’ drive days were held at the Bira circuit this month. First was the CEA (Kevin Fisher) “Race Day” on Sunday 9, followed six days later by Thomas Raldorf’s Helmets for Kids Charity “taxi rides” on Saturday 15.
These events were rare opportunities for members of the public to experience the thrills of traveling (as a passenger) in a racing car at speeds which are totally illegal on the open roads. To be able to do this, the racing cars were fitted with passenger seats and full racing harnesses and helmets were worn by the hardy passengers.
Ready for the ride of a lifetime.
Both of these events were well attended. After getting out of the race cars, almost every passenger had the same response… “How good are the brakes! I thought I was going to die at the first corner!”
In the racing situation, the brakes are not used until the last second in the approach to a corner, much closer than you would do in the public road situation. In addition, racing cars run much larger brakes than the road-going models.
Thomas Raldorf thrills another passenger in the CEA Subaru.
The other responses were “the heat and the noise!” and “it shook my fillings out!” No, the environment inside a racing car is very different from your road-going family chariot, but those who have now experienced it will remember it for the rest of their lives!
Another passenger pleased to still be alive.
The racing cars included the CEA/Pizza Company Subaru Imprezza SuperCar (Thomas Raldorf), CEA Honda City (Dean Callister), Securitas Retro racing Ford Escort Mk 1 (Dr. Iain Corness), CEA Honda City (Thomas Raldorf/Tony Percy), Pizza Company Honda Civic (Tony Percy), Parker Mazda BT-50 Racing Super Pick-up truck (Michael Freeman), Audi R8 Super sports car (Jeremy), Ferrari F430 Super sports car, and a Lotus Elise (K. Kwang “Singer from AB Normal”).
The grand total raised was 60,000 baht, and the Pizza Company have said they will match it. A brilliantly successful helmet for kids project.
The CEA girls organized the seats.
