Our stop for air was ruled to be the pits!
TO CONTINUE the tales of a wheel... the three of us made a good team: David (the driver), myself (the mechanic; I use the term loosely, mind you) and Chris (who offered to help out for the race). It was the 1960s and we were racing at Silverstone in a most prestigious club event — and doing well, holding fourth place.
The saloon car race involved three compulsory pit stops, giving opportunities for the mechanics to do their thing. With the race drawing to a close, and having completed my two obligatory pit stops (successfully, I might add), it was now down to Chris’s participation.
The final stop involved inflating a wheel to a designated pressure, which was set very high, ensuring much sweat and toil for the chosen mechanic, who was expected to use the traditional foot or hand pump. This would require the most robust of fellows, with tree trunks for legs, or Schwarzenegger-style muscled arms. With the greatest respect, Chris had neither. Speed would be of the essence: as David pulled in for his final stop, our ‘official observer’ prepared to observe and Chris sped into action, producing from under the pit wall a specialised, tiny air bottle and connecting it to the wheel. On seeing this, the observer (to use an apt motoring phrase) ‘blew a gasket’, screaming that it was not allowed. Chris ignored him, inflating the wheel in seconds, and waved David on his way, who now had such an advantage that he was able to go on and win the race. Instead of finishing in a blaze of glory, though, he finished in a blaze of protests. The presentation was delayed while a full inquiry was held.
Chris, representing us, explained that he had studied the regulations and found no mention of the method of inflation. The stewards ruled against us, relegating us to fourth place.
On reflection, it was a fair decision — for Chris was in a very privileged position, having access to specialised equipment. After all, he was the head of the giant Firestone Motor Racing Division. The rule book was changed for the next year!