We had to be quick to catch top racing stars
AN estimated 1.922 billion TV viewers worldwide can’t be wrong? Or can they?
Fans of Formula 1 racing had better scrub themselves down with Swarfega at this stage and have a bottle of Redex handy as ‘smelling salts’.
The mind-boggling TV audience may love it - but I can’t stand it.
In fact, the appearance of Formula 1 on the telly in the Lloyd household is usually followed by some industrial-strength expletives and the phrase, “the blankety-blank Scalextric is on again!”
And, quite frankly, the appeal of watching mini toy cars going around their allocated slots on a figure-of-eight track on the living room carpet holds more appeal than watching several hours of Formula 1.
It wasn’t always so; in the days of James Hunt and Jackie Stewart I was quite a fan.
Today, however, Formula 1 blurs into a massive Playstation computer game in my eyes.
The graphics, the driver’s cockpit views, buttonchange gears, red-green rev counters . . . everything blurs reality.
And, another thing, they don’t even have proper steering wheels!
And, another thing, what is this thing about screening hours of hours and hours of practice sessions (apart from the lucrative TV advertising market, of course)?
And, another thing, what is all that trophy nonsense? Most of the heavy, giant-sized silverware needs bringing in on a forklift truck.
And, another thing, what’s that schoolboy playground nonsense with the giant bottles of champagne.
I could, of course, go on, but I don’t want to create the impression I am anti-motorsport. Generally, most forms of motorsport and motorbike racing get a large tick here - it’s just the F1 thing I don’t get.
The reality is that I was brought up to love motorsport. My dad was a member of Carmarthen Motor Club and would regularly compete at motorbike trials on Pendine Sands.
His idea of a good ‘overseas’ family holiday was a trip to the Isle of Man to watch the TT races.
Over the years, I’ve watched with interest the development of the Pembrey Circuit, developed on part of the old RAF airfield at Pembrey with help from the old Llanelli Borough Council. Now operated by the British Automobile Racing Club, those days of full racing calendars will surely return once the pandemic has subsided.
Today, the circuit bills itself as the ‘ Home of Welsh Motorsport’ - and it’s no idle boast as, before coronavirus arrived, it was home to regular events featuring many different types of motorsport.
There was a time when Pembrey attracted the crème de la crème of Formula 1 racing, who saw the attraction in going to a fairly remote track to test out the latest F1 car developments.
F1 drivers who tested at Pembrey included - Ayrton Senna (who recorded the fastest lap on the track); Alain Prost; Mika Hakkinen, Nelson Piquet; Nigel Mansell; Roberto Moreno; Damon Hill; Michael Schumacher; Martin Brundle; David Coulthard; Jenson Button; Juan Pablo Montoya.
That’s quite a roll of honour!
Back in those days, the Llanelli Star and its sport editor Barrie Thomas and photographer Jeff Connell were granted special access to the track when the stars arrived for their ‘secret’ testing. The only rule put in place by the testing teams was that the stories and pictures wouldn’t be placed in print until ‘after’ the stars had departed the track.
Motorbike racing at Pembrey has also attracted stars.
Ian Hislop, Joey Dunlop, and local Llanell hero Chris Morris were among the early success stories at the track.
Also something of a budding two-wheel at Pembrey was Simon Le Bon, of the Duran Duran pop group.
Yes, do a ‘double take’ at that name from the days of so-called ‘English New Wave’ music!
Le Bon’s career as a motorbike racer didn’t last long. It was 1992 and his first visit to Pembrey ended in a spectacular crash.
Le Bon reportedly injured the lower part of his body, near to what was described by one observer at the time as the ‘family allowance’ area.
Star reporters were briefed to find out more about the injury when making regular ‘condition check’ calls to Prince Philip Hospital, where Le Bon was treated after the accident.
Somehow, they never got to pin down the actual injury Le Bon suffered.
Le Bon was sufficiently moved to write a song about the racing accident. “Falling Down” is on Duran Duran’s 2007 album Red Carpet Massacre and the video which accompanied the tune was . . . er . . . best described as ‘racy’.
Le Bon later said: “The song is about arrogance and pride, as well as personal breakdowns and the hope for redemption and the resilience of the human spirit.”
He said that the theme of the song subconsciously came from his motorcycle accident.
“I was thrown to the ground at 90 miles an hour and I had enough time to think, ‘If I survive this accident, I’ll never race again’.
“I realised that’s what I was referring to in the song. It was very personal and very easy to write. It’s n o t about motorcycle racing. But I remember thinking, ‘Please let me survive, I don’t want to die’.”
Keep on buying the paper and I’ll tell you more!