Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Boys' Toys

Apparently, Top Gear, the Jeremy Clarkson program about fast cars and boys' toys, is sold to 200 different countries and is even more popular in America than it is here. I write about it because my son, the engineer, is taking part in the program they are currently making. They are entering a car that they have built for a 24-hour race at Silverstone and my son has done the brakes. He was there today at the track, but the car was in limp-home mode and wouldn't go above 3000 revs.

Jeremy Clarkson is very tall (6ft 4) and comes across as a chain-smoking, coca-cola swilling curmudgeon who is waited on hand and foot by young girl PAs. It is probably an act; I am sure in the privacy of his home he is meekness personified and kind to pigeons. Richard Hammond is only 5ft 4 and so when they change drivers the seat has to be mightily adjusted and a new seat-belt fitted. James May is reputedly a terrible driver who has to be coached by Jackie Stewart when they drive fact cars. The Stig is no longer Perry ****** (I dare not reveal his new identity for fear of assassination). the first Stig was sacked when he revealed his name to a Sunday paper. He now runs a racing driver school in America. The new Stig is awesomely fast.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have no idea what this post means. I have heard of Jackie Stewart, though.

I have no idea who or what a 'Stig' is. I'm not sure I care a lot, though.

The Brits are, well, different from you and me...

Manu Manickvel said...

Doc, my brothers wanted to know which F1 team your son works for (all 3 of us watch F1 & motogp(bikes))...one brother was there @the Kuala Lumpur F1 this April...i have a Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle that i've modified to be far faster than ever intended...well, the Brits, as do most Europeans, know how to enjoy the finer tastes of life...

Terry Hamblin said...

My son works for AP Racing which provides clutches and brakes for most of the teams. SO he gets into the pit lane with most of the teams.