Pitlane, er, "Walk" about?

[Liz]

Could Matt Neil, like, fire about half a dozen of those bimbettes at his table and hire some girls with muscles like they have at the Vauxhall stand, to keep order at Autograph Time? Had I been in truth a little old lady in tennis shoes and not a former ice hockey defenceman/woman, I would have been shoved to the back of the scrum really fast, and I know there were some frightened kiddies in my immediate vicinity who were being squeezed out by aggressive teenaged boys. (The one who talked back to me when I showed him what happens to louts who shove ladies should have heard more of the same from his Mum and he'd be a better boy for it.)

Matt's a very nice guy and you can read his autograph - if he'd write faster it could help - but one of these days someone is going to be trampled in that crush. And then we'll all lose out.

[Les]

I quite agree with you. I just wander down having a look and Matt always has the biggest crowd but no queue. Mind you the only way to get anyones autograph then is to queue for 30 minutes, run down the lane, and get to be first in the queue. (One time we even managed to beat the Vauxhall boys out.
The three drivers one queue isn't as good as one queue each (3 times as many would see their hero then).

[Bring Back The Cavaliers]

This has got to be one of the most annoying things about the walkabout. Anyone ever been stuck next to an annoying kid who won't shut up about his beloved Alain Menu?

[SL]

Do you mean the one about groin height, with a flag at eye level, the goodie bag at shin level, Mum, pen and programme shoving to be first in line.
Or the one just behind you in the grandstand with the fizzy, fizzy drinks, flag just in your eye line and screams loudly to go home once Menu crashes out on the first lap of the first race but always just beats you to the front of the line autograph time several hour later.

Met both of them at least once.

[Bring Back The Cavaliers]

Probably a mix of both. But i think the one i met had a rich daddy. Said he had been in Menu's car for the driver's parade and VIP treatment etc.

[SL]

Even worse the 'hospitalty kid' AAAaahhhhh

Still head about groin height, even bigger several eye skewering flags and hospitalty press enhanced shin crushing bags, first name terms with team managers. Mum, Dad & Kid expecting Charlie Dimmock, Noel Edmonds etc to be racing cannot understand grid times, racing format or 'pit pass' they have you have not. Goes to Eton, future PM hoping to get street cred.

Is there a future for the basic race fan

[Bring Back The Cavaliers]

"Which one's Nigel Mansell daddy?"

[SL]

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear

Another Nigel Mansel sprog,

Well i'm sure there was a red mist in the eye during the queue, no doubt shoved in and then threw his mittens into the crowd when his No 5 pram got a puncture just before the end and spun into the Murrey Litter. But as a special sprog of Plod and F**rari dealer got away with head butting your crown jewels, poking your mince pies and bruising you Errol Flynn's, that was just Dad..

[DAVID PATERSON]

You should try our Aust super Touring walkabout, no need for queues, only about 8 or 10 people waiting for each driver's autograph. I had a nice chat with David Auger and Brad Stratton and they both opened up their cars for me to see the cokpit and motor. I know ST is dying but I still want one!!!!!!

[Crash Test]

That Super Touring grid walk was hillarious....i was with Falcadore at the time, and we were wondering who was driving the second Carina...anyways, Mark said "who is driving the 2nd Carina.." and the we both said "Brad Stratton!" at the same time. As there weren't many people in the area at the time, Brad jumped around with a very surprised, happy look on his face, with an expression "heck, somebody knows me!!". Priceless. Ok, i guess you had to be there

[Danielsun]

Originally posted by DAVID PATERSON
I know ST is dying but I still want one!!!!!!

Stick to your Datto - at least that sort of racing (Old stars, old cars) will be around beyond next season!!

[Crash Test]

Hangon, surely some of the super tourers would be eligible for historic compeitition, or on the other hand, the Datto would be eligible for Super Touring

Anyone want to see a pic of the datto??

[Danielsun]

I think we've been here before for some reason...

[WoodyTJ]

Its not a pit-lane walk about anymore . .its a scrum!!!!

Even Matt's garage is getting silly . . and thats from his No1 fan. One of these days someone is going to get seriously hurt, either from them chucking stuff into the crowd, or being trampled on!

How many races have I been to and I still haven't managed to get a Matty hat

[Mark Ward]

I agree with you Liz - See my article on the newsletter the kids I go with get really scared with all the crownds - Honda normally has an orderly q perhaps that should be compolsary

[Danielsun]

Matt's garage has always been silly, Woody, for two reasons:

1. The blokes there don't know who Matt Neal is; they're only interested in the pit girls.

2. There's always one person, who shall remain nameless, Woody, who makes an absolute ar5e out of herself in front of Matt. I heard once that he actually kissed her at Silverstone; maybe that explains his retirements there...

But even in the other teams, there should be some order. I notice that they sometimes use ropes to signal a queue, but this isn't really enough. And besides, there's always gonna be someone standing at the back of the Vauxhall crowd scaring people with cries of MULLER!! Invader might be able to tell you who this is, but one day this person's gonna give Yvan a heart attack...

The so-called 'scrums' aren't quite as bad in V8 Supercars, but then there are forty-odd cars, rather than just fifteen...

[Liz]

The Vauxhall queue was very orderly and the two girls that were running it (although they had more clothes on than Matt's bimbettes) managed to be both forceful and attractive, as they kept good order. I got all three guys' autographs without any trouble and there was NO line cutting. However, by the time I got through that line, it was too late to see my cousin Rickard ... ratz.

CART has actually hired bouncers this year to keep people from queue jumping, and most of those people who surge to the front and try to get other people to take their items up to be autographed are roundly rebuffed as well. I think if the autograph seekers know they will be given a fair chance, most are willing to wait.

As for sprogs and sprogettes, I blame the parents for not curbing them in that or any other field of sport. The rink rats in hockey are horrendous these days; get something signed and immediately try to sell it.

[Andy H]

a useful practical suggestion would be to give Neal the garage at the furthest end from the entrance to the pits.

Then at least his scrabbling hordes wouldn't block the pitlane for anyone who wanted to have a 'walk' but couldn't give two hoots about Mr Neal.

[Danielsun]

... As opposed to Woody, who would do anything to give hooters to Matty... Should I have said that yesterday for the Quotes thread, Trackside?

I do agree. Matt Neal's pit area was an absolute war zone. If he was up the end it would make it a whole heap easier to get around to the teams that really matter - at least in terms of the Championship.

I must also gripe about the way the Honda team sets itself up, with all three drivers out the front of their own pit bay. This is all well and good if you want to chat to one of them, but if you want to see them all in the half an hour you get, then I'm afraid you'll just have to pick your favourite and see him first...

[WoodyTJ]

Gosh I agree with Dan for once. All the drivers should sit seperatly.

And why oh why if people are THAT desperate for drivers autographs do they not go and find them in the paddock. On Saturday evening most of the drivers were wondering around - just like you found out Dan . .thats after you was told who was who

[Andy H]

best place to find drivers seems to be the toilets nearest the paddock ten minutes before the race - when they all slip in for a pre-race ****

[Liz]

Well I'm not going in there for an autograph - not even for Muller's autograph!

[Les]

Spoil sport.
Mind you I had a lovely conversation once with Paula Cook in the ladies queue!!

[Danielsun]

So the Independent drivers even have to queue to use the rest rooms...

And Woody, you're disagreeing with me again; I said they should all be together. It's better for people like you to have them separate (Matty's all on his own anyway), but if you do want autographs, then having all three drivers together is far and away the easiest way to go...

BTW, speaking of autographs, you may want to look at these few offerings:

http://www.geocities.com/danielsun23/BTCC/accord.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/danielsun23/BTCC/mondeo.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/danielsun23/BTCC/vectra.jpg

As taken at Snetterton by Yours Truly, autographed at Donington...

Please ignore the misguided links; this is a problem with the Forum - just delete the space in the links wherever they may exist... Sorry!!
[Edited by Danielsun on 4th August 2000]