"Simplify, then add beer" (jeffoh)
12/07/2014 at 19:46 • Filed to: None
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"Simplify, then add beer" (jeffoh)
12/07/2014 at 19:46 • Filed to: None | 2
| 6 |
So late last week I got a message from someone at the Sydney Jeep Club asking if I'd like to participate in the V8 Supercars Sydney 500 Driver's Parade. Apparently bored with Mustangs & Cobras they decided to go for something different this year.
After spending 24 hours literally hosing the mud out of the interior, I plasti-dipped the dirtiest bits and drove down to Homebush at 6am with 26 other bleary eyed Jeepers.
The entrance to the circuit is at turn 1, which means you have to do a lap to get to the pits.
We were only meant to be doing slow speeds though there, but of course I held back so I could attack the chicanes at speed.
Red & white marks on the tyre tread was proof that I was clipping the apex!
With 6 hours to kill until the race, we wandered around the circuit. For those who have not been to a V8 Supercars race, it is an extremely accessible setup. You can walk through the paddock and watch the guys working on the cars and have a chat to the mechanics.
(apparently they're all powered by donuts)
Being a street circuit you can really get close to the cars. There are some parts of the track where you are 2 feet from their mirrors, and 3 feet from the roaring engines.
We also hit up the show & shine, I put some pics up !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .
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The Heritage racers were amazing, I forgot how freaking noisy the race spec Jaguar XJS V12 was.
See if you can recognise all the classics:
We finally got to the driver's parade. Of course this is when the skies opened. I was recording some video but had to put the phone away as it was bucketing down!
I was allocated Fabian Coulthard, and was bannered up & prepped. His racing colours are black & red, so my Jeep matched!
We rolled into pit lane with my mate driving Jason Bright behind us. Coulthard was giving him shit as we took off, because during the last drivers parade he smacked his head on the air hose boom.
We made it 200m into the parade lap before the skies opened. This was about 20 seconds before it started raining. Thankfully the Jeep has very little carpeting and drain plugs.
Fabian was very chill about the whole thing, didn't even want an umbrella. Surprising considering he was about to get into a race car for the rest of the afternoon.
All in all, a very good day. Considering tickets for the 3 day event were $35, it is amazing how close to the action you can get.
Kanaric
> Simplify, then add beer
12/07/2014 at 21:28 |
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australia seems like an awesome place to own a jeep, probably a lot of fun to have there
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Simplify, then add beer
> Kanaric
12/07/2014 at 21:31 |
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It is, however it's also a lot more expensive to run one. Parts are expensive, I got a quote to ship a new hood for the bargain price of $1100! (excluding the actual cost of the part).
DocWalt
> Simplify, then add beer
12/07/2014 at 21:57 |
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Awesome! I'm planning on watching the races tomorrow, so thank you very much for not spoiling anything! I'll keep an eye out for your Jeep :)
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Simplify, then add beer
> DocWalt
12/07/2014 at 22:16 |
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Funny thing is that I didnt watch the race there, I hooned home for it. If we kept the Jeeps there after the lap we'd be stuck for 5 hours after the race ended, so I got to see it from the comfort of my couch/beer.
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DocWalt
> Simplify, then add beer
12/07/2014 at 22:22 |
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Even better! Is the Jeep dried out yet? :P
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Kanaric
> Simplify, then add beer
12/08/2014 at 11:48 |
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wow. That shipping is insane. I have bought car parts from overseas and aftermarket parts from Japan and the UK but my shipping was like 5 to 10 times times less.