Nigel Mansell Lola

billgtp · Post by **billgtp** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 10:52 pm

I was not going to replay to this again but the brake pad thing had me going.Anyone ever put their oil dipstick in backwards?
Nose cones on early cars come off.Most cones in the late 60s & 70s where held on bu zrus fastners on the top.All you had to do was tipped a car in front of you or rough a crub to cause the cone to come off.
I know because I raced formula V & formula fords in the seventies.Happened all the time
The brake pads in backwards? Try it on your own car.Cannot be done.They where fresh brakes & he know it. Needed to be warmed up & seated in.Every race driver knows this.I will say emotions got the better of him becuase he always wanted to win & LeMans would have be a big deal
Maurice Phillpe helped him set the car up for the race.Did he not design the Lotus 72 that won 2 world championships? Yes the other cars where sleds & he just went away.
Great drivers get their cars to the finish.
Lauda did it all the time. 1st,2nd,3rd whatever. Prices of roll bars under his car(tompryce accident),no coolant in engine etc. He brought his car to the finish.
Marios last grind Prix was great.Pole position & to finish 3rd was unreal agaisnt the kids I agree.
If he ever would have learned to crub his emotions &bring the car home I believe He would have been the greatest driver of all time

Mack · Post by **Mack** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:58 am

Next thing you know we will be discussing how absolutely horrible the racing surfaces are in North America. . .

I am a big fan of F1, but when there were races in the US I was too young to attend, or too poor. I had my heart set on the Detroit GP (F1)for 1989, but that didn't happen. So what could I do? I was lucky enough to go to Indianapolis in 1991, not for the race, but for the weeks preceding. Due to circumstances I was able to get pit walk passes and actually mingle with teams. The most gracious was AJ Foyt, he allowed me past the ropes and gave me a personnal tour of his garage. I didn't ask, he just did it.Needless to say I became a fan that day. (When I saw him in Detroit that year, again on a pit walk, he actually called me by name, shook my hand, and made me feel quite the big shot.)
Others who were quite friendly were Al Unser SENIOR, NOT Junior,Stan Fox, Gordon Johncock, Rick Mears, Roger Penske, Jeff Andretti, and John Andretti.
In 1992 I met Mario Andretti, again at Indy, outside of Michaels garage .Mario was polite and friendly. I had the chance to see him again at Michigan. While he did not remember my name, he did recall I was the guy at Indianapolis, and invited me in to his garage.
In 1993 at Michigan I met up with Mario and Nigel. Mansell, when asked when he would have a moment to meet me said, 'Perhaps 1996.' No harm done he was busy I understood and am still a fan of his.
The best driver of all time? Maybe not, but I'd put Mario up as the best RACER of his time.
The times when the man got behind the wheel and drove the tires off.

Mack

lumpulus · Post by **lumpulus** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 7:02 am

Hey Mack, are you someone important? A sponsor maybe? Nobody gets to meet all those biggies without some connections.

apex · Post by **apex** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 8:23 am

Four of five years ago I was at the Pittsburgh airport getting a connecting flight to Phoenix during a business trip. As I enterted the gate area checking the board to make sure that the flight was going to go off on time, a man came up behind me and said, "looks like we will be on time". It was Mario. As luck would have it I had a copy of the Porsche club magizine "Panorama" in my brief case and that month's issue had an interview with Mario. I hate to bug celebs but I thought this just to fateful an opportunity to pass up. I intoduced myself and descreatly asked if he would autograph the copy of Panorama. He was very gracious and we sat down in an uncrowded part of the waiting area and had the best conversation; discussing Porsches, Ferrari, F1, and driving. He was headed to Phoenix to help Micheal do some testing. I was shocked actually at how friendly he was to me. Prior to boarding the plane -First Class- , he shook my hand and told me how much he enjoyed our conversation. I have that copy of Panorama framed and haging in my garage.

Apex

Sbenford · Post by **Sbenford** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 8:57 am

Sorry guys. I know I said I was done but I can't let pure ignorance prevail.

Brakes weren't seated...please spare me.
It's kind of hard to stop a car when the brake rotor explodes don't ya think?

By the way. Mario's last Grand Prix was not great. His Ferrari 126C2 broke its left rear suspension at the final GP in Las Vegas. I guess Mario took the turn to hard...