"Holden" my own... A race report / story in 14 parts.

[Smallhorses]

A little preamble here:

I'm writing this as I go, and it's a little "wordy" to begin with though I think you need to understand the background to appreciate the story fully. There'll be 3 chapters of buildup where many things will be revealed, followed by 10 race reports (somewhat less words & more pictures ) with all the requisite twists and turns and an epilogue to finish. It's not going to pour-forth in weekly installments, and there'll definitely be a break around Xmas as I'm going to be on vacation. Winter weekends are often taken up by snowboarding trips too, so I may get distracted. I'll guarantee it'll get finished eventually though, so keep poking me!

Hope you enjoy, and I'd appreciate your feedback, compliments and criticisms respectively.

 

[Smallhorses]

Chapter 1: A Little About Myself.​

Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Gordon, you really don't need to know any more, since although I hope you'll enjoy my story, your adulation from afar is reward enough for me and I don't need ardent fans tracking me down again. That's how this odyssey began in the first place...

I'm beyond the twilight of my racing years now, having recently crept into my mid-fifties my reactions and mental acuity don't have the same edge as they used to as an impetuous youngster. I've always been passionate about racing, but never having the seemingly unlimited resources of some of my racing peers, I often struggled to compete, especially with some of the heavily modified and highly tuned monsters that're avant-garde these days.
Growing up in England close to one of the most exciting tracks in the country, I watched a lot of upcoming drivers pass through the ranks of the array of single-seat racing formulae in their quest for the ultimate fame & fortune of a drive in one of the teams at the top tables of motorsport, Formula 1 and what, at the time, was Indycar.
I'll not pretend that I was good enough to compete with the best, or that I can blame a lack of funding for not hitting the bigtime, having seen Mansell make it all the way to the top while taking the huge financial risks that he did, pushing his family almost to bankruptcy before finally setting the world stage alight.
Racing was always a hobby though, never a livelihood, and as such I've always made do with what I could reasonably afford after taking care of the more important things in life first, food, shelter, you know what I mean? As much as I'd've loved to race full time, one has to work hard to pay the bills and that's where a solid education and a fairly well paid job (by no means top-dollar though!) allowed me just enough left over at the end of every month to fund my habit!

Mostly running used "beaters" that I'd fix up just enough to be raceworthy, I ran in a few "run what you brung" championships, thoroughly enjoying the tight racing, but aside from a few lucky wins when the leaders suffered a rare spin or mechanical failure late in the race, the main attraction for me was the driving itself, not that I'd ever turn down a podium spot or the prizemoney that'd go a little ways to ensuring I could keep the car fuelled, repaired or shod with fresh rubber in time for the next race. There's a couple of pics above of the '79 Bluebird and the '83 Civic that I ran for a while, and I apologise in advance for the image quality, but these were pre-digital era photos snapped by a friend with a old polaroid camera, along with several years of exposure to light, hence the blurriness, fading and colour loss.

My one moment of glory, my 15-minutes of fame per se, came after years and years of scrimping and saving the entry fees and travel costs for a series sponsored by Polyphony Digital which opened it's doors to unmodified vehicles. I'd acquired a rough & ready 1973 Nissan Skyline about 9 months earlier, a car rarely seen in Britain, and I'd harboured dreams of doing a full restoration to boost it's value as a collectible classic for a wealthier enthusiast.

Sadly I lost my daily driver to joyriding car thieves around the same time, and as is so often the case with these things I received less than my perceived value of it back from my insurers, not that it was worth an awful lot in the first place! My entry fee already paid for the PD Cup, it was pointless investing in another car and I began using the aged Nissan to see me through the final few months of work (clocking up numerous extra thousands of miles & engine wear) before I handed in my resignation from my day job in order to fulfil a dream I'd held onto for years, realising that if I didn't do it now I'd miss the chance and would surely regret it later, even if it did amount to nothing.
As it turned out, my 30-odd year old Nissan & me had enough experience in most of the races to overcome the superior power but youthful exuberance of my fellow competitors, many of whom were several decades younger than me, as were their rides! Disappointingly PD withdrew their funding for the series at the end of that year, citing a falling level of interest in stock streetcar racing and more people's fascination with tuning cars and drifting. Sad really, as I was looking forward to one more year before I hung up my driving gloves, having now tasted real victory at long last...

 

[VTiRoj]

Excellent introduction! I like the way you've actually edited the photos to suit the era, very original. The writing itself was good too, no grammar mistakes that I immediately spotted. "MORE!" is my ending reaction.

My only complaint is the smiley faces everywhere. You wouldn't see smiley faces all over a story in real lif,e so you can kinda see where my complaint is coming from. But they do make Gordon's emotions alot clearer to us readers, so, I guess they can stay.

More please.

 

[Paulie]

Superb first chapter, making the pics like polaroids is genius. Good to see someone actually starting in old beaters too.

 

[Smallhorses]

My only complaint is the smiley faces everywhere. You wouldn't see smiley faces all over a story in real lif,e so you can kinda see where my complaint is coming from. But they do make Gordon's emotions alot clearer to us readers, so, I guess they can stay.

Point taken. 👍
I tend to be a little too liberal with my smiley-sprinkling, so I've removed most of the superfluous ones, leaving just a few for effect.

Thanks for the feedback, watch this space for more...

 

[justsomedude666]

Finally, something new! I consider most of the race reports in this section to be the same story, just using different cars/locations and written by different people. This seems like a fresh idea to me. I like it!

 

[BLITZ_69]

Sweet man, I can't wait to see how this goes.

 

[Smallhorses]

Chapter 2: Coming to America, & The Strange Email.​

My dream realised, I took my prizemoney, and that which I'd made selling the prize car to the "kid" finishing in 2nd place who'd drooled like a baby over it: an Opera Performance tuned S2000. It was nice and all, but at my time of life I'd no interest in getting involved in the drifting discipline it was designed for, and I couldn't justify the extra costs of taking it back home from Germany along with the Nissan too.
Returning to England with a small-ish profit after all the expenses, I knew I'd not enough to see me through to retirement by any means. Satisfied that I'd done what I could racing-wise, I was glad of the opportunity to do what I'd done, but now it was back to harsh reality and making sure I'd have enough for a comfortable, if not fabulously wealthy retirement!

I invested my remaining cash in the stock market and went in search of a job similar to that which I'd left 8 months or-so earlier. 2 months on and no offers later, a rethink was needed, so I made a bold move in contacting companies further afield, eventually securing a new position over in the "Golden State" which I moved out to in late 2006 after selling-up in England, sad to leave behind the Skyline which I'd retained the services of, and obviously the wrench of leaving my relatives wasn't easy either.
Nevertheless I was happy with my new life out here, the great weather is so nice compared to the comparitive gloom and damp of England, but I did occasionally think back to the racing. With a settled family life though, it's beyond my means and declared too risky, until now...

The economic crunch had been tough, and the threat of rendundancy looming over me like an executioner's axe was worrying to say the least, not to mention I've seen my investments, that seemed to be progressing nicely, shrunken to little more than they were worth to begin with and things look bleak. I'm forced to sell my pride & joy, a 1981 Porsche 911 SC, as we try to cut costs and safeguard our future, since it's an unnecessary expense, even if it is exceptional fun and ever-so beautiful. (I even kept the sales ad.!)

A moment of good fortune seemed to arrive from out of the blue...
It's rumoured the PD Cup is being revived: a wealthy Middle-Eastern investor has bought the name and rights to the series, as a vehicle for promoting his son's racing talents! Oh to have the means to do such a thing, it's a glimpse of how the other half live! It seems the guy has done some homework though and unearthed a report of my previous success in the PD Cup, which was chronicled, somewhat unnoticed in the back pages of an obscure motorsports magazine, but has been uncovered by the ease of access to information using internet search engines nowadays.
The e-mail that alerts me to this development almost ends up in the spam folder as I've no recollection of having contacts in the UAE, the emirates.net.ae address creating more concern than curiousity, until I happen to notice my own name in the subject line alongside "PD Cup racing advice?" Knowing full well that I can't even remotely afford to get involved again I'm almost clicking the delete button, when I have second thoughts, it's only advice after all, right?
The content is sparse and I'm wary of giving too much away.

There's a phone number with an international dialling code although I'm not Worldly-wise enough to know if there's one code for each Emirate, or single code that covers them all. A little delving reveals it is Dubai based, but I know my company will start asking questions if I start making international calls when my coverage area is only supposed to be within California!

I reply to the email leaving my own phone number as a point of contact, after all if this guy wants my advice, he can pay the international calling fee! I also ask him to respect the time difference between us, and just to see how interested this guy really is, I ask that he calls between 3 & 6PM PST knowing full well this is the middle of the wee-hours of the following morning for him.
It doesn't take too long, a couple of days later my phone rings: I answer it to a guy who identifies himself as "Rashid" in clear, well-polished English with a hint of an Arabic accent and I'm about to get the first of two big surprises...

Primarily, Rashid details the plans that he and his father have for breathing new life into the race series! It seems his father had been planning to make a sporting investment for some time now, and had been waiting for an opportunity to purchase one of the rarely available expansion team franchises in a major US sport, without the desired outcome. He'd also unsuccessfully investigated the possibility of purchasing a team in the English Football league, alongside several more of his unfeasibly rich countrymen before Rashid's burgeoning talent encouraged him to keep his money "within the family", as such. They do plan to keep the series open to stock streetcars only and are looking to broaden the appeal of the races to a TV audience by running them as support events to some of the existing high-profile sports and race car challenges. They're after some feedback from a previous competitor regarding the arrangement of the races as well as the funding of travel and a prize-pot. I candidly offered my opinions on the previous race schedule and the huge inconvenience and expense to the 'common' racer operating without what appear to be "bottomless" pockets of some of the bigger racing teams.

 

[Paulie]

That's 2 chapters of build up. Not really what you'd call an "exciting" chapter but I'm interested to see where it goes none the less, especially because of your exceptional thought put into pictures and your seemingly good writing skills. (Not that I know much about writing )

 

[Smallhorses]

That's 2 chapters of build up.

💡 I did mention 3 "wordy" chapters of buildup in the preamble!!
The next chapter will almost cut-to-the-chase (or race, as it were! ) and will mention the Holden that the awful pun in the title suggests!

 

[Paulie]

💡 I did mention 3 "wordy" chapters of buildup in the preamble!!
The next chapter will almost cut-to-the-chase (or race, as it were! ) and will mention the Holden that the awful pun in the title suggests!

Yep, 2/3 was what I was counting. And yes, the pun is awful.

 

[Skygrasper550]

great pictures for the cars, especially the Porsche, and the seven-star hotel at Dubai (i know the name, just can't spell it )

get to the race already!!

 

[AERO_HDT]

Where's the HOLDEN?!!!!!

Gee, I always love well-written prose and especially when it's in regards to my favourite game!

And my favourite CAR!!!!

*swoons and faints*

 

[Smallhorses]

great pictures for the cars, especially the Porsche, and the seven-star hotel at Dubai (i know the name, just can't spell it )

I used a picture of my real car for the Porsche ad. It's quite scary to see my own car for sale! It's not getting sold. Ever.

That's the Jumeira Beach Hotel, I've seen it in real life during a business trip to Dubai, but never stayed there.
At around $4000 per night for the cheapest rooms my company were happy to find me alternate accommodation! (Perhaps not surprisingly! )

Where's the HOLDEN?!!!!!

It's coming in Chapter 3, which is written, but I need to sort out a few pictures for it.
After that it'll feature in the following 11 chapters and you'll probably be sick of it by the end!!!

 

[Rotary Junkie]

Reading something about you selling your Porsche was quite scary there...

Glad it's fictitious as is most of the story...

 

[Paulie]

It's coming in Chapter 3, which is written, but I need to sort out a few pictures for it.
After that it'll feature in the following 11 chapters and you'll probably be sick of it by the end!!!

Look in my eyes and tell me if you think I'll ever get sick of a Holden.

 

[Smallhorses]

Chapter 3: How The Holden Came To Be.​

Bouncing back and to between Japan, North America and Europe on several occasions throughout the year was a stretch to many people's budgets, not to mention the time wasted sitting on one long international flight after another. To host the 5 Japanese races, then 3 West-Coast USA races and lastly 2 European races together would make much more sense than flitting willy-nilly between the 3 Continents. We talk a little while longer and I agree to further contact with him if I can think of any more improvements, but, while he umms and aahs in sympathetic appreciation, I decline his offer to participate for the reasons I've mentioned before...

That is, until I receive the bad news at work the following month, my second, less welcome surprise. Things are worse than we'd thought, the workload is drying up and they're trimming costs and headcount where possible. I'm offered a part-time compromise, working just 3 days per week on a reduced salary, which is far from ideal, just barely enough to cover my living costs, but I'm powerless to do anything but accept as I'm bound by the restrictions of my work visa. It's this, or back to Blighty and the tricky times I was having finding work there again, "Catch 22".

A frank and open conversation follows with my wife that night, there's some decisions to be made but we've got to do what's best for both of us. All the time Rashid's offer is ticking away in the back of my mind, and I decide to mention it finally, even though the atmosphere is strained. This could go one of 2 ways. I'm either going to get seriously chastised for even thinking about racing again, or she'll see some sense in pursuing the idea if I can guarantee a tidy profit, and I'll need a lot more information from my man in the UAE before I can begin to make that assessment. Hours pass, the conversation has high points, low points and protracted bouts of silence but finally we agree to explore the racing possibility, if only to prolong our stay in our new home which we've become attached to, and put off what seems inevitable a while longer.

Another call with Rashid's agents and I'm bubbling with excitement. Desperate for the series to succeed, the financiers have agreed to pay shipment & travel costs for the contestants racecars in the re-launch season and over $600,000 in prizemoney has been raised through shrewd marketing to some big sponsors. They're also still one driver short of a full field, since their Finnish racing contact has pulled out after a fall from his motorbike in which he shattered his wrist, putting him out of action for a little while. (I'm quietly relieved as he was also a fearsomely quick racer in his day, but a touch disappointed that I won't get to lock horns with him again for old-time's sake.) My wife reluctantly agrees to let me investigate further, but with a limited budget & I'm left cursing the sale of the Porsche which would've been perfect for the task. The solution comes in an unlikely form and from a more unusual source...

Although the small town we've settled in is under 2 square-miles in size and has no major auto dealerships, it has one outstanding gem. A broker of classic and exotic cars which cater to the mega-rich of Northern California and beyond, it's not unusual to find a million-dollar historic Ferrari or two in their inventory and I've often walked around there (politely declining their offer of a pricelist that inevitably begins way too high for me) just to examine some of the stunning examples on display before they're bought as showpieces, barely driven, rolled out for Concourse D'Elegance events and such like, before being trailered away to sit under dustsheets for the remainder of the year.

What many people don't know is that the guy also does custom consignments. He had previously been approached by an Australian businessman resident in the area, who'd got a hankering for a Holden and wasn't happy with it's Americanised cousins, the Cadillac Catera & Pontiac GTO that he'd driven. The guy paid a fairly hefty non-refundable deposit for a car, whereupon the broker had tracked down an "as new" 2004 Holden Monaro CV8 and had it shipped out to Oakland. In the months that the car was at sea, the Aussie had seen a similar downturn in his fortunes on the back of the sliding markets and can no longer afford the final payment. The broker is now left with a part-paid, but niche-market vehicle. There'd been a little interest but despite reducing the price several times, no-one seems too keen, especially when they discover the car is a right-hooker. To me though, it's paydirt.

(Once again apologies for the image quality, the lighting in his warehouse wasn't exactly conducive to great photography, but I was eager to snap a few pics to show to the Missus!)
Cheaper than a new Pontiac 5.7 GTO here, I was unphased by the layout, having learned to drive in England I'm equally comfortable now in LHD or RHD. I wasn't particularly keen on the Barbados Blue colour, but hey, beggars can't be choosers, right? It seems to have enough power to combat it's portly kerbweight, it's just about within the limits of my seriously stretched budget, and I knew it'd massacre the competition if I wound up in a similar field to that which I faced in my old Nissan. This time round, I had a meaner agenda, I had to win as much of that prizepot as possible and for once in my life I'll forego duking it out in close battles to the end, I want to go in safe in the knowledge that I can come out on top even with my slower reflexes, and as I took it back down to the port ready for shipping out to Europe, I thought I'd found what I'd need in this car.
As it transpires I was a long way wide of the mark...

 

[VTiRoj]

I think the missus will love it! And if she doesn't, I'll trade you for a tuned up R33.

Another well written chapter from you, no mistakes that I could spot, so job well done. Now, would I be right in saying we'll be seeing this Holden in action soon? :shy:

More!

*waits for Paulie to come in and drool over the Monaro*

 

[Paulie]

Over the Monaro.

Good chapter mate.👍 I can't wait for this story to pick up and get racing it's turning out to be a good one.👍 Next chapter will have racing, that was 3/3.

 

[notsofast]

Great pics, keep the story coming Smallhorses!! I saw a real Monaro in that same colour this morning (rare colour, here in Aus I see Monaros everyday but mostly black, yellow or silver, not Barbados Blue). Can't wait til the next chapter. 👍

 

[Paulie]

Indeed, that Blue is very rare. I don't see many Monaros any more, they're all hiding.

 

[I-ROC]

Great story! I like how you used a Monaro. I really like the color.

I've never seen a Monaro! You guys are lucky, live in Australia where all the sweet cars are.

 

[Paulie]

Seen a few Monaros around again with the cheaper petrol prices at the moment. When are we getting more of this story?

 

[Smallhorses]

Chapter 4: Travelling To Europe & Racing At Nürburgring.​

My Friday at work can't pass quickly enough. I'd asked for the day off to travel, but was met with a steely response reminding me that I'm lucky to still have the job in the first place, so I opt not to create waves and risk a more severe retort. Instead I'd got in extra early, clocked my 8 hours, agonisingly watching the seconds tick by before I can make a dash for the airport and my flight to Germany via London, England.

The PD Cup schedule had been reworked to begin with a highly publicised first race at the infamous Nürburgring Nordschleife, the massive 13+ mile circuit nestled in Eifel mountains in the Western part of Germany, and I spent most of my flight restlessly reading detailed tracknotes and watching videos on my laptop of drivers like Sabine Schmidt taking on "The Green Hell" to refresh my memory of the 170-odd bends in each monstrous lap.

Cutting it fine as I was anyway, my connecting flight was due to get me into Germany around noon-time and I figured I'd just about have time to meet the other competitors and squeeze in 2 laps to warm-up and qualify. Plans were scuppered by a maintenance issue with the plane for my flight out to Köln, which throws up a 2 hour delay and puts paid to hopes of setting a qualifying time.
I arrive at the track on Sunday morning, still jetlagged & drained from the long trans-Atlantic flight and seek out the staging area for the PD Cup competitors. Rashid is easily identified, resplendent in traditional Arabic kandura complete with keffiyeh & agal headgear, he's well-built with dark olive skin, friendly brown eyes with long eyelashes that'd put a camel to shame, and a typically hooked, though not large, nose. We chat a while, he laughs at my complimenting his English, as it turns out he studied at Oxford, spending 4 years obtaining a Masters degree there. I'm briefly introduced to the other drivers, but I don't dither too much with formalities as I'm eager to give the Holden it's pre-race checks, something which the other guys have already got out of the way in their qualifying shakedowns.
Anyway, we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other over the next 5 months during which the races are scheduled. Having raced at the 'Ring before though, I don't feel too disadvantaged as we assemble for a rolling start that'll mark the beginning of the revitalised PD Cup, having seen the collection of cars in the staging area.

That feeling quickly disappears as a Prodrive prepared Subaru Impreza and a Lotus Esprit V8 make their way to the front of the grid! Where'd they appear from? I was expecting the pristine VW Golf R32 and last-generation Chevy Camaro Z-28 that I'd seen in the paddock, but it appears they're part of another racing entourage and the other 2 cars must've been concealed in their racing trailers! Confident that I could've taken on the cars I'd seen, even from the back of the field, I'm now worried about having to catch a mid-engine car, with more power and less weight than my Holden, who is starting from the front in clean air!

​

Rolling up to the green light I'm following behind a Peugeot 206cc, Toyota Supra SZ-R, Honda S2000 and the aforementioned Subaru & Lotus and we're ready for 2 full laps of bumpy, twisty racetrack.
The Peugeot offers no resistance, passed on the downhill section after the first turn, allowing me to sweep through the fast righthander and ease up to the Toyota. He's passed cleanly before Hatzenbach, but I kick up a dustcloud putting one wheel on the grass as he begins to move across to set himself up for the approaching chicane. So far, so good.
My extra power allows me to creep up to the Honda and I follow him cautiously through Flugplatz, squeezing past at Kottenborn as the shot from the TV helicopter shows, the track snaking off into the green distance and the Lotus already having opened a considerable gap.

​

I'm able to use the torquey power of the big V8 to close up to the Subaru by Drei-Fach Rechts, and the driver's tentative nature means his car isn't the threat I'd expected it to pose. He's easily outbraked tidily going into Wehrseifen and leaves me with only the Lotus to overcome with only 1/3rd of a lap gone!

​

Problem is there's a couple more quick sections that seem to favour the additional pace of the British car. I'm not 100% certain who is driving what at this point, but I have my suspicions it'll be odds-on-favourite that Rashid is the guy behind the wheel of the blue Esprit.
The heavy weight of the Holden helps my tyres to warm quickly, but I'm hoping they'll last for 2 laps of the World's most gruelling track. The Lotus ahead with it's more nimble MR setup and light weight suffers a little in the twisty sections during lap 1 as his tyres don't heat up so quickly, such that by the time we leap over the crest just after Eiskurve I'm right on his tail. Sticking close, I'm able to dive through fairly as we get on the brakes for Kleine-Karussell but the lead doesn't last long as he's easily able to stroll by again on the long straight as we pass by Nurburg Castle, and I glance across to see if I can pick out the driver, but his tinted helmet visor makes that impossible.

​

Whoever it is, he's inexperienced enough that I can hang with him through the first part of the 2nd lap, but trying to stick the massive bulk of the Holden past him anywhere is a tough ask. His dual tailpipes crackle with unburnt fuel as we dive into Aremburg under braking, but I'm still keeping close and I know that I need to pass soon if I'm going to be able to create enough of a gap before the long backstretch so that he'll not be able to simply reel me back in again. In a copybook move that echoes the passing of the Subaru on lap 1, I dive down the outside before Wehrseifen and pull off an immaculate pass. Pulling away a little, it's clear at the Karussell that he's still not too far behind and I still have work to do!

​

Fortunately I'm tight and precise through the remainder of the lap, and although I can make out that he'd gained some distance on me between Döttinger Höhe and Antoniusbuche, which can be seen in the photo before Tiergarten. I'm elated to cross the line in first place, but the Lotus isn't far behind, and I know with the experience that comes with more races under his belt, the Lotus is going to be one tough opponent to face in the rest of the races!

​

 

[mcsqueegy]

In one word: AWESOME!!! Good to see a Holden kicking a Lotus' butt. Can't wait for more! 👍

 

[Paulie]

What a chapter.👍 Way to show that lightweight a big heavy car can still haul it.

 

[VTiRoj]

The battle with the Lotus didnt last too long (in text I mean), but still a well written chapter.

Suprised at the Monaro beating the Esprit though, damn.

 

[mcsqueegy]

The battle with the Lotus didnt last too long (in text I mean), but still a well written chapter.

Suprised at the Monaro beating the Esprit though, damn.

Remember the Lotus driving mission??? It steers like a pig, which might've been why it was easier to pass...

 

[notsofast]

Great story! Those pics really help tell the story too. Keep it coming Smallhorses.

 

[Thiele]

Awesome! Remember, Holdens are always a good choice.