There was I looking through some photographs of my trip to America last year when I found a few snippets of video. These videos aren't brilliantly filmed on expensive HD cameras and they're not filmed by a trained professional cameraman, they're filmed by me on a tiny hand held digital still camera. We can overlook that though can't we? What you'll see contained within each of them is a brief moment, a moment when my mouth was open, aghast at what I was seeing, feeling, hearing and experiencing, a moment when I was having to pinch myself to check I wasn't dreaming. I thought you might enjoy a little piece of that too.

 This first clip was taken about five minutes after I reached Bonneville Salt Flats, we'd driven all day and I wanted to have a quick look at the salt before we found a hotel and some food. We pulled off Highway 80 and went to the 'bend in the road' where the hardcore rodders and racers camp between race days. This is what we found:

 

The same evening we went into Wendover for a meal at the Rainbow Casino where the visual treats continued, the car parks were packed with push trucks and hot rods. As you drove around you could see salt on cars, in wheelwells and on the tarmac...tell tale signs of who had been out on the salt during the day. In the restaurant almost every table had a bunch of guys in matching team shirts proclaiming class speed records and sponsors names. This next film was taken just after midnight in the Rainbow Casino car park:

 

It's the stuff that dreams are made of. For our last video we're going onto the salt proper, past the bend an the road, through the puddle and out to where the action is. We've paid our money, tuned the radio to the commentary and it's time to hear the crunch of the salt under your feet with every step as the V8s rumble around you and scream in the distance as records are set and dreams are coming to fruition. This guy had it even better though...he had serious wheels, not a hire car like me...a hot rod. 

 

 

 

Some of you might be familiar with Charlie's excellent blog (http://racecarprep.blogspot.com/) which you'll find down there to the right along with some other choice reading, but we thought it might be nice to bring some of the Sierra's magic to RSM - especially whilst were basking in the joys of motorsport week here on your favourite blog. I was lucky enough to be invited to a pre-season test session by the man himself where I took the opportunity to snap a few pics and was lucky enough to find myself in the passenger seat for a few speedy laps of Brands Hatch's legendary circuit. Not only that he bought me a Coke and a Kit Kat, such is the hospitality of the man. Now he's got a few races in the bag I thought it would be a fine time to fire some mildly prying questions at him:

Name: Charlie Moseley 

Age: 37

Occupation: Head of Communications for a bank.

Other Hobbies: I collect Cuban posters.

Car: Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth RWD

Year: Built in the mid 90s from a Ford Motorsport shell to compete in Group N touring cars (Group N was mostly standard spec)

Engine: 2 litre turbo. It runs a restrictor to limit the air into the turbo as part of the regulations for the class it runs in.

Power: 280ish BHP.

Wheels: 16X7@ Compomotive eight spoke.

Tyres: Toyo R888 semi slicks

Suspension/chassis: shorter stiffer springs with Koni and Leda dampers

Brakes: Standard calipers with EBC red stuff pads. Discs are grooved and drilled standard size.

Car/cars/car history: Regularly stole my mum's Toyota Corolla GT, father's and friends 1.9 205 GTIs in the 80s. First car was a brown Allegro estate which I crashed chasing my friend in a 205 (1.6 this time). Then had sensible Micra which I sold and bought a 1970 351 purple Mustang when I was 17. From Mustang to Suzuki jeep then no hobby cars until a revival of interest led me to Datsuns, the 910 coupe and now I have moved onto racing.

Future car plans: I must must must own a Datsun 510 SSS coupe. I'm trying to get a job with a Japanese mobile phone company so I can take trips to Japan. I will own one! For racing I love the Cosworth for grunt and simplicity. Will keep racing them but may move onto a 3 door when I move on from the Sapphire.

Dream car: Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth race car.

Favourite crisps: prawn cocktail. It's my Ebay name.

Anyone you'd like to thank: Simon and David for the endless joy that is Retro Rides. The wife for supporting my stupid racing career/hobby. Everybody who has lent a hand at race tracks this year - both physical and moral support.

Results: Only managed a 2:1 I'm afraid.

 

Thanks Charlie!

You can catch Charlie and his racing antics via his blog or, if you can make it, on the circuit at the remaining rounds of the Toyo Tyres Racing Saloons (TTRS) race series listed on his blog.

 

The german hillclimb season had started off again, two weeks ago in Eschdorf, Luxemburg. The wheather was great, the beer was cold and the tarmac hot. It had almost been half a year since the last bergcup race so I had really been looking forward to it. Eschdorf was a true picturesque seight, green meadows with cows and a road winding up the hills. In the distance we could hear gruppe H starting their symphony of 10.000+rpm violins.

 

 

Gruppe H was followed by the modern divisions and then the formula classes were driven. Meanwhile the sun had allready started burning our delicate skins so we decided to take a look in the paddocks. The paddock is freely accesssible with bergcup and you are able to look around everywhere as long as you don't disturb anything. A great opportunity to take a look at the techniques used to get these cars faster under a hobby budget.

 

 

 

The rest of the season will be driven in Germany and Austria more information about the race dates can be found on berg-cup.de and the calendar on this site Make sure you don't miss it!

some movies are available on youtube, view the other items by the same poster.