Growing Up With The World Of Formula One

The first Formula One race of 2012 – the Australian Grand Prix – was held this past Sunday. It was the first stop in the 20 race world championship that concludes in November in Brazil. On November 18, one week before the championship finale in Brazil, teams will compete in the United States Grand Prix in Austin.

I am looking forward to that day in November when we will hear the wail of Formula One engines emanating from metropolitan Elroy, Texas. The first day of practice will be a special day indeed.

As I look forward with great excitement, I look back with fondness as well. When I was growing up in Canada, Formula One was an integral part of my world – and my youth.

My initial exposure to Formula One was at a very early age. It all started with an uncle that moved to England to race Formula Fords. In the midst of this, he was creating fiberglass moldings for open-wheeled racing cars. He lived in the heart of Formula One territory in England.

He introduced my father to a weekly newspaper called “Motoring News” which had all of the latest and greatest information on just about any and all forms of motorsport – including F1. Our copy of “Motoring News” would arrive in the mail slot about 10 days after it was released, and I would always be the first to discover it after coming home from school. I had always reviewed much of it before my father ever had the opportunity to pick it up. I was absorbing the world of F1 like a sponge. For many years, I made detailed sketches of my own F1 designs. I was going to be an automotive engineer and design F1 cars for Ferrari.

My first Formula One race was in 1972. We lived within driving distance of both the Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport and the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. These two events would typically be one week apart. My parents would always pull me out of school (with homework assignments in hand) and we would spend the better part of two weeks traveling, camping, and watching Formula One. With such close proximity to both events (175 miles to Mosport; 210 miles to Watkins Glen), I had the great pleasure of seeing 2 Formula One races per year from 1972 – 1977, then the US GP through 1980.

I have so many fond memories of Formula One from my early days. There was the drama of Turn 2 at Mosport and the craziness that always prevailed at the hairpin at Turn 5. We would always camp at the top of the hill at Turn 2 or at the exit of Turn 10 before the front straight. Watkins Glen had its own great features including the long sweeping turn 5 dropping down into the Chute and Turn 6. The dogleg would take them back up the hill to turn 9 where you would always find us. Those were the days when you could actually do a walk (or skateboard!) around the course after hours. Formula One has changed a lot since that time!

With races in September and October the weather could be beautiful, brisk sunshine or dreary miserable rain. But with that said, November in Austin sounds about right weather-wise. Perfection.

Once the two races departed for other venues, the opportunities to see Formula One became fewer. I did get to witness the pandemonium that surrounded Jean Alesi’s lone victory in Montreal in 1995, along with ever-spectacular qualifying sessions at both Montreal and Indianapolis. But the vast majority of my exposure to live Formula One events took place during my younger years.

Though the memories are vivid, I am looking forward to November – a time to make new F1 memories at the Circuit Of The Americas, and hopefully for many years to come.

Photo credits: Legends Of Motorsports