Pride
31-07-2018, 08:21 PM
I'd just like to post a very, very big thank you to Red Line promotions, Honda UK and Honda Racing Europe in allowing all NSX owners the opportunity to participate, albeit only on the parade laps :) at this fantastic 24hr race weekend festival of GT3 cars.
After arriving at the 4star hotel in Liege we all met up for dinner where one of the pro drivers Esteban Guerrieri gave us all a briefing for tomorrow's highly anticipated 3 lap parade of arguably the worlds greatest race track, Francorchamps.
Esteban mentioned that speeds would be restricted to 80kph (50mph), which is actually quiet fast for a parade lap but as we were all to soon find out on Saturday that restriction would soon go out of the window as we all took to the track , should I say, rather enthusiastically. :)
What made these laps even more special for me was being able to don my replica Senna helmet while waving to thousands of motor sport fans wearing the same Stand21 red gloves my hero once wore.
The response was amazing as there were so many people around the circuit and in the main grandstands, along with the Orange suited track marshals who were all enthusiastically waving back. I've got to say I never realised how tiring it would be to steer with my left hand while waving out of the window with my gloved right hand all the time sweating inside my crash helmet in what must have been 30deg plus heat. :(
13530
The 24hr race started soon soon after the parade laps had finished.
13531
The GT3 NSX qualified in 39th place on the grid out of 68 cars and incredibly on its first outing finished a very respectable 31st overall and 8th in the Pro-Am Class. Now considering all the other teams had been heavily competing over the last 8 rounds of races this year and also the whole of last season the Honda did spectacularly well I think, so a very well done to the whole team, I'm sure it must have been a great marketing success for Honda and a testament to it's reliability. :rolleyes:
The hospitality Honda laid on was second to non and we wanted for nothing except maybe for a plaster to go on my blistered toe but due to Hayley's magic handbag that was duly sorted too, so thank you.:rolleyes:
Here's hoping that Honda will decide to compete for a complete season next year, and on this showing they should do very well if they did.
Here are a few links:
https://www.hondaproracing.com/gallery/
https://www.hondaproracing.com/blog/esteban-guerrieri-leads-honda-nsx-parade-at-the-24-hours-of-spa/
https://www.hondaproracing.com/blog/emotional-24-hours-of-spa-debut-for-castrol-honda-racing/
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2018/07/03/68-car-spa-24-hours-entry-released.html
https://www.total24hours.com/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/news/nsx-returns-spa-castrol-honda-racing-brings-nsx-gt3-spa-24hr/
After arriving at the 4star hotel in Liege we all met up for dinner where one of the pro drivers Esteban Guerrieri gave us all a briefing for tomorrow's highly anticipated 3 lap parade of arguably the worlds greatest race track, Francorchamps.
Esteban mentioned that speeds would be restricted to 80kph (50mph), which is actually quiet fast for a parade lap but as we were all to soon find out on Saturday that restriction would soon go out of the window as we all took to the track , should I say, rather enthusiastically. :)
What made these laps even more special for me was being able to don my replica Senna helmet while waving to thousands of motor sport fans wearing the same Stand21 red gloves my hero once wore.
The response was amazing as there were so many people around the circuit and in the main grandstands, along with the Orange suited track marshals who were all enthusiastically waving back. I've got to say I never realised how tiring it would be to steer with my left hand while waving out of the window with my gloved right hand all the time sweating inside my crash helmet in what must have been 30deg plus heat. :(
13530
The 24hr race started soon soon after the parade laps had finished.
13531
The GT3 NSX qualified in 39th place on the grid out of 68 cars and incredibly on its first outing finished a very respectable 31st overall and 8th in the Pro-Am Class. Now considering all the other teams had been heavily competing over the last 8 rounds of races this year and also the whole of last season the Honda did spectacularly well I think, so a very well done to the whole team, I'm sure it must have been a great marketing success for Honda and a testament to it's reliability. :rolleyes:
The hospitality Honda laid on was second to non and we wanted for nothing except maybe for a plaster to go on my blistered toe but due to Hayley's magic handbag that was duly sorted too, so thank you.:rolleyes:
Here's hoping that Honda will decide to compete for a complete season next year, and on this showing they should do very well if they did.
Here are a few links:
https://www.hondaproracing.com/gallery/
https://www.hondaproracing.com/blog/esteban-guerrieri-leads-honda-nsx-parade-at-the-24-hours-of-spa/
https://www.hondaproracing.com/blog/emotional-24-hours-of-spa-debut-for-castrol-honda-racing/
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2018/07/03/68-car-spa-24-hours-entry-released.html
https://www.total24hours.com/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/news/nsx-returns-spa-castrol-honda-racing-brings-nsx-gt3-spa-24hr/