Jenson rallycrossing

[MikeO996]

Just to say that I thought the piece the BBC did today before the Russian GP taking Jenson to Lydden Hill to try out his Dad's motorsport was awesome.
His love for his Dad just shone through as did the utter joy he and DC had in driving the cars. Best motorsport piece I've seen for a long time. If you missed it seek it out on iplayer.

[AlexJ12]

MikeO996 said:

Just to say that I thought the piece the BBC did today before the Russian GP taking Jenson to Lydden Hill to try out his Dad's motorsport was awesome.
His love for his Dad just shone through as did the utter joy he and DC had in driving the cars. Best motorsport piece I've seen for a long time. If you missed it seek it out on iplayer.

Got to agree, it was a great piece, the bit that choked me was when Jenson was told that the Beetle he was driving probably raced against his fathers beetle, funniest bit was Jenson squealing like a kid at the end of it!!!

Top viewing, don't usual doff my hat to the Beeb but it was a great and DC was the perfect person to do it as well.

[Smollet]

Here's the link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/34476954

[Rumblestripe]

That is superb, thanks for the heads up. I remember watching Rallycross on BBC Grandstand on a Saturday afternoon. Huge fun, I wonder if I was watching Jensen's old man?

If you follow the link to the iplayer and fast forward it to 25:00, it's only about eight minutes long

BBC Russian GP Prog

[SpamDisco]

That Beetle was racing today at croft, was impressive to watch and doing well until it came off second best to a tyre barrier.

[davepoth]

I was watching that and thinking "They'd be much better at Top Gear than Chris Evans."

[TommoAE86]

Agree with the above, the extra look around when he was told that that very car raced against his dad said more than 1,000 words.
Loved him when DC was doing the grid walk after *deep tone* "well I've had a deep voice all year"

[LordGrover]

It was a great piece, really enjoyed it.

[wanacoop]

I must admit, I enjoyed that piece more than any grand prix this year. Maybe Hungary was on par!

[aeropilot]

AlexJ12 said:

Got to agree, it was a great piece, the bit that choked me was when Jenson was told that the Beetle he was driving probably raced against his fathers beetle, funniest bit was Jenson squealing like a kid at the end of it!!!

Sadly, that fact wasn't true, as the owner knew full well that his uncle that built that Beetle for Rallycross, the late great Pete Harrold first built it in 1982.....long, long after John Button had stopped using his Beetle, and maybe even after John Button had stopped competing in Rallycross (I think his last season was 1980, but happy to be corrected on that one)

Yes, Jenson squealing like a kid was most endearing and amusing. But that's the effect of rallycross

[kiseca]

davepoth said:

I was watching that and thinking "They'd be much better at Top Gear than Chris Evans."

Jenson would be great on Top Gear. He's very articulate and enthusiastic when describing anything he drives... when he's not squealing!

DC has a good sense of humour too, and throw in Mika Hakkinen as himself, he'd be a decent, similarly enigmatic replacement for The Stig!

[Mr Tidy]

Yes, I liked that part of the programme better than the race!

There was a good one a year or 2 ago of JB and DC riding Harley's through London. Lewis Hamilton and Sir Stirling driving an old Merc GP car (W165 possibly?) at Silverstone was good too.

Maybe BBC ought to do a DVD compilation! - I'd definitely buy it!

[aeropilot]

Mr Tidy said:

There was a good one a year or 2 ago of JB and DC riding Harley's through London.

Yeah, JB was riding one of Warr's custom Bobber's.....surprisingly, not his own one that Charley at Warr's built for him a few years back.
I didn't even know DC had a bike licence.....

[Blayney]

The Beeb have done a lot of fantastic pieces for F1 over the last few years, a not insignificant amount of them with JB. I'd echo the sentiments that he'd make a great TV presenter.

[Thundersports]

I can't recall the exact year John finished in Rallycross but he had at least one car after the Beetle; a Golf. Warwick Barnes bought the Beetle no idea what happend to it after that. If I had to guess it was 1984ish he stopped.

[aeropilot]

Thundersports said:

I can't recall the exact year John finished in Rallycross but he had at least one car after the Beetle; a Golf. Warwick Barnes bought the Beetle no idea what happend to it after that. If I had to guess it was 1984ish he stopped.

He was definitely running the Golf in 78/79 season. I had a feeling that he stopped around 81/82, because 81 was the first year I started going to Lydden to watch it live, and I don't recall ever seeing him live there, but, it's 35 years ago now and the old memory cells are dimming as the years pass

[gemini]

Utter fun from beginning to end.
The emotion generated in this small piece of film is immense!
A TV star of the future Me thinks.

The Button on an HD bit was cool too.

I'd his smile and down to earth attitude that makes him so watchable.

A pleasant man in an aloof world!

More like this please BBC.

[DKL]

Excellent piece, clearly shows the relationship between JB and his dad.
I have a feeling that DC's windscreen wipers weren't workingwhich won't have helped him catch up in those conditions!