What's your proudest driving moment?
Discussion
Setting a few Bathurst lap records would have been my proudest moments, a long tine ago. Now into my 70s, I don't do much 10/10ths on the public road or race tracks these days.
The other day I was driving my 7 down a narrowish but good country road, lined with large thick gum trees. I was probably at about 6/10ths as the road went over a crest as it entered a 45 MPH right hander.
The front suddenly jumped hard left, I caught it & the tail jumped left. I caught that, then pulled back right before running out of road. This was all reflex, & was over before I had time to even think "s
t".
I glanced in the mirror, & saw 3 or 4 very large wet slippery cow pats, of the type that only dairy cows can produce right there. The crest had hidden them from view, & they are what had given me my moment of excitement. I now know there is a dairy farm behind those trees, & the cows are walked across there sometimes.
As I drove home to wash the mess out from under the car I thought, quite pleased with myself, "not bad for an old bugger, I can still drive a little bit, when I need to".
The other day I was driving my 7 down a narrowish but good country road, lined with large thick gum trees. I was probably at about 6/10ths as the road went over a crest as it entered a 45 MPH right hander.
The front suddenly jumped hard left, I caught it & the tail jumped left. I caught that, then pulled back right before running out of road. This was all reflex, & was over before I had time to even think "s
t".I glanced in the mirror, & saw 3 or 4 very large wet slippery cow pats, of the type that only dairy cows can produce right there. The crest had hidden them from view, & they are what had given me my moment of excitement. I now know there is a dairy farm behind those trees, & the cows are walked across there sometimes.
As I drove home to wash the mess out from under the car I thought, quite pleased with myself, "not bad for an old bugger, I can still drive a little bit, when I need to".
Edited by Hasbeen on Sunday 25th January 14:02
During a drive along the A96 on a wet scottish afternoon I was behind 2 cars and a motorbike (car, car, motorbike then me in my car). I had left a decent gap between me and the bike as normal and suddenly the car at the front braked heavily as some type of animal had ran onto the road (probably a haggis). The car infront of the bike slammed on the anchors and so did the motorbike who was riding about 4/5th's to the right side of the road. The car infront of the bike steered to the left whilst braking and so did I instinctively so that the bike ended up with clear room infront and behind of it. If we (both cars) hadnt steered left whilst braking we would have sandwiched the bike. The biker turned round and gave me a massive thumbs up and did the same to the car infront when he eventually passed it. Thats fking teamwork 
king teamwork Many moons ago I had a series 2 XJ6 4.2, getting that car was a very proud moment (I was young and it was nearly new)and I drove it with care everywhere - not always slowly...
One winters morning out in the sticks, cold but the roads were okay, I went round a corner and the back end went very suddenly. It was all caught and corrected in the space of a heartbeat and my girlfriend was MOST impressed! Black ice where the sunshine ahdn't been. It was about 100 yards down the road that the adrenalin kicked in and I felt quite shaky for a minute or two!
One winters morning out in the sticks, cold but the roads were okay, I went round a corner and the back end went very suddenly. It was all caught and corrected in the space of a heartbeat and my girlfriend was MOST impressed! Black ice where the sunshine ahdn't been. It was about 100 yards down the road that the adrenalin kicked in and I felt quite shaky for a minute or two!
Second fastest time (by quite some distance) at a works Go-Karting event at Daytona in Manchester. Think the race was 2 hours long and it was in teams of 3. Only beaten by a ringer, who one of the Area Managers had drafted into his team. The ringer was a driver for a Formula Ford team sponsored by our company at the time, complete with his full on racing overalls and helmet.
When I took my test in the R.N, we were taught by a Royal Marine Sergeant.
There was me going from a bike licence straight to Bedford RL 3 tonner, never having driven a car, and the other guy assigned to the same truck With me had been driving some years, a little short arsed cocky tt.
On the day of races, I passed, he failed, taking too many chances the examiner said.
Directly after my test, I was sent from Eastney to Poole on my own in an RL to pick up some stores, now that felt good.
There was me going from a bike licence straight to Bedford RL 3 tonner, never having driven a car, and the other guy assigned to the same truck With me had been driving some years, a little short arsed cocky t
t.On the day of races, I passed, he failed, taking too many chances the examiner said.
Directly after my test, I was sent from Eastney to Poole on my own in an RL to pick up some stores, now that felt good.
Vipers said:
When I took my test in the R.N, we were taught by a Royal Marine Sergeant.
There was me going from a bike licence straight to Bedford RL 3 tonner, never having driven a car, and the other guy assigned to the same truck With me had been driving some years, a little short arsed cocky tt.
On the day of races, I passed, he failed, taking too many chances the examiner said.
Directly after my test, I was sent from Eastney to Poole on my own in an RL to pick up some stores, now that felt good.
Actually that's a good secondary shout - passing my HGVs & Tracks in the Army was rather cool. Meant I could play with some tasty gear.There was me going from a bike licence straight to Bedford RL 3 tonner, never having driven a car, and the other guy assigned to the same truck With me had been driving some years, a little short arsed cocky t
t.On the day of races, I passed, he failed, taking too many chances the examiner said.
Directly after my test, I was sent from Eastney to Poole on my own in an RL to pick up some stores, now that felt good.
I drove 1300 miles in two and a half days with a friend of mine... in a Reliant Robin. He couldn't drive so I did all the driving.
From suffolk to the Isle of Skye to Edinburgh and back. Glorious trip. And the car was blue with flames up the side. And a dodgy radiator - needed water twice an hour.
From suffolk to the Isle of Skye to Edinburgh and back. Glorious trip. And the car was blue with flames up the side. And a dodgy radiator - needed water twice an hour.
Up in the mountains of Vermont, on a clear sunny summer day.
I was in my Honda CRX, rolling west on Route 9 from Brattleboro, when a Subaru Impreza STi passed me on a straightaway. Through the hills and twists, I kept the little engine screaming to keep the Subaru in sight, using the downhills and the corner exits to stay close, making use of the long sightlines through the valleys to drive all-out. After about 15 miles, the Subaru pulled into a gas station. I pulled in, bought an ice cream, and was talking to the Subaru driver, who was the minister at the local church, going for a drive before the service. A policeman pulled in and asked me what sort of engine I had. "The stock 90-horsepower one". "Bullst". "May I open the hood, officer?". "Sure. I'll be damned. I've been chasing you for ten miles and couldn't keep you in sight. I can't give you a ticket, you're a better driver than I am. Take it easy, I don't want to be cleaning up if you crash!"
I was in my Honda CRX, rolling west on Route 9 from Brattleboro, when a Subaru Impreza STi passed me on a straightaway. Through the hills and twists, I kept the little engine screaming to keep the Subaru in sight, using the downhills and the corner exits to stay close, making use of the long sightlines through the valleys to drive all-out. After about 15 miles, the Subaru pulled into a gas station. I pulled in, bought an ice cream, and was talking to the Subaru driver, who was the minister at the local church, going for a drive before the service. A policeman pulled in and asked me what sort of engine I had. "The stock 90-horsepower one". "Bulls
t". "May I open the hood, officer?". "Sure. I'll be damned. I've been chasing you for ten miles and couldn't keep you in sight. I can't give you a ticket, you're a better driver than I am. Take it easy, I don't want to be cleaning up if you crash!"I once (very, very stupidly) thought I could navigate down a VERY steep hill that had a horrible coating of thick snow, back in 2009 I think it was. Being rather naive and inexperienced I thought I'd get down no problem. Went too hard on the brakes, ABS kicked in, I lost control. I managed to slide the car at a 90 degree angle all the way to the bottom (roughly 250 yards) with a combination of hand brake and squirreling at the wheel. Managed to miss a good half a dozen cars either side and both kerbs.
To a spectator it probably looked masterful and intentional, in reality I was mentally phoning the insurer and filling my trousers.
Still couldn't resist a
at the bottom.
To a spectator it probably looked masterful and intentional, in reality I was mentally phoning the insurer and filling my trousers.
Still couldn't resist a
at the bottom. I was at university and driving down a country lane in my old van when ahead of me stood the most beautiful girl in front of her old Ford Escort with the bonnet up.
This was in the 1970s and in those days there was a little more trust and you were not under suspicion of being a rapist/ murderer / terrorist etc.
"Can I help?"
"The engine just stopped and it won't start"
"I'll have a quick look" (I could inspect and appreciate what a great figure she had as I pretended to be intent on the problem!)
Took off the distributor cap and saw that the rotor arm and cap were a mess of carbon. Scraped the terminals inside the cap and cleanup the rotor on the tyre. Took all of two minutes.
"Try it now"
Started first time and she said it had never gone like that before.(not surprising) Her eyes went all gooey and big and hormones were flowing, she was mine for the taking...........
Unfortunately I was on my way to pick up my new girlfriend who I was still trying to impress and I thought the better of it.
Funny how things that might have been stick more in the mind than things that happened!
I wonder if she is thinking of me now................
This was in the 1970s and in those days there was a little more trust and you were not under suspicion of being a rapist/ murderer / terrorist etc.
"Can I help?"
"The engine just stopped and it won't start"
"I'll have a quick look" (I could inspect and appreciate what a great figure she had as I pretended to be intent on the problem!)
Took off the distributor cap and saw that the rotor arm and cap were a mess of carbon. Scraped the terminals inside the cap and cleanup the rotor on the tyre. Took all of two minutes.
"Try it now"
Started first time and she said it had never gone like that before.(not surprising) Her eyes went all gooey and big and hormones were flowing, she was mine for the taking...........
Unfortunately I was on my way to pick up my new girlfriend who I was still trying to impress and I thought the better of it.
Funny how things that might have been stick more in the mind than things that happened!
I wonder if she is thinking of me now................
Hasbeen said:
Setting a few Bathurst lap records would have been my proudest moments, a long tine ago. Now into my 70s, I don't do much 10/10ths on the public road or race tracks these days.
The other day I was driving my 7 down a narrowish but good country road, lined with large thick gum trees. I was probably at about 6/10ths as the road went over a crest as it entered a 45 MPH right hander.
The front suddenly jumped hard left, I caught it & the tail jumped left. I caught that, then pulled back right before running out of road. This was all reflex, & was over before I had time to even think "st".
I glanced in the mirror, & saw 3 or 4 very large wet slippery cow pats, of the type that only dairy cows can produce right there. The crest had hidden them from view, & they are what had given me my moment of excitement. I now know there is a dairy farm behind those trees, & the cows are walked across there sometimes.
As I drove home to wash the mess out from under the car I thought, quite pleased with myself, "not bad for an old bugger, I can still drive a little bit, when I need to".
Have you wrote about your driving history on here as I can tell you might just have a few stories to tell The other day I was driving my 7 down a narrowish but good country road, lined with large thick gum trees. I was probably at about 6/10ths as the road went over a crest as it entered a 45 MPH right hander.
The front suddenly jumped hard left, I caught it & the tail jumped left. I caught that, then pulled back right before running out of road. This was all reflex, & was over before I had time to even think "s
t".I glanced in the mirror, & saw 3 or 4 very large wet slippery cow pats, of the type that only dairy cows can produce right there. The crest had hidden them from view, & they are what had given me my moment of excitement. I now know there is a dairy farm behind those trees, & the cows are walked across there sometimes.
As I drove home to wash the mess out from under the car I thought, quite pleased with myself, "not bad for an old bugger, I can still drive a little bit, when I need to".
Edited by Hasbeen on Sunday 25th January 14:02
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