Well, I am 35, male, married (for nearly 12 years) with 2 boys (3 &
1). I only discovered lbcs in the relatively recent past. I used to be
a motorcycle rider addicted to speed (the non-chemical kind) who
somehow lost interest and ended up in a Renault 12, then a Ford Laser
(a rebadged Mazda 323). My interest in things mechanical dissappeared
completely for over 10 years (when I dedicated all my waking hours to
computer graphics).
I had an early mid-life crisis and bought a new red Honda Prelude Si
with all the electronic gizmos like 4WS, ABS etc etc etc. My dearest
bought me a place on an advanced driving course run by the Crombies
(Advanced Driver Skills Australia). It was held out at the Sandown
racecourse. This was Jan '93. Unknown to me, the crombies are mad
keen spridget racers. Owen is especially good. Christine is nearly
always the fastest lady and not too far behind Owen. The other
instructors were also sprite people. The rest of the course were
members of the sprite club, even Tamra Catlin in the tatty black TR7.
It seems that I was (literally) the only person who wasn't in the
sprite club.
Now I enjoyed the day ever so much! Owen really twisted my arm to join
a club and enter club sprints. (equiv to SCCA's SOLO I).
I really liked the Honda and wanted to pit myself against similar
cars. I tried the Honda club, but they were "O So Precious" so I
joined the sprite club instead. Now there are exactly 200 members, 111
spridgets (17 midgets, rest are AH Sprites) and plenty of members who
have "associate cars". I was one of these. We were always welcome,
though they reserved the right to poke fun at us!
I gradually fell in love with sprites. The club people are great, they
loaned me their cars at events, demonstrated a spirit of cooperation,
friendliness, encouragement and support that I hadn't ever seen
amongst the Aussie or Japanese driving brigade. I so much enjoyed the
occaisional soiree in the sprites that I bought one. It is a racecar,
so I don't have the joy of early morning runs with the top down yet.
However, I have been well and truly bitten by the bug. I pour over the
papers every week looking for bargain buys. I stop at likely country
properties to check out what those old cars in the farmers shed
actually are. I will buy a bugeye for the road before the year is out.
I am starting to think that a big healey would be a really nice
companion in the garage. GT6s are such nice looking cars, the new shed
could fit a couple of resto projects I am sure. I am selling my Honda,
ostensibly to help finance the vineyard (see below), but just a little
of it could go to a nice LBC or two, don't you think?. I have bought
heaps of tools, become proficient at stripping and reassembling
various spridget bits. I am a completely hopeless case now.
Other than that, I am certainly no anglophile, my mother is a 5th
generation aussie of mixed british heritage, my father emigrated from
Italy after WWII, my wife is the daughter of Dutch emigrants (after
WW2 also).
I enjoy fine food and wine, photography, music (I play a lot of Alan
Parsons project at the moment) and science fiction. I love spending
quality time with my family!
We have a 100 acre property 50 minutes from melbourne where we are
establishing a small, hopefully premier quality, vineyard (10 acres
going under vine now). I am also getting very good at manual labour
after 12 years of a very sedintary life!. The property is also a 3
time motorkhana site for the sprite club.
I have travelled to the states quite often and hope to be able to join
in on some upcoming SOL event where I hope to put faces to names and
wonderful stories.
Mike
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