Tuesday, 5 June 2018
Sunday - busy race day
Sarah organized for the hotel to provide us with an early breakfast so we could get to the track, about 20 minutes drive from the city for scrutineering at 8am.
Scrutineering was pretty easy: the drivers all did their own!
This was followed by qualifying and then three races during the day. Beautiful hot summer day with temperatures in the late 20's. Locals came to display their old cars and enjoy a very picnic-like atmosphere and the FJ racing.
Noel found the Penny Ford very hard to drive, especially as the track surface was so uneven, yet fast. Lots of people had problems; some serious. Niel McCrudden from Perth went off and damaged the front right of the car severely. However, David Kent's car, also from Perth, left the circuit at high speed when his throttle jammed open and he has cracked ribs and colar bone and other injuries and the car is beyond repair here and is to be sent back home. David Watkins suffered from a broken camshaft and will replace his engine completely. Noel's Penny Ford also snapped the camshaft adjacent to the distributor drive and came to a sudden stop. The conclusion is that the uneven surface was just too much for the cars.
In spite of this there was good racing. Both Jack and Mark Woodhouse won trophies; Chris Drake, Greg Thornton, Jac Nelleman, Peter Straus, Bill Hemming and Marty Bullock all won trophies and a lot of fun was had by a lot of people.
Scrutineering was pretty easy: the drivers all did their own!
This was followed by qualifying and then three races during the day. Beautiful hot summer day with temperatures in the late 20's. Locals came to display their old cars and enjoy a very picnic-like atmosphere and the FJ racing.
Noel found the Penny Ford very hard to drive, especially as the track surface was so uneven, yet fast. Lots of people had problems; some serious. Niel McCrudden from Perth went off and damaged the front right of the car severely. However, David Kent's car, also from Perth, left the circuit at high speed when his throttle jammed open and he has cracked ribs and colar bone and other injuries and the car is beyond repair here and is to be sent back home. David Watkins suffered from a broken camshaft and will replace his engine completely. Noel's Penny Ford also snapped the camshaft adjacent to the distributor drive and came to a sudden stop. The conclusion is that the uneven surface was just too much for the cars.
In spite of this there was good racing. Both Jack and Mark Woodhouse won trophies; Chris Drake, Greg Thornton, Jac Nelleman, Peter Straus, Bill Hemming and Marty Bullock all won trophies and a lot of fun was had by a lot of people.
Monday, 4 June 2018
Old City of Kaunas
The old city was really interesting, dominated by Churches. Our guide, Regina told us that Lithuania was the last of the European states to accept Christianity but that now there were a huge number of churches for the population. Kaunas has less than 300,000 people and unemployment is relatively high. Youth unemployment is even higher and young people are leaving for work and better opportunities.
We were entertained at the Civic offices where brides lined up to be married in a civil service.
The old town, like everything else is rather delapidated, although churches generally better cared for. The Pope is due to visit and there are posters welcoming him everywhere.
We watched a rehearsal for a Folk Festival outside the original 15C castle walls (build for defense). The music lifted our spirits after the museum visit.
We were entertained at the Civic offices where brides lined up to be married in a civil service.
The old town, like everything else is rather delapidated, although churches generally better cared for. The Pope is due to visit and there are posters welcoming him everywhere.
We watched a rehearsal for a Folk Festival outside the original 15C castle walls (build for defense). The music lifted our spirits after the museum visit.
Saturday - Historic tour of Kaunas
Sarah, who thinks of everything, wanted us to know about Kaunas/Lithuania and arranged two
tour guides for a walking tour and a visit to 9th Fort, now a museum to the violent history of the area.
We were split into two groups meeting up later for lunch. However, as we started the walking part, the heavens opened. Quickly the order of the tour was changed so that the bus picked us up and took us to the museum.
It was very moving and depressing revealing that between 30 and 50,000 Jews were killed here; either shot and buried in mass graves or burned alive. Their stories and photos and memorabelia are all that remain. The original location (the Fort) is still there along with the dramatic museum and a giant concrete edifice errected in the Soviet era.
We were split into two groups meeting up later for lunch. However, as we started the walking part, the heavens opened. Quickly the order of the tour was changed so that the bus picked us up and took us to the museum.
It was very moving and depressing revealing that between 30 and 50,000 Jews were killed here; either shot and buried in mass graves or burned alive. Their stories and photos and memorabelia are all that remain. The original location (the Fort) is still there along with the dramatic museum and a giant concrete edifice errected in the Soviet era.
Sunday, 3 June 2018
Practice day at the circuit near Kaunas
We found the circuit with a combination of GPS and Google Maps on my phone (never fails!) Nemunas Ring.
Kim's Penny Ford was already unloaded and others arriving and unpacking in a very delapidated stretch of potholes which is to be our pits.
The Australian ladies warned me about the toilets. They have tried claiming one for us by posting a sign on it. I wonder how long that will last with the pressure of racing!
Great to see lots of familiar faces not only from Australia but also UK, Denmark, Germany. Very hot today but good to have some shade under the marquee supplied by Tom Smith who transported the car from the UK for us.
Noel's legs are far too short for the Penny so he has had to make blocks for everything and pad the back of the seat so he can drive it. It is not comfortable! The two practice runs were very scary. The track is in poor condition and the Penny Ford very difficult to handle. Makes the Gemini look so easy! His times were very slow.
Kim's Penny Ford was already unloaded and others arriving and unpacking in a very delapidated stretch of potholes which is to be our pits.
The Australian ladies warned me about the toilets. They have tried claiming one for us by posting a sign on it. I wonder how long that will last with the pressure of racing!
Great to see lots of familiar faces not only from Australia but also UK, Denmark, Germany. Very hot today but good to have some shade under the marquee supplied by Tom Smith who transported the car from the UK for us.
Noel's legs are far too short for the Penny so he has had to make blocks for everything and pad the back of the seat so he can drive it. It is not comfortable! The two practice runs were very scary. The track is in poor condition and the Penny Ford very difficult to handle. Makes the Gemini look so easy! His times were very slow.
On to Lithuania
We left Copenhagen on Thursday 31st for Kaunas in Lithuania. Ryanair 2 hours late! We had to stay at a different hotel that night as the hotel with all the FJ people had been booked out.
We stayed in a very post Soviet hotel on the edge of the city. Depressing buildings and no motivation to try to find a decent place for dinner.
However, the hotel had a surpise for us: a modern bar and small restaurant on the 9th floor with 360 degree views. The beer was terrible; the wine disappointing and the food basic, but better than staying in our rather austere room.
We stayed in a very post Soviet hotel on the edge of the city. Depressing buildings and no motivation to try to find a decent place for dinner.
However, the hotel had a surpise for us: a modern bar and small restaurant on the 9th floor with 360 degree views. The beer was terrible; the wine disappointing and the food basic, but better than staying in our rather austere room.
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