I first raced in the USA way back in 1970. It was the US Grand Prix, where I finished sixth in a Surtees TS7. I mention this only because I have lost count of how many races I contested Stateside thereafter, whether it was in rounds of a World Championship or in domestic categories such as IMSA GTP. That in particular was my happy hunting ground during the 1980s. I also came to divide my time between Pagham and Florida, two extremes to say the least. The point I am trying to make is that I am very much a Brit but one that loves the US, not least because it has been very good to me.
Nevertheless, even though I have crisscrossed the nation, there are regions within that vast territory that I just don’t know, or at least don’t know well because I have often flown in, done my thing, and then made for the airport again. It’s the racer’s lot to travel extensively but without hanging around long enough actually to see anything other than a hotel room and a racetrack. However, as a retired racing driver, albeit one who occasionally unretires, I have a bit more time to take in my surroundings. I am grateful, I don’t mind telling you, because this column is being lovingly pieced together the day after I got back from an amazing trip.
It was genuinely something new and unexpected, even though I have been to the Pacific Northwest before. Heck, I have been in the region loads of times, not least competing at Portland International Raceway or in Seattle. However, I hadn’t appreciated just how beautiful it is until the Ferrari Club of America invited me to be the guest of honour at its annual ‘do’, which is held in a different part of the country each year.
The event comprised all manner of activities to suit all tastes, including some on-track forays, during which I got to drive the Ferrari 166 in which Luigi Chinetti and Peter Mitchell-Thomson won at Le Mans in 1949. I had a lot of fun mastering the crash ’box! There was also a tour, which I found myself leading. For that I had a rather delectable 488 Pista at my disposal.
We were based in Redmond, the tour thereafter taking in some of the most breathtaking scenery imaginable. Honestly, it made my jaw drop. How was I only learning of this now? You often hear snide comments about Americans not having passports. If you have landscapes such as these within your borders, why travel?
