20. April 2011
If you were here now in front of me I could tell you.
If you were here in front of me I would probably grab you by the arm and plead until you understood how much it means to me to be part of the Tour Auto again.
You would probably roll your eyes and this would just intensify my missionary quest for making you feel just HOW MUCH I love it.
Be glad you’re far away…..
Be glad you’re not part of my by now deaf family…
Be glad you may only look and not listen ..
 |
| Herbert von Karajans 3,0 RS in the evening light. Place de la Concorde. Is this not a most promising sight?? |
 |
| King Kobold being unloaded at the Champs Elysee. Making him feel GRAND… |
|
|
 |
| Making us all feel grand and happy! |
 |
| Waiting in line at the entrance of the Jardins de Tuileres. |
 |
| We go! |
Yet Watching is what everone does the Monday, before the actual start.
 |
| Yum yum yum! |
 |
| Yes. it was only a question of time till a 906 would turn up here. |
 |
Night time? Diner time?
Waking time! |
|
|
 . |
| Getting up at 4.30: cruelty to animals and foreigners is widely spread in France |
This terrific Walküren ride across France, the spectator framed Blitz- (sorry) races on iconic tracks and exhilaratings special stages on closed roads are the most fulfilling, exhausting, addictive thing you can possibly do on four wheels.
Tremendously stressful for both humans and cars, the Tour Auto teaches your humility quicker than you can count till three whilst at the same moment making you feel like the most privileged person in the world!
 |
| Old track of Montlhery, our first stage were we had problems with: |
 |
| the spark plugs. Marc drove and we finished 10th. |
 |
| Grid 4 (us) waiting for the first race at Le MANS. |
 |
| Grid 5 arriving |
 |
| Kobold goes racing. |
 |
| With an old acquaintance from last year, overtaking here…. |
 |
| and being overtaken again. On the straight: naturally. |
 |
| Regularity grids are arriving, among them this beauty, |
|
|
|
| whilst Michel Vaillant of the Team Citroen and Gabriele Spangenberg are watching the race… |
|
|
 |
| Strong competition, light weight Porsche, we come 10th again, but receive more than 1 minute penalty. (Thank god that wasn’t me!!) |
No.
A lot.
Please.
Thank you!
http://www.tourauto.com/
.
Beautyful pics of a fantastic event! I’m sorry for the sad end. The empires strikes back in 2012.
Alex
Fabulous pics again – a big grin for todays morning – thank you, guys !
Gintonic Munich
Ohhhhhhh, how is Kobold feeling? Will he/she recuperate? All my condolances to a trubbled soul. I cross my fingers for 2012. Enjoyed again watching pics they are 1AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Liz W.
Hi Gaby, I have lost the paper with your email on…. silly me! very nice pictures. I am now in total depression and think I will never recover…. Keep in touch and give me your email address again. Best, Carolyn
I think thats racing ! That means we are driving on the edge. This shit happens. But shortly before that moment there is something very intense happening. The moment of losing control is a little bit like magic. BUUUT: We have to remind us everyday that shit happens and wrong time, wrong place suddenly a life could end. Fortunately we have safety regulations, that save our lives. What we do IS dangerous.
Poor Kobold, You have to build him up again !
by the way, did You recognize that the little trees behind the wounded Kobold look like little kobolds as well ?
Oh !!!
I’m crying for Kobold !!!
But I love the pics !
Ooooooh! Mitleid!! Ganz großes! Ehrlich! Ganz ehrlich! Wirklich!
Und irgendwie ein cooles Bild, wie der Kleine da so im Weinberg liegt…(:
Tante Omi
Oh!!! I don’t know whether to be sad or happy for you! Your words and pictures express all the excitement and hope that the Tour Auto held and then to end in such a crushing way. Glad you were not hurt and that hopefully Kobold will race again soon!!
@Alex:it will strike again sooner!
@Gintonic Munich:thank YOU!
@LIZ:I hope the troubled soul shall raise again soon..
@Carolyn:I wrote to you alreday. Did you get the email?
@Arne: I didn´t notice, but you are right: one had better be careful in Koboldland!
@M: Don´t cry for Kobold. He´s in the best possible hands..
@TAnte Omi:irgendwie ja. wenigstens St. Emilion…
@P.kilkenny: thank you, i think you can be happy. Kobold shall ise again and we are richer in experience!
Den 906 hast du wirklich gut erwischt – auch wenn ich ihn ganz ehrlich noch nie mochte :)
Grüße aus Braunschweig
@ Den 906 mochte ich auch nicht, bis er mich erwischt hat…
Gaby:CONGRATULATIONS !!!
First : it’s courageous to show the picture of the kobolt in this situation !!!
Second: I wish speak to your “fan club” and say us : ” gaby is definitively born for driving , her performances this year in road stages where fabulous !!!”
Third / whe are real competitors , we’ll run risk(s), we know that , that is the adrenalin ,NOTHING IS BETTER THAN THAT !
Sometime we loose , but we are always WINNERS…next year !!!
Anomynous admirer , Prof P.
My dear anonymous admirere, Prof. P.
I´ve been offline for almost a week with this site, tragic. Now we´re back on and I thank you with all my heart for your comment.NOTHING IS BETTER than Tour Auto, I can´t wait till next year!!!
What an exciting post, thank you. I hope the car is OK.
Thank you Mike:the car WILL be ok…
hi Gaby, the pictures and the event are splendid..!! PP`s organisation is top! I have some pictures from the pre-start 2010, are you interested? And, I think Tour Auto is like a drug,
perhaps to compare with the Coppa d` Italia I`m sure you will do it a second time. :- )
keep on racing
M.H.
wearing ones sporting injuries with pride is highly respectable, i say.
best wishes to the zuffenhausen rascal, get well soon!
glad to note that you did not get injured.
stay clean,
ben
automania: Yes Tour Auto is like a drug!!!! dangerous drug, i´ll never come off!! I would love to see your pictures: could you e-mail them to:
Gabriele.Spangenberg@hotmail.de? MERCI!
ben:thank you , for what you say: very clever stuff…
Just came back from a first racing event that year – et northloop nuerburgring -and…got the tires to temperature…as michael preising says – in corners i need two wheels only ;)
http://www.ring-fokus.de/uploads/fotos/RCN%202%2007.05.2011/WR__9402.jpg
Cheers
Gintonic Munich
Hi Gintonic: that is an unbelievable photo! Fantastic!
Dear Gariele ,
Superb photos and comments.
Hope team and car ok now .
See you next year at Tour Auto 2012!
I drove a white Jaguar Mk2 n° 178 (we also went off during special stage but finished the rallye …)
See you on Rusty Nail Circus .
JFB / Silk Cut
Hello JFB, you were behind me when we entered the jardins, weren’t you? I took a picture of you: will post it rustay nail circus.