{TCar} Audi at the Tourist Trophy meeting]

[quk@isham-research.demon.co.uk (Phil Payne)]

In message <3432C98B.17A9@wwa.com> todd candey writes:

> On Thu, 25 Sep 1997 07:46:09 +0100, David Pipes
> <david@plusone.demon.co.uk> wrote:

> >I was told last weekend at Silverstone that Audi wish to bring a
> >collection of quattro competition cars to the Tourist Trophy meeting at
> >Donington (18/19 Oct) as a way of saying 'Goodbye' to the quattro.

Not just competition cars.  Mine, too.  However - the negotiations have been 
made needlessly difficult by _AUDI_ asking the _UK_QUATTRO_OWNERS_CLUB_ for a 
substantial financial contribution.

We have great difficulty with this.  Club funds should be used to benefit _all_ 
members of the Club equally, without favouritism.  A glossy magazine goes to 
everyone - a larger newsletter goes to everyone, etc.   An event in the Midlands
of England is _NOT_ equally accessible to all members, especially so where it 
is arranged at such very short notice.  The Committee has decided, on these 
grounds alone, that it cannot contribute to the event.
 
This leaves AUDI in a bit of a spot, because they wanted 75 ur-quattros to 
parade around the circuit.  As yet, nothing official has been distributed to 
the membership and the event is only days away.

Speaking purely personally, and not in any official capacity, I think the 
asshole effect has struck.  Without naming David Ingram explicitly, I would 
comment that some people within Audi (UK) have very limited horizons.
 
> >A DTM V8, 80 competition, IMSA 90 quattro and WRC S1 are among those due
> >to make demonstration laps. Drivers 'appropriate' to each car will be at
> >the wheel.

No S1 drivers have, as yet, been invited.  Fitting anyone other than Michele 
into the Historic Motorsport S1 would be quite difficult at short notice - it's 
a one-woman car.

> Now if they could just make that S1 the Pikes Peak car complete with
> full house engine and subtle-as-a-brick aero kit :o)

Hmmm.  I will reserve comment until late tomorrow evening.  Remember that the 
S1 replica's current custodians failed to change the timing belt before the 
last outing and wrecked the engine.  Tomorrow, I get to examine their efforts 
at fixing an MB ur-quattro that did (and still does, apparently) start to miss 
at high rpm.

-- 
 Phil Payne