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“1” Amazing night in Austin

 

Jackie Stewart and Emerson Fittipaldi at the red carpet special presenations of "1" at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas on November 15, 2012. CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR THE COMPLETE GALLERY.

The following is by AGP contributor Scooter Womack. Scooter is an active participant in the Austin motorsports scene and attended the premiere of "1" as the kick off to the F1 festivities in Austin, Texas for Grand Prix weekend.  

So there they were standing on stage performing like a seasoned comedy act that had been from city to city performing and entertaining for years. Even though they got plenty of laughs and chuckles from the crowd, they aren’t comedians, though they have plenty of experience with taking their show on the road—or track I might say. I’m referring to Sir Jackie Stewart and Emerson Fittipaldi. They are racing legends and even more iconic and revered by racing insiders for their roles in shaping the sport we see today.  However on this night they were readying the crowd for an incredibly well done film. They made us laugh, told us we might cry, and reminded us all why we love Formula 1.

It’s an experience I’ll not soon forget. As an existing fan of Formula 1 I must say it was quite surreal to be in the same airspace with men like Bernie Ecclestone, Sir Jackie, Emerson, Damon Hill, Eddie Jordan, and many others—literally sharing the same aisle and after party table with some. But when you clear away all the pomp and circumstance that tags along with Formula 1 they’re just people. In my experience, if you extend a hand, they’ll extend it back. They’ll have a drink with you and partake in some chips and guacamole if you like. The thing I’ll remember most about the night won’t be how revered and how high on a pedestal we all hold these men.  It will be, rather, how grounded, down to earth, and approachable these men are when you greet them as men, not masters.

The 1996 Melbourne Grand Prix is where the film “1” opens with a bang. I sat there watching, knowing what was about to come, and my heart was still pounding. Martin Brundle’s Jordan flies into the air, flips, lands upside down, and slams into the wall. Everyone expects the worst. After all it was only two years before that Ayrton Senna died in an accident that didn’t look nearly this bad. However, because of the sacrifices and stands taken by Brundle’s predecessors to push the pace of safety as well as quicker track times, he runs back to the pits and hops in a spare car. “1” shares the story of how the sport got where we are today. It’s a story that should be known by all F1 fans.

// More About "1"

"1" is a high octane, action documentary that combines never-before-seen archive footage with a rich soundtrack and the most impressive list of Formula 1 interviewees ever assembled, including 12 World Champions past and present. Exclusive Media’s Spitfire Pictures hosted the red carpet special presentation of "1" as the kick off to the F1 festivities in Austin, TX on Thursday November 15th, 2012.

Directed by Paul Crowder and written by Mark Monroe, the film brings the glamour, speed, danger and excitement of Formula One Grand Prix racing to the big screen. "1" tells the story of the golden age of F1, when the sport became terrifyingly dangerous and the drivers were like rock stars with charisma and raw talent, but with many of them paying the ultimate price. “1” follows the story of the drivers who raced on the edge and those who stood up to change the sport forever. It is about the greatest show on earth - Formula 1.

In attendance at the Austin red carpet event were: Bernie Ecclestone, CEO and President of F1 Management & F1 Administration; Brett Lunger, Former F1 Driver; Damon Hill, Former F1 Driver; Emerson Fittipaldi, Former F1 Driver; Eric Boullier, Principal of Lotus F1 and Vice Chairman of the F1 Teams Association; Martin Brundle, Former F1 Driver; Sir Jackie Stewart, Former F1 Driver; Paul Crowder, “1” Director; Mark Monroe, “1” Writer; Michael Shevloff, “1” Producer; Guy East, “1” Executive Producer; and Glen Zipper, “1” Executive Producer.

To keep up to date with the film's release in your area, take a look at their Facebook and Twitter pages.

"1" Documentary to Premiere During F1 Week in Austin

A new, properly dubbed "action documentary" will be screened at a special presentation at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas on November 15. Presented by SXSW and Circuit of The Americas, the debut of "1" will take place on the eve of the first Formula 1 events in Austin.

The film tells the tale of the dangerous and fast times of the 1960s and '70s, a period of racing where man and machine fought tirelessly on track.  As technical improvements yielded considerably faster cars, the scales tipped as speed out paced driver safety. At an alarming rate, talented drivers began to lose their lives as control of these magnificent machines became more difficult with each race.

Known as the golden age of F1, the '60s and '70s defined the character of the sport: a battle of man and machine taking place at the world's most exotic locations, encircled by the most glamorous and elite personalities. With the dangerous nature of the sport came incredible stories of triumph and failure, turning drivers into icons of sport as the capacity of human performance was tested each race.

To capture the essence of this period, the film includes rare archival footage and first hand accounts from an incredible collection of guests such as Bernie Ecclestone, Max Mosley and Prof. Sid Watkins, along with 12 F1 world champions including Niki Lauda, Sir Jackie Stewart, John Surtees, Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, Jody Scheckter, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel.

The premiere of "1" kicks off with a special red carpet arrival of world champion drivers and several special guests from the F1 community. Held at Austin's iconic Paramount Theater on Congress Avenue, the premiere will further ignite excitement for the return of the United States Grand Prix after a five year absence.

Tickets for the premiere are available for purchase from the Paramount Theater: 

Click Here To Buy Your Tickets to See "1"

For more details and to join the growing conversation about the film on Facebook or Twitter, be sure to like their page and use the hashtag #1thefilm as details about the full release schedule slated for Spring 2013.  

// Contest Alert

We're very excited to offer you this chance to see the new "1" feature documentary! The Austin Grand Prix is giving away 10 tickets to see "1" at the Paramount Theater for the premiere event.  Here's how you can win one of 5 pairs of tickets:

1. In the comments below, tell us who some of your favorite F1 drivers and personalities are from this Golden Age.

2. "Like" our post about "1" on our Facebook page: Facebook.com/AustinGrandPrix 

3. Retweet our Tweet about "1" on Twitter: Twitter.com/AustinGrandPrix. Use the hashtag #1thefilm!

4. "Like" our related photo on Instagram: Instagram.com/AustinGrandPrix

Any of the methods will get you an entry. Winners will be drawn at random on Wednesday, Nov. 14. Winners will be notified in the manner that they enter the contest and if the winner does not claim the tickets by 9AM CT Thursday, Nov. 15, they will be given away to another entrant. Winner responsible for all other taxes and fees, if any, associated with the ticket giveaway.

The History of the Grid Girl

COTA Girls pose for a photoshoot following the USGP kick-off event, The Starting Grid

// The History of the Gird Girl

Known as the Race Queen in Japan, Pit Babe in Britain, Pretties in Thailand, Racing Model in Korea, there are many naming conventions for what the majority of us refer to as Grid Girls.

According to racing lore and legend, Rosa Ogawa was the first ever grid girl. Rosa first appeared in the late 1960s motor races in Japan to represent race winners, and as such cemented the grid girl as an icon at the race tracks. Officially, F1 grid girls hold up the grid number for their racer on the grid before races. They also welcome and cheer the three F1 racers who top the podium at each race.

Every Little Boy's Scalextric: Japanese Grand Prix

Suzuka Circuit, 2011 (image courtesy of Mercedes GP)

Tradition has it that Japan was always the last country visited on the annual Formula One calendar and it was invariably a Championship ‘decider’…that was until a raft of new circuits and new markets for the premier racing series opened up. Of course, in motor racing terms, Japan is still fairly ‘youthful’, having held its first GP as recently as 1976. Fuji Speedway (owned by Toyota) was the initial venue but Suzuka Circuit (owned by Honda) has superseded it, a factor that would have pleased the late, great Soichiro Honda no end.

Raffles and a History Of Derring-Do: Singapore GP Preview

 

// Singapore GP

It is consummately simple to think about the Singapore Grand Prix as being a modern race, the first to be run under floodlights, on a new circuit, around a prestigious harbour development. Yet, prior to gaining its independence, in 1963, the original 1961 ‘Orient Year Grand Prix’, which was renamed ‘Malaysian GP’ was run on the Old Thomson Road route around Singapore, much like similar city center racing venues in Berlin, Germany, and Barcelona, Spain.

 

BOOK REVIEW: GRAND PRIX YESTERDAY & TODAY

 

GRAND PRIX YESTERDAY & TODAY

By Bruce Jones

Published by: Carlton Books

ISBN: 978 1 84732 592 1

Price: $25.00

 

// Review

Consisting of just six chapters over its 192 pages, this uniquely constructed hardback could be a little confusing, with the manner by which the years are reported, which is decidedly haphazard through its content. It is not that the detail is uninteresting, because the innumerable photographs (many of which have never been seen in print before), in both monotone and full colour, help to lift fascination levels.

However, dotting random years into the page headings creates an unhappy imbalance. Yet, the subjects covered are similarly random, dating back to Grand Prix’s 1906 beginnings up to the end of 2010. If the evolution of motor racing is of personal interest, you will find this book serves purpose rather well.

Strangely, for such a well-regarded writer and author, Bruce Jones, a tall chap renowned for his shock of red hair, who can often be spotted strutting most assuredly through pit lanes and paddocks around the world, appears to have tackled this book with a stream of consciousness. He is a talented scribe, of that fact there is no doubt, yet this book can prove challenging on first read and, unless you are in the mood for such variance, it can become a major ‘switch off’. Even so, the contents are incontestably excellent and I would suggest that you persevere with it.