Page 19 - Paddock Life Issue 13 ADRENALINE

HE HAD CASTROL R40 IN HIS BLOOD
The black car passes the silver one just before we follow into the narrow streets of Siena , the whole town is out. Flags adorn the buildings and people line the streets high fiving the drivers as they file through. Cafés are full and the town square has a party going on. We slow along side and shake hands with the BMW guys as they wait to have their time cards recorded. The energy in the town is electric as the cars keep arriving – I figure we must be in the last quarter of the day‘s cars, so the Siena party must have been rocking for about 3 hours by now and it certainly didn‘t feel like it was going to stop before midnight.
As we leave town we decide to take the motorway to arrive ahead of the cars in Parma, cruising now with the windows up I see spots of rain on the windscreen, suddenly the heavens open so I slow onto the hard shoulder whilst Jenny flips the single catch and pulls up the hood. Snapped into place at about 25mph I accelerate back to motorway speed. The relative calm and quiet of the roof on the motorway drive soon had my windswept photographer fast asleep in the passenger seat for a power nap as we were a good hour or so away from Parma.
Last year Parma was the eye opener for me, it was my first real experience of the national pride of the Mille Miglia as I watched all the cars flow in and the city come to life. This year I knew what to expect and were to be. Our hotel overlooked the park that was being used for an overnight paddock and the next mornings start, so we checked in to our rooms set the computer to download the day‘s images and with the little Fiat parked up took a walk across the park and over the river into the town square just as the first cars were coming in.
The Ferrari tribute runs first on a slightly different route, but basically the same direction. These are “modern“ cars, meaning post 1957. So a lot of glorious new metal mixed in with some gorgeous 70‘s classics such as Dinos, Daytonas and BBs. Good turn out of F40s and 50s and some quite rare specials all formed up in the town square after their lap of Parma‘s now rainy, but excited fan lined streets.
The cars keep coming in over the next few hours, each stopping at the timing point then following the path through Parma‘s streets. We decided it was time for dinner so in an attempt to stay close to the action we tried one of the restaurants on the square. We ordered a starter and a glass of wine in Piazza Garibaldi then decided we‘d brave the rain to find a more traditional place, somewhere the locals eat. We were soon in the narrow streets of Parma following Google maps, but our chosen eatery had no room, we were directed down the street and to the left where we found another bistro full of locals, but no room for us.
They sent us on another quest, this time the rain was easing, and finally Osteria Dell 36 had a table. I ordered a bottle of local wine whilst our waitress recommended our main course; we soon joined in conversation with the next table, three Dutch guys who were following the race in a Lamborghini Gallardo and a McLaren.
The food was amazing, which made sense when I noticed the door was covered in Michelin awards, we accidentally found the oldest Osteria in the centre of Parma, whose two simple dinning rooms have been delighting locals since 1880. (Well
worth a visit if you are in town.) We paid our bills and decided to all head for a drink, once again a local bar... as the round of Monkey 47 Gin & Tonics arrived the waitress placed them all on our table using playing cards as coasters.
As they were conveniently all face down, Mr Dutch Gallardo driver suggested we flip the cards to see who buys the round, lowest buys... We all turned over our cards... 3 of hearts was the losing card, Dutch Lambo buys the round. We soon decide a round for the road (as we are all walking) is in order, this time high card pays. New drinks, new cards, aces high... with a toast to the Mille Miglia take a drink and flip the cards. Jenny turns a queen, letting out a small scream... but Dutch Lambo man turns an Ace, as we all laugh and thank him for our night out... parting company with the guys we head for the park as our hotel is on the opposite side, a short walk.
As we cross the bridge Ponte Giuseppe Verdi to Park Ducale only to see the gates are locked. All the cars are paddocked in the park overnight so it’s heavily guarded... Jenny asks one of the guards if we can walk through, a bit of hand waving and a short conversation later and we are in a 4x4 with three guys that look like extras from the Sopranos getting a ride back to our hotel, I‘m sure I‘d have been walking if I was on my own...
The following morning I meet Jenny for coffee as we watch the cars leave on the final short leg back to the town of Brescia. I check us out of our hotel and we peel away in our little 124, destination Brescia. We pass a few cars on the run, but generally take the fast route to get into town before the procession. The cars roll in and onto the final finish ramp and then parade past the fans before disappearing into traffic, most heading to their support crews‘ awaiting transporters. We hit the road to Milan in time for dinner on the lake and an early morning flight back to London.
Our Mille Miglia is over, what an experience, 1000 miles of pure adrenaline. We should be tired as we board our flight but we are still buzzing and smiling at the memories. Racing between 40 million pounds worth of classic cars, overtaking a Ferrari 458 on the inside of a hairpin bend, standing up shooting at close to 80mph through an Italian hillside. The only way we could top this experience is to get a qualifying classic car and enter the race... let me call Mark Ketcham and see if he still has that 56 Testarossa....
19