What a Grand Prix! It’s been a few years since I last attended one so this was a great event to get back in to the swing of things. Firstly, it’s great to hear that both Zhou Guanyu and Alex Albon are okay after their first corner crashes. Secondly, it’s fantastic that Carlos Sainz scores his first win, and for Ferrari at that. Beyond that there wasn’t too much else that happened off the track—I didn’t see any supercars, let alone any other Ferrari’s en route or in the car park. Perhaps I just missed the memo about Supercar Parking and was in the wrong place. Maybe next time.
Another Ferrari Owners’ Day
For the second Saturday in succession I have found myself at Sywell Aerodrome with my 360; this time though it’s all about Ferrari’s, with the second National Ferrari Owners’ Day, organised by the Ferrari Owners’ Club of Great Britain. It has been pretty much the same as last year: a large Ferrari-only parking area, a separate area for those participating in the runway experience (this year I was in group 4, so had to wait until 3:15 for my slot), a hanger full of items part of the Silverstone Auction, and of course: an small air display!
Supercar Fest
A slightly late start to the year, but this was partly due to waiting on parts from Italy and partly due to finally getting our driveway redone—now at least the car is in probably the best condition that it’s been in years (owing to the engine rebuild and finally ticking off every advisory on the MOT), in addition we can now fit our three cars off the road on our drive. With all that said, let’s get into the first car show of the year: Supercar Fest.
She’s Home Again
Following the timing belt disaster at Silverstone back in September, I finally have my 360 back—all fixed, and then some! For a brief breakdown: complete service including timing belt, head gasket, water manifold gaskets, complete set of intake and exhaust values for the right-hand cylinder bank, and numerous seals for the clutch release bearing. This last set of items have remedied the occasional low pressure in the F1 system, so hopefully no more not-going-in-to-gear after sitting at traffic lights or a roundabout.
I cannot thank the guys at RNR Performance Cars enough, for diagnosing the issue while they were at a race weekend and then recovering my Ferrari from Silverstone back to their base in Kent. They have been upfront and accurate with their estimates, so although it has cost a small fortune, I’ve not been blind-sided with any surprises. I definitely recommend them and will look to use their services again in the future.
Ferrari Racing Days
Another September, another Ferrari Racing Days at Silverstone, and although it is 4 years since the my last attendance I wasn’t initially expecting to make this one. Previous commitments, one by one, started to disappear and so with less than a week to go I went in search of the promo code that was giving free entrance to Ferrari owners and requested a couple of tickets. That being said, it wouldn’t be a proper Ferrari day out without some sort of mishap.
Summer Garden Party
Not a huge update today: just a few photographs from the Summer Garden Party and Concours for the Ferrari Owners’ Club of Great Britain. Thankfully the rain held off for most of the day—it started as we arrived at Rushton Hall and stopped no more than an hour later, and although the sun stayed hidden (more or less until we left) it did stay dry.
Silverstone Classic
A much better Silverstone Classic than 3 years ago, which although we did attend, it was Ferrari-less due to events earlier in the year. That said, there isn’t really too much that we can say here that isn’t already widely known, as The Classic is one of the biggest motoring events of the year.
National Ferrari Owners’ Day
Saturday was the (postponed) first National Ferrari Owners’ Day, hosted by the Ferrari Owners’ Club of Great Britain, open to all owners whether or not they were members. It was originally scheduled for 2020 but was delayed for obvious reasons. With a range of events and displays it was set to be an exciting day.
New Home, New Garage
Ever since moving into our new house last August, I have been on the lookout for somewhere local to have the 360 serviced. And although Silverstone is home to many independent supercar specialists, and is only 30 miles away, that’s not quite local enough for my taste. After some sleuthing I eventually stumbled across Dove House Motor Company, and despite them focusing more on Porsche’s they do offer servicing for several Ferrari models, ranging from the 308 through to the FF.
Dawn of a New Era
It’s been three years to the day since I lost my first 360, and also nearly lost the love of my life! Thankfully the one who really mattered pulled through and we’ve pushed ahead with the rest of our lives together. And although 2020 was not much of a year for car shows and the like, there was a brief few weeks between the various lockdowns where my fiancée and I were able to make good and move out of our tiny flat in the centre of Watford to a nice house in a small town in East Northamptonshire—complete with driveway and garage!