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A Happy Moment
The Supercup car can cause cheesy grins! As I write this I’m feasting on a few snacks I picked up at a small supermarket in Fuschl am See (yep, I’m back in Austria now).
As I saddled up on the Lechner Racing Aprilia scooter to take the 4km journey through the windy forest roads to Fuschl from my motel, The Steinbrau, I was quietly excited to sample some of the foods on offer here. Then I realised as I walked in the door of the superette, that I hadn’t a clue what anything was, what was in it, or what it would taste like.
It was the same at dinner last night. The entire restaurant menu was in German, and the only English word the waitress could say was
‘cheeseburger’, so that was my only real choice! Good burger though.
It’s all part of the adventure, so with my bag of apricots, a ‘Happy Mix’, some hot cross bun-like bread and a small tub of green ice cream, I’m sampling as I go. And for the record, everything I
have tasted here has been delicious, regardless of its origins.
So, Thursday was the second of my two day Porsche Supercup test with Lechner Racing
Ready to go...
...for a few laps around the Hungaroring. at the Hungaroring in Hungary. With the weather even more hot and muggy than the day previous it was a sweaty day in the race suit, but as was the case on day one, everything once again proceeded without trouble, my lap times improved further and my pace was significant in comparison to regular team drivers Stefan Rosina and Damien Faulkner.
The way a Supercup team operates is quite something. The test was run at a level higher than most race weekend’s I’ve visited, and a team upwards of 15 personnel were on hand to attend to the four cars on the track. Four cars; and four huge race transporters, would you believe.
After every run, the cars were cleaned, wheels washed and drivers catered to - it really was a pleasure to be involved in. Now the plan is to make it a more regular occurrence.
I arrived back in Salzburg at around 2:30am on Friday morning, and with the team having the weekend off I’ve been free to do as I please. From my base at the Steinbrau, a small motel/pub/restaurant, I’ve been fitness training and trekking around both Fuschl and another small town called
My Weapon
Fuschl will never be the same again. Faistenau, exploring the sights and taking in the bewildered stares from the locals as my noisy scooter, covered in race decals, and me in my airbrushed race helmet, invade their settlements!
It’s still hard to comprehend the classic architecture of this place. The houses are
all made of wood, with narrow cobblestone streets and, like in the movies, plump old woman waddling up and down them in floral dresses and a white apron. It’s like stepping into a time warp!
I turned on the TV in my motel unit (it’s been raining most of the time here) but all 25 channels are in German! No matter what the language, however, having the Tour de France and all sorts of great motorsport
LIVE on telly during the day is pretty wicked.
The gym in Fuschl is quite something. It sits right on the lakefront, with a swimming pool outside and a waterslide that splashes into the lake below it. The gym itself is in stark contrast to the town surrounding. Every piece of equipment is brand new and totally modern, and there was an array of gear and machines far surpassing what I’ve seen back home in NZ.
On top of the World
Well, it sure feels like it. The weather, unlike Hungary, is still wet, and almost on cue every couple of hours it rains a bit, but it’s still warm enough to cruise around in shorts and a t-shirt, which is nice. And when it does clear up for a bit, it sure is a picturesque setting.
Sunday, thankfully, was warm and sunny with no rain to speak of...until the late afternoon, when the mother of all thunderstorms hit and plunged the entire valley into darkness. The thunder was like an F16 passing by - incredible.
And when it rains, the raindrops are the size of golf balls here; it’s crazy, and a heavy shower has the potential to cause flooding in just a few minutes, much like in the tropical season in Asia.
Today it's again continuing to pour, and it doesn't look like letting up. I'm in at the Lechner Racing HQ and was really taken aback at the lunchtime habits of the mechanics, eating onions like they were apples, applying mustard more generously than the Israelis and their hummus, and emptying the supermarket deli of every kind of meat and bread available.
But hey, I’m loving it. It really
Spinning away
at the gym in Fuschl. is a big old world out there!
Thank you all for your messages of support, and remember, if you want to view any of the Blog images in high resolution, all you've got to do is click on one!
Talk soon!
Jono
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Neville Cooper
non-member comment
Nice Jono - your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to get a photo of you and one of the "plump old woman waddling up and down them in floral dresses and a white apron"