When I saw the Detroit Grand Prix Formula 1 race as a kid in the early 1980s, I was enamored with the John Player Special Lotus race car. I'm not really sure why. I didn't know JPS were cigarettes or anything like that. I didn't even know who the driver was and really didn't care. I just liked the looks of the car. As a matter of fact, I liked the looks of the race car so much that I actually bought a JPS windbreaker-style jacket from the race! I thought it was so cool! It was black with gold trim just like the car and had a big "John Player Special" patch on the back of it. It was awesome! "Members Only" be damned! ;-)
So, seeing this car at the
Formula 1 Expo at the Austin Convention Center brought back a lot of memories. I don't know if it's the same car I saw, but it is from that era. I also just noticed that it has the name "Mario" near the roll bar. After a little Googling, apparently this is a 1979 Lotus that Mario Andretti drove. Maybe that's why I liked it! Anyway, I just had to get a shot of it! Now, to find a new jacket...
When I worked for Olympus, here in Toronto, back in the '70s and early '80s, I got to sit in a JPS car at Mossport racetrack before the race. At the time, being a huge fan of F1, I was absolutely thrilled. Unfortunately, nobody thought to take a picture of me. Still have the memory, though. Love the shot.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Robert! That's pretty awesome!
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