EX-PAT IN USA

[Grant Ellwood]

Great site, I've contributed a few short comments lately and would like to start a thread concerning safety in motorsport, particularly sharing experience on the personal health side - many of us are more vintage now than the cars we race!
I had a stroke last year following a head injury accident but more about that in my upcoming thread.
Some of you downunder might remember me from the Flamecrusher business which I started in the late 70s.
Look forward to catching up, reading the various posts has been great therapy!
Cheers
Grant E.

[Grant Ellwood]

Uh-oh, screwed up there, meant to post in the new members site, perhaps Steve can move it over? Fortunately I can usually blame the head injury.....

Great site, I've contributed a few short comments lately and would like to start a thread concerning safety in motorsport, particularly sharing experience on the personal health side - many of us are more vintage now than the cars we race!
I had a stroke last year following a head injury accident but more about that in my upcoming thread.
Some of you downunder might remember me from the Flamecrusher business which I started in the late 70s.
Look forward to catching up, reading the various posts has been great therapy!
Cheers
Grant E.

[Kiwiboss]

Bloody Grant Ellwood, good to see you hooking up on this forum!!! long time no see if you remember me!!! Wayne Renner keeps me "up to date" with your goings on!!! as for your head injury, i remember you have one of those 35 years ago!! LOL.

NOW, i know for sure you will have plenty to post on this forum, so get going!!

Dale Mathers
(Ex Malcolms Auto Services, Central Parade, Mt Maunganui)

[Grant Ellwood]

Hey Dale, certainly been a long time since we last met, think it was Tauranga late 90s at your warehouse, pretty sure Tony Roberts was there too. Head injuries have certainly been a bad habit of mine, I've had a least 5 from various racing incidents then the really bad one from the fall off the factory roof in 2007, was having a slow but steady recovery when I got t-boned by a guy in a truck who ran a stop sign and yep - another concussion.....
I'm planning on getting the business going again in the spring and fiddling with the LHD Anglia has been good therapy also.
I like the new series you are promoting, look forward to seeing all the new spec cars particularly Mr Renner's Falcon.
When you next visit east coast USA be sure to make a stop here in southern Virginia!

[Steve Holmes]

Hey Grant, great to see you've finally posted an intro. Its great to have you here. Looking forward to you starting a thread on the Anglia once the project gets going.

[Kiwiboss]

Grant, as always i only seem to make it as far as California!! but in june its looking very likely i'll be on the east coast for a Shelby event at Watkins Glen and to visit the guys at Cobra Automotive, Wallingford, CT. I've raced with them on the west coast and they've offered the use of there shop should one day i decide to go east!!! so i may make it down to see you, shoot me an email direct dmathers@xtra.co.nz

And can you give wayne a push on his Falcon otherwise it'll never happen!! LOL. I sold my fastback mustang recently which now makes me regret selling the Falcon, black plate CA car with a mint body shell and all complete, i don't think Wayne understands how good a car he's got!!

cheers

Dale Mathers

[Grant Ellwood]

Thanks Steve, sorry I messed up by not putting the intro in the correct category.
When I first moved to this area of Virginia I thought there were only Nascar type tracks operating, Virginia International Raceway
was a welcome surprise - only 20 miles away, one of the best road racing courses in USA with a strong vintage race calendar.
Locally there are several aquaintances who run nice machinery eg Tyrell F1 (can't recall the model but its a 4 wheeler, Paul Edwards won the F1 category at Monaco historic year before last), Hesketh F1 (supposedly ex Hunt), Mk6B McLaren ( now for sale at $425K) and sometimes I think I'm at the Goodwood Revival instead of an American club meet.

[Steve Holmes]

Hey Grant, you've posted your intro in exactly the right place.

Yeah there do seem to be a lot of good character race tracks on the East Coast. A good number of old school tracks that have managed to survive the urban sprawl.

[Grant Ellwood]

Yes and moreover two thirds of the US population occupy the east coast and most of the best road courses are situated here. Great for business and great for racing. And Nascar is one of the biggest contributors to the economy of North Carolina, I'll post the official govt figures later after I check them again. I was surprised when I first moved to the south east, when I went to the local diners the locals chatted about Nascar the same way Kiwis would chat about rugby.

Hey Grant, you've posted your intro in exactly the right place.

Yeah there do seem to be a lot of good character race tracks on the East Coast. A good number of old school tracks that have managed to survive the urban sprawl.