August 2020

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211 ONE YEAR AFTER 28.08.2020 09:42

Last year, the last day in August, Saturday. It was the weekend of the F1 Belgian Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps, including the Formula 2 race. Anthoine Hubert (22nd September 1996 – 31st August 2019) was killed in an accident, Juan Manuel Correa was very seriously injured. This day does not exist in the life of The Castiron; after a heart surgery the day before (with the risk of a cardic arrest), he was in a hospital bed in the intensive care, without consciousness till Sunday.

About a half year later, The Castiron was almost completely back to life; back on skis and in March back on track, in Hockenheim, with Eleanor V, his Ford Mustang. Also the pastor’s view has to be mentioned – just in brief: it is grace, thank God!

Juan Manual Correa had, and still has, a longer and harder way to recovery. His life was hanging on a thread of silk for quite a long time and many doctors fought for his life, and to preserve his right leg, too (www.motorsport.com; Juan Manual Correa: „Basically the doctor’s rebuilt my right leg, the left suffered much milder injuries ...“).

On a completely different subject. The coronavirus pandemic also falls into this time span. Common to all this is however: it does not take a year for things to change dramatically, be it because of an accident, an illness or even a pandemic.

The bigger questions are not easy to answer. Transient was the subject of blogpost 194 and blogpost 141 included in a minister’s quotation during a racing driver’s funeral service: „Où il y a le risque, il y a la mort – où il n’y a pas de risque, il n’y a pas de vie“ (French; translated into English: Where there is a risk, there is the death – where there is no risk, there is no life).

See you next Friday. - God bless you, all the best! The Castiron

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210 PILOT OR PASSENGER 21.08.2020 17:25

It has now been 4 years since The Castiron published his very first blogpost. Today just some basic thoughts in brief. And again, it is a good time to say thanks to everybody!

Grandfather, racing driver, instructor, pastor – all in one, one in all. The focus: sharing many things from many years and actual ones, with you! As life is, with daily business in different realms and topics. Often the question is being pilot or passenger. On the track, on the road, in daily life overall – who or what determines?

Or, in other words: to drive or be driven, challenges, challenges, challenges – you are faced with, again and again. Normally, being pilot pleases us, being passenger sometimes, too – when self-chosen; if not, often an accident or an illness (for instance) makes you a passenger. Then sometimes it gets tough.

As mentioned: just some thoughts in brief! When you think, you have it in your hand, you can decide whether you are pilot or passenger – it is not so hard, sometimes even quite easy. When you are forced to be passenger – sometimes it can be very hard; probably it is a good occasion to give some thoughts about all this based on the pastor’s view – please see recommendation.

See you next Friday. - God bless you, all the best! The Castiron

Recommendation: http://thecastiron.ch/en/pastor.html

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209 STAY HUMBLE 14.08.2020 17:18

Last week’s blogpost dealt with an incident without a happy ending – something not to be proud of. Competition unfinished, car crashed but repairable, mainly the roof needing to be replaced. Fortunately, The Castiron had then the chance to buy (as a bargain) a damaged vehicle of the same type as spare parts donor – today’s picture speaks for itself.

Stay humble – what has such a term do with unintended disliked incidents? Things like these can bring you immediately down to earth. From then on, it becomes a question of a personal attitude, a fundamental attitude. Stay humble – towards the vehicle and the track, opponents and other fellow human beings and before God.

It is mainly the pastor’s perspective, but not only – it is for the entire life. You have to see it for yourself, it is best to bear in mind, it is an on-going story – become humble, be humble, stay humble. The Holy Bible says „... To act justly and to love mercy und to walk humbly with your God“ (Micah 6, verse 8).

Last but not least: to be humble, to stay humble really helps – though easier said than done! The Castiron suggests casting a glance in the Holy Bible, for instance Proverbs 22, verse 4 (please see recommendation). A wise advice to this subject – one of many.

See you next Friday. - God bless you, all the best! The Castiron

Recommendation: https://www.bibleserver.com/NIV/Proverbs22%3A4

PS For those who want to read more: unfortunate incidents and the question of the attitude are to be found in blogpost 121, too.

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208 ON THE ROOF 07.08.2020 17:08

It has been 20 years since The Castiron participated for the first time in the sport auto DriftChallenge 2000 in Hockenheim, with the vehicle mentioned in blogpost 205, the fairly light Ford Sierra – at that time a quite well prepared (especially also concerning safety devices, such as a rollover bar and something more) two-seater for mainly competition use.

Drift contests and the DriftChallenge in German-speaking Europe were still in the early stages. Most of the time, an enthusiastic crowd and stunning incidents were part of these contests. Today’s video shows an excerpt of many spectacular faulty performances – The Castiron added one more: a rollover, annoying and needless.

Toughened by many experiences at the limit with rear-wheel driven cars (especially as racing driver and instructor), The Castiron can be named as one of the pioneers in this field – hence probably a little bit too self-confident on this occasion? Location: the „Sachskurve“ at the Hockenheim racetrack.

First heat, quite a good drift and then at the end of the bend the silly idea to prolong the show in the grass (as some other drivers did before, too). Regrettably, a place with new turf, watered a short time before (awareness of these facts after getting out of the car) work against a happy end! The car digs with the right wheels, the left side comes up, The Castiron realizes: the vehicle does not get back on the wheels, confidence in the rollover bar is imperative.

The outcome: car on the roof, engine switched off immediately, safety belt released, The Castiron uninjured, gained another experience – and frenetic standing ovations from the crowd (thousands of fans). Overall an event with a number of incidents, in particular trips into the gravel – most of them without noteworthy consequences.

Conclusion: a brainless rookie mistake, embarrassing! The Castiron had to recognize once again: you live and learn. And: today’s video offers a good opportunity for a broad failure analysis – one can learn from own mistakes and from those of others. Keep on track!

See you next Friday. - God bless you, all the best! The Castiron

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PS Caution: a car lying on its roof demands an immediate engine switch-off (because the oil is not any more where it should be). Then a waiting period up to several days is absolutely mandatory, before starting the engine again (because some engine oil got in the combustion chambers and has to drain completely back into the oil pan – it takes time); ignoring these facts may cause serious engine damages!