Category Archives: Zen Garage

Serg and Rob.

The view from our Zen Stand. Amazing! The grand stand on the right and the strip on the left.

The Zen Stand.

Wouldn’t be Jamboree without a Bikini Comp!

Schembri!

Zen Sponsored drivers Schembri and Jabbit of Blaze Unit going off as usual.

Attended my first Jamboree yesterday. We were given the primo position for our Zen Stand, right at the top, overlooking the drag strip. Was a fast paced event, the action on the drag strip was amazing, so many 6 second passes! The drift shows really broke up the day too, probably the closest the crowd has gotten to drift action in some time.

Unfortunately it rained at around 4pm and that sent everyone packing, we packed up and bailed, but found out afterwards that the rain stopped and racing re-commenced at 7pm! Shame to miss the finals, there’s always next year though!

Sergio, Ved and I were invited to Motoring in Motion, a preview to the 2014 Top Gear Festival Sydney at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Look what I painted! That Jayson Fong is so talented. His painting was going to be displayed in the Senna Tribute display. So cool.

A very small group of media were treated to an awesome day out. First up we had lunch (the steak and salmon were great!) and had the Australian Top Gear presenters run casual Q&A’s with Craig Lowndes, Robert Dhalgren, Neal Bates, Beau Yates, Lee Holdsworth and Will Davison. Amazing that they got all these top shelf drivers in to chat in front of us! Very cool.

Next up we were introduced to Volvo’s new S60 Polestar. Got to love that blue. What’s better we got hot laps in it on South Circuit with Robert Dhalgren at the wheel. He muscled that car around, the brakes were damn amazing. Super punchy.

Beau Yates’ 86.

This thing was a beast. Seeing it squat and drift… awesome.

After that we got to ride shotgun in either Beau Yates’ 86 or Neil Bates’ old school Celica rally car. I got to jump in with Beau (I’ve been a fan of his ever since seeing him drift at Oran Park when the Japanese D1 Drifters first came to Sydney). Damn his car is amazing. When it grips, it’s got so much torque, the shifting is amazing and the whole car just feels so smooth when sliding. Beau treated me to 2 laps, what a champ! Was great having a bit more of a chat than the past couple of times I’ve run into him.

After that we got happy laps on South Circuit in a couple of 911’s. I jumped in the convertible. Lovely car, my driver did a little grip driving and a little drifting too, full locking it nice and smooth.

Ved snipering Jeremy Clarkson.

Then the new Mclaren 650S was revealed to us. Bit of a treat as this car was only just revealed at the Geneva Motor Show 3 days prior.

What a thing of beauty.

Senna and Ved!

Ved’s Zen Snapback signed by Bruno.

To top the day off we got to meet Bruno Senna and check out Ayrton Senna’s 1988 McLaren MP4/4 F1 race car.

Ramspeed Twin Turbo Gallardo spotted in the carpark.

I walked away with this poster… oh noes it might be game on again!

Is this real life? Brock’s Skyline with a view all the way down Conrod Straight. 

Faith and Ved at work.

Hey Simmy! :)

Duffy and Anton. 

Popped my Bathurst Cherry yesterday. I’ve seen Bathurst on TV every year for so many years, and raced in on so many racing games too, but to see it in real life… it was emotional!

PS: Falling asleep on top of the mountain under the shade of the Zen Stand, with the sounds of screaming exhausts and mates chatting and laughing in the background, pure bliss.