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Posted by penelope Pitstop The atmosphere of this war to end all wars was one of sadness. The clouds even poured their sympathetic tears Saturday in the morning.The weather was an expression of what we all deeply felt in the depths of hearts. I piloted in Montlhéry, I made party of the public, I cannot accept its closing.
on 7/4/2004, 11:15 am
81.57.45.51
THE TEARS OF MONTLHERY
This edition was marked by a very beautiful demonstration of "cyclecars", these cars of the Twenties which were born at the same time as the motor-racing track and competed on the banked circuit. Bugatti, Salmson, Amilcar, Bentley and others
Vintage cars by their presence only rendered more nostalgic these days of
good-bye. They made the glory of the circuit, gave its history undoubtedly independent on that of the French car.
The majority of the pilots wanted to pay a last homage to Montlhéry and to taste one last time the happiness to go up highest possible in the ring before plunging in the baffles.
A rare pleasure for a pilot, tinged with a kind of excitement at the time of descent and the admiration of the crowd of the dexterity of some and the masterliness with which they drove "their machine". More moving without any doubt was when the pilots waved to the public at the time of their last turn. A simple hand spouting out above a roof or an arm raised above a windscreen was at the same time a sign of good-bye to the circuit, a thanks with all the people present but also the expression of a perfect symbiosis between a public and competitors living the end of a myth. The emotion of the event brought forth abnormally vigorous thunders of applause, as they fought against their tears. Sunday evening the moroseness reigned along with frustration and a feeling of impotence and a hope to return one day all mixed. Some before entering in the tunnel of exit, were taken by a kind of anguish, wondering whether really they would have the occasion to return. I saw some taken by weakness, remain
sitting in their vehicle, driving, turning and could not bring themselves to leave the place. They looked at the ring wanting to engrave forever the image in their spirit. Others did not hesitate to jump over barriers once the races finished, to press the track and to imbue themselves with a kind of intoxication and meditation to being where so many racing cars clashed. There puerile this kind of attitude will be to consider but there isn't rather the expression of a refusal that the history of this circuit stops? The Golden age, a great automobile festival whose magic was due to the motor-racing track and its configuration, will certainly continue but the environment could not be the same one. Many are those which want some with the organizer to have muzzled several people wanting to denounce the closing of the circuit. Fear of reprisals on behalf of the UTAC? Yes surely! We are in a "Republic", we preach Freedom, the Equality and Fraternity but we must absolutely remain "politically correct" and nothing to say which can disturb the "forces" in place. The freedom of words was ridiculed this weekend, the equality was not the same one for everyone, of the journalists were seen disadvised interviews with certain judged people dérangeantes! Fraternity it, was fortunately present and palpable among all the defenders of the circuit. It would seem that the Foundation O' Born is collected still this weekend a number impressing of signatures to try to save the motor-racing track. There was until 15mn tail to affix its signature on the petition! More than 15000 people of all nationalities have felt implied for one year in the fight against this closing. Can the authorities and particularly the ministry of culture become aware that the motor-racing track of Montlhéry is not only a place to make "toy" with its car but indeed a place which belongs to the automobile cultural heritage that one must preserve continuously to make it live.
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