Last night was one hell of a packed show. Wow! Approximately 90,000 people came to watch AC/DC at the Hockenheimring.
And not only watch but camp – noisily, too, I might add. More than three hours after the show had finished, drunken revellers were still impeding traffic.
Laboriously, we were funnelled into a single carriageway – the only escape road. Rather typical, since there wasn’t time to bugger about. Our next destination in Austria – an unspeakably monotonous drive of more than 700km – is Vienna.
But rather than recount Namibian’s hooplah on the Citizens Band radio, here is a little more on the Hockenheim track, gleaned from the on-site Motor Museum:
Though it is now one of the most modern tracks for both racing and testing, it all started way back in 1932 – with the first motorcycle race. Going back even further – to 1884 – the history of motorcycles begins with the ‘Reitwagen‘, slower even than a bicycle but powered by a combustion engine.
With a wooden frame, lateral support wheels – that’s a fancy term for children’s stabilisers, isn’t it? – and a top speed of 12km/h, these w
ere indeed early days.
Ooh, and the first truck was introduced to the market in 1896.
Now, while statistics percolate away in the old grey matter, just think of us poor chaps leaving Hockenheim at 3am. We travel through a netherworld while normal people snooze restfully.
You see, the rigging trucks are due to unload in Vienna at 2pm the same day, leaving little time for me to dawdle or sleep – it is a good nine-hour drive in a lorry.
That bilious creature, Nambian, could muck about napping, though – after all, he only has a few crappy lights in the boot – but he doesn’t. Loyal as a terrier, we chat on CB as the sun rises – a sight signifying that we are barely half way to the Austrian capital. Groan..
Yes, there are people that would give their eye teeth to visit Vienna in May, I’m sure…but I wouldn’t half fancy a little lie-down instead. Oh well, perhaps we’ll get some time off in September..