Unrealised Dreams, Un-used Talent


Unrealised Dreams, Un-used Talent, by Giles Acford


At the age of 15 my brother, Ben, who is 6 years older than myself, scared the hybies out of me.

While closing a rally northeast of Adelaide at a place called Truro, we came into a T-intersection traveling a lot faster than the corner aloud-safe passage through. While my short life flashed before my eyes, not to mention the intersection several times as we spun, I realized whilst just pulling up short of the embankment that there was nothing else in life that incorporated skill and risk like off-road racing.

However, as most mature people would know life doesn't always dish-up what one wants just because one wants it.

I wasn't born into a motor racing family, we as a family didn't have much money and my parents were against me doing such a risky thing, (at that point I was living a dangerous enough life just being a wild teenager), even if they had the money .In life we need to explore and find the things (other than motor sport) which carry meaning, which can distract and make the journey to fulfill ones true talents and goals, long and hard.

My life has taken many twists and turns and suffice to say at the age of 33, it has taken me longer than even I had imagined.

In 1999 I closed my "going know were" floor covering business and went back to TAFE and learnt how to weld.

In 2000 I applied for a welding job that had all the hallmarks of promise of developing into races cars. I had started talking to people who were in the car building industry such as Rob Nell and others and realized that I would have to go back to school to learn the carbon fiber and Kevlar ways, which for me economically, just wasn't possible. I started to build an HQ Ute from scratch, making my own chassis that was suited to a ford v8, mid mounted, the purpose of the car was rally cross or short track (non-circular) racing.

The project, to the date where I walked away very disappointed, had taken three months of after-work and weekends. The problem that made me walk away was other people who had set out to undermine me and the guy I was building with, eventually the problems become so distracting from the work that was going on day to day the owner told us we couldn't use the factory for the project and wed have to find our own place. Nether of us had the resources to do such a thing. At that time I decided, that was the only option to take (remove the negative and do it on my own), and get my own place.

To cut a long story short by removing the fight I have with the discriminatory and sexist laws males face with getting equal time with there own children, which is a story on its own, I now find myself on the verge of completing the first three steps.

The first step being getting my own place, which in itself posed a large problem lack of money and not wanting to live in the city forced me to purchase a cheap country home. I had to rebuild the shedding and wanted to in general develop the property as I was suffering from low self esteem (see the paragraph above).

The second being deciding what car to use and get hold of that car, many factors had to be wade up in regards to price and suitability to all future plans, which at that point looked impossible long way off.

The third step being, setting the car up to a point where it can be called a race car, the third being hugely expensive and because of the current regs and laws is just about impossible for some one like myself on my own to succeed at.

The car I choose is a four wheel drive, as I believe it is the only competitive drive system and to take a two wheel drive into a race know days is being beaten before one even starts the race.

Of course there is more to this than just selecting a car, the car had to be used on a day to day basis until I could get the money to build the project and even then it had to be done in stages so the car could be used day to day.

Then there was the business side of things there had to be a slight difference to this car to make it stand out, as I wanted to open my own business welding then the issue of wait, enter my little business of canopy manufacture.

The car I purchased had a sun roof which was all very well whilst I was driving around normally but didn't suit a race car, so I had to remove the whole roof, because I was modifying the car I couldn't just get another roof and weld it on it wouldn't have been contusive with the custom back so I had to design the roof and canopy at the same time. Luckily the weather held out and the looks I got whilst driving a car that looked like it had partially been shredded were amusing. I hadn't seen any cars done like this (still haven't apart from mine) I am sure its been done before.

I have to admit I was waiting for the knockers to say I couldn't do it etc, as I have been accustom to these types in the past all to often. I will also admit that not even I thought it would go as far as it has to date as quickly as what it has. As I right the car is having a new power plant installed and a general rebuild of all components on the car which shall we say are now out dated or just well used and not conducive with racing.

I was surprised with the body strength and road stability after I had installed the roll over protection and roof supports. I've had to compromise the car by putting a gas system in it as I travel in and out of Melbourne quiet a lot, now I look at the car and say "so close yet so far", the best I can hope for is o compete in club events and even then the risk to the car has to be first as I cant afford to replace anything let alone anything major.

The way I am looking at it has to be that it's a glorified tow vehicle and maybe somebody someday will give me the chance to race at the levels that I know I can race at, the top.

Which brings me to this letter, as much as I desire to race at a professional level I don't have the contacts and money to get there.

I now have two properties, a car that I built but cant use for really anything but work and 4wdriving, a fledgling canopy business and no racecar, which was what all this was done for, and the borrowing capacity has been exhausted.

As I have been concentrating on my project I haven't made the contacts to put together a team and although I have businesses that would be interested in sponsoring me, racing which is of-course the main aim is, is still alluding me.

I guess the aim of airing my project to date is to appeal to the people who can make the difference and be willing to try me out, one of the benefits with taking me on is my ability to learn, not to mention my absolute desire to win, knowing myself as I do I would say I wont disappoint the right team with the right support and sponsors.

If in any way you can offer me a legitimate drive then by all means contact me through Greg Tingle whom is acting as my manager.

*Attention Media and Sponsors. Contact: Greg Tingle on 0409 045 200 or greg@mediaman.com.au

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