One week on, and the Caterham Levante video has had over 42,000 hits! Such a viral piece of film if ever one existed.

The next video will be sent to me shortly. More details about when it will be on YouTube soon.

Wow.

Less than a week since I posted the Caterham Levante Edit on YouTube and already it has found its way onto a feature on BBC’s Top Gear website. I don’t get any credit for the vid, of course, the hard work was done by the guys who built the car - but I can’t help but feel hugely smug about the whole thing.

One of MY edits, on Top Gear. Bloody Marvelous!

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/caterham-levante 

…and what could I possibly ask for? I always get a bit stumped for ideas when people ask me what I want. I like to think I have everything I need! Well, who am I to refuse the notion of free gifts and celebration, all because I managed to survive another year on this planet. I guess that makes it World 0-23 Justin!

In other news, I recently edited and posted this video on behalf of RS Performance.co.uk - the guys who build the Caterham Levante:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-Zxdc1JsBgY

 

Make sure to log in, rate and comment!

Another of my fabulous Google-Enhanced titles. I do so love this content management system.

Head Gasket problem was sorted yesterday - water ended up getting into the engine both ways so mayonnaise ended up clogging pretty much everything. So after having every valve replaced, a new Land-Rover multi-layered gasket and having the cylinder head skimmed (as well as having everything flushed to clear the white gunk) the car is back up and running, with a bill of only £886. Not too shabby really, considering it would be about double-that if I had to replace the cylinder head. Some might say this is a waste of time, but I really do love my Blue MG, and nothing short of a complete engine collapse would make me consider buying another car.

In other news, I have been offered an opportunity to own a Husqvarna 650 (model currently unknown) - all I have to do is pass my Motorcycle test and do some extra work - fantastic! Can’t wait to get back out on the road.

I figure seeing as I am really the only one who reads these I ought to remind myself of a couple of things:

- Buy some milk on the way home
- Call Mum

Well, that explains why my MG was behaving so badly over the last week. Currently seeking someone with the know-how to help me sort this out. Does mean however that I have the opportunity do do all the bits needed while the head is off - will replace thermostat and water pump and so on, as well as a few other fiddly bits you can’t normally reach. Also gives me the opportunity to use an uprated multi-layered gasket rather than the poor effort that Rover provided. Will replace all of the seals while I’m at it. I do love that car! I don’t like watching it sitting there, unused. It’s almost due for its 90,000 mile service, and hasn’t let me down once since I got the car, over 20,000 miles ago. Kudos to MG-Rover!

Right now am working from home - can’t really go anywhere as I live out in the sticks, will have to find food soon. Thank gods for Tesco direct.

Attended as a VIP (wahey!) guest of Team Modena, who were pipped to win the GT1 class of the 1000kms race (or 6 hours, whichever came soonest) - turned up to the track with a couple of the guys from Racecar after a… rather rapid journey up to the circuit (considering the traffic!).

Joined the crew in the pit lane and watched an exciting Pit Stop by the team, efficiently changing the driver, tyres and fuel load and seamlessly rejoining the race. Kudos to the whole team!

Shortly afterwards, I found myself in one of the Paddock Bars, watching the F1 one one giant screen Television, and the action on-track on the other screen (was amusing to see the TV coverage of the racing going on *just outside*) - watched Vettel win a truly deserved and spectacular victory at Monza in the F1 (Lewis Hamilton still leads the championship by ONE point, talk about edge-of-your-seat racing!).

Wandered around the track some more, then stopped into the pits (not for a pit-stop..haha..ha…er, nevermind) to say goodbye to the team, who successfully won the race, making their Aston Martin DBR9 (The first ever customer car of that variant) the most successful in the world. All good fun!

Jetted back to Ewhurst, back to The Windmill for a quick pint, saw my old landlady and a few friends, which lifted my mood somewhat (was getting a bit tired) - then travelled back home*.

All in all, a rather fun day which I can’t wait to repeat next year!
*My MG is currently in for a service - after a recent exhaust change the car has been a little stuttery, and the brakes need doing. So in the meantime I’m borrowing a Suzuki Jeep (1990, in white. I should really call it the Boneshaker, but I am grateful to be able to borrow a car, period.)

Saturday saw myself and a few of Racecar’s associates head to Kempton Park for an evening’s racing. Floodlit racetrack, beautiful horses and a lot of people making their large fortunes rather smaller.

Sat in one of the Clubhouse boxes for the evening, was a spectacular view! A buffet dinner followed… much was had to drink, we all quaffed merrily!

Throughout the entire evening I found it difficult to suppress the urge to bet, not helped by the fact we were right next to the Tote area… so I put a whopping £20 (all I allowed myself to play with) on the final race, only to win it back again. Perhaps that is fate’s way of telling me that I got away with it this time, and I should leave well alone.

Once the track had closed (and everyone watched the huge floodlamps lowered slowly until they rested horizontally on the pristine manicured grass) we jumped into the minibus and headed back to The Windmill, over in Ewhurst (Otherwise known as Eric Clapton’s local pub). Stayed up until about 1am as there was a party going on in the function room downstairs which we all decided to join, again, much was had to drink before bed (thankfully the place I was staying was less than half a mile away, and I didn’t have to drive)

Overall, a very fulfilling experience, I can’t stand watching horse racing on TV, but *being* there really made it exciting.

Tomorrow: Silverstone for the 1000KMS - Last in the Le Mans series this year.

The video footage is now up!
http://www.renaultsport.co.uk/roadcars/twingo/explore/testimonials.asp

Last weekend I completed the shoot with Tom for the Renaultsport Twingo 133 public launch. I drove to Bedford Autodrome avec camera gear in order to capture all of the community goings-on at the circuit. While the weather was good to us during the shoot, the very moment we decided to stop filming, the heavens opened, and my trip home was hampered by the fact I couldn’t drive faster than 25 to 30mph on the M1 motorway.

The final product is now on the Official Renaultsport website. Watch this space for the inevitable trackday featuring the amazing Mégane Renaultsport R26.R!

—

In other news, this Sunday I shall be travelling to Silverstone to watch the final round of the Le Mans series - I shall of course be backing Team Modena for the win. I expect that though they cannot really win the championship from their current standings (unless the leader bins it on Sunday) I do believe they have more than the capacity to win the race. I hope to write a little more about the event here once I have returned. I will be taking my video gear down there to see what awesomeness I can whip-up.

This is quite possibly one of my longer entries - here’s hoping I am as enthusiastic in the coming days!

The video I Directed and Produced for Chloe Marshall for the Miss England 2008 Pageant has now been uploaded onto YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MMCl0XGQgs

The video was produced for the Talent Videos section, most other entrants had provided ‘Home Video’ style entries, whereas we aimed for something fun and unique, to reflect Chloe’s Entry into the pageant.

Chloe came 2nd in the placings, I would personally like to thank everyone who supported her.

This Friday, myself and my close associate and best friend, Tom, are going to Bedford Autodrome to film the new Renaultsport Twingo 133 as some of the Renaultsport Community members take it around the high-speed track.

This will prove an interesting challenge, as I have to have several short films produced by Monday 8th, so I get a *whole* weekend to produce them. Naturally I shall post links to them once they are done, so you shall be able to see them for yourself.

These videos are officially being produced for Renaultsport UK (http://www.renaultsport.co.uk)