Mad or Bad?

So what type of person is getting into motorsport these days, Alfa Owner asked Pete a few questions.

Berlina Sportivo: So Pete you are going to be doing battle in the LeMans Auto Italia champion ship this season?

Peter Dietch: Thats correct I 'll be driving an Alfa Sud 1.5 in Class E.

BS: So is this car owned by you or do you rent it?

PD: Neither actually, I'm in the lucky situation where I can borrow a race car. Trevor Nicosia has competed for a couple of years in the AI championship and luckily offered me drive of an AlfaSud which he aquired and has been racing whilst teething problems with his Y10 are being sorted out. Actually Trevor is part of the reason why I am here now, since has got his licence and has been racing he has pestered me to give it a go.

BS: So is that the only reason you got your race licence and have taken the plunge?

PD: No, not at all, I've done a few track days in various cars and wanted to try the real thing. Track days are fine but are officially non competetive, I wanted to actually race the other people on the track. Also my father Norbert used to do Clubman racing in the 70's so I guess I've always been around the motoracing culture, was just a question of time really before I had ago myself.

BS: As you have said, you are borrowing a car to race in, this must cut down on the costs quite considerably. However racing is still not cheap, have you managed to secure any sponsorship?

PD: Errrrmm, in a word no. I'm having to pay for all the race entry fees, fuel, travel expenses myself, and as such I'll only be doing a couple of races this year. Hopefully 4 but maybe more if I can get some form of sponsorship.

BS: So who is doing the car preparation?

PD: As the car is Trevors and he will be using it for racing as well, he tends to do alot of the preparation before hand, however both my father and me will be helping out in this area as much as we can, also anyone else that wants to lend a hand before or on the day is more than welcome. As the car is pretty standard, and running in a class that requires control tyres, it should be fairly reliable and not require much work other than filling up with fuel and checking the oil and brakes.

BS: So what made you choose the AI race series?

PD: It is really the only "cheap" Italian race series in the UK at the moment, hopefully it is also going to provide me with a good learning curve in the world of racing. There are a good bunch of guys in it already so it should also provide a good atmosphere to race in.

BS: So how do you imagine actual racing will differ from your perception of it as a spectator?

PD: I think that as a spectator you really do not get a feel for what is going on in the car and out on track. Also I think that people imagine that as a racing driver you just turn up sit in the car, qualify, do the race and go home. At this level , there is so much more to take into account, not least of which is practice on the track before hand, but it also includes getting the car to and from the circuit, accomodation if the circuit is a long way away, and a million and one other things. The actual driving in the race is only a very small part of the whole race weekend.

BS: How are you preparing physically for the racing?

PD: Obviously I am off down the gym several times a week, on a low fat low sodium, low taste diet , getting massages , the whole 9 yards really. But seriously I haven't prepared much, going to the gym more often would be good, infact I need to start going to the gym.

BS: So roughly how much has this racing cost you already?

PD: Well the Licence and joining the relavant bodies costs about £500, the entry fee for Brands Hatch is £170, I pay Trevor a borrowing fee, the Race suit and Helmet cost about £440 , all the underwear and boots were Christmas presents last year, the Trailer and Tow car are being shared with Trevor so costs are saved here. As a rough guide, I think it is going to cost me between £150 - £180 per race depending on the circui, not including petrol for the car and Tow car, any accomodation or food etc...

BS: Seems like you have got eveything pretty much covered with regards to your first year racing, what upto now has been the hardest obstacle you have had to overcome?

PD: A well known circuit refused to book me onto their ARDS test as they said I was too tall and too heavy. Other than that, things have pretty much gone to plan. Touch wood, things stay like that.

BS: So what is it that you are looking forward to the most?

PD: The satisfaction of finishing a race no matter where I finish, and getting that first clerk of the course signature on my licence. 12 of them and I can ditch the black and yellow cross on the back of the car and qualify for my National A licence.

BS: So we know what you are going to be driving on the track, what car do you drive on the road?

PD: My main car is a new Lancia Delta HPE HF Evo 500, but I also have a rather modified Lancia Y10 with 190bhp!

BS: Both Lancias and both pretty specialist, don't you worry about reliability?

PD: No not really, I have always owned Lancias and never had a bad one, fortunately. People still associate Lancias with rust, but they were never really that bad, no worse than any other car of the age. Unfortunately the car buying public has got a long memory.

BS: So what has been the best car you have owned?

PD: That has to be the Lancia Delta HPE, a seriously rapid car and unique to boot, so its the perfect combination.

BS: With an unlimited budget, what would your dream car be and why?

PD: My dream car would have to be a Ferrari F40, just because it is the ultimate road and track car, but completely impractical! A Bugatti EB110 comes a close second though.

 

BS: You are going to be putting yourself in some scarey situations out there on track, but what is Scariest moment you have had out on the road?

PD: When I was 17 I went over some oil in a road did a full 360into a slip lane, narrowly missing an artic truck!!! I think that classes as a scarey moment.

BS: So what is your worst habit on the road?

PD: Apparantly it is driving too close to the vehicle in front. Very naughty but everyone seems to do it, and if you leave a gap someone else pulls into it, all part of driving in the south east I guess!!!

BS: Thanks for your time Pete.

PD: Thanks for the interest, the more people that know about the series the better, you never know when a prospective sponsor is going to be out there looking to give you some money!!

 

Pete has got his own web site at WWW.DIETSCHRACING.COM where you can read more about his exploits in the world of racing, Trevor Nicosia has also got a website WWW.NYSSARACING.COM where you can find out about his racing exploits and more about his collection of weird and wonderful Y10's .

 

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