Bloodsport

Rock-and-roll and auto racing are two of the most glamorous industries in our society. Not surprisingly, there is quite a bit of crossover between the two.

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason is an accomplished racer, having competed in the 24 hours of Le Mans. He also has an impressive collection of sports cars, and has even invented a new rear windscreen for the Ferrari F40 to increase visibility. Here is a humorous account of his appearance on BBC TV's Top Gear.

The F1 Rejects site has a profile on Slim Borgudd, a session drummer for ABBA, who later raced for the ATS Formula 1 team.

In 1964, The Beach Boys released a hit single "Fun, Fun, Fun," which contains a reference to the "greatest spectacle in racing":

Well the girls can't stand her
'Cause she walks looks and drives like an ace now
(You walk like an ace now you walk like an ace)
She makes the Indy 500 look like a Roman chariot race now
(You look like an ace now you look like an ace)

Ex-Beatle George Harrison was also a big fan of the sport, frequently appearing in the pits during Formula 1 events. Here is a page with some pictures, including him with his personal sports cars. Harrison released a song about racing, called "Faster."

Back when we were Sculpted Static, we recorded and vetoed a song called "Bernie's Racing Car." More recently, Steven tried to turn the surf rock instrumental into a song about Ford Escort, but it didn't quite work. Nevertheless, Steven and Arta are planning to compete in a navigational rally organized by the Santa Monica Sports Car Club.