It is common practice for any person who has an idol of any kind to ask for their idol’s autographs.  Sports fans especially would do that all the time; asking their favorite sportspeople to sign items of interest such as caps, programs, photos or similar memorabilia.  Motor racing fans in particular may even ask their favorite  drivers to sign some unusual items such as car parts… or if you’re like THIS “mad bastard”… ask them to sign a whole car…

Perhaps one may wonder… what drove me to ask Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson to sign my 2006 Honda Jazz?

Right after I put Taku’s cockpit decals from BAR007 when I took delivery of it, I decided that I’d like to personalize the car much more and putting out the name of my favorite F1 racer and the greatest little F1 team out in the public… and I believe there is no better way to cap it off than asking them to sign the car… after all, Taku’s signed all manners of souvenirs for me over the years, I guess it’s time for him to autograph something a little different.

Besides the sign writing, I also have decorated the interior with a Paul Smith TS towel, and of course stickers of Taku’s helmet and comic character, and a Taku teddy bear sits in a cup holder near the dash, which also reminds me of our wonderful friend Emma Bearpark, and the 2004 banner sits on the rear parcel shelf with Taku’s autograph on the hino-maru adorning the pride of place…

I arranged with Matthew Winter for Taku to sign the Jazz on Thursday morning of the Melbourne 2008 GP week before they leave for the track.  Matthew looked around the car as I pulled up at the hotel mumbling “mad bastard…” with a smile as Taku walked out of the hotel and gasped as he saw my car.  Taku signed my car on the bonnet near the TS logo and also on the bonnet and Matthew took some photos of us which ended up in a Japanese newspaper…  

Later that day I asked Ant whether if he could do the same and he was more than happy to do so.  Just as when I wasn’t looking when I was waiting outside the hotel, Ant pulled up in front of the hotel, and he saw my car and deliberately parked right up my back with a 5cm gap! I saw him and I was horrified by the gap and he had a evil grin with a big thumbs up when I looked at him as he was getting out… and he said as he looked at the gap “I didn’t realize it was that close!!” Ant was also pleasantly surprised that we had his logo on the bonnet and that’s where he signed, as well as the dash.

"Jimmy" & his Jazz with a bewildered Anthony Davidson

As far as I know, this is the only fully decorated Super Aguri Honda road car outside of Japan (I’ve seen a couple of BAR Honda decorated cars on Japanese websites before) and very definitely the only one that’s signed by both TS and AD.  To me, it is something that constantly reminds me of the great times I’ve had over the years following F1 and how far I’ve traveled to reach the inner sanctum, and of course, that special bond between me and the team and of course, Taku and Ant.