… futhi kwenziwe kahle kakhulu! Izizathu bezingekho. Ukuze ungaliphindi iphutha, ngizokutshela okwenzeke e-Estoril kule mpelasonto. Kodwa lokhu kanye nje...
Njengoba nazi, i-Estoril Circuit yethu esiyithandayo isingathe ngempelasonto edlule umjaho wokuqala wamazwe ngamazwe onyakeni, i-GT Sport ilethe e-Portugal uhlelo oluphelele, oluhlanganisa i-GT Open, i-Eurofórmula Open kanye neSEAT Leon Eurocup. Ukugcwalisa isisu sezimoto nangokwengeziwe, noma ngabe bekungubani, ngize ngibuke imijaho ye-National Classics and Legends Classic Cup.
Ingabe ithikithi belibiza? Cha, bekumahhala. Ingabe isimo sezulu besingesihle? Cha, bekukuhle kakhulu. Ngakho amabhentshi ayegcwele, akunjalo? Akulungile. Kodwa kukhona okwengeziwe: ukufinyelela kudokhi bekumahhala! Akusizi ngalutho ukukhuluma ngokumelene nokubaluleka kwebhola kwabezindaba lapho kamuva, thina bathandi bezimoto, sivotela imibukiso enjalo ukuba siyilahle. Futhi ukukhathala akusona isizathu sokungahambanga nakho. Ngosuku olwedlule, ngenze ngaphezu kuka-700km esondweni le-Mazda MX-5 emigwaqweni kazwelonke, kuhlanganise nale(!). Bengikhona usuku lonke.
Ukube nginengane, ngikholwe, bengizoyinamathisela ikepisi ekhanda ngiyiyise e-Estoril. Kunezinsuku lapho amabhakede namathawula olwandle angalinda. Uma bengakwenzi, babengabazali ababi. Ingane yakho izomangala ngomsindo wezimoto emzileni nangokukwazi ukubona nokuthinta "ama-pop". Khonamanjalo, ubaba wayekwazi ukukhuluma nabashayeli futhi athathe izithombe ezihlekisayo zezimoto nokunye...
Okungcono. Bangakwazi nokushayela ngethrekhi ye-slalom enezikhathi ezibekiwe, zonke zihlelwe yi-SEAT. Ngaleso sikhathi, ingane ingazama isifanisi somjaho, nayo evela kuSEAT. Eqinisweni, umbukwane obekwe uphawu lwaseSpain kulo mcimbi wawuhlaba umxhwele: izimoto ezingaphezu kuka-20 kugridi yokuqala; i-motorhome egcwele abantu abadumile (abadlali be-soap opera, abaculi kanye nama-socialites ngokuvamile); kanye nemisebenzi eyahlukene evulekele umphakathi.
Ngishiya emuva ubukhazikhazi be-GT Open Championship paddock kanye ne-SEAT Leon Eurocup, ngafika epaki ye-National Classics Championship. Indawo ezungezile yayihlukile. Izidlo eziwubukhazikhazi engazithola endaweni yokwamukela izihambi zamaqembu e-GT Open kanye ne-SEAT zadedelwa yi-steaks nobhiya. Akukho okuphikisayo, yonke into ivuna.
Indlebe yami ebukhali ye-Alentejo, ngangikwazi ukuhlukanisa amagama asenyakatho amaligi, kancane yonke indawo. I-Malta enhle. Abashayeli - abaningi babo bangomakhenikha, abakhi bomzimba, abapheki, abazali nokuxhumana nomphakathi, bonke ngesikhathi esisodwa - babehlale bezinika isikhathi sokuthatha isithombe nami noma bakhulume ngemoto ababehamba ngayo.
Mina, engingakayihlanganisi iminyaka engu-30, ngajabulela ukubona bukhoma izimoto ezazigcwele emcabangweni wami ngiseyingane. Izimoto ezineminyaka engaphezu kwengu-20 zigcwalisa amagridi okuqala e-Estoril. Labo asebekhule ngokwanele bayakhumbula ukuthi izindebe zohlobo olulodwa zazingaphezu kwamaningi ePortugal. Izikhathi ezimnandi… bathi.
Hhayi-ke, bakugeja lokhu nokunye. Kube kuhle ukuthi basale bephatheke kabi. Okuhle wukuthi lona bekuwumjaho wokuqala wamazwe omhlaba kule sizini, miningi eminye ezayo. Ngokuzayo siyavumelana. Sizohlangana e-Estoril, kulungile?
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Izithombe: I-Gonçalo Maccario/I-Car Ledger