Page 71 - Phonebox Magazine October 2009

Osborne wins European Championship
Joe Osborne, the Olney based racing driver, has become the youngest ever European GT Champion at the age of 20.
Joe was racing at the weekend in the last round of the 2009 GT4 European Cup at the new Algarve circuit in Portugal. The young driver was racing a British built Ginetta G50 sports car and was competing against the likes of Porsche, Aston Martin, BMW, Maserati and Corvette making this the most competitive season ever.
He has led the championship from the first round which was at his home circuit Silverstone back in May; he has then raced in Italy, Germany and Belgium before heading off to Portugal still leading the championship by 6 points.
Joe who has lived in Midland Road, Olney first drove a kart when he was five years old and started racing at Daytona in Milton Keynes where he won a winter championship aged 10. He then went on to win a Junior British Karting Championship aged 15 and then stated racing cars still aged 15 and progressed through to GT racing last year. Joe spends most of his life in cars as when he is not racing he is a fully qualified race instructor working at circuits all around the country.
After a great start to the campaign at Silverstone things got more difficult for the Olney driver as the Belgian race team he started with ran into financial difficulties which forced Osborne to change teams at short notice after the first 3 rounds. In fact Joe ended up driving a different car (all Ginetta G50’s) in each of the last 3 rounds. Osborne said “It didn’t make it easy as with most sports you are looking for
consistency and four different cars and teams didn’t help the title challenge”.
The final weekend got off to a good start with Osborne qualifying in 2nd place for race 1 and 1st for race two. After a frantic start to the first race Osborne managed to maintain 2nd place behind a BMW M3. The race soon settled down but the conditions were to play a major part as the heat started to take its toll with a number of car’s suffering with mechanical problems. Fortunately Osborne’s Ginetta ran faultlessly unlike his main championship rivals who both developed problems and had to retire leaving Joe to bring his car home in 2nd place and to claim the European prize.
Osborne said “It feels good, very good. It’s been a long, long season, a lot longer than it should have been. After a great start I had a poor mid-season which really hurt us. Ironically, the easiest race of the year probably clinched the championship. It is so important for me to win this title as it will help me progress to the next level of racing which is GT3 in Europe for next year. The win has already generated some interest but as always in motorsport it will come down to whether I can secure the right level of financial backing. I am also setting up my own racing team to contest in a UK racing series in 2010”.
Joe can also look forward to an impressive awards ceremony to be held later in year in Monte Carlo.
Photo credit: Jakob Ebrey
Stay Safe Day, 14 October, Newport Pagnell Fire Station
Firefighters and community safety staff will be inviting the public to a special event on Wednesday 14 October.
‘Stay Safe Day’, a joint initiative by Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service and partner agencies, is an opportunity for residents of Milton Keynes to access free safety advice.
The crew from Newport Pagnell will be available between 10am and 3pm to give free fire safety advice and there will also be the option to sign up for a free Home Fire Risk Check.
Visitors will also be able to talk to Thames Valley Police about crime reduction, have a winter vehicle check by the AA, have their electric blankets tested by trading standards and receive advice on giving up smoking – a prize raffle and a free cup of tea and coffee will also be on offer!
Watch Manager Andy Whitwham, one of the organisers of the event, said: “This is not a traditional open day but a chance for members of the public to come and meet us and find out more about safety in the home, on the roads and in the community.
“There are many ways in which people can help improve their own safety and Stay Safe Day is aimed at passing these messages on, particularly to those who may not be able to access information easily.
“By holding this event we are working with our partner agencies, hoping to have as much of this advice available as possible in one place.”
One of the main features will be the chance to have electric blankets tested. Every year more than 5,000 fires across the country are started by faulty electric blankets.
Karen Ford, principal trading standards officer at Milton Keynes, said: "As the nights become cooler, more and more people will be plugging in electric blankets unaware of the potential danger they face if their blankets have not been checked.”
As well as testing electrics blankets, trading standards officers will be on- hand with information about their ‘Buy With Confidence’ scheme, providing a list of reputable local businesses that have been checked by the local authority trading standards service.
They will also be testing electric blankets at Bletchley Fire Station, Sherwood Drive, Bletchley, between 10am and 1pm on Tuesday 13 October. To make an appointment to have your electric blanket tested, call 01908 252504 or email consumeradvice@milton-keynes.gov.uk
Electric blanket safety tips:
• Always buy new blankets - second-hand blankets may not be safe.
• Have your blanket checked by an expert at least every three years, or as
recommended by the manufacturer, to ensure it is still safe to use.
• Always read the manufacturer's instructions carefully - and follow them. • Never use a blanket with scorch marks or exposed elements.
• Never use the blanket if it's wet or creased. Never switch it on to dry
out.
• Never use a hot water bottle and an electric blanket together.
• Check the plug cord for any signs of wear or damage.
• Do not fit the blanket to an adaptor or multi-socket block with another
appliance plugged in.
• Make sure the power is turned off at the wall and the blanket is
unplugged if not in use
• Always spread the blanket out - never use it folded.
• Keep the blanket stored carefully over the summer months - refer to the
manufacturer's instructions on how best to do this.
• Most electric blankets are designed not to be washed - always check the manufacturer's instructions.
Phonebox Magazine 71