Axel loves to be in daddy's garage and play with all stuff - Pro Mods, Keith Blacks, Impalas, 4L80E's and all the tools. And sometimes he plays with his own toys like this battery driven trike which is fun
even without the battery. Daddy needs to look after Axel much of the time in the garage..
- No Axel, please don't put that thing into Patrick's injector...
November 21 - 2004
Today was the first day in the Go-kart license class for Axel. The law says 7 years and Axel will not be
7 until February 6th in 2005 but the officials at Team 13, Gothenburg said it was OK anyway.
What can a painted sign tell us? Well, Team 13 is the association in which famous Chris Condor got
Sweden's second A-license ever in Sweden. Even more famous Formula 1-driver Ronnie Peterson
was the first with that license, in his Club in the hometown Örebro. Condor and Peterson were
friends back then and great combatants in Formula Kart. Ronnie was later sadly killed at F1 Monza
in 1978. Condor made it to Formula Super-Vee but never to Formula 1.
Condor now works as film/video photographer at Dockhouse Film & Television AB together with me.
Class of 2004 - Karting license in 2005. Some 10 drivers in this class, supported by parents.
9 future Schumachers and 1 John Force.
"I know I know!" The hand went up at every question, not necessarily the right answers, but engagement.
Axel also just lost his second front tooth, this time under normal circumstances. Happy anyway.
Teachers Jenny and Marcus looked over the small Formula drivers in a good way. But click it!
This is FUN! Click it!
December 19 - 2004
Last Sunday of four. The Examination!
Well it's time for the theoretical test! Lovely Jenny was very kind with Axel.
"What is an Inspection?" -Hmm, I dunno, next question!...
But he knew all the flags, do you?
Helmets should be as light as possible.
All parents and many relatives were of course here on the last day!
Hanna was the only girl in this class. A really cool driver!
The red lights will not be put out until the start is correctly done with Pole 1 and 2 in their positions!
If that doesn't happen before the starting line, all have to cruise slowly for another lap...
No, not this time either! Axel had big problems to stay in # 2 position after # 1 Hanna at the Master Lap.
The Red Starting Lamps didn't turn off in three laps!
He was real angry and in tears afterwards. But mostly because his session ended and he had to wait
to the next one. Small driver - great importance!
Feels good to have almost the whole family there, mom, cousin Mattias, uncle Michael,
grandma Sonia and grandpa Thore. And dad of course.
Everybody eventually had some great fighting laps. Amazing how fast they go actually!
It is something special about the Checkered Flag!
Axel's first diploma! Hmm, look at them teacher's shoes, that must be the right stuff to get!?
They're both racers...
A happy class!
Are you interested please check this out: http://www.team13.se/
And don't forget to test your knowledge on the flags!
Aug 12 2006
The Great Family Go-Cart Race!
It began with the celebration of Sonia's 70th birthday together with Thore's earlier 76th birthday. Axel
wanted us all to go Go-carting and he meant "all" including Sonia who never has been in a go-cart.
But she was easy to persuade! Both Axel and his mother Agneta has that power.
Just seconds before the start, Axel shouts to Granny Sonia to come forward yet a couple of feets in the
grid. Grandpa Thore has only drove this a couple of times long time ago. Same goes for Agneta and aunt
Susanne and uncle Michael. Brother Anton is always the quickest in a go-cart so we placed him in the
back. I'm usually 1 second slower per lap than lightweight Anton (maybe I'm the heavyweight?) so I
placed myself in front of him...
And Axel had the Pole Position of course. So, what did it look like after 10 minutes of fighting???
Official Results
Best Lap Time
1 Anton 25.99
2 Bostic 26.97
3 Michael 27.59
4 Axel 30.03
5 Thore 32.50
6 Agneta 35.66
7 Susanne 35.84
8 Sonia 1.13.48
Anton did what he should. Axel spun once. All of us was impressed of his driving becuse he
had a much smaller and slower cart. Sonia was slow traffic to everyone but it made
the race exciting because many positions was altered in the rest of the field.
She complained afterwards about too heavy steering...we said it's getting easier with
speed and she replayed: "And that you're telling me now!?"
Everyone had a good thrilling time!
April 4
Axel shows his new 4-wheeler!
Love and Elin Brut are impressed by Axel and his 4-wheeler. Chinese ride uses a Loncin 110 cc
engine (4-stroke - Thank you God!)
Axel is the only one of us who dares to go at full speed on bumpy gravel roads with this 4-wheeler!
It really shows that Axel has had a 5 year play on his 2-wheel Yamaha cross bike.
When I was 9 myself...I could...pedal a bike!
This time we had Per-Erik "Perra" Winberg and his girls as guests. Perra is a music composer and is
creating a lot of good music for our film projects at Dockhouse Film & TV. And when he worked as a
music journalist for our local morning paper Göteborgs-Posten he got to meet ZZ Top and drove them
around in Gothenburg in his car while interviewing them! Hero.
Axel took Elin for a warm-up run and then Elin took it for a spin on her own! Very Good Elin!
As long as it can spin the tires...
Then we took a walk in the woods for at least an hour. Hard job, but it's brightening your brain. We even
found a small tarn still with ice.
It's nice to lay down and just breathe. At this moment I thought of Mr Al "Impalakungen" Holt when he
a while ago suggested to me something like "go out in the woods - man's territory - and gather your
thoughts" And he was right. Again. So far Al Holt has only been wrong once...
This is where we have "Landet" - "the countryside". Just north of Bengtsfors in Dalsland, close to
Norway. The cottage (built by Agneta's parents) is built between the two large freshwater lakes
Lelång (Long Smile) and Svärdlång (Long Sword). Svärdlång is said to have one of the cleanest waters
in Sweden! You can both swim in it and drink it, but please, not at the same time!? You can spot our
walk in the woods with the light green marked circuit provided so handy by Mr Google, thank you!
It's Svärdlång down there in between the trees. In this shed there's a "Grålle" tractor parked.
A classic Massey-Ferguson painted in grey = grå.
Axel ahead in our long walk. Here he is at the open space called Skåkene (have no idea what it means)
which is said by the legend that it was a resting place for the Swedish war King Karl XII and his
Karoliner-soldiers when on the way to Fredriksten's Fortress in Norway - for the last battle...
After an adventure like this it was fantastic to have an Easter-lunch!
And then it was even more fantastic to drive your 4-wheeler. As often as possible.
But you need at least to inform today's spoiled kids about "old school" - how your parents had to do it.
There wasn't even no 4-wheel ATV's in my time in the 60's. And mopeds were for 15 year olds, no
excuses! But what is Axel thinking about this black and white story? Does he even care?
Last stop at our Pre Easter Adventure was at the Dal's Candy Factory Outlet in Bengtsfors with half
the price on everything compared to the prices in the real world. Everybody happy!
May 16 2007
Rice cakes & race
Axel and his friend Joel stuffed themselves with rice cakes before going to the Go-cart place.
Maybe it's their secret for faster driving?
Axel is now very used to driving go-carts, like a fish in the water!
It was the very first time for Joel but he picked it up real quick and didn't want it to end.
But after 10 minutes it's over.
Most important is that they have fun. And they thought it was very fun when I drove up from behind and
stayed beside them taking pictures.
July 14 - 2009
A summer day away
Axel and I decided to take a day off the garage work and do a visit in
the summer reality together. We went north of Gothenburg. First we
visited Olofstorp where Sören "Fixarn" Fjellstedt and his family lives
but he and Alice were in Gothenburg when we came. Luckily we met
Polina and cute fast growing Philip who were at home.
A little bit more north we passed Anten where Steam Engine No24 happened to warm up for its public
tour to Gräfsnäs. We just stayed for the burnout and whissle (My God it sounded like my ProCharger!)
and saw the train leave.
Forests are healing places. On our little bumpy way to a little lake in the forest we stopped and listened
to the silence and had some good inhaling of the magic smells of the forest after a rain, like damp moss.
This was our goal! The tame greylag goose "Wayne Gretsky" (the name because it first was mistaken
for a Canada goose until Tog from Eurodragster.com pointed it out for us... Well, Tog seems to know
everything?) "Hi buddy, remember us when we met you when you lived with chickens on a farm and
you all were the same size?"
Since our report on NEWS of June 7th Wayne did one day "escape" when he became larger than his
"mother" - a hen. The rumors said he now lived under a boat and had a whole little lake to himself.
The rumors were right!
However, Axel couldn't get Wayne to swim with him. Maybe it was too cold for a goose?
Axel calls himself The Coldmaster...
Our next goal was to visit work buddy at Vingaland Film, Anders Haraldsson and his family Sara and
little Waldemar. The real reason was their tractor! They're very proud owners of a 1958 Ferguson
which is commonly known as a "Grålle" in Sweden because of the grey/blue color. Which is
said to be a surplus paint Ferguson got from the Spitfire factory.
King Of Tractors! Jää-äz!
It's nice inside a barn on a hot sunny day!
The Haraldsson families has done a great work on their houses on farm in just a few years and now it's
getting time for the huge barn where they take one side at the time. And they will isolate 1/3rd of it!
Guys to the right...are planning something there...?
Summer happiness!
Axel is driving the "Grålle"!
Haraldsson is handling the mower which is as at least as old as the tractor, and works!
Axel just laughs out loud of sheer joy!
Waldemar is thinking - Me too!
-What? Don't you think I can...?
Gear pattern of the Grålle.
-Look here! This is second gear!
Thanks Haraldsson's for a wonderful day!
