Full Throttle

Jody Scheckter’s claim to fame for the diehard Tiofosi was his status as the last world champion for Ferrari before Schumi. (1979 BS “Before Schumi”)

Some others remember him as the [6]wheel-man for the six wheeled monstrosity you see pictured at left.

That’s not to say the South African didn’t gain some success with what is generally thought of as the most radical F1 machine to ever compete in F1. Scheckter gave the six-wheeler its only win on Sweden’s Anderstorp circuit and in his 12 races with the car, he scored points 10 times during the 1976 season.

In 1979 he teamed with Gilles Villeneuve at Ferrari in the team’s ground effects 312T4 car. His three wins and consistent finishes gave him the world’s championship and Ferrari the constructors championship.

However, he struggled very badly in his 1980 title defense, even failing to qualify in a race. After only managing 2 points, Scheckter retired from the team and the sport.

Which brings us to today. Jody has turned into somewhat of a “gentleman farmer” in retirement.

Scheckter was back in the grand prix paddock in Spain last weekend as part of a deal to supply his organic produce to the ‘Earth car’ Honda team.

Scheckter’s farm in England is home to Aberdeen Angus cattle - “the rarest cows in England” - water buffalo, traditional breeds of pig and sheep.

Honda and the other Formula One teams have their wind tunnels, working at full capacity to gain fractions of a second in aerodynamic efficiency. Scheckter has his abattoir.

(Don’t ask, I had to look it up myself. Let’s just say an abattoir is the waypoint between chewing its cud and sittin’ on your plate - ed)

“It’s a massive investment, so we’ve got to get that working fully,” he said. “We’re only doing one day a week now and we’re going to go on to two.”

The bottom line is, Jody is gettin’ “all cheesy with it,” as in supplying F1 Honda with buffalo Mozzarella cheese as good as Italy’s finest - the late Enzo Ferrari would be proud - along with various assortments of organically grown products.

All well and good I say. At least he’s doing something he enjoys and hasn’t been forced to mark time in a broadcaster’s booth making inane comments, a “talent” that appears to a be requirement for the job.

On the other hand, the snark in me wonders, could all that buffalo Mozzarella be contributing to F1 Hondas slow pace this year? Has Jense and Rubens gained just a bit too much weight in a sport that demands you tip the scales to the closest of margins?

Maybe it’s time for Yasuhiro-san to add Jenny Craig as a team dietitian to keep an eye on all those Mozzarella calories. Better safe than sorry.

Besides with zero points to show for the season it couldn’t get worse could it?

Jody Scheckter, F1, Formula One, Sports, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle