Full moon, half moon, total eclipse in the Lone Star State!

One of the perks of a travelling role, is that sometimes you happen to be very much in the right place at the right time! I arrived in Austin on one of the busiest weekends of the year, amongst a barrage of excited fans. Not the expected MOTO GP fans, but instead the enthusiasts arriving for the much-anticipated total eclipse that was scheduled to grace the earth on Monday afternoon.

Now the sad part is, despite Texas (Austin specifically) being crowned the perfect spot to catch the clearest view of this intergalactic phenomenon, sod’s law meant the whole of Austin was overcast with thick cloud, which ultimately made it a bit trickier to enjoy. Though I did catch a glimpse and it was pretty spectacular to say the least.

Once the moon-tourists departed on Monday evening, the crowds didn’t stop. Because finally the motorbike fans were arriving in town ahead of the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas!

For F42, this was our first time offering our on-site services for the Moto GP having supported our clients remotely in previous seasons. I had over 100 rentals to prepare and execute, and my priority was to demonstrate exactly why we have thrived in the Formula One world and showcase to our new clients why we should be a key supplier for the Moto GP too. This exciting new venture and business growth came with some pressures but also the opportunity to meet and work with some fantastic new people.

One of my favourite aspects of this job, is the friendships and memories you make with the people around you. As I was the only F42 rep in Austin, it had potential to live up to its name, a lone star in the lone star state for a long10 days. However, to my pleasure and relief, I joined our clients and key stakeholders for various dinners and drinks. Austin is an eclectic city to wine and dine. From a trip to Bangers for some delicious hot dogs, drinking cocktails at a mysterious speak easy, tucking into pizza on South Congress, to a post-race round off along Rainy street – a particular favourite of mine. There is also another phenomenon in Austin that takes place between March and October – the Bats under South Congress bridge. I waited over an hour to catch a sighting of hundreds of bats departing on their evening foredge but to no avail. Perhaps I’ll be more lucky next time.

I’m looking forward to returning in October for our F1 customers, with the F42 team side by side for another week of yee-haw!

Sam

SACM