The Luckiest Man In The World

Two decades ago, the Speed Channel was something I watched almost as religiously as I watch anime today. Its programming was a welcome respite from conservatives debating faux liberals on the network news, and one of those shows was Victory By Design.

Alain de Cadenet was like the voice of my thirties. He presented vintage cars to the audience for thirty minutes at a time, often dispensing its history in an easy going manner that even a noob could easily understand.

And often, Alain drove those cars on camera. Lucky bastard! 

I'm thinking of him today due to The 24 Hours of Le Mans is this weekend. The Speed Channel used to broadcast the race live, and Alain was often heard in the announcer's booth from time to time. He was no ordinary television presenter. He raced at Le Mans during the 70s and 80s, and made the podium with a third place finish in 1976.

I still miss Alain.