Torcida Ayrton Senna, was founded in Brasilia on 15/05/1988. Its current CEO, Adilson Carvalho de Almeida, was a founding member of the crowd, but never the representative of the organization in Sao Paulo.
In the same year in which Senna won his first world title, held by the McLaren team, TAS had the largest number of members, 18,000 supporters, a number very close to a group of soccer fans.
Apart from a head office, the first meetings took place in Sao Paulo in the home of its current CEO, until the following year, 1989, TAS got the loan Disco Zoom, which existed in Santana, north of Sao Paulo . So with the help of Bob Saad, a partner at the nightclub, TAS can monitor several “handles” from Senna, via a modern screen installed there.
Soon, the meetings between members became more intense. Besides having a spacious lounge, where you could watch the races from F-1, allowed the property to receive a large number of fans, at parties or in the typical traditional barbecues, which always occurred after the usual motorcades through the streets of Villa Maria, every victory of Ayrton.
From 1989, BAC began an activity that is developed today. The exhibition “The trajectory of an idol,” which has a rich collection of photographs, personal objects and videos on Senna’s career, began in the town of Tatura, São Paulo, where even Senna’s family owns a farm . With the support of George Rizek, a prominent businessman of the city, it was possible until today the completion of six exhibitions in Tatura.
With the success of the show, other events occurred in the states of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Espirito Santo, Parana, Santa Catarina, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Pernambuco and Ceará, with a total audience of 400,000 people.
Simultaneously, other events were carried out in São Paulo, such as meetings between members of other States, visits to Interlagos to watch the Brazil GP F-1, among others.
With the conquest of the third World Cup of F-1, in 1991, the BAC decided to pay a tribute to his idol. With the support of the National Bank, which was the official sponsor of Senna in Brazil, was organized a grand reception to the pilot, for his arrival in Sao Paulo. The Mayor Luiza Erundina, a big fan of Senna, offered him the symbolic key of the city of São Paulo, soon after landing at Congonhas Airport. Rather, the private jet of Ayrton had been escorted by Brazilian Air Force fighters, once entered in Brazilian airspace, as determined by the then President Fernando Collor.
After receiving the honor of Mayor Luiza Erundina, TAS was the turn of the party. Thus, Ayrton Senna, aboard a BMW with sunroof, was leading a huge procession, which traversed the Avenue on May 23, Avenida Paulista, Reboucas Avenue until you reach the MIS – Museum of Image and Sound, and gave a collective the Press.
Surely this was the highest honor Senna received in the lives of their fans and admirers. The joy of Ayrton, in procession, in full lunch hour, was visible in his eyes. Never been hailed a hero, unanimously, by the people, who stopped the city to get a winner.
Adilson Carvalho de Almeida
source | picture: © gamesusados.com / Torcida Ayrton Senna
