[Achmedisdead]

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An article I was asked to write for an upcoming newsletter (not fully edited yet). Enjoy.

 

 

[wink]

Great article , Magick.
 
I'm dreading the time when the do-gooders will have us wrapped in cotton wool and styrofoam so we won't hurt ourselves if we make a mistake.
 
That's progress with a capital POOO..!!!

 

[Magick Man]

Thanks. I've been asked by an acquaintance who edits a monthly club newsletter if I'd write an editorial each quarter, on the state of the sports car market. Though this isn't directly related to the subject, it is something I wanted to get off my chest and it does have a peripheral impact. Used supercar prices are exploding, after a leveling out in the previous 18 months (I predicted this in this very thread 6 months ago), and one of the driving reasons (NPI) is due to the mediocrity of the current models. There are some notable exceptions, but overall new vehicle sales in that sector are in decline, and it isn't due to a recession.

My club track had their memorial day race, the Liberty Road 100, and that was a lot of fun, my first real race, and I finished too. Not only did I finish, but I came up 2nd in class and 6th overall, out of 23 cars (6 DNF). That was good enough to take home the Porsche award, I was in my `74 Carrera RS, for best performance by a 911 or Boxster/Cayman entrant. If I'd had another 1-2 laps I would have broken into the top 5, a lot of cars were dropping out near the end and mine seemed to be catching its second wind. Due to the draw, and my novice status, I started in the second to last row. So I was making up ground the whole race. At any rate, I'm very happy with the result and won 160 club points (which are spent on different items and services available throughout the year). You wouldn't think that driving 100 miles could be so exhausting, but I'm tapped out.

The car made it through without a scratch, I can't say the same for my wife, though. While I was racing she fell off the bleachers and mildly sprained her wrist, fortunately the only real damage was to her pride. The EMTs who were there checked her out and she's fine, just a little more crabby than normal.

 

[billybob_jcv]

She was cheering so hard she fell out of the bleachers? Or did you give her a scare at the end of the main straight and she fainted dead away? :basshead:

If you started in the 2nd to the last row and came in 6th overall in your *first* race, then I would say you did great! The only way to win a race is to be in the position to win the race at the end. That means you can't run the car so hard that you screw-up or break, yet you also can't run slow or you'll never be near the leaders. It sounds to me like you did it just right! Smooth is fast!

 

[Achmedisdead]

Quote:

My club track had their memorial day race, the Liberty Road 100, and that was a lot of fun, my first real race, and I finished too. Not only did I finish, but I came up 2nd in class and 6th overall, out of 23 cars (6 DNF). That was good enough to take home the Porsche award, I was in my `74 Carrera RS, for best performance by a 911 or Boxster/Cayman entrant. If I'd had another 1-2 laps I would have broken into the top 5, a lot of cars were dropping out near the end and mine seemed to be catching its second wind. Due to the draw, and my novice status, I started in the second to last row. So I was making up ground the whole race. At any rate, I'm very happy with the result and won 160 club points (which are spent on different items and services available throughout the year). You wouldn't think that driving 100 miles could be so exhausting, but I'm tapped out.

The car made it through without a scratch, I can't say the same for my wife, though. While I was racing she fell off the bleachers and mildly sprained her wrist, fortunately the only real damage was to her pride.

The EMTs who were there checked her out and she's fine, just a little more crabby than normal.

 
Sounds like the driving lessons did you some good! I don't doubt that you'd be tired out after something like that.....I'd bet any of us non-professionals would feel the same way. Some people say that race drivers are not athletes, but I don't think they realize what kind of stresses the body is under in a race. Remember the F1 crew chief saying that Richard Hammond's neck muscles would be giving out shortly? 
 
Hope the wife feels better.

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She was cheering so hard she fell out of the bleachers? Or did you give her a scare at the end of the main straight and she fainted dead away?

If you started in the 2nd to the last row and came in 6th overall in your *first* race, then I would say you did great! The only way to win a race is to be in the position to win the race at the end. That means you can't run the car so hard that you screw-up or break, yet you also can't run slow or you'll never be near the leaders. It sounds to me like you did it just right! Smooth is fast!

 
Do I remember correctly that being Sir Jackie Stewart's philosophy? 

 

[billybob_jcv]

I think there was an old military saying that went: "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast." That was talking about not rushing into things before you have thought them through, and that staying calm is always better than being in a mad panic. It's been adopted by many people, so it would not surprise me at all if Sir J.S. used it.

I know I first heard it in relation to shooting handguns in speed competitions, like Cowboy Action Shooting and Steel Challenge. There, they talk about being uber-smooth with your draw, sights & trigger - any wasted motion is wasted time. No - I've never done it myself - but I've been to several meets and I did do a little bit of practice. It's just too d@mn expensive - and I can't hit the broad side of a mountain...

 

[Magick Man]

I was flogging it pretty hard, but not abusing it. For the most part I was trying to catch up to the class leader and keep him in sight, but trying to be patient and wait for the best chances to pass. It's bad form to tailgate and try to force people into making mistakes, and can get you DQed. It's a civilized race and most there try to behave like ladies or gentlemen. Most of the time when you come up on someone and you obviously have the faster car, they'll move out of the way. If not, you wait. I did cut a tire, but it held up fine and I wasn't even really aware of it until after the race. I felt something but it didn't seem to be very serious. We only had 3 real cautions, but one was because some poor bugger put his Citroen into a barricade. Smashed his car and sent fragments out on the track.

My wife... well, she wears shoes that give her a lift of several inches, and she kind of lost her balance and fell off the side of the bleacher. At least she wasn't holding the baby.

 

[Magick Man]

We went to get x-rays of my wife's wrist and it is sprained, though worse than first believed. Now it's all swollen and bruised. So not only does she have surgery on her feet at the end of the week, she has that to contend with too. :frown: This morning she asked me what I want for my b-day, which is coming along in ~ a month. I asked her to surprise me, but did say that one of these would be nice.




Yeah, I don't see that happening, but I am really interested.

 

[billybob_jcv]

You better get her a bell so she can ring for service!

 

[billybob_jcv]

I figured you would eventually get around to a Pagani and a Koenigshwjdjkjrojvoewijcelckckvvfkvjvekvncnecnekvjvhvevnvjrbvirbvrkvbbvckwhgkwckwqwcweewyetrhjfifcdegegdjdndgegtredjduhrdjdjfhgddjjfhy....

 

[billybob_jcv]

Dear Online Retailers, specifically Newegg and Amazon:

I go to your sites because I am interested in buying products from *your* company, not from your "marketplace partners". If I wanted to buy from some nameless yokel, I would buy from eBay or I would select a random site from google. PLEASE suppress the product from outside your actual in-stock inventory UNLESS I ASK YOU TO SHOW IT TO ME!!! I know your Marketing department has convinced you that you are attracting a wider audience of buyers by doubling or tripling the products on your web site, and I also know your are getting a small piece of every item sold through your website. But is that really worth annoying the customers that are actually trying to buy *your* products?? I have to believe that the number of additional customer service calls and returns you need to handle due to these partners MUST be significantly higher than for your own products. Are you sure the ROI is actually positive? Please tell your Marketing Department to go pound sand. They are idiots.

Yours truly,
BBJCV

 

[wink]

Righteous rant...

 

[warrenpchi]

Quote:

BTW, look what you can get for $17,500 (`71 Mach 1 w/ 351W & 4spd) if you're tuned into the Mecum auction on a Sunday morning. Score.

 
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu! 

 
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BTW, obob missed an opportunity - this sold @ $3500
http://www.mecum.com/auctions/lot_detail.cfm?LOT_ID=SC0513-153887&entryRow=139

 
WHERE IS HE?!?!
 
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Hmm, apparently, at some point in the last couple of days I passed 3000 posts. Yay for me.

Yay to the billy! 

 
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Bloody phone!

 
LOL, I'm actually starting to expect them now. 

 
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Some old school Trans Am love for Warren....my wallpaper for a few days.

 
 

 
Don't remind me... it was gold (original paint). 

 
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Babbity rabbity update: she's fine and off formula, really likes burrowing in the pocket of my wife's housecoat. She's been feeding her pellet supplements and fresh vegetables, so she's thriving and seemingly quite happy. Right now it's still living in the guinea pig habitat in my wife's art room and seems to like it well enough, it has a nest (a small flower pot filled with grass and fur) and room to move around, and my wife sets her loose in the room to wander. Of course we keep the cats away, but the dogs pretty much ignore her. Yeah, it's name really is Babbity, Babs for short.

 
Bunny! 

  Do you guys ever let Emma play with her?  I think that'd be cute, but also kinda scary.
 
Quote:

My club track had their memorial day race, the Liberty Road 100, and that was a lot of fun, my first real race, and I finished too. Not only did I finish, but I came up 2nd in class and 6th overall, out of 23 cars (6 DNF). That was good enough to take home the Porsche award, I was in my `74 Carrera RS, for best performance by a 911 or Boxster/Cayman entrant. If I'd had another 1-2 laps I would have broken into the top 5, a lot of cars were dropping out near the end and mine seemed to be catching its second wind. Due to the draw, and my novice status, I started in the second to last row. So I was making up ground the whole race. At any rate, I'm very happy with the result and won 160 club points (which are spent on different items and services available throughout the year). You wouldn't think that driving 100 miles could be so exhausting, but I'm tapped out.

 
Wow, that must have been something!  Were you shaking a bit afterward from the adrenaline?
 
Quote:

We went to get x-rays of my wife's wrist and it is sprained, though worse than first believed. Now it's all swollen and bruised. So not only does she have surgery on her feet at the end of the week, she has that to contend with too.

 
The next few months are going to be pretty interesting. 

 
Quote:

Koenigshwjdjkjrojvoewijcelckckvvfkvjvekvncnecnekvjvhvevnvjrbvirbvrkvbbvckwhgkwckwqwcweewyetrhjfifcdegegdjdndgegtredjduhrdjdjfhgddjjfhy....

 

 
Quote:

Dear Online Retailers, specifically Newegg and Amazon:

I go to your sites because I am interested in buying products from *your* company, not from your "marketplace partners". If I wanted to buy from some nameless yokel, I would buy from eBay or I would select a random site from google. PLEASE suppress the product from outside your actual in-stock inventory UNLESS I ASK YOU TO SHOW IT TO ME!!! I know your Marketing department has convinced you that you are attracting a wider audience of buyers by doubling or tripling the products on your web site, and I also know your are getting a small piece of every item sold through your website. But is that really worth annoying the customers that are actually trying to buy *your* products?? I have to believe that the number of additional customer service calls and returns you need to handle due to these partners MUST be significantly higher than for your own products. Are you sure the ROI is actually positive? Please tell your Marketing Department to go pound sand. They are idiots.

Yours truly,
BBJCV

 
Damn Skippy! 

 

---

 
Okay, all caught up now! 

 

[Magick Man]

You better get her a bell so she can ring for service!

Got it covered! We took on another housekeeper to help w/ my wife too, since she won't be getting around very well. It's a good thing she weighs so little, at least I can carry her, and she's getting a motorized chair.

I figured you would eventually get around to a Pagani and a Koenigshwjdjkjrojvoewijcelckckvvfkvjvekvncnecnekvjvhvevnvjrbvirbvrkvbbvckwhgkwckwqwcweewyetrhjfifcdegegdjdndgegtredjduhrdjdjfhgddjjfhy....

I really don't have much interest in a Koeniggsegegigigeggeg. Maybe an older CCX or CCXR, but the newer ones all have paddle shifters, and I'm not buying any more of those, if I can help it.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!  :mad:

We did buy it, right now my mechanic is fixing it up for his wife, to give to her for her b-day.

WHERE IS HE?!?!

He's now lost in time, lost in space.

Bunny!    Do you guys ever let Emma play with her?  I think that'd be cute, but also kinda scary.

Emma has petted the bunny, but not without supervision. It's still skittish and unpredictable, but adapting pretty well to domestic life.

Wow, that must have been something!  Were you shaking a bit afterward from the adrenaline?

Not really, by the end all of it had burned off. The first 20 or so laps I was pumped up, though. I can only imagine what a "real" professional race is like, that have to be insane. This is good however, it's as wild as I want to get and still an incredible amount of fun. I was able to get up to >140mph on the long stretch, and that's very fast when you're "in traffic". :eek: There's a reason they require classes and training, if you didn't have it you'd completely freak out.

The next few months are going to be pretty interesting.  :blink:

Grouchy wife is grouchy, it'll just be more of it for a month, but that's part of what I love about her.

---------------------------


Car news. The paperwork is done and the Lambos are leaving tomorrow. The Jalpa is neat but I can't wait to get my hands on the Diablo, a big Bull with a real manual gearbox, that should be stupidly fun to drive, but first it's going to need some TLC, like a new clutch, brakes, and complete checkup. I knew all that going into it, though. It has some mileage on it, like near 50k km, so it wasn't a garage queen, unlike the Countach, which I'm rather gentle with. Someone mentioned the Espada, and I may get one at some point, but the styling of it is lost on me. The Bora is kind of similar, but it's more symmetrical and the lines are more pleasing for my eyes to follow.

Can a person get a Pagani Zonda (F Roadster) into the USA? We're going to find out. Actually, we're a little further along than that and trying to work through logistics, and possibly how many pieces it has to be separated into. I'd rather not, but we'll do what needs to be done. My assistant also found a nice deal on an Atom 3 SC, so that's something else we're checking out.

 

[gikigill]

For the first time I'm jealous of your car's Magick. The Diablo was always a childhood fantasy. Wishing you plenty of fun times with the Devil's namesake.

V12 with a manual will keep you entertained and on your toes. Might be worth selling your soul to the Diablo.