I went to Laguna Seca this weekend!!!

Hey everybody,,, I went with some friends to Monterey, the world famous legendary superbadass Laguna Seca track , to check out the FIA Visa Sportscar championships................... whew,, what fun!~ I haven't been to a proper race since I was a kid, and then it was mostly drag races. I urge any of you dedicated sim racers who haven't been away from your monitor lately to find your local track and check it out. It was like Disneyland for auto racers!! Man, we crested the hill that overlooks the track and I could see almost half of the whole track... I've seen the Andretti hairpin on Tv and ICR2 about 2 billion times, but in person.,... oh my goodness,, it was just too cool. You could'nt hear yourself talk with the Vipers and Porsches flying by,,, you can stand right on the side of the track in many, many places while these beasts flew by at over 100mph...(well, much faster than that...) You just could'nt help but be impressed. What the hell have I been thinking? How come I have'nt come to a Cart race here? We went into the souvenier shop and they had posters of old-school heroes, etc... tons of vendors with models and posters galore. (There was a b&w shot of GPL heroes,, with Mr. Clark in the center....wow.) And I had a beer and a corn dog! (Okay, maybe I'm over the line here with my enthusiasm.....:) It was just, really, really fun. That's all I can say. Oh, except for in the last ten laps we decided to finally make it over to the corkscrew to check out the view. It is so beautiful, shrouded in Oak trees, with an incredibly close view of the cars making the plunge and turn. They would slightly hop out of control for a sec as the light weight of the cars would shift. Definitely an enjoyable weekend at the coast... Now to save up for that Rx-7 so I can race there someday..... Raevyn

Hehehe..I think you'd like the CART cars then....if you think your head spins with Vipers and Porsches, wait til the likes of Andretti, Fittipaldi, Unser, etc speed by you in *** looking openwheelers, their turbo charged V8 screaming (no, they dont have the bass the normal aspirated engines do..but so be it)....you wont want to pass it up again. :)

>Hehehe..I think you'd like the CART cars then....if you think your head >spins with Vipers and Porsches, wait til the likes of Andretti, Fittipaldi, >Unser, etc speed by you in *** looking openwheelers, their turbo charged >V8 screaming (no, they dont have the bass the normal aspirated engines >do..but so be it)....you wont want to pass it up again. :) All this talk is making me wonder why I've never made the trek from Chicago to Road America for the annual CanAm reuion. Gotta get up there this year. -- Bill Mette | "A person is smart. People are dumb." MCSNet, Chicago | - K MiB

Raev: The time to be there is for the Monterey Historics. Then you can reach out and touch a lot of the GPL cars.... and hear them go. It is usually the third weekend in August. MM

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> Hey everybody,,, > I went with some friends to Monterey, the world famous legendary > superbadass Laguna Seca track , to check out the FIA Visa Sportscar > championships................... > whew,, what fun!~ > I haven't been to a proper race since I was a kid, and then it was > mostly drag races. I urge any of you dedicated sim racers who haven't > been away from your monitor lately to find your local track and check > it out. It was like Disneyland for auto racers!! Man, we crested the > hill that overlooks the track and I could see almost half of the whole > track... > I've seen the Andretti hairpin on Tv and ICR2 about 2 billion times, > but in person.,... oh my goodness,, it was just too cool. > You could'nt hear yourself talk with the Vipers and Porsches flying > by,,, you can stand right on the side of the track in many, many > places while these beasts flew by at over 100mph...(well, much faster > than that...) > You just could'nt help but be impressed. > What the hell have I been thinking? How come I have'nt come to a Cart > race here? > We went into the souvenier shop and they had posters of old-school > heroes, etc... tons of vendors with models and posters galore. (There > was a b&w shot of GPL heroes,, with Mr. Clark in the center....wow.) > And I had a beer and a corn dog! (Okay, maybe I'm over the line here > with my enthusiasm.....:) > It was just, really, really fun. > That's all I can say. > Oh, except for in the last ten laps we decided to finally make it over > to the corkscrew to check out the view. It is so beautiful, shrouded > in Oak trees, with an incredibly close view of the cars making the > plunge and turn. They would slightly hop out of control for a sec as > the light weight of the cars would shift. > Definitely an enjoyable weekend at the coast... > Now to save up for that Rx-7 so I can race there someday..... > Raevyn

<snip some good stuff> Sounds like you had a great time, so come on down this weekend and join us at the CART race at Fontana! -don "To race is to live, everything else is just waiting." - Rudi Caracciola

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> >Hehehe..I think you'd like the CART cars then....if you think your head > >spins with Vipers and Porsches, wait til the likes of Andretti, Fittipaldi, > >Unser, etc speed by you in *** looking openwheelers, their turbo charged > >V8 screaming (no, they dont have the bass the normal aspirated engines > >do..but so be it)....you wont want to pass it up again. :) > All this talk is making me wonder why I've never made the trek from > Chicago to Road America for the annual CanAm reuion. Gotta get up there > this year. > -- > Bill Mette | "A person is smart. People are dumb." > MCSNet, Chicago | - K MiB

I know two people who did that trip last year from San Francisco. They both said it was great!

>I went with some friends to Monterey, the world famous legendary >superbadass Laguna Seca track , to check out the FIA Visa Sportscar >championships................... Awesome isn't it? Motorcycle racing is my main thing, but in any case, there is nothing like walking through the main gates early in the morning, hearing an engine revving off in the distance, then catching the scent of race VP or CAM2 wafting in the breeze. With 2 stroke bikes, its the smell of race gas and pre-mix. The first time I smell that after the winter, it seems like everything is right with the world. -- http://www.users.fast.net/~fusion1 http://www.off-road.com/~fusion1 (dirt bikes, rat bikes, rental car abuse...)

There are 2 things wrong with this: 1) At Fontana, it is a CIRCLE - foot to the floor and turn left only - BORING! 2) with Indy and NASCAR, almost all the engines sound the same - like an orchestra all playing the same instrument. With ROAD RACING, specially FIA GT, the Sports Car Challenge (which my old racing buddy took 2nd in GT3 in an M3!!!), and the old IMSA - you get a FULL orchestra with all sorts of sounds. That is MY music! Oh, and sort of a 3rd item, . . . . in FIA GT or Sports Car Racing (IMSA included) - you can see a car like what you drive on the road (M3, Viper, etc). For me, I like to see my type of car on the track, preferably with ME in it :)

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>>Hey everybody,,, >>I went with some friends to Monterey, the world famous legendary >>superbadass Laguna Seca track , to check out the FIA Visa Sportscar >>championships................... >>whew,, what fun!~ ><snip some good stuff> >>Raevyn >Sounds like you had a great time, so come on down this weekend and join us

at >the CART race at Fontana! >-don >"To race is to live, everything else is just waiting." - Rudi Caracciola

I was there both Saturday (got soaked to the bone and chilled near to death in the rain & wind!) and Sunday! Loved BOTH races! The Panoz on Saturday were quiet, and looked so awesome going down the straight just after the bend near the start/finish (I was in the BMW tent area). But Sunday was breathtaking! Those CLK MB cars were FAST! But I was rooting for the Porsche and Panoz :( But the Vipers did good too! Got to see Klaus Ludwig in person, and this was his final race - he is supposedly retiring - fitting end too for it! Oh, and notice at the start of the FIA GT Race? There was a 911 sponsored by Microsoft! Almost didn't start - maybe they had a GPF, a VIRUS, or needed to REBOOT the car????? :)

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>Hey everybody,,, >I went with some friends to Monterey, the world famous legendary >superbadass Laguna Seca track , to check out the FIA Visa Sportscar >championships................... >whew,, what fun!~ >I haven't been to a proper race since I was a kid, and then it was >mostly drag races. I urge any of you dedicated sim racers who haven't >been away from your monitor lately to find your local track and check >it out. It was like Disneyland for auto racers!! Man, we crested the >hill that overlooks the track and I could see almost half of the whole >track... >I've seen the Andretti hairpin on Tv and ICR2 about 2 billion times, >but in person.,... oh my goodness,, it was just too cool. >You could'nt hear yourself talk with the Vipers and Porsches flying >by,,, you can stand right on the side of the track in many, many >places while these beasts flew by at over 100mph...(well, much faster >than that...) >You just could'nt help but be impressed. >What the hell have I been thinking? How come I have'nt come to a Cart >race here? >We went into the souvenier shop and they had posters of old-school >heroes, etc... tons of vendors with models and posters galore. (There >was a b&w shot of GPL heroes,, with Mr. Clark in the center....wow.) >And I had a beer and a corn dog! (Okay, maybe I'm over the line here >with my enthusiasm.....:) >It was just, really, really fun. >That's all I can say. >Oh, except for in the last ten laps we decided to finally make it over >to the corkscrew to check out the view. It is so beautiful, shrouded >in Oak trees, with an incredibly close view of the cars making the >plunge and turn. They would slightly hop out of control for a sec as >the light weight of the cars would shift. >Definitely an enjoyable weekend at the coast... >Now to save up for that Rx-7 so I can race there someday..... >Raevyn

Musta' been the 911-w98 model. ;) > Oh, and notice at the start of the FIA GT Race? There was a 911 sponsored by > Microsoft! Almost didn't start - maybe they had a GPF, a VIRUS, or needed to > REBOOT the car????? :) -- Marc J. Nelson SimRacing Online - http://www.simracing.com/ * Switch confused.net with concentric.net to reply...Confused-yet? *

>Oh, and notice at the start of the FIA GT Race? There was a 911 sponsored by >Microsoft! Almost didn't start - maybe they had a GPF, a VIRUS, or needed to >REBOOT the car????? :) Maybe they needed to install an updated DRIVER! ba-dump...ching! Tim

Mike, While I would agree with you that oval racing, for the most part can be boring as hell, and I would much rather see a CART race at Laguna or Long Beach, I wouldn't miss Fontana for the world. Not only is it Rahal's last race, but it is the last race of the season and practically in my backyard. That and the fact that I scored a press credential and will be shooting from the pits instead of a spectator fence this year :-) Also, the Indy Lights guys usually put on their best race of the year at Fontana. I'm looking forward to a great weekend at the races! -don "To race is to live, everything else is just waiting." - Rudi Caracciola

Damn, Road America used to be my home away from home for years, till I moved to SoCal. I even got to race on it with the local Alfa Club, and as always, kicked ***in my Street Prepared 79 RX7! But for the most part, I was both a Course Marshal and a Pit & Paddock Marshal there too. And wouldn't you know it, . . . . just as I moved to SoCal, the Long Beach Grand Prix switched to Indy Cars, UGH! I would have had a chance finally to see the Lotus F1 cars :( And worst of all, though I DID get to run on the Riverside track, they tore the damn historic track down to make way for more condos and another FRIGGIN MALL!!!!!!!! The good old banked Turn 9 was around for awhile, but I think even that is gone now :( >> All this talk is making me wonder why I've never made the trek from >> Chicago to Road America for the annual CanAm reuion. Gotta get up there >> this year. >> -- >> Bill Mette | "A person is smart. People are dumb."

PROUD OF YOU.

>Oh, and notice at the start of the FIA GT Race? There was a 911 sponsored by >Microsoft! Almost didn't start - maybe they had a GPF, a VIRUS, or needed to >REBOOT the car????? :) LOL, I'm suprised they didn't just buy all the competitors' cars, thereby guarenteeing themselves a win! Bob