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| Bad Luck at the Races, But Rock Band Rules! | May. 16th, 2009 @ 11:55 pm |
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It wasn't the best day for some of the guys at the track. My friend Beau Borders crashed the #128 BMW e46 he was driving in the KONI Challenge. Beau had a good start and gained four positions. But near the end of his stint, he went four wheels off on Turn 4. He thought he had it under control until he hit a rut that send his car skipping past the tire wall and into the concrete barrier. Both the front and back got pretty jacked up. Fortunately, Beau was okay, although I bet he's gonna be pretty sore for a while. Rod says his friend Lance went off in the same spot a couple of years back. Such a bummer.
Then the #96 Turner car, which was driven by Matt Bell (whose dad Dave helped me install my Bilstein suspension a couple of years ago) and Boris Said, had a problem and DNFed. Matt is an amazing driver and had earned his third pole this season. He had a great first stint, but the car lost power shortly after Boris took the wheel. The Turner team fared well overall, though, as their #95 car won the race.
Afterward we hit a reception for Dempsey Racing, where Patrick Dempsey drank some tequila and schmoozed with his sponsors. Fortunately there wasn't any paparazzi or screaming women chasing him around.
Then it was on to a little motel in Monterey, where Alex Roy was hosting a Rock Band/race watching party. I ate some popcorn, watched some of Alex's in-car video and sang Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" while Alex played guitar. It was the first time I'd played Rock Band 2 (I'm used to the original). We both scored in the 90s. Woo hoo.
Then it was on to Cannery Row, where we joined our gracious hosts at Mazda for dinner. I had "scalone," which was chopped abalone and scallops mixed together and formed into a patty. It was good, but kinda weird.
I know a couple of people who are glad this day is over. |
| Verizon Festival of Speed Weekend | May. 15th, 2009 @ 11:22 pm |
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Today I arrived on the Monterey Peninsula for the Verizon Festival of Speed. We left LA at 2 p.m. in hopes we'd make it to the track by 6. I drove up with Aaron Robinson, who has an Audi R8 press car. I'm not a fan of the R tronic, so I was glad to see we had a manual. However, I soon discovered the clackety-clack sound of the shifter gates aren't as charming when you’re not driving. In fact, it's downright annoying.
We took the 5 to Lerdo Highway, to 33, then 46. I tried not to watch as Aaron crossed the yellow line to pass cars on that narrow road at speeds I shouldn't publish. Let's just say I can understand why it's the James Dean Death Highway.
We made it to the track about 6:15, just in time for a charity bicycle ride. One of the bike companies had some loaner equipment on hand so I could join in. I was super excited. I consider myself relatively knowledgeable about bikes -- I ride my men's Mongoose hybrid around the beach all the time (hah). But man, those hardcore cyclists can be intimidating with their fancy clippy shoes and matching outfits. Who else could get away with wearing so much Spandex in public?
It took a little time to get the bike just right. One of the reps from the bike company kept insisting the seat was the right height, even though I couldn’t reach the ground when I was sitting on it and had to practically fall over to get off. I'm convinced he wanted to make me feel stupid. And it worked. I skipped the special shoes and opted for regular pedals in case something went horribly wrong.
We started at turn 5 up that loonnng, steep hill. The first five minutes were easy. Then I thought my heart was going to explode. A few months back, a friend and former BMWCCA track day instructor dropped dead of a heart attack on a treadmill. I thought I was going to meet the same fate. A few excruciating minutes later, I got off the bike and walked. Sure, I looked like a wimp. I didn't care. I wanted to live.
When I reached the top (with a heart rate somewhere close to 200), I stopped to look around. I was standing on the pavement at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. How cool was that? I hopped back on my bike and got ready for the payoff – the corkscrew. As I descended, the wind rushed against my face and chest. My eyes began to water and my nose began to run. The rest was easy. I finished the lap, and that was enough. And somehow I still had fun, even through the tears, heart palpitations and snot. |
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