Some Very Significant Race Cars Of The Past

black mamba

Wil Davis

Ah, gorgeous!

Nice job!

- Wil

eL eSs Vee

Uh-oh! Some drool just shorted out my keyboard!

Awesome shots, as always, Tom! Beautiful!

Panther

Morning Tom,

What a great collection of some stunning Cars,

Would love to have a ride in any or all of them:D

don't you know that would be the thrill of a lifetime

to cruise around a track in one of them.

alexf

Great shots!

black mamba

Hi Wil,

Georgeous indeed!! Thanks for the comment.

Tom

black mamba

Hey Lee,

Talk about drool. I get all kinds of stares as I walk around the show with a giant bib tied around my neck. I absolutely get sensory overload at one of these things.

See you, my friend,

Tom

Azzaro

Well done Tom as always........ azzaro

woellerd

I just love seeing these masterpieces. The Sports Car Vintage Racing Association wil be at the New Jersey Motorsports Park this weekend, so I may need to get myself a bib also. You have some beautiful images there, thanks for sharing.

black mamba

Hi Craig,

I'm glad to see you back safe and sound from your trip. I can't wait to see some of your pictures.

Years ago, a friend of mine was racing a factory-backed Buick in one of NASCAR's second-tier series. On occasion, he was able to take someone with him as he blasted around the Daytona track during practice. I think they called it Track Day for Buddies....or something like that.

In any event, I showed up at the track on the appointed morning...after a sleepless night of anticipation. My first inkling that this was going to be a little different experience that I had imagined was when I had to get in the car ( no small feat in itself....the doors were welded shut ) and sit on the bare metal floor. There was no second seat.

I can only describe the noise this thing made as unholy. And I was wearing ear muffs. And that was at idle. At speed, the sounds could drive the devil out of the worst of sinners. Nor was I totally prepared for the smells....burnt rubber, gas, and odors I couldn't even identify. An immediate sense of nausea set in on me. When I inquired about a barf bag, I didn't think his cackling would ever cease.

We went around that track 10 times at speeds up to 170 mph...I think his car would run as fast as 185. It was all a blur to me. I was real proud of myself. I didn't throw up and I was able to get out of the car by myself....even though some of his pit crew said they had never seen a human make moves like that. I never went back for a second dose.

Take care,

Tom

DaddyO

What a story. I'll be in stitches for awhile.
You really must go back. Ask for a decent seating plan before hand.
There is certainly cause to be proud you stood the test. Good on ya.

Panther

black mamba wrote:

Hi Craig,

I'm glad to see you back safe and sound from your trip. I can't wait to see some of your pictures.

Years ago, a friend of mine was racing a factory-backed Buick in one of NASCAR's second-tier series. On occasion, he was able to take someone with him as he blasted around the Daytona track during practice. I think they called it Track Day for Buddies....or something like that.

In any event, I showed up at the track on the appointed morning...after a sleepless night of anticipation. My first inkling that this was going to be a little different experience that I had imagined was when I had to get in the car ( no small feat in itself....the doors were welded shut ) and sit on the bare metal floor. There was no second seat.

I can only describe the noise this thing made as unholy. And I was wearing ear muffs. And that was at idle. At speed, the sounds could drive the devil out of the worst of sinners. Nor was I totally prepared for the smells....burnt rubber, gas, and odors I couldn't even identify. An immediate sense of nausea set in on me. When I inquired about a barf bag, I didn't think his cackling would ever cease.

We went around that track 10 times at speeds up to 170 mph...I think his car would run as fast as 185. It was all a blur to me. I was real proud of myself. I didn't throw up and I was able to get out of the car by myself....even though some of his pit crew said they had never seen a human make moves like that. I never went back for a second dose.

Take care,

Tom

Howdy Tom,

<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/Laughing.gif&quot; border="0" alt="" >< I love it, since we're telling on ourselves, mine wasn't quite as wonderful of an adventure, it happened at Six Flags Over Texas, on one of those rides where you go up in a box of seats, it gets to the top, moves you forward until you are clear of the tower, and then all you hear is a "Click"

My wife still laughs at me and says I was screaming louder than the little 13 year old girl sitting next to me<G>:D:D:D

I damn sure like your story better<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/mwink.gif&quot; border="0" alt="" >

black mamba

Hey Alex,

Thanks for the kind comment.

Take care,

Tom

black mamba

Yo Azzaro,

Thanks for your support. I appreciate it.

Be well,

Tom

black mamba

Hi Dave,

Get your bib on and get out there with the rest of us car freaks. A little drooling never hurt anybody.

Take care,

Tom

rwells

Tom,

I haven't laughed that hard in a long time ~ thanks for the story


Oh yeah, another great series of some fantastic cars!

eL eSs Vee

Tom,
Speaking of bibs and speed, come next June you'll find me and my business partner attending this event. I, of course, will be the photographer and writer. We're starting a webzine about exotic cars and I wrote this for the first issue. He went this year (press gets in free of charge) and was disappointed that I couldn't go. By the way, he got to drive a Gallardo!
PS: Don't tell him I shared this with you! (Did I just publish this on a forum??)

The Ultimate Lamborghini Experience

When you bought your exotic car, did it come from Italy? Is it low and fast? Is it adorned with a raging bull? If so, you've probably been feeling a little stifled by America's highway system and its army of safety officers. It may also be that you're feeling a little intimidated, afraid to take your bull by the horns, so to speak. Well, if you're in or can get to Southern California's Auto Club Speedway in Fontana in June, then you're about to learn what your car is all about!

The event is called The Ultimate Lamborghini Experience and it's sponsored by Lamborghini of Beverly Hills and Al & Ed's Autosound. The past two events (the first two, actually) have each been a tremendous success, more so than ever anticipated, with the second bringing nearly twice as many drivers as the first. And next year promises to be bigger and better, still!

So, what does this mean to you? Well, shell out $1,495.00 and you'll learn the ins and outs of your Lamborghini. (Don't have one? One will be provided for your convenience.) Of course, you won't be wrapping your hand in rawhide and going for the full eight seconds without first being given a few lessons on how to hold on . . . to the steering wheel, the road and your life. No. First, you'll attend a racing class, where you'll learn accelerating, turning, and braking techniques from real race car driving instructors.

Then you'll hit the road with one of ten - count 'em, ten - actual former and current celebrity race car drivers. Bring your autograph book! Your driver will take you around the track a couple of times, giving you reminders of the tips you learned in class and showing you how to use them and generally scaring the pants off the uninitiated. Then, after a couple times around the circuit, you'll be handed the reins and sent off on your own to ride your bull for all you're worth. Think you can hang on for the full eight? You'll just have to wait and see!

The track will not be in its normal NASCAR oval configuration, though, so excessive speed won't exactly be the theme of the day. But, with all the curves put into the road course, spin-outs are very likely to happen. Generally speaking, most drivers tend to avoid those. But, that's part of what the classes are for; how to control them.

Here's what you get for your $1,495.00: The aforementioned lessons (in and out of the classroom), track time, breakfast and lunch, and all the water and other beverages you can consume. (Sorry, no alcohol. You'd be pretty stupid to mix any of that with your very expensive Italian Exotic!) Oh yeah! If you want to scare a friend or add a little risk to your relationship, you can bring a guest at no additional cost.

Light-weight and comfortable clothing is recommended; long pants or slacks and closed-toe shoes are required for the track, but tennis shoes or racing shoes are acceptable. Helmets are provided (a nice way of saying, "They're required!"), but you may bring your own, if you have one.

After all is said and done, you can take your guest and some of the new friends you'll meet at the track, and go for a big, juicy steak while reliving the Ultimate Lamborghini Experience and contemplating the similarities between your car and your meal. Your steak will be gone soon, but the experience will last a lifetime!

So, what do you say? Are you up for the Ultimate Lamborghini Experience?

black mamba

Hey Lee,

Now that's an event I'd like to go to. If you can't have fun there, somethings wrong with you.

As I read your accounting of things, it brought back memories of an event very similar to that in which I was a participant. It was in the early 80's....1982 I believe...and I was invited to attend the introduction of the new models from BMW. It was a huge affair staged at the Road Atlanta raceway, just outside Atlanta. It was a two day deal with a lot of festivities. The highlight of the occasion was the chance to drive the cars around the raceway.

Very similar to what you describe, there was a session of " ground school " instruction before we were released to the track. There were four very famous road race drivers brought to the event by BMW. Each participant was assigned one of them as his driver/instructor. For personal reasons, I won't identify the driver they assigned me to but I can tell you he was a big, big name in road racing.

The car I was given to drive was the new 5 series sedan of that year. The race driver started the session by giving you 3 trips around the track to give you some familiararity with the layout and to show you what the car was capable of. It was a white-knuckle ride for me....I had no idea any sedan....BMW or not....could handle like that. When he was through, we stopped, chatted about a few techniques, and then switched places.

My first lap around was timid, at best, on my part. By the end of the second lap, I was starting to feel a little more comfortable and relaxed.
During the third, and last scheduled lap, I really started to get the hang of the thing and my speeds were up considerably. As we were coming up to the finish line, he said that I had done pretty good and to go ahead and take another lap.

Midway through that last lap...on the backside of the track...I lost the car completely on a quirky curve while traveling at considerable speed. The car went spinning down the track through 3 or 4 complete revolutions. When it finally settled to a stop, I looked at him ( somewhat ashen in appearance ) and he said....in a quote I'll never forget...." that was quite terrific, do you have any other tricks you'd like to show me ". I saw him at a big car show a couple years ago. He said the memory of that incident is indelibly etched in his brain. Mine too.

eL eSs Vee

Now THAT'S a story!

I am definitely going next year! My partner and I will both have press passes!

redleash

Tom-

I've been up since 0300 when I can't sleep I always check out DGrin. I'm laughing so hard now I'll never get back to sleep! Or I will have some very interesting car dreams

I enjoyed the shots but the stories are tops!!! (I really, really want to know who that driver was . . . )

Thanks for the fun morning!

Lauren

eL eSs Vee

black mamba wrote:

Midway through that last lap...on the backside of the track...I lost the car completely on a quirky curve while traveling at considerable speed. The car went spinning down the track through 3 or 4 complete revolutions. When it finally settled to a stop, [etc].

I came back to look again and when I read this I remembered a joke: A man and his lawyer friend are driving down the highway when the man's car is struck in the rear quarter panel by another car and his car spins around several times before coming to a stop. Through each revolution, the man heard his lawyer friend say, "Ten thousand, twenty thousand, thirty thousand, . . ."

black mamba

Lee,

That's a hoot. Of course, in my case , it might have gone against me:D .

What I didn't tell in the first rendering of this story is what transpired after the guy uttered his " quote of a lifetime " to me. There was a protracted period of silence during which he just stared at me. Then he burst out laughing. That was a huge relief to me.....the tension inside that car was fairly thick.

We were about 1 mile from the finish line when this event occured and, I swear, it seemed to take hours to get there. Later that evening, at a big end-of-the-deal social function, I mustered up enough courage to ask him why he started laughing. He said that, as he looked at me, all he could see was a vision of a huge owl.....eyes as big as saucers and a shocked and spooked look on his face. It must have been so. I can't refute it.

Take care,

Tom

NeilL

All good docos. #2 has stunning potential, my PP fingers are truly itching thumb

Neil

Jack'll do

Wow Tom! What an excellent series and wonderful vignettes by both you and Craig. I'd love to take #44 for a spin.