Mr. Borland, please pick up the white courtesy phone.

Or send me an e-mail, 'cause I'm not sure if you've gotten a couple
that I sent to you recently. I want to see if you're coming to
Mid-Ohio.

C.

Tiger Racing wrote:

Aaaargh! My gmail has been getting bombed with messages from somewhere
with a kanji-type alphabet so I've been lax about checking it. I bet
the emails got lost amidst the garbage or timed out of my inbox between
times that I checked it. If you sent it to my other address I dunno
what happened.

Coming to Mid-Ohio when? For the NASA championships, the Superbikes...?
I went to the vintage races and the earlier bike event two weeks prior,
so I suspect I'll be going to the other stuff too. I'll send you a
heads up email from my other address (that I use more often) and see
when you're coming so I can make sure I'm going to be there.

I mean, if a lady drives all the way across the country expecting to
see you, the least you can do is show up... :-)


-Matt- "Did I mention there were 4 Ferraris at the vintage races? 2 TRs
and 2 430s..?"

That's called spam, Mr. Phelps. You ... filter it out. Or switch to
Gmail, which makes the process much easier.

Please step away from the tape machine. This message will self-destruct
in five seconds.

I now see the Gmail address and feel unease and discomfort that you
waste its purpose and versatility on a usenet identity. Gmail offended.
Use Gmail for your real, important emails, Grasshopper. Save the POP
and IMAP bullshit for spam deposits, libel/slander exercises, and
usenet. OE or even Firefox/Thunderbird are a waste of time; configure
once with bullshit identity info and consign to weekly checks only.

Unease and discomfort may come from undercooked pork chop dinner, yes.
But the spirit of true defense of an email superstar platform remain
straight up. I walk with Jin and Mugen on this one.

Matt Borland wrote:

Matt Borland wrote:
<<Coming to Mid-Ohio when? For the NASA championships, the
Superbikes...?>>

The NASA Championships it is! This is the event we've been planning for
all year. (My medical issues put everything else on hold.) My Crew
Chief just finished rebuilding one of his old race cars and loaded it
onto the trailer with my Mustang and one of dad's Morgans and headed
cross country. Dad and I will be racing against each other in SU and my
Crew Chief is going to win the AIX race. But first, dad is going to
race his T33 at the Glen.

<<I mean, if a lady drives all the way across the country expecting to
see you, the least you can do is show up... :-)>>

A gentleman through and through!

<<-Matt- "Did I mention there were 4 Ferraris at the vintage races? 2
TRs and 2 430s..?">>

Wow. So if it's more than 15 mins old, it's *vintage*?

C.

Tiger Racing wrote:
Which old race car, and is he bringing the swoopy, cross-eyed Morgan or
one of the more traditionals?


I've had lessons. It's been a long road...


They were in the parking areas. There still wasn't a single Ferrari in
the paddock. The classes were arranged weird too. This year the
Trans-Am style cars (99% 1st gen Camaros) were run at the same time as
the little sports cars like Alfa GTVs, 911s, Lotus Cortinas, etc. and a
game little VW Beetle that was lapped by the leader on lap 3, at an
apparent 40+ sec per lap disadvantage. Luckily the Beetle was painted
pylon orange so the mobile chicane was easily spotted. I left after
that because all the cars I wanted to see had run together. I missed
out on the Corvettes, open wheelers, and prototypes, but there were
very few prototypes there this year so I skipped 'em. There was a
Porsche 907 there, but I doubt it was going to do more than a short
parade lap, as it was pristine.

Ferrari count was one Rosso Corsa 430 Spider 6 speed, with a friendly
owner who happily answered my questions as I crawled all around his
car, one black 430 hardtop with F1 trans and a vanity plate that read
"F1 CHAMP", one yellow Testarossa, and a red '86 (IIRC) Testarossa with
an owner who basically stood near it most of the day with it all opened
up inviting onlookers to sit in it if they wanted to. This last car was
showing some definite wear and had about 29k on it, but it was
definitely cool to plop down into the seat and imagine piloting the car
regardless. The car drew a crowd and he was pretty much continuously
saying "you can sit in it if you want, go ahead and sit in it, you're
welcome, yes your son can sit in it, you're welcome, thanks, yes it's a
lot of fun, go ahead and sit in it if you want, you're welcome..." I
was surprised at how well the ergonomics fit me, and the period
floormats with the inch-deep pile and huge cavallinos look less tacky
in person than they do in pictures. If the 80's taught us anything
though, it was that leather panels on dashes shrink and warp over time.
It was interesting to look in the engine bay and see there's no need
for an inspection cover since the clutch disk is visible through
openings in the bellhousing. It was a cool day all around.


-Matt- "..."

thc test pilot wrote:
You are absolutely killing me here... I have to save this one.


-Matt- "Mugen? Honda's old racing parts division?"

Many thanks.

Samurai Champloo. Cartoons not just for kids anymore.

Matt Borland wrote:
<<Which old race car, and is he bringing the swoopy, cross-eyed Morgan
or one of the more traditionals?>>

Dad's racing one of his Morgan Aero 8 GT(R)s (the cross eyed cars) and
my Crew Chief is racing his newly rebuilt SN95 Mustang. Check your
e-mail for pics.

<<I've had lessons. It's been a long road... >>

Your wife is such a patient woman.

<<They were in the parking areas. There still wasn't a single Ferrari
in the paddock. >>

Bummer there were no racing Ferraris, but any Ferrari sighting is a
good thing.

<<The classes were arranged weird too. This year the Trans-Am style
cars (99% 1st gen Camaros) were run at the same time as the little
sports cars like Alfa GTVs, 911s, Lotus Cortinas, etc. and a game
little VW Beetle that was lapped by the leader on lap 3, at an apparent
40+ sec per lap disadvantage. Luckily the Beetle was painted pylon
orange so the mobile chicane was easily spotted.>>

There is some controversy over the groups designated for the NASA
Championships. For instance, there are 62 cars in the AI/AIX/CMC group
and there could be a good, 20 second difference in lap times between
the AIX cars and CMC. And unfortunately this appears to be the most
testosterone driven group of drivers in the series. Some of those guys
are taking the idea of a "National Championship" entirely too
seriously.

<< a red '86 (IIRC) Testarossa with an owner who basically stood near
it most of the day with it all opened up inviting onlookers to sit in
it if they wanted to. This last car was showing some definite wear and
had about 29k on it, but it was definitely cool to plop down into the
seat and imagine piloting the car regardless. The car drew a crowd and
he was pretty much continuously saying "you can sit in it if you want,
go ahead and sit in it, you're welcome, yes your son can sit in it,
you're welcome, thanks, yes it's a lot of fun, go ahead and sit in it
if you want, you're welcome...">>

Heh. It may be vain and shallow, but I admit, it's fun to have people
drooling over my car. As long as they don't actually drool on it. Did I
mention that my Mondial was on display at the LA Convention center
recently? It was funny how many people were shocked to hear that she's
a mature, 22 yr old. I got lots of compliments on the condition of the
paint. (original)

Dad won't let just anyone climb into his cars, but if you look like
you're under the age of ten, he'll not only strap you into his 512,
you'll get a Tiger Racing pin to take home as a souvenir. For a guy
who's been known to endorse the "children should be seen and not heard"
credo, he's really big on making kids happy at the race track.

<< I was surprised at how well the ergonomics fit me>>

Have you sat in a Boxer? The difference is pretty amazing.

<< If the 80's taught us anything though, it was that leather panels on
dashes shrink and warp over time.>>

Hasn't this been a significant problem with the TRs in particular?

C.

Tiger Racing wrote:
Me checky and no see-ee...



Indeed.



Ditto.



I suspect I would act similarly to the guy with the TR, as it just
sounds fun to introduce people to the Ferrari experience by letting
them sit in your car and take pictures. It's funny, with all the
driving my employer and I do in all his different cars, the one that
has garnered the most thumbs-ups on the road is his '00 Nagaro Blue
Audi S4 with Stoptech brakes. I don't know if people see those huge
calipers and realize it's been to the track a time or two, or if the
color (never garaged and still gorgeous) is just that striking. The
Cayman S and the 993 Carrera 4 get half as many waves and thumbs-ups on
the road as that S4 that now has about 134k on it. The funny thing is
we have just as much fun driving his old model 80 Quattro (formerly
mine, and before that his again) or his Coupe Quattro, or his 1 of 3 in
the US 968 Sport, or his recently acquired Allroad (which can
absolutely fly in the rain). All those unique and different cars are
pleasureable in their own right, despite some of them being
underpowered by modern standards and lacking in flash. Yes, I envy his
collection at times...

Of course, I had plenty of fun in my hideous '68 Dodge 3/4 ton pickup
as well so I guess if a vehicle has a likeable character then it makes
sense that one would enjoy it immensely despite it's weaknesses on
paper.



According to T308 I look twelve. Do I get a pin?



Never sat in a Boxer. Ohhh how I want to though... That is still the
sexiest Ferrari to me.



I think so...


-Matt- "..."