What is so fascinating about F1?

     Over the last 6 years, I have attended 3 sports car races. Petit LeMans twice and Lone Star LeMans once. In a few more weeks, I will be attending Lone Star LeMans for the second year in a row. The build up of this race got me thinking a bit, so I asked myself the question. Why are people so obsessed with F1? Unfortunately, I have never attended a F1 race so maybe I don't have room to talk. After talking to past visitors, watching on TV, and hearing stories about the crowds, I believe I do have room to talk. Let's first dive in and explain it a bit using Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas as the example, for the simple reason being they hold the only F1 and WEC races in the United States.

     F1 races last a few hours. The WEC race lasts 6 hours. I'm sure F1 has qualifying and practice sessions. So does the WEC group. What F1 does not have is IMSA... or Lamborghini Super Trefeo..... or Porsche GT3 Cup..... or Continental Tire Series. Get the point yet?  While attending Lone Star LeMans, you are seeing more than just one race. You are spending the whole weekend enjoying the track, the fans, and the races. On Saturday race day, you get to witness a few hours of IMSA goodness followed by 6 hours of WEC awesomeness. Wouldn't you rather spend few hundred dollars for a pass for a few days to see multiple races by multiple racing series or would you rather fight a huge crowd to see a few glimpses of some F1 cars?

     My next point is another blow to F1. The cars. Prototype cars in the WEC race are engineering marvels. Multiple different engines, hybrid power, and different fuels, all combine to still make a competitive race. The Audi R18 uses a V6 turbo diesel powerplant and hybrid power. Porsche uses a small 4 cylinder gasoline/hybrid system. These two brands have provided some of the best racing you will ever witness. Throw Toyota in there as well and it is a recipe for epic battles. Don't believe me? I like to provide proof, so here you go.     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clZOMYjaGt8       In the WeatherTech Championship, you also get to see cars that you can basically pick up from the showroom floor. Remember the line, "Race on Sunday, buy on Monday?" That is true in this series. The GTD class is basically as close to the real cars as you can get. Most of the engines are stock and actually de-tuned! Can you go out and buy an F1 car at the moment? Most of you readers, including myself, can not. Take a look at this Z06 that decided to stop by for some pics. The Corvette Racing team is leading the GTLM class right as of this moment. They have experienced a few wild finishes the last few races against Ford, Porsche, and Ferrari. Again, these are cars you could basically buy, strip them down, add a few parts, and you have the race car. Why wouldn't more people want to cheer for their favorite brand?

     This Z06 is amazing too! The Corvette is no longer the sports car with the Chevy Cavalier interior. The C7 has taken that leap from bargain of the century to bargain of the century with class. The interior is amazing, from changing the different modes, to the creature comforts we all enjoy on our daily cars, the Corvette has that all now. This car with 650 hp will run circles around cars twice the price, and the race car version of it also proves that point. Imagine having this car and having a Superbowl style party at your house for one of these races. You cheer on your Corvette Racing team while your friends in their Porsche or Ford cheer their teams. Imagine that Corvette wins and you get to show your friends your garage, where that same beast lives. Screw the Superbowl, lets start having viewing parties for races, even though Fox Sports likes to change programing to golf in the middle of a race.

     Point being, after attending this race at COTA last year, I was blown away at the event, but super disappointed in the car community because of the attendance. What is so special about F1 where you will pay gobs of money for a two hour race, but wont pay the same or less for 3 days of racing with multiple series? Seems logical to get more for what you pay for. How about an example of what I am talking about. I paid for a Audi Motorsports Experience ticket. Here is what it included. Entry for Thursday through Saturday, golf cart shuttles to multiple parts of the track, private parking area, COTA VIP lounge access, food and drink all Friday and Saturday, Hot Laps in an Audi S3 or R8 race car-no joke... hot laps by professional drivers, Hot Pit tours during a race, a drive around the track during the race in areas no fans can go in a Audi Q5, private driver meet and greet, gifts, and many more things...... and not much more than an F1 ticket will cost you. Does any of this make sense yet? If you are a racing fan, why F1? Somebody explain it to me. Do F1 teams take you on hot laps, or provide any of this stuff to their fans? Granted I am biased to Audi, but Porsche, Corvette, and others provide this same VIP treatment to their fans at these races. I do not want to go to an F1 race as I feel I will be severely disappointed because I am spoiled now.

     Sorry for my rant, and I will be quiet now. Thank you to the owner of the Corvette for bringing it over. It is a beautiful car in the best color.... Corvette Racing Yellow! This guy gets it!  I am blown away with how nice these cars are now. With 650 hp on tap in a manual transmission, one is bound to have no excuse to go out and drive for the hell of it.

     I have included a few pics from my last COTA trip so enjoy. More to come after the 2016 race in September!

GNX - That is badass enough to be it's own title.

 

     Back in the late 80's I was really getting into my car obsession. The late 80's/early 90's to me were a great turning point in the automotive world. Cars like the Porsche 959 and the Ferrari F40 were changing the way supercars were designed. Although I loved and still love those two cars, I was beginning my obsession to regular cars that could surprise a Testarossa or 911. I recall reading about the Lotus Omega on the other side of the pond. A car that started some controversy as it did 180ish Mph. A car that was a regular sedan turned beast. The M5 was also born. Companies were taking their regular cars and turning them into sleeper cars that would surprise some high end sports cars. Enter the GNX.

     Now, most people know what a Grand National or Buick Regal is. In 1982, the Grand National was launched and it ran till 1987. In 1987, the GNX was launched, and not many of those same people know the significance of it. I knew a bit but I still did a little more research on it. The owner of this one could recite all of this info at the drop of a dime though. Super knowledgeable. The X stood for Experimental. Buick sent a little over 500 Grand Nationals to ASC McLaren to have totally reworked. Reworked being not just engine work, but suspension, transmission, and few body clues as well. One thing I did not know was that these cars were numbered as well. I always found that feature on rare cars to be sweet. Any limited edition badge showing what number your car was just screams win to me. One other thing I did not know was that these were all 87s. I thought they made them for a few years. I learn something new every day! With only a limited number of these cars made, and now with the limited number left, the GNX is becoming a collector vehicle. Don't believe me? One recently just sold for $165k. Yes, it only had 300 or so miles on it. This one in picture? Little over 3000 miles. No, that is not a typo.

     I sent a photo from my phone to a few friends to give them a precursor to this write up. They all said the same thing. Why only 3000 miles? They wondered why the car wasn't driven. The owner picked this up 8-9 months ago and I guess you really have to ask that question to the original owner. As a kid I never understood why people wouldn't drive their cars. As an adult, I realize why they don't put a lot of miles on it. Value. Can you imagine this car in 20 years with under 10k miles? Imagine a old 60s Ferrari with only 10k miles on it. Low mile collectors cars at auctions pull serious bank. This car here was flat out beautiful. I was glad to see it with only 3k miles on it. Why? Because in 87, I was only 8 and I didn't have the chance to see this off the showroom floor. Now I get to see it how it was when the original owner picked it up. Jaw dropping. I'd almost be scared to drive it being so rare and low mileage.

     Now, I am a huge fan of Audi. They are said to have the best interiors in the luxury car field and I believe it. They are beautifully designed. This is the opposite of that. Of course this is an 87 and the interior back then had this design to it. Looking at it now we all chuckle a bit. But after looking more, I started to miss it. The 80's were awful in some aspects and great in others. The interior of this GNX actually got my love though. Simple, had that look of the generation, and had the pull back ash trays connected to the back of the two seats. Remember those? Damn, I used to love playing with those back in the day. It brought me back to when I was a kid and hot damn did I love those days. (FYI, this interior was cleaner than mine and my car is 20 years newer) Another plus, it has a boost gauge!

     The thing about the GNX is that it's great to see what GM could do back in the day. This car still gets looks and attention. So much so, a random neighbor I don't know even stopped by, got out of their car, and had questions about it. It pulls you in and keeps your attention. The fact that it ran the quarter mile as fast as my C55 AMG also shows that the GM/McLaren relationship with this car equaled some jaw dropping results. I can't imagine running those times in the 80's. This car had to shock a lot of those exotics we were talking about earlier. It also sounds freakin fantastic at idle. I can't imagine laying into it though. I bet that V6 turbo sound will be something I would obsess over in the future.


     Another thing I didn't know. The rear diff cover has GNX inscribed in it. Talk about attention to detail!

     Thanks to the owner for bringing over Darth Vader's car. Talk about a beautiful example and it's nice to see a low mile rare car like this in the driveway. This collectible will be hard to top anytime soon.

    

Celebrating Perseverance

 

 

 

     I will start this story off by saying this is the best thing I have written about so far on this page. Now this isn't my typical driveway post being this isn't my driveway, but that doesn't matter. What matters is the fact that today I am proud to be a car guy. Today, I am proud to say that this story restores faith in humanity. Turn on your local news and you will see a few things; shootings, hatred, and world problems.....maybe the latest Red's loss. What you won't see is a story like this. A story that needs to be on the news because it shows you how good people are for somebody they don't know. Prepare for tears.

     Meet Jason. Jason is a kid full of energy, something we wish we all had. I didn't know Jason a few months ago but I got a random email from a friend that changed that. A friend named Jack sent me a message asking for my help. He noticed Jason sitting outside his house one day watching cars drive by and he was always waving. This went on for a while. After some contact with Jason's parents, Jack asked me if we wanted to gather some cars together and hold a rally for Jason, just a little drive to his house so he could see some cool cars and meet some awesome people. I was on board without hesitation. After a few botched days due to weather, we finally got a perfect 85 degree, sunny day, and fired up the cars. Guess who else joined in.... the Blue Ash Police Department! After we all met in a parking lot down the street, the BAPD gave us an escort straight to Jason's house to see that smile!

 

     Before we get to the pics though, I wanted to tell you all about a place that went above and beyond for Jason. No this isn't a paid advertisement. haha Mercedes Benz in Ft. Mitchell Kentucky. Why the name drop? Well, I have a few friends there and I thought it would be cool to drive up in a nice Mercedes Benz versus my old boring tank. I made a call to them. I don't even think I got a "let me check first" response. It was more like "absofreakinlutely!" The car of choice? A CLA45 AMG! This was a gift for me too! I have read about them and if you didn't know, I am a sucker for AMGs. This one was awesome. If you have the means, go buy this car right now. It pulls very hard, makes amazing sounds when shifting, and it looks the part too. Now, MBFM did not give us this car to use to get some publicity, they gave us this car to put a smile on a kids face. We need more places that follow this example, always willing to help for a good cause.

  Thank you very much Mercedes of Ft. Mitchell

 

 

 

     While on the subject of Thank Yous, a special thanks goes out to these three class acts. Officer Cho, Sgt. Noel, and Officer Schrand. These three took a few minutes out of their day to come escort us to Jason's house. They were polite, they solved the nightmare traffic issue on the street when 30+ cars showed up, and they promised to come visit Jason when they can. Again, class acts. These three are the reasons why I look up to Police Officers. They have a tough job and it's awesome to see them do what society needs them to do, be there for the community no matter what! They are the heroes here.

 



     Speaking of heroes, they were everywhere at this party. Anyone remember the movie Shallow Hal, when Hal could all of sudden see the inner beauty of people? Well if I had that power, everyone at this event would have a superhero cape on. Especially Jason's parents. These two are what every parent should be like. They love their kids unconditionally and will do anything to put a smile on their faces. Pete and Lori are the definition of perseverance. In fact, check out their website at www.CelebratingPerseverance.org. Pete will be running a 100 mile marathon soon to support Jason and the Cerebral Palsy research at Children's Hospital in Cincinnati. (The best in the world too) Please stop by the website and show your support if you can! I also met Audrey who helps take care of Jason. (Another hero of mine) Unfortunately, with how busy the traffic/party/organizing things were, I didn't get to talk to them all that much. Hopefully they can have us back over in the future to hang out and chat it up.

     Another corporate ad here?  NOPE! But I am going to mention them anyway. When one of our participants heard about this event, he had Ferrari of Ft. Lauderdale ship a few T-shirts up for Jason. Again, not for publicity, but for a good deed. They don't know I am writing this. haha For how much Jason loves seeing cars, now he gets to wear the gear too. Pic #2 there is from two more heroes, Brian and Pam. They are ambassadors for Subaru of America and threw in some party gifts as well. Again, not for publicity, but because they are ambassadors, meaning they always do the right thing and are proud of the company they represent. Thanks again to all of you for the gifts.


     Now for the cars!  Most of these people were from a local car club that does things a little different than your idea of what a car club is. These guys and gals are family. In that family, they spend lots of time together at events, races, and even random lunch/dinner meets. The best part about this group is that it's not about the cars, it's about the people. I asked the group, and the few extras that joined, to try and chip in for a donation to Children's Hospital for Jason. Right before we left for his house, one of these individuals said let's take care of the money now. I had mentioned that 10 bucks each would be awesome. As I stood there getting twenty after twenty, I realized something that I mentioned earlier. People are great, especially these people. They had no hesitation opening up their pockets to help somebody they haven't even met yet. Now, I have seen this group do road rallies and car shows, with all of the money they raise going to charity. It's always good to see. This was different though, to me at least. Nobody asked for change, nobody stood back. Everyone gave me money to present to Jason's family and they did it with a smile. One of these guys even forgot cash so he got right on the website and dropped a wad of cash to the cause. Regular people don't do that. Superheroes do. Superheroes lead by example. When a few non club members saw this as well, you could see the shocked faces. I was even short of a good round number and when one of them heard that, he opened his wallet to make it so. He saw how this group of people acted and he went above and beyond as well to help. It made me so proud that I get to know and hang out with these people.

    Listen to me I am rambling, but behind all of the joy that happened on Saturday, and behind all of the participation of the neighbors, family, and the car people, one thing just keeps sticking out in all of our minds. Jason. Jason is the man here. He says hi to everyone and any time you see him, you can tell he is happy. Why is he happy????? I know that answer, and it's explained above. The heroes around him. Please stop by their page if you can, leave some words of encouragement for Pete, and thanks for reading.


Another shout out to Sweeny BMW as well. That morning, they lent a sweet car to one of their employees to bring by and let Jason sit in. Again, not for publicity, but because it was the right thing to do. You guys rock as well! (In the background in the pic below)

I also have to apologize to some of the car people who came. I was sooooo busy running around meeting people, I didn't get pics of all the cars. :(    I know 100% of those that came by have already mentioned this is something they want to do more of so I promise next time I will get pics of them all.

The Sleeper.... Seriously, this is the definition of Sleeper

 

 

     Many years ago, well not that long, the wife and I were in St. Lucia about to tie the knot. We flew down and had a wonderful wedding/honeymoon. It was a week of nothing but relaxation. We never left the Sandals compound so I was void of cars for that whole week. On the way from the airport and to the airport though, I saw a lot of odd things. First was an Audi A4 with a completely different engine that wasn't offered in the states. I also saw a pristine Supra in an area were it didn't seem to belong. What was most interesting though was a BMW that I had never seen or even heard of. The X1. I had to get a picture of it as it was actually a cab that you could take from the hotel to the airport. FYI, if you ever go to St. Lucia, be prepared for a scary ride through the mountains. (very little traffic laws) The X1 was very unique though. A mix between a wagon and a SUV. Pic is below.

     Few years later, it came stateside. What's really cool about it is you could get it with the inline 6 turbo motor that BMW fans are crazy over. This motor is very tunable for very low cost. It is seriously impressive. This X1 in the article has some of these mods but is more track focused so has some suspension/braking work done to it. Wait, what?? Keep reading.

     I met the owner of this machine through a few friends and started to learn about it a bit. He has put a lot of time into making sure the suspension and brakes were done right. These aren't Ebay parts made out of pewter and plastic. This suspension is no joke. Reason? This car does track day events. And by track day events, I mean it smashes cars like 911's on track day events. Yes, I have seen the video. I had doubts though. You know how it is, you see a video online of some underdog beating a faster car and you always see the same comments. "That car needs a driver mod" or the usual, "put me in that car and I'd smash that X1." So, I went for a ride.

     I decided to sit in on the next track day event. Now, in the picture above you will notice there are some winter tires on. The owner was in process of getting a summer wheel fixed so we had to make due. The acceleration is pretty intoxicating. For the size, it is very quick. Size..... it really isn't that big though. You would think an SUV like this would be large but it hides it well. I would venture to say my sedan is actually bigger. Now, it's no vette on the straight line performance but it will hold its own very well. What concerned me the most was how the owner kept accelerating when I would have been on the brakes by then coming into a corner. This is the moment I realized a few things.

1. Crazy shit is about to go down.
2. I may have made indents on his door armrest
3. The only time I have felt that kind of cornering was when I rode in a buddy's R8
4. This kid can drive!
5. I cannot confirm or deny that I peed a little bit.

   I was super impressed with how this thing took corners, especially on tires not designed to do that. It was an eye opener that I need to get a car to start doing track days, immediately. It has been a few weeks since that ride and I still can't believe the physics of what happened. It just goes to show you what a properly tuned suspension and brake package can do for a car, that being more important than adding a bunch of power in most cases. Also, the driver mod helps as well. The owner had complete control at all times and even though I was saying Holy Shit about every corner, I felt as if he knew what he was doing. The track day stickers prove that as well. Now, when I look back at those videos online of his track days, I know the underdog is passing those cars because he/it can!

     What makes this track day beast awesome is the fact that I can bet its the most comfy car on that track. The interior is very lush. Great color combo on it an very user friendly. This thing is a sleeper in every aspect, which is my style. Love it.

     Sorry to the owner for taking so long to put this up. Vacation, work, and everything else has kept me from getting it done. More cars are coming soon as well so stay tuned. Thanks again to the owner for the ride, again, it was amazing how that thing took corners. When BMW says the Ultimate Driving Machine, they are talking about this, not an M3. haha