Good couple days at ALMS

[RTKar]

Great weather, good racing... especially the Touring guys. Nice seeing Chop, Crapus, Rocket and TRDfan too, wish I could have run into you guys Sunday too... spent most of my time in Canada corner top row far end looking up the track, beer in hand. Definitely a must do next year....and one these days when hell freezes over I may camp;)

[Dirty Sanchez]

Bitchin' race weekend. And no self-inflicted major bodily harm this time! Best weather I've ever seen at Road America... it really was perfect.

Camping at the Rock for the first time was definitely an experience. I didn't know that people lived there :eek: Not used to being so quiet when I camp. Thanks to chop (buy some tires dude!), rocket, Jim and Heidi for putting up with me... and for having live F1 on every morning. :thumbup:

Huge thanks to TRDfan :thumbup:

Why is it called the Road America 500 again? 500k?

STRANA sucked. :laugh: We watched them turn 3:30 second laps (zzzzzzz)on Saturday from the fence at the bottom of 5. I did get a nice laugh when the driver of the black truck responded to my international "blow your horn" sign by doing the same thing.

Also saw the SPEED Touring race from Canada Corner. No shortage of gravel trap action, that's for sure. :wascool: Also like watching that Turner BMW driver carve through the field after spinning out early on.

Trans Am race was a little less exciting. Watched that one from Hurry Downs. Started that race out with bacon/egg/cheese sammich and coffee and ended it with beer.

ALMS race was sweet. Especially the GTS class. Took loads of pics. Hope to get those uploaded somewhere soon.

[chop456]

Had a great time at the races, and seeing everyone.

Don't complain about my worn out tires, Crapus. The constant hum seemed to do a pretty good job of putting you to sleep. :D

Special thanks to Rocket, Jim and Heidi for helping us out with all the things we forgot.

Same time next year? :thumbup:

Mmmmmmm, Miss Meringue...... :eek:

And a WWW apology to Crapus. He knows what for.

[pchall]

Originally posted by Crapus
Why is it called the Road America 500 again? 500k?

There used to a very big event in American sports car racing in the late 50s and early 60s -- The Road America 500 (miles). Everyone who was someone or wanted to be someone in sports car racing participated in that event.

ALMS is clearly digging in sports endurance history to build an event there.

[RTKar]

Originally posted by pchall
There used to a very big event in American sports car racing in the late 50s and early 60s -- The Road America 500 (miles). Everyone who was someone or wanted to be someone in sports car racing participated in that event.

ALMS is clearly digging in sports endurance history to build an event there.

Wouldn't bother me if they succeeded in resurrecting it.

[pchall]

Originally posted by RTKar
Wouldn't bother me if they succeeded in resurrecting it.

I'd rather see Panoz evolve his series into a 2 seater neo Can Am with 250 mile sprint races.

ALMS is held back by LeMans. It will never develop on its own while shackled to the regulations and needs of a single race in June.

Sound like a familiar dilemma?

[Don Quixote]

How was the crowd in terms of a typical CART date?

[RTKar]

Originally posted by pchall
I'd rather see Panoz evolve his series into a 2 seater neo Can Am with 250 mile sprint races.

ALMS is held back by LeMans. It will never develop on its own while shackled to the regulations and needs of a single race in June.

Sound like a familiar dilemma?


LoL...Sounds very familiar. As far as the crowd...hard to tell...maybe about the same as CART but the weather was much better and there seemed to be more corporate hospitality too. It felt like a series on it's way up.

[TRDfan]

Any time spent at Road America is a good time.

After setting up my tent in the dark and camping out for the first time in years - it was great to get to the track Saturday morning and check out the diverse assortment of series.

Wandered all over on Saturday and spent Sunday sitting in a lawn chair at the top of Fireman's Hill (Turn 5) I felt a little under the weather but survived just fine.

ALMS seems to have some good things going - plus a few ideas that Champ Car could "borrow": the scoring/info boards around the track, and little things like having the drivers helmet sitting next to them during the autograph session.

Good to see RTKar, rocket, chop and got the honor of meeting Crapus, plus rocket's friend Jim and his wife Heidi.

Most surreal moment of the weekend - sitting in the dark around campfire, watching the revolving demo derby at Bristol on satellite TV. (Camping in Boy Scouts was never like that)

[chop456]

Originally posted by RTKar
LoL...Sounds very familiar. As far as the crowd...hard to tell...maybe about the same as CART but the weather was much better and there seemed to be more corporate hospitality too. It felt like a series on it's way up.

I noticed that the big grandstand at the bottom of 5 wasn't anywhere near as full as it was for CART, even comparing Sunday vs. Saturday. I felt that the crowd was considerably smaller for ALMS.

[RTKar]

Originally posted by chop456
I noticed that the big grandstand at the bottom of 5 wasn't anywhere near as full as it was for CART, even comparing Sunday vs. Saturday. I felt that the crowd was considerably smaller for ALMS.


Probably...people started leaving the CART race during the delay and I figure for ALMS, alot of people move around since the race is longer and you have more time to do so. You're probably right Chop.

[Dirty Sanchez]

The Corvette Corral was packed... all the way up until the last lap! :D

[Chitowncartfreak]

RTKar - I was in that same place in Canada Corner - top row of the bleachers. Surprised I didn't see you there.

This was my first ALMS race - I was very impressed and will be back for more. They put on a great show.

[RTKar]

Originally posted by Chitowncartfreak
RTKar - I was in that same place in Canada Corner - top row of the bleachers. Surprised I didn't see you there.

This was my first ALMS race - I was very impressed and will be back for more. They put on a great show.

People kept leaving so I kept sliding over until I ended up at the very end of the top row. I could like up the track and see the guys setting up the passes. I had intended to walk around up through the hurry downs to the stand by the carousel but the seat I had at Canada was great....Wish we could have met. I did see a couple nearby that looked somewhat familiar from races past...

[Lizzerd]

Originally posted by RTKar
...and one these days when hell freezes over I may camp;)

RTKar camping?

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Hell freezing over? Phooey... If the Cubs win the World Series this year, I might just believe you. :)

[RTKar]

Originally posted by Lizzerd
RTKar camping?

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Hell freezing over? Phooey... If the Cubs win the World Series this year, I might just believe you. :)

Hey, I've camped on fishing trips before, racing's a different story story though...toured a Marathon Coach at MO..You know, the million dollar jobs...it was actually a million - two they said, but the toilet didn't work, I told them I'd only go a million - one then....I haven't heard back yet...

[rocket]

ALMS Weekend = :thumbup: :thumbup:


'nuff said :D

[Warlock!]

Next year... mark my words.

(but you're gonna hafta help me make up some lame-ass excuse I can give my wife!)

Warlock!

[chop456]

Originally posted by Warlock!
Next year... mark my words.

(but you're gonna hafta help me make up some lame-ass excuse I can give my wife!)

Warlock!

Parenting class retreat.
Spousal sensitivity awareness workshop.
"Appreciating the Fairer and More Intelligent Sex" seminar.
Foot massage training
Doily Knitting
Going to get drunk and ogle pit babes

The last one is for emergency "say it and run" use only. :D

[Dirty Sanchez]

I do have one sweet picture to share.... more soon hopefully.

This was taken on the outside of turn 8 (I'm standing next to the karting track). :eek:

http://www.rscnet.org/racingphoto/data/657/944241.jpg