The Indoor Driving School signifies spring to me. Usually we get to do speed-limited conga lines at Autobahn Country Club after classroom stuff. Conga lines get my adrenalin above trace levels and are a skills and psychological tune-up for the Dragon. This year, the winter was long and severe enough that we could not use the track yesterday. It was still partly frozen, with frost heaves in the North Loop. ACC didn't want us to "stress" a roadbed was was engineered for 6000 lbs., not 18-wheelers. Sigh...
But I enjoyed the school just the same. It's a chance to re-connect with gearheads not seen since last fall. We had a small ceremony to recognize our first Lifetime Member, which was triply gratifying: we were pleased to honor him, he was pleased to be honored, and, typically, he did us proud again. I went to the afternoon breakout session on working race staff. It's time to up my game if I'm going to work corners regularly. Hotshoe attended the breakout session on High Speed Autocross. After taking several years off, his new Ford Focus ST has his adrenalin circulating, and he may HSAX this season. Nothing would please me more than to see him back on track and to provide him and others with a better corner staff... It was a good day.
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| Any day that involves three Porsche 911 RSR clones is a good day for Pilote. These are ACC member cars. My club's racers drive considerably less rarified stuff. We rent ACC twice a year: pocket change for them. |
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| Ross and Cheryl Fosbender with his Lifetime Member certificate, signifying his decades of contributions to the club. This was Ross's first outing since heart bypass surgery in January. He was touched by the honor, which we hoped he would be and which touched us. Cheryl's first date with Ross was when he asked her to be his pit crew at a Meadow- dale race. Her first big, "extra" paycheck, for teaching summer school, went for a rebuilt race engine for Ross's stick- axle Corvette. She worked event staff for 30 years. That's "a racing wife." Yesterday, Ross donated his 2-time HSAX championship-winning Toyota Cressida station wagon "free to a good home." He hasn't been able to get it running right since he installed a turbocharger, and neither has a Toyota specialist shop. He figures a computer-savvy youngster can get it running, and he needs garage space to restore his Alfa Spider Veloce. |
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| The Chicago contingent for our spring Dragon run is ready--more than ready after a seemingly endless winter. I won't speak for Hotshoe, but I've almost forgotten what daffodils and forsythia look like. We'd be readier still if we'd have been allowed on track for conga line laps. On the upside, Hotshoe's Focus ST may see some HSAX laps this season. The Spec Miata on the trailer in the background is just slumming. |
2 comments:
Looking good guys, I see Hotshoe still has his winter treads on the ST.
Could one of the 911's be available as a 'loaner' perhaps? lol,
Yep - still multi-season Continentals present. The stock summer-only Eagle's await warmer temps to be remounted. There was another silver ST (covered in winter dirt/grit) in the paddock for the Indoor Driving School with stock 18" wheels. Pretty sure they were stock tires, too - didn't catch its owner to discuss his/her plans. They're prettier when they're washed, though dude.
Also, Pilote, I'm noting the size differential 'tween ST and Si now that they're parked side-by-side. Looks like my ST is puffed up like an Si with a peanut allergy - just a bit larger in every dimension ....bug-eyed, too. Hmmmmm. Si wins the cleaner design award.
It was great to see Ross again, fun to shout out his kudos - they're a cute couple, both quick to giggle and eager to recall memories of a bygone era of racing and friends.
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