Hi all, Taking a break from the keyboard this week to enjoy the Cavallino Classic. In South Florida, this is a pretty busy week for Ferrari fans. While I’m not a member of the club, I feel compelled to represent Japan’s Barchetta; the NSX. Cavallino Classic - A Convention Of Automotive Enthusiasts On Thursday, I’ll be at Palm Beach International Raceway for track day. This is a great venue for watching these cars being used for something besides impressing high-heeled passengers and valet attendants... Palm Beach International Raceway On Thursday night, I’m attending “La Bella Machina” at Jet Aviation on Palm Beach International airport. This is a great venue for seeing the curves that inspire the lines and engineering of a Ferrari; unreliable femmes… Jet Aviation :: La Bella Macchina 2012 On Friday night, I’ll be at the Rybovich YachtHop. This is one of my favorite events. It’s like going to a boat show where I don’t have to work and it’s OK to drink… Photo Gallery On Saturday, I’m driving to Sebring for the Light Sport Aviation Expo. This is a show for airplanes that fall under the Light Sport division; basically affordable kitplanes that blow the doors off Cessnas and Pipers in price and performance. This is a work day for me… Light Sport Aircraft and Sport Pilot certificate| Sebring, Florida Sport Aviation Expo On Saturday & Sunday, Top Fuel dragsters and funny cars come to Palm Beach International Raceway. I’ve only seen the professional teams on TV and now they are coming to my backyard, so I’m going. Yes, I know… I’m a vocational student at heart. Palm Beach International Raceway On Monday, I’ll be back behind the keyboard with bloodshot eyes from the nitromethane. Or maybe the alcohol.
Have fun!! At Sebring, if you havent yet,make sure you check out bob tulius' hangar if its open. He has a neat collection of vintage planes and of course trans am winning Group 44 jaguars NSX is a neat car... Not a Ferrari but a neat car... I used to go to track days organized by Chin Motorsport which is mostly NSX guys...'
Sick with a cold since Friday, but it didn't prevent me from inhaling nitro on Saturday night. To anyone who has never witnessed Top Fuel, it's one of the most amazing spectacles your senses will ever assimilate. To watch a stationary object accelerate to a distant point on the horizon - inside of four seconds - leaving a trail of immense thunder is something everyone should experience. It's hard-to-fathom math... an eight cylinder engine developing 8,000 horsepower; that's one thousand horsepower PER cylinder! Or about the same power as a Bugatti Veyron PER CYLINDER... times EIGHT! It's nirvana for the vocationally inclined. It's sheer testosterone for teenagers. And for a fleeting moment... it made this old fart forget about finances, future and femmes. If you ever get the chance, add Top Fuel to the bucket list!
If you ever get the chance go to a boat drag event. The same top fuel engines in a 18' hydro are even more impressive, at least to us water-fixated types. With your credentials I'm sure you could get pit access too. I still (fondly) remember standing next to one of the record holders, Nitro-Fever, when they lit her up after a between heat teardown. The sheer concussion will knock you down! Even for one who is addicted to speed (SS raceboats, CBX's, GXR's, GTO's and Pitts) I'm not sure I would have the cohones' to strap into one and light that candle!
I've been to a couple Wei Chin track events in Sebring. I'm surprised you and I haven't crossed paths Pascal, or at least wakes? His next event is Feb 26th, down in your backyard.
I've only seen these things on television, which is probably considered a safe distance. It would take more than testes for me... they'd have to give me a lobotomy. Nobody in their right mind should get into one of those things.
Agreed! The engineering and speeds are something else. Standing close to one of these beasts at idle is akin to being given CPR by Mike Tyson. You can feel the explosion of the contents of each cylinder individually. A not to be forgotten visceral experience.
Ahhh, I recall it well. Growing up in Southern California, we'd attend the Winter Nationals in Pomona almost every year. The sweet smell of burning alcohol, and rubber. The speed, acceleration, and feeling the sound beat your chest while the headphones and earplugs try and keep your ears safe. Sunset would come and 10' roman candles would shoot from the exhaust. As a young teen, this was essentially a religion changing event that would indoctrinate you to the church of 'go fast'. 25 years later I come to find out my Mother lives on the same street as John Force. I recall explaining to him in passing that he was one of my childhood Apostles. And yes, he's just as crazy off the track, as he is on camera in the pits. Good to hear you had a nice time. I especially liked your agenda. Racing, cars, boats, planes..... color me envy.
Hello, this might be a good place to make my first post, I feel privileged to be here and hope to be inspired to higher standards in things I do, because of the people and boats. I had the good luck to be in Baytown Texas at the same time of the 2009 Spring Nationals, my keeping up with drag racing had only been an occasional magazine article or TV coverage. Being fairly young when Don Garlet(sp ?) was breaking 200 MPH and Chrysler Hemi's were pumping out 1,250 hp, I was totally unprepared for what I saw in Baytown. The most unlikely thing ever and not to happen again (in a long time) I think, was a race of two top fuel machines, the two main numbers IIRC were slightly over 330 MPH @ 3.9 seconds or very close, the amazing thing was the board had readings in all categories, identical numbers (every last one) the winner was decided by a 7 hundredth of a second reaction time out of the lights. I was able to capture 15 or 20 camera video shots and every now and then I connect the camera to the big screen, crank up the volume and almost the same feeling is relived I will not have much input here, at least until I find some link to the etiquette for forums and maybe a little more for my social skills. I enjoy so much,the wonderful pictures and the stimulating threads. Thanks Ron
Welcome to YF Ron! You're in good company here. Top Fuel and Top Yachts have something in common... overblown engines and busted budgets.
In a continuation of the "taking some time off" theme.. I got caught up in a project this week. I pulled the electric steering rack out of my NSX due to a bearing beginning to fail. Packed it up and shipped it out this morning to be rebuilt. A new rack is $6k! Rebuilt only $1k. Plus a few knicked knuckles. I expected this to be a 2 hour job. Turned out to be 5 hours, but a $5,000 savings. I thought I missed turning wrenches. I don't. Any aspirations I once had for building an airplane were put to rest last night. I simply can't contort my body like a pretzel anymore. I'll stick to building things with a keyboard... including things that fly! More on this soon. (It's the other project that I've been taking time off for in recent months)
Thanks YachtForums, I guess I have never had enough of a budget for it to go bust, I'm comfortable because I'm pretty frugal, found some good deals, lots of barter but never made the trip to a bank with a wheelbarrow to carry the deposit. I have always had a great love for mechanics, but the old body and especially the tri-focals make it hard to change one thing when your looking at two or three. Yellow iron was my love and anchor Thanks for the welcome, now I better stop before I get in trouble. Ron
