nostatic at all...

Ack! I'm on a 24 jag! I don't really watch much/any network or "live" tv these days...my viewing is limited to F1 races, Iron Chef and Law and Order reruns. But S kept bugging me about 24. So I tivo'd it and we worked through the episodes. Holy Crap! Jack kicks ass. Literally. And shoots kneecaps. Well, actually just above the kneecap so the person can still walk. And before as S was leaving for Europe she left me with season 4 on DVD. And I started watching Tuesday. I'm now up to 1pm. It's 1am my time. I just need to finish this disc...

Posted at 12:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you're wearing full gear, it was plenty hot today. Still in search of the "perfect" hot weather motorcycle jacket. The budget is shrinking (man, rough couple of months), so I may just have to sweat and be miserable, or settle for something inexpensive. I worry about mesh jackets though...dress for the crash, not the ride.

Posted at 10:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Having some cold idle problems. A check of the Multistrada board yields some info...there is a "home fix" but opinions are mixed on whether it is a good thing to do. Called around to the local shops and its either "see us in 2 weeks" or, "drop it off for a couple of days and we'll see if we can get to it." Makes one want to try the DIY solution. I hate to give up the riding time...guess I'll play it by ear. Not great for my "want to get everything sorted now" personality. So perhaps yet another life lesson to be learned...

Posted at 08:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, the alarm came early, and I still felt woozy. I thought about not showing up. I was scheduled to instruct again, and I knew that was likely a bad idea. The easiest way to avoid the whole thing would be to avoid the whole thing. But after reading "The War of Art" some more last night, the chapter on how a pro shows up got to me. So I would show up. Hopefully a bit wiser than yesterday. So a shower, some dramamine, and I was on my way.

Continue reading "lessons learned" »

Posted at 11:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An STS event today at Streets of Willow Springs. In the middle of the desert. High of 104 today. I used to be pretty heat-tolerant. But evidently not so much any more. I was scheduled to have a student all day, but instead had a "check out" ride with a PCA licensed guy. I did my run session (in my driving suit...heavy and hot), then hopped directly in his car for his check out ride (our run sessions were back to back). Was feeling hot, but OK. Waited for my next session trying to stay hydrated, and the check out ride guy said he'd like instruction if I was willing...which I always am, as I like to pass on what I've learned in the past.

Took him out as a passenger on my run session, then dropped him off in the hot pits with a couple minutes to go so i could get a fast lap (second session times count, and a passenger adds a second or three to your times...and the track was already slick and slow from the heat). I got the checkered, headed in, got out to check pressures and quickly drink some water, then climbed into his car for his second session.

Continue reading "a little too much" »

Posted at 06:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Some colored vinyl, scissors, and a little time. The nostatic livery.

Posted at 02:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I pretty much always wave. As was reinforced by my flat on the 405 during rush hour last friday, motorcyclists stick together. But sometimes guys don't wave. And of course, there are 10 reasons why:

Continue reading "the wave" »

Posted at 11:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Great days at the track. She's a little dirty and worse for the wear...but still beautiful to me.

Continue reading "its dirty" »

Posted at 08:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague wish for something salty."

- Peter Egan

Posted at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

And so it begins...20 laps of newbie racers. And to make matters worse, pretty much *everybody* in the club is watching. They have a vested interested, as those of us that pass will join them in the red or orange race groups. So they want to make sure we aren't boneheads. And as our instructors drilled into our heads over the weekend, "show us!" No talk. No lap time. Just get out there and show us you know how to race.

Continue reading "21 becomes 18" »

Posted at 07:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Day two of the clinic. First session was a repeat of the last session from yesterday: practice starts and open passing through turn 5. But if there is no yellow in turn 5, you keep racing. And racing we did. Damn, this is fun.

Continue reading "21 becomes 12" »

Posted at 07:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The end of a grueling day of Race Clinic. I am not long for the concious world, but here goes. The first run session was pods of four cars, two abreast running nose to tail. The idea was to get used to being in close proximity to other cars at speed (well, not really at speed yet). It was a bit of an eyeopener, espcially going through turns with a car right on your door. The next session was three cars abreast...all the way through the course. Scary. Really hard. I ended up in the middle most the time...car to my left, car to my right...no place to go if they drifted into me. But luckily they didn't. Two others weren't so lucky thought...there was minor contact in turn 6. Ooops. Our instructors were not happy (Joe Kunz and Gary Becker - Aasco pro racers who started in POC). So third session we tried it again, but it didn't go well either. After lunch and a serious dressing down from the instructors, we went out and practiced starts.

Continue reading "halfway there" »

Posted at 08:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Packing the car for the weekend up at Willow. But this one's different. The POC race clinic. Classroom instruction followed by exercises on track. Like going through corners 2 and 3 cars wide at triple digit speeds. Learning how to pass and be passed without swapping paint. The goal? First to survive (it's gonna be HOT), and second, after another clinic the POC Race License. Then it's wheel-2-wheel racing, baby!

Say a prayer...

Posted at 07:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A day of public trans as the car is getting a kill switch. There was the crazy guy who came on the bus asking for a quarter as he'd gotten off too early. After somebody gives him one, he comes and sits next to me and mumbles/rambles. Ahh, city life. But it's in my dna...

Posted at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was errand day. 120+ miles on the bike (thankfully at 40+mpg) running around to various places. And it was hot. Funny but thick leather with armor isn't particularly cool on a day like today. Well, that's OK. I'm aiming to fix that problem...that was part of the errands. The day actually started promising...got up a 7am to move the bike out of the garage before the neighbors started their garage sale, and it was so beautiful I pulled the car out and headed to Zuma. Unfortunately the surf was hacked...so back I came to start my errands. Tomorrow might be a repeat...more will be revealed.

Posted at 11:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, first lunch/parade laps. Then the short track series license. Then a time trial license. Today I found out that I'm in for the POC Race Clinic June 10-11. In short, two days of learning the ins and outs of wheel to wheel racing. Drills going two and three wide through turns, the art of passing, and other things designed to keep you safe when trying to decide if you're going to brake late and dive in for a pass. After this clinic I think I'm in a different TT run group, then after the second Race Clinic (in Dec I think), I get my race license. Then it's really over...stay tuned.

Posted at 04:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, the results from the time trial are up. In the final practice session I ran a 2:01, better by my competitor by a second. But in the real deal, I ended up coming in second by 0.035 seconds. That would be thirty-five thousandths of a second. Oh well. Next time...

Posted at 09:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This weekend was the POC Tribute to LeMans race and time trial. Since I don't have my race license (yet), I was doing the time trial on sunday, but served as a pit marshall for the Tribute 4-hour enduro race on saturday. California Speedway was the site, and it is a very fast track...you run the full front straight and turn 2 and 3 on the banked oval. So I was hitting 130mph or so...yow. And quit staring at the skid marks leading up to the wall. Don't know how my 2 hot laps went...they were ok I think, but not my fastest. Managed to drop down to 2:01 in the 5th (and last) practice session of the weekend. Wish I had been able to run on friday...that would have been another 4 run sessions. Oh well, the car and I made it through the weekend unscathed, uber-bud Harry showed up to spectate on sunday and generally keep Calvin company while I was on track. I do love this stuff...

me on the front straight having passed the 944 and dogging the GT3...why is he so slow with twice my hp?!?

Continue reading "an oval weekend" »

Posted at 10:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm exhausted. But not the usual psychic exhausted...instead its from racing at California Speedway. Today was the "Tribute to Le Mans" 4 hour enduro race. I didn't get to race it because I don't have a cup license (yet), but instead I volunteered as a pit marshal. So it was an early morning, followed by three run sessions practicing for tomorrow's time trial (my first time running this course at speed), the 4 hours of standing around making sure two of the teams didn't do anything wrong during their mandatory pit stops. Then back to the westside to get some groceries and pick up the boy. Then up early again tomorrow to do a couple sessions then my TT. No complaints though...nope. Interestingly enough it was a little over 2 years ago that I first set wheels upon a track..this very one, doing lunch laps in March of '04. My, the slope is rather slippery...

Posted at 10:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We thought we had a bad monoball on the 911. Turns out the monoball might have been ok...it was the spacer and nut that was whack. After 3 hours of fun, and another car to scavange from (hey, I've got a time trial coming up and that car is on the lift for another 2 weeks), she's back on the road. Tight fit between the bar mount and the monoball, but looks like it won't bind. We'll see on Saturday...

Oh, and the right rear sway bar mount was hanging off. What's up with that?!?

Posted at 03:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CBS...they suck. They broadcast 4 Formula One races a year. And their coverage blows. But what blows more is that I forgot they were covering this weeks Spanish GP, and didn't tell Tivo to look for the race. So I watched practice and qualifying, then settled in Sunday night to an empty recorder. Oh well, I still don't know who won, and SpeedTV will broadcast their version (with announcers who don't suck) next weekend. At least I got to make a dent in my backlog of Sopranos episodes...

Posted at 11:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A video that I did a soundtrack for about 3 years ago resurfaced, and of course led me to some lyrics (again). Funny, that...

Home in the valley
Home in the city
Home isn’t pretty
Ain’t no home for me

Continue reading "i'm livin' for givin' the devil his due..." »

Posted at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Give rides to girls on toys with wheels. As we get older, only the price of the wheels change...

Posted at 07:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Somebody was talking about DSs today at the conference. My son has a DS. I don't. But wait, yes I do...just a different kind of DS:

Posted at 02:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Day two of the time trial, and I'm starting to get the hang of the new setup. A chance discussion with a friend/competitor led me to try a different gear through turns one and two (stay in 4th instead of shift down into third) and that was great. The tires are wearing in, and I'm starting to figure out the turn in and weight transfer characteristics of the car. Quite different than before. Part of it is that the old setup was very tired, and as a result the car wallowed a bit. Now it just darts, so I have to be smooth and precise. Back to the drawing board.

Continue reading "back where I started from" »

Posted at 08:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, I had some suspension work done on my car, with the hopes that I'd get a bit quicker. Last time at Willow Springs, I ran a 1:38 lap. With the "new and improved" car, my first session was a 1:45. wtf? I had no idea where the car was going or what I was doing. Quite the ego check. As the day wore on I slowly dropped my times, ending with a 1:41 best lap. Hmm. Guess I have more work to do...

Posted at 08:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A fellow racer, Dan Lawson, died at Buttonwillow today. No, I didn't know him, but in the end, we're all part of one big family. No matter what kind of car we have, or what we do for a living, or where we've been, we gather at the track to compete and share the joy we find in pushing our cars (and bikes) close to their limit.

More info here

I think a quote from Dave Despain says it well. God speed to us all...

That's what he would have wanted.
That's what I would have wanted.
Are those just words of comfort, or words that justify our love of a sport?
No!

I think that somewhere behind those words you will find a basic division within the human family. Over there the vast majority fear death above all else. Avoid it's risk above all else, and pray they die in their sleep. Never looking the inevitable in the eye.

But over here the arena is reserved for those special few, for those who climb mountains, fight wars, and drive racecars.

Those special few, that accept death is the inevitable result of living. We refuse to hide from the inevitable. We concur our fear. We live our life to the fullest!

Let's take a moment to prepare ourselves.
A quiet moment before the engines roar

Posted at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

a few pics

outside Westley

Continue reading "a few pics" »

Posted at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'll have more to report later, but a quick "I'm back" note. Thanks to Don for picking me up at the airport and driving me into the city. Here's the short story : the gas guage sucks (I knew that) but heading out of SF I filled up and figured I was just under 50mpg. Then I ran into nasty head and crosswinds. Turns out headwinds drive your mileage way down. Down enough to make me run out of gas outside Arvin, CA (ie the middle of nowhere). $135 later I'm back on the road (most expensive tank of gas ever, but thanks to Joe's Towing...I've got to see if Ducati Roadside Assistance might reimburse me). Then rain and wind about 20 miles leading up to, then up the grapevine as I tiptoed between 18 wheelers. Couldn't really see much of anything...helmet fogged on the inside, misted on the outside...was quite nasty. Trying to find the Botts dots just to keep a line.

Finally cleared up west of Gorman, and was clean all the way back in. Great frickin' bike (except for the gas guage). And the termis sound awesome.

Posted at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, this was the scene last spring...I had not one but *two* bikes, having first bought the Ducati Monster but finding it too small for me, then picking up the Triumph. Italy v. Britain. I sold the Monster and have been happy with the Triumph (8K miles worth) until my hip tendonitis started acting up. It seems that the fairly wide tank of the Speed Four forces my knees out and that combined with high pegs makes for a sad hip. Well, forward into the past, it'll be Italy v. Britain again, at least until I sell the Triumph. Yes, a new stead into the garage...one that should make my body happy again.

the old:

the new:

Posted at 05:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK kids, I'm about to hit the road (hopefully not in a literal sense), for my Pelican Pilgrimage to Las Vegas. The purpose is to meet a bunch of people who I've never met. Well, never met in a physical sense. I know their politics/religion/etc all too well from the Pelican Parts OT Board. So I'm hopping on the Triumph and heading to Vegas. It's the American dream, baby. Open road, gambling, fear, loathing. No acid though. I don't do that any more...

Posted at 09:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

MotoGP (windoze media...sorry)

Not for the faint of heart...but these guys are good...very good. Serious jacks of speed.

Perhaps not as exciting, but it is me driving. And hitting 125mph at the end of the front straight.

a lap at willow

Posted at 09:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sometimes, you just gotta head to the desert. Dropped the boy off at school, then somehow ended up at Willow Springs instead of work. Now how did that happen?!?

Posted at 11:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Perhaps you heard about the Ferrari Enzo that crashed on PCH the other day. Perhaps you didn't see the eBay auction being held by a Pelican friend of mine who went by the crash site:

buy this hose

But with any truly creative auction, the best part is the q&a

Posted at 08:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, quite the trip. I rolled out of the westside at 6pm Friday night. Made it into Las Vegas around midnight. Thank you LA traffic. My ex said it must be all the people driving to Vegas for early Valentine's Day weddings. Everyone's a comedian when you're doing 10mph on the freeway for 150 or so miles...

Almost zero sleep that night. No anxiety, just active mind. I think I got around an hour of sleep, then hit the track. My motel was about 5 miles south of Las Vegas Motor Speedway, so it was a quick jaunt. I rolled into the pits about 6:45am

Continue reading "950 miles later..." »

Posted at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Look for a complete report on the weekend activities, but for now, just the facts:

950 miles, 10 run sessions, 2 hot laps, 1 class win, 0 speeding tickets. Vegas, baby.

Posted at 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, I'm almost off to Vegas. No, not to gamble...at least not in the casino. No, it will be at speed on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. I'm sure I'll have plenty to report from the road trip and time trials. But for now...into the wild blue yonder...

Posted at 04:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For those of you following along at home, this will be my third season racing with the POC. I have an STS license (the entry-level race series), and will (hopefully) get signed off on my TT license this weekend. Cars are classified by year and other details using a two letter system. The first letter usually refers to a group of years of make (centered around engine size/hp). I'm "I", which fits with my '79 911SC (US-spec). The second letter refers to the amount of modifications: S is stock (very few mods), I is improved (a few more mods), P is prepared (still more mods).

Continue reading "aye aye, no, IP" »

Posted at 08:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While surfing around I found this shot of my car from the last race of the 2005 season. She's under the knife right now getting a new clutch, fixing oil leaks, and getting some safety additions (fire supression system, electric cut off switch, tow straps). I miss her and feel funny with her not in my garage even though she's in good hands

Posted at 01:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted at 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Abbreviated report...too tired for the full story and I can't find my cable to transfer images from my camera. So a cell phone picture will have to do. The short story is today was the first Short Track Series race for the POC. I had my new/old tail (class legal), and the boy was in tow as my pit crew. We made it through the day, and I managed to turn a 1:15.8 lap in the last session. That beats my old best time (and previous track record for my class) by a little over a second. The car was swinging, and I evidently managed to find the zone a few times...I love this stuff

Posted at 10:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This was from last night, but in a few hours I'll be on a place back to LA.

Posted at 04:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The web is a great thing. I have friends all over the world, largely as a result of the Pelican Parts BBS. Today Don was in town from Arizona picking up some parts and gave me a call (we had text'd a few weeks back about some other topics). We ended up meeting at TRE with Tyson. Then it was off to Mexicali in Studio City for mexican food with the boys (Don's friend Bob and the Calvinator also in attendance). Good times...

Posted at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm off to celebrate xmas nostatic style. And today it's solo, baby. I'm taking the camera. Film at 11. Well, probably earlier than that. So stay tuned...

Posted at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I love my car. No really...the sound, the smell, the feel. I have spent some amazing times in my car. Some more memorable than others, and some that will never be repeated. But that is the beauty of it all.

It's my time machine. It was built my senior year of high school. When she starts up, part of me is transported back then. And to other times. Times behind the wheel on the track. Times behind the wheel on road trips. Times spent sitting in the passenger seat, just feeling everything and nothing. On an outlook at the edge of darkness. On the side of PCH smelling the surf. I have been blessed by good luck, hard times, beautiful friends, and wonderful slices of life.

Posted at 09:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, I should have posted this back in November when I actually did the trip, but what the hey. You can read Don's account here. The short story is that Calvin and I packed up the 911 and headed north for two track days at Sears Point (Infineon) raceway. We stayed with a fellow Pelican who we'd never met in person before we rolled up into his driveway. Excellent time, quite the adventure, and we both came out unscathed. But I'll just let the pics tell the story...

Continue reading "sears late" »

Posted at 02:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In my quest to get on the track, especially new tracks, the boy and I trudged north to Sonoma to run Sears Point (Infineon). Sunday saw us heading north out of LA. The boy got to see the Golden Gate bridge for the first time.

We stayed at a friends house...I'd met Don online at the PelicanParts BBS. He has a very nice place in Petaluma and a great family. Calvin got along great with Don's son, and they played computers games until late hours.

Continue reading "north to sears" »

Posted at 01:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

coming soon...I swear

Posted at 02:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

orry, no pics...camera battery was dead.

OK, the title will make sense in a minute. But first, rewind to Saturday, which was POC school. For those of you playing along at home, it was about a year ago that I attended the event as a student, starting my journey towards a short track series license. This year I was there again, but as a fledgling instructor. Be afraid...very afraid.

Continue reading "STS #6: orange cords" »

Posted at 09:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

coming soon...

Posted at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sitting in a Starbucks in Salinas (hey, aliteration) at a little after 8:30pm. Today was "practice" for the POC event at Laguna Seca. Ever since I started driving seriously I've wanted to run this track. Today was finally the day, and I had extremely high expectations. In fact I worried that I would be a bit let down, so I tried to "curb my enthusiasm."

No need. It was better than I could have imagined.

Continue reading "paradise found: Laguna Seca" »

Posted at 07:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Back in one piece. Subject pretty much tells it all. Left at 9:30am Wednesday heading north, got to my motel at 5:00pm (Travelodge near SFO), showered, changed, back on the bike into downtown SF, arrive at Harringtons at 6:00pm. Hang out with pelicans until about 10:30pm, back on the bike to the motel. Sleep, back on the bike at 9:30am this morning heading south. Got a ticket at 1:07pm ouside of Paso Robles...nice enough guy. Clocked me at 95, wrote me up for 85 in a 70 zone. Traffic was horrible around Santa Barbara (lane split), then again near Oxnard (lane split), then again in Thousand Oaks (lane split). It looked like it was going to be that way all the way into LA so I bailed at Las Virgenes and headed over the hills to Malibu...it was wicked hot inland. Got to PCH and made the familiar drive back hme in relative comfort except for my butt and my right hand (which I''m icing right now). Not something I'd do every day. Or even again unless I had a bike with more fairing and a better long distance position. But what the hell, you only live once and you''re dead a long, long, long time...

Continue reading "2 wheels, 33 hours, 860 miles, 6 pelicans and a ticket" »

Posted at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Track day at Willow yesterday. Great time, dinner with the boys afterwards, then hanging out at Italian Bike Night in Santa Monica.

Got some pretty cool pics...will likely take a couple of posts to fit them all. As for the write up, I''ll doa quick one now. Frickin'' awesome day. Great weather, great friends, tons of track time. The car was behaving really well and I was able to get quite a few 1:42 laps. The good news was I was able chase down a lot of cars in the corners...nobody in blue was on my arse in the twisties. Different story on the straights, but one of the great joys in life is catching higher hp cars in the turns. 3-4-5 in particular was working pretty well. I still don''t "get" 9...lots of work to do there. Plus I''m not really near the edge of pushing in some other areas of the track...but I''m edging towards it (my last timed day had a 1:46 as the best time).

My "ego" moment of the day was when the driver of a prepped mustang came up after the 3rd session and asked who owned the silver car (gulp!). I remembered him from the session...I caught him in the turns and he pointed me by. For the next few laps I gapped him on the turns but he would catch me on the straights...but he didn''t seem to want to pass (even though I pointed him by once). Anyway, I said I was driving the car and he introduced himself and thanked me for showing him a fun line to drive. That was pretty cool...but of course the real credit goes to the guys that showed *me* what the hell to do (like Tyson, Jack, Dave, etc).

Jack and I may have converted a young guy who was there in an E30. He rode with Jack in one session, and me in another. He then was asking quite a few questions about the best year to buy, etc. I believe he saw the joys of oversteer and throttle steering.

Posted at 06:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hey, I was just trying to rhyme. For those keeping track, my car is back out of the shop after an argument with a large chunk of concrete (tossed into my path by another car). I had a few modifications done, and unfortunately I don''t like them, so I''m swtiching the car back to stock. The bad thing is everything cost more than expected, so I''m out of pocket pushing 5 figures. Ouch. Now I''ve got to scramble and try and find the guy who caused the concrete to be in the freeway and see if I can get his insurance to reimburse me. Fun. Double fun. And to make matters worse, my car now has no front valence since I took the new fiberglass one off (and couldn''t get my old banged up one back on). So I shouldn''t really drive the car until next week. But then I''ve got to wait to get a valence, then get it painted, then mount it up.

Could be worse...I could have been hurt.

Posted at 08:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There comes a time in every man''s life when he is called to a higher purpose. And the transportation for that journey is a 911SC. Although our founder has fallen under a (temporary) spell of the Dark Scythe of Nissania, the Plot moves forward and the poseurs and wanna-be''s flail in our wake.', 'But what drives a Plot for World Domination? A 3.0L engine of course. That and a pure head, and clear heart. Wait a minute...reverse that.

he GruppeB shall rue the day of their inception. In the words of Plato, "I drank what?"

Posted at 06:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)