What is worse than sitting on pit lane in a soggy suit waiting for a session to start? Sitting in a open top car while the rain is still pissing down. After the break we’ve got a rather large gallery of rather uncomfortable looking cars and their pilots prior to a wet practice session at the 2009 VARAC Festival at Mosport. As you will notice from the water on the lens, it was still raining at this point and the session wasn’t so much fun for a lot of guys.
Still, better than a day in the office!
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I would happily swap places with any of the vintage racers, even during a raging hurricane 🙂
Actually, it was raining damn hard at times that day…but I'd still rather be sitting in the car ready to play!
Not meaning any disrespect but I had a good laff reading about asphalt racers waiting in the rain.
Now I’m sure it’s not the perfect scenario but I come for the S.C.O.R.E. off road racing series. Hell I’d take that little bit of “drizzle” over the conditions we raced in.
Dust storms, hail, pounding rain, mud holes, crazed Mexican fans throwing cerveza bottles at you, bottomless silt pits, chilling cold, try holding your bladder for your 1-5 hours driving stints over nasty frame bending, kidney slamming terrain, try to fixing a drive belt, we had a class 12 MiniMag, at 2am in the middle of the Valley de Trinidad with Class 1 trucks slamming by you.
Starch Up lads!
As I said not meaning any disrespect I’m just comparing experiences and thinking maybe I should have chosen my racing time in a different series…. NAW!
BTW… Nice Pics.
Awesome picts.
I really need to post my videos on youtube.
The pre-grid has to be nerve racking to a rookie.
I had to laugh…
Last week Nascars own Buddy Baker was doing an interview when someone asked him, “When it’s so hot why dont you guys just pour a bottle of water down your neck to cool down?”
Buddy replied, “Pour water down my neck!!! You’ve never been in a race car during a caution when it’s 110 degrees outside and 130 in the car have you? Does the racing term “Butt Stew” mean anything to you?”
Oh man, that’s funny! That might even replace SWALLS in my hot weather commentary!
Like women… some look better wet than others.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2tKN8oD6rho/RxZ1Xkv0W4I/AAAAAAAABWQ/GEOpILHtUgA/s1600-h/Ferrari+dash+a.bmp
110º….? Ha, try 115-130º outside…or the reverse 30-40º! I did have a ventilated clean air helmet but 130º or 40º air isn’t so pleasant. Plus setting on “pucker bushes” will chaff your butt very quickly. You asphalt guys have it pretty easy, IMHO.
But as someone once said.. ” Any form of racing beats working!”
RB, you make it sound as if there is no challange racing on asphalt but you need to remember the reason they paved those little country roads you guys play on was so we could go fast.
PS: If it’s harsh weather conditions you want try running a race at Thunderhill when it’s 120 except do it for 12 hours straight. Then try running there when it’s freezing, hailing, raining with 80 mile an hour winds with 100 other cars on the track all at the same time THEN, do it 25 hours without stopping.
Child’s play. The shortest race we had was a 250 miler, the longest the 1000 add in the terrain and you have quite a task. As far as speed I think Robby Gordon blowing by you at 130 is pretty quick. Most of our races ran 18 hours and as long as a day.
Hey… I say all this with the most respect for all racing venues, it’s all good… or…. I’m just poking a little fun at you asphalt guys, can’t ya take a little kidd’n? It’s not life or death.
Gary how often would that happen? In my form… well I guess I’d better leave it alone.
Controversy is good for the heat. The last endurance race I was in was 2500 miles.
Hey Faules I’d like to know more about this 2500 mile endurance race so I can be a better informed Garage reader?
So where do I find out about this race? It’s not the Dakar, as it’s not long enough. That’s a race I have respect for and even though I love the Baja 1000 it’s simple when compared to the Dakar. So clue me in on this event you speak of as I’m always interested in any form of racing.
I suspect GF is talking about La Carrera Panamericana.
Simple… Just Google Gary Faules. I dont hide behind an alias.
Gary, wow that’s some impressive racing resume! My hat’s off to you, very impressive. I’m rather new to this asphalt stuff so I guess that’s why I didn’t know who your are.
I was only a mid level talent in off road stuff my co-drivers the Bristing Brothers were the shoes. But I still contend off road, 1000 / Dakar, any, are the hardest form of racing there is, period. Asphalt can be long, hot & tiring true but you were still on asphalt or at worst hard packed dirt. I do know of the La Carrera it is a tough race for sure, grueling but add in….. well you know.
BTW, my name is Robert Ballard not sure why my link doesn’t work… and not sure but if that ” I don’t hide behind an alias.” comment was directed at me I don’t, it’s my nick name.
I’m always amazed at the level of hostility when it comes to discussing different types of racing? I thought I was just poking fun, I guess not.
Robert Ballard
My link is working now… drop by my blog.
RB – ya just gotta remember that sometimes what works in person comes across a bit rough in print!
What I saw in your post was the mentality of “Mine is bigger than yours.” I am from the school of having respect for every sport and for any one who is loves it each in his or her own endeavor.
Gary F… Gary G… This is my last comment…
I never said mine was bigger or better I just made a comment that I thought off road racing was more grueling than any other form and… thought it funny that some drizzle was cause for this comment… “What is worse than sitting on pit lane in a soggy suit.” I even praised Gary F. in a later post.
My blog has very few commenters, but when someone does I respond to what was said not what I think they meant.
Maybe this warning should be a lead in to the comments section… “Be careful, egos bruised easily, walk softly?”
Robert
I was at turn 3 and it was interesting to see who knew how to drive in the wet and who didn’t. Of course tires made a big difference but there were those who knew enough to stay off the normal line and those that used the regular line.
And yes a certain Volvo definetely knew how to drive Mosport in the wet.