As the kids settle into the new year in school, I'm hoping all of you adult types are also interested in more education - of the driving type, of course. The heat of summer is falling away (after this week, maybe, anyway) so the weather should be perfect for enjoying some fun with cars. The next couple of months have some good things in store so I thought I'd better do a quick review to make sure everyone has the info they need to plan for fun and education.
September is full of driving events for me - and hopefully for you too!! September 12 sees the Porsche Club annual Concours d'Elegance at Larz Anderson auto museum in Brookline MA. It will run all day and all the show-quality cars will be there for this one. The location alternates each year between this great spot and the Elms down in Newport. There is a Waterfire that night in Providence too, so make it a full weekend! Sunday, the 13th, is the summer season kid's karting championship race for my son on the joint track indoors at F1 Boston. He has finished up third in the points for the season and we'll see if he can add any additional hardware to his trophy case this time out.
The following weekend is another big one! The Northeast Region of the Porsche Club is at Thompson Speedway for the weekend, and I'll be there feeding my on-track passion. Unfortunately, it also overlaps with an ADSI autocross event at Quonset Point in RI on Sunday the 20th. And the FASRI picnic at Colt State Park in Bristol is on the 20th too! Way too much is packed into our remaining nice fall weekends!
The weekend after that is yet another big one! (Seeing the pattern here?) NASA (not the space agency, the driving group) is at Palmer Motorsports Park in Palmer/Ware MA and I'm going to run with them for the first time. I've been invited to "crew" for a friend who will be racing (real racing) that weekend in his Porsche Factory Cup race car, and I cannot resist that offer. Since he will be doing a sprint race, there really won't be much for the "crew" to do besides cheer for him, so I'm going to do some instructed driving with the group as well to keep myself in gear. I have no idea what to expect, but I'm very excited. There is still room to join for beginners (HPDE1 run group), I believe, so go sign up, Jean-Yves!! And everyone else!! The track is amazing. I tried to twist Attilio's arm to get him to go, but I was unsuccessful.
September 27th is the Japanese Grand Prix for F1 racing - always a great race with great fans. So much history at Suzuka. And a great reason to post a gratuitous RWB photo (in Martini livery no less!!):
October isn't nearly as packed (for me at least). There is an ADSI autocross right at the tail end of the fall school break on 10/18. Hopefully I'll be back from New Mexico in time for it!! I expect you all to attend regardless!
Then we're into November and the tail end of the season. Unbelievable isn't it. Feels like it just began and we have to shut it down again to break out the snow shovels. But November 22 is an ADSI autocross day - and usually an awesome one. The past two years have been ideal weather and just great fun in November. We had a bonus extra November event last year...maybe we'll get another of those?? Let's hope.
And that's it for 2015! Except for asking your wife, and Père Noël, and whoever will listen that you'd like some new car parts so you can get busy in the Spring!! There are other events on the calendar that I didn't highlight, so feel free to peruse the list and see if there is anything else that catches your eye. We'll have to do another karting event in the winter too so we can wrestle the trophy back from Joe (and Mia - I hear it now looks like My Little Pony is the driver!!). And Barbie car racing! Maybe we'll try to do that in October? I didn't even get to do a "Garage Day" this year either - sorry folks! Too many wrenches needed turning this year, I guess. And the garage is pretty packed these days. But the social events are the best so I'll have to get back on that horse.
To finish up on an educational note - If you don't have Ross Bentley's books in the Speed Secrets line, they would make a nice holiday gift for people to give you! Here's a nice smattering of info from a great teacher, Peter Krause. When you are shut in by the weather this winter, don't forget to hit up YouTube for a slew of great channels like Jay Leno's Garage, /Drive, Chris Harris on Cars, Evo Magazine, Mighty Car Mods, Petrolicious...this list goes on. I need to start planning out my winter garaging strategy now so I can get cars into the right spots to either store them or work on them. And make sure to watch out for the Bathurst 12 Hours in the early spring!! Best race of the year to watch on TV! I swear!
I hope the transition back to school has been good for everyone!! Hope to see you at an event soon or just around the town!