My sickness has spread.

[scestes]

As some of you know, I went to the ALMS season finale at Laguna Seca. It was an awesome day. The sun was out most of the day and there was plenty of action out on the track. My Girlfriend was really rooting for the Patron car of Sharp and Brabham. They managed to set a new track record over the weekend, but performed poorly in the race.

On Sunday, it was parade lap day. I purchased one of those VIP parking passes that allows you out on the track for a parade lap behind a pace car. I had bought the pass hoping my girlfriend would drive my 2002. She was not so keen on the idea because she knows how much time I've put into the car, and she was afraid she was going to throw it off in the Cork Screw or something. After driving my car to the track that day, she felt a lot more comfortable with it and decided she'd indeed take the wheel for the laps.

As soon as we hit the track, this permanent smile hit her face. We were behind some large Mercury Grand Marquis or something, and it was having issues negotiating some turns, but would tear away from us in the straights. We were able to maintain a pretty steady 45+ mph around the track up to the cork screw on the first lap (they actually took us around twice) and as we headed down it, she let out with "oh my god, this is so damned cool. How awesome!". I think that was the clincher. The rest of the lap and a half, she was just estatic at how much fun she was having driving around the track. Most of the time she was able to shift up to a pretty good pace. Hit 70 I think in the straight on both laps.

After the pace laps, she couldn't get that smile off her face and I hinted that perhaps she should look at getting a car once the holidays are over and perhaps do some performance driving school days. She kinda "Hrmmm'd" and said "yea, maybeso". The rest of the day was filled with "Wow, that was so damned cool.. I can't believe how much fun that was just driving a car on a track."

Fast forward to this week. Out of the blue she asks me what the difference is between a '73 and a '71 2002. I was kinda caught off guard by it. I told her there were very few differences between the two model years, and it depended on if it was a tii, automatic, etc. I asked why she was wondering, and she said she saw a '73 that looked interesting for around $3500 and she wondered how different from my car it would be. So my sickness (which was passed onto me from a friend (thanks Shad)) has now spread to my girlfriend. The prices that NCRC is posing for their 2009 schedule ($99-$129) for most events, I think there are going to be a lot of performance driving school events in my, and probably my girlfriends, future.

Anyone wanna plan on doing some events with me? Shad I'm looking at you! I can't wait to see your call hit the track.

[wagnerf15]

Wow, that worked out better than you ever could have expected.

[PabloM]

When my car is done I am so down to take it on the track, but I don't know if I'll have the funds to do so =(

[boxy02]

I believe I have a few pics of your 2002 entering and exiting turn 2 at Laguna. When I get home I'll post them for you. I't was cool seeing an '02 on track there!

Cheers!

[dubois]

Wow, that is a great story, those prices are not bad. Congratulations, now you have a his and hers!

[boxy02]

pics of yours??

[boxy02]

last one

[scestes]

pics of yours??

Awesome yes! Thanks much! I'm going to forward these off to my girlfriend tonight. Thanks for sharing!