Driving the Giro and Going to Monterey
Aug 16, 2010 | 02:10 PM
#52
Thread Starter
| Teamspeed Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 431
Day 7
It’s now Concorso Italiano Day at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch just a few miles from our hotel. The name sounds like a place where they raise golf balls. We got up extremely early to try and clean up the car but it was still misting so badly that it was difficult to keep the car dry. I wanted to get an early start to get a better parking spot and to get situated for the day. We immediately began cleaning up the car and it was a real mess from the drive. Vic, Hope and I got to work cleaning up my car and finished the job just as the doors opened.
I was immediately told that I won something and that I should drive my car to the podium. I’ve not been to this show before so I had no idea what to expect. I ran into a lot of forum members who’ve been following this from the day I began. I ran into so many people I know from both Orange County and the Seattle area and it was a lot of fun to catch up. I drove up on stage and was surprised to hear that I won anything. I just assumed they wanted to see the car. I won third in the Lamborghini category. The two more deserving cars were a white Countache and beautiful red Miura. We represented the three Italian flag colors very well. People kept asking me what I won and I kept telling them I won best green SV in the show. Some assumed I was serious and acted all happy and stuff.
It was a very nice show, with cars packed very tightly together, actually too tight in places. I know I’ve heard over and over that there are different owner cultures between Italian exotics but when you go to a show like this, it’s really difficult to see any differences between attendees. Most of the attendees are extremely car knowledgeable and so you don’t get the same questions over and over again. It’s not when the same question is asked ten times, it’s when it’s asked 1,000 times that it gets difficult.
The day flew by and I found a clear shot to leave right at 4:00 PM without too much traffic. Departure traffic wasn’t bad until we hit the down slope towards town. We just sat without moving more than 100 feet for almost an hour, but we were so tired that we didn’t really care. It was nice just to be sitting down.
Later that same night I got my first look at the new Ultimate Aero full size model at a private viewing in a large tent outside of a house. After seeing the shape and design of the car, I believe it hits some important points given the car’s mission. I don’t want to say more than that. I was also so tired from the day’s show and a lack of sleep that it was difficult to fully comprehend the model. It made for a strange Friday evening.
I will say this about SSC, they are serious about taking their cars far beyond expectation. As car design moves closer and closer to the 300 MPH mark, different design rules apply. For that reason, one has to reset the expectations they have in automotive design.
By the time we got back to the hotel, I was so tired my eyes were practically touching. I am looking forward to Carmel By the Sea on Day 8.
It’s now Concorso Italiano Day at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch just a few miles from our hotel. The name sounds like a place where they raise golf balls. We got up extremely early to try and clean up the car but it was still misting so badly that it was difficult to keep the car dry. I wanted to get an early start to get a better parking spot and to get situated for the day. We immediately began cleaning up the car and it was a real mess from the drive. Vic, Hope and I got to work cleaning up my car and finished the job just as the doors opened.
I was immediately told that I won something and that I should drive my car to the podium. I’ve not been to this show before so I had no idea what to expect. I ran into a lot of forum members who’ve been following this from the day I began. I ran into so many people I know from both Orange County and the Seattle area and it was a lot of fun to catch up. I drove up on stage and was surprised to hear that I won anything. I just assumed they wanted to see the car. I won third in the Lamborghini category. The two more deserving cars were a white Countache and beautiful red Miura. We represented the three Italian flag colors very well. People kept asking me what I won and I kept telling them I won best green SV in the show. Some assumed I was serious and acted all happy and stuff.
It was a very nice show, with cars packed very tightly together, actually too tight in places. I know I’ve heard over and over that there are different owner cultures between Italian exotics but when you go to a show like this, it’s really difficult to see any differences between attendees. Most of the attendees are extremely car knowledgeable and so you don’t get the same questions over and over again. It’s not when the same question is asked ten times, it’s when it’s asked 1,000 times that it gets difficult.
The day flew by and I found a clear shot to leave right at 4:00 PM without too much traffic. Departure traffic wasn’t bad until we hit the down slope towards town. We just sat without moving more than 100 feet for almost an hour, but we were so tired that we didn’t really care. It was nice just to be sitting down.
Later that same night I got my first look at the new Ultimate Aero full size model at a private viewing in a large tent outside of a house. After seeing the shape and design of the car, I believe it hits some important points given the car’s mission. I don’t want to say more than that. I was also so tired from the day’s show and a lack of sleep that it was difficult to fully comprehend the model. It made for a strange Friday evening.
I will say this about SSC, they are serious about taking their cars far beyond expectation. As car design moves closer and closer to the 300 MPH mark, different design rules apply. For that reason, one has to reset the expectations they have in automotive design.
By the time we got back to the hotel, I was so tired my eyes were practically touching. I am looking forward to Carmel By the Sea on Day 8.
