On Oct 10, 2011, at 21:43 , Ken Waller wrote: > > Kenneth Waller > http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/kennethwaller > > From: "John Francis" <[email protected]> > > Subject: Re: OT - When a NASCAR champ meets Mt Panorama in a V8 Supercar > > >> On Mon, Oct 10, 2011 at 11:55:56AM -0700, Larry Colen wrote: >>> >>> For the people who have never been for a ride, at speed, on the track, with >>> someone who knows what they're doing driving, I highly recommend the >>> experience. It's a great way to recalibrate your understanding of the laws >>> of physics. >> >> Allow me to second that recommendation. > > Indeed - I had the great fortune to be a passenger in an Ford Econoline E 250 > driven by Bob Bondurant, around both Sear Point (when his driving school was > there) and Firebird Raceway. At Firebird, it was in the rain, and both times > I felt completely comfortable & safe after a few laps, seeing the ease and > calmness at which he approached hi task. At some ponts he would turn around > and talk to the passengers about the upcoming raod feature and hoe he was > going to traverse it.
When he was in his early 70s, my dad gave up after two laps and demanded I hit the pit road just as I rounded turn nine at about 90+ mph in my Porsche at Summit Point, WV.. I headed into the downhill straight to tight right turn one, explaining to him in a shout that we had to go around again as we had just passed the pit entrance. He groaned and lightened his complexion a bit, but held it down. His career had been as an Industrial Hygienist and Industrial Safety Engineer for Liberty Mutual Insurance, from smokestacks at first, retiring with many years as a renowned Nuclear Physicist and Safety Engineer. He had an office in Boston, and a field office out in the Hopkinton, Mass. Laboratory where they had a wet skid pad, a track to instruct police and others how to handle at speed, not to mention the vehicle destructive crash test facility inside, filled with the sounds a few times a week of 30 to 50 mph crashes, making a crash test dummy's life shorter each time. So taking this ride with me was really a tremendous leap of faith in his son's driving ability, and I guess the seat belts and helmet too. The only disappointment was my mother giving me "that look" whilst complaining as we left at the end of the day that I "had not asked her to take a ride too, or better yet, instead". She was much less afraid of risks than dad. I still regret not thinking straight enough to ask her FIRST! If it doesn’t excite you, This thing that you see, Why in the world, Would it excite me? —Jay Maisel Joseph McAllister [email protected] -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
