Jewelp

Byron has more self control and patience than I could ever muster!



His message from FerrariChat.com -------------------------------------------------------

Ok guys... you asked for it.

Special thanks should go out to Rich Barker for fitting the FDC group into the sold-out Buttonwillow event... Almost everyone that went out ate some dirt, but also had a blast. I know personally, I had a wonderful time!

Ok, so you all know what happened on saturday and sunday. (Check original thread here: http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6161) Other than spinning out on the final lap of the intermediate session #1 (yes, Rich, you can stop laughing now!) my car ran great on saturday. The bus-stop configuration of Buttonwillow was very fun, and very fast. Too bad I really didn't have the tires to keep up with Carl's "slick" 348 with the totally dialed out new suspension and Pirelli's! Dinner was an adventure, as we drove nearly 25 miles down to downtown Bakersfield looking for a decent restaurant, just to find ONE Outback Steakhouse with a 80-90min wait. Carl and Brian were sent on a scouting mission, and found Panda Palace, where we eat ate up a buffet storm for $12 a person! sweet. Sat night was chill... beer and shootin' the breeze at Chateau 6.

Sunday had an ominous beginning. Not only did my car NOT start in the Motel 6 parking lot, I had issues all day long with my throttle cable getting stuck... nothing major, though, b/c mechanically, the car ran/handled beautifully. A little spray of the secret sauce and we were off the the track... first session out, I get stuck on the back straight after the "Esses"... it was great to get stuck there, though, b/c I got to hear all the car up close and personal as they roared by near the burms.

2nd session out... awesome!!! Now this was a fun session. Carl and I had the guys from Topspin designs do some wheel to wheel video footage of our cars out on the track... it was awesome. Great session. I still have to contact those guys to get the video clips from them.

Then I got a ride in the radical SR3. If you want to know what a surreal adrenaline high is all about, jump in a Radical. OMG!! Thanks again, Arnaud for the amazing experience. That bike, I mean car, sticks to the ground!! We are doing 110-115 going straight into Lost Hills/Magic Mtn, and around 120 going into the last turn before every the front straights. WOW!! Everyone was watching as that thing went down the straight shooting flames out the back. I was privileged to ride in it!!

Then it was the last session (for me anyhow)... While taking Arnaud out on the last run, we clear 1 1/3 laps... ouch... there was one part that was fun, as we saw Laurent tailing me going into the last turn... I braked late, matched to 3rd, and threw the 348C around the corner, apexing and going wide to the edge... Laurent (in his stock 330Ci) did the same, went in too hot, and SPLASH! ... good thing only an ego was bruised. After the front straight, and as we round the slow part of the track, turn #2... I bring the car up to speed again, just to downshift and find my throttle stuck wide open in 3rd. I had to shut off and coast off the track at tower 2. It was neat being stuck out there as we watched all the other car come over the crest and taking "different" lines, hehe... I have some great pictures of my car out there - will post later.

At the end of the day, after the combined beginner session, after several unsuccessful attempts to get my car started again, we tug it back to the paddocks with the RF VW Support vehicle. Cool car! It was getting late... they were closing the gates...couldn't get the car started.

Time to call AAA.

Everyone left the track by 5:30-5:45. Arick and I (thanks Arick for sticking it out with me all night... I still owe you that steak dinner, buddy) waited in the cold pitch black night until a big AAA flat bed showed up. We were to tow my car to the shop in LA. After some careful wood block placement and winching, my car is on the flatbed and locked and ready to go... I think.

Arick and I were starving so we stopped for hot dogs at the local gas station... We figured we'd give the truck a head start and we'd catch up to him. After some dogs and other junk food, we started off. Arick's Tsi is quick and we realized we were doing some fast speeds trying to find the truck... no luck. Every truck we passed had some other car on it. It wasn't until we passed the grapevine, passed Santa Clarita, and got onto 405 south nearing the Sunset pass that we came across the truck. While cruising in 3rd lane, I catch the truck in the corner of my eye pulled over on the side of the road... but something more, I see a red splash of color near the truck, but not on the truck. I knew the worst had happened.

YES.

My Ferrari had fallen off the tow truck. We zip around, take the next exit, and loop back around... when we pull up to the truck, all I saw was my car, facing diagonally downward on the side of the hill, on the mountainside, off the 405 freeway. I'm getting out of the car, Arick is telling me to remain calm... I walk up to see my car in the dirt on the side of the mountain... I start to ask the driver how the heck something like this could happen. He comes over and is ghostly white and tells me he doesn't know what happened. I ask him how fast he was going and if he hit a bump... he claims he was doing 65... WOW. I was livid. My car was on the side of a mountain! Well, he assures me they have good insurance and then makes a request that I punch him in the face... I'm like "What? No, I'm not going to punch you - that's not going to solve anything!"

It was already past 9pm... so I took some digital photos as he pulled the car off the mountain to take it to the shop. There it lies at the moment, awaiting insurance adjustors to step in and resolve the matter.

The car is badly damaged... unfortunately, this encounter with the dirt is NOT just a bruised ego...

And that's the "rest of the story"... Who knows maybe this belongs in the wrecked exotics archive or in a "How on earth could this happen" website... I'm still in shock, as are many that were witness to this catastrophe, I presume. Hopefully, it doesn't show up on eBay as "never been tracked, never seen rain, concours quality, shows like a 100pt car"... LOL. All joking aside - I am truly devastated. For those that had a chance to enjoy the car with me, I think you might agree, that for many reasons, this was truly a one-of-a-kind vehicle and will be difficult, near impossible to replace...

Well, at least I got a good track weekend in before this happened. Arnaud, too bad you sold the Lotus. I will have to look elsewhere now! Thanks for your help Costa - sorry to put you out on a sunday evening. Needless to say, I will be sorting this out in the next few days/weeks... so, no more 348CH car for now, but hopefully, something new to add to the stable soon...

Just my luck... *sigh*

Thanks for all the support, everyone. I know I'll get through this one.

Sadly,
Byron

NASA racer

because if it falls off the trailer or the trailer comes off or gets stolen...you get it replaced instead of being out of pocket the cost of the thing. If you lose your race car on(in) a trailer, your car insurance wont cover its replacement.

I got a quote for about 1/100th the value per year which is FULL COVERAGE for the car in every place (garage, parking lot, paddock, pits) up till you start it (once it's moving under its own power it's not insured while its running).<ul><li><a href="http://parishheacock.com/content/">http://parishheacock.com/content/</a</li></ul>

Jeff Vader - boscoj

Pete, can you email me? I need some help with photoshop. Actually I was wondering if you could make a flyer for me. RobO is totally swamped with Motorola stuff, finally got a real job! I could use the help.

Jewelp

of course, if your trailer is also an RV trailer, vehicles inside are covered =)

NASA racer

we're talking us low budge guys with open trailers...not guys with busses and semis ;-P

Nogaro

Mike was telling me he's thinking about getting one for both of you.

NASA racer

but what you would like to do when you have a wife and two kids and what you actually do are two different things hehehe.

Nogaro

The tone he used when talking with me waasss a bit "dreamy." heheh

Jewelp

it's a go!!
Actually, we ride dirt bikes too, so that was the first reason for this trailer. But, we figured we might as well get one big enough to stuff cars in too!