back from Long Beach

[norman-normal]

The cars looked great, all had advertising, SB had McDonalds Salads on side pods. Too many to remember but all seemed to be properly festooned.
Isaw Tommy Kendall putting his name on one of PGs jaguar racer, so I ask him if he really had to go that far to beat that Patrick gal this year; he smiled... kinda. He needs some advantage, she is about 130lbs lighter
Today was the first time I have ever, in my 73 yrs ask anyone for an autograph (not on a document): I got PT on my newly purchased PT-Forsythe cap sans players,(good looken $15 what a deal!) I got Junky,I got A.J.Almondinger(does he have a drivers licence?) SB and M jordain, RHR and Phillip, I think, at least thats the name on the side of the car. All were very friendly...Oh Jimmy was there and so was his car but this time Jimmy Vasser was in small script by the cockpit and the $ide pod$ were proper decor.
The grandstands are up, Long Beach is ready!

[macdaddy]

And so are we!!!

Glad to hear that you had a great time!

[camcartfan]

I just got back too! I had a great time! It was so nice to see the drivers walking around, mingling, shaking hands, taking pictures, etc. They were not hiding behind a table like they do at the races. Live band, sponsor booths, concessions, tickets sales, Trans Am cars, Atlantic cars, vintage cars, etc. The car Mario Andretti retired in (race winner too, but can't remember which race) was there on display. No ropes up, even around the vintage cars. You could walk up and touch them all you wanted. Nobody there to say no.

I'd say there were about 1,500 people constantly cycling in and out of the arena at any given time.

PKR is now PKVR (Pettit Kalkoven Vasser Racing). Pollock is out. PKVR drivers are Gonzalez and Vasser. I stood and talked briefly with Kevin Kalkoven who introduced me to Mr. Pettit. I thanked him for saving the series and told him that this type of function is very important to the fans and thanked him for that also. Someone nearby asked Kevin about Mid Ohio. He said that won't happen anytime soon. He gave a reason, but I couldn't hear. I asked Mr. Pettit about where Mika is going. He said the new PKVR sponsor (NIII Holdings, Inc?) is a Mexican company and they had to put a Mexican driver in one of the seats. The other seat went to the partial owner, Vasser. He said Mika is still trying to find a ride in Champ Cars for this season. I told him I think Mika is good for the series, and he agreed.

At Forsythe, Carpentier is out. Forsythe is now Tracy and Lavin. No cars on sight, unknown sponsorship.

Rocketsports is Tagliani and Nelson Phillipe. 17 years old! Nelson was nice and very friendly. Bronte was with Tags and occupying a lot of his time. He didn't smile much, but I think that was because he was signing alongside PT, and PT's line was out the door. Tags was waiting patiently to sign an autograph, any autograph.

RuSport, one car. Yellow. AJ Allmendinger. No sponsor yet. (Like normal-norman, I've never asked for an autograph before. But I got one from AJ, the next Mario Andretti!)

Newman/Haas as mentioned before. Both drivers were there. Bruno was mingling more than ever and having a great time. He even drove and posted a time on the video game that anyone could walk up and play. I only saw SB for a short time and he stayed near his car.

I'll leave more for the others that will be coming back soon.

[camcartfan]

Oh yeah, when I mentioned to JV that it was nice to see him back in a Lola, he said, "That damned Reynard drove me to drink last year!" I told him it was just as painful for us to watch him try and make that thing go fast! He busted out laughing!

[macdaddy]

Thanks, camcartfan!
Did you meet up with the others for a beer?

[camcartfan]

No, I was outta there by 6:30. I wish the meeting was a little earlier. Also, I live about 110 miles from Long Beach, so I headed home. Believe me, I'm not normally one to pass up beer and poo poo talkin'!

[The Snout]

You pair are bloody stars, and if I wasn't 19 hours flying time I'd have joined you. Been great reading your posts, you sound like kids in a candy (or Xbox these days) store

[norman-normal]

Well Snout, its like this, I went to the Yard House at about 7:30. It's a large place and it was packed. Mine you, I don't know what any of the 10 tenths people look like, so I looked for those with grease under thier finger nails. Hey, I couldn't find any. Sooo I looked people who looked like they hung out around races, no luck, they looked too respectable. So I just stood in the center and shouted "MUZZZZZZZA" and they kicked me out!
People in Long Beach are not all friendly.

[suzmac]

So I just stood in the center and shouted "MUZZZZZZZA" and they kicked me out!

OMG norman-normal you had me cracking up with this one!!! Thanks for your review guys!! I am very saddened with the PC news!!!

Sue

[norman-normal]

For those with an interest in such things, a cosworth V8 was on display, sans all exhaust and turbo equipment. they gave the weight as 262lbs

[Muzza]

The Champ Car Fan Fest was indeed very well done. I had never seen so many highly valuable cars - real race cars, no mock-ups - assembled for public display without safety barriers, security personnel or fences ever in my whole life. This by itself was wonderful.

(also there was the Lola F-5000 with each Brian Redman won the first Long Beach GP in 1975, a 1982 March Formula 1 and other jewels - again without any barrier or security around)

The public could walking between the cars, touching and feeling them. The drivers walked through the pavillon without escorts, without managers, without security. The Latinos where crazy about the Mexican drivers, the girls were crazy about Nelson Phillipe. There was a lot kids having a great time, and some grown-ups - like Norman and I - behave like such too.

Bruno, Bourdais, Phillipe and Tagliani played with a Bridgestone racing simulation station - and had their times beat, fair and square, by more than one kid. A blues band provided live music; the drivers, in groups of four, participated in Q&A sessions; there were some good prize-giving too. The public was better then what one could expect of an event with no promotion whatsoever, by a series that many people out there think don't exist anymore and scheduled for a Tuesday could get (Champ Car book it too late and could not be given a better date).

But the highlight was something else. The public swarmed the PKVR cars, and Kalkhoven was overwhelmed. Out of the blue a guy approached him and asked if he could have his picture taken while seated in Jimmy Vasser's car; Kalkhoven replied "sure, of course". Well, it took less then one second: the guy took his shoes off and there he went, jumping into the cockpit.

Soon there was a line of people waiting to do the same. Kalkhoven took position beside one car and Danny Pettit at the other, and begun to work as hosts for the fans. Now, if you see two gentlemen each one worth hundreds of millions of dollars holding people by their armpits, putting them inside those very expensive pieces of machinery so a poor old fellow from Cerritos can have the moment of his life captured in a polaroid you know you experienced something very, very special.

Wish you where there, macdaddy.

Cheers,


Muzza


P.S.: What a pitty we did not meet, camcartfan and norman-normal. Maybe one of you was amongst the guys that asked me directions to the pier! (I was too well dressed to be recognized as a racing fan - just kidding) Do not hesitate to call me on my cell phone next time, it is always difficult too meet at racing events. And, in fact, 9:00 p.m. was too late - I got home past 1:30 a.m.

Cartpix and I were at The Yard House and we had great time! Cartpix, you are one cool dude, man!

See you all on Friday, April 16th.

[Mags]

Originally posted by suzmac
OMG norman-normal you had me cracking up with this one!!! Thanks for your review guys!! I am very saddened with the PC news!!!

Sue

Me TOO. I'm glad no one yelled "Margot"!! About 12 drivers would have run for cover!!