Kitcat

I am pretty sure there will be a prize for the "Best Beauty Queen", if she (or he) shows up in a dress! Let's call, uh, "her" Miss USA7s. Points will be subtracted for possessing actual beauty, after all, this is to honor the "Storkers" on their parade lap around the paddock:). Addendum: Points will also be added for tackiness, sleaziness and tattoos (fake or otherwise). Maybe Bessie the Se7en could offer some tips to prospective contestants? She has been quiet for far too long around her

All kidding aside, everyone (even me:)), will try their best to be polite and respectful on the track. That will be even more tru in this se7ens only group. When we ran with other makes, there were the occasional Audi/Lexus/Corvette drivers with attitude issues. Sometimes we se7enrs wld eventually give as good as we got (I mite "accidentally" cut right in front of an offender who had refused to let me by once I finally got the point by. Another time I just passed the guy w/o a point bye (I know, shame on me, I get it). Typically a "friendly'' chat with the offender after the session ended was sufficient. Failing that, a friendly chat with the organizers wld help sort the fellow out. It typically was someone refusing point byes, or holding everyone up all around to the straight, then blasting away, only to be caught at 1st turn and holding everyone up again (I am getting steamed all over again, just thinking abt it.). Often it was a newbie who simply wasn't watching his mirrors and was oblivious. Rarely, it was an ego thing. Other infractions included such things as passing under yellow, yakking w/passenger and not having "situational awareness." As most know, its more fun to be the hunter than the hunted (How many time has the guy in front of you just gone off the track in his effort to keep you in his mirrors and forgetting to drive?). And it can be very instructive (shocking even) to see how much faster some people are at certain parts of the track, and to watch and learn. Long story short; this will be a fun event, we will keep bragging and kidding to the pits/bulletin board, on track we will be unfailingly respectful. As to point-by's, the passee seems to dictate the terms. Typically he maintains the line but lifts so the passer can get around. Sometimes the slower car moves off line to let the faster car maintain momentum. It is not helpful if the slow car maintains the line and drives as hard as he can without lifting:that really doesn't give the passer a meaningful, safe way around him.

Just be glad I dont still have my Evo. I recall a track day where they said as long as you kept 2 wheels on the track it was ok. Of course, they meant if you slid a bit wide and partially off the track, no foul. But I routinely kept the outside two wheels just on the inside of the track in tight corners-the rest of the car was on the infield. It really straightened out the corners and fit the Evo's rally type suspension perfectly. Definitely the fast way around. After that event they changed the rule:). But I think in spirit of se7ens brotherhood, I will do better at NJMP-unless, of course, Tom is behind me!

Right, just Lightening both days. Its a relatively easy track to learn, tho it takes a lot longer to learn how to maximize speed. It has 3 straights where point-byes are easily given. I know it goes without saying that newbies shd take their time and enjoy learning the track and its nuances. It will be very hard to run with Tom and Croc right out of the box as they have hundreds or 1000's of laps there and know its nuances. By Saturday afternoon, I expect most people will have figured it out.

Klassic-Glad you can make it! This should be quite the event. I am sure you have an excellent plan to celebrate your anniv, even if it mite be a day or 2 late. If not, may I suggest Paris? My wife and I celebrated our 30th recently there. Can't go wrong with that choice.

Croc: Project car? And as seschm noted, you are slipping:).

My '97 1700 Supersprint w/Dedion never did that. No idea why yours would. Jack it up and see what's loose/missing/rubbing for starters?

Karl: There is a big article in the NY Times "Dining" section today abt the explosive growth in bourbon craft distillers. Truly the 'patience is a virtue' expression has never been more apropos: the best is aged 8-20 years. So you are playing the long game here. Their top 5 included Middle West Spirits Oyo Bourbon Michelone Reserve, made in Columbus OH.

The distillery is a work of art!

Use it as a delivery vehicle:"We guarantee your order will arrive faster than any of our competitors'!"

Karl: If your booze is as wonderful as your car, ya got a winner! I will take a 1/5th of the gin and of the rye:). Also, best of luck w/selling your peerless Cat, someone will be getting a car from the top of the Caterham food chain.

Interesting that little .8 mile Eldora Speedway in Ohio made the cut. Nice bucket list. I count 3 that I have been to. Got a ways to go:).

Tom: Just buy the R500 for sale in Ohio and be done with it:)!

Tom: Sounds like your trusty Rover engine made it thru w/o incident. That has to be a huge relief as you were concerned abt engine replacement at end of last year.

My Touareg goes abt 10K miles on 5 gallons of urea. If I am towing a lot, that drops some. And, at this point, urea is not very expensive.

Lots of pluses and minuses. Diesel is sometimes almost a buck a gallon more, other times 30 cents. And cost varies wildly state to state, town to town. It does give you more towing capacity in a same-size vehicle. My Touareg's 3.0 liter turbo diesel can pull 7700lbs, yet has foot print of an Accord. While I can get mid 30's at 65-72 mph w/o the trailer, I get 12.5 mpg towing my 16' enclosed trailer at 65-68 mph. It is like climbing a steep incline the whole way. Finding diesel can occasionally be an adventure. And when you finally find a pump, it is blocked by another diesel owner who has wandered into the store to use facilities, check e-mails, write the great American novel..... So it can be a tad frustrating accessing diesel, whereas finding gas is never an issue.

First race is?

BTW, Tom/Croc: plz add some links to past se7ens video of this track (or post new video). For those who have never been there or for folks, like me, who haven't been there in a year.

Looks like I have a reputation to live down to:)! xcarguy: If you look at the track we will be running both days you will see the potential to run away and hide from the rest of us due to your "ground effects" wings/splitter etc. Specifically, the bowl, or 'light-bulb' that leads to the straight can be entered at around 80-85 mph, then down to around 60-65 mph at slowest part of apex, at bottom of the bowl, then accelerating up other side of it and entering the straight at 90-110 mph, depending on hp. I suspect, since it is such a long and high speed curve, you will be 20 mph faster, all the way thru. And then all that hp will kick in and you will blast down the straight. Shd be a good test of your new (and vital) Accusump system. Otherwise kaboom.

xcarguy: Remember there are more Caterhams than Stalkers at this. So once we Caterham guys decide who of us will be in charge of blocking the Stalkers at any given time (on a rotating basis of course), I think you will find we are very competitive:).

I agree-what a trailer! Cant wait to see it and the uber Stalker at NJMP in eary July. Unless Karl really steps up his game, Shane is a lock to win the coveted "best trailer" award:).

No opinion but what abt applying 3M clear plastic, once paint cures? I did that on my Birkin, it got chewed up, not the paint. New cars come with "clear coat". Is that an option on small jobs like this? And, color choice-black, or something new?

Ditto.

I am sure it is right/correct. A number of us waited 8 months for Redline UK to get that part, so the "no big deal" is true (now:)). I think the Caterham's rear 1/2 shaft is a modified (cut down) Merkur/Sierra front 1/2 shaft. Anyhow, I now keep an extra (and wld have offered to you if I had relaized you had Caterham-I thot yr se7en was a Lowcost).

Ron Mathis seems like an amazingly knowledgeable guy. Surprised he dropped out of nowhere to help (Does he have a cape?). I will probably buy his book. Suspension looks beautiful, btw.