Bubba

Whelp....gonna get one more shot at playing with a race car. My friend is committed to finishing out the season at Watkins Glen for the Hilliard Vintage Grand Prix weekend Sept 9-12. Hopefully no one throws a wrench in the plans 'cause this is gonna be a wee bit more 'spensive than Grattan, and another 3+ hours of driving each way. Here's a short trailer on the back story of Mike Wright. Not sure if the filming is done or if they'll still be shooting at WG....but I highly doubt I either I or Mike will have a fairy tale story and end up as ruggedly handsome mature film stars like Paul Newman or Steve McQueen.

I'm no race car driver, but I believe from reading the tests of the supercars (How the fuck do I get a job like that? ) you should choose the Ferrari if you want to do lurid tail-out power slides, and the Lambo if you want to put down decent timed runs with minimal drama. Ferrari = RWD, tail happy. Lambo = AWD with controllable understeer. I can testify to the lurid tail-out power slide characteristics of a RWD car. I owned a 2013 Vette GS 6-spd and did some autoXing with SCCA at the Wilmington Airpark. I was NOT fast, but Boy Howdy did I go thru $1200 of tires in a short amount of time....

Not at all. You contributed humor, TimTheAzn warned about the sketchy pavement, Jester warned us about ants in the paddock, and Mike at Riders Discount gave a one-thumbs-up--maybe--to the flush johns at the track. Much has been elucidated for those of us ignorant of the subtleties of Grattan! Now, I just have to get there.

Crapola!!! My friend had to cancel--work got in the way. He's the head technical engineer for IMSA team #32, racing a Mercedes AMG in the GTD class. Apparently, they had a shitty weekend at RA and they're flogging the horses to get ready for a test session at VIR next weekend. Oh well. Sounds like it'll be a nice weekend to ride.

Ouch, that's bad....but so in keeping with the "flavor" of OR.

Yeah, can't be any scarier than the johnnys in the infield at Mid-O. I've been a regular there for decades...back when the Superbike races were "super" before DMG gutted the purses--Doug Chandler, Miguel Duhamel, Ben Bostrom, Nicky Hayden, and best of all, Mladin vs Spies!!! Was looking at some of the small towns around Grattan and it looks like lots of options available in Lowell for food and beer!!! https://bigboilerbrewing.com/beer/

See...this kind of witty repartee is the reason I joined OR so many years ago! 🤣 No, I don't care how crappy the pavement is, although it may make for a more entertaining weekend. Posted up the same question on the AFJ FB forum but not many replies there either. Guessing Grattan is NOT a go-to venue for 2-wheel racing. I'll try to get some video of the old guys racing their expensive toys. Should be fun with enough beer...

Oooo! And I just made the rank of "Rookie"!!! Only took me 13 years....

So, there's gotta be a few peeps here that have headed to Grattan in the last few years. A friend, planning to race his Super 2000, invited me to crew for him this weekend at the VSCDA event at Grattan. I've never been to the place and have a few questions. 1) Do they allow RV camping on-site during events? 2) Googlemap sat view makes me think the facilities are pretty basic, so presume no electric/water hook-ups...although hopefully flush toilets! 3) Any good places you'd recommend to grab a burger and cold beer within 10-15 minutes drive? 4) If no camping at the track, recos for nearby motels? GM shows almost no motels closer than Grand Rapids. Thx!

@Tonik Didn't you mean "Dome of Heat"....??? It is kind'a sticky.

Dibs! I'll send you a PM on the forum.

That's hard-assed, dude....but it would only enhance your reputation as the master of the Dome of Hate. Truth is, you gotta be pretty clueless--or maybe dehydrated to the point of being delirious--to not look at the pump labelling.

Believe it or not, the newest iteration of the GW is a sport tourer. A big heavy one, but it rides way lighter than it should.

Kent: Take some pictures of you and your mom while you have her. This is how I remember the good times I spent with Dad the last few years. Took him to music concerts, took him on vacation to the beach. These are from 2013, about 3 years before he died. He's gone 5 years now and I still miss him terribly.

Sorry to hear about your family troubles. Every case of senility-related dementia manifests itself differently, so my personal experience may not apply... My Dad suffered from senile dementia--very different from Alzheimer's disease--the last 3-4 years. Strangely, although he was "diagnosed" by his doctor as having Alzheimer's, he never descended into the profound dementia characterized by anger, confusion, inability to recognize friends and family. It was a progressive decline in mental acuity but certainly not in a linear fashion. He had some very good days and some bad days that became increasingly difficult to adjust to. However, the last few years with Dad were some of the most fun times we had since I grew up and started out on my own. I was pretty independent as a kid, dropping out of college at 19 (much to Dad's chagrin), moving out of the house, getting married, having a family and a mortgage by the time I was 21. To say he wasn't exactly thrilled with my life choices is an understatement. We weren't estranged by any means but we each went our own way for 45 years, until his diagnosis. In the last few years, I made extra efforts to spend time with Dad at least once a week, stopping by his house (he was still living at home with his wife) and taking him out to lunch to have a burger and a beer...or two. What was most noticeable was that as his senility progressed into his 90s, he left behind much of the "shell" that we all surround ourselves with and show to the people we associate with. There was no pretention left, no judgement made, no approbation--just the basic person he was inside, which was a kindly old man who loved his social interactions and his family. He was an absolute joy to be around and interact with. Now to be fair, having a conversation could be maddening: much like you describe with your mom, he would ask the same questions over and over. At first, the question was repeated every 5-10 minutes, but as his memory progressively failed, he would repeat himself every 60-90 seconds. It was almost as if he was trying to imprint the question and answer--which he must have felt to be important--in his brain. The information sometimes finally stuck, sometimes not, but he was always pleased to be sharing conversation with me. Bottom line, you and your mom are on a journey that will undoubtedly lead to her final days. You'll see her at her best and her worst, but cherish the time you have with her. As she fades into her dementia, you'll likely learn something from her about the impermanence and fragility of life...which is a very valuable insight into how you should live the rest or your life! Sending you my best wishes and hoping you find that large well of patience to deal with her disease.

Sold. Close it up.

Damn dude, I'd say yer doin' a pretty good job so far.... 😂

He prolly should have clarified whether with--or without--tightey whiteys.

100% based on this new and totally disturbing revelation, I am dropping the price on this "no-longer-virgin" Ducati to $4495. I'll never be able to look at her again without a jaundiced eye.... 🥶

There is much truth in what you say. No one NEEDS a Ducati. Your lizard brain TRICKS you into equal weighting of the NEED:WANT paradigm, totally turning Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theorem upside down... 😵

2013 Ducati Hyperstrada 821, ABS/TC/3 ride modes, approx 16K miles, factory luggage, center stand, Ducati tank bag. Includes Pitbull rear stand with 2 axle pins. New tires, belts done and many recent expensive new parts. Yes, there's a story here.... In the interest of full disclosure, I bought this last spring from Pauly and have actually put fewer miles on it than it traveled in my trailer to/from Commonwealth Ducati in Louisville. Took it for my first ride and BOOM....the ECU crapped out literally 2 miles from home. Turned out there was an open recall that neither Pauly nor the previous selling dealer had completed which fried the ECU and the TFT dash. PLEASE NOTE!!! I am not ascribing blame to Pauly, nor do I think he intentionally or knowingly sold a pig in a poke. Sometimes, life hands out shit sandwiches when dabbling in used vehicles...especially those manufactured in a country with a tri-color flag. He actually stepped up and offered to help cover some of the repair costs (I declined the offer) so....solid guy. Commonwealth completed the recall which involved replacing all the coil packs and luckily for me, Ducati NA stepped up and comped the expensive parts to the tune of more than $3000. I paid another grand for new coil packs and sundry labor charges. Bottom line, all is good with the bike (according to Commonwealth) but I have little love lost for this gorgeous lady....she has to go. If you think you're emotionally strong enough to suffer the slings and arrows of tumultuous love and favor all things Italian, this deal is calling your name. KBB Trade-in/Retail: $4550/$6600 NADA Retail Low/High: $5025/$6610 Honest Review: https://www.rideapart.com/reviews/255014/rideapart-review-2013-ducati-hyperstrada/

I did this in 2018. Bought a bike in Dallas. It worked out mainly because I had a bud there who helped me with the transaction. Sent him a check, he bought and picked up the bike, mailed me the title and pics of the bike and the VIN. Took those to a MC dealer here (who I have had several dealings with) to get the VIN verified for in-state inspection, then transferred the title into my name and bought an OH plate. Put it on the bike before the ride, rode it to CA and then back across UT/CO/AZ/NM to home. It obviously worked well because of the help I had with the out-of-state purchase. FYI...avoid riding across west TX at all costs. Truly the armpit of the US. Far worse than Kansas.

Shooter Princess Bride The Big Lebowski Being There Honorable Mention: No Country for Old Men

Wendy's, Burger King, Skyline and Taco Bell

It is a use-it-or-lose-it skill, but it comes back pretty quickly. Every spring, it takes a few hundred or more miles to bring back the reaction and motor skills. Modern bike engineering and tire compounds are improving faster than my skills are degrading. At 70, not sure how long that'll hold true....