Ferrari Mailing List: Today was meant for a Ferrari...(Long read and F1 SPOILER)

[jim (jimshadow]

The week was full of stuff..Rain, storms winter approaching.  A tornado
touched down not too far from here doing all kinds of damage.  On top of
that work has been a pain in the arse.  The only bright spot was the promise
of clear skies and 70deg. temps for Saturday.  This kept me going all week.

 

Friday night.  Quick check of weather.com.  Looks like a perfect day
approaching.  In planning the day in my head, I'm thinking I'll actually try
to sleep in until 7 or so.Then take the Ferrari out and stretch her legs.

Enter Saturday. The weatherman didn't lie. Slept in until 8:15!! Perfect day
brewing. Checked the web for the call for volunteers to help clean up storm
damage.  Not until Sunday. Great, time to drive. The girls have a "girl day"
planned and I'm on my own. 

 

I open up the 2nd garage bay, pull the cover off to a gorgeous shade of
Rosso Corsa. I can tell she wants to run.  Something about a Ferrari that
has been sitting all week waiting for the rain to end.  It's almost like she
knows I know she knows. :-)

She starts right up and while she's idling I perform my pre-flight check.
'All systems go' I say to myself as I back out and head for a fuel stop.  

 

Once she's filled up I head for US33.  Its one of only a couple roads around
this place with curves.  Long sweepers that you could take at 90mph.   Some
are marked '40mph' but that just means a flick of the wrist to 4th and stomp
on the throttle!   My route will take me northwest for about 40 miles to a
small town where I can grab a diet coke, then head back southwest to my
lunch destination to watch F1 qualifying. 

 

Once on 33 I find initially that I probably slept in a little too long.
Traffic.  Drats!!!   I'm behind 3 cars moving at a snails pace, or so it
seems.  At the first little town they move off one by one until I'm passing
the last one at about 70mph.  Now we're talking.   The road ahead is
beautiful, accented with the changing colors of the trees and the clear blue
sky.  I'm in heaven!  Rolling hills and sweeping curves are flying past me,
again so it seems.  I'm never really going over 65, but it feels much
faster.    

 

At one point I come up on a moving chicane.   I can see a stretch of
straight flat road beyond the small rolling hills ending in a series of
esses that I know well.  That is my target passing point pending any
oncoming traffic.   I'm starting to dream F1.   At the last rolling hill I
make my move.  To my surprise the little Pontiac wants to play.
Unfortunately for him, the little 4 banger is no match for the little V-8 in
my GT4 but he does force the issue down to the end of the straight.   Again
I'm dreaming F1.   Indianapolis, cruising past the line of bricks, down to
the 100meter, 50meter marks..downshift, tap the brake and turn in.  Stomp on
the gas and that little Pontiac is GONE!    I'm thru the esses and he is
nowhere in sight.   I'm a good 1/8 mile down the road before he appears.
"I thought you wanted to play." I said to myself..

 

I am all smiles as I pull into the CVS to grab a diet coke.   They have the
coldest pop around.   As I'm walking outside I hear the teenagers saying
"what the -F- is that thing?"   The youngest says, "It's a FERRARI you dumb
*ss!"    My smile turns to a brief laugh.  

Once back in the car I'm all business.  More road to carve and for the next
40 miles or so it's going to be major fun!    I head south and catch SR5,
which is a much older road in need of re-surfacing, however, it is 10 TIMES
the fun!   Tighter corners, some 90+ degrees.  Bigger hills and very little
traffic.  This is the road my GT4 likes to drive. 

 

SR5 dead ends into US33.   As you head back south on 33 you hang a sharp
right, then a series of switch backs start the journey down 5. I'm FLYING
through these when I come upon an old for pickup hauling old pallets which
are tied down by twine and hanging off the back.  "Great" I think.  This guy
is going to kill me.  I follow him for a couple miles, his suspension barely
alive.  He almost looks like he has hydraulics on the front, bopping up and
down as he's trucking down the road..Luckily he turns off quickly, pallets
nearly scraping the ground and I don't see another vehicle for miles. 

 

Rolling hills, twisty turns and one of my favorites is coming up.  A sharp
left hander that nearly folds back on itself.   It's a 20mph corner but fun
as hell at 40.  Tires letting you know they're working and you can feel the
rear sway bar doing what it was designed to do, keep that rear end planted
and moving in the proper direction!  Through this corner I come upon the big
Harley.  This guy owns the road, I'm quite sure of it.   There was no
passing this dude and I really had no reason to.   He was moving that big
hog around like it was a sport bike.  Nary afraid of a corner nor afraid to
get on it when the road straightened out.   He made this part of the ride
fun.   After a while I turned right and he went straight.  Thumbs up as he
rode on.   From here I was off to Todd's place for F1 qualifying.   Another
30 miles of cruising to get there but this time big rolling hills and
straight roads with the occasional long sweeper thrown in for fun.  

 

"What a PERFECT day to own a Ferrari" I yell at Todd as I pull in his drive.
Head deep in to the interior of his 250 he shouts back, "I bet you're having
fun!"   Sure enough I was in Heaven.  This car is so much fun to drive and
the day could not be better.   "Lets grab some food before qualifying."  He
agreed.   I tossed Todd the keys and said 'you drive'.   Even though he has
a pristine 250, he looked like a kid in the candy store when I said this.
Funny thing about these cars, you never get rid of that look, especially
when a buddy lets you drive is prized possession.   We grabbed a couple of
subs and headed back to the garage, Todd driving still.   I think he's
hooked.  Maybe I'll drag him over to the dark side of GT4 ownership, who
knows.  All I can say is that he was having a great time tossing the shifter
around the gates.   

 

"YESSSSS!" we shouted as Massa took pole for the 2nd straight year.  Now all
we need is for Alonso to take Hamilton out and we'll have a great year!!!
Ok, so I don't really want Alonso to take anyone out..Hamilton deserves the
WDC, but a Ferrari driver sure would be nice!!  Anyway, the minute
qualifying ended I was back on the road heading home.   60 miles. 60 miles
of more of the same.   Rolling hills, long sweeping turns and a car that is
running stronger than ever.   She really is putting out today. I just love
my car!!!

 

Once home I tucked her safely in her garage space, checked her oil and let
her cool down.   Those who don't own will never know the feeling after such
a drive.  Whether it's on the track or around local roads, you guys reading
this know the feeling.   Damn its fun to drive this car!   33 years old and
the car still bring a level of excitement that few cars today can match!
Few cars today can keep up in the corners with my car.  And few cars today
have the 'Je Ne Sais Quoi" Except of course a Ferrari.