ALMS, Lime Rock CT, 11-12 July 2008

[karlusmagnus]

For East Coasters (and I know it was referenced in another thread, but this one can be dedicated to just this event), there will be various members getting together on this coming Friday/Saturday.
I will be there on Saturday, and have signed up for PorschePlatz + Lunch.


I know that Stephen Harris, Paul Ripley, Jim Garfield will be there Saturday.
Ron (Gumby) is there on Friday, as are perhaps others.
Frank G (fg1127) will be there I am sure (pity McQ car is not around earlier, but c'est la vie -- congrats Frank )
Porsche parade lap is Friday, I believe for 50 cars (I think it is 1st come, 1st drive, but you'll have to check that for yourselves).

Tickets now (too late for advance price) are $65 for Sat, and I think $100 for Fri+Sat.
Porscheplatz is same price (special parking for P-cars) and lunch is $20 extra.

So who else is bringing their deck chair or picnic rug to hangout and watch some racing in the sun (forecast is circa 84 degrees and sunny)?

[70tangerine]

Karl...thnx 4 the heads up........

I was lucky enough to run the new config..but w/ old uphill....

ALMS will hate the new WBend...but they have another option to run as well...

here is a link of me learning the course at 6/10ths cruise....

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1038230

[John Fusco]

I was charged 55 for friday and 80 for sat. (both with lunch)

[karlusmagnus]

That would make sense to the $100 I referred to above ... a $100 that was entrance only without lunch btw.
If lunch is $20, then it adds up.

I went for lunch because any time i have gone to LR for ALMS, not paid in advance for lunch, and queued for half an hour spending $10 or $12 bucks on one hot dog + water at one of the vendors, then lunch for $20 would seem reasonable.

[greens]

Add me to the count on Saturday...see you at the Platz. Jim Lonsdale

[911rips]

Jim,
Look forward to seeing you there! A good gaggle of "Breakfast Club" boys are coming.
Paul

[climbernyc]

I will be driving up from NYC Saturday morning...I have a great backroads route mapped out, if anyone wants to join

Eric

email me at ericwitt at mac dot com

[karlusmagnus]

Eric, I would join you but will be arriving from west this time. See ya there - we'll be parked at Porscheplatz parking.

Not that cells work very well up there @ LR, but mine, for anyone that wants it, is 646 717 6449.

Karl.

[karlusmagnus]

It was a beautiful morning, as I set off at 6am for Lime Rock. I twisted and turned across the catskills on empty winding roads past the pepacton and ashokan reservoirs until i crossed the rhinecliff bridge into dutchess county, finally hitting CT at about 9am.
Figuring the quality of breakfast would be slightly superior off-track, i stopped at Millerton for a quick breakfast and then arrived at the track to pick up my ticket at the will call building. By now it was 9h30 and hundreds of other spectators were dribbling into the parking lots. When I arrived at the entrance, there was the will call building on the right and the entrance 50 yds away in front. I motioned to pull over so as to pick up my ticket but the young steward advised me to do a u turn, go back and enter the field where i could pick up my ticket, then rejoin the snail trail of cars until i would eventually arrive back where i was now (20 yds from both entrance and will call building).
"Good man", I said, "thanks for your help", as i pulled up to the entrance, willfully disregarding my good stewards orders, parked, walked past him picking up the ticket in about 30 seconds, then back to my car, and on into the park without a bother.
Parking was at the Porscheplatz, and it was nicely done, beside the tent arranged by PCA and Porsche NA. They parked right beside the tent with the 356's (3 of them) 914's (2 of them) and about 7 early 911's. There were more "earlies" spread around the porscheplatz but the PCA had not considered parking by model until after the 1st arrivals had come. So some of our brethern/sistern were separated from us.
Jim Lonsdale (greens) was the 1st person I met, as I was parked next to him. He has a gordeous 69S in Irish Green, with beautiful houndstooth seats. He was followed by Steven Harris with his stunning Aga blue 67S. There was a blutorange 71S as well as a red, a sepia brown and as the day went by some others including a yellow rs clone.
Lime Rock on the ALMS days is awash with people, and meeting up with some of the others such as Paul Ripley and the Breakfast Club gang proved almost elusive. I met with Jim Garfield at the porsche tent where we listened to the motorsports people tell us about the new 4 litre developmental engine that 3 of the lizards and one of the farnbacher's were running for the 1st time in north america today. Same horsepower but bigger torque.
Lunch followed at 12 and it was a pretty much unmitigated diseaster. The lunch itself (cost of $20) was fine, but they had long lines and had run out by 12h10, ie 10 minutes after starting. Apparently the Track had taken the orders, the caterers used were track supplied, and PCA/Porsche NA were left holding the bag, with Prescott Kelly explaining to people that the caterers were making more lunches to meet demand but it would not arrive for an hour. Fiasco's aside, the tent was a welcome respite from the heat, as well as the cold water/drinks provided inside.
The race was a frustrating one for Porsche with Roger Penske furious at track officials over some of their decisions with regard to not allowing one of the spyders into the pit and subsequently doing so but at the cost of race position. Dyson got bumped by one of the Spyders, and then Bernhard got passed on almost the last lap by Brabham giving Acura the win. Oh well.
Finally after the race, I met with Paul and Jack (B-fast club).
Next time, we all agreed that we would better co-ordinate meeting points, as it is a shame to constantly miss bumping into each other throughout the day, only to finally meet just as we part ways at the end of the day.

Eric, missed seeing your mexico blue .... and john fusco, ditto about difficulties in meeting, even with people i have met before and would recognize ... its a tough place to hook up, as cellphones are generally lacking in reception up in Lime Rock. I received notification of a voice mail 20 minutes after leaving the park on my way home, and even then, I could not retrieve the message until about 10 miles later (T-Mobile not good in rural NE CT )

I'm on dialup today, but should have some pics tomorrow perhaps.

[Gumby]

"Next time, we all agreed that we would better co-ordinate meeting points, as it is a shame to constantly miss bumping into each other throughout the day, only to finally meet just as we part ways at the end of the day."
I agree...I saw quite a few early cars there but not there care takers....Ron