More non-car stuff...

The automotive season is fast approaching, yet I have found myself mostly involved with and thinking about basketball the last couple of week. My girls team are in the playoffs and we will be playing in the quarter-final on Tuesday... against the only team in the league that beat us by 40 points. I know we are a better team than we were when they beat us, but I still consider a win to be a long shot. I've tried to explain to the girls that they have the talent and skills to win the game, but they know it will be tough.

My school's other team, coached by my friend Pascal, will be playing in the league final tomorrow. I will be dropping by to "assist", which will involve mainly keeping an eye on the timing and scoring.

The team on which I played is also in the playoffs. We have a best of three semifinal. We won the first game by 20 and lost game 2 last night by 9. The other team's best player had missed the first game. I personally had terrible games offensively (scoring 4 and 2) because I missed a bunch of shots that I should have been hitting. I played solid defense both games and got at least three blocks yesterday. Unfortunately, most of the team was shooting poorly yesterday. We went down 8-0 at the beginning and then basically maintained the deficit the whole game.

I've also been watching March Madness, and it's much more interesting when you're already in a basketball mindset, and when you look at the game from the perspective of a player and a coach.

Car stuff:
I haven't really done anything about my race car, except order bushings, which I hope JP will have time to install before our first race on May 16th. We should be able to take the car out in three weeks at the AISA race school at St-Eustache, where we will be instructing. Carl has ordered us some Koni race shocks and Ground Control springs and sleeves. In other words, the car will soon have a completely new suspension setup, which will definitely take some getting used to. We'll see soon enough how different it feels.

I've been watching racing on TV as well. I downloaded the first four rounds of WTCC. The racing is ridiculously close. There are tons of position changes and a 3-second lead is considered huge. Seat has been winning quite easily so far, but it will be interesting to see if BMW or Chevy can make up lost ground.


The first F1 race will be on tonight. I love that a new team, Brawn GP, is qualified 1st and 2nd. I think that Barrichello and Button, who were in the wrong place at the wrong time with Honda, are suddenly in a great position to show their worth. I can't wait to see how this plays out. I also love that they have reduced aero grip and returned to mechanical grip with slick tires.

My opinion on the Nissan 370Z: I don't like it in pictures and have not seen one in the flesh. However, it is shorter, 5 cm wider, lighter and has more power than the 350Z. As a result, I like it.

At a dinner party the other day, someone I barely know who was sitting next to me remembered I was into cars and asked me what he should buy next. He now drives an Audi A3 and days he doesn't like the way it drives, which sort of surprises me, given how pleasant I found the car when I drove an identical model a couple of years ago. I asked him what he thought about having a summer car and a winter car, mentioning the Miata. He actually owned a 1990 Miata then it first came out and had fond memories of it. I told him to go test drive a Lexus IS250 (good value in my book, solid resale for a luxury car, sporty), a BMW 3-series (to see if he liked it any more than the Lexus and was willing to pay the extra dough) and a Honda Fit. I figured if he liked the fit almost as much as the others (it is very pleasant to drive as well), he could buy a nice used Miata, maybe even a Mazdaspeed edition. I wonder if he'll follow my advice.

It's spring, and the hot cars are out in Montreal.
Cool cars spotted:
Lamborghini Gallardo
Ferrari F430
Viper SRT10
Audi s4
Audi S6
Audi S8
BMW M3 (tons)
BMW M5
AMG C63
AMG CLS63
AMG G55
Mercedes 190e 2.3-16
Porsche 997 turbo

Updates

It's been a while since I last posted and I apologize. Here are some updates on various non-car related topics:

Alex and I have booked out flights and lodging for her cousin's wedding in Barbados in early May. The Sunday after the wedding, there is a rally (the Automotive Art Shakedown Stages) at which I hope to spectate. Alex has no objection and, because Barbados is so small, I doubt logistics will be a problem if I want to spectate some stages. Barbados is a left-hand-drive country, so there are many cool JDM imported performance cars, like the Nissan Pulsar GTI-R and Toyota Starlet Turbo. Should be fun! Also, Alex's cousin has asked me to be her driver on the day before the wedding and the day of the wedding. I have to organise the car rental. It will be my first time driving a RHD car on the left (I've driven motorcycles on the left in Thailand and RHD cars on the track though). Alex and I are really looking forward to this vacation.

Here is a photo from the 2008 event:

Alex has handed in her PhD thesis and will defend her thesis before her committee on April 20th. After that, she is 100% done with her PhD. I am very proud.
The basketball team I coach won two of their four last games. One win was 41-21 and the other was 48-3. We then lost against the 2nd and 3rd place teams, 32-21 (after leading 10-2!) and 42-28 (that was today). The girls played well in the two losses and I have no complaints. We will make the playoffs (8 of 10 teams make them) and will likely play our first game against one of the teams that recently beat us. If we have a great game, we can take these teams!

The team I play on has been losing a bit more than we've been winning. We will still make the playoffs, which start next week. I have scored 7 to 11 points in the last three games, with one three-pointer in each game. Our injured captain is back, but another of our players cut up his finger in a snow blower... ouch!

I went running twice last week, the first time this year. It wasn't that bad: 9 km on Mount Royal in winter conditions followed by 10 km on the road a few days later in spring conditions. I felt pretty good, especially the second time, and clocked a mid 46 on the 10k, which is again decent for an early season training run.

Now to the car stuff:

My new club, the AISA, has a few members now, including some former provincial champions. Our April 18-19 race school at St-Eustache is steadily filling up.

Pat Boyer finally had time to take a look at my busted race motor. There was a broken valve. I have to order a new valve, retainer and head gasket so Pat can finish the job. Luckily, there is no significant damage to the head itself... dodged a bullet there.

I haven't done any work on the race car. Procrastination...

Yesterday, I got to try out my friend Raymond's new M3 4-door. Wow and wow. That car accelerates, and I didn't even rev it that high where the real power is. It does not feel light, but it sure feels tight. Also, as is common in BMW's, the ride is firm but not uncomfortable. It's a really nice car and it drives beautifully. He also has a 335 and I hope to drive that one too so I can see how they compare (the 335 actually has more torque than the M3).



Cool cars spotted:Bentley Continental GT
Bentley Continental Flying Spur
Porsche 997 turbo
AMG E55
AMG C63
Jaguar XF-R
Audi S4
Audi S5
Audi S6 Avant
BMW M3
BMW M5
Nissan Pulsar GTI-R
Toyota Celica Turbo RC
Mitsubishi Evolution
Subary WRX STi

Sad day for Saab

It's a sad day for the automotive industry. One of my favourite carmakers has filed for bankruptcy prevention. I love Saab cars, but I think that Saab under GM was mismanaged. The cars were nice (I know because I've driven pretty much everything in the model range on the track while instructing at Saab corporate days) but they didn't really stand out compared to the competition from BMW, Audi, Lexus and Acura. I loved the classic 900 (1978-1993) and I really like the NG900 (1994-2002 model). I liked that they were hatchbacks, the way they they looked but, most of all, the way they drove. I had a 1989 Sport 900 hatchback and, although it was not the most reliable car, it was such a pleasure to drive. It was the first car I had ever owned that really seemed to be geared towards driving enjoyment, which should be distinguished from ultimate performance. The car had very average acceleration and not a ton of grip. Also, it was not that fun to drive at 10/10ths... I know because I tried it on the track. However, just driving down the street, or especially on the highway, was an extremely pleasant experience. This is one reason that I've been seriously considering a 2000-2002 9-3 for my next car. It's a hatchback, it's turbo, and it looks cool. The newer Saabs are less distinctive looking and not hatchbacks. I believe this has made GM's decision to scrap the brand easier.

ICE RACING!

I went ice racing in Minden, Ontario last weekend with Alex and Carl. I just haven't had time to write about it until now.

Carl and I each rented a rubber-to-ice class car from Lee, a chap we know through the Honda and Acura Driver's Association (HADA). Lee charges us a rock bottom price to rent the cars and he lets us stay in the little chalet he rents which is only a mile from the Minden Fairgrounds where the event is held.

The events are extremely well-organized. Carl and I attended last year (see my post about it: http://vincentbasile.blogspot.com/2008/02/ice-racing-addictively-fun.html ) and had a fun time. It takes over five hours to get to Minden from Montreal, so it's not a trip we plan to make more than once a year. Still, in the dead of winter, almost any road trip is an improvement over the standard weekend at home and it's quite easy to convince Alex (who just handed in her PhD thesis a couple of weeks ago) to come along, despite the prospect of hours of car talk on the way and at the event.

We got a good nights sleep Friday as we had to be up early on Saturday for our races. We planned to race only on Saturday so we could be home early enough on Sunday. Carl got a CRX that was decorated like a police car, while I got a 1988-91 Civic hatch. These cars would normally be in different classes as the CRX is in the short wheelbase class, but running in the second driver race (a class that exists so two people can share a car and still get lots of seat time) allowed us to race against each other. We went out for a short practice in the morning and I realized that my car didn't really like to turn and understeered like a pig. This was not helped by the fact that the handbrake didn't work. I was sharing the car with another renter named John (who coincidentally I had raced against at the two 2008 Mosport enduros) and we played with tire pressures before he went out for his race.

My next time on track was for my qualifying race. The start order was drawn randomly and I got 7th out of 20. As I waited on the false grid, my Civic began to piss coolant and overheat. I pulled out of the line while John and Lee added coolant to the car. I managed to head out before the race start, but I was last. Carl started about 12th. The race was uneventful and I never saw Carl. I passed a couple of cars, but I still had no handbrake and the car would not turn except at ridiculously slow speeds. My car was scraped a couple of times as I was being lapped by the fast guys.

I was to start about 17th for my second race. I was gridded behind another Civic similar to mine for the standing start. When the green flag dropped, the green Civic in front stalled and, before I could pull around it, I was bumped from behind, pushing my car forward. I had to use reverse to pull back far enough to pass the stalled car. I ran my race pretty much alone and, to add insult to injury, the green Civic caught and passed me near the end of the race. Alex had decided to join me in the passenger seat during the race and she could see how pissed off I was. It probably wasn't as fun for her as it could have been... At least Carl didn't lap me.

For my final race, I lined up near the back. I could see Carl a few spots up from me and hoped to be able to catch up to him at some point. From the first lap, I could feel the car was different. It turned out that John switched the rear tires around between the races and suddenly, the car had some lift-throttle oversteer. It was suddenly drivable! I had much more fun in this last race and even managed to catch Carl and pass him. After that, my adrenaline was pumping as I fought to keep him behind me. I managed to hold him off as we finished near the back of the field, with a huge smile on my face.

Ice racing is wheel-to-wheel racing, there is no doubt about it. It just takes place at lower speeds. This is the cheapest way to experience wheel to wheel racing in real cars. If we had a series like this closer to home, you can bet Carl and I would have a car for the series.

All in all, it was an enjoyable weekend, made all the more so by the fact that Alex tagged along, despite the promise of mostly car-related activities and not much else.

Here are some photos:

This is Carl in his rental CRX, affectionately know as HADA five-0

This is me in my rental, one of my all-time favourite cars: an EF Civic

Our final race of the day (my Civic near the back, Carl a few spots ahead)

Me finally catching Carl...

...and trying to pull ahead!

Alex goofing around on the couch at the chalet

Our host Lee, fellow renter Miles, and Carl chilling on the couch at the chalet

BIRTH OF AISA

Home-made logo

In the hopes of having the school where Carl, Dave P. and I instruct accredited so that we can give out road-race and lapping licenses, we incorporated a non-profit organization called ASSOCIATION DES INSTRUCTEURS DE SPORT AUTOMOBILE over the holidays. It took us several weeks and a few , but the club is now affiliated to the FSAQ and ASN-Canada-FIA. Our first official event will be a road-race and lapping school at St-Eustache on April 19-20. I made a small website for the club.

Cool cars spotted:
AMG C63
AMG G55
AMG CLS55
Saab Turbo X
RHD Mitsubishi Delica Offroad
RHD Mitsubishi GTO
Audi S8

Motorsport in Quebec

As I try to organise a new club and a race school, I can't help but reflect on the state of motorsports in Quebec. The present state of affairs is quite sad. Insurance prices are on the rise, as are track rental fees. There is more and more regulation from sanctioning bodies, not all of it useful. It makes me glad I don't have to organise events (although I am helping Carl with a couple of them).

Old flyer

When I started organising Solo 1 events in 2001, it cost 80$ to participate. Here is a poster from those simpler times, back when I was the president of LAPS Solo 1. We had no budget, and I remember that we had to do everything ourselves, including advertising and creating a free web site. I made this small ad in my spare time.

I am planning to participate in an ice race in Minden Ontario over Valentine's weekend (thank you for your understanding Alex). I have to get my race license sorted out first, but it looks like it's a go. Stay tuned...

Cool cars spotted:
New M3
New Evo
Bentley Continental
Brabus SL55

I know it's been a while since I posted...

... and for that, I apologize. Not that much has been going on car-wise and I have been extremely busy with work. Also, I headed down to Washington D.C. for the Obama inauguration and only got back yesterday, which made me even more busy.

I went to the inauguration with Alex, her cousin and her fiancé. We drove down in his Jeep Patriot and had a good time. We froze our butts off waiting for the inauguration to start and were not very happy with the lack of any order for people trying to leave the National Mall after the ceremony, but we all made it home safe and sound. I would have loved to have been driving a Saab instead of the the Jeep, but that will have to wait until I can afford a new (used) car...

Various updates:
I have not done a single thing to the race car.

I turned 36 last week. Alex bought me a really cool Tivoli Audio Model Two mini stereo, which is made out of wood and now hooked up to my desktop at home. Thanks Alex! Great gift and a beautiful design.

The high school basketball team I coach lost last week 50-37. We got as close as 3 points back in the 2nd half, but it slipped away from us.

The team I play on lost too 2 weeks ago. I scored only 6 points and the team as a whole missed many easy shots.

Last week, I lost a trial (it was a long shot to win, but still a bummer)

I have a paralegal trainee at the office starting today, and she should be able to handle some of my work load.

I have incorporated a new non-profit organization called the AISA for instructors. I am trying to get the Quebec Auto Sport Federation to accredit our road race school so we can hand out licenses. We will be meeting FSAQ representatives in a few days to discuss this. Stay tuned.

I will be doing some indoor karting on Saturday at a friend's birthday. Should be fun!

That's all I can think of for now...

Menacing Mercedes

Cool cars spotted (on my recent trip)

Buick Grand National
Porsche 993 Turbo
Bentley Continental GT Flying Spur
AMG C63 (in flat black!)
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 (3 of them)
New WRX STi
BMW M5
Cadillac CTS-V

Happy Holidays!

All the best for the holidays! What's funny is that the holidays make me think about my race car... the time I could be spending working on it if I had a garage.

There is not much going on car-wise. The snow removal service scraped my blue Civic and left a scratch on the fender and bumper.

I am thinking more and more about the 2009 season. I really really want the race car to be in SCCA ITS trim by late spring. I also want the car to always be drivable (as it is now) so I don't think I'll undertake any improvements that will require disassembling major components. I just confirmed that I have to modify the roll cage, but Pat Boyer should be able to do that fairly easily.

Here is a pic of me with the race car in 2008 and as it will look again when I remove all the decals this spring:

Car and driver

Have a great holiday season!

Bathrust 1000

I downloaded some cool footage from the Bathurst 1000 km race from 1976 and 1980. What a cool event. The cars were also quite neat. Here is a photo of the race-winning Holden Commodore of Peter Brock.

Not much is going on concerning my cars. The blue Civic keeps on truckin', the race car is in storage.

There are still some pretty cool cars out on the road even though it's winter:

AMG C63

AMG C36
AMG G55

AMG CLS55

bunch of new M3's

Jaguar E-type

Aston-Martin DB7

Porsche 997 turbo cabriolet