Summer = track time!

Summer is really here. There is an opportunity to get on the track at least once a week, which is awesome. Two weekends ago, Trac Racing held its second time attack of the season at St-Eustache. Steph, Carl, JP and I would all be driving my car. Unfortunately, the 4-way shootout was cut short by a small overheating problem and a cracked trailing arm on the Civic, which made it handle quite dangerously. Carl came out on top, I was second, Steph third and JP spun on his timed run. We'll have to settle this like men at the third event!

On Monday, I was instructing at TLC and I did a few laps in the street Civic. It was pretty hot out and the car's temperature climbed steadily. I guess the car will need a new rad if I want to seriously track it.

Tomorrow I'm heading to Mosport to instruct a the Solo 1 school and get some free track time in the (now repaired) Civic. Alex will come as well, as I promised her a day of tourism on Sunday. JP is coming to instruct and to participate in the Solo 1 on Sunday.

On the street: I saw a Jaguar XF... I love it. It's a beautiful sedan, almost as cool as the Maserati Quattroporte. I saw a weird Ferrari, either a 550 or 575, white with a huge rear wing. I don't know if it was a production model or if it was modified, but it looked and sounded really nice.

Other cool cars spotted:
Ferrari 360
Ferrari F430
Porsche 911 GT3
Lamborghini Gallardo
Aston Martin DB9

Le Mans 2008 report

Well, I've been back in Montreal for almost a week and I finally have time to post my report from Le Mans. The photos below are mostly from the various camping and parking areas around the track. I can't imagine a more varied bunch of cool cars. I didn't take any photos of the actual race in progress because my camera is not that great and does not have a zoom lens. I figured it was better to focus on the ambiance when one attends the race.

I arrived in Paris Thursday before the race, which would be held on Saturday and Sunday. I was staying with my friends Etienne and Roberta, who moved to Paris last year. They would be coming to the race with me. We rented a Fiat Punto on Friday and drove the 200 km to Le Mans.

We had a great time at the race and, for me at least, it was over too fast. I was hoping Villeneuve's Peugeot team could take the win, but second place is still pretty darn good. We managed a quick escape avoiding the traffic on Sunday and got back to Paris in the early evening. I really had an excellent time and would recommend attending the race to anyone who is interested in sports car racing.

Here are the pics: