Interesting how times change.  In the late seventies/early eighties it seemed like half the F1 grid was French, many as a result of the Pilote Elf program.
Bourdais obviously has bucketloads of talent, but he seems clearly frustrated that he has nowhere to go from here.  Agreed, Indycar/Champcar racing is a pathetic shadow of what it once was and I'm sure this has much to do with his current predicament.  TV ratings for both series are horrible, and with the exception of their respective signature events at Indy and Long Beach, they struggle badly at the gate as well.  The IRL race at the Kentucky Speedway has been moved to a Sat. night race next year in hopes of putting more backsides in seats, I suspect it won't help that much.
Fax

Interesting that Jody has always said he ran over some kind of fluid causing him to run wide at Woodcote.  The cars of course were grided over the portion of track and I suppose its possible.  If you ever get a chance to wacth the film "If your not winning, your not trying hard enough" Colin Chapman gives a terrific account of what he saw from the Lotus pits.
Fax

When I went to the USGP this year, one of my mates I was with was so giddy afterwards, said he always wanted to be able to say he saw Michael Schumacher win a GP in the flesh.  I had to bite my tongue a bit and say I was happy for him.  Honestly, I'm thrilled to be able to say I saw guys like Alain Prost, Jackie Stewart, Gilles Villeneuve, Ronnie Peterson, Niki Lauda, Emerson Fittipaldi, etc. race in person.
Having seen Senna race still means nothing to me and I suspect I'll always feel the same Schumacher.  Just can't anything about them to make me feel warm & fuzzy.  As I said before, winning a boatload of races and titles means nothing to me, its all about the way they were won.
Fax

I'm completely with Nordic, couldn't care less if the guy has the charisma of a rocking chair or Cary Grant.  It's the on track behavior that I judge a driver on.  As has been brought up many times before, many of the things that motor racing people found so reprehensible about a certain deceased Brazilian, they also see in Schumacher.
Mainly being the willingness to resort to foul play, thuggery, or dirty tactics when a situation is not in their favor.  Swerving at, and deliberately colliding with opponents, that childish stunt at Monaco this year, etc.
You'll hear a bunch of nonsense that it shows how "driven or motivated he is" which is a complete pile of crap, what it shows is a complete lack of character, ethics and sense of sportsmanship.  This is what fans want to see at Le Mans?
Over here we have a guy playing Baseball who falls almost exactly into the same category as Schumamcher, his name is Barry Bonds, he's closing in on one of the most hallowed records in all of American sports and has had the talent to be arguably the greatest to have ever played. But he's also one of the most despised figures in sports over here because of his well documented use of growth steriods to increase muscle mass and stamina, in other words, his willingness to cheat to win.
Fax

I have for sale a set of the four, out of print Ken Wells LM yearbooks, The Jaguar Challenge 1986, Jaguar vs Porsche 1987, Jaguar Victory 1988, Mercedes Magic 1989 (signed by Ken Wells).  Also have the book The Cat Pounces LM 1988 by Cotton & Briggs, and Jaguar World Champions 1987 by Whyte.
All are in excellent condition. Will only sell as a set for $180 US Dollars plus shipping.
Anyone familiar with these books knows how nice they are, and right now go for 25 Pounds each on the secondary market.  PM me if interested.  If no takers I'm going to see what one of the secondary market booksellers will give me for them but I thought I'd offer them to the CA members first.
Fax

Grumble...Couldn't care less if the guy ever races again, wouldn't walk across the street to see him.  Been over this before, the guy's won a bunch of races and titles, but with so little grace and diginity.  As far as I'm concerned he can retire back to Switzerland, grow a long beard, long fingernails, and lock himself in a room like Howard Hughes.
I don't buy into celebrity worship.  Just what we need is a F1 prima donna on the grid so his cult (I'm mean fans) can fawn all over him and chant his name in worship.
Why would Le Mans need him?  The race seems to have done just fine the past fifteen years since his last appearance.
Fax

Whoops! Sorry Termie, brain cramp on my part.
Pilgrim, buy me a beer next time I get to the Sarthe and we'll call it even.  PM me your address details and I'll fire it off to you.
Cheers,
Fax

Hi Termie,
I've got one you can have, but its in NTSC format.
Let me know if interested.
Fax

As I remember, cats have the run of the place. Seems most are decended from Hemingway's mob that he had running around his home down there, your supposed to be able to identify them by a extra digit on each paw.
The shirt lifters, they're pretty easy to identiify too...
Fax

MG, big thanks and yes, agree with you on all points.
Also agreed, sad to see the Tomcat retired, BUT! Talk about expensive to maintain?!
I think I read somewhere when the news came down that the F-14 was being taken out of servce that it was six times more expensive to operate and maintain than the F-18 Hornet, nuff said.  It was a lovely, big, fast bird but designed to fight a enemy that no longer exist.
But Wow!  The sound of those two big GE's on full afterburn....Still makes the hair on the back of my  neck stand up.
Fax

Fran,
I can't say for certain but I think the bloke was referring to the cost of developing and maintaining it relative to the numbers built.  They always say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and of course national pride invariably creeps in.
As a said, I've always found the Spitfire lovely, the Concorde a bit awkward looking especially with the nose drooped.  But what the hell, I find the A-10 Warthog pretty and most aviation buffs will say it has a face only a mother could love.  I'm with Steve, the Mustang (and Spider it was a fine airplane as designed, just needed a lump with more grunt than the original unit.  The British Rolls filled the role nicely).
Of contemporary aircraft, the F-16 Falcon is as pretty as they come.
Fax

Hmm, don't necessarily agree.  The Spit is lovely in every way, but the Concorde?  Always looked kind of gawky and odd.  As someone said after the Concord service ended, "it was a hell of an adventure, but a lot of people paid a big price for that program".
The Spitfire was beauty born of necessity, the Concord?
Fax

Afternoon Guys,
You guys are making me all warm and fuzzy with the welcome backs, where's Andy to give me a nice reaming to bring me crashing back to earth
Seriously, as I mentioned to a few of our mates in PM's
I began to get concerned that the folks on here who've never met me, might begin to think I was actually like Fax in person...Yikes!
IRL with the ALMS at Mid-Ohio?  Say it aint so! Heresy!
Following on the heels the ticket rip-off Barb Trueman's lot pulled on the bike crowd for the Superbike finale, I'm having a hard time with my beloved home circuit.
Les Greibling is turning over in his grave.
Fax

Back again guys.  Was reading over some of my previous post and had become disenchanted with the persona Fax had become, far too abrasive and obnoxious.  Not the kind of chap I'd like to hangout at the pub with.
John's relpaced him replaced with a more mild mannered, tolerable variant.
That said, I still think Senna was a jerk and F1 is stinking pooh
Fax