Matt started this

[Fax]

Only a few more weeks....Wahoo!

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[Fax]

Ooops,  I'll try this again...

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[Dave H]

Nicely done Fax!  This is going to be brilliant....  You deffo driving down?

Sorry we didn't hook-up in Cinci the other week - probably a good thing as I'm sure it wouldn't have been condusive to me then jumping into the car and thundering back to Indy.  Doing 140 mph near Shelbyville, I realized that this probably wasn't a good idea either.

[Fax]

Hi Dave,
Yeah, I think I'm gonna pick up a renter and make the drive down Interstate 75.  I'll do the haul to O-town straight through but on the way home I'm going to swing by Augusta and visit Susan for a few days.  It'll be a couple of weeks before the Masters so I may stop by some of the local golf shops and see if they have any specials going  before the chaos starts in April.  Going to try and re-discover my swing this summer.  Sebring's always such a great time.  I think my favorite motor racing image all year is looking up the pit straight from turn one down torward Sunset Bend with that big spring sun setting as the race heads into the evening, just as all the lights are coming on.  Sorry about passing up on the pint the other night, been fighting a bout of bronchitis all week and felt like I'd been run over by a truck.  I'm still a coughing fool but starting to feel like a human being again.
John

[Matt Harper]

Well done on the tickets John. You must be clinically insane to drive it, but at least you're coming. My contacts at FirstAir have arranged pit credentials again (genuine, not Rolex Grand Am "stand-ins") so no shorts or off the shoulder numbers while we're visiting the teams.
I agree that Sebring is a very special occasion and am looking forward to it immensely.
When are you scheduled to hit O'town? Let me know and I'll notify The Sho' Boat. Are you bringing R2D2?
Hopefully we can meet up with other CA contributors who are doing this gig.

[Fax]

Hi Matt,
I'm guessing its going to be at least a twelve hour shot from Cincy to Orlando so I'm going to try and hit the bricks around 7:00 AM Friday morning.  I should be be sucking suds at the Sho-Boat no later than eight at the latest (barring food poisening from the obligatory Waffle House stop in Valdosta).  I'll need some directions into your place.  I'll stuff the rolling nightmare into the back of the renter.  As soon as I cross the Mason Dixon line I'll break out the Dale Earnhardt flags and put a little sticker in the back window with a kid pissing on a Ford logo.
John

[Dave H]

Try having a few of your teeth kicked out or for authenticity's sake.
That drive is a bastard - 8 hours to Atlanta and you think you're really rolling and then you realize you have another 6 to go - I'd say you've got more like a 14 hour drive than 12 John, though you are thumping straight down 75 which saves some of the dicking around I go through heading down through Louisville.

Either way, I think a 7 a.m. start isn't going to get you there at 8 p.m.  You'll be hours behind on the Budschmizer Guinness gut assault as it is.  Get an extra large coffee at Speedway and hit it at 5 a.m.!  

You're nuts.

dh

[Matt Harper]

Atlanta-O'town is more than 6 on a Friday, I'm afraid to say.
Easy for me to say, I know - but I'd set off on Thursday night John (a la Canada Phil). That'll put you in the sunshine by midday'ish Friday. Get your head doon at my gaff until early doors and you'll be ready to rock'n'roll for 'early doors' at t'Sho-Boat.

Take 75 south to FL Turnpike at Wildwood
Follow Turnpike to I-4 West
Turn off I-4 onto Beeline Expressway
Exit Beeline at Orange Ave
Turn left off exit ramp onto McCoy
Turn right onto Gondola opposite Sho-Boat Tavern
You'll remember the rest.

Dave, I'll pick you up at OIA as arranged.
Moose, Chris, Smokey, Pidge (anyone else) any chance of a pre-race aperitif (and a spare parking slot) like last year?

[Fax]

Matt,
That plan makes sense.  I may hit the highway late Thursday night, drive through the night and try to get to O-Town sometime durng the late morning/early afternoon.  The more I think about, the less enthralled I am with the idea of Knoxville and Atlanta during rush hour on a Friday.  The first year we went to Sebring,
Dave and I pulled something similar to this.  This time I'll have R2 as co-pilot.
John

[smokie]

We'll be there, apertifs at the ready. I'm assuming we will be close to where we were last year. (Pidge might not make it due to imoening surgery - replacement hip).

[Dave H]

Smokie:

When are you getting in to Florida?  When are you getting to the track?
We'll be in Orlando on Friday night and heading to the track on Saturday morning.  You planning on being and Hendrix sooner than that?

What are your plans Phil/Chris?

[Canada Phil]

Hi Smokie Matt Dave Fax ,Chris & Pidge,
Sebring yehaaaa. Well second job of 2004 just expired so I will be leaving earlier than expected. probably 9th or 10 th departure to arrive Wednesday noonish. Certainly will keep a spot for the Dodgem truck.
Canada Phil

[smokie]

Hi Smokie Matt Dave Fax ,Chris & Pidge,
Sebring yehaaaa. Well second job of 2004 just expired so I will be leaving earlier than expected. probably 9th or 10 th departure to arrive Wednesday noonish. Certainly will keep a spot for the Dodgem truck.
Canada Phil

Phil same general area as last year I presume?

I land in Tampa on Sat 13th, returning on Sunday 21st (early evening). Will be heading for the track on Wed afternoon

[Dave H]

Sounds like a track hook-up will be the case then.  Phil/Smokie, I will keep my fingers crossed for you that the heavens don't open on Friday night like they did last year - what a sight you all were.  Sounds like Pidgeon will not be in attendance due to his upcoming op = that's a shame.  Now who's going to feed everyone?  I wonder if the rest of his party are still going.

Let's make sure we hook-up for a good sesssion over the weekend.  Phil, the last time I saw you it was at the Champers Bar on Saturday night and you looked like you had been doing some serious damage to an alcohol supply.  Will you be sporting your WANC shirt?  Looking forward to seeing you again in a couple of weeks!!!

Cheers,

Dave

[Matt Harper]

I heard a radio commercial for the race yesterday - plugging it as a spring break venue.
It said that female college students get in free!!!
Maybe we should go in drag and flog the tickets to a scalper.....