F1 Weekend -

Wow, what a weekend, I did not get to see James but he was there and we were able to text at least.
Some quick observations...........
1 - Texas is big
2 - People drive fast in Texas (more so than in the east)
3 - The road design in Austin is like a big pile of spaghetti....that works!
4 - I love doing 90 in a Mazda 2 on route 130 (not a bad little car for a rental)
5 - I have no idea how the do the toll for 130, you just pull off every once and a while and pay them 1.50 while everyone else just files down the hiway with some kind of license plate thingy that they pay later....fun. Easily worth the toll. Fun road
6 - Awesome eateries - Stubb's BBQ and BJ's Brewhouse....Pizookies are yummy.
7 - Everyone was exceptionally nice and friendly and helpful, in Austin, at the track, in buses, etc.
8 - The track is incredible.....huge, beautiful, did I say huge? Some really great site lines and views. And actually some of the cheap, sit in the grass seats were quite good. We walked around and check them out.
9 - Overall a really bang-up job, I think most were quite impressed. Still a little detail work needed on grass and groundskeeping but that was understandable
10 - There more porta-potties than I have EVER seen in my life, I think there was almost one for each person.
11 - Really good planning and design. But sometimes you can only move 117,000 people but so fast...so there were always lines for food and merchandise and to leave by bus. Even though there were plenty of places to eat and buy stuff and almost all the buses in southern Texas were there, it just takes a long time sometimes.
12 - GT3 Porsches were there racing, putting up faster times than the V8 Ferraris who were also there...! But both were fun to watch.
13 - F1 is very cool to watch and get into, I wish Porsche was still in it! But they are about everywhere else. This was my 2nd F1 race as I went to Indy years back. This one SLAYED that one easily.

Last but not least - Abarth Scorpion Black Leather Chicks were ....well....let's just say if I had 23k, I would have spent it, on the spot...

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UPDATE

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Pics - follow this link - docs.google.com/folder/d/0B2ifi7tfvjCqbDFzQS1SMzRIVkk/edit
Movie (15 min long so feel free to skip through) - docs.google.com/open?id=0B2ifi7tfvjCqWW1KSHNoY3RvRjg

Let me know if these do not work!

Strat_928;12957 wrote: 1 - Texas is big
6 - Awesome eateries - Stubb BBQ and BJ's Brewhouse....Pizookies are yummy.
7 - Everyone was exceptionally nice and friendly and helpful, in Austin, at the track, in buses, etc.

As a Texan I'll say this...

1.) Understatement of the Century!

2.) Having lived in Austin my entire life basically until starting my Military career; I can say that without a doubt one of the biggest things I miss is the food back home.

3.) Thank you for saying what I tell people repeatedly over and over and over.

I REALLY WISH ALONSO WOULD HAVE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey he gave it a good run, they actually purposely changed his team mates gear box so he would lose positions, which moved Fernando up! ....but alas it was not enough.

I was pulling for Kimi....I have always loved Lotus. He did ok and had a great pass and is third in points....so overall not bad.

Maybe you can make it next time!...I highly recommend it. One thing you should absolutely do,,,pay 30 bucks for airport parking....it will save you an hour or two trying to get home each day. Almost everyone else went for free parking....x110,000...do the math. Best deal ever, only Sunday did we have to wait more than 30 minutes to get on a bus, then NO traffic issues leaving the Airport any day.

I'll likely carpool with James!

Strat_928;12957 wrote:
Last but not least - Abarth Scorpion Black Leather Chicks were ....well....let's just say if I had 23k, I would have spent it, on the spot...

Okay, so WHERE ARE THE PICTURES?????

Strat_928;12957 wrote: Last but not least - Abarth Scorpion Black Leather Chicks were ....well....let's just say if I had 23k, I would have spent it, on the spot...

You know I didn't even take pics of these ladies or the ones working the Degree (or whatever it was) deodorant booth... Both were SUPER HOT! OMG! I'd put them all over my freakin' calendars! SMOKIN'! Didn't get a single damn pic.

As for parking... I was going from my house to my parking spot in lot A in 45 min!!! SERIOUSLY! I don't think I ever stopped once...certainly never came to a stand still for more than ONE MINUTE on the way to or from the track! I live in Cedar Park by the way...about 30-ish miles away!! That said, I arrived at the track early every day (just before 8am on Fri and Sat and just before 9am Sun) and I left at the very end of the day after all on track festivities were over...Didn't stay for Collective Soul Sat or the country music guy on Sun.

It was an AWESOME weekend!!!! What a great facility that is only going to get better over time and a great event as well. I think I might need to buy some tickets for MotoGP!!!

You mean Collective Soul was there, too? And no damn pictures? You guys all know that it never happened if you can't prove it with pictures.

"Hey he gave it a good run, they actually purposely changed his team mates gear box so he would lose positions, which moved Fernando up! ....but alas it was not enough."

Actually, they didn't change the gearbox! The team just cut the wire on one of the lead seals, so Massa would get the five-grid-spot penalty on the start. This moved Alonzo up one spot, but much more importantly, moved him from the dirty side of the track to the clean side. That let him jump from his seventh position qualification to fourth on the track by turn one.

Clever and efficient gaming of the rules...

Good info Wally! - Yes I am still working on Pics,,,been busy with the Holiday this week. I also have video!
I may try to hook a link up to my Google Drive and see how that works. They are coming...including the Abarth gal......

***UPDATE*** - PICS and movie posted - see 1st post

stepson;12970 wrote: You mean Collective Soul was there, too? And no damn pictures? You guys all know that it never happened if you can't prove it with pictures.

Yup, it was a hell of a weekend, but agree, my failure to provide pics means it never happened! LOL! Sure was fun! What happens at COTA stays at COTA! LOL! Hope more of you guys will be here next year!

pcar928fan;12979 wrote: Yup, it was a hell of a weekend, but agree, my failure to provide pics means it never happened! LOL! Sure was fun! What happens at COTA stays at COTA! LOL! Hope more of you guys will be here next year!

Damn Slacker!

Pics and Movie link posted - see original post !

John I REALLY was!!! Hell, at the very least I should have made these hotties sit on my lap and had my wife take a pic with my iphone! LOL!