News: Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix - Jun 1-3, 2012

[GizmoQ]

One of these days the kind and freindly folks at Cadillac Racing and Cadillac Performance driving are going to figure out I'm a performance addict and cut me off cold turkey. But until then, I'm gonna drive the tires off their cars.

Andy and Johnny were kind enough to sign my fire suit.

By the way Andy sends his greeting to all the XLR Owners and said safe travels next week.

Belle Ilse was fantastic! We had the best seats in the house.

The race came to us twice - once in practice and once at the start of the V Series Challenge race 6. Both times cars were out of control heading directly at our section of the grandstand. The overall race was 'meh' An accident at the start and another soon after the restart, we only saw maybe 20 laps of all out racing.

But they had the audacity to ask if I wanted to ride in their car for a parade lap around the track - Hell Yeah!

Then Gordy handed me the keys and said, "You drive, you're dressed for it." I was elated! The car had 12 miles on it, even Gordy commented on the new car smell.

Cadillac Racing's instructions to us was follow the lead car, follow his line around the track.... and try to keep up!
Most of you know, I have a long standing relationship with Cadillac Racing so you won't be surprised to know their director sought me out and put his two sons in my back seats and told me to "give them a thrill, but no passing."

From there we blasted out to the GM Proving grounds to join back up with the Hot Rod Power Tour (HRPT). Once again, someone let me loose on their track and....you know I "tested" the test track.

What a day! Bedtime now. HRPT Drivers meeting tomorrow at 0830 and we're off to Muskegon.

 

[unionrunner]

Thanks for photos and video, sorry we missed it!

The video brought back memories - what seems like a hundred years ago, but really only forty, the opening stage for the United States round of the international rally championships known as the Press on Regardless or POR was held on Belle Isle as a "demonstration" stage (no race tires!) before we headed north into the forests and sandy soils. My lap didn't go as well as yours - I swapped ends on the final hairpin before the stage finish and ended up with my picture on the Detroit Free Press sports page crossing the finish going backwards in reverse - not the image the organizers or Chevy probably wanted for their tricked out rally Vega . It turns out I had a rear brake (drum, remember those) adjuster break leaving me with only fronts which would haunt me the rest of the day.

Thanks for the chance to reminisce and share.
See you at Mid O if not sooner.

 

[GizmoQ]

Hey Cubby,

I forgot to tell you, your friends said hi:

 

[Hatty]

[/QUOTE]

Giz,
looks like you had a hard time wiping the smile off your face. Looks like you were well positioned to pass the two station wagons on your video...damn rules. Be careful with competing with Kevin for the ladies pictures...this could get very competitive by the way are the red heads twins...nice.