Those wheels have a nice 'flow' to their aesthetic.
Those wheels have a nice 'flow' to their aesthetic.
Oh yeah.
As in SLM's thread, late to the party, but congrats on the Corvette!
I did a week touring around gravel roads, used in a 1971 car rally that ran around much of the country. The roads were a bit rugged ... we were in a Kia Sorento on 65 profile snow tyres, so didn't have problems. One dude in an HSV (fancy pants Holden) on the lip approach on a concrete bridge on a gravel road took out three tyres and his trans sump. Ending his holiday on the tour right there and then.
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Those OEM Corvette wheels look amazing. But if they're that fragile, the Forgelines look like an awesome solution.
Uh, I guess I am the only one that is not a fan of those Forgeline wheels. Hey, if it floats your boat!Especially if they are both stronger and lighter.
On Friday I took it back over to McCluskey HQ for the final prep: new wheel install, wash, and paying for everything (all those credit card points!). This picture is just before all that was done.
The drive up to Mid-Ohio was great, with very little traffic and beautiful weather. I used the car's nav instead of Google Maps, and it took me a longer but simpler route than the usual way (and it also didn't have the right exit layout for a section still under construction in Columbus, but I just stayed on the highway it indicated regardless of what lane it expected it to be). It only took me about 2 and a half hours, and I arrived just in time to hear the first Miata race starting. I stopped at Will Call to pick up my passes, then used the PDR to record myself entering and parking at the track (video is still in the car, I'll have to grab the SD card and get that uploaded.
It was an interesting day, with Corvette Racing not there since no other GTLM cars would be there, and the parade laps I was so excited for slightly marred by the SUVs and such in the same line as us. I also have a video of that, but it's not very exciting and involves me complaining to myself like a spoiled brat, so I may not post that. I didn't walk around as much as I usually do, since the paddocks and pits were closed, so I mostly stayed around the main spectator mound. Just before leaving, as I was sitting in the car, I heard a couple of kids talking and asking each other questions about it. I got out and offered to answer any questions, then asked if they wanted to sit in it. They both got in, and their dad came up and took pictures. It felt like passing the torch on, just like whoever let me get my picture taken in their red Corvette at Mid-Ohio 30+ years ago. I got a chuckle at them thinking it looked so nice and new for a 2017: that was half of their lifetimes ago, so it made sense that it seems like a long time to them!
My hotel in Mansfield was more of a motel that was having an identity crisis. I felt like my car stuck out like a sore thumb in the parking lot, and then a 427 Cobra replica pulled in and I didn't feel so bad. I went walking to get dinner and saw Kevin Magnusson on the patio of a restaurant having dinner.
The next day I was up and out relatively early, since I woke up around 4 am and couldn't really fall back to sleep. Couldn't get hot water in the shower, so just washed up at the sink, whose neck was too short to fill up my water bottles later. Hot chocolate, blueberry pancakes, and bacon at Paul Revere Family Restaurant, then back to the track. I was the first car in the corral, because the minivan that was there A) isn't exactly a car, and B) I'm not actually sure was part of the corral because neither were the teenage security people watching it.
I was questioning my decision to go with just my shorts, but I stuck it through and was rewarded when the sun came out.
Missing from these photos: pictures of me on the track, taken by a friend with my camera, during Sunday's parade laps. Because those laps were cancelled as we were waiting on the false grid. It took too long to clean-up the track after that day's Miata race, our window closed up as we got too close to the prep/festivities for the main race. I did have someone stop next to me and say a loud, barking "HI" before running off, though.
After that, I got back over to the Lexus booth where I had lucked into making the finals a Gran Turismo: Sport competition (3 people, including me, set times on the wrong track, which was significantly shorter, without our knowledge; because of the format they went with for the "tournament", when one of the other 3 didn't show up, I was immediately guaranteed a podium). While I waited for it to start, I was talking with one of the product specialists that had been there yesterday when we noticed the track problem. She had been having wireless mic issues but was taking it in stride, and I was laughing so she told me to come over to her so she wasn't just talking to herself. I played along, showing how VERY interested I was in the special Lexus F-whatever and just cracking up as the mic came off and on during her speech. I explained that I host trivia and had the exact same thing happen to me while hosting shows, so I knew what she was going through. She asked where, I said Cincinnati, and she commented that during promo work for the Reds and the local car show she had been in Cincinnati and had the best pasta she's ever tried. The restaurant? Sotto, which is across the street from where I host trivia! She added me on Instagram and said she would message me the next time they were in town.
I almost actually did a respectable/competitive time on my finals run, but the AI driver I just passed for the lead punted me on the last turn. I was more than happy with third place, and got to do a podium interview, which I did not take seriously at all and which will likely never get posted anywhere by Lexus. My friends recorded some of it, though, I might just keep it stored somewhere for posterity. And I have a little mini helmet prize and new Instagram friend so I can never forget!
We watched some more racing from the spectator mound, but also did a loop of the main infield section to see all of the other major viewpoints.
On the drive home, I used Google Maps and got to use some of its weird side roads and shortcuts, but traffic was light so it went smoothly. I71 South is not as smooth as I71 North in that area, so the drive back was not quite as relaxed as the drive up, as I felt the minor road issues and looked out for the major ones. I thought I was going to need to stop somewhere before I made it back to Cincinnati, but as the average mileage calcs shook off the parade laps and idling, my estimated range climbed. I could make it home with a nice cushion. I filled up at the same UDF as I had on Friday night.
The average on the highway driving is more accurately reflected on the 50-mile rolling average, screen. The 30.3 max was set on the drive up, I didn't quite get back to 30 at any point on the drive back.
I stopped to get dinner to take home afterwards, and the car plus the sunset was too beautiful to not capture. Nice little end-cap to the trip.
Living the dream
Get that weak shit off my track
That's great, dude. I'm sure part of it is just the past year-or-so of life getting to me, but I'm really overjoyed that you finally got your vette and it seems like you're living you're living life to its fullest.
Congrats on sticking to your dream for long and achieving it.
-Formerly Stabulator
So good Keith. I love those sorts of weekends. You really get to enjoy your ride at events like that.
You car looks way better than the newer mid-engined Vette sitting next to it. About the only thing hotter was that LMP just casually idling by.
I have to disagree. Clearly the couple in that red Porsche convertible were checking out Kchrpm's Vette.
It's obvious who has the hotter car!
Anyway, thanks for sharing such an awesome weekend with us. It's almost as if I was there too!Originally Posted by Kchrpm
I'm still amazed at the Vette's MPG number. Those dumb GM engineers can't design wheels, but dang they engineered an amazing car!
Last edited by Crazed_Insanity; May 17th, 2021 at 08:07 AM.
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