Formula 1 Sighting.

[blacksambo]

I don't know if any of you are Formula 1 fans, but here is an interesting VX experience for your reading.

While attending this year's Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday I was driving around the Old Town section of Montreal early in the morning on my way to my favorite parking spot, in my silver '99. I turned a corner and there, standing on the edge of the curb in front of a small hotel, awaiting his ride to the track, was none other than Juan Pablo Montoya (he also is an Indy 500 winner). As soon as I saw him he became transfixed-on and followed the VX passing by. He seemed to mumble to himself what the heck is that, as I drove along the street no more than four feet from him. I guess he'd never seen a VX before, coming from Colombia and being now based in England for the past five years? It was a very strange almost slow- motion type experience for me, but then again I'm such a Formula 1 lover maybe it wasn't so strange after all?

[LeglizHemp]

i'm going to the F1 race in indy this weekend, maybe he'll come out and look at mine parked in the infield

[rowhard]

wonder if he would like to trade rides for a hour??

and blacksambo, for sure you not the only F1 fan in the group.

[Chopper]

Hardly. My unrealized dream, is to be in Monte Carlo for the Gran Prix, kick around northern Italy/southern Germany for a few weeks driving as many great cars as I can get my hands on. Then ease over to the south of France to get drunk, and wait on Le Mans. Wife says maybe this year...maybe. Who will mind the family for like 5 weeks?? 3 Weimaraners, 1 Pit Bull, 3 cats, 6 geckos, 7 snakes, and one Kookaburra (bird). No one in their right mind. We have not been away from the house longer than overnight in 8 years. Before that it was horses and at least 10 years. I'm ready.

[VehiGAZ]

That's a GREAT story about Montoya checking out your VX!! Now, WHY ON EARTH didn't you stop to talk to him and show him your VX?!? He was obviously interested! After trading cars with Jeff Gordon a couple of years back, maybe he would have been up to it again! (yeah, right)

Sloppy driving for Montoya this weekend though - running little Nico off the track wasn't a good start, and breaking his bearings (or whatever he did) by slamming into the wall didn't help, either. But I haven't finished watching the race yet (I Tivo'd it), so I'm not going to watch this thread until I do.

There's gotta be a LOT of VX-driving F1 fans, I'd guess. Count me and the missus in... we actually drove out to Indy for the 2002 USGP for our first anniversary. What a woman...

[blacksambo]

The reason I didn't stop to give Montoya a closer view is two fold. First, I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Ferrari supporter, and I was dressed accordingly. (Get the picture? Never wave red in front of a bull.) Second, he was literally surrounded by three or four body guards and I didn't want to disturb his pre-race concentration with a big tough guy over reaction to my eagerness to show off. So, all I could do is let him stare longingly at the VX in the rearview and continue to mind my own business. Besides, I was hoping that by acting indifferent towards him it might psychologically work agains't his monster ego and give the red boys a better chance. Remember, Ferrari only qualified fifth and tenth and Montoya was going to be a factor agains't them. So in short, team loyalty prevented my engagement with the enemy before the big race. Had it all occurred after the race, I likely would have been more tempted to stop. A VX is sure a fun ride in a foreign country.

[Y33TREKker]

Another F-1 fan here. I'm considering going to Indy this year too, but just for Saturdays' events. I went to the inaugural race a few years ago, and while the atmosphere was something to remember, once was enough for me....at least at Indy anyway. One day I do hope to attend Spa though.

[Spike]

Carroll Shelby put a Ferrari logo on the rear view mirror of his racing Cobra's because that's the only place he wanted to see them ...

[blacksambo]

Good piece of trivia and precisely what I had in mind in Montreal. Thanks.

[VehiGAZ]

You can thank Kimi for Michael's nice finish then! Wow, what a nutty race!

Spike, that reminds me of a line from The Gumball Rally... When the ringer F1 driver gets in the Ferrari Daytona just before the start, he yanks off the rearview mirror, throws it over his shoulder and says, "The first rule of Italian racecar driving - what is behind you, she does-a-not matter!!"

[thedutchguy]

[VehiGAZ]

HAHAHHAA!!! Nice one, Dutchguy!

[blacksambo]

You can thank Montoya too. As he definitely would have absorbed Scuderia points had he not screwed up royally.

[VehiGAZ]

I don't know what JPM enjoys more - scoring championship points or putting the big slap-down on a rookie. :-)

I just love his driving...

[LeglizHemp]

ok we all talk about our experiances with people checking out our VX's, so here's a good one. Sunday i went to the F1 race at Indy. my girlfriend and i got to the track early so we could park in the infield, around 8 am. that turned out to be early enough to be parked between the front straight and the back straight of the F1 track insted of back in the 3rd turn of the normal track. to get to where they parked us they sent us right past the area for the F1 teams parking, right outside of the garage area. there were maybe 1000 to 1500 people standing in this area looking for autographs and taking pictures and stuff. i got to do a slow drive right past all of them and man the looks i got were priceless. people were pointing and talking and tapping buddies on the shoulder to say "Look at THAT!". God i was in heaven!

now i know how a beautiful woman feels when men are staring at her.....LOL