I watched some of the first Global RallyCross broadcast on ESPN…It was cute I guess…they seem to have incorporated some of the drifting aspects (best 2 out of 3). I’m glad to see some form of televised rallying event on TV again, but this isn’t nearly as good as a stage rally. Oh well something is better than nothing. Perhaps if it catches on we can convince ESPN or SPEED to start carrying WRC again.

It’ll be just over a month until I can get the Buzzer out of storage. Around about that time it will be warm enough to start working on the Stinger again too. The one true problem I have with living in the midwest is the winters. Back in the southeast I really didn’t even need heat for a garage. I could work outdoors under the carport for 10 months of the year, and the for all but a few days of the other 2 months. Not up here.  Yes, I could heat the garage, but it’s poorly insulated, and really once that slab gets cold, that’s all she wrote. What’s really freaky is the first few warm / humid days we get, when the concrete and steel are still cold, you’ll get condensation on EVERYTHING.  It’s hideous.

So anyway, I’m quite literally counting the days until I can get my cars back on the road.

Had a great weekend with the ice racing crowd in Minnesota. I took a wild ride in the pace/safety/tow truck.

Wow! I don’t normally do ride-alongs but this was worth it. A V8 Dodge Dakota Sport 4X4 with custom studded tires makes quite an impression on the ice.  In this case the truck leads a pace lap and then ducks into the pits, while the pack takes the green flag. The pace truck then runs a hot lap chasing the pack  to dig out any first lap incidents who wind up in a snow bank.  He’s got twice the power as many of the racers and more grip to boot (more studs per square inch)…”rocket” would not be an inappropriate term.

The NFL season has concluded with an entertaining Super Bowl and a worthy champion.

I’m happy for the Rodgers and the rest of the Packers.  I love that the beat Big Ben and Hines Ward, two guys I can’t stand. Which is odd really, because I’m a fan of Polamau and Tomlin, go figure. What I do know is Old Number 4 is sitting somewhere weeping softly to himself…and that thought of that makes me feel good inside. I’m also feeling the whole championship belt thing. It’s been done before, but since I’m from that Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Roddy Piper generation, I always like to see championship gold draped over a shoulder.

Sorry, I don’t have a credit on the photo.

Now let’s just hope we have an NFL season this fall.

It’s Bad weather time here, but the lakes have 18 to 24 inches of ice on them, and that means Ice Racing !

Being from the south the concept of standing on a frozen lake is foreign to me. The idea of sliding a car around on one is absolutely insane.

The first time I went, I had a hard time with it. I HATE the cold, with a passion. But I love racing, so it’s quite a personal conflict for me to stand on a frozen lake and watch other people race cars. I’d probably be a bit more interested if I was driving myself, but I’m just not ready to sacrifice one of my 240′s to the ice and snow gods just yet.

Photographic chores caused me to buy some new toys this winter.

First among them is a Canon EF 70-200 2.8L

This is my first L-series lens. I bought it specifically for indoor sports use, but I think it will come in pretty handy at the race track, especially on cloudy days.

Next was a Canon XL2 camcorder. Although a few years past it’s prime the XL2 is still a tremendous camera as long as you are OK shooting in Standard Definition (I am, cause the equivalent HD camera costs about $7000, and I don’t have that kind of cash).

I’m really looking forward to getting out and shooting with this unit, as soon as spring comes. According to Canons specs, this camera has no business outdoors when the temperatures get much below freezing. I don’t have the money to replace this one should I damage it, so we’ll wait until the weather is tolerable.

I’m not in the market for a truck, but I’m noticing the two different styles Ford is using for their ads. On one side you’ve got Mike Rowe of  “Dirty Jobs” fame.  He’s got a lot of appeal for those of us who aren’t into the big, loud ad campaign. Just a touch of humor, but keeping it simple and plain, perfect for “middle America”.

On the other side of the coin you’re got Dennis Leary…loud, brash, very east coast. Lots of braggadocio, very hip…I’m not so crazy about these ads.

Wow, Lewis Hamillton goes out on the first lap. One of the things I have not been crazy about in Formula One over the years is the fragility of those cars. I understand the hows and whys of them being on the frail side, but it irks me to see a championship contender leave a race on very minor first lap contact. Honestly, after ther KERS fiasco of a season ago, I’d be glad to see them shake up the formula again. I’d love to see turbo engines come back in some form.

Even if they have to limit boost or fit restrictors, I’d love to have more diversity in the engine department.

Ron Artest is nuts. We have no doubt of this, the man gave a shout-out to his therapist on national TV. Turns out though, he’s not too crazy to enjoy a nice rice. I admit I never heard of an Eagle Roadster before Artest got pulled over in one. It’s not a bad looking little toy.  Based on published reports Ron was pulled for having an expired tag, and he didn’t even own the vehicle, so he was sent on his merry (and crazy) way. Good for him! Meanwhile I’m going to dig into this Eagle Roadster thing a bit more.

It’s Football time y’all. Call Hank Jr.,  put some beer on ice, warm up the hot wings! I’m glad full-contact, full speed, non-preseason NFL is back.

My fantasy team has been taking beatings for the last few seasons racking up something like 15 wins over the last 3 seasons. This year I made a change to my drafting strategy and I’m hoping for a couple of guys to stay healthy. Frankly if I can get to .500 this year I’ll be ecstatic. Don’t worry, this hasn’t become a Fantasy Football Blog, but I will provide the occasional comment on what’s going on with my team.