Apologies, I'd love to read this with more interest, but I'm kinda focused on news that Pittrace is closing, with the track being sold off to a developer to build a...data center? Their FB page is deleting any commentary about the track sale.
I personally know four people who were finishing up track day cars to run specifically at Pittrace in 2026. I was hoping to perhaps visit the track for the same purpose in late 2026 or 2027.
I'm just finding it to be a bit odd that absolutely nothing was mentioned, and now that the cat is out of the bag (there are folks confirming it everywhere), it still looks like Lazy Sunday on their FB page.
Fun related fact - a not insignificant number of these data centers are very quietly installing natural gas turbine powered co-generation plants to generate their electricity. Being done quietly because there is still an element out there that they have to appear "green" to the general public that they are getting their power from windmills and unicorn farts. Source: a close relative who works for Chevron, tangentially involved in the installation of said co-generation plants at data centers.
Do these data centers employ anyone, or do they just shove a bazillion racks and servers in a building, and someone pops the door open once a year to find any failed boxes, yank them out and replace them, hit the power buttons, and walk away for another year after locking the door?
I'm not saying it won't happen but I'm also hearing its oil and gas exploration. The land out there is less than worthless and there are plots like it everywhere. Guessing there will be more to the story.
Blah, not going to hold my breath on that one, there have been some fascinating track closures here of late (not just road courses), in this case there's zero information out there, whereas in most of the other cases, there's way too much information, most of it really trashy.
PittRace is built on an old strip mine. There are two data center projects being worked on in WV on old coalfields.
Also 30 miles away is an old coal power plant being converted to natural gas for the express purpose of powering a data center, that project was just announced in July.
A friend (who lives 35 minutes from the track) just got an email from the track owner/manager/whoever:
"We're stepping away from ownership!", and naturally the rest of it was intentionally vague.
Uh, okay. It's their track. I just think that quite a few folks...and more by the hour...are a little upset that many many people had the rugs pulled out from under them by this eleventh-hour "we just decided to sell it this afternoon!", Boomer-esque response.
Other tracks have closed, I don't even live anywhere near there, but for some reason, this closure irritates the hell out of me, given the lack of any advance notice, and also how many "we need to close this track!" boxes weren't being ticked off.
The new owners supposedly put $15M into the track over the past few years. The payoff from selling it must be considerable, because you couldn't sell it for that much as a racetrack.
At any rate, yeah, something's a bit odd, but since I'm merely some halfwit several states away, I'm just thankful that the freebie parasite readers are allowed to post comments in here.
On a side note: I sort of tangled with a company you're vaguely familiar with (their name begins with an 'H' and ends with an 'agerty') a couple of years back, one of their not-very-imaginative manager guys apparently got the bright idea that they wanted an automotive satire content creator (me...?) on staff. That was at least until someone higher up figured out that to write satire, well, you've got to making fun of someone, and that higher up immediately got a bit paranoid that I might poke fun at some corporate partner, whether real or imagined, so naturally I was ghosted for two months after submitting two completely different versions of "Invisible EV".
The first version was one of Ford/Jim Farley's underlings spending millions on creating an invisible EV and they lost it during the reveal, the second version was scrubbed of any mentions of Ford and became a tech bro reveal at Burning Man and you could only see the car if you were on LSD, the car was stolen by those same people, taken on joyrides, and then because the car was Burning Man statue-shaped, it was accidentally set on fire along with the main fire display, but since it was invisible, the tech bro in question was then accused of stealing investor funds and defrauding his insurance company because investigators couldn't find the burned car.
On another side note: your name came up, "he doesn't get along too well with our corporate partners!"
Noooo. I had a Squarespace (?) page for a while, got tired of paying for it and just sort of lost interest, I had something like 80+ submissions posted on it, with more buried elsewhere on a harddrive or three.
Almost all of them were automotive satire pieces, including a few-page monster called "There And Back Again", a piece written around 2008 that was making fun of the NASCAR COT, to the point where I borrowed heavily from Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones, with the protagonist of the story being chased by NASCAR ringwraiths that were driving nine black base-model Mini Coopers, the lead guy only referred to as "The Man in the Origami Hat".
The story was essentially this: a NASCAR employee found the secret plans for the upcoming COT, it was printed on Egyptian papyrus, and he discovered that it was actually a set of secret blueprints for a German WW2 suicide vehicle that failed because it was so ugly, someone found the plans, and that's where the COT came from, and only the pool heater of Brian France would have the correct type of water to dissolve the plans. Most of the story is a chase scene.
Well aware, the drift community is also quite upset by this news as it was one of the original "mid-western" drift venues with history spanning 20 years. Most events happen on the big skid pad, but that did allow for some faster entry speeds. They also had a couple drift days on the kart track in recent years as well. I never did go drift out there which I now regret.
The first, and most important, is Francesco Bagnaia finding some mojo once more and securing the pole position, the sprint win, and the race win by significant margins over Marc Marquez. Where has this man been, and what finally fixed his issues with braking? A resurgence of form, if continued, will mean Bagnaia has a chance to fend of Bez for third in the champion: and, perhaps, even to challenge Alex Marquez for second. It was good to see Pecco back in competitive form after such a long slump while other riders didn't appear to have the same issues.
As for the second story: Marc Marquez wins the championship with 5 more race weekends left to complete. After a devastating injury, grueling surgeries, dozens of crashes on the Honda, and after a six year gap between championships Marc Marquez is once again the best of the best (of the best, sir, with honors).
The races themselves were surprisingly humdrum with big gaps between Bagnaia, Marquez, and Acosta in the sprint. Marc overcame a poor start in the sprint to pass Mir and then Acosta and, by the time that happened, did not have the ability to close the gap to his factory teammate up front. There was first corner drama when Jorge Martin lost control of the bike and took his teammate Bez out. Martin would not join for the race.
In the race Marc was off to a better start and didn't have to pass Mir and Acosta this time, only Acosta (who would fade and then push too hard and end up with an off track excursion and secure 17th), but again Bagnaia had pace that Marquez could only match, at best, and he would finish with a 4s lead over Marquez. Joan Mir, meanwhile, held on to his 3rd place after passing Acosta which is Honda's first factory team podium in a great while.
This weekend MotoGP will be in Indonesia where we will see if Bagnaia's form continues, if Marc throws everything he has at the event or relaxes a little, and if the championship 2-3-4 standings are looking liable to change.
MotoAmerica in New Jersey wrapped the season up.
Cameron Beaubier secures another AMA Superbike title after a long absence. Bobby Fong could have won it if he had played the races safe; instead he threw away 50 points with a pair of DNFs in the last two races of the season and would plummet from 1st to 3rd.
Despite how amusing King of the Baggers is from the sheer absurdity of watching 600+lb bikes dance around a track this might be my last season watching MotoAmerica. The talent level is clearly lesser than that of WorldSBK, the cost is about the same, and the production values are worse (neither is close to MotoGP, though).
I had a '84 two-tone Vanagon for a minute probably 15(?) years ago. Pretty ok around town but the freeway experience was spicy....as in getting the bird from pissed off people behind me that wanted to go faster. C'mon folks, this thing's got, what, ~80 hp? Replaced the fuel lines as a precaution early on, and eventually sold it to a dopey couple that had some vague delusions of grandeur, most of which probably involved humping each other in the back out in the sticks or something. They called me from the road as they were driving in the hills out east somewhere complaining that the engine was running hot (i.e. much warmer weather out there). I told them to crank the heater to max, said good luck and hung up on them. Only cool '70s vans for me now, though that new IBUZZ thing would be kind of neat if it had an ICE in it.
OT: for the musicians, it seems G&L Guitars is no more or in the unknown stages of becoming no more. Does anybody have any MFD pickups lying around or a source for them? I am kicking myself for not buying some even though I had nothing I really needed them for. What's that thing about wanting stuff when it's either really difficult to obtain or it's 100% unobtainium? Primal hunting instinct?
I think you will ALWAYS be able to find an MFD. The guitar market is shrinking and there are probably already five G&Ls out there for every dude who wants one. (This is based on the fact that my son and I, together, have five G&Ls.)
They made a better product than Fender, IMO. The plain production stuff was noticeably nicer than Fender. More like PRS or Ernie Ball.
I had an Indo L-2500 which was incredibly nice, cost nothing but was pretty heavy, so it didn't stay long. The MFD p-bass pickups were a smoking deal @ $80, and the G&L shop is offline damnit.
That, and the aerodynamics of an Elvis-impersonating barn door, along with it shuddering terrifyingly if even the word "crosswind" is quietly mentioned to yourself.
Alright I'm a little late but open thread time: I'm looking for a entry level watch and want to open it up for suggestions/comments. My must haves are under $500, automatic movement, and a stainless band/case. My current front runner is a Seiko SSK035 or SSK003 (same thing different color.)
Can I ask where enlightened folks send their Seikos for service, just wherever the factory service center is in the US, or is there a more in-the-know option? My old SKX073 needs some attention.
Good pick on the Turtle, I'm wearing one right now, the one with the manta rays hidden in the dial. I can't get any straps to be comfortable but the stock rubber strap, and I had to poke extra holes in it. The mechanical movement isn't accurate and needs adjustment to be in the ballpark. The most expensive watch I've bought at $396. Glinting it in the sunlight is a good distraction when sitting in traffic.
"The police are simply gravitating towards the easy work"
That's been my theory for years. It explains a lot, though it might be more explanatory here than there, as in the UK, police training is longer than barber/cosmetologist school. (In PA: about 700 hours minimum for police academy, 1200 hours minimum for barber/cosmetology school.)
One could argue that the extra hours just give UK cops more time to be indoctrinated in to a system that asks them to leave their humanity and sense of self behind. Maybe American cops still being somewhat conscientious human beings in uniforms with less training, isn’t such a bad thing overall…. (I’d better stop writing, I live in London)
Wifey was in a fender bender a couple of months ago with a guy who turned out to be in a "friend's car" and a plate that was 2 YEARS out of date, no insurance proof, etc. Cop let him drive off without even a fixit ticket to go the courthouse and show it was all up to snuff.
It's worse than snuggling up to easy. It's holding hands with some incompetence you might have joked about 5 years ago.
One mistake that westerners make more than others is we extend charity basically forever, even long after a pile of evidence of defection has piled up.
People doing you and your fellow countrymen harm do not deserve charity or the benefit of the doubt.
I dunno. I looked ironically cool doing the Tail in an air-suspended 2017 Audi Q7 that was farting out a thick cloud of vaporized oil in its wake. I need to find the photo.
Sir, although YOU have probably never actually done anything uncool in your life, ironic vehicles on the Dragon are sailing very close to the wind nowadays!
"the beleaguered little track is fighting for its life against a neighborhood association that wants it gone"
it might be awful but one fewer race track is a shame
"Some people put Subaru WRX engines in to address the power deficiency"
some people do coke for fun
"They took a terrible idea and made it brilliant to drive"
but enough about the 911
"Japan solves 95.9% of theirs"
this is an incredible statistic given how rare it happens there. also everyone looks the same
"the UK arrests 33 people per day for social media statements while solving a throwaway percentage of their ever-growing violent crime"
free speech basically doesnt exist there and their govt seems intent on pretending it does while making everything worse for its inhabitants
"so far failed to complete or deliver my erotic novel about an innocent professional BMX rider who becomes enmeshed in a torrid and thoroughly transgressive relationship with a European “curvemodel” and her two sisters"
thats cool you have zero pressure to complete this
"The demand for cool stuff is near-infinite"
the hype machine never rests and its ability to inflate mediocre products to peak popularity means im not touching anything that hasnt proven itself to be more than a flash in the pan
Did Jack write about the British comedian who came over here (U.S.A.), did a show, and had police waiting for his plane at Heathrow?!
I’m surprised that Nigel Farage came over here and made the speech he did to our Congress, then went back over there and lived! I’ve heard that he has a good chance of winning the PM spot. I hope so!
To paraphrase Hoppe, if you're not worried that things you've posted on the internet might lead to your arrest in the UK, you should ask yourself if there is something wrong with you.
This is why various governors and mayors are so upset about the prospect of the federal government restoring law and order to their cities. The violent crime is a feature of their policies, not a bug. Anarcho-tyranny isn't just a missed opportunity for an '80s punk band name.
Speaking of crime stats, UK police have arrested more people for complaining about crime this morning than they have for burglary since diversity became the UK's greatest strength.
Don't know what this whole "fascination" is about "cool". I've never been "cool", never will be, and really don't care. Seems like these wanna-be "cool" people just need to be ignored.
Trendy things are almost always undesirable (WTF is a labubu?), but sometimes something is popular because it truly is that great, like the Beatles, the Miata, the Indianapolis 500, or the 1965 full-size Chevy (1 million sold!).
What's really cool is to be so old that things you thought were cool, society deemed uncool, but you never stopped enjoying them because YOU thought they were cool, and now society deems them cool again. Like listening to music on CD, or drinking cheap American beer like Pabst or Strohs.
I am really old, 90 and would never go back to that cheap beer. I can afford better, I have brewed better. Cheap beer has no flavor nor body. It only has one thing, lots of advertising.
ive said elsewhere that cops arent supposed to look like people you can bully but ive seen the cops over there and some of them (especially the women) look fragile
I made a compromise (we watch what she wants and I kick rocks) with my wife on our viewing schedule the other night and we watched Wayward.
Aside from all the other horseshit, I couldn't get past the transgendered cop looking like a frail 13 year old boy.
Forget transphobia or the fact the character was also incompetent, how can I suspend disbelief when it doesn't seem like they could help subdoing a toddler. By build and personality there couldn't possibly be a job the character was less suited for. I am waiting for the show to drop they only wanted to be a cop because they didn't think anyone would hire them.
That said, I once saw a news clip of two of them (one a woman) take down a knife-wielding punk using only their collapsible batons, which is something no American cop would ever try...probably better to Taser the guy but it was still unexpectedly impressive.
Ford has been purging based upper level management the past few weeks. You’re either “agile” in your “swim lanes” about “the new EV that will succeed” which follows zero design rules or you’re “retired”
To be fair, Ford has an exceptionally difficult task ahead of them. They have to make sure they don't overtake General Motors in annual sales -- but Barra is doing everything besides actually going out on the lots and punching potential customers, so Farley needs to work really hard to torpedo what you all have going.
You’d think that, since the midsize sedan segment has come down to Honda and Toyota, for two, you’d think they’d be almost like Michigan/Ohio State! IDGAF if your combovers are what really bring in the shekels, every sale is a win! So why isn’t there war between Accord and Camry? (The Sonata and whatever the Kia is is strictly internecine.)
2026 Camry is out, not a word yet on the Accord! It’s now October! Honda is still over 100k of ‘em this calendar year! WTF people??!!
Japanese crime statistics are extremely manipulated if not outright falsified. See "Tokyo Vice" on HBO Max or read the book it's based on for the more in depth explanation.
I have spent time with Miles Collier and Leon Russell and driven The Tail of The Dragon in a Flyin’ Miata, 986 Boxster S, and on a 1997 Ducati Monster.
My first time on The Dragon was in the Before Times when the speed limit was 50mph and there was zero traffic and zero Five-Oh and KillBoy was the nickname of the local skank.
You used to be able to actually drive on that road, now, well….I guess Parade is correct, because that shit is NOT fun.
My last visit to The Dragon was in my Boxster in 2016 and I have ZERO desire to go back to that shit.
In my past life, I was a photojournalist. I had press credentials for one of Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnics and I ended up in Leon Russel’s trailer with him and Willie and Deana Carter and Dwight Yoakum and it was a TIME.
Miles Collier had my good friend Jake Raby, who is THE Porsche engine guru, build an engine for one of his Revs cars, a 904 or some such, and the two of us ended up talking shit together about Raby at Rennsport Reunion 7 at Laguna Seca in 2023.
It’s amazing how small this world really is when you travel.
I can’t imagine being more absolutely miserable than being behind the wheel in an F1 on The Dragon. What a fucking waste.
I really appreciate your behind the scenes info on the likes of Bolian, and the dude who appears on the Spike Car Radio show whose name escapes me at the moment.
Subscribing for that insight alone is worthwhile, before we even get to your brilliant writing and insight on all worldly matters.
What the fuck is going to happen to England and the rest of Europe? I kinda want to visit before I die, but from everything I’m seeing, there is no way in Hell I’m going to Europe any time soon.
For what it’s worth the United States has done this in some shape or form to EU visitors for many, many years. Pretty much any visitor to the country needs some kind of pre-agreed permission to enter. Except Canadians (who are rapidly absolving themselves of any courtesies)
With the UK and Canada already doing this too, EU is actually the last holdout. By the end of 2026 you won't be able to travel between any of these countries as a noncitizen without paying something (eg ESTA/ETA/ETIAS) and essentially being pre-screened before boarding a flight.
It always amazes me when people have miles of cars behind them and nonone in front of them and dont even realize it. Move over slow poke! Yes, this applies to one lane roads as well
I once navigated Highway One in California with an almost complete brake failure, had miles of guys behind me. Sometimes s--t happens and there is nothing you can do about it.
No they can’t! It’s their life’s mission, you see, to enforce the speed limit, even while jacking their jaws on the phone along with shaving and reading a newspaper (if those still exist)!
I sometimes wish it was legal for civilians to employ the PIT maneuver! I’d be the first person to have the front of the car reinforced with a hidden push-bar! Unfortunately, I’m usually at the end of the quarter-mile line, and not at the front, right behind aforementioned “morality police!”
The one and only time I drove Deal's Gap as it was called then, was in 1995 in my future ex-wife's 1994 Accord EX 5MT with my father in law, whose claim to fame was that he briefly owned a Toyota 2000GT in the early 70s. There wasn't much traffic that I remwmber, at least none that I caught in the Accord.
The best part about traveling abroad is that you return with an even greater appreciation for the USA. There’s nothing like clearing customs and hearing the words “welcome home.”
Glad you had a chance to talk to Miles. He is doing the important thinking about the automotive hobby. His book might strike some people as pretentious but it ALL needs to be discussed.
Apologies, I'd love to read this with more interest, but I'm kinda focused on news that Pittrace is closing, with the track being sold off to a developer to build a...data center? Their FB page is deleting any commentary about the track sale.
Yeah, that was some awesome advance notice...
Wait, what? Not that I'm a circuit racing guy, but it was nice to have the option....
I personally know four people who were finishing up track day cars to run specifically at Pittrace in 2026. I was hoping to perhaps visit the track for the same purpose in late 2026 or 2027.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/192696136704
I'm just finding it to be a bit odd that absolutely nothing was mentioned, and now that the cat is out of the bag (there are folks confirming it everywhere), it still looks like Lazy Sunday on their FB page.
I've heard enough conflicting rumors already to know that the real story is probably not out there yet.
I know from organizers of a series I race in that Pitt canceled 2026 dates.
I'd bet data center for more zirpslop - it sits in very close proximity to major natural gas pipelines.
Yeah, that’s what we need. More data centers. I mean, I am in that business, it literally pays my mortgage, and I don’t want any more data centers.
Fun related fact - a not insignificant number of these data centers are very quietly installing natural gas turbine powered co-generation plants to generate their electricity. Being done quietly because there is still an element out there that they have to appear "green" to the general public that they are getting their power from windmills and unicorn farts. Source: a close relative who works for Chevron, tangentially involved in the installation of said co-generation plants at data centers.
Do these data centers employ anyone, or do they just shove a bazillion racks and servers in a building, and someone pops the door open once a year to find any failed boxes, yank them out and replace them, hit the power buttons, and walk away for another year after locking the door?
I'm not saying it won't happen but I'm also hearing its oil and gas exploration. The land out there is less than worthless and there are plots like it everywhere. Guessing there will be more to the story.
"Guessing there will be more to the story."
Blah, not going to hold my breath on that one, there have been some fascinating track closures here of late (not just road courses), in this case there's zero information out there, whereas in most of the other cases, there's way too much information, most of it really trashy.
(Heavy sigh)
PittRace is built on an old strip mine. There are two data center projects being worked on in WV on old coalfields.
Also 30 miles away is an old coal power plant being converted to natural gas for the express purpose of powering a data center, that project was just announced in July.
I don’t have a dog in this fight aside from the fact that I don’t like seeing tracks close.
Wampum is in the middle of nowhere. You can’t tell me there’s not other plots of land that were suitable. Did the owners want out?
A friend (who lives 35 minutes from the track) just got an email from the track owner/manager/whoever:
"We're stepping away from ownership!", and naturally the rest of it was intentionally vague.
Uh, okay. It's their track. I just think that quite a few folks...and more by the hour...are a little upset that many many people had the rugs pulled out from under them by this eleventh-hour "we just decided to sell it this afternoon!", Boomer-esque response.
Other tracks have closed, I don't even live anywhere near there, but for some reason, this closure irritates the hell out of me, given the lack of any advance notice, and also how many "we need to close this track!" boxes weren't being ticked off.
The new owners supposedly put $15M into the track over the past few years. The payoff from selling it must be considerable, because you couldn't sell it for that much as a racetrack.
Sometimes people just get sick of losing money
At any rate, yeah, something's a bit odd, but since I'm merely some halfwit several states away, I'm just thankful that the freebie parasite readers are allowed to post comments in here.
On a side note: I sort of tangled with a company you're vaguely familiar with (their name begins with an 'H' and ends with an 'agerty') a couple of years back, one of their not-very-imaginative manager guys apparently got the bright idea that they wanted an automotive satire content creator (me...?) on staff. That was at least until someone higher up figured out that to write satire, well, you've got to making fun of someone, and that higher up immediately got a bit paranoid that I might poke fun at some corporate partner, whether real or imagined, so naturally I was ghosted for two months after submitting two completely different versions of "Invisible EV".
The first version was one of Ford/Jim Farley's underlings spending millions on creating an invisible EV and they lost it during the reveal, the second version was scrubbed of any mentions of Ford and became a tech bro reveal at Burning Man and you could only see the car if you were on LSD, the car was stolen by those same people, taken on joyrides, and then because the car was Burning Man statue-shaped, it was accidentally set on fire along with the main fire display, but since it was invisible, the tech bro in question was then accused of stealing investor funds and defrauding his insurance company because investigators couldn't find the burned car.
On another side note: your name came up, "he doesn't get along too well with our corporate partners!"
'On another side note: your name came up, "he doesn't get along too well with our corporate partners!"'
As eulogies go, it's not quite "Died while leading the Grand Prix" but I'll take it.
You should consider that comment to be a compliment.
I assume your neighbor isn’t going away anytime soon.
Have you published these anywhere? I'd love to read them!
Noooo. I had a Squarespace (?) page for a while, got tired of paying for it and just sort of lost interest, I had something like 80+ submissions posted on it, with more buried elsewhere on a harddrive or three.
Almost all of them were automotive satire pieces, including a few-page monster called "There And Back Again", a piece written around 2008 that was making fun of the NASCAR COT, to the point where I borrowed heavily from Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones, with the protagonist of the story being chased by NASCAR ringwraiths that were driving nine black base-model Mini Coopers, the lead guy only referred to as "The Man in the Origami Hat".
The story was essentially this: a NASCAR employee found the secret plans for the upcoming COT, it was printed on Egyptian papyrus, and he discovered that it was actually a set of secret blueprints for a German WW2 suicide vehicle that failed because it was so ugly, someone found the plans, and that's where the COT came from, and only the pool heater of Brian France would have the correct type of water to dissolve the plans. Most of the story is a chase scene.
Well aware, the drift community is also quite upset by this news as it was one of the original "mid-western" drift venues with history spanning 20 years. Most events happen on the big skid pad, but that did allow for some faster entry speeds. They also had a couple drift days on the kart track in recent years as well. I never did go drift out there which I now regret.
MotoGP has two big stories coming out of Japan.
The first, and most important, is Francesco Bagnaia finding some mojo once more and securing the pole position, the sprint win, and the race win by significant margins over Marc Marquez. Where has this man been, and what finally fixed his issues with braking? A resurgence of form, if continued, will mean Bagnaia has a chance to fend of Bez for third in the champion: and, perhaps, even to challenge Alex Marquez for second. It was good to see Pecco back in competitive form after such a long slump while other riders didn't appear to have the same issues.
As for the second story: Marc Marquez wins the championship with 5 more race weekends left to complete. After a devastating injury, grueling surgeries, dozens of crashes on the Honda, and after a six year gap between championships Marc Marquez is once again the best of the best (of the best, sir, with honors).
The races themselves were surprisingly humdrum with big gaps between Bagnaia, Marquez, and Acosta in the sprint. Marc overcame a poor start in the sprint to pass Mir and then Acosta and, by the time that happened, did not have the ability to close the gap to his factory teammate up front. There was first corner drama when Jorge Martin lost control of the bike and took his teammate Bez out. Martin would not join for the race.
In the race Marc was off to a better start and didn't have to pass Mir and Acosta this time, only Acosta (who would fade and then push too hard and end up with an off track excursion and secure 17th), but again Bagnaia had pace that Marquez could only match, at best, and he would finish with a 4s lead over Marquez. Joan Mir, meanwhile, held on to his 3rd place after passing Acosta which is Honda's first factory team podium in a great while.
This weekend MotoGP will be in Indonesia where we will see if Bagnaia's form continues, if Marc throws everything he has at the event or relaxes a little, and if the championship 2-3-4 standings are looking liable to change.
MotoAmerica in New Jersey wrapped the season up.
Cameron Beaubier secures another AMA Superbike title after a long absence. Bobby Fong could have won it if he had played the races safe; instead he threw away 50 points with a pair of DNFs in the last two races of the season and would plummet from 1st to 3rd.
Despite how amusing King of the Baggers is from the sheer absurdity of watching 600+lb bikes dance around a track this might be my last season watching MotoAmerica. The talent level is clearly lesser than that of WorldSBK, the cost is about the same, and the production values are worse (neither is close to MotoGP, though).
Cool story, Jack
I had a '84 two-tone Vanagon for a minute probably 15(?) years ago. Pretty ok around town but the freeway experience was spicy....as in getting the bird from pissed off people behind me that wanted to go faster. C'mon folks, this thing's got, what, ~80 hp? Replaced the fuel lines as a precaution early on, and eventually sold it to a dopey couple that had some vague delusions of grandeur, most of which probably involved humping each other in the back out in the sticks or something. They called me from the road as they were driving in the hills out east somewhere complaining that the engine was running hot (i.e. much warmer weather out there). I told them to crank the heater to max, said good luck and hung up on them. Only cool '70s vans for me now, though that new IBUZZ thing would be kind of neat if it had an ICE in it.
OT: for the musicians, it seems G&L Guitars is no more or in the unknown stages of becoming no more. Does anybody have any MFD pickups lying around or a source for them? I am kicking myself for not buying some even though I had nothing I really needed them for. What's that thing about wanting stuff when it's either really difficult to obtain or it's 100% unobtainium? Primal hunting instinct?
I think you will ALWAYS be able to find an MFD. The guitar market is shrinking and there are probably already five G&Ls out there for every dude who wants one. (This is based on the fact that my son and I, together, have five G&Ls.)
They made a better product than Fender, IMO. The plain production stuff was noticeably nicer than Fender. More like PRS or Ernie Ball.
I had an Indo L-2500 which was incredibly nice, cost nothing but was pretty heavy, so it didn't stay long. The MFD p-bass pickups were a smoking deal @ $80, and the G&L shop is offline damnit.
"C'mon folks, this thing's got, what, ~80 hp?"
That, and the aerodynamics of an Elvis-impersonating barn door, along with it shuddering terrifyingly if even the word "crosswind" is quietly mentioned to yourself.
Alright I'm a little late but open thread time: I'm looking for a entry level watch and want to open it up for suggestions/comments. My must haves are under $500, automatic movement, and a stainless band/case. My current front runner is a Seiko SSK035 or SSK003 (same thing different color.)
Vostok Amphibia? The stainless bands aren't great and should be replaced.
https://www.avoidablecontact.com/p/wednesday-ort-hemi-returnsthe-greatest?utm_source=publication-search
Since this photo was taken ive fully modded the two tone one with sapphire crystal, coin edge bezel, ceramic insert, and jubilee bracelet.
Can I ask where enlightened folks send their Seikos for service, just wherever the factory service center is in the US, or is there a more in-the-know option? My old SKX073 needs some attention.
This is something I'll need to know sooner rather than later. Grand Seiko has their own service center, but I don't know who could fix, say, my SSK.
I have the same question but under $6k (and willing to go to Japan/Europe to get it…)
GS snowflake or Tudor 58 GMT.
SSKs are the obvious move but if a GMT isn't necessary check out Orients before you make that final click.
You might also consider a Seiko SRPE93.
Good pick on the Turtle, I'm wearing one right now, the one with the manta rays hidden in the dial. I can't get any straps to be comfortable but the stock rubber strap, and I had to poke extra holes in it. The mechanical movement isn't accurate and needs adjustment to be in the ballpark. The most expensive watch I've bought at $396. Glinting it in the sunlight is a good distraction when sitting in traffic.
I think you mean devolved...
I hate to use Reddit as a source but it is better than Wikipedia on the internet of late:
https://www.reddit.com/r/evolution/comments/2q8v6c/why_do_species_lose_seemingly_beneficial_traits/
De-evolution is real.
I witness it every day...
But now it can be told. Every man, woman and mutant on this planet shall know the truth about de-evolution.
https://youtu.be/fTFztCfy5e8?si=_x-r25HtYdS_LLj_
In the beginning was the end.
This Devo concept was well played in its early days.
Yeah it fell apart when they stumped for Obama with a fundraising benefit concert for him in 2008.
"The police are simply gravitating towards the easy work"
That's been my theory for years. It explains a lot, though it might be more explanatory here than there, as in the UK, police training is longer than barber/cosmetologist school. (In PA: about 700 hours minimum for police academy, 1200 hours minimum for barber/cosmetology school.)
One could argue that the extra hours just give UK cops more time to be indoctrinated in to a system that asks them to leave their humanity and sense of self behind. Maybe American cops still being somewhat conscientious human beings in uniforms with less training, isn’t such a bad thing overall…. (I’d better stop writing, I live in London)
Wifey was in a fender bender a couple of months ago with a guy who turned out to be in a "friend's car" and a plate that was 2 YEARS out of date, no insurance proof, etc. Cop let him drive off without even a fixit ticket to go the courthouse and show it was all up to snuff.
It's worse than snuggling up to easy. It's holding hands with some incompetence you might have joked about 5 years ago.
One mistake that westerners make more than others is we extend charity basically forever, even long after a pile of evidence of defection has piled up.
People doing you and your fellow countrymen harm do not deserve charity or the benefit of the doubt.
I dunno. I looked ironically cool doing the Tail in an air-suspended 2017 Audi Q7 that was farting out a thick cloud of vaporized oil in its wake. I need to find the photo.
TDi?
Er…no.
That would've been the clincher
Unless it was the V12 TDI - gets my respect every time!
That's not oil. The technical term is "Audi sweat."
Sir, although YOU have probably never actually done anything uncool in your life, ironic vehicles on the Dragon are sailing very close to the wind nowadays!
"the beleaguered little track is fighting for its life against a neighborhood association that wants it gone"
it might be awful but one fewer race track is a shame
"Some people put Subaru WRX engines in to address the power deficiency"
some people do coke for fun
"They took a terrible idea and made it brilliant to drive"
but enough about the 911
"Japan solves 95.9% of theirs"
this is an incredible statistic given how rare it happens there. also everyone looks the same
"the UK arrests 33 people per day for social media statements while solving a throwaway percentage of their ever-growing violent crime"
free speech basically doesnt exist there and their govt seems intent on pretending it does while making everything worse for its inhabitants
"so far failed to complete or deliver my erotic novel about an innocent professional BMX rider who becomes enmeshed in a torrid and thoroughly transgressive relationship with a European “curvemodel” and her two sisters"
thats cool you have zero pressure to complete this
"The demand for cool stuff is near-infinite"
the hype machine never rests and its ability to inflate mediocre products to peak popularity means im not touching anything that hasnt proven itself to be more than a flash in the pan
just don't go visit the UK, they will probably read all of your posts on ACF and promptly either jail or deport you.
took the words right out of my mouth and with my luck theyd probably just shoot me
Nothing so easy, I'm sure
I don’t even think there is any business reasons left for me to visit the UK. That poor nation has fallen
They won't shoot you. The only people with guns over there are farmers and landed gentry.
"Look out, he's got a board with a nail in it!"
Idiocracy.
He looks like a coyote standing next to a stick of dynamite with “ACME” on it!
Pip, pip, and cocoa pebbles (or is it cheerio)!!
Did Jack write about the British comedian who came over here (U.S.A.), did a show, and had police waiting for his plane at Heathrow?!
I’m surprised that Nigel Farage came over here and made the speech he did to our Congress, then went back over there and lived! I’ve heard that he has a good chance of winning the PM spot. I hope so!
To paraphrase Hoppe, if you're not worried that things you've posted on the internet might lead to your arrest in the UK, you should ask yourself if there is something wrong with you.
The demand for cool stuff started when George Costanza bought Jon Voight’s convertible.
started .... and ENDED
To be accurate, it was *John* Voight’s convertible.
Fuck, what a heartbreaker that was. Seinfeld turned from a comedy to a tragedy that dark day. John Voight ... the dentist.
I forgot about the punchline to that episode!
This is why various governors and mayors are so upset about the prospect of the federal government restoring law and order to their cities. The violent crime is a feature of their policies, not a bug. Anarcho-tyranny isn't just a missed opportunity for an '80s punk band name.
Speaking of crime stats, UK police have arrested more people for complaining about crime this morning than they have for burglary since diversity became the UK's greatest strength.
Don't know what this whole "fascination" is about "cool". I've never been "cool", never will be, and really don't care. Seems like these wanna-be "cool" people just need to be ignored.
The more focused one is about how cool they/someone/something else is or isn’t, the less cool that person is.
I have always thought that if something is popular or cool it is undesirable.
Contrarians unite.
Trendy things are almost always undesirable (WTF is a labubu?), but sometimes something is popular because it truly is that great, like the Beatles, the Miata, the Indianapolis 500, or the 1965 full-size Chevy (1 million sold!).
What's really cool is to be so old that things you thought were cool, society deemed uncool, but you never stopped enjoying them because YOU thought they were cool, and now society deems them cool again. Like listening to music on CD, or drinking cheap American beer like Pabst or Strohs.
I am really old, 90 and would never go back to that cheap beer. I can afford better, I have brewed better. Cheap beer has no flavor nor body. It only has one thing, lots of advertising.
I’m with ya. IMO the more of it that is produced, the worse it tastes.
I’m through being cool.
https://youtu.be/8IVLUiZ-MhU?si=yZcuxLAT81YOjgYL
It is grossly uncool to want to be cool, especially if you are famous. Social media gives us 10,000 examples of this every day.
Authorities in Britain are, let me carefully choose my words, a bunch of retarded limp-twisted fags.
ive said elsewhere that cops arent supposed to look like people you can bully but ive seen the cops over there and some of them (especially the women) look fragile
I made a compromise (we watch what she wants and I kick rocks) with my wife on our viewing schedule the other night and we watched Wayward.
Aside from all the other horseshit, I couldn't get past the transgendered cop looking like a frail 13 year old boy.
Forget transphobia or the fact the character was also incompetent, how can I suspend disbelief when it doesn't seem like they could help subdoing a toddler. By build and personality there couldn't possibly be a job the character was less suited for. I am waiting for the show to drop they only wanted to be a cop because they didn't think anyone would hire them.
That said, I once saw a news clip of two of them (one a woman) take down a knife-wielding punk using only their collapsible batons, which is something no American cop would ever try...probably better to Taser the guy but it was still unexpectedly impressive.
Once saw a not brawny lady police person in Hawaii thoroughly dismantle an obnoxious drunk in just a few seconds. It was very impressive!!
I know someone who probably doesn’t want to visit the U.K. anytime soon!
Probably wouldn’t be a good idea to even transfer through Heathrow!
ACF: come for the car talk, stay for the anteater trivia.
anteater content forever
How did I miss that?
I’m feeling so uncool.
Anteaters continually feted
Anteaters, carcinization finessed
The police in the UK, Denmark, Germany and every other Nordic country are doing what corporations over here are doing now.
Open your laptop at General Motors first thing in the morning.
You think you'll see press releases on the newest products?
Nope.
It is all about nuclear free, no fossil fuel, organic lesbians writing about how they fit in the culture at GM.
And don't smite them.
Should’ve never bailed GM out.
So glad I don't see that pozzed shit on Socrates anymore
Ford has been purging based upper level management the past few weeks. You’re either “agile” in your “swim lanes” about “the new EV that will succeed” which follows zero design rules or you’re “retired”
“agile” in your “swim lanes”
UGH. You just had to post this right after I’ve had dinner. Just about puked up the whole thing. Corporate babble speak must die.
OFFSITE RESOURCES. Can’t we just call them cheap labor?
I was going to say “WTF??!!”
To be fair, Ford has an exceptionally difficult task ahead of them. They have to make sure they don't overtake General Motors in annual sales -- but Barra is doing everything besides actually going out on the lots and punching potential customers, so Farley needs to work really hard to torpedo what you all have going.
Why can’t they overtake GM? You’d think they want, and need, to keep growing to become more profitable.
You’d think that, since the midsize sedan segment has come down to Honda and Toyota, for two, you’d think they’d be almost like Michigan/Ohio State! IDGAF if your combovers are what really bring in the shekels, every sale is a win! So why isn’t there war between Accord and Camry? (The Sonata and whatever the Kia is is strictly internecine.)
2026 Camry is out, not a word yet on the Accord! It’s now October! Honda is still over 100k of ‘em this calendar year! WTF people??!!
@Tresemonos, any info?
I don’t know shit about fuck when it comes to Honda and Toyota lol
Hmm, having fewer MBA types does not sound like a problem.
Japanese crime statistics are extremely manipulated if not outright falsified. See "Tokyo Vice" on HBO Max or read the book it's based on for the more in depth explanation.
Eh, the Japanese police clear almost all their cases through coerced confessions.
“Honor” means a lot, apparently!
A lot of Tokyo vice was fabricated though.
Like I haven't watched that TWICE!
Gulity until proven innocent. Any police force would come alive with that on their side.
So, Louisiana?
Holy Six Degrees of Separation, BatMan!!!
I have spent time with Miles Collier and Leon Russell and driven The Tail of The Dragon in a Flyin’ Miata, 986 Boxster S, and on a 1997 Ducati Monster.
My first time on The Dragon was in the Before Times when the speed limit was 50mph and there was zero traffic and zero Five-Oh and KillBoy was the nickname of the local skank.
You used to be able to actually drive on that road, now, well….I guess Parade is correct, because that shit is NOT fun.
My last visit to The Dragon was in my Boxster in 2016 and I have ZERO desire to go back to that shit.
In my past life, I was a photojournalist. I had press credentials for one of Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnics and I ended up in Leon Russel’s trailer with him and Willie and Deana Carter and Dwight Yoakum and it was a TIME.
Miles Collier had my good friend Jake Raby, who is THE Porsche engine guru, build an engine for one of his Revs cars, a 904 or some such, and the two of us ended up talking shit together about Raby at Rennsport Reunion 7 at Laguna Seca in 2023.
It’s amazing how small this world really is when you travel.
I can’t imagine being more absolutely miserable than being behind the wheel in an F1 on The Dragon. What a fucking waste.
I really appreciate your behind the scenes info on the likes of Bolian, and the dude who appears on the Spike Car Radio show whose name escapes me at the moment.
Subscribing for that insight alone is worthwhile, before we even get to your brilliant writing and insight on all worldly matters.
What the fuck is going to happen to England and the rest of Europe? I kinda want to visit before I die, but from everything I’m seeing, there is no way in Hell I’m going to Europe any time soon.
Nice Grand Seiko, BTW.
Rock on!
The EU is going to start fingerprinting and photographing visitors so f*ck them, I’m never going back. https://www.visaverge.com/news/eu-ees-border-fingerprinting-begins-oct-12-2025-for-29-countries/
The FBI has my fingerprints from my job and that’s bad enough.
For what it’s worth the United States has done this in some shape or form to EU visitors for many, many years. Pretty much any visitor to the country needs some kind of pre-agreed permission to enter. Except Canadians (who are rapidly absolving themselves of any courtesies)
Well I learned something new, thank you.
With the UK and Canada already doing this too, EU is actually the last holdout. By the end of 2026 you won't be able to travel between any of these countries as a noncitizen without paying something (eg ESTA/ETA/ETIAS) and essentially being pre-screened before boarding a flight.
What about using a little boat? Guys in those seem to have no problem getting in
the ability and willingness of the current govt to fuck us over and ruin our reputation astounds and infuriates me
Unlike Mr. Farage in the U.K., there’s not someone to save Canada, is there?
"The Tail of The Dragon in a Flyin’ Miata"
sounds awesome
It was.
But it would NOT be today.
Early morning mid-week runs in my ND2 were amazing but yeah, those guys in the picture were likely tailing a Harley trike.
https://substack.com/profile/12235453-amelius-moss/note/c-162040222?r=7a8xp&utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web
death to slow harley trike riders
That’s redundant.
It always amazes me when people have miles of cars behind them and nonone in front of them and dont even realize it. Move over slow poke! Yes, this applies to one lane roads as well
on the plus for UK, if you have more than 9 cars behind you you are required to pull over and let them pass.
But I’ve seen people unaware that emergency vehicles with lights and sirens on were behind them.
We should pay more attention to the licensing of drivers than the licensing of guns.
I once navigated Highway One in California with an almost complete brake failure, had miles of guys behind me. Sometimes s--t happens and there is nothing you can do about it.
No they can’t! It’s their life’s mission, you see, to enforce the speed limit, even while jacking their jaws on the phone along with shaving and reading a newspaper (if those still exist)!
I sometimes wish it was legal for civilians to employ the PIT maneuver! I’d be the first person to have the front of the car reinforced with a hidden push-bar! Unfortunately, I’m usually at the end of the quarter-mile line, and not at the front, right behind aforementioned “morality police!”
The one and only time I drove Deal's Gap as it was called then, was in 1995 in my future ex-wife's 1994 Accord EX 5MT with my father in law, whose claim to fame was that he briefly owned a Toyota 2000GT in the early 70s. There wasn't much traffic that I remwmber, at least none that I caught in the Accord.
Yep, my motorcycle ride was when it was Deal’s Gap and so was my Miata drive.
The best part about traveling abroad is that you return with an even greater appreciation for the USA. There’s nothing like clearing customs and hearing the words “welcome home.”
Especially when you have Cuban cigars, purchased in England, concealed in your luggage.
"It’s amazing how small this world really is when you travel."
Great post!
Glad you had a chance to talk to Miles. He is doing the important thinking about the automotive hobby. His book might strike some people as pretentious but it ALL needs to be discussed.
I always heard that his herb was top shelf.
I just got back from Italy (Milan and Florence), and it was genuinely wonderful! Go ASAP if there's somewhere in particular you wanna see!
“Bscher”
That name must be a stone bitch on autocorrect.
and i have no idea how to pronounce it
beeshure?
buscher?
cher?
IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME
I would hazard a guess that the "B" in "Bscher" is the German letter ß, ( Eszett ), representing the letter "s."
So, "Scherr," perhaps? (Not that it matters at all...)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9F
Had never heard of a double-s at the beginning of anything in German, but I suppose it’s possible.
🤣
In the 1930s, the Nazi people’s van and the fascist bro-dozer would have been best buddies!