Things I would like to see more of: Sherman does words good. More posts from him or any other guest writers would be nice to fill in the gaps between the regular programming on Wednesday and Sunday. Which also ties into
Ideas for guest contributors: Open short story. I read the mini essay from Ice Age (in the comment section from Sept. 6) and thought it might be interesting to gather a few of these kinds of posts and bundle them up to enter as a substack post for everyone to comment on. I might be saying this partially because I want to have a crack at this given how many competent eyeballs would be critiquing it. Might be a pain to have several guest posts edited by Jack for clarity, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.
Open Short Story is a superb idea. My confidence in the ACF readership being able to produce short fiction that elevates, edifies and entertains knows no bounds.
It's not even the notion that guys here can produce great works (because I know they can), it's that I want to read something that informs me about them and their life experiences. Some snapshot of their life put into words. A glimpse into their life.
Yes!!! For the love of all things internally combusted, moah guest articles, please. Yes, yes, you can write an article with less time & effort than it takes to edit somebody else’s. Got it. Surely you have grammarily gifted friends who owe you a solid. Intern, perhaps? Apprentice? There are at least a half-dozen regular commenters who could turn out an article I’d love to read--Sherman’s GTA story being the perfect example.
I could write more, but I have to (1) find the time and (2) have something on my mind (and if it’s *timely* rather than evergreen, I have to find the time in short order). Finally, (3) it has to be something of which I’d be proud to have my nom de plume attached - this isn’t my job, so I’m not doing it for anything other than “love of the game.”
3: Sherman McCoy isn't your name, this is a flimsy excuse. And I can't imagine you pointing at anything you've written as Sherman while trying to woo rich people to engage in your cryptic banking services. Suspicious. Maybe you're an elaborate Baruthian sockpuppet!
Jack, count me as potentially interested in the October drive, if non-Track Day members are invited. And also if I can keep up/not slow anybody down in a 160hp 4 cylinder from 1988.
Saab 900 Turbo. They started with what was essentially half of a Triumph V8 and kept improving it for roughly 30 years. From talking to people that were there when it was new, it sounds like it really was a rocket ship in its day.
These days, the thing gets out-accelerated at stoplights by minivans being driven by moms talking on the phone.
I did not know that it! I also didn't know that the slant four was developed in conjunction with the V8 rather than being derived from the V8, hence my description of it being half of the V8.
We bought a Sienna in 2004 when the kids were little, as the Passat Wagon sucked as far as car seats. We moved to a CX-5 in 2015, and my wife missed her van. We added an Odyssey to the fleet in ‘19. I have to say I like it for hauling stuff and people, and it’s a much better road tripper than the CX-5. The only weird thing is people drive aggressively around it - having to out drag it at lights and aggressively cutting it off if you drive it with a little veloce.
Between 1998 and 2015 my wife had 5 different minivans, the last one got taken out by a twenty year old in a Mazda. She switched over to a Toyota Rav4 and has had it ever since. When I picked up my new undercounter bar beverage refrigerator the other day I wished we still had one of those minivans.
I recognize the difficulty not being attached to an “official” place, and I’m likely just the first of many to say this, but what first drew me to your writing was car reviews and editorials about cars. So the more of that, the better.
I appreciate the more political posts sometimes; I agree with some, disagree with others, but usually think about something in a way I hadn’t considered before, whether from you directly or from the commenters. I think you have about the right number of these.
Obviously, the “insider” stories about the writing business are unique to your stack, and are awesome. If you need to ration these to keep people subscribing, I understand, but keep them coming.
I don’t really follow pro racing, so I don’t have much interest in those stories, though following your personal exploits is fun.
Above all, no need for radical change. The success of the site so far speaks for itself.
Beyond 'liking' jack4x's take, I'll add this Wednesday feature is one I rarely click on unless the subject is a grabber. And I really debated re-upping in July with a personal 50% hit rate on the regular weekly content.
In addition to jack4x's same-more of's, the made in USA pieces are ones I have taken advantage of and tend to forward around to others. These are the easiest to send around and get your stack exposure without delving into your colorful writing style - let them find out themselves.
Guest posts - another vote for Sherman on any topic that has his fancy, I miss Bark's take on the dealership game and state of the business (all the more now that inventory is building), and an occasional reader review of their new-ish ride would be great (trust the sub's view way more than the hacks re-writing press materials).
Most of all, keep hitting the topics of the day that you are passionate about and the rest will follow - except for this Wednesday bit ;)
Yes. I’d even like more ‘how to drive stories’ ... I remember one of your Road & Track pieces on setting up mirrors to minimize your blind spots years ago - it had never occurred to me that on the side mirrors I didn’t need to see my own car (hahaha).
I think more or your insights in this arena would be great.
Well, Tom does seem like a nicer guy. He also hasn't told any stories about sleeping with other men's wives. Although, since you haven't slept with my wife I don't hold that against you.
I'm waiting for fiction. I'm willing to wait indefinitely. I like what I read here. I'd be willing to pay slightly more if I had to to continue reading it.
I want to join the Trackday Club, but I have things I need to buy/pay for first. So not before October unfortunately.
When another man has sex with your woman, give him a hearty THANK YOU because he opened your eyes, now you can boot her to the curb WHERE SHE BELONGS .
If only it were so simple. They tend to keep those behaviors secret and when found out to take your kids, house and half your shit with them (in perpetuity).
The IndyCar race was probably the worst race I've ever seen. On some other web site I posted that they acted like aggressive ADHD 8 year olds off their meds and after they ate all the Halloween candy. The TV talking heads "BUT THE CARS ARE SO MUCH FASTER BECAUSE OF THE REPAVE". Great. I believe 25% of the race was under yellow.
Doesn't matter if it's end of season. The cars are coming back. Maybe if it was F1, you could trash them because they won't be used again, but these guys put on a horrible show. Demo Derbies are sold as such.
Who thought it was a great idea to go green going INTO the final (and tight) corner?
A "Big Crowd" oh hand? Not by any measure. Though Portland looked even more empty. This series is floating around the bowl being flushed.
Then you have Callum Ilott getting death threats by Argentinians, and supposedly IndyCar may put on a exhibition race there.
The "Captain" is a poopyhead. Maybe it's just the nature of auto racing in the 21st Century, but this guy hasn't done much other than IMS and putting IndyCar into a holding pattern.
It was more than 25% but to be fair, this was unusual for the series (which usually has close hard racing). I was there and grandstands weren’t full, but there were a lot of people up on the hills, at the corkscrew, in the infield. Didn’t feel empty.
I know they aren't always that bad, but they didn't learn the whole race. The "I got this" mentality in the face of not many "got this" in the laps before made them look soft in the head.
I hate yellows. They destroy the flow of a race. This thing was a NASCAR Green/White Checker the whole race. And the guy who won, got penalized for something I don't think he was responsible for and ran the race like it should have been run by everybody. For a guy that supposedly has lost a few steps (I don't), I think it's going to be a few more years before he's in the Retirement Present Indy 500 only category. If I were him I would have been driving around thinking "These guys are idiots".
I came away from watching the Indy race thinking that maybe the skill of the drivers in Iracing wasn't so bad. All of us amateurs crash less the pros did at Leguna Seca.
Does anyone know if the little whistles that you can stick under a bumper work? The previous owner put one on my Saab. I never hit a deer, but I did hit a raccoon or something.
I live in rural Oz - have spotlights and whistles and often see roo heads popping up in the distance and then calmly moving away from the road. I was pleasantly surprised when I put the whistles but they seem to work - I think the problem is the roos don't hear the vehicle until too late, and then they panic and 50-50 hop into traffic. Assuming deer have similar behaviour - the whistle means they notice you sooner and have time to think about where to go. Noise isn't noticeable in a Ute either.
Went from 3-4 hits in several years - including one write-off - to none in same timeframe
Hey Gaz, is 'Gaz' a common nickname in Australia? I know of exactly one other Gaz and he also lives in rural Australia. He's a singer in a moderately successful rock band in Victoria.
Trying to figure out if convincing my employer to give you a test car would result in the termination of my employment - but I would love to hear your impressions of a 1,234 hp EV sedan.
I can't find that exact figure but Tesla, Lucid, and Lotus are sort of in that range and they all make sedans.
While I'm not sure that ACBC would be happy about the direction that Lotus has taken the historical truth is that there was a four door Lotus sedan on the drawing board when he died.
I only saw a single drawing in the Lotus LOG put out by the Lotus Owners Group but if memory serves me well it looked like a four door version of the Etna two-door that Lotus showed as a concept in 1984.
I used to think that the Culture War stuff didn’t really exist “IRL,” because I lived in Chicago and rarely encountered it firsthand.
I believe that I was mistaken; it does, and the Overton window gets determined by a vocal, tyrannical minority. I think you can learn a lot by keeping your ear to the ground on that stuff.
MotoAmerica's championships are being locked up mathematically before the final event of the season with Hayden Gillum winning the Superstock 1000 class during the races at Circuit of the Americas. That dude is nuts - competes in SS1000, Superbike, and King of the Baggers. His bike poured hot oil on his leg and caught fire in a Superbike race and he still rode to a second place in KotB in race 2 where mechanical issues took out the lead Indians and competitive factory Harleys.
Not much else to say other than I think the only remaining up in the air championships are the twins cup between Gus Rodio, Rocco Landers, and Blake Davis and KotB which is between Gillum, Rispoli, and K. Wyman.
MotoGP continues the Japanese manufacturer drama after test day - but neither has debuted their new engines to the riders (I think, if I understood right). The race weekend had the runner-up in points, Jorge Martin, make gains on Bagnaia but not as much as I would have thought given the high side just a week prior. Bagnaia finished on the podium in race and sprint which is outrageous considering he was run over. He is an incredible rider at an Italian track and the Ducati he's on is, of course, at parity or more with Martin's. Brad Binder looks like he's falling out of contention for this year which is unfortunate. We did see the KTM wildcard, Danny Pedrosa, place 4th in sprint and race on a new chassis and that was nutty.
Marc Marquez finished in 7th instead of throwing the bike to the floor and it looks like he's finally making much needed adjustments. Again, test day was without the new motor and engine is a big deal for grip in terms of how it pulses and interacts with the tire. I remember watching something on the big bang motor (pulses not evenly distributed timing wise but clustered) made a big difference in 500cc (?) MotoGP a while ago so I do wonder what Honda could possibly have up its sleeve to resolve the rear grip problems everyone is complaining about.
Which means another championship for the Legend— Eraldo Ferracci. Can Fores compete with Beaubier and Gagne in Superbike? (I doubt it.) Will he get that ride next year? Sounds like a preview coming up in NJ.
Marquez has indicated he has 3 potential paths for next year. It would be fascinating if he ended up on a Gresini Duc along side his brother next year. He said he was talking to a “different face” during the test, but that he wasn’t sure who he was— he hadn’t been introduced to him. That’s a hell of a way for Honda to treat its most important asset.
It'll be interesting to see how Fores does as he was totally dominant on unfamiliar tracks in supersport. Neat to see Tyler Scott catching up toward the end (he's 17?).
Fores certainly did better than I expected— but you have to remember; he’s racing against kids, club racers and Grampa Hayes in Supersport. Not to be critical.
As far as guest authors - Sherman gets a vote from me. Also, Ethan Gaines is a great writer and I love his stories about Best Coast Motorsports. I did subscribe to his 'stack for a bit, but it lapsed. I should probably renew that.
Looking forward to an opportunity to attend an in-person meet-up on the west coast...maybe even in Oregon. Maybe even Southern Oregon.
Was at the Indy Car race Sunday. Not a great one, unfortunately; there were so many yellows that the pace car had to refuel! Was also hoping Herta would win sporting his Dad’s old livery. But what a place to see a race. Any of you who haven’t been to Laguna should try and get there for Indy Car or IMSA. And qualifying was worth watching - the in-car footage showed the fastest guys really on the limit, taking full advantage of the new surface.
Worst race I've ever watched. 66 years old. First race in person was a quarter mile bull ring for modifieds maybe in 1964. Those people had better car control than these.
There were ironic cheers from the crowd at the top of the corkscrew when the race briefly restarted only to go yellow again after 1/2 lap. Not sure what happened? Having the start finishing line before the last turn didn’t help. And the new surface had very little grip off track apparently.
Right now, I wouldn't change much of anything here. The 3 mags and the extra toe talk at you and not with you. They also have too much to lose (or just trying to retain) if they speak their mind.
The very best things you write are about parenthood. Don't hesitate to write about your experiences raising your son.
The more cars, particularly street cars, the better. The racing is out of my wheelhouse but it is always interesting and often gives rise to great points about life.
The political posts sometimes drive me crazy. But not always, and you should continue writing them. The ones that are strongest are the ones that reflect your and your family's personal experiences and draw conclusions directly from them. The ones that are the weakest are the ones with head-in-the-clouds speculation about what THEY must be doing or thinking, especially when the result is a hyperbolic conclusion that THEY are (or WILL SOON BE!) stopping you from doing things that, in fact, you do every day.
I'd love to see more racing war stories at all levels and maybe some more content around getting started in racing / advancing driving skills. You've well covered the ground of 'most autowriters can't drive for shit'. I'd love a series on 'how learn to drive better than the average autowriter'.
I really enjoy your thoughts on today's world like "remain in Texas", District 9 and the current state of California and tying those disparate topics together to get a picture of how the elites would like to control the proles (us). How do Senators making ~$250k a year retire with >$50M?
Oh and I appreciate the tool deals you mention every now and then. I have a ratcheting screwdriver (which I now use all the time) as well as a socket set "Made in the USA".
What would you like to see less of?
I've enjoyed all of the articles. And I really enjoy the comment section. I don't enjoy the comment UI. When I refresh to read the new comments, it's really hard to find where I left off.
Keep up the good work! And to all commenters as well!
I feel like it got worse recently too. It used to be that I'd click on a notification to see if someone replied to me and it would...bring me to the comment. Now it just brings me to the article.
Peter, this is Al Michaels in New York. Lest anyone think...
Things I would like to see more of: Sherman does words good. More posts from him or any other guest writers would be nice to fill in the gaps between the regular programming on Wednesday and Sunday. Which also ties into
Ideas for guest contributors: Open short story. I read the mini essay from Ice Age (in the comment section from Sept. 6) and thought it might be interesting to gather a few of these kinds of posts and bundle them up to enter as a substack post for everyone to comment on. I might be saying this partially because I want to have a crack at this given how many competent eyeballs would be critiquing it. Might be a pain to have several guest posts edited by Jack for clarity, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.
Open Short Story is a superb idea. My confidence in the ACF readership being able to produce short fiction that elevates, edifies and entertains knows no bounds.
It's not even the notion that guys here can produce great works (because I know they can), it's that I want to read something that informs me about them and their life experiences. Some snapshot of their life put into words. A glimpse into their life.
That'd be cool.
A glimpse into my life would be like Bart Simpson looking into other people's windows and finding Principal Skinner sharpening pencils.
Exactly, get to writing!
Hmm...
I'm up for it.
Yes!!! For the love of all things internally combusted, moah guest articles, please. Yes, yes, you can write an article with less time & effort than it takes to edit somebody else’s. Got it. Surely you have grammarily gifted friends who owe you a solid. Intern, perhaps? Apprentice? There are at least a half-dozen regular commenters who could turn out an article I’d love to read--Sherman’s GTA story being the perfect example.
Wow, thank you!
I could write more, but I have to (1) find the time and (2) have something on my mind (and if it’s *timely* rather than evergreen, I have to find the time in short order). Finally, (3) it has to be something of which I’d be proud to have my nom de plume attached - this isn’t my job, so I’m not doing it for anything other than “love of the game.”
Your work is sensational and your choice of wording peerless. I certainly won't rush you!
3: Sherman McCoy isn't your name, this is a flimsy excuse. And I can't imagine you pointing at anything you've written as Sherman while trying to woo rich people to engage in your cryptic banking services. Suspicious. Maybe you're an elaborate Baruthian sockpuppet!
If only you knew!
I had an idea for a fun little piece about the neue Neue Klasse but I need to find 5-6 hours to put it together!
Jack, count me as potentially interested in the October drive, if non-Track Day members are invited. And also if I can keep up/not slow anybody down in a 160hp 4 cylinder from 1988.
160hp 4 cylinder from 1988? Sounds like a beast of an engine for that time. What are we talking about here?
Saab 900 Turbo. They started with what was essentially half of a Triumph V8 and kept improving it for roughly 30 years. From talking to people that were there when it was new, it sounds like it really was a rocket ship in its day.
These days, the thing gets out-accelerated at stoplights by minivans being driven by moms talking on the phone.
Ah, for some reason my brain went directly to naturally aspirated. That makes sense. You have one of my dream cars!
What's interesting is that although licensed from Triumph, it was available in a Saab FOUR YEARS before it was available in the Dolomite:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_slant-four_engine
The matchmaker was Ricardo.
I did not know that it! I also didn't know that the slant four was developed in conjunction with the V8 rather than being derived from the V8, hence my description of it being half of the V8.
And I didn't realize it had a V8 sibling.
Are there any moms driving minivans anymore? All the moms around here drive white SUV’s.
My sister drove one for awhile and swapped it for a volvo Suv when the kids got a bit older.
We bought a Sienna in 2004 when the kids were little, as the Passat Wagon sucked as far as car seats. We moved to a CX-5 in 2015, and my wife missed her van. We added an Odyssey to the fleet in ‘19. I have to say I like it for hauling stuff and people, and it’s a much better road tripper than the CX-5. The only weird thing is people drive aggressively around it - having to out drag it at lights and aggressively cutting it off if you drive it with a little veloce.
Between 1998 and 2015 my wife had 5 different minivans, the last one got taken out by a twenty year old in a Mazda. She switched over to a Toyota Rav4 and has had it ever since. When I picked up my new undercounter bar beverage refrigerator the other day I wished we still had one of those minivans.
I recognize the difficulty not being attached to an “official” place, and I’m likely just the first of many to say this, but what first drew me to your writing was car reviews and editorials about cars. So the more of that, the better.
I appreciate the more political posts sometimes; I agree with some, disagree with others, but usually think about something in a way I hadn’t considered before, whether from you directly or from the commenters. I think you have about the right number of these.
Obviously, the “insider” stories about the writing business are unique to your stack, and are awesome. If you need to ration these to keep people subscribing, I understand, but keep them coming.
I don’t really follow pro racing, so I don’t have much interest in those stories, though following your personal exploits is fun.
Above all, no need for radical change. The success of the site so far speaks for itself.
Beyond 'liking' jack4x's take, I'll add this Wednesday feature is one I rarely click on unless the subject is a grabber. And I really debated re-upping in July with a personal 50% hit rate on the regular weekly content.
In addition to jack4x's same-more of's, the made in USA pieces are ones I have taken advantage of and tend to forward around to others. These are the easiest to send around and get your stack exposure without delving into your colorful writing style - let them find out themselves.
Guest posts - another vote for Sherman on any topic that has his fancy, I miss Bark's take on the dealership game and state of the business (all the more now that inventory is building), and an occasional reader review of their new-ish ride would be great (trust the sub's view way more than the hacks re-writing press materials).
Most of all, keep hitting the topics of the day that you are passionate about and the rest will follow - except for this Wednesday bit ;)
Yes. I’d even like more ‘how to drive stories’ ... I remember one of your Road & Track pieces on setting up mirrors to minimize your blind spots years ago - it had never occurred to me that on the side mirrors I didn’t need to see my own car (hahaha).
I think more or your insights in this arena would be great.
Well, Tom does seem like a nicer guy. He also hasn't told any stories about sleeping with other men's wives. Although, since you haven't slept with my wife I don't hold that against you.
I'm waiting for fiction. I'm willing to wait indefinitely. I like what I read here. I'd be willing to pay slightly more if I had to to continue reading it.
I want to join the Trackday Club, but I have things I need to buy/pay for first. So not before October unfortunately.
😂
When another man has sex with your woman, give him a hearty THANK YOU because he opened your eyes, now you can boot her to the curb WHERE SHE BELONGS .
-Nate
(edited 'cause I forgot the part in caps)
I don't really buy the whole MRA "hypergamous slut" theory of women, but there's a reason it exists.
If only it were so simple. They tend to keep those behaviors secret and when found out to take your kids, house and half your shit with them (in perpetuity).
Sorry you got burned Henry ;
That's not how it always works out .
-Nate
I haven't been, but know those who have. It's how the system is rigged, although increasingly occurs in reverse. Equality!
Well ;
Maybe .
Yes, everyone knows a man who got the short end of the stick but I also know many who didn't .
-Nate
The IndyCar race was probably the worst race I've ever seen. On some other web site I posted that they acted like aggressive ADHD 8 year olds off their meds and after they ate all the Halloween candy. The TV talking heads "BUT THE CARS ARE SO MUCH FASTER BECAUSE OF THE REPAVE". Great. I believe 25% of the race was under yellow.
Doesn't matter if it's end of season. The cars are coming back. Maybe if it was F1, you could trash them because they won't be used again, but these guys put on a horrible show. Demo Derbies are sold as such.
Who thought it was a great idea to go green going INTO the final (and tight) corner?
A "Big Crowd" oh hand? Not by any measure. Though Portland looked even more empty. This series is floating around the bowl being flushed.
Then you have Callum Ilott getting death threats by Argentinians, and supposedly IndyCar may put on a exhibition race there.
The "Captain" is a poopyhead. Maybe it's just the nature of auto racing in the 21st Century, but this guy hasn't done much other than IMS and putting IndyCar into a holding pattern.
It was more than 25% but to be fair, this was unusual for the series (which usually has close hard racing). I was there and grandstands weren’t full, but there were a lot of people up on the hills, at the corkscrew, in the infield. Didn’t feel empty.
I know they aren't always that bad, but they didn't learn the whole race. The "I got this" mentality in the face of not many "got this" in the laps before made them look soft in the head.
I hate yellows. They destroy the flow of a race. This thing was a NASCAR Green/White Checker the whole race. And the guy who won, got penalized for something I don't think he was responsible for and ran the race like it should have been run by everybody. For a guy that supposedly has lost a few steps (I don't), I think it's going to be a few more years before he's in the Retirement Present Indy 500 only category. If I were him I would have been driving around thinking "These guys are idiots".
Agree, Dixon looks set to be a top driver for a few more years yet!
By contrast, Helio is past his sell by date.
Yeah, but don't forget his dancing! https://bimmerfan739.substack.com/p/yeah-but-he-only-finished-second
Scott's humble personality makes one forget how truly great he's been and still is.
Dixon is the greatest IndyCar driver since the dawn of the CART era (1979), and probably the third-greatest of all time behind AJ and Mario.
Dixon was amazing. Helio was a total moron. WTF
I came away from watching the Indy race thinking that maybe the skill of the drivers in Iracing wasn't so bad. All of us amateurs crash less the pros did at Leguna Seca.
IndyCar is terribly mismanaged.
The TV coverage is appalling. Literally unwatchable. I will only watch if I can pirate the Sky stream.
IndyCar got their own “Drive to Survive,” but it came 4-5 years late, and it airs on … the CW.
IndyCar today is essentially the 500 plus some other races that justify it being a “championship.”
Roger should sell it to Liberty Media.
Agree with 90+ percent of this. Make that 95% with a re-read.
Between the endless commercials and then the yellow flags I have a hard time watching IndyCar.
Accord update !
I still kinda want him to modify it a bit with an intake and exhaust to turn it even more into an unassuming backroads weapon in his hands.
Big priorities now: fix the deer strike damage and wrap it in preparation for its transfer to my son.
Accord + Deer = accordion :(
Hahaha
nah man the drift stitches are hella tite
My son added drift stitches to my old Civic without me even asking him to!
Isn’t that your second deer strike in a few years?
Is this a vendetta with Bambi?
Does anyone know if the little whistles that you can stick under a bumper work? The previous owner put one on my Saab. I never hit a deer, but I did hit a raccoon or something.
They do on kangaroos!
I live in rural Oz - have spotlights and whistles and often see roo heads popping up in the distance and then calmly moving away from the road. I was pleasantly surprised when I put the whistles but they seem to work - I think the problem is the roos don't hear the vehicle until too late, and then they panic and 50-50 hop into traffic. Assuming deer have similar behaviour - the whistle means they notice you sooner and have time to think about where to go. Noise isn't noticeable in a Ute either.
Went from 3-4 hits in several years - including one write-off - to none in same timeframe
Hey Gaz, is 'Gaz' a common nickname in Australia? I know of exactly one other Gaz and he also lives in rural Australia. He's a singer in a moderately successful rock band in Victoria.
You just gave me an idea - maybe Jack should install a 'roo bar on the Accord 🤣
I used to work with an Australian guy - in Akron, OH of all places - and his story of hitting a roo with his Commodore had me rolling.
I think it was the accent.
Feels like it!
Save the carcass and make Bambi tacos ~ they're _REALLY_ good .
-Nate
Does anyone make a deercrusher for an Accord?
More:
- Car industry inside baseball
- Product reviews (including cars!)
- Farm life
- Rodney
- Critical analyses of larger scale issues afflicting our society, especially economics
Less:
- Culture war stuff that doesn't really exist outside of terminally online echo chambers
- Days off between posting. I need to CONSOOM content
More culture war less Rodney
The only two kinds of posts that matter: culture war AND Rodney
😂
More Rodney vs. the Machines, less Rodney not kicking people's asses for calling Jack (and possibly him) "boy."
Seconded.
Eagerly awaiting additional installments of the truth about TTAC.
Farago, Derek Kreindler, Sherman McCoy guest posts...
Trying to figure out if convincing my employer to give you a test car would result in the termination of my employment - but I would love to hear your impressions of a 1,234 hp EV sedan.
I absolutely want you to put JB in one of your conveyances!
Yes, and revulcanize the tires on my conveyance, you! Posthaste!
I can't find that exact figure but Tesla, Lucid, and Lotus are sort of in that range and they all make sedans.
While I'm not sure that ACBC would be happy about the direction that Lotus has taken the historical truth is that there was a four door Lotus sedan on the drawing board when he died.
Really? What was it like?
I only saw a single drawing in the Lotus LOG put out by the Lotus Owners Group but if memory serves me well it looked like a four door version of the Etna two-door that Lotus showed as a concept in 1984.
And there was the boxy wedge 2+2 from the 70s (Eclat?). Still, I have zero interest in huge EVs (or any SUV).
The Eclat was a 2+2 version of the wedge Elite. Lotus cars got bigger and more comfortable as the Chapman family grew.
It’s a Lucid Sapphire, I’m pretty much sure.
DO IT
I used to think that the Culture War stuff didn’t really exist “IRL,” because I lived in Chicago and rarely encountered it firsthand.
I believe that I was mistaken; it does, and the Overton window gets determined by a vocal, tyrannical minority. I think you can learn a lot by keeping your ear to the ground on that stuff.
Have kids and the culture war stuff really smacks you in the face IRL.
FACTS!
I like how Rodney is his own line item here.
MotoAmerica's championships are being locked up mathematically before the final event of the season with Hayden Gillum winning the Superstock 1000 class during the races at Circuit of the Americas. That dude is nuts - competes in SS1000, Superbike, and King of the Baggers. His bike poured hot oil on his leg and caught fire in a Superbike race and he still rode to a second place in KotB in race 2 where mechanical issues took out the lead Indians and competitive factory Harleys.
Not much else to say other than I think the only remaining up in the air championships are the twins cup between Gus Rodio, Rocco Landers, and Blake Davis and KotB which is between Gillum, Rispoli, and K. Wyman.
MotoGP continues the Japanese manufacturer drama after test day - but neither has debuted their new engines to the riders (I think, if I understood right). The race weekend had the runner-up in points, Jorge Martin, make gains on Bagnaia but not as much as I would have thought given the high side just a week prior. Bagnaia finished on the podium in race and sprint which is outrageous considering he was run over. He is an incredible rider at an Italian track and the Ducati he's on is, of course, at parity or more with Martin's. Brad Binder looks like he's falling out of contention for this year which is unfortunate. We did see the KTM wildcard, Danny Pedrosa, place 4th in sprint and race on a new chassis and that was nutty.
Marc Marquez finished in 7th instead of throwing the bike to the floor and it looks like he's finally making much needed adjustments. Again, test day was without the new motor and engine is a big deal for grip in terms of how it pulses and interacts with the tire. I remember watching something on the big bang motor (pulses not evenly distributed timing wise but clustered) made a big difference in 500cc (?) MotoGP a while ago so I do wonder what Honda could possibly have up its sleeve to resolve the rear grip problems everyone is complaining about.
Fores, MotoA Supersport Champ!
Which means another championship for the Legend— Eraldo Ferracci. Can Fores compete with Beaubier and Gagne in Superbike? (I doubt it.) Will he get that ride next year? Sounds like a preview coming up in NJ.
Marquez has indicated he has 3 potential paths for next year. It would be fascinating if he ended up on a Gresini Duc along side his brother next year. He said he was talking to a “different face” during the test, but that he wasn’t sure who he was— he hadn’t been introduced to him. That’s a hell of a way for Honda to treat its most important asset.
It'll be interesting to see how Fores does as he was totally dominant on unfamiliar tracks in supersport. Neat to see Tyler Scott catching up toward the end (he's 17?).
Fores certainly did better than I expected— but you have to remember; he’s racing against kids, club racers and Grampa Hayes in Supersport. Not to be critical.
This gets to the heart of the matter in both MotoGP and MotoA
https://superbikeplanet.com/story/519/expletive-deleted-safe-space-riders-get-an-old-school-lesson
As far as guest authors - Sherman gets a vote from me. Also, Ethan Gaines is a great writer and I love his stories about Best Coast Motorsports. I did subscribe to his 'stack for a bit, but it lapsed. I should probably renew that.
Looking forward to an opportunity to attend an in-person meet-up on the west coast...maybe even in Oregon. Maybe even Southern Oregon.
More Egog, x100
Thank you - gratifying!
I will hardily second the idea of first principals meeting in Oregon!
By southern Oregon, you mean Ontario, OR, right? I can be there in a half hour, just tell me when.
Was at the Indy Car race Sunday. Not a great one, unfortunately; there were so many yellows that the pace car had to refuel! Was also hoping Herta would win sporting his Dad’s old livery. But what a place to see a race. Any of you who haven’t been to Laguna should try and get there for Indy Car or IMSA. And qualifying was worth watching - the in-car footage showed the fastest guys really on the limit, taking full advantage of the new surface.
Worst race I've ever watched. 66 years old. First race in person was a quarter mile bull ring for modifieds maybe in 1964. Those people had better car control than these.
There were ironic cheers from the crowd at the top of the corkscrew when the race briefly restarted only to go yellow again after 1/2 lap. Not sure what happened? Having the start finishing line before the last turn didn’t help. And the new surface had very little grip off track apparently.
Friend of mine just drove his GTP jaguar there and was NOT happy with the surface.
Right now, I wouldn't change much of anything here. The 3 mags and the extra toe talk at you and not with you. They also have too much to lose (or just trying to retain) if they speak their mind.
The very best things you write are about parenthood. Don't hesitate to write about your experiences raising your son.
The more cars, particularly street cars, the better. The racing is out of my wheelhouse but it is always interesting and often gives rise to great points about life.
The political posts sometimes drive me crazy. But not always, and you should continue writing them. The ones that are strongest are the ones that reflect your and your family's personal experiences and draw conclusions directly from them. The ones that are the weakest are the ones with head-in-the-clouds speculation about what THEY must be doing or thinking, especially when the result is a hyperbolic conclusion that THEY are (or WILL SOON BE!) stopping you from doing things that, in fact, you do every day.
>The very best things you write are about parenthood. Don't hesitate to write about your experiences raising your son.
Forgot this while putting my list together. I second this.
I'd love to see more racing war stories at all levels and maybe some more content around getting started in racing / advancing driving skills. You've well covered the ground of 'most autowriters can't drive for shit'. I'd love a series on 'how learn to drive better than the average autowriter'.
There are plenty of those online driving hints but I'd love to read one from someone who can actually wheel.
That's a great idea. I'll do that sooner rather than later.
Track Day Diaries FTW
What would you like to see more of?
I really enjoy your thoughts on today's world like "remain in Texas", District 9 and the current state of California and tying those disparate topics together to get a picture of how the elites would like to control the proles (us). How do Senators making ~$250k a year retire with >$50M?
Oh and I appreciate the tool deals you mention every now and then. I have a ratcheting screwdriver (which I now use all the time) as well as a socket set "Made in the USA".
What would you like to see less of?
I've enjoyed all of the articles. And I really enjoy the comment section. I don't enjoy the comment UI. When I refresh to read the new comments, it's really hard to find where I left off.
Keep up the good work! And to all commenters as well!
Agree on the commenter interface.
I feel like it got worse recently too. It used to be that I'd click on a notification to see if someone replied to me and it would...bring me to the comment. Now it just brings me to the article.
“What would you like to see less of?”
Well for the stuff I don’t care for, I just skip.
An example of that was the Riverside Green post “JBL L100 Classic Loudspeaker”
Well written article, and it collected 46 comments. I don’t care for it because I’m not into audio.
(And my hearing is at a stage where I can’t hear the cash register at the start of Pink Floyd’s “Money”. )
They made my to buy list