Had yet another amazing F1 moment last night...

[hurstg01]

Did you tell him that Greg says hi? He'll know who you mean

[LMMike]

OK, so what did he say?

[Peloton25]

Originally Posted by hurstg01

Did you tell him that Greg says hi? He'll know who you mean

You know, it totally slipped my mind. Next time, next time...

Mike - I missed his call this morning so I don't have too much detail yet, but he did leave his number and I returned the call, getting his voicemail this time.

After meeting him and finally being able to chat a bit at the McLaren Beverly Hills Grand Opening party I was also fortunate to run into him just a couple of weeks ago when he was out with his Carrera GT on some of the local canyon roads (the same place he stopped in the F1 on New Year's Day).



We talked again that day and at the end of that conversation he promised to take me for a ride in his Light Car Company Rocket, so I have to assume he's calling to make plans to set that up.

>8^)
ER

[LMMike]

I know this would seem as if you were pushing it, but it would be great if he let you drive his F1 just a short distance. If anything maybe you could get into is massive warehouse where he keeps the F1.

[Peloton25]

While I would of course LOVE to drive an F1 I would never, ever ask anyone for the privilege. I also doubt there's an enormous chance of anyone ever extending the offer so I'll just have to buy one I guess.

To truly appreciate the driving experience and get a real feel for it you'd need to do more than just a lap of a parking lot (I think) and given the car's value it is quite a lot of risk to just toss the keys to anyone. I'd trust myself to drive one on a closed course but out on public roads with a car like that other drivers can do strange and silly things in an effort to get closer and I'd hate to be behind the wheel when something unexpected occurs.

>8^)
ER

[LMMike]

I would never ask either, having never driven one I'd be afraid of grinding the gears.

[Paulthagerous]

Originally Posted by Peloton25

Some guy named Jay Leno called me this morning...

>8^)
ER

:runar ound:

WOW, that is amazing! He would probably be THE one famous collector that I would love to talk to, he just comes across as such an awesome guy all around, and such a car nut too.

[Peloton25]

Definitely a class act el-primo car enthusiast extraordinaire and I've had this high opinion of him long before we ever had a chance to speak. Chatting with him on those two occasions just reinforced my beliefs on all of that and indeed he comes across as a very nice person too.

He arrived at the overlook on Mulholland with one of the mechanics who is often seen in the videos on his website. One of the kids that was hanging around up there was talking to both of them about pursuing a career working on sports cars and they both gave him their attention and were encouraging him to pursue his passion and not let a couple of closed doors ruin the dream.

Also, just the knowledge Jay is able to maintain in his brain about so many of the cars and bikes in his collection or the ones he grew up dreaming about is amazing. Let's not forget he has a day job too that has nothing to do with cars and demands a ton of his time and attention.

Originally Posted by LMMike

I would never ask either, having never driven one I'd be afraid of grinding the gears.

Be more worried about ruining the carbon clutch - that's not a hard thing to do in a short period of time if you don't know what you are doing and a replacement is rather costly.

>8^)
ER

[LMMike]

When you get to drive his car and when you destroy the clutch you can replace it for free, just take it from your collection and bring it with you. I'm assuming you are only a few parts away from being able to build your own F1.

[cabrio92]

Great Erik !

[f1esp]

P25
You are my hero!

[Peloton25]

Thanks Jose.

Really though I've just been extremely fortunate to have my passion for cars, and particularly the F1, recognized by some really wonderful people recently who do indeed care. It has been a wonderful time so far and I am eager for it to continue.

The only shame is not being able to bring everyone else along - but I'll do my best to share the experiences whenever I can.

>8^)
ER

[svxit]

Originally Posted by Peloton25

... I'd trust myself to drive one on a closed course but out on public roads with a car like that other drivers can do strange and silly things in an effort to get closer and I'd hate to be behind the wheel when something unexpected occurs.

>8^)
ER

This is quite true. Many years ago, a good friend of mine saw a gray F1 driving through the Tyson's Corner area of Virginia and said many other drivers knew what it was. He wanted to get a little closer, but the other drivers nearby were weaving in and out of traffic and swerving like drunks, some coming very close to hitting the car. Realizing he was underinsured (I'm sure he was fine for sideswiping normal cars, not THIS one), he let off the gas and backed away slowly.

That must have been very unnerving for the driver of the F1 to see all this action.

[Peloton25]

The fun begins...



Resisted the temptation to touch anything this time but thankfully I have been invited back soon for a more fulfilling experience.

>8^)
ER

[svxit]

Originally Posted by Peloton25

The fun begins...



Resisted the temptation to touch anything this time but thankfully I have been invited back soon for a more fulfilling experience.

>8^)
ER

That must have been an amazing experience to see his garage.