A car geek's Royal Wedding post...

Okay, so I was amused by a 'recap' of the Royal Wedding (would never have gotten up early to watch it AND would definitely NOT hang out for so many hours to watch all the details) and I actually enjoyed the abbreviated coverage.

As a matter of fact, I have to go off on a tangent that the Royal Wedding is a good thing for the world to have seen. NOT because of the pomp and circumstance, not because of the "princess" fantasies that have captured the world and definitely not due to the celebrity bestowed upon the Royals thanks to the late Lady Di. In all reality, we have an attractive young couple parading around the wonderful institution known as MARRIAGE. Yes, while we Americans seem to be entrenched with single-parent households, we have two 'icons' (not my words) who are in the spotlight showing the world that it's cool to be married. God Bless Kate and William; I hope they are more successful than daddy Charles! (Di vs. Camilla? Really, Charles?)


Now back to my original post--and speaking of daddy Chuck, the thing that REALLY caught my eye happened after the goofy kiss(es) on the balcony--a lovely top-down drive in a vintage Aston Martin DB6 Volante. See this link for info about the car; all I can say is that kudos to the Queen for giving Chuck this sweet little 21st Birthday present! (where was mine??? ; ) And to think that it runs on wine (guess I could post this on BoKnowsVino too?)! How cool is that?

Why Formula One is the best form of auto racing

People love racing cars--from 'stoplight to stoplight' to watching professionals, we all love the thrill of 'wheel to wheel' racing. While I have a huge appreciation for racers of all levels (NASCAR, IndyCar, SCCA, LeMans Series) I am most impressed by the 'top of the heap', which is Formula 1. Formula 1 is open wheel racing, not to be confused with Indianapolis 500 racers (though the American Grand Prix used to be held at Indy though they used an infield road course with only 1 or 2 actual turns of the famed Indy oval).

Don't believe me? While some races can be a yawner (with parade processions) take a look at last week's Singapore race. From start to finish, this race was something to behold! Seek out Speed TV on your TV provider; set it to record the next race in Japan. There are only 3 races left in the season I believe; 3 to 5 drivers have a chance at winning the world championship and they are all fighting to the end.

Another reason why F1 is the pinnacle of Motorsports--the cars are all different, with different engine suppliers as well. A Ferrari car is different than another team's Ferrari powered car; ditto for several teams running Mercedes powerplants. It's not like the boring looking 'car of tomorrow' in NASCAR, and how many of the featured cars (Ford, Chevy, Toyota) actually run street cars with carbs??? Dated technology, all focused on providing a 'show'. Well, give me drama and actual racing (and this comes from a guy from "NASCAR central", Owensboro, KY, home of Darrel Waltrip, Michael Waltrip, the Greenes, Jeremy Mayfield and Motorcycle stud Nicky Hayden).

So give me cars that turn left AND right and see what F1 is all about! As for this year's championship, I am torn between Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso--I love Ferrari and Alonso's passion, but this year my sentimental fave is Webber (it just seems like his best chance--root for the old guy ; )

The end of "Left Lane Bandits"?

I like the fact that the Georgia Legislature is considering a fine on left-lane bandits. No, that's not what the legislators called it, it's my term (actually, a term stolen from Car & Driver). If you are driving under the speed limit in the left lane (a/k/a passing lane) you will be fined $75. I love it! As we all know, Atlantans are apt to speed; there are those who like to park in the left lane because it's their right, dammit, to impede traffic (usually in the name of 'safety'). Their logic is flawed, however, as people will STILL speed past and since the LLB is blocking the correct passing lane, the speeder will have to illegally pass on the right (and as they are already speeding, they may make this move dangerously). So spare me your righteous bleating that the speeder is breaking the law; the LLB is the one who is MORE dangerous! If you want to drive slowly, go for it--there are lanes on the right for your meandering pleasure. As for me, I like the European model where the left lane is empty unless/until you pass. You get in, you get out. That's my 2 cents anyway... Happy Thursday :)