Pelican Parts Forums - ALMS at Lime Rock 2010

I haven't driven it either, largely because my current 911 is in 4,017 pieces.

One of the drivers involved in a shunt was being interviewed on Radio Le Mans which goes out over the speakers, and the guy says, "It's 20 years past the time when cars this fast should be driven on this track." Which I couldn't disagree more with-- while it's true that the prototypes have unbelievable power and sophisticated aero that's designed more for three mile straightaways like Mulsanne, and when you change the gearing and crank the wings, then you have to deal with an undulating track surface (vs. the urban, flat, billiard-table-smooth roadcourses of F1) that the suspensions have a hard time coping with, here's the rub:

Racing is a sport-- a sport for the drivers involved, and a spectator sport for the millions of fans who tune in to see their favorite teams and drivers. At the end of the day, it's not the technology that's interesting, unless your idea of competition is individual time trials-- it's the competition among teams and drivers to go as fast as physics, the budget and human endurance will allow without making a mistake. THAT is what pays that driver's salary-- that and the occasional purchase of some new car or parts from Porsche, who are running a BUSINESS.

I have never met Patrick Long. But I watched the video of him driving Plavan's car, and that's enough for me. Patrick Long is one of US, I have no doubt you could sit down with him over a beer and talk about the handling characteristics of all the cars he's driven, from the RS Spyder to Chad's S/T replica. So when watching him drive, seeing him through the plexiglass sawing at the wheel of the RSR, I remembered what it was like to be in the cockpit, on the same curves, trying to hold on and not make a mistake. And for a moment I WAS Patrick Long, until the pain in my eardrums and the blazing sun brought me back to reality.

And THAT is why we go to the races. Imperfect track and all.