Autoweek mention (well, barely) of my 911

Jack Olsen · 11:27 AM

In the upcoming issue of Autoweek, there's an article about last year's Open Track Challenge, written by a guy who raced a Subaru WRX in Touring 3.

Here's a link to an online version.

And here's the mention of my 911:

[...]He also yanked the back seat to make room for a second set of wheels. We’re swapping back and forth between high-performance rubber from Kumho and Yokohama. That’s it, and it will have to do the job against other Touring 3 contenders that include a deceptively stock-looking new Audi S4, a quick ’88 BMW M3 and a brutally fast, 29-year-old Porsche 911. “I feel like we’ve brought a hand grenade to a thermonuclear event,” muses Herrick.

Even though we came in second place, it's nice to be called "brutally fast" rather than merely "quick." And it's nice to see that a 29-year-old 911 is a car that worries owners of a brand-new (and comparable hp) WRX.

Tim Walsh · Tim Walsh's Garage

NICE!

at least it was complimentery.. I'd take "brutally fast" as big one.

and you were bringin' the strategic nukes

pwd72s · 11-01-2002, 09:36 AM

Hoot! As long as they spell "brutally" right. Right?

arcsine · 11-01-2002, 09:38 AM

In that particular arena, and lets face it, most arenas barring sex, being "brutally fast" is a term of high respect, admiration and desire. Congratulations.

Moses · 11-01-2002, 09:42 AM

That DOES NOT qualify as "barely mentioned". Barely mentioned is when they talk about your paint job or your choice of tires. They called YOUR car "brutally fast".

To me the real issue is that the car world generally concedes that you just can't touch the elegance and style of the old 911, but they are not really very fast. Now you have put them on notice: Yes, it's a beautiful old car. And it might just kick your butt.

Congratulations!

Early_S_Man · 11-01-2002, 09:59 AM

Good show, Jack! I wonder what they would have said about Black Beauty if she had a 2.8 RSR engine or a mega-$$$ Bob Norwood 10,000 rpm 3.2 under one of her many tails???

island911 · 11-01-2002, 10:05 AM

Excellent, Jack.

Maybe you should loose the "1973 911 3.6 coupe" in your signature; and replace it with "a brutally fast, 29-year-old Porsche 911" . . .it does seem more telling.

11-01-2002, 10:11 AM

GO Jack GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Decolliber · 11-01-2002, 10:44 AM

Where does one get that license plate frame that says "Libertyville Marxist Classic Car Club"? Mine says "Fischer Motors of Barrington, IL" - much less interesting. I assume that is Libertyville IL?

JonT · 11-01-2002, 10:49 AM

Jack--I think you should sell me your ducktail. It would look spectacular on Hellfyre's demontail.

Jack Olsen · 01:00 PM

Thanks guys. Ouch, Mark, I'd forgotten what the muffler used to look like. Here's a more-current view, with a new idea for a vanity plate:

Warren, with a modified motor in there, they'd probably write me off as a full-on race car. Of course, if I had one of the engines you described, I wouldn't care what they said about me.

Decolliber, yes, that's Libertyville, IL. I'll bet you didn't know it was a seething hotbed of communist subversion, did you?
The same plate frame was on a friend's car (72 Dodge Demon) in the Peterson Auto Museum in Los Angeles for about four months. Unfortunately, strapping a transponder to my frame broke it, so now I have to get a new one made.

svlTarga · 11-01-2002, 12:31 PM

"Brutally fast" is only one of the complements. My favorite is a WRX comparing his vehicle to yours with the quote “I feel like we’ve brought a hand grenade to a thermonuclear event”.

Congratulations.

Bill Verburg · Bill Verburg's Garage

So are do we get to read about a repeat performance this year? Both views are great, but I am partial to the Ducktail

cstreit · cstreit's Garage

HEY..... Fischer never gave ME a license plate frame, all I got was this lousy cardboard key tag...

Jack, that's awesome! Certainly more than an honorable mention though, good job!

Damn that car looks good!

11-01-2002, 02:55 PM

Quote:

strapping a transponder to my frame broke it

Ummmm..Don't they put transponders on airplanes?

Kurt B · 11-01-2002, 03:04 PM

That's very cool jack. It inspired me to hit the site, and the overall winner was a 72 914/6?
2nd was a viper.
Wait a minute. The overall winner was a 914/6 (heavily modified I'm sure), beating out a viper?

Superman · 11-01-2002, 03:37 PM

Well how can that be? We just heard in another thread that 914s are good autocrossers but not competitive on a 'real' track.

bell · bell's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Mark Wilson

Ummmm..Don't they put transponders on airplanes?

jacks car is made from the stuff they make the "black box" out of, it'll always survive

well done jack, it's always fun to intimidate the press. cool........very cool

epbrown · 11-01-2002, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cstreit
HEY..... Fischer never gave ME a license plate frame, all I got was this lousy cardboard key tag...

You gotta be kidding. First time I went there, someone put the plate frame on my car before anyone even came out to ask me what was wrong with it.

Emanuel

Jack Olsen · 05:04 PM

The 914 beat out a heavily modified Viper with a national champion at the wheel.

Of course, the 914 was a tube-framed race car with a 3.3 twin turbo motor, with 14-inch-wide wheels, and a set of pretty competent drivers behind the wheel as well.

ANd yes, Bill, there are still a few details getting ironed out, but it looks like Jack and Tyson will be back at the OTC in 2003. We've been bumped up a class (along with all 911's), and we're going to have to be competitive with heavily modified current-generation M3's, but we'll do our best.