Club Arnage

Hey guys the culmination of years of waiting and a bit of saving has come together finally! I just received confirmation from the ACO that my ticket order has been processed, I'M GOING TO FRANCE BABY!    8) 8) ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Any Americans going too? Now I have a decent crack at meeting Mr. Herbert and Ms. Ickx, ah its going to be great!

Congrats, Johnny.  We'll see you there in a little over 4 months time.

What camp site did you get?

Del

You'll have a better chance of winning the lottery than getting into the paddock at Le Mans to meet JH or VI without competitor or media creds.  If you wanted to meet Johnny you've had plenty of opportunties over here in recent years at ALMS meetings.  I'm American and been to Le Mans several times, hoping to go back this year.  Great party and atmosphere.  But the spectating sucks and don't expect the same fan friendliness we're used to in the ALMS.
Fax

Good news indeed Jonny, the first of many visits I hope. Don't forget to come and say hello to us at the poo bar on Saurday night. If you are wandering around Houx Annexe anytime and see a CA flag Come over and introduce yourself I'm sure we will find you a few cold ones

Err thats assuming that they replace the Poo bar after all this building work !

Lets hope it is and with this

If not, it will be down to those attending PQ to scout out an alternative location for the meet and report back.

This will be your mission if you choose to accept it.

Good to see another CA member that is able to make it. See you there

Piss on his bonfire why dontcha!  ::)

Good on ya Jonny - you only lose your Le Mans virginity once, lie back and enjoy it!

F

Just telling it like it is Fran, if anyone disagree's with what I have to say, I'm all ears.  Thats what this sites for...Opinions!
Fax

Of course I am not saying you arent entitled to your opinion but the fact is for people coming to Le Mans for the first time and feeling all excited about it, there isnt much encouragement in talking about how much better it used to be.  From my point of view i have been going for 11 years, thoroughly enjoy it, do actually see lots of cars, meet nice friends, enjoy a beer and even DID meet johnny herbert last year!

Perhaps i am just a kinda glass half full person!  :D

Fran, you've got one year on me, my first was '96.
Don't get me wrong I enjoy myself when I go, drink lots of beer, meet alot of great people.  But I'm used to going to to races where the paddock is open to the public and you don't have to watch the action from a mile away, looking over and around cement walls, debris fencing, and razor wire...Yes I think that sucks!
Fax

LOL - you keep telling us what an old 'un you are fax, i thought you would be coming up for 75 years - cant believe i have seniority  !!!  ;)

You've got seniority at Le Mans.  I've been attending motor races over here for 35 years ;)
Fax

Has the combustion engine been going that long!  ;D

Hell, I'm only 43.  Your older than that right :-X
Fax

Yikes!!! why do you keep saying you are old then....  :o - i am still in my  prime!

And if it's not, try to find the dutch flag, and we make a Poobar there. ;D

Using the flag as a giant gazebo!

Flags always come in handy when it's raining ;D

Thanks guys, I'm going to have a blast and do what I can to meet a few drivers, I'm optimisitc so its all good. I've got an in with Memo Gidley if he gets a Pescarolo ride over there too so its a posibility to get into the paddock!

Tell Memo to watch out for those Road America bridges for me.  That'll probably be the highlight of his career.
(Who the f**k would name his kid Memo?  Almost as dumb as calling yourself Scott Speed, Trixie is the bridge really out?)  Jesus this sports gotten so f**k*ng stupid...
Fax

Picking up on meeting drivers in the paddock, it looks like that our chance of bumping into JH & GS again has increased.  Zytec are seeking to run a second chassis in the LM 24 driven by Johnny and Guy.

Could be a quick trip for the PQ's this year.

Here is a photo from 04.

The proper event since 1923!!!

Fax you need to cool your jets man. First off the name 'Memo' is one of the most common male names in Latin America, do you have a problem w/ 10 million Latin American parents? Secondly, Memo Gidley is one of the best American open wheel drivers of the last 10 years. As you may know racing, takes money, its not like you can go shoot hoops everyday to get recognized like in basketball. Memo has been pounding the pavement, seeing teams and going to Champ Car races when he was rideless. The shunt you're referring to in 2001 at Elkhart Lake came during a season where he took over for Nicholas Minassian 6 races in and in his first race he finished 2nd in Cleveland. By season's end he racked up 6 fastest laps, 3 podiums, 5th overall in laps led dispite having contested 6 fewer races and most oval laps lead. This past season he scored 1 pole and 1 victory at Mexico City in November. Not to mention after the car was shunted at Daytona a few weeks ago by Alex Barron they dropped back to 40th and STORMED their way back through the field to finish in 6th place. All the while Memo is being considered by Mssr. Pescarolo for one of the top LMP1 rides for the biggest race in the world. Now if this isn't enough evidence to show you how great of a person not to mention driver Memo is, why the h3ll should he care? He's getting paid to do drive race cars and drive at tracks that you wish you could drive at 1/10 of his ability.

Jonny,

You will have noticed on this forum Fax tends towards the "glass half empty" side. In reality, unfortunarely, he's a lovely bloke when you meet him.

Anyway, here's my take on it. Like all things it's not what you know, more who you know. If you know how to work things, you can get closer to the action. You can also speak to the drivers at the Parade in the old town on the friday. So it is possible to get driver access.

And yes Johnny Herbert was well accessable last year mainly cos he only raced in the Classic warm up race (which he won!).

So don't let Mr Grumpy put you off. Sure, things on the racing side aren't perhaps what they once were, but it's still nowhere near as bad as Fax makes out.

Zarse, thats nice of you to stick up for him, friends do that and that is what I was doing for a friend. And you're exactly right its who you know, not what you know. I have no doubt that it may be a bit difficult to meet Johnny or anyone else but the fun for me is in trying. I don't let people sour me on things I want to do, were all there to have a good time right? It's all Kool 'n The Gang man.  :) Here's to looking forward to the '06 edition! ;D ;D ;D

Sorry Johnny Spa to burst your bubble but disagree with you on Gidley, maybe a buddy of yours but I see him from a un-biased view and frankly have never seen him as anything other than a middle of the road journeyman driver, certainly not champion material. Best American open wheel driver of the past ten years?  Not hardly!  His short season spent with Ganassi was impressive enough but it wasn't enough to retain a seat with the team.  So he's ended up in the Grand-Am series, big f**k*ng deal, its a series which is frankly for most drivers is the last stop before Get-a-real-jobsville.  He may be a great guy, don't know and really don't care but don't go pimping him to be something he's not.  I see him as another Calvin Fish, won a few Atlantic races but is never going to be anything other than a journeyman racer.  There was a lot of hype around him at first but thats faded pretty quickly.
And yes I know Memo is a common name in Mexico, just having some fun with it.  Lighten up Francis.
Fax

I certainly say amen to all that.

Just to remind you, I'm still bringing the colonic irrigation kit to LM and I'm looking forward to sticking it up Fax. He seems a little liverish just lately and I think a good clear out would help improve his mood.

Oh and if you feel the need for some digestive tract cleansing while you're in France, then Team Zarse will be only too happy to oblige.

(http://www.karunaretreats.com/Images/ColonicBoard/ColonicUse.GIF)

 ??? - do you mean me?  What have i got into trouble for now?!

Nah, not you Fran,
Just borrowing a line from the Bill Murry classic "Stripes"
"What we have here is a heavily armed recreational vehicle"!
Andy, I see the glass as half full too, just that sometimes its half full of sh*t ;)
The Grump

Phew - thats a relief!  :P

Thanks Sgt. Hulka,
First of all I didn't say he was the best American open wheel driver of the last 10 years, I said he was ONE of the best American drivers in the last 10 years. The best American driver in paved AOWR in the last 10 years is either Jimmy Vasser or Michael Andretti. If you want to get into the dirt track scene its Steve Kinser, but thats a different deal altogether. Secondly  Anytime Memo sat in a CC he went fast, Ganassi saw this and that is why he signed him in '01 to replace Minassian. Not champion material? If you take the results from that '01 season I quoted you and put that into a full season, you've got Mr. Gidley in the thick of the championship hunt. The reason he wasn't able to find a ride for the next season in 2002 was because Chip would not commit one way or the other so Memo could find a ride for the next season or get comfortable at Ganassi. Had that been the case things would be much more different I can assure you. GARRA isn't a great series I agree, they do have car counts and get good drivers for their biggest race at the Rolex so what Memo did there is saying something I believe. Why would Pescarolo even look at him if he wasn't fast? Fax if you're going to flip someone crap do it w/out playing the ethnicity card, it takes away the ethos that your sig quote gives you.

First of all I really resent the implication that I'm playing the ethnicity card, nothing could be further from the truth.
I was merely having some fun with name (made fun of Scott Speed too and last time I saw him he was a cracker of European decent like me) could have made some Finding Memo joke if I wanted to.  Look, my opinion of Gidley's ability is purely my own, if you don't like it your more than welcome to disagree but if your going to accuse me of being a bigot you can go f**ck yourself asshole!  Like I said, I've simply never seen him as a top drawer driver.  The guy has bounced around more rides in the past five years than any ten drivers I can think of, perhaps there's a reason he hasn't been able to land a quality fulltime ride, there's obviously something going on there.  As far as being looked at by Pesca, there's no great distinction in that, he probably looks at a hell of a lot of drivers.  Aside from his regular drivers he's more than likely to select someone who can bring funding to the team.
Fax

Nothing like a bit of friendly banter to get you in the mood for Le Mans eh!  ::)

Calm down guys.  You're giving us Americans a bad name.

Well, more of a bad name, anyway.  ;D

To answer Jonny's original question, there will be a group of 4 of us at LM.  We're all rookies, too.

And if Michael Andretti is so good, why did he only win one championship in 10+ years with top-flight teams?  ;)

FWIW, I did see Memo wrestle one of John Della Penna's shitheaps to a respectable finish at Elkhart Lake one year, and was there for the big wreck also.  There are less talented guys with wealthier fathers in every series.

I can see a good ol' all american punch-up at Le Mans this year. Perhaps we could build a tag ring on the DfH scaffold and include it as part of the friday night entertainment?

I'm ready to stomp on this c**nts face right now!
Who the f**ck does this jerk-off think he his telling me I'm using a race or ethnicity card on this forum?  How long have we been bantering every day? This is the first time I can recall anyone accusing anyone of being ethnically or racially insensitive.  If the rest of Memo's supporters are like this clown no wonder the poor bastard can't get a decent drive.
Fax

Fight! Fight! Fight!  :D

Quick, run away, hide! Smokie's coming!!  ;D

The poor old sod's freezing his parts off in Aberdeen.

Steve, Smokie's's gonna be pissed right off when he gets back to find out he's missed out on this little lot. Accusations of racism, profanities galore, threats of physical violence, even something about a useless memo which I don't really understand. Years he's waited to break up a spat like this, years. And where is he? Aber-bloody-deen. Oh boy, is he gonna be pissed off....

Andy, I never bother with memos nowadays.   They're so last century.
In the modern high tech world of today, I generally email, instant message or text.

Memo Smemo I say!

Email Gidley? What dipsh-it thick goons would call their kid Email Gidley? Wanna start a fight over it? Come on then! Come and 'ave a go!

Hoy, as everyone knows, Emile is a perfectly acceptable French name.

Oops sorry, how foolish of me. I grovel in humiliation.  :(

Now you guys are into the spirit of things ;)
Grump

Why does this kind of thing only happen when I'm away?  ::)  I've been dying for a chance to use my Ban User button, but it would take too long on dial-up - just catching up on this one has taken over 10 minutes...I almost lose the will to live if the page includes a picture...

So to save me the bother, just chill guys...please!!!

Fax I haven't seen that short of a fuse since Begbie in Trainspotting! You also called me a c**t! Good on ya. Seriously though I was sticking up for a great driver and even a greater guy, I'd rather just squash this deal and move on ok? I'll look at it as knowing what your limits I can push you to and you know I won't back down from someone or something I believe in. Cummon I'll buy a pint for ya at le Sarthe! :)

Chop good to hear there are some more US noobs going on the exodus! I was trying to think of another American open wheel driver that has won more races in the last 10 years. Vasser to me is the only one that came to mind next to Michael. The rest of the races have been won by Tracy, someone from Brazil (de Ferran, da Matta, Helio, etc), Bordais, Montoya or Zanardi. When you cut them away, who do you have from America that has really put up? Unless I'm missing someone its been Vasser or Andretti (1995-2005) *shrugs

Fair enough Smokie, I'll chill.  Johnny, if you dig through my past postings you'll notice that I really haven't given a rats ass about Indy Car/Champ Car/IRl, whatever they call this crap anymore for over a decade. I have no alliances to anyone and couldn't care less who wins.  Just using 35 years of watching F1, Sportscar racing, Indy Cars, NASCAR, USAC divisions, Bikes and NHRA Drag racing, etc., to assess a driver I have no connection to.  Again couldn't care less who wins.  HOWEVER! Your still the first guy I've seen to try and drag ethnicity or racial issues into this forum.  My girlfriend is Jewish, another close friend is Columbian, my sister in-law Italian, I also have close friends who are African American, Chinese and Gay.  I found it nothing short of obnoxious and immature to suggest I was playing a racial card since you know absolutely nothing about me.  Sorry dude, your still on my sh**t list.  Smokie if you want to ban me for this rant, go ahead I'll probably get more work done.
Cheers,
Fax

Fair enough Fax. You're right I don't know you from Adam and I shouldn't have attacked to what I thought was a racial comment. I did and still do feel upon rereading the original comment that it wasn't joking at the first read. (Who the f**ck would name his kid Memo?  Almost as dumb as calling yourself Scott Speed, Trixie is the bridge really out?) If I didn't know you, (and I still don't) your style of humor and I read that for the first time I would not take that as a joke. If I'm still on your list c'est la vie, I know where you stand and I have let it go. Maybe sometime down the road we can chat about racing or whatever normally, I hope that is the case in due time.

I take it these are separate friends and not a group of Gay Chinese African Americans?!

There must be Mexicans out there asking the question "Who the f**k would name his kid John? It's the name for the toilet".

Coincidentally and hilariously, you're both called John. And before you kick off at me, it's my second name too, Andrew John Zarse.

Fax, grasp the bloody olive branch for Christ's sake mate. Otherwise we'll have another Dan incident on our hands. You'll remember the unpleasant fracas that spilled over when Dan accused the Harper Brothers of working in a fisting parlour, which of course they never did.

I'm officially bored with this thread.  As far as I'm concerned its a dead issue.
Fax

Right. I hope lessons have been learnt by all, both writers and readers of this thread.

Forums are not an ideal form of communication - what seems perfectly reasonable to one may read as offensive to another even though no offence was intended. I am making no judgement here as I can't be arsed to read the thread again (dial-up, remember?), but from memory the root issue was fairly insignificant.

I really enjoy moderating here because there is a plenty of activity, a lot of real friendship,  and very little serious argument.

I'd like to keep it this way. If someone has a real issue with anything posted here, there is a Report to Moderator button, please use it rather than inflaming a situation.

Accusations and arguments in forums aren't interesting to anyone other than those directly involved (and then maybe only in a trolling fashion). We are lucky here not to have trolling activity as it is extraordinarily disruptive to a forum. (If you don't understand the term trolling go here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolling and see definition 1). While the comments in this thread maybe do not qualify as trolling, this thread is here for everyone to see as an example of how quickly a breakdown can occur.

Fax says for him the thread is dead and has agreed to chill, thanks Fax. I am assuming Jonny feels the same but either way I am locking the thread. Jonny, if you have a problem with this please contact me directly via PM rather than starting a new thread, or kicking off in another thread.

Thank you and good night  :)