Sebring 2005

[Steve Pyro]

.....pure American hole-in-the-wall dive....

I can assure you, in a past life as an old salty sea dog, I've been in plenty of these - mostly just outside the dock gates.

Ever been to Baltimore, Norfolk, New Jersey, Long Beach, Portland, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Mobile, etc .........................?

......... and that's just the USA - I've a whole list of other sh*t-holes worldwide if you fancy.

[Nordic]

http://www.311unity13b.com/12_hrs_of_sebring2003.mpg

I expect some of you may have seen this before, 8 min clip so not dial up friendly.

Note: contains naked women and flashing lights.

[Fax]

Steve,
Norfolk, Batlimore and Mobile? Jesus you have been in some sh*t-holes!  I've been to a watering hole in Norfolk that's a big hangout for Atlantic fleet boys when they go on leave and if you got out of there with your teeth intact you considered it a good night.
Fax

[Matt Harper]

.....pure American hole-in-the-wall dive....

I can assure you, in a past life as an old salty sea dog, I've been in plenty of these - mostly just outside the dock gates.

Ever been to Baltimore, Norfolk, New Jersey, Long Beach, Portland, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Mobile, etc .........................?

......... and that's just the USA - I've a whole list of other sh**t-holes worldwide if you fancy.

Steve
I assure you that I am not suggesting a change of venue, because I doubt your ability to tolerate a skeevy biker bar - I just figured you might care for something a little more civilised. If you'd prefer to have your post-flight piss-up at the Sho-Boat, rather than somewhere a little more appealing (Pat O'Brian's, Marguritaville etc) then I will be delighted to oblige - please let me know.
I made no assumptions about your venue preference. All I'll say is that my first experience of the Sho-Boat Tavern (as a 'what the f**k you doin' in here, ya mutha-f**k*n' limey pussy') was not as warm and welcoming as I'd expected it to be.

[Fax]

Ah what the hell Matt, go ahead and take'em there...
You guys ever seen "Deliverence"?
Fax

[Andy Zarse]

Fax, we perhaps ain't as green as we're cabbage looking.

Steve Brown is an ex-merchant seaman, a salty old seadog who's been in more two bit gin joints around the world than Whistling Jack Smith and I used to live in Birmingham and knock about with strange bike gangs. I don't think there's much you can show us that'll perturb us. I'm not sure about JPC, but he doesn't look like he's led a sheltered life, I know he goes to the Basingstoke Flower Arranging Society and it can get pretty lowlife down there I can tell you.

[Fax]

Oh Christ,
Don't take this seriously guys, just some good natured Friday afternoon kerking around. Actually the locals at the Sho-Boat are probably too sh*t-faced to give a flying f**k where your from or whether or not you like to have sex with sheep.
I'm bored shitless here and got four hours to go...f**k!
Fax

[Steve Pyro]

Steve Brown is an ex-merchant seaman...

I keep telling you, I was an Officer and a Gentleman   and had a man to clean my toilet.

Fax,
I'm not sure about Deliverence or playing a banjo but I can hum the theme tune.
Some parts of Suffolk are like Deliverance country, lots of marrying your sister going on down Shotley way.

[Nostaligia mode ON]
The Shoboat sounds like a few places I can recall.  There was an interesting bar outside the dock gate in Montreal we used to call the Hairy Triangle as there was a strip bar upstairs.  The bosun and a few deck hands got a bit lairy in there one night and a proper, wild west style fight started, with people whizzing down the bar, broken chairs, the works.
I pulled the Radio Officer out after some frenchy broke a chair over him.  Oh! those were the days.
[Nostaligia mode OFF]

Ho hum!

[Steve Pyro]

I'm bored sh**tless here and got four hours to go...f**ck!

John,
I'm in the comfort of my warm domicile, there's a log fire crackling in the hearth and I'm supping on a cold one.

Aaaaaaaaaaarrh  

See you next month for some more cold ones.

[Fax]

Being serious for second, like Matt said, your going to want to go somewhere nicer than the Sho-Boat when you arrive in O-town.
The Boat is just a typical neighborhood dive, one of those places that usually reeks of urine and disinfectant.  We have a laugh at it because its mostly full of trashed Harley types and rednecks.  Its in staggering distance from Matt's house so there's the charm of it.
Fax

[BigH]

That's a good bit of footage in the GT3 John. I see now what Matt and Fax were getting at when they were talking about 'shakedowns'! The poor driver's bouncing around like a little jobby stuck in the s-bend. Do the drivers try to avoid double stinting at Sebring? - it looks like it would be pretty hard work.
But still nice, if you can get it.
H

[Matt Harper]

You going to the 500 this weekend?  After watching the qualifiers yesterday it should be a wild one.
fax

Yup, UPS have come-up trumps yet again. Superstretch Corp Hospitality at it's very best - well away from the rednecks. Only downside is being subjected to Dale Jarrett making excuses for how crappy they've been running for the past 4 years. Getting in and out of the Speedway is a bait of a pain in the balls too.
I don't take NASCAR too seriously, so it's a good day out.

[Fax]

Have fun Matt at the Daytona 500, like you I don't get too sucked into NASCAR but any day at a race is a good one, especially when there's free booze involved!
H, it usually seems that the drivers double stint the first shift but after that seems to be single stints, especially during the heat of the afternoon, as you said Sebring is VERY hard work.  Its usually quite hot, the place is bumpy as hell and there's always alot of traffic to contend with. It also goes down like a twenty lap Formula Ford heat.  By the end of the race the drivers tend to look like they've gone ten rounds with Lennox Lewis.
Fax

[Chris24]

Matt,
If you see or come across any of the driver promo cards that they hand out at the races, please could you pick me up a few. Both my dad and i collect them and have a large collection.

I would be very greatful.
Thanks
Chris

[Dave H]

So they let you back in the country then Matthew?