Photo in ‘The Legend’

The December issue of ‘The Legend’ (the GTO Association of America monthly publication) was recently delivered in the mail… and to my surprise one of my photos was in it! The Vice President of the NorCal GOATs was the subject of an article titled ‘A Tale of two Goats’ highlighting his 1968 and 2004 GTOs.

A little over a month ago (seriously, it seems longer ago than that) a few of us headed out for a cruise around the East Bay. After the cruise we stopped to take a few photos, and one of the shots with the car owner made the magazine!

This isn’t the first time that I’ve been published, but it’s still cool to see your work in print. It is also really cool to see my work appreciated by the GTO community (given I am the owner of a G8). It sounds like the NorCal GOATs will be trying to get several more articles into ‘The Legend’ in the coming year… I think I’ll try to put something together to highlight all the work that has gone into producing the calendar (I’m sure there will be a few photos that the magazine could use for that article).

Infineon Raceway Photo Shoot

In an attempt to get some additional photographs for the NorCal Goats 2010 Calendar (yeah, it’s November and I’m still working on it) I put together a photo shoot at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. Having shot professional events at the Raceway for several years, I have developed a good report with many of the media relations personnel. They were graciously willing to let me have free-range access to the facility for photography!

Given the Raceway’s busy schedule, we were somewhat limited on the days that would work for the shoot… basically weekends were out. After a poll on the boards I scheduled the event for today (a Friday) and it seemed that quite a few people were able to have the afternoon off for the shoot!

Unfortunately, the weather was not very cooperative. After a week of just beautiful weather, the forecast for Friday was 100% rain. There was a rather large storm moving down from the North… and a single band of intense rain swept across the Bay Area. As one person put it, “Mother Nature stuck her middle finger out at us”. Because of the rain, many of the cars canceled.

I arrived at the Raceway at 10:30am to check-in and do some scouting of the facility. The rain at this time was incredibly hard… so much so that I even told someone to not bother coming out. I drove around to places I’d never been before, which is always fun. I was able to narrow down some of my ideas into a half-dozen nice shooting locations. I also headed down to the garages and setup my studio lighting in the case that the rain didn’t let-up.

This was the first time that I used the Vagabond II power system (basically a big battery). While there was power in the garages I wanted to test out the new toy (and I wasn’t tall enough to reach the overhead outlets). I arranged my lighting to take advantage of the sun light that was entering through the windows (which I needed a polarizing filter to control the reflections of). After drying off my car and taking a few photos (just because I could) I was all ready to start shooting… I just needed a car to shoot.

As the afternoon progressed the rain passed and the sun came out. I was really surprised, I figured the day was going to be a total wash-out. As things started to dry out I even needed to go put my sunglasses on! The post-rain light was just incredible… Infineon Raceway is situated on the East side of a hill, which results in a long shadow that passes over the grounds well before the sun would ‘set’ other places (one of the spots I was planning on shooting was in shadow as early as 2:30pm).

The first car arrived around 3pm and we quickly started shooting with the light that was remaining. I needed to get some photos from in Victory Circle, as the ground is painted with a great checker-flag pattern. We then headed down outside Turn 7 for some shots with the Raceway in the background.

Yeah, it’s great to be able to get cars trackside during a hot-session (there was an open test at the track today). We then headed into the studio to get some shots from there.

Jut as we were finishing-up with the first car, the second car arrived! This was what I was hoping was going to happen over the entire day… one car after another until everyone was shot from all sorts of locations.

The second car was the one that I had planned for the Victory Circle shot. Something about a caged, tubed, straight rear-axle, leaded fuel (116 octane) running, NOS breathing monster just begs to be shot on a checkered-flag! Unfortunately, the sun was quickly setting… so doing many other outdoor shots was not going to be productive.

A third car had arrived, so we headed back into the studio to get some a few shots now that the light had all but gone from outside. Let me say, I was really happy with the results from the studio set-up.

Very moody, but not over the top. The background is slightly busy (doors, girders, etc.), but I think it goes well with the car… and the lighting focuses the viewer’s eye to the car.

When I finished shooting the studio stuff, one of the owners commented that it was too bad we couldn’t do something on the drag strip. I made a phone call and a few minutes later we were setting-up the studio on the drag strip. The light was really going fast (like I wish I brought a flashlight so I wasn’t going to be tripping over cables/wires). By the time we moved the second car into position the light was GONE. I even had to use the modeling lights on the strobes (which shouldn’t be used with the Vagabond II) just to get enough light to focus the camera. The results were very interesting… and I took the chance to play with some light painting (everything was crap, but it was fun).

I cleared-off the drag strip and headed home around 7pm (right on time). It was a really long day with all sorts of complications (rain, lack of cars, lack of light, etc.), but in the end I did come away with a few good images that should help fill-out the NCG Calendar. Now, I just need to find a solution to a quarter of the Calendar being Impulse Blue colored cars!

Goodguys Autumn Get-Together

The NorCal GOATs made a presence at this year’s Goodguys Autumn Get-Together. I was planning on taking the weekend off from car stuff, but I just couldn’t turn down entering the G8 in the show-n-shine at a big event like this… Throw-in that the event is in my backyard, and it became a no-brainer.

It had only been a week since I’d washed the G8 last, but it was a long week (~600 miles of driving), and I needed to put in some quality time to make sure things were ‘show worthy’. I wasn’t feeling very well, so decided to leave work a little early on Friday. It worked out well that I was able to get the car fully detailed before the sun went down.

It has been quite cold here lately at night, and to my disgust there was a light layer of dew on the G8 before I could get back home and into my underground parking garage. One the drive home the water was flowing down the rear window… tarnishing the perfection that I worked so hard to achieve earlier. I seriously debated re-detailing the G8 once I got home, but decided that I would leave it for once I arrived at the show.

The group met at 6:45am to get to the fairgrounds early enough to get a nice spot at the show-n-shine. The weather was very overcast and there was even some mist. As we approached the show the weather worsened to the point that all of our cars were covered in water. I was really glad that I hadn’t obsessed the night before, as I had to re-do everything anyhow. It made for good fun… it was nice to see how each person details their cars in slightly different way.

The group was able to get a spot right on the ‘main drag’ quite close to the Auto-X. There was also a cool barn that we staked a claim to, which resulted in some nice photos once the sun broke-through the clouds. In addition to the cars, we had a tent with a nice NCG banner. There was also a BBQ and all sorts of food and drinks.

I was originally hesitant to enter the G8 into the show-n-shine, as I’ve never considered it a ‘show car’, but the G8 received a very warm welcome from everyone that I talked with. From other G8 owners, to those who wished they were owners, the comments almost always ended with “it’s really too bad that they stopped making these”. It was really fun talking with everyone… and for once being on the ‘owners’ side (rather than just the photographer).

I was able to set-up a few photos around the barn and think we may have another couple candidates for the NorCal GOATs Calendar. I also talked to a few NCG members and it looks like there will be a photo shoot tomorrow afternoon!

I think attending these events in the future will become a regular thing. Not only is it a great time hanging-out with the other NorCal GOATs, representing the club in a public forum is important too. We met several new people with GTOs and G8s… hopefully a few of them will join-up and participate in future activities.

Maggie Mod Day

Today was the second day in a row doing car stuff. This time I had to wake-up early as I needed to be in Tracy by 8:30am. After loading-up the car with the majority of my camera equipment I headed-off. Like always, I had some extra time so decided to take a leisurely drive down Altamont Pass Rd. I was again reminded of the cold cloudy morning when my Father and I drove these same roads in the RX-7 chasing after trains. It would have been a perfect morning to have a NorCal GOATS club jacket!

After meeting-up with two other people, the group headed South on I-5 towards Merced. Unfortunately we had to make a brief stop as one of the group was pulled-over by the CHP for having tinted windows (Seriously, doesn’t the CHP have something better to do?). The remainder of the drive went smoothly and we made good time.

While driving down I couldn’t stop thinking about photography. The weather was partly overcast and the parts of sun that made it through really made the countryside look gorgeous. The recent rain has resulted in the hills starting to turn green… very photogenic!

The shop where the mod day was being performed was incredible. When I think of my ‘garage’ (which is actually just a parking spot) I am reminded just how awesome a workshop could be. Not only is there a huge area to work on whatever you could imagine, there is even a lift!

The work on the Magnacharger (MP122) was going well, without my help, so I decided to look around for something to do. Given I have had photography on my mind, I quickly set-about trying to find some photo locations around the shop. Looking outside was OK, but the inside of the shop was just perfect to setup as a studio!

I don’t have much (any?) experience lighting something as large as a car with studio lights, but figured today would be a good time to learn. When I purchased my strobes I decided to go with the more powerful monolights just in case I wanted to do something like this (and I’m glad I did). I also picked-up a Vagabond II battery pack for the ability to work in remote locations… today I had power, so it wasn’t needed.

After some experimenting I found a lighting setup that seemed to produce some nice results. I probably should have done some more shots with less ambient lighting to create a more dramatic mood, but a nice evenly exposed image is more usable (and I can always add the shadowing in post). All-in-all I’m sure I was able to get a couple shots that will be potentials for the NCG calendar.

The drive home was fun, being joined by one more GTO, and went smoothly. I decided to take Corral Hollow Rd. just to add some spice to the trip. There was the typical traffic around Carnegie Park, but I was able to get a clear piece of road to have some fun.

The weekend has turned-out to be quite a bit of driving… I’m guessing I drove over 500 miles in total… but like always it was a blast!

NCG Calendar Photo Shoot

In a quest to get photos for the NCG Calendar, I organized a photo shoot in the Livermore area on one day’s notice. Most of the locations I have shot myself in the past, so I know there should be some good images… the biggest variable is just how many people are going to show-up.

Sunday came about and after a great night sleep (spending the whole day drag racing really wore me out) I woke-up and headed out for the photo shoot. We met at the Livermore Harley Davidson dealership, 1) because it’s close to the freeway, and 2) it has several nice cinder block walls that should work well for photography. Three GTOs were present for the first location. After some quick shots (and a few minutes showing-off the G8 to a spectator) we headed out to the next photo location.

I had spotted this location (a wall with graffiti) yesterday morning on the way to Tracy and figured it would make for a good background for panning shots. After trying to describe what I was after from my cars/drivers a few times, I was able to get some good shots. We were also joined by another G8 and one more GTO.

I learned a few more things about logistics of photo shoots… like making sure everyone had a working radio. Also, people need to understand that I’m accustom to photographing cars traveling at racetrack speeds… so they don’t need to drive 10mph under the speed limit just for me. Honestly, the faster they go the easier it is for panning (being safe is still a priority).

The third photo location was quite impromptu. We ended-up stopping at the Summit Garage, which I have since found out to be a historic landmark on the old Lincoln Highway.

After a brief talk with the owner and Zeus (the guard dog, who is really a total sweetheart) I set about to getting some photos. We did a few two-car shots, which turned out nice… including a few shots with two G8s together. I’m really glad that I noticed the old cars that normally find a home in front of the garage were not present. A very cool location!

When doing a photo shoot in the Altamont Pass one has to get some shots with windmills. Unfortunately we spent more time than I had planned shooting the other locations and the sun quickly ducked behind a hill. I was able to get shots of one car, and it happened to be the one I thought would look best at the location (and I was right). I guess sometime we will have to re-visit this location for some more photos.

The last photo location I wanted to shoot was “The Top of the World” (at least that’s what I call it) on Patterson Pass Rd. I knew this location, being at the top of the world, would be one of the last places for the sun to set. I also figured the drive on Patterson Pass Rd. to the photo location would be really fun for all the participants. The shots from here really turned out well. The setting sun was getting a little low, but it made for nice contrasty images with very golden reflections. There was also an area where I could get shots looking down at the cars, which worked great for those with custom paint and stripes on the hood.

The logistics here worked out quite well. With one person on each side of the bind corner with radios keeping an eye-out for traffic, we were able to have the cars park across the road. When cars approached they were slowed down and waved-by in a controlled fashion. This process really worked well, and should be used for future shoots on public roads (with low traffic volumes).

Overall, the day was very productive. I believe we have several calendar shots in the bank from today’s activities. The biggest issue now is choosing which of the images to use… and how to use just one image from each car.

Sacramento Raceway Test & Tune

After the drag racing experience at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, I have been wanting to get back to the strip to see what the G8 can do now that I know a little more about what I’m doing. I was feeling slightly disappointing with my times/speeds from Vegas, but understood that the elevations and temperature really played a big part in how I ran. When the NorCal Goats planned a trip to the Sacramento Raceway for a Test and Tune, I knew I had to go along.

Sacramento Raceway (elevation 30′) is a great facility to get the G8 out to. A group of us were heading-out from the Manteca area, so I drove the back-way over to Tracy to scout out the photo locations for tomorrow’s shoot. Several of us got together and then headed-up to the track. We arrived when the gates opened and had some time to relax and let the engines cool off from the drive. I also took the opportunity to empty my trunk of all non-essential equipment.

When the track get hot I headed over to tech (which wasn’t really an inspection at all) and then into the staging lanes. Having spent some time reading about different launch techniques, I decided to just let the G8 do it’s thing. I turned off TCM, left the car in drive, and launched from idle… the resulting run was the quickest pass I made all day… a 13.53s @ 106.4mph (2.12s 60′, DA 1021′). The launch was perfect (no wheel spin at all) and I accelerated all the way through the 1/4 mile… holding 3rd gear through the end (without hitting the rev limiter).

After the first pass I wanted to see how Sport mode would work, and to my surprise the run was slightly slower… a 13.64s @ 106.1mph (2.168s 60′, DA 1021′). I think the slower time came from the chirp that was caused when shifting from 2nd to 3rd. While it sounds cool, the loss of traction doesn’t seem to make for a faster time.

I then spent the rest of the afternoon experimenting with different launch techniques, but was never able to better my first run. The last run of the day I used the same launch technique as the first run, but had aired-down the rear tires to 30psi (they were at 40psi to start). The temperature had increased a little, resulting in a DA of 1247′, but I was able to pull-out a 13.62s @ 106.9mph (2.224s 60′). I think that if I would have run the same PSI with the colder air from the morning I could have squeezed out a tenth or two.

Spending time working over the numbers, I was really surprised to see that my times were very consistent. When correcting for the DA run, my best from Vegas was within a tenth of a second and 1mph of what I ran in Sac. Given there was nothing changed with the car, it’s expected.

I am content with the 13.53s @ 106.4mph (I even put it in my signature on the message boards), but I think if the temperature gets a little cooler I will be able to run in the low-13s. I don’t think I have been bit by the never-ending faster ET bug (yet), but spending time at the track with the rest of the GOATs is a blast.

After the day at the track, a group of us headed-out to Sacramento for some photography. The goal was to get a few shots for the NCG Calendar I’ve been working on, and I think things worked-out well. I’d share some of the photos, but they are a secret until the calendar comes out!

GoatRun’09: Day 4

Monday was a day for relaxing… if you consider an over 500 mile drive a relaxing day. Before setting off on the long drive home, we had a stop at the Bellagio for a great buffet brunch. The group with GoatRun got an incredible deal on the meal (and didn’t even have to wait in line). After not eating much bread (or any carbs for that matter) for a few months, the food was just incredible.

After breakfast I was able to get a few photos of NorCal members in the location that I scouted-out the day before. I tried to park my car to block the spots, but I couldn’t keep the whole area clear. I think it still worked out well.

Once everyone had finished saying their goodbyes the NorCal GOATs headed for home, but not before giving Las Vegas a nice send-off. Once on the freeway I pulled-up to the #2 spot again and kept an eye out for highway patrol officers. The trip out of Vegas was highlighted when the heard came across a Prius… with racing stripes! After saying ‘hello’ to the brother ‘sports car’ we made our way out into the desert towards California.

Time really flies when driving with a group of people. 537 miles is a long drive, but the constant chatter on the radios was just great. There was lots of reminiscing of the previous weekend’s activities. Eventually we reached Mojave, where the group stopped to re-fuel and eat a quick lunch. The drive through Tehapachi was really enjoyable, not just because of the road, but because everyone was listening to the same radio station… even going as far to singing along to “Born in the USA”. It was just another example of just how much fun traveling with a group of people can be.

As we got further North the trip started to end as people began to break-off from the heard when their turn-offs approached. I don’t think any of us wanted the weekend to end… but it didn’t take long to be leading a group of three people towards the East Bay, where I finally had to break-off to head home.

Thankfully I’m taking tomorrow off from work to recover, this was seriously a fun and eventful weekend!

GoatRun’09: Day 3

Day 3 of GoatRun started with a nice breakfast buffet at the Palace Station. When we arrived there were several other NorCal GOATs in front of us in line, making the breakfast very enjoyable. We had some good talks about the previous day’s events at the drag strip, the car show, and the BBQ.

Sunday was cruise day… and for the early risers (those not nursing a hangover)… the first cruise left the Palace Station at 9:30am.

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This cruise headed out towards the Red Rock Canyon Scenic Loop. A great little park with a one-way road that wound through one of the more picturesque valley I have seen. There were loads of interesting red rock (hence the name) formations. Part way around the loop the group stopped to admire the view and I took the opportunity to climb-up a little hill (avoiding any rattle snakes) to take some photos.

The remainder of the cruise was very enjoyable… a long line of GTOs winding its way through the park. When exiting the park the group became a little separated, and I found myself getting passed for not going around slower traffic, but it was still fun. The group gathered at the Red Rock Casino to wait for the party animals who were able to sober-up enough for the late cruise.

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While the roads used for this cruise were great, the way things went down was less than enjoyable. The group headed out of the Red Rock Casino and, much like the drive from Barstow to Vegas, everyone just took-off. I was really glad that I had the route programed into my GPS, so I at least knew I’d not get lost, but having to drive excessively fast just to keep ahead of the last car in line was not much fun.

Like the other day, I understand it’s the desert and the roads are acceptable for higher speeds, but the cruse was more about ‘keeping up’ rather than enjoying the drive. It really gave me a greater appreciation of the group of people we have in the NorCal GOATs. When we go on a cruise we keep the pace fun, but not so extreme that people are left behind.

At the top of the hill we stopped to talk and enjoy the views. The weather was quite cool compared to Vegas, and it didn’t take too long for people to get cold and want to head back. I took advantage of the scenery to take a few more photos.

I would have loved to rotate some of the NorCal GOATs into the prime photo locations, but there wasn’t time (and I couldn’t find the owner of the car that was in the best spot). The drive back to the Palace Station, like the one out, quickly turned into playing catch-up. I didn’t worry about trying to stick with people (and I don’t think I even saw another GTO for quite some time).

At this point I had to say goodbye to my Dad and dropped him off at the Bellagio. I took the opportunity to take some practice shots from the top of the parking structure where the group will be tomorrow morning. I think the view is going to be really impressive tomorrow! I then headed-off to the Palace Station to meet-up with some NorCal GOATs for an early dinner and then a night on the strip.

Dinner was incredible. We went to the Hofbrauhaus (a great German place) where people were drinking 1 liter beers. If the beers were not enough, when people would get a shot… they would get spanked with a wooden paddle. I don’t know what the obsession was with getting spanked, but I’m sure it had to do with the waitress (who had HUGE tracks of land).

After dinner we walked across the street to the Hard Rock Casino and then made the “short” journey to the strip. I don’t know who’s idea walking to the strip was, but it was a little farther away than anyone thought. It did lend to a nice 1.2 mile expedition with several intoxicated individuals. Once on the strip the group headed from one end to the other getting into all sorts of fun shenanigans… I would go into more details, but… what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!

GoatRun’09: Day 2

Saturday was spent at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (elevation ~2,100ft). There was a ‘test and tune’ at the drag strip that allowed me the first chance to take the G8 out and see what it can do. We showed-up early (way early compared to the other NorCal folks who were recovering from hangovers) and registered for the day’s events.

I’d never been down a drag strip before, but I have been reading-up on the basics of what to do. After going through tech inspection (which really wasn’t an inspection as far as I could tell) I headed directly to the staging lanes. My dad was in the passenger’s seat and it turned-out that he didn’t need to get out of the car, so made the first pass with me (it was his first trip down a drag strip as well).

I was lined-up next to a fellow NorCal member, which was somewhat nice (the fact that he was in a 10-second car didn’t help my ego though). I spun the rear tires quickly (didn’t do a burnout with the stock tires, but just enough to get any dirt off) and pulled into the staging beams. I was in Drive mode with the Stage 1 VMS TCM tune (the mild one), traction control off, and revved the engine up to ~1,100rpms. When the light went green… off I went!

Run #1:
ET – 14.561s
MPH – 98.16

Not as quick/fast as I was hoping, but not bad for having a passenger and a trunk full of stuff. The G8 went straight down the strip and was very stable all the way.

For the second run I was alone and used Sport mode (still the Stage 1 VMS TCM tune). I again turned traction control off and loaded up to 1,100rpms.

Run #2:
ET – 14.083s
MPH – 96.83

While this was my quickest ET of the day, I didn’t drive all the way through the end of the 1/4-mile. I didn’t know where the finish line was (and was too far behind the other car to feel like I needed to push hard) and let-off early (hence the 96.83mph speed through the trap). I wonder if I would have been able to break into the 13’s if I’d gone all the way through the the finish on the gas.

For the next runs I wanted to load the more aggressive Stage 2 VMS TCM tune. The re-tune went quickly and I was able to get back to the staging lanes. This run was much closer to the car in the other lane (only lost by 0.1794) and was therefore much more exciting.

Run #3:
ET – 14.199
MPH – 99.97

I was only planning on doing three runs down the strip, but after being so close to a 100mph speed through the trap I just had to do one more run. The last run I tried to push things, and the track wasn’t working in my favor. Unlike the previous runs, loading up to 1,100rpm was just too much… and I left the line with a noticeable squeal in the tires. I think that a lower rpm (or maybe having traction control on) would have helped the ET a little.

Run #4:
ET – 14.225
MPH – 101.44

I thought about one last run, but after watching some of the other cars go down the strip I knew I wasn’t going to improve on my best ET. Cars that were running high 13’s were now in the mid-14’s.

Spending the day at the drag strip as a competitor (rather than a photographer) was definitely learning experience. I think I will need to go out an try the G8 at a strip that is closer to sea level, as people were talking about how the 2,100ft elevation was robbing some power. Not having a trunk full of bags, water, cameras, etc. would have probably also helped. Using a Density Altitude (DA) calculator for the time of my quick ET was like running at 4569ft… and a corrected ET would have been around 13.3 seconds. I’d really like to get into the low 13’s on the stock tires with this setup, so I’m sure this is something I’m going to have to do again!

After the test and tune, there was a BBQ and car show. I had really hoped to take some photos of cars as the sun was starting to set, but the location for the car show was less than photogenic. Also, by the time the light was right, my car was blocked-in and everyone else was enjoying the show… I felt that it wasn’t the best time to pull people away for photography.

After the BBQ people started to vote for their favorite cars and I went around getting some detail shots of NorCal cars. There was a raffle with some really cool prizes (like break rotors, a clutch, etc.)… while I didn’t win anything, several NorCal members did so that was cool. At the end of the night there was a ‘best sounding exhaust’ competition, which was taken hands-down by BillyGoatGruff (another NorCal GOAT).

After the BBQ and car show a group of us headed over to the enterence to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. There are a set of tunnels that lead into the infield, and at night they are lit-up nicely (good thing I brought my tripod). I got my chance to be photographer and took several shots of several different cars. I think a few of the guys gained a better respect about the difficulties of being a photographer… we were constantly having to move cars around because of traffic, and the lighting conditions were difficult at best. While I’d have rather been at the same location shooting ~4 hours earlier, I think I came away with a few decent shots.

After the photo shoot I needed to drop my Dad off at the hotel, at which time I also crashed… it was almost midnight anyhow and I needed to be up early in the morning for the cruise (wow I sound like an old man).

GoatRun’09: Day 1

GoatRun has been on the calendar for several months and it is finally here! The first day started really early (like wake-up at 3am early) so that I could drive to Livermore and pick-up my Father for the trip to Las Vegas. It turned out that he was going to be in Vegas the following week for work… flying-in on Sunday, but why fly when you can drive with a heard of GOATS!?! The group met-up at a gas station in Tracy at 4:45am and then headed out for Las Vegas.

Total Distance: 537 miles

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Given that I have a radar detector I was given the privilege of driving in the #2 position in line. While we kept the speed close to the speed limit, there is always some added attention created by a line of ~20 GTOs cruising down the freeway. Along the way there was even a CHP officer who was performing a traffic stop who’s head perked-up when we drove by!

The sunrise was great, and was highlighted by driving with a candy colored fleet of GTOs! The radio chatter was also lots of fun (as always). There were several stopping places along the route to Vegas to pick-up more people. For the most part they were quick stop-and-goes (bathroom, fuel, and go) because we had to reach Barstow by 11:45am to meet-up with the SoCal GTO owners.

After reaching Barstow and meeting-up there was a short time for talking. I had my first chance to see the Haddad Motorsports G8 and ask some questions. Unfortunately, by the time we stopped for lunch it was already time to get on the road again (my Dad even ate my half of the sandwich in my car!).

While the drive from Barstow to Vegas included a huge line of cars, it wasn’t very much fun. I ended-up towards the rear of the pack and spent far too much of my time trying to ‘catch-up’ with everyone else. There wasn’t much talk on the radios (I kept changing channels hoping that I was just on the wrong frequency). Eventually the traffic on I-15 slowed way down for a gnarly motorcycle accident… and I was left way behind when the road opened-up again.

There is something strange about driving at uncomfortably high speeds for 20 minutes and not catching-up to anyone. I later found out that most of the pack was driving well over 100mph (some topping out >150mph). I understand that it’s the desert and the roads were empty, but still… isn’t the idea to drive WITH other people? By the time we reached Vegas a few people had caught-up with me and we rolled-in three-wide.

After checking-into my hotel (I stayed at a Courtyard a little ways away from the Palace Station because of the points/free nights) I returned for the meet and greet. There was quite a showing of cars on the roof of the packing structure and lots of people to talk with. I wish I’d talked with more people, but I found myself out taking photographs (which was cool too).

Before heading back to the hotel I joined a few NorCal GOATs for dinner in one of the casino restaurants. Dinner was nothing special (an overpriced piece of steak), but the company and conversation was great. When everyone else headed to the bars (with an overly obnoxiously loud band) I headed to the hotel to work on some photos and get some sleep. It was a very long first day, but lots of fun as well.