Last Open Road

Picked it up from the library last week and have to say I'm really enjoying the read.

Honest.

A.

Andre,

If you enjoyed the first book, then you have some reading to do. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th books are good ,too. 5th was is supposed to be available later this year. In case you weren't aware the other titles are; -Montezuma's Ferrari -The Fabulous Trashwagon -Toly's Ghost -The 200 MPH Steamroller (not out yet) None are Pulitzer prize winning stuff, but are entertaining in terms of the authenticity of the car and racing details. I enjoyed all 4 so far.Just for laughs, I run a "Finzio's Garage" sticker on my Miata. Very few people get it. I saw a Morris Minor with the same sticker at an Ann Arbor car show last summer, and I was the only person who mentioned it to the car owner all day !

Warren

I have Toly's Ghost on the shelf waiting.

Almost done TLOR...

Got them from the local library... But I will have to put them on my personal wish list.

A.

All 5 books are sequential, so try and get to Montezuma's Ferrari and The Fabulous Trashwagon before reading Toly's Ghost, if the library has them.

They we're not in the system.

So I'll suffer through it all ;)

A.

I have Montezuma's Ferrari. If you want to borrow it, you may. Special treat reserved only for Fiat racers.

Thanks for the offer David.

My super sexy wonderful wife ordered all 4 of the current books this morning from Chapters!

They were on sale. $87 CND for all of them.

I'm so pumped. She said it would count as my valentines day gift.

So I have some new reading material for a while.

She did quiz me on wether I'd read the books once or not. I think I would.

Wild. I'll finish #1 this week for sure and return the two back to the library.

Have to wait and read them in order...

Thanks guys.

A.

Now you have to go online and order some Finzio decals for the Fiat, and a "Last Open Road" crest for you jacket or driver's suit , and ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Hah.

I'm more worried about the -10 and -6 braided hose and how much that's going to cost me.

I do have a FIAT badge on my suit and a CMS one to be stitched on.

The local Triumph guys made a stick when I showed up sporting the Triumph club and a FIAT badge on the same jacket! heh

CMS will go over the blood type once I confirm if my type is not A+

Awesome books. Burt has been at Watkins Glen the last three years I've been there. I bought my books from him there. Signed w/ free stickers. I'm hoping book #5 will be available by then this year.

My goal is to someday proudly display a "Fabulous Trashwagon" decal on the back of my ES.

Hey I've got my signed Kas books :)

A.

Word of warning--

I've read all the books up to and not including Toly's Ghost. I've met Burt at a few races and had him autograph the books for me. The Last Open Road was professionally edited and published and an easy read. Levy published the rest of the books on his own and the lack of an editor is apparent. Although the stories are good and engaging, they are a real slog. And they get more difficult as you go. I've had a copy of Toly's Ghost on the shelf for a couple of years, now. I picked it up after buying it, saw the wall of text, sighed, and decided I just didn't want to work that hard. Maybe I'll get around to reading it someday, but you won't find me running out to buy the new one any time soon...

Interesting thoughts... although now that I think about it, I see a little of what you mean. The three self-published books do ramble in places and are a bit disjointed. However, it didn't seem to bother me. I suppose partly because I read the books back-to-back in sequence and partly because I would read a chapter or two at a time and then get back to it a few days later, for a sort of 'rest' in between.

Hell I ramble and think in disjointed patterns.

I'm all over the place.

I finished Open Road tonight and did not even one Toly's Ghost. I'll wait for the post man to drop off my new books this week.

They shipped today according to Canada Post.

In the mean time... Roll cage

We have a few of these books left if anyone wants them and are selling them at very big discounts to clear them out. Just call us at 386 239 0523.

I have a 2010 Road & Track vintage photo calendar hanging on the wall in my office. This morning I flipped it over to the month of February and it’s a spectacular b&w picture by Ozzie Lyons (Pete’s father) of Phil Walters in a hemi-powered Cunningham rounding a corner during a race at the old Bridgehampton street circuit on May 24, 1952. It’s been a while since I read The Last Open Road but I think the first sports car race that the fictitious Buddy Palumbo attended with Big Ed was at Bridgehampton, although I don’t remember if it was this date. In any case, there’s Phil Walters in the picture wrestling that huge Cunningham through the turn at speed with pieces of rubber flipping off the tires, the crowd no more than 5-6 feet away from the narrow street with only snow fence between! And Ozzie took the picture on the outside of the turn with only a few hay bales for protection. It’s a good depiction of how incredibly dangerous open road sports car racing was in the early days, the reason for its eventual demise.

Finished #1 and have started reading Montezuma's Ferrari.

Really enjoyed The Last Open Road.

Good purchase...

I picked up a couple of “Montezuma’s Ferrari” stickers from Burt at the Lime Rock Vintage Festival last September. They’re the design with the chili peppers shaped vaguely like the Ferrari prancing horse logo that’s on the book cover. I’m going to put the stickers on the front fenders of my Spitfire in the same general location as the Ferrari logos. The Spitfire is red so with the stickers on it I’m hoping people will think it’s a Ferrari. What do you think?

Reminds me I've got to pick up some prancing moose stickers for our Volvos :)

I so need some myself hehe.

That or I'll get a bumper sticker done.

Either.

My other car is a Triumph or Yeah its got a HEMI.

A.

I've got the Last Open Road logo window sticker on the hatch of my BGT. Its such a beautifully done, art deco-ish typeface.

That is awesome that fire suit has the owner's blood type on it.

Hmm problem is I don't know if I'm A+ if I'm not I'll put a CMS badge over top.

I do think its a good idea too, but not sure how I'd alter it in so there could be no mistake.

A.

It doesn't seem to be that common anymore but back in the '60s and '70s all the pro drivers and a lot of the amateur drivers had their blood type embroidered on their driving suits. And a lot of them wore I.D. bracelets with the blood type etched on.

I might put it on my helmet.

Interesting. When I raced in the SCCA a loooonng time ago, blood type on the helmet was a requirement. Sounds like it isn't now; a bit surprised.