Parts of the GRM staff (me, for one) will be at Daytona International Speedway this weekend for a big ChumpCar race. Other parts (Tim and his son, Tom) will be at the Indy 500. We thought it'd be worth some grins to cram updates from both events into one place, right next to each other.
Watch this thread for sights from a prestigious race and from Indianapolis in one place. (Zing! Who's having the better weekend now, Tom?)
Don't forget the 600 at Charlotte. No double dippers this year.
We just landed in Indy, supposedly there's a Tag Heuer limo waiting to pick us up at the terminal. How do you like that, Alan?
Oh, and security at Daytona tried to take Tim's Rolex on the way out, apparently they're in cahoots with the Tag Heuer folks. Life is hard here, but you chumpcar people wouldn't know what that's like.
You know if you need someone to go to the other big race this weekend (Monaco GP) I will gladly bite the bullet and go send me money for the plane ticket and race ticket and I will suffer through it. 
ROFL! RE: Tom's name..Did I just catch Alan in a Ninja Edit? I was actually making a pic for Tom (based upon the one RL conversation we had at The Mitty a couple of years ago..)
Have fun, guys. I've been to both Speedways, but never driven either. IMS Museum rocked when I was there..they had Rudi Caracciola's trophy collection (and his pre-SCCA California Club racing license!) on display!
I actually edited Alan's post (sorry Alan).
Wow, there actually was a limo waiting for us! We're on our way to the hotel, now. 
Was the Chumpcar limo on time, Alan? :D
So, I feel it's necessary to tell the story behind this interesting split in the GRM staff. Tim and I were scheduled to drive in the Chumpcar race at Daytona, but we received a last-minute invite to go on an all-expense-paid trip to the Indianappolis 500, courtesy of Tag Heuer. Being the upstanding staff members that we are, we took one for the team and said "Okay, we'll go, don't feel sorry for us."
So, here we are, part of a winning crapcan team tragically separated by adversity. We'll try and struggle though, but I don't know if we're going to make it. 
We've been in the elevator for 5 minutes. It won't move.
Oh, Tim just figured out you need to put in a room key to get to our floor.
Nevermind.
In reply to Tom Suddard:
So...you're saying there's two seats open at Daytona? 
Tom Suddard wrote: We've been in the elevator for 5 minutes. It won't move. Oh, Tim just figured out you need to put in a room key to get to our floor. Nevermind.
Sounds like they've put you guys up in one of the downtown hotels? There's some decent attractions/restaurants downtown, though I imagine they have you on a tight schedule.
We're at the JW Marriott.
Holy crap, I had to iron a shirt. Never done that before. Building the roll cage for the Crap Can Lincoln was easier.
On our way to dinner at some famous steak house restaurant called Mo's.
Alan and the gang will probably go to a different Moe’s... the one that serves burritos.
I will be going over to my buddies house to watch the 500. Eat some food, drink some beer.
Yep, that's about it.
We're here!
Pffft. I had dinner with my girlfriend tonight, and tomorrow I get to stick my hands under a Lincoln on a lift before I head over to Daytona for registration.
A night with a lady vs. a night with Dad. I know which I'd pick, regardless the restaurant.
Mo's is good, but you seriously need to go to St Elmo and get the shrimp cocktail.
Anybody else's mind go somewhere else between "get to stick my hands under" and "Lincoln"?
Dinner was interesting... real interesting. Couldn't imagine taking Tommy to a better first press event. Like a South Park episode on our industry. Epic doesn't begin to explain the experience. Instead of on a public forum, get a few beers in me at the $2012 Challenge and I will tell some stories.
Alan, we got a nice set of Tag Heuer leather driving gloves as our welcome back to the hotel gift. Other than cock roaches, what did you receive at the Econolodge Daytona?
The tale of two GRMs:
The past, building cheap cars and racing them.
The future, getting smoozed by a company that makes watches that cost more than the cars GRM built a magazine around.
Brb, building time machine.
Tim Suddard wrote: Alan, we got a nice set of Tag Heuer leather driving gloves as our welcome back to the hotel gift. Other than cock roaches, what did you receive at the Econolodge Daytona?
Ha. I get to sleep in my own bed! Not too many roaches in there. And hey, I've got a Fiesta on coilovers for street duty this weekend. What kind of rental penalty box did they stick you in?
We don't actually have a car, a limo with a police escort drives us around.
This is kind of crazy; I don't have a clue why GRM got invited.
Alan no rental penalty box here.
No E36 M3... Our limos get a police escort to the track this morning for a tour of the speedway. We then get the honor of meeting David Strahan; senior account manager of corporate partnerships here at Indy.
Then we get to go kart racing this afternoon.
And Osterkraut, if the future of GRM was this kind of life, we certainly wouldn't be giving you guys a blow by blow and making fun of it.
It's nice to get some perks once in a while! Sort of pays back for all the dirty hands and skinned knuckles.
Keep up the adventure, we are enjoying it.
It did occur to me that once you posted the hotel name, you might be setting yourself up for some cranking like a 4am wake up call.
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