Newbie Alert

Hi everyone, my name is Paul and i'm a newbie to these parts... i've been reading the magazing for quite some time and i decided to start reading these discussion boards to have another source of info, and a community too. I go to school at Lawrence university in Appleton, WI, and i have recently learned there is a sports car club in the area with ice rallycrosses and such, but as i drive a 1987 E-150 conversion van, i have yet to participate. i think it would be fun, but i don't want to die in a feiry old van wreck on a frozen lake, shortly after attempting to slide around cones. Also, something about wearing a racing helmet in an old van just doesn't seem right... though it may be hilarious

i have one year left of school, then i'll be off to grad school. if college teaches people anything, its that one should always keep learning. learning and drinking. but mostly learning. (BTW i'm a 'weird' college student who doesnt' drink) with that schooling i'm basically free-time-less and also money-less so my current racing career lies where it has since i was 8 years old- playing an unhealthy amount of gran turismo, but atleast GT 5 prologue has ferraris, and thats cool. plus the online leaderboard thing is cool. my ID is Chimpwithwheels im on a few of the record boards (look near the bottom lol like #50-100 i'm not too fast) but not much because i can only do online when i'm not at college (the network there hates game systems)

speaking of racing, i'm a long time rally fan. i always wanted to take part in stage rallies but something about being 14 and having no car made it tough, then i got a car (1998 jetta) and never raced it (but snow, blizzaks, no traction control/ABS and a handbrake sure makes for a fun time) so i fear i won't ever get a chance. now i think stage rally would kill me and a car, plus drain my wallet with already a mounding heap of no money, so i may just try some rallycrossing first. after i get a car that isn't 3 tons and full of oak wood trim, furniture and lights.

on friday i'm driving my old van out to new york for a month long archaeology field work course, so just pray i don't get the van's first interstate break down. in ohio. miles from anything.
so yeah, there's a little bit about me. i'm excited to be here, i'll be excited to read stuff, and if anyone has any books about racing/car tech they'd like to recomend, i'd appreciate it. -Paul

Well, you fit right in here. We have quite a few youngsters still in school, a lot that are dollar impaired, a bunch of extreme knowledge that will be freely shared, and generally a lot of really helpful, nice people, even a few girls. Feel free to ask any question or chime in on anything you want to, be part of the community. I refer to this place as an open air insane asylum, but it's not all that bad. Chuck

We got a couple older dudes still I'm school too, cough cough rebelgt cough cough. Welcome.

crazy people who love cars? i can get used to that! most of my friends are a little crazy, but i'm car nerd friendless

I am a broke a$$ college student. As far as books about racing I would recommend Carroll Smith's series (Tune to Win, Engineer to Win, Prepare to Win and Drive to Win).

Welcome Rufledt! I'm diggin' that plaid

Rallycross is a lot of fun and that wood grain would fit right in around my neck of the woods!

What's wrong with being broke down in Ohio???

We have enough OHP's to make sure that you won't be alone for long.

having driven an old E350.. it is amazing how well you can hustle a van. The weight is lower than you might expect (but higher than in a miata) but you are right, a van is not the ideal vehicle for racing... but if it has a tow hitch, it makes a great tow and is good for storage when racing. You might be able to turn that to your advantage by joining up with somebody who already has a car

^+1 - joining up with someone who needs their racecar towed would be ideal. Great idea.

BTW: Appleton, WI + college + archaeology = Do you happen to know Allyson Pease? (random, I know) She's a good friend of me and my wife who also happens to be from Appleton and a archaeology student. Go figure.

I am in Ohio and have a Ford (tow vehicle) van, welcome to the madhouse, you will fit in just fine.

Steve

Rufledt wrote: crazy people who love cars? i can get used to that! most of my friends are a little crazy, but i'm car nerd friendless

Once you get a car and start racing, you'll make some car nerd friends soon enough. Besides making friends at the races themselves, when you get a car, find a model-specific website with a regional forum. I've made a few friends that way, but setting aside time to do stuff is a whole other matter.

I'm fresh out of school myself and still rather new to racing/fixing cars. You'll like it here.

Now you have done it.
You have admitted to bringing an empty tow vehicle from WI to NY. Around here that means you may be asked to haul some new (or old) toy along.

Should you find trouble around Exit 110 of The Ohio Turnpike, let me know. It is just a few short miles from my current home.

Welcome.

-John

Welcome here from Janesville. I've been thinking about the icecross too, maybe I'll see 'ya out there this year.

Martin

You've gone to plaid!

Welcome. I haven't been here that long meself,

Welcome aboard, Paul!

There's at least one other archaeology student on here, too. Rebelgtp I think his name his.

Rufledt wrote: crazy people who love cars? i can get used to that! most of my friends are a little crazy, but i'm car nerd friendless

Welcome to the club. I'm starting back up my education this fall. I'm broke and can't afford to take the Subie out for fun. And, most of my friends (they're all crazy) if they hear me start to talk about cars either tune me out or just politely smile and nod with a glazed look in their eyes.

Edit: I forgot to say I too like the plaid. It looks very similar to one of the possible tartans for my family. My family name not being a major clan and not having their own.

Miata??

Rufledt wrote: and i have recently learned there is a sports car club in the area with ice rallycrosses and such, but as i drive a 1987 E-150 conversion van, i have yet to participate. i think it would be fun, but i don't want to die in a feiry old van wreck on a frozen lake, shortly after attempting to slide around cones. Also, something about wearing a racing helmet in an old van just doesn't seem right... though it may be hilarious

DO IT!

LOL they do have a pic of somebody in a silverado at the icecross....

Zoomx2- i'm from janesville! in fact, i'm in janesville at the moment. any racing happening around here? too bad i'm out of here in 3 days or we could hang out

and yeah the plaid is my family (anderson) tartan.
Miata you say? i think my girlfriend would love that hahaha but she's got her mind set on a gensis coupe at the moment.

oh and as for the tow vehical my van has a strangly overbuilt hitch and its hopped up a bit so it could probobly tow quite a bit. it used to tow a 27' travel trailer which was a few tons. its only got 125k miles and it runs great so i'm definitly holding onto it for a while.

Rufledt wrote: Zoomx2- i'm from janesville! in fact, i'm in janesville at the moment. any racing happening around here? too bad i'm out of here in 3 days or we could hang out

Next racing happening around here is in S. Beloit sometime in August I believe. It will be at Blackhawk Farms.

Later this month though at Road America in Elkhart Lake there is a huge race happening. Definetly worth checking out.

welcome aboard...trust me, tossing a van across pavement against a clock wont phase any of us here...weve seen Zambonis (Zamboni?) turned into locosts, an old land yacht with horns that shot flames, and a van doing a batman impression compete, so your E150 will fit right in around here.

youll probably be waaaaaaay north of me, but if youre really bad with directions, and find yourself stuck down near Cincinnati, gimme a holla.

Rufledt wrote: Miata you say? i think my girlfriend would love that hahaha but she's got her mind set on a gensis coupe at the moment.

she NEEDS to register here...NOW

Rufledt wrote: oh and as for the tow vehical my van has a strangly overbuilt hitch and its hopped up a bit so it could probobly tow quite a bit. it used to tow a 27' travel trailer which was a few tons. its only got 125k miles and it runs great so i'm definitly holding onto it for a while.

thats exactly the kind of thing that will get you personal messages politely asking you to help tow things (cars....probably not running ones either). And when you politely turn people down...well trust me, you wont want to turn them down

Appleseed wrote: You've gone to plaid!

ludicrous speed....[whispers]ludicrous speed[/whispers]

LOL ludicrous speed

"MY BRAAAINS ARE GOING INTO MY FEEEEEET!!!"

zoomx2 wrote

Later this month though at Road America in Elkhart Lake there is a huge race happening. Definetly worth checking out.

You going, I'll be there, not sure where we'll be located, but we're bringing this: