OT - Apologies From Sebring

OT - Apologies From Sebring

Someone up there really didn't want me to get photos for you fine folks. :-(

Thursday we had a storm roll in towards the end of the afternoon. The
rain was extremely heavy and the winds started picking up. The SVRA race
that had just started was red flagged and canceled and we headed for
cover at the Turn 10 fan campsite next to our station. We huddled around
under a canopy while the winds and rain really started to pick up. Many
canopies and awnings were blown over before too much time passed. Ours
would have as well, but it was well placed between a bunch of RV's that
broke the wind, plus we had a bunch of crazy drunken Dutchmen holding it
down. The scaffolding that the Turn 10 fans had put up blew over VERY
violently. Tents that were nearby looked about ready to fly away. It was
bad.

After the storm passed we went back out to our station to assess things.
A lot of our gear was soaked. I had a cover on my track bag and it was
fine. I had a cover on my camera bag, but that didn't stay put. It blew
away and my camera was soaked. So, the camera was taken out of
commission for the weekend before I was able to use it.

I was able to use my phone to get some pics of our local disaster area:
http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mar15 0001.jpg
http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mar15 0002.jpg
http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mar15 0003.jpg
http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mar15 0004.jpg
http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mar15 0005.jpg
http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mar15 0007.jpg

We also saw this thing developing to the east:
http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mar15 0009.jpg

Weather buffs and folks from the Midwest will know what that puppy is.
That is a 'wall cloud' - the beginnings of a tornado. Fortunately, it
broke apart and a twister never developed.

I had sworn that only an act of God would prevent me from getting pics
for you guys. Unfortunately, that's what happened.

--
forty

“To embrace an extreme, one must first let go of reason.”

Re: OT - Apologies From Sebring

forty wrote:

> Someone up there really didn't want me to get photos for you fine
> folks. :-(
>
> Thursday we had a storm roll in towards the end of the afternoon. The
> rain was extremely heavy and the winds started picking up. The SVRA
> race that had just started was red flagged and canceled and we headed
> for cover at the Turn 10 fan campsite next to our station. We huddled
> around under a canopy while the winds and rain really started to pick
> up. Many canopies and awnings were blown over before too much time
> passed. Ours would have as well, but it was well placed between a
> bunch of RV's that broke the wind, plus we had a bunch of crazy
> drunken Dutchmen holding it down. The scaffolding that the Turn 10
> fans had put up blew over VERY violently. Tents that were nearby
> looked about ready to fly away. It was bad.
>
> After the storm passed we went back out to our station to assess
> things. A lot of our gear was soaked. I had a cover on my track bag
> and it was fine. I had a cover on my camera bag, but that didn't stay
> put. It blew away and my camera was soaked. So, the camera was taken
> out of commission for the weekend before I was able to use it.
>
> I was able to use my phone to get some pics of our local disaster
> area:
> http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mar15 0001.jpg
> http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mar15 0002.jpg
> http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mar15 0003.jpg
> http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mar15 0004.jpg
> http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mar15 0005.jpg
> http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mar15 0007.jpg
>
> We also saw this thing developing to the east:
> http :// i8.photobucket,com /albums/a37/dedalusdaemon/Mar15 0009.jpg
>
> Weather buffs and folks from the Midwest will know what that puppy
> is. That is a 'wall cloud' - the beginnings of a tornado.
> Fortunately, it broke apart and a twister never developed.
>
> I had sworn that only an act of God would prevent me from getting
> pics for you guys. Unfortunately, that's what happened.

Scary! Glad you're safe and sound, there's always a next time.

Thanks for the pics!

--
Paul-B Formula 1 - cheat-free version here now.

Re: OT - Apologies From Sebring

Paul-B wrote:
<snip>
>> I had sworn that only an act of God would prevent me from getting
>> pics for you guys. Unfortunately, that's what happened.
>
> Scary! Glad you're safe and sound, there's always a next time.
>
> Thanks for the pics!
>
Indeed, I'll be prepared next year. Also, I'll be snooping around the
paddock at Lime Rock getting pics in July. I'll try to do so at Road
America, provided I get those plans finalized.

At Lime Rock I'm going to try to get on a station next to the paddock so
I can blitz over to the Highcroft trailer for the autograph session on
our lunch break so that I can make this up to Emma... :-D

--
forty

“To embrace an extreme, one must first let go of reason.”

Re: OT - Apologies From Sebring

forty <cforteNO@SPAMgmail,com > wrote:
>At Lime Rock I'm going to try to get on a station next to the paddock
>so I can blitz over to the Highcroft trailer for the autograph session
>on our lunch break so that I can make this up to Emma... :-D

Aw, thanks for thinking about me, it's much appreciated. :-)

BTW - Hope you had a great time apart from wind - it was a good race!

--
Emma - The Chocolate Monster
http :// chocmonster.rules,it

Re: OT - Apologies From Sebring

Emma wrote:

>
> BTW - Hope you had a great time apart from wind

Well, if you *will* eat beans...

--
Paul-B Formula 1 - cheat-free version here now.

Re: OT - Apologies From Sebring

forty <cforteNO@SPAMgmail,com > wrote:
>Someone up there really didn't want me to get photos for you fine folks. :-(

Hey, photos aren't important, I'm glad you and everyone else survived
intact. I had heard about how bad the storm was and the poor crew member
from Intersport who got lifted 20 foot in the air then slammed down onto
concrete when he tried to hold onto their awing. Scary stuff indeed!

--
Emma - The Chocolate Monster
http :// chocmonster.rules,it

Re: OT - Apologies From Sebring

Emma wrote:
> forty <cforteNO@SPAMgmail,com > wrote:
>> Someone up there really didn't want me to get photos for you fine
>> folks. :-(
>
> Hey, photos aren't important, I'm glad you and everyone else survived
> intact. I had heard about how bad the storm was and the poor crew member
> from Intersport who got lifted 20 foot in the air then slammed down onto
> concrete when he tried to hold onto their awing. Scary stuff indeed!
>

I heard about that guy. Glad to hear he was OK. They almost didn't have
night practice after that storm since all of the track folks were
soaked, tired, and afraid. They were able to pull together a light crew
to man each station and run the night practice. One of my comrades was
at Turn 11 when the Audi lost it. He described it as "ping-ponging
between the barriers." The next morning the Turn 10 crew had a good,
hearty laugh when we received a call from Race Control over the radio:

RC - "Yeah, the Audi crew is asking if you folks can see a wheel past
Turn 11 up there."
us - "Uhhh, nope. We can't see it anywhere."
RC - "Well, could you check with some spectators near there?"
us - "Uhhh, OK. What should we ask exactly?"
RC - "They seem to think the wheel cleared the catch-fence, so it might
have visited someone's campground."

We never found the wheel...

--
forty

“To embrace an extreme, one must first let go of reason.”

Re: OT - Apologies From Sebring

forty <cforteNO@SPAMgmail,com > wrote:
>We never found the wheel...

Perhaps Audi should try checking on Ebay, it's bound to turn up there.
;-)

--
Emma - The Chocolate Monster
http :// chocmonster.rules,it

Re: OT - Apologies From Sebring


"forty" <cforteNO@SPAMgmail,com > wrote in message
news:56cnm2F2881hcU1@mid.individual,net ...
> Someone up there really didn't want me to get photos for you fine folks.
> :-(
Sorry you had a rough time.

But I can't help but smile that I decided not to make the trek this year.
;-)

Re: OT - Apologies From Sebring

just bob <kilbyfan-aol@net,com > writes
>But I can't help but smile that I decided not to make the trek this
>year. ;-)

The storms were on the Thursday night - perfect sunny Sebring weather
for the rest of the time from what I heard/saw!

--
Emma - The Chocolate Monster
http :// www .chocmonster.rules,it

Re: OT - Apologies From Sebring


"Emma" <Emma@excalvehs.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:yJnReoCF6YAGFAV6@btconnect,com ...
> just bob <kilbyfan-aol@net,com > writes
>>But I can't help but smile that I decided not to make the trek this year.
>>;-)
>
> The storms were on the Thursday night - perfect sunny Sebring weather for
> the rest of the time from what I heard/saw!

When I saw the start of the race and all those fans bundled up in jackets I
smiled. Though 2006 dawned with some fog by midday it was perfect and the
bikinis were uncovered (not that I noticed... much).

Re: OT - Apologies From Sebring

Emma wrote:
> just bob <kilbyfan-aol@net,com > writes
>> But I can't help but smile that I decided not to make the trek this
>> year. ;-)
>
> The storms were on the Thursday night - perfect sunny Sebring weather
> for the rest of the time from what I heard/saw!
>
We also got rained out Friday afternoon. The winds weren't bad, but the
rain was heavy. They shut the track down for over an hour until the
weather cleared and then brought out the Flying Monkeys (Star Mazda,
funny story behind that name) for their race (I think they got 2 full
laps in under green. For whatever reason the stewards decided to have
them run slick tyres on a wet track) then the IMSA Lites, and then it
was sunny and dry for the Speed GT race.

Also, without throwing a spoiler out there, watch the Speed World
Challenge GT race if you have coverage. It's a good one!

--
forty

“To embrace an extreme, one must first let go of reason.”