Watkins Glen

[ppeters914]

From Craig Halsted on the mailing list:

----- Original Message -----
From: chalsted@comcast.net
To: datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 5:51:30 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: [Roadsters] Watkins Glen need head count for Hazlitt dinner saturday

we only have around a dozen folks committed to the BBQ at Hazlitt saturday night... really needs to be 30 to 40 to make it work for the caterer, if you plan to go or know anyone else who plans to go whether on the list or not, please have them contact me so we can have a better head count and hopefully enough people to make it work

Thanks-

Craig and Elaine

[nats226ny]

So Vince you were holding out on us back in May at the 3rd annual Brew Fest. You could of brought the car there and not told us it was yours.......at least we could have admired it. Well Good Luck, it looks great, are you bringing it to the Glen or the Roadster.

See you there,

Gary

[George H]

I should have figured something was up. Vince was telling some of us about getting his racing license up at Limerock when he met the guy at the track from Hazlitt winery doing the same.

[Vince V]

Mike, I will definitely look you up.

Gary, I will have both cars at the Glen. The Alfa is a track car and not street legal, I will be driving the Roadster.

Funny story/small world.
So last October I did the Skip Barber drivers school at Lime Rock to qualify for my track license. The first morning in the class room I am looking at this guy who look very very familiar. Eveyone introduces themself and this guy says his names
Jack McCormick and hes from Watkins Glen and works at the Hazlitt Winery. It was Jack and he was with George or Doug Hazlitt, (not sure of the first name) and they had decided that they wanted get their race license. They had signed up the day before and drove the 6 hours to Lime Rock. We had a good laugh at the break, Jack brought a couple of cases of wine and I supplied the beer for the after track sessions.

See you all in a couple of weeks

Vince

[nats226ny]

"DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE"...............you might spill some on yourself.

Good for you Vince now you have something to do in retirement.

Gary

[Vince V]

Unfortunately , I will not be at the Glen this weekend. I think someone upstairs is suggesting that I stay home. First and foremost may 89 year old Mom is not well (not life treating) but she is in the hospital for observation. Second, the Alfa had some engine trouble ( broke a ring in #2 ) last weekend at Lime Rock and it wont be available to race.

So, everyone have a great time and take a lot of pictures.

Vince

PS: Sorry about the beer

[dbrick]

Damn, we'll miss you, Vince. Hope all goes well with your Mom.

[nats226ny]

Ditto.........hope all is well with your mom.

Gary

[dbrick]

I'm sure there will be a full report soon, but here's a quick one.

Well, it was a rainy forecast on Wednesday when we left, and I confess, I was a sissy and at the last moment we took my Wife's 2009 Mini Clubman. Meanwhile, in Seattle it was warm and sunny!!
The parking area at the house was:
1 MINI Mark/Datsun1500
1 Mini Clubman Me
1 Jeep Cherokee JimK
I Mercedes SLK Gary/Nats226ny
1 Roadster. Joe/Jrusso07
So I wasn't the only one, but Jim had a good reason, his car was delayed at the body shop, Mark's is apparently on strike and won't go above idle, and Gary will come up with a good story. I just didn't feel like 500-700 miles in the rain. But, you can fit a WHOLE lot more wine in the Mini, so Linda was happy, and keeping my promise to her, I didn't work on any cars, as far as she knows.

Overall a great time, Elain Halstead and DRONE put on a nice dinner and wine tasting at the Hazlitt Winery for, I think, 52 people, up quickly from around 30 that morning!! rain held off until just before the end. Iif I heard correctly, Japanese cars are to be the Featured Marque in 2011, unless Fiat decides to make a comeback and we get bumped again.

On a side note, GeorgeH and his daughter now have matching T-shirts, George appeared to be thrilled. Pics to follow .

[spl310]

so Linda was happy, and keeping my promise to her, I didn't work on any cars, as far as she knows.

I won't comment on the being a pantywaist as I didn't make it myself. But Linda surely is smarter than that Dave...

[Fairlady66]

Pictures from the Glen anyone?

[Vince V]

Well, moms ok, (dehydrated, apparently very common in old folks ) she was released on Saturday. Not a problem for us beer and wine drinkers

So, the Alfas on the mend. 4 new pistons/rings and sleeves , clean up the values , ect.

So, where are the pictures !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And did George H fess up to his Skip Barber race school.

Vince

[nats226ny]

P...y1 this is P...y3........Thanks Dave you make an excuse for everyone else but me. Well Long Island had torrential downpours and 30 mph winds so I put a call into Brisco and he seemed giddy that I was thinking about not driving my Roadster......that only because he already made the decision and was wearing his panties up at the Glen. In all honesty I did drive a roadster it just wasn't a Datsun...........lucky for us Joe drove his so we at least had one at the house.

A big thanks goes out to our Canandian brethen George who stop by the house on Friday nite with 12 bottles of Canadian wine, (which I'm told he paid all taxes on at the border ) althought they did tend to get loud and almost got us kick out of our rental house
Tell your wife thanks again for the wine, George.

Gary

[George H]

Looks like if you go back to that same rental I won't be allowed to show my face. Sherry says you're welcome. My daughter got pinched at the border for bringing wine back.

[dbrick]

Vince, glad to hear your Mom is better. Some of that Espresso Stout should have her hydrated and happy. I figured Gary should come up with his own story. George, How bad was the duty on the wine? I'll get some more pictures up tonight. Anyone have good shots of the GoKarts? Come hell or high water I'm bringing a Roadster next year, even if I have to buy one of Joe's extras.

GeorgeH and his daughters.