Michael Calvo (Capt)
New member
Username: Capt
Post Number: 18
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, July 13, 2003 - 12:46 pm: | |
I described more about my time at Lime Rock here: http://www.ferrarichat.com/discus/messages/21/281965.html?1058113761
but I wanted to share with you local guys my story about my experience on the Mass Pike.
Saturday morning while heading out to the Lime Rock event in my 355 I pulled onto the Mass Pike from from 128.
Right before the Framingham rest area I pulled over to the breakdown lane to check something (my first mistake, I'm still kicking myself for not waiting for the rest area). As I tried to merge back into traffic my right rear tire dipped into a huge rut in the road and quickly went flat. I promptly pulled back over and took a look at the tire. Basically as I merged laterally into traffic, when the low profile right rear tire dipped into the rut the hole was deep and jagged enough that it tore the tire off the rim (???). I'll post some pictures later but it was ugly. To add insult to injury a bunch of asphalt from the erroding rut got picked up by the tire and was pelted against the rear bumper cover and created a quarter sized chip in the paint (the aspahlt was still stuck to my bumper cover). At this point I noticed that right before the rumble strip in the breakdown lane, about where the edge of the last lane would be is rut after rut, in line with the lane edge. These ruts were a few feet apart and went for miles (????). After I calmed down I called home, told my wife what happened and had her try to get in touch with Boston Sports Car (BSC) in Weston. These guys came highly recommended and is who I used used for my 30K service. My wife called me back, told me she got ahold of Darin (the manager) and he would be calling. 2 seconds later we hung up my phone rings. "Michael, this is Darin from Boston Sports Car, which tire went flat, front or rear? right rear? Ok I've got a rim and tire all set, sit tight and we'll be down in a bit"
Wow...OK...things might not be so bad after all. 10 minutes late Chris from Boston Sports car pulls over, recognizes me and asks what happened (at this point he wasn't even aware that we had called BSC and stopped because he was on his way to Lime Rock and saw a Ferrari in trouble). Next a guy from the Mass Pike pulls over. I explain what happend and how I have called for help and then I show him the tire and the ruts. He then tells me that this is an experimental patch of asphalt called popcorn that doesn't when it gets wet doesn't spray the water but rather disipates it through its porous construction. He commented that this stuff has been nothing but a pain in the ass and that I should contact the Turnpike Authority about my tire.
Next Jonathan from Boston Sports Car pulls over in his 308 and tells me Darin is right behind him and sure enogh Darin pulls over in the BSC red Cherokee. At this point there are 2 pickups, an SUV and 2 ferraris pulled over with me. Darin and the guys then proceed to unload the rim and tire, a low profile jack, a ratchet and a torque wrench. 10 min later my 355 is mobile and the caravan heads for Lime Rock and which turns out to be a fantastic event on a beautiful day (and a great ride out and back).
Not sure what my point is other than avoid the popcorn breakdown lanes on the Mass Pike and to take my hat off to the fantastic crew at Boston Sports car who on their day off, came to help and saved my car and day.
http://www.bostonsportscar.com
-Michael
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