| Author | Message | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Intermediate Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 2314 Registered: 6-2001 |
Jack: Didn't hear about them, but a lot of this is vaporware, i.e., the first time you try to use it, or see it in person, it disappears. Racing is sometimes like that, people have asperations, but sometimes not the funds to make things happen. This looks like a great deal, even if its 5k, not 3k. Art | ||
| Ira Schwartz (Iraschwartz)
New member Username: Iraschwartz Post Number: 14 Registered: 5-2003 |
Thanks for the link to the AGS site, Andreas- I speak French more or less, but English would be a lot easier, naturally! I'm inclined to agree with Art that $3K to drive one of these sounds almost reasonable, and I'm in that part of the world once a year anyway. As I said, maybe next trip . . . Ira | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 1765 Registered: 10-2002 |
Jack, yes, standard H with 1st gear disabled. Yes, the pictures suffered from compression. My mistake, the cars are sleeker/more flat. I followed Formula-Won myself for a while. Not that I ever had the money to participate, but it was an interesting promise. Last time I checked they didn't exist anymore. Probably washed away with the dotcom bubble. | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 1764 Registered: 10-2002 |
Oh, btw the AGS link is: http://www.formel-1-fahren.de/ click on 'English Version'. They do speak English btw. As well as French and German. Most drivers are from Germany/Switzerland though. These are the guys I did the program with. Top notch, totally serious, no BS. The prices are in Swiss Franks, so multiply roughly by 0.75 to get $$$. If you guys are interested, I got some more links for other programs, but have the list at home, can post later. | ||
| Jack (Gilles27)
Intermediate Member Username: Gilles27 Post Number: 1270 Registered: 3-2002 |
Andreas, was that a sequential gearbox, or standard H-pattern? The chassis looks a bit like F3000, but I think that's from the compression of the photos. Sounds awesome. Art, do you remember hearing about a group called "Formula Won"? A couple years ago they started a fantasy F1 deal with some older Arrows chassis'. They were based in So. Cal., but it seems as if they evaporated as quickly as they came together. | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 1763 Registered: 10-2002 |
I think Raceinc is more like 5 to 10k. AGS is pretty good, but there are other and similar programs in Europe. One of them is being held at the Barcelona circuit with at least one Arrows (ex Damon hill) with sequential gearbox. But none is cheaper, unless you look at the one in Britain, but again, that one has only 1 car and is weather sensitive. Love your 200 bucks per night. That is incredible. And in the middle of town. Whoa! I watched it once from the Casino square. Loved how they took the bump around it. | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Intermediate Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 2313 Registered: 6-2001 |
Great pics. 3k is absolutely dirt cheap for a ride in one of these. Art | ||
| Ira Schwartz (Iraschwartz)
New member Username: Iraschwartz Post Number: 13 Registered: 5-2003 |
Actually, the room doesn't have a view of the race. It's about 2 blocks from Casino Square, but at $200/night (inclusing breakfast) it's quite a bargain. I walk down to my seats in the K grandstands by the Harbor, with a good view of the giant screen. Back on-topic (oops, sorry), has anyone ever gone to the RaceInc, program in Canada, or is AGS in Provence the hot tip? I don't recall what RaceInc. charges, but $3K from AGS doesn't sound that bad, all things considered. | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 1758 Registered: 10-2002 |
"As regards the (ex) wife, our only real dispute when we split up 5 1/2 years ago was who got the hotel room in Monaco for the race, since it's reserved year-to-year." At least your ex got her priorities straight.  I've never watched the Monaco GP from a hotel room, but I bet it must be a blast. Kinda like a Skybox at the super bowl. Not bad. | ||
| Ira Schwartz (Iraschwartz)
New member Username: Iraschwartz Post Number: 12 Registered: 5-2003 |
Andreas: You make a good point; it's a lovely part of the world, but Southern France is a long way from Baltimore, so I only get there once a year. Maybe I'll set this up for next May. As regards the (ex) wife, our only real dispute when we split up 5 1/2 years ago was who got the hotel room in Monaco for the race, since it's reserved year-to-year. My argument that "he who pays the bills gets the room" prevailed, and I've made every Monaco GP since! Ira | ||
| Matt (Matt_lamotte)
Member Username: Matt_lamotte Post Number: 503 Registered: 10-2002 |
Maybe this is my chance. Sounds like it could be hard work but I'd love to give it a shot. http://www.pitpass.com/news2/news.cfm?newsid=7075 | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 1756 Registered: 10-2002 |
Thanks, as I always say: I'm not the fastest driver, but the one with the best suit. Don't have any pics of the steering wheel, but it was totally basic (Momo three spoke), no dials or anything. Remember this car is about 1991, so just before they started putting buttons etc onto the wheels. | ||
| Matt (Matt_lamotte)
Member Username: Matt_lamotte Post Number: 502 Registered: 10-2002 |
Awesome pics!!!! You sure do have the gear for racing. Nice helmet and suit. Do you have any of the steering wheel you used? I figure you didn't have all the adjustable dials but I'm still curious. That thing sure does look fun. I think being a Formula One driver these days is about the best job in the world. Imagine being paid millions to drive the most technologically advanced machine on the track. Ok back to my desk job | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 1755 Registered: 10-2002 |
The F3 cars:    The line of F1 cars in the shop:  Disassembled F1 cars:    And the final beast:   The cockpit, just the bare necessities:  Explaining the gears, going through some dry shifts:  En route:  It takes a while to get that smile off...  | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 1754 Registered: 10-2002 |
Ira, that's what I did, combined it with the Monaco GP. They actually encourage that by picking a date close to the GP. But even if you don't go for that, the Cote d'Azur and the Provence are such lovely places, that you always find a good reason to go there. And your better half will be happy to join you. | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 1753 Registered: 10-2002 |
Matt, you hit it on the head: For me it was not about going fast, but to get a sense and a feel for these cars. Yes, I do love the inboard camera. For me there was also another aspect: I wanted to see how it compares to my F1 sim. I have to say the sim just feels and looks the same, without the G forces... Yup, cockpit always important. Took some pictures especially of that as well. Arthur, these were Cosworth F1 and they said, they haven't down tuned them much or at all. Obviously dialed in enough down force, but Le Luc needs that anyway (used to be a motor cycle race track before it became the official AGS test track). This wasn't cheap (around 3k), but definitely less than what you'd pay in Canada, but also more than what you'd pay in England. But we're comparing here apples with oranges as all these programmes are a bit different (the downside in England is, that they have just one car, if it breaks, you're out of luck, same goes for the weather). If you guys like I can post some pictures. | ||
| Ira Schwartz (Iraschwartz)
New member Username: Iraschwartz Post Number: 11 Registered: 5-2003 |
Try: www.raceinc.com . They've got some cast-off Arrows, Benettons, etc.- based at Shannonville in Canada, as I recall. I too have considered going to AGS in Le Luc en Provence at some point, but haven't yet actually done anything about it- thought it'd make a nice adjunct to the annual trek to the Monaco GP some time. | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Intermediate Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 2306 Registered: 6-2001 |
Matt: I saw, a short while back, a racing school, etc. that has older F1 cars that you can actually drive. I can't for the life of me, remember where I saw it, but if I do remember, I'll post the web address, etc. It was expensive. I've seen the performance figures on these cars, and note that while they are fast, the acceleration is less than what we had with the bikes. The cornering speeds are quite a bit hight, and the stopping distances are quite a bit shorter. For me the thrill would be the cornering speed, and the absolutely stunning stopping distances. Art | ||
| Matt (Matt_lamotte)
Member Username: Matt_lamotte Post Number: 500 Registered: 10-2002 |
Thanks! Exactly what I was looking for. Anyone else? The feeling of strapping yourself into that thing, knowing but really not knowing what you are about to try to handle is the lure of it all for me. Watching the races on TV I love the views from the cockpit. Looks almost unreal as they yank the cars into turns at those speeds. | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 1752 Registered: 10-2002 |
Well, I actually drove one in the South of France. Former AGS F1 team. The Larousse driving school in Le Luc. Couldn't sleep the night before. Just too anxious. Didn't matter, had to leave early anyway. We started out in the morning doing practice laps on a F3 car, which was fun by itself. Then we had a tech lesson, which basically had the purpose to put the fear of God into you. As the instructor put it: "This afternoon you take your pet outside for a walk. That pet btw is a Tyrannosaurus-Rex." They also set the ground rules: One spin in the F1 and you go home, game over. So the respect was definitely there. Then we got our turns. They cleared the track, you had it to yourself. The instructors explained the firing up procedure. To make it more forgiving, we actually launched in 2nd gear, otherwise we would have spun while trying to roll off the pitlane. First you have to rev up the engine, the technician guides you like an orchestra director until you hit the high note with the revvs, then you have to keep it there constantly while ever so sloooowwwllyyyyy you engage the clutch and off you hop. I was just glad not to have stalled. Once you enter the track you start to feel the immense power under your right foot. Everything is perfection: The gear shift lever is so small, but oh so precise. The pedals are perfect, the car handles like on rails, very quick and precise. Just beautiful. You accelerate and go for the first apex. Double clutch, gas on the down shifts. I do that pretty well, but the car comes almost to a stand still 50 yards before the turn. The power of the brakes is just immense. You accelerate again and work your way through the gears and turns. After a couple laps you get the hang of it. I think I'm going full blast and any inch more on the gas would certainly cause a drift or spin. Wrong. Dead wrong. I was miles away from the limit of the car. But certainly near my own limit. At one point I tried to upshift, but almost did a downshift. That would have been the spin and more, but luckily my brain is fast enough to stop the hand in midway. Just lost some rpms, no biggie. Finally it is time to come back to the pits. Everybody cheers as if you had one a race. That's how you feel yourself too. It's just too cool. In the later hours of the evening over some Champagne toast you start to realize what lucky little group you just joined. And you feel so blessed. You won't sleep that night either. | ||
| Matt (Matt_lamotte)
Member Username: Matt_lamotte Post Number: 499 Registered: 10-2002 |
I was just curious if you guys knew of any good write ups on what it's like to ride in a Formula One car. I've read a few articles from journalist that rode in the Mclaren 2 seater but am always wanting to hear more about the experience. One of the main things I remember most was Mika Hakinen (spelled wrong I'm sure) saying that when you ride in one the only thing a rider can really concentrate on was the clouds in the sky. I know some of you guys have also ridden in some pretty mean race cars so share if you want to. Thanks |