My 13 year old son is so fortunate!!!!

We were rearranging my sons room a couple of nights ago and while moving his car collection around began to realize he is probably one of the most fortunate guys of his age in the world.
1. Spent three days riding around in a McLaren F1.
2. Ridden in a good number of Ferraris
3. Has picture of himself in the driver seat of Audi R8 that raced at Lemans
4. Met the Risi Comp guys while I was working at FoH and was given a lot of Risi Comp apparel and personally autographed pictures of the 333SP that won class at Lemans in 1998.
5. Personally autographed picture of Bill Auberlein in the BMW LMP car that raced at the ALMS race at Dallas in 2000.
6. Personally autographed art photo of an original Cobra with Carrol Shelbys personal autograph.
7. Personal autographs and photos, posters, caps etc signed by some of the sports celebs who purchased BMW's from me including,
Troy Aikman, Rusty Greer, Nate Newton (yes, that one), Bobby Witt, Nolan Ryan, Tim Hardaway, Juon Howard, Mark McLemore, and more that I forget.
8. For a 13 year old, he has a great model collection. I will not try to list them here. Just know, it is extensive.
9. Been in Ferrari Challenge 360 car, challenge 355, challenge 348, F40, F50, Enzo, Audi Speed Cup A4 and...............
10. My copy of a book that was personally signed on four different pictures by Stirling Moss.
11. And, and, and..........................

All this by 13. I hope he is not being desensitized to knowing just how special all these things really are.....most of all the three days in the McLaren F1.

And he gets to be the son of my wife and myself. Now, how special is that????

 

Mine likes Lambos also, just not as much as Ferrari and McLaren. I asked him why. He said, "If you drive a Lambo, you get away with looking like Mr. T...bling, bling".

 

You're the man...... You got on this forum and by sheer determination, willpower and inquisitiveness got your rides and drives in these wonderful cars. I think you will agree that those times will be some of the memories you will hold on to forever.

Ryan,
I saw in your profile that you were in what I believe to be Kevin Crowders 360 challenge car with Eric. Cool guy, great driver.........

 

Could it have been Mark Rand? Maybe not, I do not believe Mark was still driving challenge after 1998-99.

Yes, Eric is a top notch former F1 driver who has driven for and will continue to drive for Fodallas and FoHouston. He drove the 333sp for Risi Comp during the last time it raced at the 24 at Daytona and had the lead early until a pinion gear cracked.

You better be glad you were not at Nurburgring. If you held your breath for 2.8 miles, how blue would you be after 8 miles?

The brakes on the Challenge car will stop you yesterday when they are hot but did he do any high speed braking while they were cold?????

 

Ontogenetek,

When I said we, it was my son and myself. We had constructed some new shelves together to display his stuff. I never once voiced to him how fortunate he is. I was just thinking it to myself. He has been able to have a large number of great experiences that we have been able to share together on. A person cannot buy another persons love and respect. These things are earned. I make every attempt to block out time for the two of us to have some really good father/son time. If we can do something that is a great experience, it is a serendepity usually.

He has worked hard saving money for his model collection along with the ones he has received as gifts at Christmas and his birthday. He respects what he has and takes good care of them.

I appreciate your concern that I am not wanting to glorify myself either to or thru him. I would never want to do that. He is a really neat kid and I love him a lot. I believe he loves me also but none of us parents really know to what depth until later in his life.

 

NNO,

That is actually what I was wanting to say but I thought I should clarify my position in regard to my sons feelings to the others on F/C.

Thank you for voicing your thoughts on the matter. We agree.

 

Ryan,

I know Mark well. I guess he picked up Kevins old Challenge car after I left FoDallas. Did he have his 333sp there also? He owns the one that Risi Comp ran at Daytona in 2002.

When was this picture taken and where? I assume either at TWS or in Louisiana. Am I correct?

 

A lot of the guys already know this story.

I have a friend in West Texas who has owned a McLaren F1 for 7 years now. He bought it new and actually made the trip to Surrey, England to watch it being built. He took his mechanic with him on the trip. His car was tested in Road and Track back in 1997 and a big write up was done on it. Well, he flies a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter and was coming to Hurst, Texas where the Bell training center is for some refresher training. He had called me and said he wanted me to see his new "toy". He shows up in the McLaren.........

I was working at the BMW dealership in Arlington, Texas at the time and he pulled right up next to my office in it. It immediately drew the crowds you would expect. He is such a cool guy that the left the doors up and the engine cover open so everyone could get a good look. I asked him if he would take me for a ride in it. He said No.....But then he said, "I will not take you for a ride in it, but you can drive it if you like".
Not wanting to offend him, I agreed to drive it (while salivating profusely). Wow, wow, wow, what a thrill. I still smile when I think about it seven years later....... He was going to be in training for three days and asked if we would like to keep the car at the dealership since it was drawing such attention and since it does have a 627hp BMW v12 engine in it. All he wanted in return was a car to drive while he was in town. I offered him a new "7" but he took my BMW 328 demo instead. He told me that I was welcome to take people on rides in it and if I was going to let someone else drive it to go with them and not let them go by themselves. Who was I going to let drive this car?????

I took the car home at night rather than leave it at the dealership and my wife, my son and I has the biggest blast of our lives. The drive, the attention it drew, how it makes you feel to drive it....it cannot be described. There are so many stories of things that happened while driving it that it would take a whole different thread to tell them all. Suffice to say, this is how my son spent three days in a McLaren F1.

 

Be thankful that he is liking something that you apparently like also (cars). And Corvettes are much less to acquire and keep up than a Ferrari so maybe this is a good thing.

It is always fun to work with your son on building a model kit and there are a lot of good Corvette kits out there. He will really feel a sense of accomplishment when he completes it (with your help). It is a great father/son bonding thing to do.