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A Pair of Apologies
No question I was a little cheesed off (as the Brits say) when I wrote this morning's E-blast. More than a little, even, as the thought of what happened (and, much worse, what COULD have happened) when the brake pedal went to the floor kept me up, tired as I was, for quite a few hours last night. But that's no excuse for some of the, umm, let's call it "colorful" language I used in describing the event itself and my reaction to it. My editor at the magazine quite rightly pointed out that, even when I'm writing the highly personal blogs that go out to you folks, I am still a representative of the magazine. Vintage Motorsport has always had the highest standards and is greatly respected for its presentation, subject matter, editorial and journalistic standards, attitude and accuracy, and I have always been and always will be proud to be one of its contributors. Plus Carol doesn't like it AT ALL when I use language like that. She says it's degrading and I don't need it--regardless of the point I'm trying to make--and of course she's right. As usual.
So please accept this apology. It won't happen again.
And while I'm in Mea Culpa mode, I should also apologize for insinuating that inattention on the part of the guys taking care of the car was responsible for the near-catastrophic brake failure I encountered. But discussions with some knowledgeable friends have led me to realize that there are other possible explanations. It could have been a defective brake pad (it's rare, but I have seen lining material break or crumble off the backing plates before) or possibly a defective pin holding the pads in place. All we know for sure is that one pad was gone entirely and that allowed the piston to hyper-extend itself out of the caliper and let all the fluid (and the hydraulic pressure) leak out. So I apologize again for sounding like I was sure I knew what caused the problem. Because I'm not.
I feel better now.
On a lighter and happier note, I'd like to share the Echidna story I wrote for the W.I.C. race program. Pretty unusual cars and pretty to look at, too. Plus Steve Steers has done a lot of development work and dialing in on his example, and it's won a lot of races for him in return. So here's the story:
They also had a REALLY nice story about The Last Open Road's
25th anniversary and the launch of the new audiobook version at Road America, so I might as well show you that one, too:
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That's all, folks! |
Catch the latest poop & pictures, the Jay Leno interview, Last Open Road swag & highly inappropriate attire from Finzio's Store and the lurid & occasionally embarrassing "ride with Burt" in-car racing videos on the hopefully now fully operational website at: |
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