Here are some of my pictures, as well as some by NsXMas and PHOEN$X (hover your cursor over a picture to see who took it). Click to make them big. There are also a few short video clips. If you really want to see more pictures, I have 'em
here.
Wednesday October 5
T minus 3 hours. As soon as I'm done with my meeting, I'm out of here!
I ended up leaving around 5 PM CST. After a few hours of driving, I took a little break somewhere in the Texas countryside.
On I-20, between Abilene and Roscoe, a mean looking front is looming on the horizon.
As I crossed the front, the winds picked-up considerably. Driving through the crosswinds kept me wide awake for the following hundred or so miles. I passed several accidents, including one semi truck that must have jackknifed before it came to a rest in the highway median. By the time I arrived in Lubbock, it was really cold and really wet.
Thursday October 6
I made it to New Mexico by the end of the day and spent the night in a little town called Clovis. Accomodations at the Howard Johnson Express Inn were decent. The following morning, I was well-rested and was looking forward to joining the Albuquerque caravan to NSXPO.
I'm in the middle of the Llano Estacado - a region that covers much of west Texas and east New Mexico. It spans nearly 40,000 square mile, so the slope from the 2000 feet elevation change from one corner to the opposite is completely imperceptible. One can spot the occasional plateau from miles awake; however, there's really not much to see - not even a tree. I take a little break about 30 minutes from Albuquerque.
The Sandia Mountains, just east of Albuquerque, are quite imposing. I had never met any of the NSX owners I would soon be joining.
We had a fantastic lunch at with 6 other NSX owners from Albuquerque (Viper Driver, NSXT, Don Lakotish) and Colorado (Doc C, LRDVader, Ojas). After lunch, 53HeloFE meets up with us as we depart for the Kirtland Air Force Base for a photo shoot. I follow Doc C's beautiful Silverstone 2004. I actually saw this NSX a little over a year ago - when it was sitting in the showroom of an Acura dealer in Austin.
One more enthusiastic NSX owner, gotTurbo, joins us at the base, where we take photos with one of the styling inspirations of the NSX - the F16.
Five of us (Viper Driver, Don, Doc C, LrdVader, and myself) depart for Phoenix, planning to enjoy driving through the mountains and canyons in western New Mexico and eastern Arizona.Before we leave town, gotTurbo performs a quick demonstration of his FX400.
West on US Highway 60, we start going through some mountains. It seems like one could take a short hike up a hill and end up in the clouds.
A little while later, we arrived at one of our scheduled stops - the
VLA. I thought this was pretty cool and a quite a coincidence, since the night before (at the HoJo) I watched one of my favorite movies, Contact, which had numerous scenes taking place at the VLA.
We encounter more beautiful scenery as we continue west. The road is just slightly wet, but we are having no problems. Yet.
Five minutes after I took the picture above, four NSXs are off the road.
It all happened so fast. I remember seeing Viper Driver's NSX fishtail side-to-side and thinking "hydroplane". (Even during that split second, I thought this was odd because the road surface did not offer any sort of visual clue - there was no transistion and the area did not look any different than the rest of the road. I also did not see any roostertail from Viper Driver's NSX.)
So I slowed down, but had no chance. As the car skidded sideways into a ditch, I thought for sure I was going to flip. I could not see a thing and just braced for the roll, which luckily did not happen. Debris covered the windshield - it was not until the car stopped that I was able to see anything.
Viper Driver already posted a
thorough account of the incident, so I won't duplicate it here.
However, I do think it's worth mentioning how well everyone (who were essentially strangers) dealt with the sitation. More so, it's one thing for a bunch of car nuts to be stuck in the middle of nowhere. It's quite another to be there with a significant other who is understanding enough accompany the "nut" on the trip and who, not only handled, but helped so much in the situation.
It's been just several days, but thinking back to how well everyone stuck together and helped each other out really makes me value the type of individuals who make up this community.
After we patch up our cars, we continue. Unfortunately, our maximum speed is limited to 50 MPH due to severe vibrations at higher speeds.
We clean ourselves up. We then hit some crazy hail!
Sometime after midnight, we roll into the hotel. After such a long day and more excitement than I cared for, I slept very well that night. Now the real fun begins!
Friday October 7
The following morning, we go to Speed Street for some karting. Although I have been an NSX owner since 1999, this is my first NSXPO. I see the most NSXs I have ever seen at one place.
There is some serious karting action going on. Although still in the process of installing scoreboards and other items, the Speed Street facility is excellent. The course is definitely the largest one I've been on.
While waiting for my heat to run, I finally met PHOEN$X. Without me even asking, he not only took me to Discount Tire to have my wheels and tires taken care of, but also showed me around part of the town and also dropped me off when my car was done. Thanks to him, I was able to get some karting in without missing the group photo or dinner at Macayo's Depot Cantina in Tempe...
Saturday October 8
The view out of the room is not bad.
Saturday morning's activities include technical seminars and vendor displays. The new supercharger system from Science of Speed I read about the night before is on display. The individual throttle bodies look amazing. I can only imagine how intoxicating it must sound. The Science of Speed Zanardi is running AEM engine management - big news for owners of OBD2 NSXs.
Comptech brought an incredibly well-modded NSX that has all the mods you need and none you don't. It is owned by Kip Olson and was in the Ultimate Street Car Challenge in the November 2005 issue of Sport Compact Car Magazine.
Comptech had their updated supercharger on display. The new design looks good. More importantly, it produces more power. I think NSX community is very fortunate to have a long-time aftermarket supplier like Comptech. It seems rare to have a company that produces such high-quality products and is committed to such a limited production car. I suppose it's a natural fit - Comptech, as a company, seems to embody the same enthusiasm and appreciation for quality as the NSX owners.
That afternoon, we go to the Pavilions Car Show and "Zymol Concours pour L'Amusement".
After a few hours, we go back to the hotel. I think Ms. Purple!!, SamBel, bsudiro engage in a drag race, but I'm the guy who's getting a ticket (in the mail).
Later that evening, we are back at the hotel for the banquet dinner and awards ceremony. After that we go to the bar to catch the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
Sunday October 9
The following morning, we go for a group drive to Watson Lake in Prescott. The roads there were amazing with lots of curves. The roads were also much smoother than anything we have here in Texas. nsxtasy gave me company on the trip. It was fantastic to finally meet him. Although dozens of NSXs were quite a sight, they could not compare to the natural beauty of the Lake and the rock formations around it.
Then, I run into these foolz.
Nice form?
Fastrunner, bsudiro, NsXMas, PHOEN$X, and I head towards Sedona. I'll quit writing for now - I don't need to type a word, as the breathtaking scenery speaks for itself.
Sedona
The Church of the Holy Cross was designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. The clean, modern structure juts out boldly from, yet blends gracefully with, the surrounding formations (like many of Wright's works).
We drive directly to the Pinnacle Peak Patio for the great dinner to conclude a perfect day with awesome people.
Monday October 10
This is the first of two track days. The RL's SH-AWD seems to do its job well.
My buddy, Lito is on the track.
bsudiro takes time to chat with this fans. The phat fives look hawt!
Dinner with these guys was absolutely a highlight of the whole event!
Tuesday October 11
We are back at the track!
Fastrunner is looking good.
bsudiro is right behind.
Some cool brake dust pattern forms on my wheels.
Oops - How embarassing!
After a thrilling day and a half at the track (and 5 days in Phoenix), it's time to pack-up, say good-bye, and go home.
Pit stop 1: Some cool-looking rocks
Pit stop 2: New Mexico
Hmm... It started off bumpy, but what a blast the last 5 days have been!
Pit stop 3: Texas! Good news: I'm in my home state. Bad news: I am not even half-way home.
Side note: It's kind of funny, I think I stopped and took pictures at the same places bsudiro did when he picked-up his NSX (
1,
2, and
3). Then again, I suppose it's not too surprising - there is really nothing else between here and Arizona.
I'm making good time and am less than 2 hours from my parents place (where I will spend the night), when I encounter some fog. It is actually, not just "some fog". It is the thickest fog I have ever seen in Texas! Remember that old Atari 2600 game "Night Driver"?
Wednesday October 12
The following morning, after a final fill-up I am back on the road fast and home in no time... All thanks to prepay!
