Awfully quiet around here....

I hope everyone is out rat racing around so much that they haven't had time
to post much! It actually cooled off a bit here around the Houston area
today finally.

Chris
92BB&T

"Chris D'Agnolo" > wrote:

>I hope everyone is out rat racing around so much that they haven't had time
>to post much!

Which brings up one topic: street racing with Miatas. While I
would not be the one to point the first finger, it cannot
be denied that in some respects, Miatas are a danger to the
cars around them. While other sports cars are much faster,
they tend to go faster on the straight parts. Miatas often go
through turns with little visibility (including mountain turns!)
with speeds that could make it very hard to adjust if something
unexpected happens. Especially since almost no Miatas have ABS.
And drivers of small low power cars might also not have the same
strength and reaction speed that drivers of bigger, more masculine
cars might have in an emergency.

Not of course that I will be driving around mountain ranges from
now on. But I think everyone will agree that Miata drivers could
do more to increase traffic safety.

Leon

> It actually cooled off a bit here around the Houston area
>today finally.
>
>Chris
>92BB&T
>

--
Leon van Dommelen Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
http://www.dommelen.net/miata
EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)

Well, I often find myself flying around the curves and slowing down once on
the long straights (no sense risking a big ticket there) but I've rarely, if
ever, had anyone catch up with and pass me on these straights. I try to keep
it safe by expanding the spacing behind me as much as possible in the turns,
giving the drivers of those 'bigger' cars room / time to see me as they
approach on the straights if they decide to utilize thier cars where they
might do well. ;-)

Chris
92BB&T

"Leon van Dommelen" > wrote in message
...
> "Chris D'Agnolo" > wrote:
>
> >I hope everyone is out rat racing around so much that they haven't had
time
> >to post much!
>
> Which brings up one topic: street racing with Miatas. While I
> would not be the one to point the first finger, it cannot
> be denied that in some respects, Miatas are a danger to the
> cars around them. While other sports cars are much faster,
> they tend to go faster on the straight parts. Miatas often go
> through turns with little visibility (including mountain turns!)
> with speeds that could make it very hard to adjust if something
> unexpected happens. Especially since almost no Miatas have ABS.
> And drivers of small low power cars might also not have the same
> strength and reaction speed that drivers of bigger, more masculine
> cars might have in an emergency.
>
> Not of course that I will be driving around mountain ranges from
> now on. But I think everyone will agree that Miata drivers could
> do more to increase traffic safety.
>
> Leon
>
> > It actually cooled off a bit here around the Houston area
> >today finally.
> >
> >Chris
> >92BB&T
> >
>
> --
> Leon van Dommelen Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
> http://www.dommelen.net/miata
> EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)

"Leon van Dommelen" > wrote in message
...
> "Chris D'Agnolo" > wrote:
>
> >I hope everyone is out rat racing around so much that they haven't had
time
> >to post much!
>
> Which brings up one topic: street racing with Miatas. While I
> would not be the one to point the first finger, it cannot
> be denied that in some respects, Miatas are a danger to the
> cars around them. While other sports cars are much faster,
> they tend to go faster on the straight parts. Miatas often go
> through turns with little visibility (including mountain turns!)
> with speeds that could make it very hard to adjust if something
> unexpected happens. Especially since almost no Miatas have ABS.
> And drivers of small low power cars might also not have the same
> strength and reaction speed that drivers of bigger, more masculine
> cars might have in an emergency.
>

There's a road that I love to drive near here. It's in the middle of the
woods, a few houses but very few. The road is hilly and tight, the trees
come right down to the road. It isn't very long, maybe a mile or two, but it
starts out as a long straight with a trafic light at one end, and a school
at the other. If I find myself behind a car at the light, I'll drive that
straight at 25 MPH (as long as noone comes up from behind) so that when I
come to the corners, I can slalom then like a miata should. It has ocoured
to me that the turns are kind of blind, and that reaction time is slim to
none. That's why I like it better in the dark. At night you can see
headlights from around the corners. There's no risk of pedestrians either.
Wildlife is always a risk, but I've never seen any there.

Besides, if I had better reaction times, I'd probably drive a faster car.
Tonyrama


> Not of course that I will be driving around mountain ranges from
> now on. But I think everyone will agree that Miata drivers could
> do more to increase traffic safety.
>
> Leon
>
> > It actually cooled off a bit here around the Houston area
> >today finally.
> >
> >Chris
> >92BB&T
> >
>
> --
> Leon van Dommelen Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
> http://www.dommelen.net/miata
> EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)

"tonyrama" > wrote:

>
>"Leon van Dommelen" > wrote in message
.. .
>> "Chris D'Agnolo" > wrote:
>>
>> >I hope everyone is out rat racing around so much that they haven't had
>time
>> >to post much!
>>
>> Which brings up one topic: street racing with Miatas. While I
>> would not be the one to point the first finger, it cannot
>> be denied that in some respects, Miatas are a danger to the
>> cars around them. While other sports cars are much faster,
>> they tend to go faster on the straight parts. Miatas often go
>> through turns with little visibility (including mountain turns!)
>> with speeds that could make it very hard to adjust if something
>> unexpected happens. Especially since almost no Miatas have ABS.
>> And drivers of small low power cars might also not have the same
>> strength and reaction speed that drivers of bigger, more masculine
>> cars might have in an emergency.
>>
>
>There's a road that I love to drive near here. It's in the middle of the
>woods, a few houses but very few. The road is hilly and tight, the trees
>come right down to the road. It isn't very long, maybe a mile or two, but it
>starts out as a long straight with a trafic light at one end, and a school
>at the other. If I find myself behind a car at the light, I'll drive that
>straight at 25 MPH (as long as noone comes up from behind) so that when I
>come to the corners, I can slalom then like a miata should. It has ocoured
>to me that the turns are kind of blind, and that reaction time is slim to
>none. That's why I like it better in the dark. At night you can see
>headlights from around the corners. There's no risk of pedestrians either.

At deal's gap, someone had stopped his motorcycle in the middle of
the lane in a blind curve. Wanted to have a look at the scenery with
his party. Fortunately I was going slow enough to go around him.

Leon

>Wildlife is always a risk, but I've never seen any there.
>
>Besides, if I had better reaction times, I'd probably drive a faster car.
>Tonyrama
>
>
>> Not of course that I will be driving around mountain ranges from
>> now on. But I think everyone will agree that Miata drivers could
>> do more to increase traffic safety.
>>
>> Leon
>>
>> > It actually cooled off a bit here around the Houston area
>> >today finally.
>> >
>> >Chris
>> >92BB&T
>> >
>>
>> --
>> Leon van Dommelen Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
>> http://www.dommelen.net/miata
>> EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)
>

--
Leon van Dommelen Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
http://www.dommelen.net/miata
EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 23:48:27 GMT,
(Leon van Dommelen) wrote:

>"tonyrama" > wrote:
>
>>
>>"Leon van Dommelen" > wrote in message
. ..
>>> "Chris D'Agnolo" > wrote:
>>>
>>> >I hope everyone is out rat racing around so much that they haven't had
>>time
>>> >to post much!
>>>
>>> Which brings up one topic: street racing with Miatas. While I
>>> would not be the one to point the first finger, it cannot
>>> be denied that in some respects, Miatas are a danger to the
>>> cars around them. While other sports cars are much faster,
>>> they tend to go faster on the straight parts. Miatas often go
>>> through turns with little visibility (including mountain turns!)
>>> with speeds that could make it very hard to adjust if something
>>> unexpected happens. Especially since almost no Miatas have ABS.
>>> And drivers of small low power cars might also not have the same
>>> strength and reaction speed that drivers of bigger, more masculine
>>> cars might have in an emergency.
>>>
>>
>>There's a road that I love to drive near here. It's in the middle of the
>>woods, a few houses but very few. The road is hilly and tight, the trees
>>come right down to the road. It isn't very long, maybe a mile or two, but it
>>starts out as a long straight with a trafic light at one end, and a school
>>at the other. If I find myself behind a car at the light, I'll drive that
>>straight at 25 MPH (as long as noone comes up from behind) so that when I
>>come to the corners, I can slalom then like a miata should. It has ocoured
>>to me that the turns are kind of blind, and that reaction time is slim to
>>none. That's why I like it better in the dark. At night you can see
>>headlights from around the corners. There's no risk of pedestrians either.
>
>At deal's gap, someone had stopped his motorcycle in the middle of
>the lane in a blind curve. Wanted to have a look at the scenery with
>his party. Fortunately I was going slow enough to go around him.
>
>Leon
>
Might have done the gene pool a favor if you'd been going a bit
faster. Well, maybe not. Might have hurt your Miata.

Both are good points, Dave!

Chris
92BB&T

"Dave Smith" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 23:48:27 GMT,
> (Leon van Dommelen) wrote:
>
> >"tonyrama" > wrote:
> >
> >>
> >>"Leon van Dommelen" > wrote in message
> . ..
> >>> "Chris D'Agnolo" > wrote:
> >>>
> >>> >I hope everyone is out rat racing around so much that they haven't
had
> >>time
> >>> >to post much!
> >>>
> >>> Which brings up one topic: street racing with Miatas. While I
> >>> would not be the one to point the first finger, it cannot
> >>> be denied that in some respects, Miatas are a danger to the
> >>> cars around them. While other sports cars are much faster,
> >>> they tend to go faster on the straight parts. Miatas often go
> >>> through turns with little visibility (including mountain turns!)
> >>> with speeds that could make it very hard to adjust if something
> >>> unexpected happens. Especially since almost no Miatas have ABS.
> >>> And drivers of small low power cars might also not have the same
> >>> strength and reaction speed that drivers of bigger, more masculine
> >>> cars might have in an emergency.
> >>>
> >>
> >>There's a road that I love to drive near here. It's in the middle of the
> >>woods, a few houses but very few. The road is hilly and tight, the trees
> >>come right down to the road. It isn't very long, maybe a mile or two,
but it
> >>starts out as a long straight with a trafic light at one end, and a
school
> >>at the other. If I find myself behind a car at the light, I'll drive
that
> >>straight at 25 MPH (as long as noone comes up from behind) so that when
I
> >>come to the corners, I can slalom then like a miata should. It has
ocoured
> >>to me that the turns are kind of blind, and that reaction time is slim
to
> >>none. That's why I like it better in the dark. At night you can see
> >>headlights from around the corners. There's no risk of pedestrians
either.
> >
> >At deal's gap, someone had stopped his motorcycle in the middle of
> >the lane in a blind curve. Wanted to have a look at the scenery with
> >his party. Fortunately I was going slow enough to go around him.
> >
> >Leon
> >
> Might have done the gene pool a favor if you'd been going a bit
> faster. Well, maybe not. Might have hurt your Miata.

Leon is not to be taken lightly:

http://www.lvmoc.net/staticpages/ind...40526144216149


"Leon van Dommelen" > wrote in message
...
> "Chris D'Agnolo" > wrote:
>
> >I hope everyone is out rat racing around so much that they haven't had
time
> >to post much!
>
> Which brings up one topic: street racing with Miatas. While I
> would not be the one to point the first finger, it cannot
> be denied that in some respects, Miatas are a danger to the
> cars around them. While other sports cars are much faster,
> they tend to go faster on the straight parts. Miatas often go
> through turns with little visibility (including mountain turns!)
> with speeds that could make it very hard to adjust if something
> unexpected happens. Especially since almost no Miatas have ABS.
> And drivers of small low power cars might also not have the same
> strength and reaction speed that drivers of bigger, more masculine
> cars might have in an emergency.
>
> Not of course that I will be driving around mountain ranges from
> now on. But I think everyone will agree that Miata drivers could
> do more to increase traffic safety.
>
> Leon
>
> > It actually cooled off a bit here around the Houston area
> >today finally.
> >
> >Chris
> >92BB&T
> >
>
> --
> Leon van Dommelen Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
> http://www.dommelen.net/miata
> EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)

"The Millers" > wrote:

>Leon is not to be taken lightly:
>
>http://www.lvmoc.net/staticpages/ind...40526144216149

Absolutely. Not much sense in posting if there is not some
truth in it, (or at least *perceived* truth in it, for other
issues). Lehigh seems to have had a bad time about then,
incidentally. A co-author from Lehigh university died about
that time. (I had some half plan to visit him then, being in
the neighborhood on a summer trip and unaware of the situation,
but decided against it because it felt too much like "working."
He too was quite a remarkable guy.)

I should note, however, that the one time I came fairly close to
inflicting significant damage to myself in the 125 kmi I have
driven Bozo over tracks, mountain roads, street racing, AutoX,
etc, I was driving 55 mph in a 50 or 55 mph speed zone, and
trying to find my GPS in the glove compartment. Stupidity can
kill more easily as anything else.

Leon

>"Leon van Dommelen" > wrote in message
.. .
>> "Chris D'Agnolo" > wrote:
>>
>> >I hope everyone is out rat racing around so much that they haven't had
>time
>> >to post much!
>>
>> Which brings up one topic: street racing with Miatas. While I
>> would not be the one to point the first finger, it cannot
>> be denied that in some respects, Miatas are a danger to the
>> cars around them. While other sports cars are much faster,
>> they tend to go faster on the straight parts. Miatas often go
>> through turns with little visibility (including mountain turns!)
>> with speeds that could make it very hard to adjust if something
>> unexpected happens. Especially since almost no Miatas have ABS.
>> And drivers of small low power cars might also not have the same
>> strength and reaction speed that drivers of bigger, more masculine
>> cars might have in an emergency.
>>
>> Not of course that I will be driving around mountain ranges from
>> now on. But I think everyone will agree that Miata drivers could
>> do more to increase traffic safety.
>>
>> Leon
>>
>> > It actually cooled off a bit here around the Houston area
>> >today finally.
>> >
>> >Chris
>> >92BB&T
>> >
>>
>> --
>> Leon van Dommelen Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
>> http://www.dommelen.net/miata
>> EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)
>

--
Leon van Dommelen Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
http://www.dommelen.net/miata
EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)

"The Millers" > wrote in message
...
> Leon is not to be taken lightly:
>
>
http://www.lvmoc.net/staticpages/ind...40526144216149

Hmm, you guys local that you found our website? If so, jump
right in the forum and enjoy. Looks like you're posting thru RCN
too so you can't be *too* far away.

Dave's accident was tragic. He dropped a wheel off the shoulder
and hit a rock which flipped his Miata. No rollbar, top down.
His former place of employment has now planted a tree and put up
a stone and plaque in his memory.

One good (?) thing that came out of it was that 24 members of
LVMOC bought and installed rollbars within 2 months of Dave's
death.

--
Iva & Belle.)
'90B Classic Red.)
#3 winkin' Miata
LVMOC Secretary