Turbo, Off-weeks, and Something big

First off, go see "Turbo"! I took a 7 year-old, and we had a great time! (Ok, that sounds weird. Yes, it was my 7 year-old!) I'm very picky when it comes to movies, so saying I really liked this one means something. It was a standard kid's movie plot set in a lovingly animated Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with action and strategy respectful of reality (mostly-more on that below), without a hard-sell by Indycar or the product placements. (Yes, they are there, but somehow none of them are as egregious as the Pepsi in "World War Z".) The racing action was explained, but not overly so, and nothing got in the way of enjoying the story of a snail racing in the Indy 500. Which is ridiculous, but the film had the good sense to make the ridiculousness a key plot point. Perhaps the most far-fetched part of the movie was where an Indycar official actually listened to fan demand...
But seriously, it was great fun. Even if I'd have a hard time not enjoying a movie with the Speedway and a hobby shop as two of its settings...

Second, it's been a hectic few weeks. It's going to be nice to sit down in front of the TV for a couple of hours and watch Mid-Ohio in just over a week. Scott Dixon has made the championship interesting, stepping up just as Ryan Hunter-Reay has had a few bad weeks. I'm looking forward to Dario Franchitti, Graham Rahal, and Sebastian Bourdais turning their seasons around.
I just realized it's been 10 years since I saw an open-wheel race at Mid-Ohio. I miss going there. It was a not-too-bad 3 hour drive from home; down in the morning and back in the evening. The track is compact enough to walk around a time or two during the course of a race, and has a number of great places to sit and watch. I recommend going if you have the chance.

Finally, a few weeks back I talked about my Kickstarter campaign, and my reasons for it. Well, the campaign was a success. That means that my backers will be getting exclusive roadster shirts. It also means that another batch of shirts is being printed up with a design like this:

Watch this space for the chance to order one! There will be a post soon formally announcing its availability, and plans for the future.

Thanks for checking in! Until next time,