Driving In The Great Delmarva June Cop Fest

[VBdenny]

Hey Folks,

Drove my racecar (what I call my IS) up to Baltimore yesterday to drop off my daughter and her husband's cat who stayed with use while they went on vacation. Cat likes riding, so all was good with that. Since I retired, I dropped pretty much off the high speed travel circuit mainly since I'm no longer in a hurry anymore. Of course I very much make a point of keeping out of the way of traffic flow. Drove back today.

As I see people leaving lights into a 55 and accelerate like snails, I find it very aggravating being behind as they try to nurse a few more miles per gallon out of some dirty, POS 20 year old Crown Vicky. Catch a break sometimes if one is actually slower off the line than other so as you approach a RED on a two lane, and there is one car in each line ahead, you must select which is better. Make the wrong choice, and you are lane locked as the traffic flows past. Avoid Buicks, older Camrys, cars with Delaware tags and cars with Handicapped parking. Look for construction looking trucks all dirty and with ladders and equipment hanging off. Don't be fooled by regular F-150's and Chevy 1500's, especially if old and dirty because they are driven by old slow moving guys. Always look for a Jersey car for a rabbit if you need to stretch your legs briefly, SUV's are best as they can block LIDAR better and Radar pretty much.Perhaps my favorite habit is flooring it off a light and taking it to redline until I get up to speed. Love giving the slow accelerators some pipe.

Cops swarming all the way from Virginia Beach to Baltimore. Not more of the Troopers, rather it seems every small town had jumped on the "make more money" bandwagon and have obviously spent considerable time "reformulating" the speed limits (for safety reasons no doubt) and imposing SPEED ENFORCEMENT ZONEs (also for safety reasons) where fines are doubled. Where once there was an empty highway, now there are zig zag speed limits and cops armed to the teeth with the latest LIDAR guns (courtesy of your insurance company which provided them for safety reasons).

I'm telling you folks, the good times are fading and it is now very dangerous out there. All the new RADARs and LIDARs and it is a field day for the boys in blue. Easy picking and they spend their time making money for their employer by targeting regular drivers who drive faster than the unrealistically low limits imposed. I did not get caught because I drive a 8-9 over the limit. If they give me a ticket for that, then they can also kiss my assets, but I did watch many other people get caught. Saw a new orange Porsche Caymen get bagged by a new techniques I've never seen. Cop with LIDAR then a cop 10 miles down the road in the median, pulls the Porsche out of a slower moving pack I was passing. They are out to make money, big money so you be smart and don't get caught. Be very careful because even with the best detectors and WAZE, you only true line of defense against the cops is situational awareness. Come to think of it, that is something I saw maybe 3 or 4 drivers do today and the way back. Huh, how about that?

Denny

[LEX-SV]

Thanks for the warning. Sad.

I will avoid driving anywhere on east coast, including from Virginia Beach to Baltimore, can't be bothered.

[13IS250C]

Denny, you are so funny. You need to write a novel.

What you stated is exactly why I don't care that my car only has 204hp. At least I have th F-sport packing so I can corner like a wild woman. I've never seen a ticket for taking a corner hard. It is also the reason I finally sold my Z28. There just isn't anyplace where you can have fun. :-( Bench racing was about all I did.

Ahhhhhhh, just for one more summer of painting start and finish lines on a rural road. Cops didn't really bother you as long as nobody was complaining or getting hurt.

[VBdenny]

Ahh steve, when you can drive on simple two lane roads with huge green trees on the sides and enjoy the twisties, all is well. Kind of a long run to VB from Cali anyway. Took a few back roads one was spectacular. An empty road with no homes, no businesses, no farms, nuthin' except a forest with a nice IS type road. Dropped into the sport mode and hammered.

Becki, thanks for the accolades. Just wanted my friends (who tend to drive aggressively at times) to be aware. Made arrangements to race my friend with his BMW 330. Might as well get it over.

[13IS250C]

You better not let us down.

[13IS250C]

On a sweeter note, I beat a cop off the line today to get from where a 4 lane street becomes a 2 lane street. Nothing against the law about cutting a better tree.

[LEX-SV]

Ahh steve, when you can drive on simple two lane roads with huge green trees on the sides and enjoy the twisties, all is well. Kind of a long run to VB from Cali anyway. Took a few back roads one was spectacular. An empty road with no homes, no businesses, no farms, nuthin' except a forest with a nice IS type road. Dropped into the sport mode and hammered.

.

Yep, just like CA, I live in hills at 600 feet with pano views of coastal mountains riddled with lovely forested pine and redwood-lined twisties, most protected from development of any sort. Therefore I never own a sports sedan larger than "compact". I drive those toads with moonroof open usually, F sport exhaust barking, feeling the power, handling and fresh air. Sports car country as they say, 2 hours of twisties will put you at Pacific Ocean. And I get to skip the oppressive speed traps thankfully (those were mostly legislated out decades ago in CA, for reasons mentioned).

[VBdenny]

Looks like a pretty sweet place to rip around in California. I really like it there but being an east coaster, I'd miss my Atlantic too much. . Went up to the track in the finger lakes region of NY to Watkins Glen a couple weeks ago. Some of my boys from upstate New York take part in Chin Motorsports where they can take their cars on the track for a couple days. Yes, you can go as fast as you want but no, you are not allowed to race or crash as they make you pay for any damage to the railings et al. Fun, but very responsibly managed and a most impressive and educational organization. I told my wife ans she said "oh no, how much will this cost?" Guess that depends.

My friend Chip has an Audi S4 with RS4 twin turbos and exhaust as well as track tires. Very cool ripping around in that, especially through "the boot." My other friend Jack has a 2014 911S which is just incredible and fast as furious. Also met another friend of Jacks, Ken who had a very sweet Audi R8 which I swear is an $125K race car incognito. Just amazing to me how well the cars held in the corners. I promise the experience will cause me to lose about 1/2 of my previously estimated tire life.

[LEX-SV]

The new 911's are unbelievable, wow. Here's a GT3 at Cars and Caffeine SJ last Sunday, (street legal).

[VBdenny]

I saw several GT3's at "The Glen." Fast as crap and the preferred car of many of the Chin instructors. My friend Jack with the 911S said "I'm out of power" which translates to new GT3. Fastest car on the track was a Sprint Cup car out of the Martin Truex, Jr. stall from a few years ago. Guy bought it at a charity auction now he runs it on tracks. Forget Busch Gardens, and forget Disney World, track time is where the fun is located.

[VBdenny]

Like that "Cars & Caffeine" sound. What is that?

Becki, racing cops? Terrible idea but that being said, I've done it before but only to da limit

[LEX-SV]

Low key car people gathering / car show kind of event. Probably one near your area (Google to find).

[13IS250C]

Once he was forced to get behind me, he stayed on my butt. He was just waiting for me to give him something to pull me over for.

Reminds me of the night I left my mom's house in my black WS6 right after I had my cut-out installed. Yes, those were my redneck days. Cop got on my butt and followed me all the way home. He was doing his best to find a reason to pull me over.

[lenore]

Just went to car event in Chino Hills a couple of weeks ago...was a blast seeing the new and old racers....It was a Bullit function for a charity that Steve McQeen supported. His many cars were there and lots of others.

[VBdenny]

Y'all continue to amaze me. I looked up the coffee and cars and sure enough every saturday AM there is a gathering. That would be tomorrow morning so that means A: I have to wash my car today, and B: I better not stay up until 3AM tonight.

What a blast.

[13IS250C]

Post some pics.

[VBdenny]

Just got up early to go and then I see it is the FIRST Saturday of every month. Checked my calendar and see that it is not today.

[13IS250C]

Bummer. Cleaned your car for nothing. Teeheehee.