Enter for your chance to win a 2014 Corvette Stingray & trip to the 24 hours of Lemans!

https://www.racetowincorvette.com/:b=ie8/#/intro

already entered!!!

Schweet! I hope I have better luck than with Powerball ;-)

But if you win the Powerball, you can have the vette and trip for pocket change. I'm entering both.

no kidding. We were going to in FL, but kinda forgot...

@Ken - it was great seeing you again!!! I am glad you are making Sebring part of your annual schedule!

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Andy, I told Helen the other day that I had checked my records and this was my 7th Sebring. 96, 06, 08, 10, 11, 12, and 13. Hoping to continue for a good long time.

cool

Too bad Le Mans is located in France....


Mike

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You have never been, eh?

France is a lovely country, with great food and really nice people. They respond very well to a little politeness and a marginal attempt at learning their language - they respect the effort.

I visited Paris for a week in Dec 2009 for work, and found the team there to be as dedicated to the task as any team in any country. They worked a normal day and worked it as hard as any.

It was the week before Christmas, and all of Paris was decorated for the holidays. The Trocadero had a huge Christmas market setup, really nice. It even snowed! The only downer? A transit strike that shut down the city. Didn't effect us directly, tho... our hotel was only about 2 miles away from the office... and we had a car.

Most, hell, all, restaurants had their menus in both French and English. And thanks to my wife, I had enough French under my belt to order pretty much whatever I wanted in rather serviceable French.

My accent gave me away, duh, but I was always greeted with a smile. Even the girls at the nearby McDonalds though my voice was "sexy." They were kinda cute, too.

I find that most Americans visiting foreign nations have more problems due to the vibe they emit than anything to do with the natives. Cop the "ugly American" attitude, and you will be treated in like kind... I saw it happen. The more you bitch and complain, the farther down the line you fall. Honey works a lot better there than vinegar!

One last thought on France and the 24 hours... National Geographic ranked the 24 Hours of LeMans as being THE #1 sporting event in the world to experience. The history (nearly 100 years now), the celebrity, the pomp. It's all there. Ask this question: Why would Audi spend $100 million dollars a year on a racing program, where the grand prize was only $50k? It isn't about the cash... it's about the prestige... and winning there is about as good as it gets. Plus as an engineering testing platform, it rocks.

Corvette, the same way, they spend a bucket of cash so they can place ads that state "WINNER OF THE 24 HOURS OF LEMANS"... don't fret, "WINNER OF THE 12 HOURS OF SEBRING" is pretty damned good, too! Bentley has ridden this history of their three or four wins in the 1920s/30s to this DAY. One reason? They still have the trophy - win three consecutive years, keep the trophy forever!

As an aside, Paris vs Bologna, Italy, I am not sure which place had the better food... it's a real toss up.

I really enjoyed Italy! Those folks are super nice and simply enjoy life! Full of energy and vigor. It's very positive and refreshing. Super upbeat people, always smiling, always happy. Even when the story is sad, they find a positive spin for it. Gotta love that optimism!

It's really neat to live in a foreign country like that and work there for a period. It is far more engaging and you really get to know the people you are working with. I have made friends in England, France, Holland, Germany and Italy that would be upset if I didn't try to stop by. You don't get that from just a vacation.