Birthday Celebrations!

"Cardiac Linfarction" (mischif) 09/15/2013 at 00:55 • Filed to: None

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Yesterday was my 22nd birthday. While I don't normally do anything special for my birthday, I spent my 21st sitting in a ridiculously long line at the DMV with an upper respiratory infection so I figured I'd make up for it by finally fulfilling my 11-year old self's dream of going to Andretti's.

For those of you not in the know, Andretti's is a gearhead's dream. F1 simulators, racing games and an adult-size karting track with decently powerful karts. Seriously, the first time I got up to speed in one of them I thought I could get into some trouble.

While waiting for my first heat to start I decided to kill some time by watching other people in the full-motion F1 simulator (which is $2 a minute but so worth it). While watching scores of people repeatedly fail to slow down for the hairpin that is the course's first corner, I got to talking about racing lines and braking points with another person waiting for a turn. Now I didn't notice this the first time I looked at him, but after I took a second look - and especially after someone asked if he was - I'll be damned if the guy didn't look like the.spitting.image of Alfonso Ribeiro. And he goes on to tell me about how he used to race professionally (I think it was Formula Ford) before having kids.

Anyway, I leave to prepare for my heats and I'll be damned if he isn't racing too! Fastest guy on the track by far, averaging at least 1.1s faster than the guy in second place and his fastest lap was 1.4 seconds better than mine (and I was no slouch out there). Aside from people not moving over when they get blue-flagged for driving like turtles and someone dumping oil on the track my last heat, making it impossible to run a clean lap (but making it possible to pull off some mega-sweet drifts), it was a great experience and one I don't think I'll wait until I turn 23 to repeat.

After my heats I take my first shot at the F1 simulator (I fail to brake enough for the opening hairpin once, but I only run wide instead of the crashing, screaming and virtual certain death I saw from other drivers) and as I get out he gives me some notes for where I could improve my lap time (I'm slowing for corners I can take flat-out, I'm trying to push too much in a slow corner that keeps catching me out) and he goes to look after his kids while I check out the other games on display. Later, I come back to the simulator and I'll be damned if his tips didn't knock like two seconds off my time. For those of you who care, Not Alfonso Ribeiro ran a 1:41.2 fast lap his second time on the the sim, while yours truly ran a 1:43.6 my second time out. The operator told us perfect laps for the course were in the 1:36 range so we were doing alright, but there's definitely room for improvement.

Since the rest of my day wasn't that interesting, I'll just wrap it up here by saying that while your 22nd birthdays might've consisted of trying to outdo the drinking you did on your 21st, I got personal racing lessons from Carlton Banks. Now the bar is set for my 23rd - my goal: Sabine Schmitz twerking in a minibus I'm driving around the Nurburgring.

Nibby > Cardiac Linfarction 09/15/2013 at 01:17

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I don't drink...

but I can't remember what I did for my 22nd birthday. I think it was just a small dinner party with cake at my house with family.

Happy birthday!

hollanddjw 1 > Cardiac Linfarction 09/15/2013 at 05:53

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That last paragraph...I died.