Formula One
Grand Prix Racing
Wes was a big F1 fan when he met Carol. When he found out her sister lived nearby and had cable TV, he managed to get Carol to watch a few races. She quickly caught the F1 bug herself. Wes went to the F1 race in Las Vegas back in '82, and Long Beach the following two years. We both went to Phoenix in '90 and '91, and Montreal in '95 and '97. It's an expensive way to see a car race, but there are a lot of things you miss by only seeing them on TV. Like feeling the shriek of those fantastic engines right down into your bones. Meeting friends who might be even crazier about the sport than yourselves. Getting to pay $5.50 for a hotdog, and liking it. Hearing fans cheer and swear in a dozen different languages.
We've gotten our tickets through Grand Prix Tours lately. They usually put on quite a good show in the evenings during the races. Drivers come to answer questions from the group, the teams auction off car parts and memorabilia for charity, and the food is pretty good too. It's a pretty civilized way to spend a race weekend.
Wes likes to play several F1 PC computer games when time allows. His current favorite is Grand Prix Legends by Sierra Sports, with Grand Prix II by Microprose running second and Ubi Soft's F1 Racing Simulation third. Grand Prix II is the last evolution of a game Wes and his brother have been fooling around with ever since their Amiga computer days almost six years ago. It is a bit behind the times in terms of Graphics and programming technology (no 3D support for example). However, it seems to require less computing power to achieve good frame rate than any other F1 game. F1 Racing Simulation is pretty up-to-date, but has several annoying quirks, such as very synthetic engine sounds and an extreme thirst for processor strength. Grand Prix legends is in a whole different ballpark though. The graphics are fantastic and the physics model is unbelievable. On top of that, it simulates cars from the 1967 season, back when real men didn't wear seat belts, and there were no aerodynamic aids to produce downforce. Very highly recommended.
Atlas F1 is our favorite F1 information page. Wes checks it once a day. Sometimes the news is slow to post, but it's better than no news.