[s-cars] //SFest '08...

[pkrasusky at ups.com]

A week has passed since we pulled the plug on //SFest '08 and the realities of what exactly just happened have finally settled in.  I'm left again awestricken...  that...  somehow someway we managed to surpass our own high expectations - and yours - and knocked the ball out of the park on an immensely successful 7th annual //SFest.

How'd that happen???

I'll tell you:

COOLNESS!!!

Coolness of our STAFF - event stalwarts Jeff Postupack, Bob Rossato, Jim Pasqualoni, and Steve Young have built friendships strong and close and know the drill here and know it well.  This bond transcended this year noobs Julian Barerra, Don Warren, Mike Claire, Mike Lardizabal, and Neil Poillon and they each fit quite well into the program.  Mike Claire parked for me with Jim, and I for once got to enjoy myself!  Lastly and ohso *definitely* not leastly...  Scott Sierakowski...  Scott brings to //SFest an entire new level of awesomness even though he didn't bring himself - a prior commitment to a monthlong Poland adventure precluded his //Festability unfortunately.  Thank Scott for our website, email, graphics, etc.!

Coolness of YOU - you all kick so much arse for joining us, and for //Festing with true spirit.  You all got their early, lived and loved the //Fest routine, and allowed for another year to go by sans an instance.  While we were sans any Canadian Contingency this year, nuts from as far as IL, MI, MD, and western PA all proved gas prices be damned!  The friendships I have made via this event are second to none, and I know many of you have experienced the same.  Great times with greater folks I keep saying.

Coolness of WHAT CAME - holy schnikies...  what an impressive array of wickedcoolness!!!  Anywhere and everywhere you took a gander, you could be spellbound lost in a gaze of OMF'nGitude - yeah.  A shortshort version of coolness - brace yerselvez:  C43, C36, E500 Limited, 2 500E's, SL600 Sport, e60 ///M5 with full Hartge regalia, GT2, GT3RS, GT3, 930 x2, 996tt, 951, 911SC monster, Lotus Elise (shaSCHWING!), CTS-V...

...hey wait...  I thought this was an Audi gig???

Fact is...  those who //SFest are downright ludicrous petrolheads, placing impressively gnarly machinery above & beyond silly shortsighted loyalty to a marque.  Further fact, many of these 'other' beasts are owned either by someone with an //S car @ home, or someone previously from the fold - yeah!

Alrighty, there were a 'few' Audi's there, some of them even //S cars.  MTM Bimoto'd Milltek'd OC-Tuning'd RS6, stocker RS6, four //S8s, //S5, B7 //S4 cab, a trio of B5 //S4's, ALMS TT coupe, TT cab mit baseball glove, a built urQ, a 20020vtqa, and no less than 5 90cq's...  THREE of them turbo'd - 2 eS2's and Marc Swanson's 3.6tt.  Prolly somewhere ~ 30 urS's, including Bill Perron's car now owned by brother Mike, featured center stage.  We could think of no better way to present Bill's car than to flank his silver Avant with a matching car - well - sort of - nothing less than a true '97 silver //S6 Plus.  Parking that car provided quite the memorable experience, a truly spectacular machine.

Coolness of Bill Perron - nearly a year has passed and we miss Bill more with each passing day.  We're convinced Bill tied 'n gag'd the Audigods up there and allowed smooth running cars and a weekend's worth of picture perfect weather for us.  This year's event was held in remembrance of Bill, and we found it fitting to remember him in our own special way:  4:00 queued our Million Horsepower Salute to Bill, and what a salute it was.  30 seconds of every //SFest car gunning and burping and popping and whooshing away in a most spectacular glorious display likely heard 3 zipcodes away.  We followed the audible assault with 60 seconds of silence for Bill - which seemed like an eternity - and immediately coming off of the Salute it was very much a moving and surreal scene.

Coolness of our SPONSORS!!! - Our event would not occur without your continued generosity.  Please consider utilizing the services of these fine companies, in no particular order:  Northern European Automotive, Neil Swanson, SPEC Clutches, Foreign Autopart, Force 5 Automotive, Sports Car Workshop, Fortitude, Custom Auto Craft, UVEX Sports Sunglasses, Hunter Fan, Central Service Garage, German Autoparts, McBoost.com, Kryptonite Lock, SJM Autotechnik, Danbury Auto, Wagner Audi, Computemps, Apikol, EPLabs, 034 Motorsport, and finally our host Coventry Motorcar.

Coolness of our SITE - Coventry Motorcar's Brian Werstak again graciously offered their scenic and accommodating grounds, and worked quite hard throughout the year to provide us with a primo venue.  Infinite privacy, easy access, and surrounded by great roads.  Check them out www.coventrymotorcar.com.

Coolness of our BOOTY - Scott Sierakowski again designed event T's to include in the bootybags for the first 50, with extras for sale (email rs2spec at sfest.com if you would like to purchase one, $20+ shipping, XL's and XXL's remain).  This years' booty was our logo'd stainless coffee travel mug / coaster / velour pouch with keychain.

Coolness of //Festivities - Julian Barerra saved our tookuses by stepping up to chef duty last minute this year and served up some mean burgs, which accompanied a fine spread of eats.  Our raffle has grown to nearly being too big, and horsetrading prizes allowed for win / win for many.  Mike Platt somehow bumped his head and let //Festers run amuk in his Lotus Elise.  Many other ride 'n drives ensued, with not a one leaving without banging the limiter in 3 gears of WOT absurdity - muwHA!  Marc Swanson conducted a technical session in the service bay of VEMS which he represents, which was well attended and executed.  At dusk, Keith Maddock served up another installment of //SFest Outdoor Theater, featuring Ronin chase scene, Top Gear R8, 'Ring in-car footage, etc. filling the venue with a cacophony of symphonic combustion bliss.

Coolness.

As with every year, sun up Sunday witnessed yet another leave no trace scene and we departed the facility as if we had never arrived.  Please enjoy highlights of the event http://www.sfest.com/gallery/, with full event coverage located http://mcboost.com/sfest08/ thanks to Dan McBoost and the talents of his quite professional team.  Video featuring the //Sights 'n //Sounds of //SFest follows, stay tooned.

As always, I thank my team of //Staffers for all of their efforts (Rossato home for a week from being in London for a month, only to fly out @ noon post-//SFest for another month of work there!), and thank all of you for //Festing with us.

//SFest is the bestfest...  those who have //Fested...  Know.

-Paul and the //SFest //Staff