Steamboat Pics @ Reviews WWW page

[Chris Tucker <tuc@hcp.net>]

Hello fellow Q and Audi heads,

I invite you to visit the Rocky Mountain Q-Club event review page.  The
new URL is "http://www.hcp.net/audi/rmqtit.html".  There are several
pictures, two animated gifs, and event reviews from Q-listers.  

My review follows in this e-mail, (I know, a little late but thats what
a full time job and helping with a business start up dose to a person)
but all the web reviews include pics and it would be more entertaining
than black and white text.

Speaking of a "new" url, my Audi page, the Quat Continuum, has move to
"http://www.hcp.net/audi/tucaudi.html".

Enjoy the review page

Chris Tucker
tuc@hcp.net
http://www.hcp.net/audi/tucaudi.html
http://www.hcp.net/audi/rmqtit.html

review follows:

Bzzzzzt, my alarm goes off at 5:30 am on Friday and my sleepy eyes
struggle to open.  To some of you, 5:30 is late, but I work nights and
had to pack for..uh. Steamboat,  Thats right!!!  I now remember the
reason for waking only after four hours of Sleep.  At least I didnt
drive straight through from the east cost, not to mention any names
Stott Hare & Chris Semple.

Its now 8:30 and the warmth of the sun can be felt on my back side as I
head west and start the ascent of Rabbit Ears pass.  I was reminded 
that it has been another huge snow year and I pass though a canyon of
snow.  The snow blown, not plowed, banks reached at least 15 feet in
spots dwarfing oncoming semis.  

I arrived in Steamboat around 10 ish and headed up Mt Werner Rd
searching for any visual reference of where the tack is.  The problem,
too much snow!  I cant see over the banks,  I finally find the track
after stooping for directions at the Bridgestone Winter Driving Schools
main office.  For those of you who never been to the driving school and
plan to go next year, (and if there is another huge snow year) the track
is located across from the huge tennis bubble.

The Q-club participants where finishing up there AM vehicle control
exercises of grip limits and counter slides.  Being my first time and
not have taken the Winter Driving School, all I could do was watch the Q
heads drive by with large smiles on their faces.  So I spent the day
shooting video and catch rides.

A notable ride for myself and camera was with John Beckius, Sport
Wheels, in his tricked out 83 tqc.  John found the track very slick,
much slick than the AM, as he cleaned his rocker panels on several snow
banks.  Turn 8 is the part of the skip pad and has some vertical
relief.  On the fourth lap of my ride, John was descending turn 8 to
turn 7 with a little too much speed and ended up nose first into a snow
bank proving that snow is more forgiving then a concrete barricade on a
paved track.  The video footage is pretty cool.

Saturday was class and I finally had my chance on the track, in the
driving schools car.  The school was very helpful and worth attending. 
I knew some of the driving techniques taught, but never related them to
one very important fact, weight transfer.  The slickness of the track
allowed everyone to explore, and exceed the grip limit which allowed
experimentation with weigh transfer in relation to braking,
acceleration, and steering.  The class was only a half day making me
very yearn for Sunday.

The first half of Sunday AM was spent on more q-club exercises, the skid
pad, (I could have gone in circles all day) counter slide, and slalom. 
Then, the lapping started!!

The track was still very slick and the banks where very hard and still
frozen from Saturdays warm weather.  One must be a little careful, the
snow is not as forgiving as the first two days.  That didnt seem to
stop Hare and Semple.  There goal seemed to be to see how many parts
they could tare off the 4000.  Ben Howell also discovered how to
"bounce" 4000 Q 360 in the air off over the bank on turn one.  Where was
my video camera when I really needed it?

It was good to see Scott Justusson get his 5000 running.  Scott missed
the morning session but was able to lab all afternoon.  Fun guy to try
to follow.  Dave Lawsons UrQ was a traveling showcase of workmanship
and beauty.  All in all, everyone was having a great time.

The event was a great success I would recommend that every who can
attend next year to do so.  Driving on the ice track is by far the most
fun qclub event I have attended.  Where else can you explore and exceed
to grip limits with little threat of damage.  (And in my case, the ice
track might be the only place my stock 80Q can explore the grip limit). 
I discovered how my Q behaves in a 4 wheel drift that was set up with a
counter slide.  Its quite a rush.  Hope to see you next year!!

Chris Tucker
tuc@hcp.net

90 80Q