5 replies to this topic

[Don Capps]

For those still awake or faintly interested, the Rear View Mirror that should be in the 25 April issue of Atlas F1 will mark the beginning of its third season. I have been kicking around a few ideas about what to write about for that issue. To spare you any more agony, I am not publishing another installment in the mega-series until May. Aha! Sighs of relief all around I see!!!

So, I thought I would do either my normal last minute panic session and hope for Divine Inspiration; or, ask its vast readership -- all twelve of you -- if there is anything y'all would like to have me ramble about that I haven't managed to confuse everyone about as of yet.

I have genuinely enjoyed being able to make a public idiot out of myself for the past two years. Thanks to Bira, I have been given that opportunity for many, many weeks. I have to admit that writing RVM satisfying one of those fantasies I harbored many, many years ago as I read the columns of Scribes such as Peter Garnier, DSJ, Steve Smith, Bernard Cahier, Warren Weith, Philip Turner, Eoin Young, and - of course! - Henry N. Manney III, to name but the proverbial Few....

Lately, I have found myself steering towards this mega-series of the 1966/1967/1968 seasons because of this forum. In so many ways, these seasons seem to be a turning point in Racing As I/We Knew It. Things were not simple then, nor were they Best ot Worse of times, but these seasons have stuck to me like napalm. If nothing else, thanks for indulging me!

Actually, I started on this last rampage so that Bira would hesitate before tossing me overboard....

Also, I am getting ready to submit to Bira my suggests for the New Look Nostalgia Forum. What I need for those interested is the URL for any sites that the Members of this forum publish -- Felix & Matt, Leif, Darren, Allen, etc., etc., etc. -- so we can put in the reference section; any other sites or places that could be of interest to the Members of this forum; if possible, when a site is recommended a short description would be appreciated.

Also, I intend to start a section for articles or short historical pieces that might of interest to the sorts of folks -- and you know who you are! -- that frequent this site. The lack of opportunities for most of us to find outlets for our 'creative' impulses in the print media seems to be dwindling every day. This is one way Atlas F1 wants to preserve that knowledge and make it available to as wide an audience as possible. I am looking for a name for this section and currently thinking of calling it The Atlas Journal of Motor Sports History. I will consider other offers....

Also, in line with this, I think I would entertain a re-write of the description of this forum on the guide to the Atlas fora.

I must thank dear Bira once again for giving me the opportunity to write about things that I ordinarily would never get the chance to even think about -- much less actually putting fingers to keyboard and pounding out many pages on a subject that actually ends up being seen by the thousands of folks who visit Atlas F1. Who wudda thunk it?

Keep those cards and letters -- okay, emails -- coming in folks! Any suggestions written on American bills with large numbers in the corners cheerfully accepted!

At any rate, I do know that Bernie Ecclestone gets at least one chuckle every other week with RVM....

[Bernd]

I must say Don that a definitive article on 'The Return to Power' would be very welcome

I think that this was the absolute zenith of Formula racing.

[Wolf]

Well, Don there's bound to be thirteenth; Wolf-Ben-Iscariot reporting to duty.

How about Your personal expiriences in GP circus? Like that 'arry Schell 'Topolino Story' &c? Or do a piece to about Your affection for 250F...

And we shall not forget to thank the Provider of all those RVMs. Thanx Don- I usually can't wait to read Your columns on fortnightly basis! Keep 'em coming, big man!

[troyf1]

Didn't want to start a new thread on this topic so this one was a close as I could find. Nice to see RVM back this week. I thought Don's aritcle on the history of NASCAR was brilliant. The last paragraph summed things up nicely IMHO. Great job Don

[Don Capps]

I've been busy with the usual "stand-by-to-stand-by, hurry & wait, stand-by-to-stand-by, why aren't you sprinting faster, stand-by-to-stand-by" routine that passes for retirement these days -- for at least in the honored and exalted ranks of the Beltway Bandits. Not quite hat I expected, but then again having a motto like Semper Gumby does come in handy since what I was hired to do went out the window when several new "opportunities" suddenly popped up on the radar screen and with me being on board.....

At any rate, I have now taken some tentative control over my life and finally able to sit down and resume RVM. I really missed it, but circumstances just intervened and I had to do some "other" things which took longer than I anticipated.

I have a number of other things to say, by the way.....;)

[Paul Newby]

Don
As a reasonably new TNFer and an even newer Atlas F1 subscriber I enjoyed RVM. Down here in Oz, as committed road racers, we don't get much NASCAR coverage. However there is a following for CART (and to a lesser extent to IRL) and we get TV and print coverage.

Are you going to do an RVM on CART vs IRL and how we got here, from the beginning (USAC and 1979 and all that.) Apologies if this has been covered in detail before, maybe you can direct me to RVMs past or an archive location with Atlas F1?