| So last night, I was driving my gf home very late (around 1:00am) and came up on the Montreal Casino exit right before I got to her place. Knowing that the Gilles Villeneuve track has been prepped for the F1 race in a few weeks, I decided to investigate... After driving down to the track's entry point, pushing a few barricades aside, ignoring several DO NOT ENTER signs and reassuring my gf that I've done this before (ahem), I made my way on the track. Starting at turn 8 and going clockwise (see pic below), I came up the hairpin turn immediately and had to come to a near complete stop to negotiate that turn (Oh the shame), then hit over 200kmh on the straightaway, but had no clue where on the track I should be (left "lane", right "lane" or in the middle), so I was pretty much hanging on for dear life. Checked on the gf to make sure she was OK, I saw an encouraging grin on her face, thinking to myself "she likes speed, God I love her!". I then proceeded to make a mockery of the Senna Turns on the top right of the track, I was all over the track and my accelerations were in short bursts instead of keeping it smooth. I convinced my gf that this is how it's done, but the look of disapproval on her face said it all... I then pretty much pussy-footed the rest of the way around to where I had started, then paused for a few seconds. I let the car idle while I wallowed in my embarrassment and tried to replay everything in my head. My second turn was much smoother, I actually had a vague idea of where I wanted the car to be on the track...but everything from weight transfer to hitting apexes to braking at the right time went out the window. Speed is a terrible distraction. Not to mention all the cheering fans in the bleechers...or was that only in my head? In my own defence though, it was pitch black and there were two road blocks on the track to avoid, so that shaved a few thousands of a second off my lap time. =) After the second turn, I got off the track, replaced the barricade I had moved and went home with a sense of humility and respect for those for who this comes naturally... 
George
_________________________________________________________________________________ "The Z is the cause and the solution to all my problems" -- Me 
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Newfound respect for you track guys (long) - 
