Trying times on the road to Burlingame, California!

It didn’t come as a surprise, but when our third snowstorm of the season bore down on us it was the third such event for the month of October. Thi latest snowstorm followed the absence of any snow in September which was a little out of the ordinary. However, plans had been in place for Margo and me to drive back to the Bay Area to attend a symposium and the sight of snow falling a matter of days before we planned to depart was a little unnerving to say the least – what would it be like up in the mountain passes that stood between us and sunny California?

As we had only just returned from our week long trip to Washington DC, it would also represent an opportunity to sample both coasts of America even as it meant adding five thousand plus miles to our cars’ odometers. All the same, it meant not just a change of clothes but a change of vehicles. We enjoyed the time spent in the all-wheel drive Jaguar F Type, but for this trip we opted for the Range Rover. Though we had to be judicious with what we packed in the small spaces provided by the Jaguar at least the Range Rover had a back seat so space didn’t present the same issues as we had experienced with the Jaguar. 

Colorado’s climate is well documented, but all the same, it never ceases to amaze us. Blink and the weather changes; prolong your stay for twenty four hours and you might experience all four seasons. By way of explanation, when we left it was following a morning that registered just 6 degrees and yet, when we returned it was back up to balmy 72 degrees - all measurements in Fahrenheit.  

Colorado’s front ranges are considered high plains with much of it better viewed as high desert – there is next to no humidity and when the sun comes out, the rays simply slice through whatever snow was left lying on the ground and within a day there is little evidence of any prior snowfalls. So it was when the day came to depart for the Bay Area, the temperature was still very cold but the roads looked clear. Just as we left, the first of the early morning golfers were back out on the course!

Unfortunately, Wyoming apparently didn’t read the memo concerning imminent sunshine. As we crossed the state line driving northerly on Interstate 25 (I25) blowing snow whipped up by fierce

gusts made driving extremely hazardous. As in the past, we were hoping not to experience trying times on this portion of the highway but then again, it’s late fall and was to be expected. The big overhead illuminated signs were flashing updates informing us to expect wind gusts reaching 60 mph plus on Interstate 80 (I80) all the way to Rawlins. Ouch; good thing we hadn’t contemplated tackling this journey in our former company command center as the big RV had a much higher center of gravity. On the other hand, we were supported by Range Rover’s immaculate all-wheel drive system and it never put a foot wrong.

We have now nicknamed our Range Rover, “Pumpkin” and for obvious reasons. As this was the time for Halloween it seemed more than appropriate. Orange and black – you can’t get anything more traditional than that when celebrating Halloween. 

Parked just off the intersection between I25 with I80, temperatures well below freezing and so many miles yet to travel it was all rather ominous and as many winter crossings as we have done in the past twenty plus years, no two crossings have ever been the same. Hold on tight; stay focused; drive to the conditions and at all times concentrate on situational awareness as there is a steady lane full of big-rigs alongside you! And it was tough going for an hour or two until Laramie, Wyoming, had well and truly faded in our rear-view mirror. 

Margo and I have often used our time on the road to discuss everything from the latest technology offering from HPE or the newest feature introduced on its NonStop servers to the color scheme for a guest bedroom. Furniture too always generates a lively discussion as in the two years living in Windsor and far removed from the times in our Niwot home, we have moved from over-the-top Province (with a dash of Tuscany) to urban modern where functionality and flow have prevailed. No conversation these days concerning décor touches the flamboyant but rather, hones in on the overall integration with the look-and-feel we had pursued from the very beginning. Imagine a cross between a high-rise condo and an owner’s balcony stateroom on a cruise ship! Yes, we got it!   

By the time we crossed into Utah the weather had turned in our favor. There was no more blowing snow as we enjoyed extended periods of sunshine that stayed with us all the way to Burlingame, California. This was a business trip after all but time away from the desk (and the keyboard) means time to simply muse on events happening all around us. As for the traditional conversations they too took a turn as we examined, a little more objectively, the business relationships we have developed over the past decade. The major reason for us stepping back from our track day outings (having now sold the RV, trailer and track Corvette) was driven by the desire of Margo and me to stay in business. We have some very serious obligations to a number of major technology companies and should there have been an incident on track that might have interfered with delivering on our promise then our outlook for the future may not be as rosy as we might have imagined.

Cars have played a dominant role in posts to this blog. Indeed, shortly after creating the blog posts we realized that featuring cars was central to growing the readership – people we know and with whom we work have shown an interest in knowing more of what we do in our spare time. For many of them, taking time out to drive their cars and to enjoy roadtrips was part of who they were; cars were never our hobby as I am often reminded, but rather represented an extension to our family. In all seriousness, over the years, we have viewed our cars as others would their children and as sad as that may appear, it has its upsides. 

While cars and children generate the same demands – they need to be fed, housed, bathed when new and yes, taken for a “walk” every now and then cars don’t make all that many onerous demands. Dashboard lights tell us today when we need to replace a tire even as another gauge warns us that shortly, we will run out of gas. I guess you could argue that children can make similar pronouncements; feed me and yes, I need new shoes! 

It’s hard to say whether or not we truly have put our track days behind us. Every time an email promotion of one event or another arrives I tend to wax morosely. Yes I can get a tad cranky as I know that it is completely out of bounds to consider taking any of our current cars to the track – oh, the downside of switching from a Capital Expense (CapEx) to an Operational Expense (OpEx), if you like, as we no longer purchase but lease. Essentially we have copped to a consumption-priced model – paying a flat fee for a service that in turn, allows us to consume or enjoy (however you prefer to call it) them on as casual a basis as you can imagine. While our business continues to bring in the bacon (or should I say, the gas) this will remain the model for some time, but it doesn’t lessen how cranky I can feel. Then again, there’s a reason why the community so often tells tales about cranky old men – I wonder if it has anything to do with confiscating their horses?

And so the conversations continued as we drove deeper into the arid space that fills the spaces in between the Rockies and the Sierras! If it’s cars and crankiness and even customizing the new home that frame more than one conversation there is one other C-word that enters the conversation as well – cruising. For the past couple of winters we have jumped ship, literally. In the winter of 2017 / 2018 we sailed to Hawaii and then in the winter of 2018 / 2019 we flew to Australia where we sailed to Tasmania and then to New Zealand. With winter fast approaching where will we winter in 2019 / 2020? Our friends already have inkling as to what might transpire but it’s a plan that for now is very much a work in progress. More importantly perhaps are our plans for the winter of 2020 / 2021 as there are places we haven’t visited in such a long time where we do need to make a return visit. But only, of course, if I stay off the track and can keep writing.

Our trip across the western half of America drew to an end. Crossing San Francisco’s famous Bay Bridge – renewed in recent times and gone are the memories of the lost spans following the earthquake of 1989. Driving into the Bay always brings a smile to our faces as Margo and I have many fond memories from times spent in this part of the country. While smoke haze could be seen we were very fortunate not to see any of the terrible fires ravaging the region a little to the north of the city, but all the same, conversations did turn to what can be done to mitigate the dreadful side-effects of having nurtured so many eucalyptus trees. Essentially an invasive species not native to the region, these Aussie imports should be ripped up and sent packing.

When we decided to take this trip in the Range Rover there was an element of uncertainty. This vehicle had the smallest engine and yes, it’s a convertible SUV – who buys a convertible SUV these days? As we have stated more than once, who buys a hardtop coupe yet buys a ragtop SUV? It turned out to be a pleasant surprise as the road noise proved to be less than what we had experienced in either the BMW M4 or the Jaguar F Type. As for gas mileage it was out front on that score as even with its additional weight, it only sipped on the gasoline that was made available.

The symposium has run its course and we have safely returned home to Windsor. With a number of food items remaining in the fridge it was time to cook up some “bubble and squeak.” If this is unfamiliar to you then anyone with ties back to the old country knows all too well what a comfort food it happens to be and while tradition calls for the addition of leftover cuts of lamb or perhaps beef, we went with chicken with lashings of sweet onions and BBQ sauce. What a combination and one we knew we wouldn’t encounter out on Americas highways, whether we traveled west or even east. 

The Range Rover had to be thoroughly washed and its various fluids topped up – that image of this vehicle being one of our children continues to linger. Winter didn’t put us off our game nor did it detract from the fun that always accompanies any crossing of the west at this time of year. As we looked at photos from friends looking out of plane windows as deicing took place or standing in line waiting to clear security, travelling by car can be fraught with mischief at these times, but what an escape it is when you get to drive! 

Taking one last photo of how Colorado snaps back as quickly as it does from winter’s early clutches; just happened to catch Margo driving by in the M4. The call of the grandchildren remains irresistible and Margo enjoys her time with them. One day they too will be looking at cars and that will be an interesting time – I wonder if we will be consulted? There is a similar amount of joy and indeed satisfaction that cars and children create. And with that, it’s time to eat – can I get a second plate of bubble and squeak? 

How about breakfast tomorrow? Ahhh - perfect!

Perfect days in Washington, DC.

There are many reasons why one travels to a distant city for the sole purpose of enjoying the company of friends. While at it, you can also take time to visit the city’s main attractions. Spontaneity is a gift most of us enjoy even if it leaves us feeling a little guilty at times – surely, there are other priorities. Throw in the decision to drive to that distant city and you have all the ingredients of a delicate time out spent solely on finding ways to experience life far different to what has become routine.

For this particular weekend, Margo and I drove to Maryland to experience some of the best that Washington DC has to offer. It would have been easy for us to call this post Three Perfect Days in DC, but that heading has already been used by one of the major airlines and leaves unsaid much about whom we visited. In this case it was our good friends, the Rosen family – Robert and Randy. Gracious in their hospitality and over-the-top when it came to putting an itinerary together for the short time we spent with them.

Our route to Maryland took us out onto Interstate 70 for the majority of the trip that is, until we detoured south through Nashville and Knoxville as we wanted to hit Boone, North Carolina, and from there, find our way onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. As you can tell from the photo atop this post, the trees were very much highlighted by the colors of fall. Don’t ask me how best to navigate your way onto the Parkway even when you start from a township like Boone that boasts its close proximity to that stretch of road, as it’s a trip through the hills on unmarked roads. But find it we did and it being a Friday, the traffic was very light and we got to see it in all of its glory – something not quickly forgotten.

The detour didn’t delay our arrival by all that much. In fact I think we were only a matter of a few minutes either side of the scheduled arrival time. Having been a reader of many of these posts over the past few years it came as no surprise to find that Robert and Randy had lined up a first night dinner at one of DC’s most famous restaurants – the Prime Rib. It bills itself as being among the top five romantic restaurants in the US even as it promotes its ZAGAT award for being the #1 Steakhouse in Washington! It’s also one of the few remaining restaurants in Washington that mandates men wearing jackets. As for the ladies, well that is an entirely different story and given the number of Washington’s elite present that Friday night, for privacy reasons all I can add is that the jewelry looked very expensive. On the other hand, it’s a shame the ladies couldn’t afford more material for the frocks they chose to wear …

However, Washington D.C. is much more than good restaurants. And yes, we did enjoy cocktails at The Prime Rib, by the way. Next day, given that it was Saturday, our first full morning in D.C. was rather busy. Taking the metro into the heart of the city our first stop was the Library of Congress – not so much for the books, artifacts and mementos but for the architecture. Tucked away in the basement was a small anteroom where there was an exhibit featuring the life and times of Bob Hope and that was well worth the time we spent absorbing all of his accomplishments.

We did climb to the top and onto the observatory where we could look down on the reading room, but again, to think of how early in the life of this democracy space was set aside so as to not lose track of what were critical works of the founding fathers is impressive to say the least. Standing at the entrance to the former office of the Librarian – yes, it’s moved across the street to the new, far less charming building – we can only guess at the conversations that transpired within these walls.  

On exit, we headed back to the Metro but not before we had a chance to take in the Capital as well as the Supreme Court. We were fortunate once again as the crowds were pretty light and this afforded us many photo opportunities and as it had been more than two decades that had passed since last either Margo or me had been in D.C. it was pretty cool seeing these prominent edifices once again. The biggest change of course had to be the security as there was evidence everywhere you turned that precautions were in place to stop anything tragic developing and it is a sad commentary on our times to note that the most powerful democracy on the planet is ringed behind metal road-traps and immovable bollards.     

There was a reason why we headed back to the Rosens that afternoon and it was for Randy’s chicken dish – wonderfully prepared, tabled and accompanied by a dry Gewurztraminer. However as good as that dinner was the events that then followed were spectacular. We had tickets for a performance at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts where we would be participating in a special celebration of the one hundredth birthday of Nat King Cole. The National Orchestra was on hand together with a small ensemble of traditional musicians of the times – drums, piano, slap bass and guitar.

The real treat came when Nat’s younger brother, Freddy Cole, now just eighty eight years old made an appearance and while the venue experienced microphone issues for his first two songs, when it came to the finale and through the graciousness of fellow participant, Patti Austin, who held her own microphone up to Freddy, we all got to hear him loud and clear. As for the other participants at this event we were privileged to hear arrangements from not just Patti but from Eric Benét, Dulé Hill, and BeBe Winans.

Prior to entering the concert hall we had enough time to cross over to the newly opened The Reach where there was an art exhibition featuring the works of President George W Bush. Irrespective of your political leanings, you would be very surprised to learn that with this exhibition, Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors you will view a collection of portraits by President George W. Bush that will surprise for their authenticity. To say the day ended on a high note would not only be passé but miss the point entirely – all of us need days and evenings like this to remind ourselves of just how all-encompassing the nation’s capital really is; to date we have visited three continents in 2019 but we count this first day among the highlights we will not forget.  

For Margo and me, 2019 really started late 2018 and it’s as if we haven’t stopped moving – leaving Australia in January, then spending a week in Munich in March, Edinburgh in May, Amsterdam and Budapest in July with trips to Las Vegas, Dallas, San Jose and Atlanta all thrown in for good measure has meant we have seen a lot of the world. Shortly, we leave for San Francisco for perhaps our last road trip of the year, but what stands out for us is that at all of these destinations, it continues to be the people we meet on these trips we remember most of all. And to think, our perfect days in Washington D.C. has only just begun and yet, remembering all of this is perhaps the best way to segue to what transpired Sunday. 

The skies dawned overcast with a fine mist prevailing. It wasn’t long before the mist turned into a steady downpour of rain. Perfect for heading indoors once again and to what better place could we drive than to the outer fields of Dulles International Airport, Virginia, where the Smithsonian Institution has set up their Air and Space National Museum or, more correctly, the Udvar-Hazy Center and the companion facility to the Museum on the National Mall in Washington, DC. We arrived as the worst of the rain came down and we weren’t prepared for what we were to see. Even though we had walked through the Smithsonian’s air and space exhibit on the Mall, the Udvar-Hazy Center was a completely different establishment, completely mind-blowing in its scope. The numbers simple don’t do the museum justice but to have complete histories of all forms of flight so readily accessible says a lot for what the Smithsonian stands for – capturing the crucial moments in history that we all can relate to – in an entertaining yet educational format.   

From the Space Shuttle Discovery to the Concorde to the Super Constellation that was the stalwart aircraft of airlines including QANTAS prior to the advent of the jet age. Looking at the Super Connie that seated only 60 or so passengers, depending on configuration, it was no wonder flight was for the privileged (and elected officials). It was also very clear that major technology advancements were triggered by global conflicts during the twentieth century so much so that it was remarkable that in the early days of WWII there were still biplanes and yet, as that conflict came to an end we had jet engines and rockets.

When you look at the Mercury and Gemini craft and the total lack of creature comforts they provided you just have to step back in awe at the speed of progress achieved in the 1960s. To think that mankind indeed landed on the moon and that they were able to return when you look at the computer systems involved – and numerous systems were part of the exhibition – you have to acknowledge that really, there’s no way you would want to be an astronaut. 

On the other hand, looking at the International Space Station and it’s many elements together with the fact that creature comforts have only moderately improved we still have a long journey to take before any of us will dig deep and pay the stipend to enjoy a few moments in the darkness of outer space. Then again, there is a reason why we still call space the final frontier!

On the other hand, being up close to the spy jet, the fabled Blackbird SR-71 truly sends a tingle up your spine – to be able to cross the United States in under two hours! You have to ask yourselves, whatever happened to that technology and why can’t we fly like that anymore? As a final look I had to take in the sight of the exploits by balloonists, including the free-fall to earth by the parachutist Felix Baumgartner who stepped outside his gondola even as it was entering the stratosphere to descend to earth breaking the sound barrier on the way down from 127,853 feet (free-falling a total of 119,431 feet).

If Friday night was prime rib and Saturday night was chicken then Sunday night it was all lobster as Clyde’s restaurant – a favorite jaunt for many locals – was celebrating lobster-fest! Can’t recall the exact weights but Margo and I enjoyed lobsters that were in excess of two pounds (one kilo). Each! And we still wanted more! As it was getting close to Halloween, the decorations were evident everywhere we turned but once again, our hosts Robert and Randy excelled in pulling off another great day in DC.

However, perhaps the best was saved for last as it included two complete surprises, with venues both public and private. Who couldn’t have guessed a tour “Behind the Scenes” of the National Cathedral could be as enthralling as it turned out to be; while we didn’t climb the bell towers we did manage to get to the roof for a view of all DC. Again, Monday isn’t a day of heavy foot-traffic so we had a lot of the important spaces available for an extended tour as it was clear our guide was having the best time of all – walking across the catwalk directly beneath the rose window had me holding my breath.

Monday night was perhaps the most extraordinary of all. The Rosens took us to a neighbor’s house that was a theatre wonderland. Not just because it had a theater in the home featuring dual 35mm projectors but because it housed ancient music boxes, coin pianos, carousel organs and much more. All fully restored and in some cases, one-offs to the extent accessing the paper / fabric rolls that carried the tunes had to be reconstructed and in some cases, emulated in software. 

The sound these instruments produced is mind boggling to say the least and as I looked around the collection of rolls, together with vinyl including long forgotten 78s, CDs and DVDs and everything else that filled many rooms it soon made sense that even the Smithsonian was familiar with the collection and frequently had our host, Matthew Jaro, visit their collections to help validate material.

Walking through the home, it was truly a wonderland but then again, it simply added to the magic that truly is DC. From the well-known structures of government to the museums and cathedrals, to the history of flight and the history of America and yes, even the history of music, Margo and I couldn’t have asked for more perfect days in DC. 

It is a wonderland and perhaps at times out does anything that Disneyland or Universal can provide – fantasy ultimately is no match for reality when viewed this way. Not sure how long it will be before we return to DC, but we have to accept, it won’t be another two decades before next we make the journey to our adopted country’s capital city. And we simply have to add, it won’t be too long before we see the Rosens visiting us in Colorado which leaves us to ponder; what constitutes perfect days in Colorful Colorado!

Fall is coming … winter to follow, shortly!

What else can we say; bathed in sunlight one moment and then, in a matter of hours the temperature nosedives fifty degrees Fahrenheit and just like that the chill winds from the north arrive and snow follows. When we built our Windsor home we made sure we had fireplaces on both levels – real gas ones and not those decorative electric showpieces. Their backup batteries work just fine should we lose power, but fingers crossed in that regard; should we have had a couple of gas lamps installed while the contractors pulled all the lines?

Margo and I enjoy living in Colorado as it’s not just colorful but you do get to experience all four seasons and contrary to popular belief, when the snow falls it rarely accumulates to any extent and as a storm front passes we know with a certainty that give it a couple of days and it will be sunny again. Any reminders of the snow that just fell will only be visible in mounds piled high by the graders clearing shopping center car parks. I think the last memorable snow incident was way back in the winter of 2006 when three blizzards in a row hit Colorado’s front ranges and the accumulation saw snow piled higher than the roofline of our former home in Niwot.

I was reminded of this as it was one Christmas that my daughter Lisa spent with us and on her very first day, having picked her up from Denver’s airport, we drove to Niwot village only to be greeted with snow flurries. Let’s be quick about it, I said at the time as I have a bad feeling about this. Sure enough, by nightfall the first blizzard had arrived. Margo was in Simi Valley, but after three blizzards hitting us all flights to Denver were cancelled and with Christmas only a couple of days away, she rented a car and drove back weaving her way in-between storms across the Rockies. She made it in time. Yes, Fall is coming and winter will follow shortly.

Now, look at the difference – snow overnight changed the landscape completely. From eight degrees Fahrenheit to barely twenty! We had business to attend to in Boulder and elected to catch an earlier dinner nearby in order to get home before havoc was unleashed and yes, even as we were seated and prepping to dine, the wind changed direction and picked up velocity. You just knew something was about to happen! 

With each fall we tend to spend time enjoying the foliage as it changes color but all too often we forget that these colors are just a harbinger of more dramatic changes ahead. That night, around midnight, we were awakened by lightning and heavy peels of thunder – yes, we were witnessing that much talked about thunder snowstorm or simply, thunder snow, as the locals refer to it – the initial rain turning quickly to snow as the lightning flashes continued!  

We are about to pack our car and head over to the east coast. This has been something we have talked about doing for some time. When we had the company command center, we had planned to take it across country with the thought of using the RV as base camp for two HPE NonStop events but ultimately, talk subsided even as we sold the RV. Now, free of the financial overheads that come with owning an RV, we can stay in hotels. 

By itself, that proved incentive enough for Margo to look at her schedule and as it’s been some time since we last caught up with the Rosens – Robert and Randy – it seemed like now would be the perfect time. A weekend outside Washington D.C. seemed like a good way to enjoy the last remnants of fall. It’s also the ideal opportunity to see how our Jaguar F Type performs as a grand tourer, given how our BMW M4 left a lot to be desired in this respect. As for the Range Rover - well, how about next trip!

Some of you may recall I moved offices this year – from the second (main) level to the first (lower) level. Some of you may even recall that in the process of building the first floor, we decided to locate the bar, wine cellar, “high-tops” pub and media room but this is purely coincidence. What I have been doing is slowly going about the task of decorating the room which has turned out to be a fantastic place to work and it’s introduced a new discipline. 

A clean desk; well, occasionally, as I respond to the urge of simply resorting to chucking everything away. But the result is pleasing as it’s also representative of me clearing out my mind, emptying it of all distractions, right? Naturally enough, this is something I routinely do – cleaning my desk, that is - and to be honest, terrifies Margo as we have no clue as to what made it into the trash can.

What has transpired this week prior to the arrival of our first snowfall is that our friendly and indeed reliable handyman we turn to for help doing almost anything inside the house, re-mounted and re-positioned some of our artwork, put up a new clock on the main floor deck, installed new hangers for towels and yes, installed shelving inside the media room that will house part of our DVD and CD libraries – remember them?

Little silver disks that hold lots of data, right? Not going to discard any of them as some simply cannot be found on streaming services. Freeing up space in my office also means that I will shortly relocate my library of Road and Track magazines – thirty plus years of them –to the office although not sure I have the shelf space. Started rereading older stories from journalist Peter Egan; what a hoot!

When I began posting to our business blog, Real Time View, I suggested in the post of September 24, 2007 What did you have in mind, eh? that:

“As for the style of writing you will find in this blog – consider it as lying somewhere between Peter Egan’s columns in Road and Track (Side Glances) and Cycle World (Leanings) …

“I am a huge fan of the anecdotal style of Peter Egan …”

Not much has changed on that score and returning to the many columns Egan contributed to various magazines, not to mention the books that followed, I was reminded rather coldly that my own blogging life started back in 2007. So long ago! The good news for Margo though is that I am finally out of her office and that has warmed the cockles of her heart. Yes, fall is coming with winter not far behind. 

There has been some discussion as to when we last passed through Washington D.C. and our best guess was when we attended one of the HPE Regional User Group (RUG) meetings held in former offices of EDS in Virginia. It was 2015 as we can best recall and we drove there in the RV. It was at a time when we drove from Santa Barbara to North Carolina’s Outer Banks with just a stop to repack in Colorado being the only break in our travels. We both agree that this was the last time we had seen the Rosens and as we worked our way through calendars, it soon became time to realize just how rapidly the passage of time is progressing.

We did pass through this part of the country again in 2016, this time towing the Mini as we planned to catch up with former colleagues at IBM, but the meetings didn’t go off as planned. Margo often asks me, how many times did I fly somewhere to meet someone only to be informed that day that the meeting would have to be rescheduled? With hindsight, more times than I care to recount, but then again, that is business life on the road. Airport lounges, hotel lobbies and business foyers - looking back at my business travel rarely did anything go to plan. Sitting in my new office makes me smile as I look back to those times not because I miss it all, but rather, because I don’t miss it.

This year has been tumultuous in that we flew back from Sydney, Australia at the beginning of the year. We then flew to Munich in March, Edinburgh in May and Amsterdam in July; three separate trips to Europe on business where much of the time was spent waiting. Separate trips in the US to Las Vegas, San Jose, Atlanta and Dallas where only the trip to Atlanta involved flying and it’s not all that difficult to imagine that 2019 has turned out to be a lot different to what we expected. Has Pyalla Technologies, LLC., become a “lifestyle company?” Not really …

However, what Pyalla has done for us has allowed us to enjoy business again and as we continue to celebrate the company’s tenth birthday – more of which you can read in the post of October 2, 2019, Ten years, and counting … working in “bizcations” when they make sense has definitely added to the enjoyment that being sole proprietors entails, giving us ample time to simply enjoy dinner out on our deck makes up for the multitude of sins that the passage of time has witnessed! Working too hard? Pushing the envelope and trying to accomplish the impossible? For Margo and I while we cannot complain there have been times when we wondered out aloud – what are we doing? Fall has arrived!

Unfortunately, even as we see the early signs that winter is only a couple of weeks away, oftentimes arriving in Colorado ahead of the calendar, the preparation for our roadtrip back east involves cleaning the Jaguar that was left outside. Looks like it did just fine and dusting away the little snow that the wind has left behind should be no problem at all.

Our state promotes itself as being Colorful Colorado and it never disappoints at this time of year. But there is a sense of melancholy all the same; another trip around the sun is about to be completed. “Remember all those things you were saving up to do well, the time has finally arrived,” Margo reminded me just a short time ago. “What are we waiting for now? It’s time to do those things we always talked about doing, so let’s put some adventure back into our plans for 2020!”

We had been talking about fall coming for so long as summer this year had been particularly hot and the prospect of cooler weather holding some appeal for us both. But as with anything that’s longed for particularly over an extended period, it passes by all too quickly. Margo and I continue to enjoy an evening martini and a glass of wine with dinner but it looks like these will be enjoyed in our downstairs pub setting. Nothing wrong with that mind you – the conversations remain lively, naturally enough – but as with all previous occasions when the snow first falls, it isn’t just a reminder that winter is around the corner, but rather musings on when exactly can we expect to see spring again?    

Quite the year for Indy rookie, Colton Herta!

I cannot recall a time when I have thought about devoting a whole post to our Buckle-Up blog to just one individual, but now the dust has settled on his first year racing as a pro in the Indy Car series and Colton Herta deserves to bathe in the spotlight one more time this year. Oh yes, wouldn’t you like to know what is being talked about between father and son, above, but there is no denying the family dynamics have swung 180 degrees in a matter of months. No longer Bryan’s son, but now, when it comes to Colton, then it is Bryan who holds the distinction of being referred to as Colton’s dad!

And come a long way, the family has indeed managed to do in an amazingly short period of time. Our good friends, the Kennys, befriended us over coffee at a Starbucks in Simi Valley’s Wood Ranch shopping center. We did not realize at the time how close to royalty this new relationship would take us because at the time, the relationship was borne out of a shared interest in red Corvettes. Both our families drove their respective Corvettes and enjoyed many weekends out in the California desserts doing our best to imitate real race car drivers. Little did we know that it would be Jan Kenny’s grandson that would steal the show in only a few years’ time!

Of course, like every grandmother we know, stories began circulating that young Colton was a karting champ with an instinct for the winners circle. Indeed, as the family tells it, it would be Colton holding down second place during the final laps of his kart races until practically the last corner of the last lap at which point, he simply swooped past the other car to win, giving no opportunity for the car now in second to recover.  It would be a couple of years later, at the road course at Buttonwillow where Colton executed a last lap pass (with a nudge) to win and where Racer magazine reporter Robin Miller called Colton “the little assassin” to which Colton famously responded, on film that was televised, “I won’t always be little!” 

Royalty Check #1

Colton’s dad, Bryan, is indeed close to royalty status among the Indy family. It was Bryan who practically owned Laguna Seca, winning numerous races on that road course. Bryan dominated the Indy Lights series, was crowned champion and went on to win four Indy races. However, he may be best remembered by “the pass” when on his first outing at Laguna Seca and starting from pole, I recall, on the very last lap, Alex Zanardi passed Bryan as they entered Laguna’s famous corkscrew. Now it’s all in the past but for me, completing the pass by leaving the track just doesn’t count, but enough said, the results stand and Bryan’s fame only grew. Through into this Brian’s move to team owner and his choice of driver, Dan Wheldon, giving team Herta its big win in the Indy 500 which a short time later the team repeated, this time with Alexander Rossi as its driver and you see the status level Bryan maintains across the Indy family today.   

The most impressive part of Colton’s early career came shortly after he began driving open wheel race cars – racing in the Skip Barber F2000 series back in 2012 when he was still only 12 years old. Out of the blue and while driving home to Boulder, Margo and I took a call from Colton soliciting our support for an upcoming kart race. Even as he was driving in the Skip Barber series, the opportunity to go karting proved too tempting to resist and all he needed was just a little extra sponsorship money to make it all happen.

So yes, of course we were in and supported him to where his tires that weekend were courtesy of Pyalla Technologies “Track Days” – a reference to our own efforts and to this blog. Were we even thrilled to see our decals on his kart and have referenced many times since! But even then, all those years ago, Colton was fine-tuning his skills when it came to seeking out sponsors and gaining financial backing for his racing pursuits; today, I suspect the funding needed to get decals like those above plastered on his Indy car has gone up immeasurably!

However and here’s the thing; looking at him being “fitted” for his Skip Barber F2000 stead for the winter series 2012 – 2013 and then again back to the photo I shot of him walking to his kart prior to a big race in Las Vegas, he looks like a kid you would expect to find taking swings at a T-Ball game. But his goal of becoming a full-on racer has never wavered and the progress he made at an early age was as remarkable as it was inevitable.

Colton persisted and battled tremendous odds to make it out of karts and into the junior open wheel events. What was his record first up in F2000? With the Skip Barber series, he was very much finding his way and following twelve races he won just once but experienced four podiums. The following year, 2013, stepping up a class to Pacific Formula 1600 he participated in fifteen races, winning ten of them while adding six poles, ten fastest laps and winning the series. Yes, all while still only 13 years of age!

And yet, as you look at the photos included so far, it’s still all so innocent looking; being fitted for that Skip Barber ride, Colton barely looks able to drive such a vehicle let alone take it on track to compete with other drivers much older than him and yes, let alone attacking and winning on unfamiliar tracks. Margo and I have been discussing the age old “nature versus nurture” argument but ultimately it comes down to a very deep desire on the part of Colton to just go out and win. From the earliest exchange we had with Colton his career goals were very simply – to become a full time race car driver and to compete at the highest level.

Margo and I also discussed me writing this post as there were multiple story lines playing out. When he began competing in the F2000 series he had to sit out the first race as he wasn’t old enough to compete and for the remainder of the series, he just didn’t have a competitive car. Remember that, at this stage, there is no free ride and his program was being run on a shoestring, even as he was getting an opportunity to learn tracks that would later set the stage for much greater achievements.

It was during this time that he got an opportunity to fly down to Sepang, Malaysia, for a weekend racing in the AsiaCup Series. This was his international debut and the weekend proved to be a turning point as, in an unfamiliar racecar up against 20 year old racers at mid point in their season, he scored a win and a second on the Saturday followed up by two more podiums Sunday. Apparently, he then told family he needed to buy another bag to bring home the trophies! 

However, what followed can only be called extraordinary. For the following two years and at the tender age of 15 and 16, he left the US for England where he gained a ride with the Carlin group. To put it all in perspective, Colton drove for Carlin Motorsport – the same outfit that nurtured the early development of both Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo. Not only did he adapt to living by himself in a foreign country, although there were many family visits to help ease the transition, he started winning races; four of the last eight races to finish third overall. 

As for his competition, some of them are becoming better known to the rest of us as he began winning – having turned 16 he won 7 races, took 7 poles and was on the podium 14 times beating out the likes of Lando Norris (currently a McLaren F1 driver) and taking home the winner’s check.   

Royalty Check #2

Returning to the US for 2017 and an Indy Lights campaign, he connected with none other than George Steinbrenner IV – grandson of legendary Yankees baseball team owner, George Steinbrenner. George is a little older than Colton but not by many years and few people realized that the grandson had a real interest in race cars with a number of his relatives competing in the sport.

Colton and George had developed a friendship dating back to Skip Barber days so with George’s help a team was put together and Colton campaigned for two years in Indy Lights, finishing runner-up in the series at the end of 2018. His most memorable month was May, 2018, when he won all three races at the historic Indianapolis Speedway – two on the grand prix road course and yes, the Freedom 100 on the big oval itself!

As the end of 2018 rolled around and the Indy Lights program concluded and Margo and I having already booked the weekend at Sonoma to watch the final Indy race of the year, who just happened to get a ride in the big leagues but Colton! We just happened to time it right to see his very first race in Indy and yes, he was only 18 years old. 

We had parked our RV alongside the Kennys where a Herta compound of sorts had formed and on numerous occasions it wasn’t unusual to walk into Colton lounging on chairs, consuming lots of protein, playing video games and in general being indistinguishable from any other teenager present for the race weekend. And yes, we had the opportunity to be introduced to George as well - before he cut his hair.

A normal teenager that is, until they called for the drivers to participate in meet-the-fans to sign autographs! Yes, it was beginning to get very serious and with the help of George Steinbrenner IV, a deal was cut with Harding team owner to put a team together to race all the Indy races in 2019 – Harding Steinbrenner Racing. Originally, the plan was to field two cars but ultimately it came down to having Colton as their driver and did he deliver!

On the second event of the Indy schedule, a first time appearance at the Course of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, Colton surprised the world to win his first Indy race at 18 years of age! This was only a few weeks after he drove a BMW M8 GTE car for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona race that is part of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, where as one of four drivers he won the GTLM class beating out the Corvettes, Porsches, Ferraris and Ford GTs. And oh yes, he set the fastest time during the race for his class.

What did Bryan Herta have to say following Daytona? “You always worry because that’s the nature of it, right? You have no control so all you can do is worry,” said Bryan Herta to Indy reporters. “But this was just such a huge opportunity for him to be part of this program with BMW RLL, and you know this was just a chance for him to grow and learn to continue to evolve as a race car driver. To win the race was more than you could really dare to dream, so I’m just very happy for him.” As for the win at COTA, it was Bryan talking to Racer again who said, “It’s amazing. Really super proud of him. Colton won the race — feels like Christmas to me.” 

Unfortunately, as for his Indy team during the rest of the year, they simply didn’t have the financial wherewithal to effectively compete with the major teams and he suffered from a number of Did Not Finish (DNF) results – six DNFs meant he only finished 11 races. However much of that was forgotten on the Sunday afternoon of the season’s last race at Laguna Seca where Colton had a perfect weekend. 

Colton had topped the practice time sheets, secured the pole position and, starting from the front led all the laps (except when in the pits for tire changes and gas refueling) to finish the winner. This was at the track where his father Bryan had achieved so much success, but when television asked Colton if the track owners should name some part of the track after the Hertas, Colton responded, “why not all of it!” Tight from the get-go, Colton had to fend off a pack of swarming bees and he did just that much to the chagrin of his fellow racers all waiting for a misstep to be taken. 

In summary for his rookie year, Colton won twice, secured three poles (probably most important of all), had 3 Top 5s, 8 Top 10s and led 144 laps, all as a rookie. He finished runner up in the Indy Rookie stakes and if it wasn’t for the DNFs – the most memorable was his last lap heroics on the Texas Speedway – who knows how the season would have finished. But it does beg the question when so many bonus points are handed out each weekend for things like pole, fastest lap, leading a lap and yes, leading the most laps, shouldn’t a rookie score a few extra points for winning as a rookie and securing poles as a rookie – after all, he only missed out on winning the Indy Rookie prize by 5 points!

Royalty check #3

Enter Mario Andretti. “The kid’s fast,” was one comment Mario told an interviewer after watching Colton become the faster Honda qualifier for the Indy 500. There is no question about the Andretti name or the heritage of the family. Under son Michael, it’s all been arranged. Colton will be a part of the Andretti team racing under the new banner of Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Racing and starting next year while still 19 years old, the future looks very bright for Colton and the entire Herta family.

Bryan Herta continues to be part owner of the Andretti Herta Autosports Indy team, where Bryan fields Marco Andretti so it’s hard not to notice the many connections with racing’s royalty. Whether you consider Bryan or even George part of Indy racing royalty as yet, you cannot deny the presence Mario has whenever he walks into any venue and oh yes, my time in the back seat of a Honda two-seater Indy Car was with Mario behind the wheel. Margo and I have not made any plans yet to see Colton race in person but then again we have never been to Indy so who knows what might transpire late May of 2020. In the meantime, if you lost track of the events and of the wins and podiums, this summary (that doesn’t include his time on track in Malaysia) may be a great ending for this somewhat unusual post!

Perhaps it’s fitting to return to Colton and to Mario when in a recent broadcast Mario left his script to talk about Colton. And potentially, F1 – seriously? I don’t believe that is on the agenda for now as I understand that Colton really likes being at home and having home be his base.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/b2mgd2braa9gqqc/Mario%20Endorses%20Colton%20Herta.mov?dl=0

But then again, in racing, nothing is ever set in stone and who knows, maybe we see Colton and Lando going head to head in F1. As 2019 came to a close one thing we can be assured of though, Colton is no longer little!