Monday, April 20, 2020

Trailer Upgrades Continue

While we're all keeping our distance and not playing with cars, I'm continuing to make progress upgrading the trailer. Massive thank you to Chuck for making this all possible.
Starting the primer, ceiling panels not attached yet.


When we last left the trailer, the walls had been insulated and some preliminary wiring run. A few weekends ago we pushed on with priming and painting the interior. The ceiling panels were painted separately before they were installed so we didn't have to paint on the ceiling.
Final paint complete with ceiling panels in place.

With the walls and ceiling brightened up, the skylight was ejected and the AC unit put in place. Wires were connected and we were one step cooler to refrigeration.

Tiny but useful; this door catch is saving a ton of frustration when going in and out.
Yesterday we came back and reinforced some cabinets before securing them to the walls. Next, power was run for a pair of outlets under the cabinets and everything was tied together under the trailer in a fuse box. The AC and interior power are separated into two fuses, all fed by a 30 amp twist lock outlet at the tongue of the trailer. Chuck fabricated a custom mount for the outlet along with helping me set up a cable to run generator power and another to run off of track power outlets.
Weird panorama on top of the trailer, just before the AC unit was added.

The major bummer was turning the switch on the brand new AC unit only to find the power knob was broken and I'll have to call in for warranty information to get replacement parts. Oh well, not immediate need, so there's plenty of time to get new parts.
Slick new power hookup ready to go!

At this stage, the trailer is really coming along. Walls are insulated, painted, the ceiling is closed in, AC is 99% ready, power hookups are all ready, two new LED lights are set up, and there's two cabinets and a shelf for storage and work space.
Cabinets, power, and AC unit in place. 

Still to go: epoxy floor kit, a few more little accessories, and final cleanup.

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Don't Just Sit There, (part 3) OK, Sit There and Watch Some Racing Today!


Well, the real Formula 1 would be racing in China today, but since they're not racing in China today...why not watch some Formula 1 computer Grand Prix action from China today? Confused yet? It's simple, tune in at 1PM Eastern time today to watch some of today's real F1 drivers, and some other personalities race on their simulators in China! It's just that simple.

The F1 folks explain it in this article: Virtual F1 Grand Prix

Is there an audience for virtual racing? I'd say yes, mostly because there isn't any real racing! This will be broadcast on ESPN, Sky Sports in the UK, and a variety of streaming internet platforms such as F1.com, F1 YouTube, Twitch, and Weibo.

Speaking of Grand Prix cars, and life before the virus, here's a look back at one year ago today in NMS history. Julie, Brian, and I visited the New York Auto Show, and enjoyed seeing this Sauber-Alfa Romeo F1 car up close and personal:

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Don't Just Sit There (Part 2) Watch Something!

Yours truly with Alfa Romeo F1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi. He'll be
online racing today, ESPN2 at 3PM Eastern


All around the world, motor sports fans are busy not driving and not going to races. The smart ones are still in the garage working on their cars, ordering car stuff on line, or studying their race videos and data to become better drivers. Even with all of that, you might have some free time left over, so what in the world is there to do? Glad you asked!

Today at 3pm Eastern, on ESPN2 of all places, some of the current Formula 1 drivers, and a few other folks, will be racing against each other. This is the 2nd official F1 simulation race, and the track for this race is Australia. Other race series are doing similar events, so let's move on to books and movies. ESPN Article

While companies that want to make money like to have you stuck on their website, NMS is not here to make money, so we actually want you to leave THIS website and check out these other ones. Hey, we're just helpful.

If you're a reader, here's Motorsport.com's ten Formula 1 books to read:
Motorsport.com Books

NMS-North has a few books on the shelf, and besides looking at the pictures, sometimes I actually read them! Other than stories about driver from the past, some of the more recent books I like:
 
   How To Build a Car, Anthony Newey, he's designed racing cars for many teams, won the titles
   Total Competition, Ross Brawn, he led multiple title winning teams, now the F1 technical chief
   Enzo Ferrari, Luca Dal Monte, very in depth story of Enzo's entire life
   How to be an F1 Driver, Jenson Button, the F1 world champion tells a great story
   Hobbo, Motor Racer, Motor Mouth, David Hobbs, driver, broadcaster, now author David Hobbs' autobiography

Let's move on to movies, films, documentaries, etc. Everybody seems to have a list of these, so here's a few:

   -Red Bull lists 5 top films/documentaries: Red Bull 5 Films
   -141 Films that reference F1 on IMDB:  IMDB F1 Films
   -Top 5 Must Watch Movies on F1 from DriveTribe:   Drivetribe Films
  - Drivetribe Readers pick 32 favorite car movies:   Drivetribe Readers Picks

At this point, if you're not into computer racing on TV, reading, or films, how about a coloring book from our friends at Automobile magazine?  Automobile Mag Coloring Book