This thread on the bimmerforums shows us quite clearly why you should keep up with your automotive maintenance. It is estimated that this poor E46 BMW managed to go 60k+ miles without an oil change!!! I am not sure what’s more amazing: that someone neglected an oil change for 60k miles or that this car was still running.
Oil Change FAIL.
On my way to Yosemite National Park a few weekends ago I was stopped by a friendly California Highway Patrolman on a two-lane road in the middle of nowhere. No, seriously. I’ve never run in to a CHiP that didn’t seem like a nice guy. He said he clocked me going fast(er than my speedometer was indicating!), even though I had started slowing down when I saw him on the horizon maybe a quarter mile or more down the road. Even the CHiP was surprised at how far away I had noticed him.
Most people assume because I drive a high horsepower car and do not own a radar detector that I get a lot of tickets. I don’t. I simply like to think that I do what is called smart speeding. Being in no position to argue and without speeding ticket since I was 17 years old I took the ticket without any fuss. So upon returning from a relaxing weekend, I set out on researching the intricacies of getting a speeding ticket in Merced County.
A brief google and some forum surfing revealed that the CHP is at the top of their game. Patrol cars are equipped with radars at the front and rear of the vehicles with the ability to track cars in traffic and going in either direction of the cruiser. My bigger concern was whether or not I was eligible for traffic school. The rule of thumb is that as long as you’re not going 25 or more over the speed limit, you will be eligible for traffic school. Do not try this in a School Zone, please. I also learned that judges have granted leniency up to 30mph over and that ultimately it is the judge who can reduce your “sentence” and fine.
Finally, I wanted to know what kind of damage I did to my wallet on my brief pre-Bonneville test session. This is where things get interesting and rather upsetting:
This information is buried on page 62 of the Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule which can be found at the CA court info website. You should be able to google this juicy information for any state in the union. For California, the chart can be confusing. The 10/10 above means $10 for every $10. You would assume this means that at $10 for every $10 of a $35 base fine you might be assessed an additional penalty of $35. NO! The state rounds your 35 base fine up and 10/10 is charged on the rounded up amount. Does this seem wrong to anyone else?
Moving on, from the chart above you can see that I have a base fine, which I find reasonable in my case, a mere $70. After that the state charges a penalty amount at 100% of base, another $70. $140, still a reasonable fine. Then the county gets involved and charges 70% of base for a $49 fine. $189 is my total. So I have forked over a fine for my crime, a cut for the state and a cut for the county. You would think what I can be fined ends there. You would THINK.
Nope. The DNA Identification Fund (which has what to do with my speeding ticket?!?!) takes 2/10 of base. The Court Facility Construction penalty amount is $5 for every $10, even though I live 2 and a half hours away if not speeding and will be filing by mail. Penal Code Section 1465.7(a) requires a 20% (not 2 for 10) surcharge just for the hell of it. And finally, if the county you were caught in chooses they can levy 2/10 on an Emergency Medical Services penalty assessment. I think the articles contained in this paragraph are rather confusing so for our sake I will simply rename them the Bullsh*t Penalty Assessments (BPA). The BPA in my case is $77.
After all that there is a footnote that reads “A court security fee of $20 and a conviction assessment of $35 are charged in addition to the Total Bail for each offense”. Highway robbery, quite literally. Taking another $55 on top of a Bullsh*t Assessment certainly seems unusual to me and most would consider kicking a man while he is down pretty cruel. And while I’d certainly like to fight for my 8th Amendment rights, I fear retribution from the powers that be. Oh, the irony of democracy!
To set the record straight, I love America, even though all our car models get castrated before the manufacturers decide to sell them here. Despite the above example of government sponsored extortion, we do live in a free country and I am certainly thankful for that. So the moral of the story here is either take it to the track or pay to play.
Working on some stuff for everyone, but in the mean time…
“You can sleep in your car, but you can’t race a house…”
Cheers.
The Corkscrew at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is the most cheated on turn in all of automotive video game history. Laguna Seca, spanish for Dry Lagoon, was built on the US Army’s Fort Ord in the late 1950’s. Signs on the approach to the track still warn of explosives and the artillery ranges are guarded by barbed wire fences. Fort Ord incidentally is on the Superfund list of toxic clean up sites. It is even labeled on the National Priorities List of the worst Superfund sites.
The raceway was built in response to the abandoning of the Pebble Beach Road Races, which were deemed too dangerous after a racer crashed his Ferrari in to a tree and died. What followed is one of the most well known tracks in America, thanks to a slew of video games including the popular Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsports series. Laguna Seca is home to more than just armchair racers, as the track is home to the Skip Barber Racing School as well as events such as the Rolex Monterey Historic Races. The American Le Mans Series, AMA Superbike, and MotoGP series also make an annual trip to the track.
The Ultimate ArmChair Racing Test
In the 7th season of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson decides to put the realism of Gran Turismo to the test.
Clarkson pulls a 1:41 at the simulated track in Gran Turismo 4 in an NSX-R. Driving a real NSX, granted not an NSX-R, he only managed to muster up a 1:57 on the RealStation. Clarkson attributes the discrepancy in times to the ability to defy physics in the video game and his driving skill, or lack thereof.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans, held at the Circuit De La Sarthe, is perhaps the most famous motorsports events worldwide. Its name sake adorns the ALMS (American Le Mans Series) and is even paid a tribute by the 24 Hours of LeMons. Now on its 14th revision, Circuit N°14 is one of the world’s longest at 13.629km (or just short of 8.5mi). Circuit N°1 was 17.262km, or about 10.7mi, in length.
The Circuit, named for the Sarthe River, incorporates public roads and was once known for a 6km long straight where driver’s would reach over 250mph. Its features are sponsored by the likes of Dunlop (Curve), Ford (Chicane), and Porsche (Curve). The former two make up part of the Bugatti Circuit, named for Italian coachbuilder Ettore Bugatti. Which begs the question, “where is the fellow countrymen Andre Citroen love”? Even in its current configuration most of the track is done at full throttle and accordingly punishes drivetrains and brake components.
The Legacy of LeMans
In 1955, tragedy struck the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 2 hours in to the race an Austin Healey 100 swerved in to the middle of the track to avoid a pitting car. The Austin’s driver did not notice two Mercedes-Benz 300 SLRs approaching from behind. The sloped rear of the Austin served as a ramp for Pierre Levegh’s SLR, causing it to fly in to the air. When the MB made contact with the ground it struck a mound which was meant to protect spectators from wayward cars. Instead of stopping, the SLR was sent somersaulting in to the stands.
The motor separated from the chassis and kept going at full speed. The fuel tank had also ruptured adding kindling to the ensuing fire. The bodywork was part magnesium, unbeknownst to emergency crews, so as they poured water on to the flames they only made the fire worse. The accident killed 80, making it the most deadly crash in auto racing history. Investigations after the incident led to a ban of motorsports in France, Germany, Switzerland, and many other European nations. To this day, the ban on racing in Switzerland still stands.
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