Anybody going to Six Flags tomorrow?

just curious.

I will be there a little bit before 8 am.

good luck,

aj

 

I just got back from Six Flags...The new rides had 2-4 hour wait times, so needless to say we skipped them.

 

must have been a different six flags you went to. I am talking about the one here in MD. They also just had an autocross school today. Lot's of fun!

The bad part is that we can only use their lot when the park is closed.

drive safe,

aj

 

Is that the PCA event? I'll never attend another one, that's for sure. Not to be a "sour grapes" too awful much.

 

Whut? Dey dont like non-Porsh-uhhs whoopin up on dem? Hope they aint uhfended by my pick-em-up truk tomorow.

 

These aren't the exact words, but it was basically "You can come every now and then, but don't come to all of 'em, please" For that, I chose not to work the course and left before cleanup time. And I thought that someday I wanted a Porsche. I guess I could still, but probably won't join the PCA and just stick with SCCA/NASA.

 

Yup. First heat. In the gold/bronze RX-7 that will be towed in by the white Caprice.

 

I'll be there... yellow/primer CRX on Koseis.. .can't miss it...

Dan

 

Assuming I can my roommates car out of the way. Boy is she gonna be pissed when I wake her up at 6am.

 

I have too much work to get done, so I'm going to sit this one out.

Karen

 

I'm still sick...... argh.

 

well I had fun.

I got about three re-runs because the wind just blew the course away everytime.

my best time was a 63.4

Eric Carmen drove my car as well. He got a 62.1 I believe.

drive safe,

aj

btw: I basically saw all of you guys there but didn't know it. I saw Pat, Crack Monkey with the RX-7, and Lt. Dan with the yellow CRX. Sorry I didn't say high to you guys.

 

Well, we saw you and didn't know it either, so I guess we're all daft.

See you next time.

 

You guys probably already left, but Wally Swift died of a heart attack in the third heat while driving on course.

I was in my truck getting ready to run and saw him coasting at almost a walking pace halfway through the second run in his Neon, and I think everybody thought something was wrong with the car. He kept going across the course until he hit a chain-link fence on the edge of the lot, and there was no movement in the car. Some course workers and other people ran over and then started yelling for somebody to call an ambulance.

From what I heard, CPR was started about 30 seconds after they got him out of the car, and there were actually two trained EMT's on site who arrived soon after. But they couldn't revive him. He was 82 years old, had been autocrossing for more than 30 years and had won numerous local championships. Didn't know him personally but knew of him. I guess it was "his time" and he at least died doing something he loved.

We had a meeting afterwards and decided to continue with the event -- people could get a refund if they didn't want to compete, but most of us probably felt Wally wouldn't have wanted everybody to stop having fun because of him.

 

 

I just read about this, and am deeply saddened by the news. I'm guessing that at least he was doing something that makes him happy when this happened.

RIP Wally Swift

 

I did know Wally and spent awhile yesterday talking and working with him. It was very hard for me. This is a man that had such a love for the sport and life. This was a man that was thankful for every second he had and tried his hardest to get as much out of those seconds as he could. This was a man that knew he was well past his prime and that his reactions were not nearly what they once had been. But, he continued to come out and run always with a smile and a kind word for all. My best memory of Wally will always be seeing him work the starting line at events (his favorite and pretty much only work assignment). He was always a stickler for lining everyone up exactly the same, making sure no one had any advantage over another (Allen Pozner learned that the hard way yesterday...hehehe). But he always had an encouraging word for you as you prepared to make your run and cheered you on as you would launch away from the line.

I can only hope to live my life with that much passion. I will never forget Wally.

Eric Carman

 

I'm still pretty new to the autocross scene, so I didn't know Mr. Swift. I was working the first corner when he coasted into the fence, and I must admit at first we (two other guys were working the corner with me) were wondering what the heck he was doing coming off course and just slowly cutting across the first part. Once we realized what happened, etc. I thought it was amazing that while he was suffering the heart attack (or stroke?), he came off the course, slowed down, and pointed straight toward the fence (cutting across a part of the course no car was coming onto). I didn't know him, but just from that I know he was a great driver.


[Modified by Steppin Razor, 3:02 PM 3/11/2002]

 

The news has put a cloud over my evening... I always enjoyed talking with him.. He always had a story to tell, a tip to give, or just some friendly banter... He was working the starting line for the my runs in the first heat... He always seemed enthusiatic, and happy about where he was.. he will be greatly missed...

Dan

 

This is truly heartbreaking news.
A moment of silence...

 

Wally will be missed. Just glad something worse didn't happen when he passed out.