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rhytonen

AARP Member

Online

Background

Name: Rodney

Gender: Male

Location:
PENNSBORO, West Virginia
United States

Work:
Retired engineer
now engaged in recreational vintage kart restoration and road racing (laydowns)

My Comments (8)

Comments (8)

nunano says:

Nice pics- I only wish I knew enough to work on something like those carts

Posted: July 17, 2009 4:12PM EDT

seeker918 says:

Now I see how you know so much about cars, fuel, the chip,etc. Great pictures

Posted: January 31, 2009 6:46PM EST

R32-Rocky says:

Yes, I did click on the pics. Did you see my car?

Interesting that you too feel like I do - I HATE NASCRAP! I was so into the old IMSA. I had worked at Road America for many years, and I knew a lot of the old IMSA drivers too! As I was racing a Mazda RX7 back then, I knew all the Mazda GTU and GTO drivers, especially Roger Mandville. Oh back in those days of IMSA, American drivers were FEARED throughout Europe, as we had the best drivers in the world for road racing! But to show how we are held in regard today, a few years back when the Japanese GT racers were brought to California Speedway for a show race (and WOW their cars and racing is aweseom!!!!! Most of their cars are even more hi-tech than today's F1 cars!!!!), all the Japanese drivers only thought we knew how to drive in CIRCLES!!!!! They had no respect for our drivers or racing.

Funny too you mention one of my most favorite idols too - Stirling Moss! I actually got to meet him years back at the old Riverside Raceway, when Audi brought him out of retirement to come race in the IMSA Firehawk 500 events

Posted: January 29, 2009 9:59PM EST

R32-Rocky says:

He was standing off to the sidelines watching the other racing, and right next to him was Innes Ireland!!!!!! We talked for hours, and I was soooo thrilled! Then suddenly Moss walked away, and Innes turned to me and said "I think you ticked off the ol buggar"! I WAS SHOCKED!!! I quickly, and apologetically asked what could I have done to offend the man who had been my idol since I was a kid?????!!!! He told me it was because I had "DATED" him - ??????? He said that when I had mentioned that I STILL had my old (ancient) Aurora Stirling Moss Edition HO Racing Set, it made him feel his "oats". DOH!!!!!!

Posted: January 29, 2009 10:05PM EST

R32-Rocky says:

Oh, and I still have some old Kodak photos of the old IMSA racing cars at Road America. Boy, those were the days!!!!! Not the Rolex or the ALMS can compare to the hey days of IMSA. Oh, and I also used to know David Hobbs and Derek Bell too. Met them for the first time when the BMW 3.0CSi turbo was last raced and they won in it. It sort of became a mini-tradition between us that when I found them and would chat with them - they would win the race (which was true - they would win). Also met Paul Newman when we was racing the GTO Nissan 300Z, and many others.

At one Long Beach GP, I even got Mario to sign my JPS Lotus baseball cap! I wonder if that might be worth something on E-Bay if I need money someday too soon????

Posted: January 29, 2009 10:10PM EST

R32-Rocky says:

Hey, I read and now see you loved racing karts. I have been racing cars since 1974 in SCCA - mostly time trials with Midwest Council and AutoX with SCCA and others.

Rocky

PS: If you seen the pics I posted about the new Ford Focus ST and RS, I would love to have one of those IF ONLY Ford would maks/sell them here!!!! Currently I have the new VW MKV R32, but years ago I had Triumph Spitfires, a GT6, and two Lotus Europa. See the pics of my R32 on my profile

Posted: January 29, 2009 8:35PM EST

rhytonen says:

hey there Rocky -
It;s fun to race with Geezers, but I don;t think we'd do too well against kids. They seem to like to get upside down in sprit larts, and that's always been a no-no fpr me. Certainly now with this frail old body. I never saw karts as bumper cars. We idolized and emulated Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, etc., F1 - not NASCAR guys like Busch or Earnheardt. The 60's was a time of gentlemanly racing and sportsmanship in a dangerous environment, and without today's bumpers, this was true open wheel racing. I think the danger kept everyone honest. And no one else did our motors for us! Today there aren't even any open classes, except in vintage - one reason I love it. I also hate plastic on a kart, and vintage allows no bodywork

Posted: January 29, 2009 9:14PM EST