Break Out The Flannel!! Pearl Jam Announces U.S. Tour!!

Finally...after an absence of a whole year (I was having withdrawals) Pearl Jam announced a tour yesterday that will encompass most of the Eastern 1/2 of the U.S. before heading off on a European tour.

As one of (virtually only) band I would actually pay to see in concert at this point, Pearl Jam puts on a consistently top notch show. Pulling from now nine studio albums and scores of cover songs, b-sides and one-offs, literally EVERY show is different with set lists that change every night and no pre-rehearsed conversations with the crowd. I have been to well over 100 concerts in my lifetime and seen nearly every major rock band in America over the past 20 years. No one connects with its audience and creates a feeling of "oneness" with its fans better than PJ.

Not one to clobber you over the top with fancy light shows and big production numbers PJ is just truly the last great American rock band in existence. Even if you are just a casual fan, you owe it to yourself to see them at least once in your lifetime. When, some 15-20 years from now, your kids are looking through your "record" collection and see that copy of "Ten" and begin delving further into the Pearl Jam catalog asking if you ever saw them you can say that yes, you were there and saw the last best hope of American rock and roll...

A note about the schedule...the TBD show on 5/18 will obviously be a second date in Boston. No town comes out to support PJ like Boston does. I'll be there both nights. Join me.

Pearl Jam.com

DATE	CITY	VENUE	PRE-SALE DATE/TIME
May 3rd	Kansas City, MO	Sprint Center	March 15, 9am PDT
May 4th	St. Louis, MO	Scottrade Center	March 15, 11am PDT
May 6th	Columbus, OH	Nationwide Arena	March 15, 1pm PDT
May 7th	Noblesville, IN	Verizon Wireless Music Center	March 15, 3pm PDT
May 9th	Cleveland, OH	Quicken Loans Arena	March 17, 9am PDT
May 10th	Buffalo, NY	HSBC Arena	March 17, 11am PDT
May 13th	Bristow, VA	Jiffy Lube Live	March 17, 1pm PDT
May 15th	Hartford, CT	XL Center	March 17, 3pm PDT
May 17th	Boston, MA	TD Garden	March 16, 9am PDT
May 18th	TBD	TBD	TBD
May 20th	New York, NY	Madison Square Garden	March 16, 12pm PDT
May 21st	New York, NY	Madison Square Garden	March 16, 3pm PDT

Buy Ford!! (the stock that is...)

Ah, my first foray into stock analysis/picking for the site.

I'll state up front that #1) I bought shares in Ford a couple weeks back at under $12 a share, #2) I was not smart (or courageous) enough to buy the stock when it was truly a bargain a year ago when it was hovering around $1 and #3) That I will be holding onto the stock for a while going forward as I don't want to get crushed by capital gains taxes and believe in the strength of the stock.

Over the prior year I had come to believe more and more in Ford as a company, and that is key for me to invest with anyone. If I don't understand the company, what it sells and its business model then I don't touch it regardless of its financials. In Ford's case, I have/had been in the automotive industry (on the banking side) for over a decade at Toyota and elsewhere and had grown to know the industry pretty well. When Ford turned down the U.S. government's bailout offer while GM and Chrysler jumped on the public money train I was impressed. There aren't many companies out there willing to turn down such a lucrative offer.

Over '09 and into '10 Ford sales leveled off and began increasing with solid vehicles and an improving reputation. Toyota's problems and GM and Chrysler's poor management and lineups, Ford is currently sitting in the catbird seat. Admittedly, Ford carries substantial debt at a high cost and is still hamstrung by union contracts that are not as favorable as say Toyota/Nissan/Honda. Even still, Ford is rapidly expanding overseas where market share can be substantially easier to grab and is even clawing its way up here in the States.

The stock itself has had an incredible run from $1 to its current $13 range and kudos to those who jumped onboard early. Still, I don't believe that this is case where the stock has outrun the company turnaround. The company market cap is right there with Nissan who has a much tougher road currently with the development costs sunk into a risky project like the Leaf, is held back by Renault's issues and does not have as widely an accepted lineup as Ford (which is not to say they don't make great vehicles.) Ford's stock also has a number of positive events to look forward to in the semi-near future that will bump it higher including the potential re-institution of a dividend of some kind and an upgrade at one of the debt rating agencies (Moody's, S&P, etc.) which would have the double impact of positive news and decreasing borrowing costs for Ford and directly improving their bottom line.

So...my bottom line is that the company is well on its way to becoming the dominant U.S. based automaker while its domestic competitors fall further behind with government influenced management and poor product lines. No major auto company has as much upside as Ford does at this point and that is a great thing for its stock.

Nismo Stuff Racing Grabs the Win!!

This past Sunday, 3/7, NISMO Stuff Racing continued its early season Rallycross success. With the top RWD Rallycross competitor out of the event due to a failing transmission (no such problems with the Nissan) and other competitors avoiding the event due to the location's notoriously rocky, historically car breaking surface it was an easy win for the durable Frontier and a chance to push it to its limit.

While the General Tire Grabber A/Ts provided excellent traction on the loose surface, even they couldn't keep the RWD pickup planted enough to prevent the rear from swinging loose on the marbley surface and a number of cones would meet their maker.

Again I was impressed by the new Braille battery the truck is now running. The NISMO Stuff Racer had sat in my garage for a month after the last event and was not turned over once, so I was a bit worried as to if it would be able to retain its charge over the extended period of time. No worries though, the truck started right up and ran strong all day.

Lastly, with the strong performance here, NISMO Stuff Racing has moved into 1st place overall for the 2010 New England Region SCCA Rallycross series and looks to stay there for the remainder of the year. The next event is in Rochester, NH at the Rochester Fairgrounds, a grassy and packed dirt horse track which should bring out more RWD competitors with which to compete.

Thanks again to all team sponsors including: Nissan Motorsports, General Tire, Bullydog Performance Products, Braille Battery and Redline Rally. The year wouldn't be near the success it has been thus far without you!!

Season Results:

1/16 NER Regional EAG.com Rallycross 3rd Place

1/17 NER Regional EAG.com Rallycross #2 2nd Place

1/16 & 1/17 National Rallycross 1st Place

2/20 NER at NED Rallycross 4th Place

3/5 NER Slip-n-Slide Rallycross 1st Place

SCCA NER Rallycross Page...

Nissan Patrol Pickup Reviewed...

from the land of the 2010 World Cup.

Not available here in the States but quite well known for its ruggedness in both South Africa and Australia the Patrol Pickup or "bakkie" as they are called in S.A. is reviewed as an extremely tough, capable, work vehicle, primed for being beat on and used to its fullest extent.

It does have one major downfall however, one which its main competitor from Toyota offers, making all the difference in the world...

Nissan Patrol Pickup Review...

19 Year Old SE-R Takes Production Class at Doo Wop Rally...

out in Washington state as part of the regional Rally America series. Placing 16th out of 28 entries on Saturday and 14th out of 26 entries on Sunday and 1st in the Production class on both days the 1991 Nissan Sentra SE-R of Kristen and Janice Tabor (Tabor Rally Team) ran strong all weekend proving that antique (almost!) Nissans can still bring the hurt on the competition. Unlike the unfortunate VW seen below...

Doo Wop Rally...

Che: Movie Review...

Che is an extremely mixed experience for any viewer. Certainly directory Steven Soderbergh is a talented director (Traffic, Ocean's Eleven, Erin Brockovich) and Che is not a sloppy, poorly done effort. It is well crafted, fairly well acted and a professional effort all around.

So why was it so unenjoyable?

Outside of its prodigious length (4 1/2 hours) the film is just flat. No ups, no downs, no tension, nothing...It is a sterile effort from beginning to end. Del Toro looks fantastic as Che, no one could look better than he in this role. Unfortunately that's all he does here...look good. As Che his vocal tone never changes, he talks in a simple slow monotone the entire film, like a wise teacher constantly trying to convey his vast knowledge upon his pupils with no emotion.

As far as the film's history goes...well...it admits upfront that it is based upon Che's personal diary in large part so its not exactly going to be a balanced look at the guerrilla icon. One thing I will credit the film with is that at least it shows both his best known success (Cuba) and also his final defeat (Bolivia).

The praise heaped upon this film at the time of its release in 2008 is in part due to the rise of the Left around the world, particularly in South America, and also within the U.S. itself. When del Toro goes to Venezuela to give screenings to a despicable creature like Hugo Chavez, you know you're riding a wave of socialist revival.

This film will not educate you as to who Che really was as a person nor what his actions accomplished or the thinking behind them. It will merely make you think you're smarter than you actually are when wearing your Che tshirt and hanging out in your local college bar...

More worthy of your time regarding Che:

The Motorcycle Diaries the 2004 film staring Gael Garcia Bernal and directed by Walter Salles. Based on Che's early diaries on his travels throughout South America as a young man this film teaches you more about the true Che in a 1/2 hour than Che does in four plus hours. Plus, its actually enjoyable, imagine that.

Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life the biography by Jon Lee Anderson. Over 800 pages in length and not a wasted page in it. It is the definitive biography on Che and covers his entire life and goes deep into events in Africa the USSR and elsewhere. A must for anyone looking to speak knowledgeably on Guevara.

Toyota Recall--What Nissan Should Learn...

Just a little opinion piece I wrote the other day for Nissan Sport Magazine. It becomes even more relevant now that Toyota owners who have supposedly had their cars fixed are still complaining of issues. I still maintain that a majority of these issues are the result of moronic human error--exactly what happened with Audi in the 80's, look it up. Since Audi's problems with American political and societal groups in the 80's automotive engineering has improved by leaps and bounds, the human brain and our legal/political system has not...you figure it out...

As long as you haven’t been living in a cave you know that Mr. Akio Toyoda is on the verge of committing hari-kari while being grilled by various politicos in Washington. As a fan of Nissan I look at the situation and think to myself, what lessons can Nissan learn from Toyota’s problems?

With the bottom line problem with Toyota’s vehicles still in question (is it floor mats? Electronics? Elderly drivers? Delusionary speeders?) I’ll leave the engineering issue aside and focus on Toyota’s response to the problems.

As I see it, Toyota has made the cardinal mistake of failing to control perception and not creating its own reality. By downplaying the issue and allowing others, be it the media or politicians or disgruntled owners to become the most vocal and visible participants in this bru-ha-ha, Toyota ceded control of the situation to others.

Perhaps it’s related to traditional Japanese culture to be quiet, unassuming and humble in times of difficulty but in confronting problems within trial lawyer happy America, it was the wrong move.

Perhaps with the non-Japanese Carlos Ghosn at the helm and a more turbulent history than Toyota, Nissan is better prepared to confront a public image catastrophe, driven in part by a direct competitor (as the U.S. government is by default with its ownership of GM). It had better be, as with the fall (at least in the eyes of the consumer) of Toyota and the introduction of such high profile vehicles as the Leaf and others, Nissan becomes a bigger and bigger target against which those with agendas both genuine and synthetic will launch their spitballs.

Time Attack Season Opens Up!

Well, at least for testing...

Out at Willow Springs a number of the teams got in some early season testing. For those of you unfamiliar with Time Attack its really simple. Just you and the clock, fastest wins. Five different classes of vehicles keep things pretty streamlined and you'll find lots of grassroots racers in this series. Unfortunately the series only makes one trip here out East, to NJ Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ on 4/10-11 so my chances to view it are pretty limited.

Regardless, its good to see the boys of Fontana Nissan out there running their GT-R. They also will be fielding a 350Z this year as well. By all reports, and not surprisingly, the GT-R was the fastest car of the day.

Also have to give an extra mention to Fontana Nissan as they are one of the few, if not the only, Nissan dealership out there really pushing their brand. Fontana Nissan has a number of racing and aftermarket modified vehicles in their stable from this GT-R to a Titan and Frontier that were at SEMA. Well done boys...

Redline Time Attack Series...

Fontana Nissan

Nissan Wins Northern Forest Rally!

Holy crap!! Miracles do happen!

Likely still smarting from his DNF in the Dakar Krysztof Holowczyc took his Nissan Navara (Frontier) to the Northern Forest Rally and came home a winner over drivers much more familiar with the terrain and conditions.

The deep snow and cold temps were a challenge for all and required the tungsten spikes for traction. Defending champ (who won the event in a Nissan in '09) finished 2nd overall in his G-Force Proto.

The real story was Holowczyc though as he became the first non-Russian to win the event, confirmed that he and his team would be back at the Dakar in '11 (as planned for now) and put Nissan in the winners circle for the first notable time this year. Holowczyc, however, indicated that he will not be running for the overall FIA International Cup for Baja Rallies championship due to his duties at home in Poland both within the government and with his family. Holowczyc is clearly the best Nissan off-road driver in the world at the moment. Its a shame he doesn't get more seat time but I will take what I can get.

Well done Krysztof!! Well done!!

Also of note was the strong performance of Alexander Mironeko, who was also a DNF in the most recent Dakar and who took his Nissan Navara to a third place finish here as Nissans took three out of the top four final positions and recorded NO DNFs...Here's hoping its a small sign of things to come...

Check out the video at the bottom of the following pics as well...

Shutter Island: A Review...

It's not often that I get to see a film in the theater anymore (son, wife, house, work, hobbies, etc.) so if I am going to do so, it usually has to be a fairly relevant one--either one by a good director/writer or one that has gotten a high amount of buzz for one legitimate reason or another--Sorry, but Avatar doesn't cut it...

So it was that when I began seeing previews for Shutter Island, almost a year ago, I said to myself that if I had a chance I would want to see this Scorsese/DiCaprio film in a real theater. I have enjoyed a number of this director's/actor's combinations in the recent past from the great Departed to the overlooked The Aviator.

This however, not nearly up to either man's standards.

Shutter Island is about 1/2 hour too long, its music (all non-original, just plucked from various classical sources) overbearing and its story silly.

Coming in to all current "suspense" type films the modern audience has come to expect, no, demand, a "twist" at the end. Which is a shame as this film could have been a solid, smart, straightforward thriller containing some great subject matter but instead is a slightly better crafted M. Night Shamalamadingdong style wannabe. Harsh, I know, but oh, so, true. The film's owners did a magnificent job of postponing this film from last fall when its competition would have been much greater and now faces such competition for eyes as Cop Out and The Crazies--no wonder it keeps bringing in the money, its not like there are any other options right now!

If you haven't figured out the twist and left the theater 1/2 way into the film you will leave Shutter Island like all those viewers at the show I attended did, in silence, wondering how a master of film had fallen so far, so fast...I just hope the money Scorsese makes on this film enriches his bank account enough to go back out on a limb and make something worthwhile again...

Now We've Got A Series!!

For the first time in a number of years Rally America might actually be a contested series instead of a Pastrana coronation.

Ken Block won this weekend's "100 Acre Wood" event marking his only his second event in the new Ford and the last event before he goes to Mexico to run in the WRC event there. Though Block was running a bit behind TP, and eventual 2nd place finisher Antoine L'Estage, coming into the second day, a broken control arm ended Pastrana's event and Block ran hard enough to overtake L'estage. This marked Block's 5th consecutive win in Missouri and puts him back in contention after his DNF a month ago in Michigan.

L'Estage's 2nd place moves him into 1st overall on the season as he finished 2nd back at the Sno*Drift event and Bill Bacon's 3rd place this weekend moves him into 2nd on the year as he had finished 3rd at Sno*Drift.

So with Block and TP both having a DNF and a win in their first two events the season looks to be off to a great start. Block and Pastrana will have to fight hard to make up ground and get back to the front —especially in this shorter season.

Also good to see cars like a 1970 VW Bug out there running and running well...showing that at its heart Rally Racing can be fun and a challenge for all, no matter what the budget...

Is NASCAR the Most Boring Major Sport in America??

I think the answer is an unequivocal "yes". Today you had your choice of watching either the best hockey game in a generation and what will likely be the highest rated hockey game ever which went to overtime and was a remarkable back and forth effort by both teams. The gold medal game between the U.S. and Canada was nearly everything that is right with sports (if only it was between amateurs it would have been ALL that is best in sports) and saw Canada win in an absolutely thrilling event from beginning to end.

If you weren't watching this game over all other sporting events today and weren't sitting with your heart in your throat for the whole game...well...you just don't HAVE a heart...

On the other hand, those individuals with pretty much flat brain waves could watch the roundy-round race over on ABC...Jesus what crap...they shortened the race by a bunch of laps from last year and brought a new tire...and the race still sucked. As usual it was the Rick Hendrick invitational as the convicted tax evading millionaire's douche-bag duo of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon ran 1 and/or 2 all day while the announcers tripped over themselves to explain why the chosen one (Dale Jr.) was running mid pack all day again...

When the race ended less than 1/2 the original field was even on the SAME LAP as the winner and the stands which were only 2/3 full to start the day (at one of the best drawing tracks NASCAR has) were only 1/4 full...I'll go out on a limb and say this will be one of the lowest rated NASCAR races in a looooooong time...The sport is a disgrace to the word "sport" and is on the wrong track to build an audience and gain corporate sponsors...the stands are becoming progressively more and more empty each week and while the racing becomes less and less interesting...Good luck to anyone pitching a corporate sponsor and getting them to come on board this train wreck...

Coffee Table Nissan GT-R Book from Veloce Publishing...

Just in time for Christmas!!! Uh...no...you'll have to either wait 10 months or buy this one on your own...

Now available from the British publisher, Veloce, this coffee table book covers the entire history of the GT-R from 1957 to the current day in fantastic pictures (over 400) and words. The author is a Russian born, U.S. educated, electronics specialist who has been a lifelong follower of the GT-R. Now if only the dollar would strengthen against the pound and make the book a bit cheaper!!

Veloce Publishing GT-R book...

Nissan Returns to Motorsports in North America!!

OK so its not like Nissan is breaking into NASCAR or is funding a full factory Rally America team or fielding a team at this years Baja 1000 but Nissan is back, and they're doing it right.

Joining forces with the successful Brass Monkey Racing team who finished third in the World Challenge GT Championship series in '09 using a Porsche 911 GT3 with wins at Sebring and Road America, Nissan North America is backing a two car, GT-R effort for the '10 season. All races are broadcast (on tape delay) on VS. and the first event of the year in St. Petersburg is occuring in combination with the Honda Grand Prix of the IRL series.

The team GT-Rs are currently being built and they will be showing them off on their website in the near future. Given the team's experince and prior success now paired with solid backing from a corporate partner, Brass Monkey Racing should be a force to reckon with this year!

Plus...who doesn't love a team with it own women's thong undwear line?!?!

Nissan Back in North American Motorsports Press Release...

Brass Monkey Racing...

Brass Monkey Racing women's thong...

NISMO Stuff Racing Grabs 4th for the Weekend!!

OK...OK...so the above pic is NOT of my truck at this weekend's RallyCross event. But I just didn't have the heart to take a pic of the NISMO Racing vehicle in the driveway after the event and post THAT!! As of today I have not seen any pics of the NISMO Racer from the weekend but the results (see below for link) prove that it was there!!

This past Saturday up at the New England Dragway in Epping NH was cold to start but sunny all day and by the end had become VERY muddy. Early morning runs were completed on snow, ice and frozen dirt--not the NISMO Racer's best surface and combined with my tendency to be overly conservative on the day's first few runs put the NISMO Racer back in 7th place (out of nine) by the noon break. Determined not to let the day get away, the team had a strong 2nd half of the day actually posting a best in class time over the last three runs (out of seven total for the day) and climbed three places to fourth for the event. Not the best of results but given how far back the team was early on, this was certainly acceptable.

Finishes for the year in the first three New England Region SCCA Rallycross events in the Prepared Rear class now total a 3rd, a 2nd and a 4th with a 1st place in the SCCA National event which combined results from the first two events. The NISMO Racing team remains in 2nd place overall for the year in the Prepared Rear class.

With 75 entrants, numerous crew and family members on hand and groups of spectators wandering in and out, the NISMO Racer (again, positioned in its downtime for the most number of eyeballs) was called by one spectator, and I quote, "the best looking vehicle out there" (thanks Red Line Rally!) and got a going over by scores of attendees.

The new Braille battery was fantastic. I was a bit worried coming into the event given the cold temperatures and the large number of times the vehicle would be stopped and started that such a small battery would not hold up--but it performed flawlessly and also received numerous inquiries (answered and directed appropriately) during tech inspection.

While the ice and snow of early runs was not the best condition for the General Tire Grabber A/Ts (the ever present Subies and others generally ran dedicated "ice" tires, many with studs) they kept me on the course well enough so that when conditions changed in the afternoon I was really able to shine and put down some fast times. I can't wait for the dirt and gravel of Summer!

No rest for the wicked though!! The next event is only two weeks away in Laconia/Belmont, NH and who knows what the conditions will be. The Belmont track is notoriously rocky and gets rutted quite easily, though given we are to receive a mix of rain/snow every day for the next five days it could be a soupy mess...We will see...

NER @ NED Rallycross results...

Now Why Can't We Get Engines Like That??

Lots of news coming out of Nissan/Infiniti of late and here is some more.

Though available only in Europe for now, the Infiniti EX, FX and M are all going to get twin turbo diesel engine options. The engine will be sourced from Renault (thanks Froggies!!) and will begin showing up in showrooms this summer. Increased torque, better mpg and I'm sure a bit of increased cost...

Will we see it here? Doubtful, but Nissan has been doing all sorts of crazy things of late so you never know...

Infiniti adds twin-turbo diesel engines to lineup...

President's Day Socialist Sale...

Hmmm...surprised more media outlets didn't pick up on this one...a few days late (given President's Day was last week) this advertisement showed up in my mail today. Can't say it would have been nearly as appropriate during other recent presidential terms. I'm sure if contacted the business would say it has absolutely nothing to do with our current pinko-in-chief but at least someone out there has a solid sense of humor despite its inherrent truth as well...

Nissan Rally Troubles Continue...

Oh how a year changes things...

'09 started off with two top ten Nissan finishes followed up with a Nissan overall win at the Ha'il Baja in Saudi Arabia...

Forward to '10 and numerous disasters befall Nissan teams in the Dakar with none finishing in the top 20 and last year's Ha'il Baja winner Yazeed Al-Rajhi has traded in his Nissan for a Mitsu.

While the driver results are the same in '10 as they were in '09 at the Ha'il Baja, the marqee finishing order is not in Nissan's favor. With mostly solid axle Nissan Patrols and two older Nissan Pathfinders entered in the event one couldn't have come in expecting much...but finishing behind an Isuzu D-Max and a Toyota Land Cruiser ending up in 6th place for the highest Nissan is quite dissapointing...

Though none of the major Euro based Nissan drivers (Palik, Holowczyc, etc.) were entered in this event it is still sad that 6th place is the best a Nissan could manage against generally weak competition...

The Ha'il Baja was Round 1 of the FIA's six event long International Cup for Cross-Country Bajas...Next up? The Northern Forest Rally in Russia in a few weeks...

Ha'il Baja Results...

Nismo Stuff Racing Loses...

about 22 pounds that is...

In keeping with one of the overall themes of this vehicle and holding to the "light makes right" theory I made one of the easiest upgrades one can make to a performance vehicle by replacing the stock battery.

The stock battery shipped with the Nissan Frontier is (from what I've gathered) built by Interstate Battery and is a fine battery--as general purpose batteries go, but it is very heavy, weighing in at 39 pounds and taking up a good deal of space in the very front of the vehicle.

I have been intrigued by Braille batteries for a couple years now. They have campaigned a 350z in the past and have been continued supporters of a number of Nissan efforts as well as have seen their product in numerous top of the line racing vehicles from the 24 Hours of Daytona, to NASCAR to Formula Drift.

I could have gone SUPER light with my choice as they offer batteries all the way down to tiny 3.7 pound Lithium batteries (albeit for $950) but needed to balance my need for all weather performance (as the Frontier will be run at all times of the year) and budget constraints. What I ended up with is the 17 pound B2317 which is small enough to cut my battery weight in more than 1/2 while still providing the cold cranking ability to turn the 4cyl. engine over in the New England winter—all for under $200. To this I added the aluminum mounting kit which adds negligible weight and provides a solid way to secure the battery.

Received in just a handful of days after getting the battery directly from Braille (why bother with a middle man??), installation was relatively easy though the convoluted Nissan terminal wiring and fuselink do not allow for many mounting positions without tearing into the harness--not something I wanted to do. So the battery remains in more or less the stock location but has saved a great deal of weight (0.6%!!) for something so simple—plus it just looks cool...

Braille Battery...

BRE Datsun's in Baja Article...

In the latest Hemmings: Sports & Exotic Car magazine. Not exactly what I would expect from this magazine given its seeming focus on supercars and classic cars and car shows/auctions. I'm not complaining though. Any excuse to remember and detail the classic Pete Brock led Datsun effort in Baja.

Brock Racing Enterprises...

Hemmings...