This story, as do most of my entries, starts with an alarm chiming at a time that mere mortals would prefer doesn't exist on weekend mornings. The Ferrari Concorso and Friends charity event takes place on LaSalle Road, in West Hartford, CT, which is approximately 2.5 hours north of me. Therefore, if I wanted to arrive when or before the cars did, which was predicted to start at 6 a.m., my alarm needed to grossly betray my sleep pattern. And it did.
Talk about evolution. An Enzo leads the LaFerrari out of the lot after a successful morning of shooting the promotional picture for the event.
My story actually starts about seven months ago, back on December 14th to be exact, when I first made the trip north to shoot the promotional shot for this great event. In fact, all the images in this entry are from that day. Additionally, if you haven't already done so, you should really check out their website. They do some fantastic things for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center.
Can you argue with the iconic wedge shape of the 365 GTB/4?
Fast forward to present day. I was up and about, with my brain fully functional approximately 10 minutes after its awakening. My gear was strategically laid out the evening before so all that was necessary was to collect it and head to the car. However, it was not business as usual this morning. My trusty chariot to all these fantastic auto gatherings I am fortunate enough to attend, the WUTmobile, did not want to wake up. The aging battery, after 5.5 years and 83k miles, was on its last gasp, not strong enough to turn the motor over. The automotive defibrillator, connected to my better half's Cruze, did more to sap what little life the battery had left, rather than to rejuvenate it. Having a not-so-visible ground connection probably had something to do with it, in addition to still being dark and rainy.
Ferrari F430 Challenge should be parked on LaSalle road, ready to thrill the lucky kid who gets a ride in the racecar.
No need to worry though, the three pedal setup allows for a more traditional way to resuscitate the 2L turbo. After pushing it out of its parking spot, which is thankfully at the top of a small incline, I took the driver's seat, put it in second gear, strong-armed the steering wheel to point me downhill, and rolled. And rolled a bit more. And popped the clutch. And nothing.
Now I was getting worried.
The car had come to rest and I was no longer on an incline. Getting it moving again would require a bit more muscle, followed by a coordinated leap into the driver's seat, a quick prayer, and another pop of the clutch. The runway was running out and this was my last chance to save face for the WUTmobile. I really didn't want to leave it stranded in the middle of the lot because it couldn't move under its own power. Fingers crossed...
THE Ferrari.
Take 2 was successful and the little engine that could fired to life. More time than I had liked had elapsed and immediate departure was necessary. I pulled back to the top of the lot, let the engine run for a bit, and shut it off. And started it back up! Satisfied, I hit the road.
Ferrari 458 Speciale is a wolf in sheep's Rosso Corso clothing.
My first planned stop was for petrol and coffee about 10 miles up the highway. I shut off the engine while I topped the fuel and found that it wouldn't restart afterwards. A kind gentleman in a modern Fiat 500 lent me a heartbeat and it was at that moment that I decided my trek north would no longer continue. I submitted to a battery that wouldn't hold a charge and regrettably headed home.
If you can look past this Lambo, you'll notice the WUTmobile in the background.
I think it's worth noting that not once did I let the wet forecast deter my decision to make the long journey north. For me, I enjoy the challenge of shooting in the elements, and can appreciate an overcast sky with or without precipitation. It adds to the atmosphere of the event and I wouldn't want to miss out on that.
This is the cleanest 308 GTS that I have ever seen, evidenced by the multiple awards that the owner has taken home.
My original intention for this trip was to do my thing, that is capture what I feel is the essence of the event, and present my work to the show organizers in hopes that next year, my phone would be ringing with news that they would want me to provide coverage. Additionally, I wanted to be able to photograph the happiness of the kids as they paraded down the road, providing the families with images of their loved ones' special day. Unfortunately, that is no longer going to be the path of proposal that I am going to take. I will have to rely on other means to make that happen now.
So it's with a heavy heart that I sit here in my apartment, still in my 8380 Labs F40 Competizione tee (carefully selected for today, mind you), protected from the rain, fingers flapping away, reporting on an event I couldn't attend. I look forward to viewing the images from photographers who were there and more so to my next attempt at attending next year.