I have so much to tell you about our Big Two-Hearted Book Tour/Road Trip Adventures that I'm not even gonna try it now. Too much unpacking & re-organizing and warehouse schlepping & NEW BOOK SHIPPING (yes, you read that right, friends and neighbors!) to get done. Will probably split it into TWO interminable blogs later on this week.
There's a lot to cover & talk about.
But, in the meantime, a quick word or three about QUEUE ETIQUETTE and the shipping of the now-finished & in-hand Hardback First Editions of the new book (Steamroller III, if you've somehow forgotten) and the leather-bound, medallion-encrusted Special Editions we had made for all of our highly valued & downright beloved SPONSORS & ADVERTISERS.
We thank you all. Could not have done any of this without you!
And now, the nuts, bolts, nitty-and-gritty of it:

1) We have several cases of the new hardcover books in hand already. They met us at the swell and oft-spectacular (albeit occasionally soggy) SCCA Runoffs at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last weekend. We will begin shipping them TODAY (see Queue Etiquette and Procedural Protocols below).

2) We will be picking up many more cases of the new hardbacks PLUS the leather-bound etc. etc. Special Editions tomorrow morning, but the Special Editions still need to have their medallions affixed (not a huge job, but we need to do it carefully) and, thanks to all-too-typical-of-today Supply Chain Issues, the supposed-to-be-accompanying "Sponsor/Sucker" shirts are still "in the pipeline" and we don't have them yet.

3) We have literally hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of pre-orders for the new book (thank you all, and especially you BIG PLUNGER types who took the "why would anyone ever want two copies of the same damn book" deal and opted to order the hardback AND take on a softback Preview Edition of the new book to start reading right away. Don't know what's wrong with you folks, but I sure hope it's contagious!


Queue Etiquette and Procedural Protocols
1) As best we can manage it, book orders will be shipped in chronological order according to date received. There's no other fair way to do it.
2) There will be no pushing, shoving, saving of places, favoritism or buttinskis regarding your place in the shipping queue.
3) However, being a Chicago-based outfit, bribes may be considered. What have you got in mind?
4) We will try to engineer an old-skinflint-Henry-Ford-would-be-proud assembly line for book shipping, but being careful and mindful to include the personalizations and individual comments that a lot of you folks seem to enjoy. I'll do my best.
5) We'll endeavor to update you all (or "y'all" or "y'awl," depending on your Southern Lattitude...or "youse guys" if from NY, New Joisey or Chicago) on our progress.

ONE LAST THING DEPARTMENT:
THANK YOU ALL!!!

SOME OF YOU MANAGED TO RECOGNIZE THE DASHBOARD ABOVE AS FROM AN ALPINE A110 (I believe the only car model besides the iconic PORSCHE 911 to win both its class at Le Mans AND the World Rallye Championship). I'm not generally a rabid fan of postwar French cars (I once owned a used & much-abused Renault 17, which may be part of it) and I can recall looking under the hood of a Citroen DS19 back when we had our shop and not recognizing much of anything familiar). And don't even get me started on replacing the timing chain on a Citroen-Maserati! Better to let Jean-Claude do it! But I absolutely LOVE the Alpine A110. It's like a warm-blooded, light on its feet 911! And what great fun to drive! That's me, below, doing just that at Blackhawk Farms.

Catch the latest poop & pictures, the Jay Leno interview, Last Open Road swag & highly inappropriate attire from Finzio's Store and the lurid & occasionally embarrassing "ride with Burt" in-car racing videos on the hopefully now fully operational website at: