Only in Vegas.
At this year’s CES event, BMW decided to wow the CES crowd with a technology exhibit. Set up outside of the convention facility, the passport-protected arena included a cafe, clothing store, displays for tires, Formula BMW race cars, and other “booths.” But the highlight was, by far, the F1 demonstration. The only thing wrong, was, well… it was on a track about 50 yards long.
BMW set up a guardrail protected straight, with two wide “spin” sections at either end. Grandstand seating was placed at one end of the “strip” with a “garage” in the center of the straightaway. Aspiring racer Graham Rahal, son of Indy champ Bobby Rahal was recruited to do the driving, um, er… demonstrating.
The truth be told: even with only a one second opportunity to put his foot down, Rahal got lots of people revved up. There is nothing quite like the sound of a Formula One car, even one with a leash on it. And, while the overall presentation was actually lame, it sure was nice to see one of these cars in person again. BMW has done a lot with the old Sauber F-1 team, and from the look of this car, they may be on to something in 2008. Of course, this has little to do with our work, but as a former racer, I couldn’t resist the post.
I do miss racing.