This month it is going to happen; the 2013 Driving Season is about to begin with the Spring Tune Up on the 27th. I wrote in detail about the upcoming events for the month of May and I will not going to bore you by repeating it all. May is going to be one of the busiest MG months of this year. There has to be at least one or two, maybe even more, of the dates that you can get your MG out on the road together with your friends of the CMGC and the VMGCC. I can't think of a better opening of the driving season than the Spring Brunch, the Spring Chicken Rally/Tour, the Spring Tour of our T-Type colleagues, an Autocross with Joel, Seth and the Miata guys, or Dino's Garage Tour. There should be sign-up information for all the May events in this newsletter. Please accept our apologies if an announcement didn't make it in time for the publication date. If that happens you can always check our websites, or give the organizer or me a call or send an e-mail. And, if you have a chance to show your MG or help with the Car Care Clinic for Seniors in Naperville-Lisle Township don't forget to contact Jim Vondran at 630 357 7296 or vondrangroup@aol.com

Last month's newsletters also included a calendar for the entire year. But as schedules go, changes happen as time moves along. Here are two, and maybe that you can pencil them in the calendars on your refrigerator, desk or tool box in the garage. Sunday August 4 is Peds in the Weeds, the picnic for

  the Lutheran Children's Hospital Pediatric Oncology Patients and Family. We need a few different MG's that can be used as photo opportunities with these kids. I will bring Emma, Dino promised to come with the limo and of you would like to join us with an A, B and some T-Types well have a great representation of what MG in Chicago has to offer.

Saturday & Sunday, October 5 & 6 is the return of the Abingdon Trials. This is the endurance rally that the CMGC used to stage in conjunction with the Abingdon Weekend a few years ago. Mark Michalak, who brought back the Grand Lake Tour last year, has taken it upon himself to do the same with the Abingdon Trials.

We are still looking for a garage tour leader for the July 13. In the previous Directions I accidentally wrote June 13, which is incorrect. The museum quality super garage in Melrose Park will be open on July the 13th, if we can find a leader for the event.

As always, please call or e-mail me with any questions, suggestions, ideas, or concerns. 847 342 9804 or reinoutvogt@gmail.com

"The more you drive, the more you smile".

-- Reinout Vogt

This year it seemed as if winter would never get here. And now that it is here it just won’t leave. As I write this on Palm Sunday, it’s in the 30s and we are waiting for another snow storm to arrive. But spring is in the air. The chipmunks and ground hogs are out of hibernation, the red-winged black birds have been back for several weeks, and the sand hill cranes have been migrating north. Its spring time and a young man’s fancy turns to love. But this middle aged man’s fancy turns to sports cars and Grand Prix racing. The MG will have to wait another week or two, but the GP season is under way. This year being broadcast on NBC Sports, but retaining mostly the same commentators that hosted the Speed Network show for years. This includes Steve Matchet, retired mechanic for the old Benetton team. Several of his books are in our library. This month’s featured book, found by Reinout at the swap meet, is not about Formula 1 racing, but the Le Mans Ford Ferrari wars back in the sixties.

Go Like Hell Ford, Ferrari, and their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans A.J. Baime, 2009, 256 pages, some b&w photos, paperback We all know the story, Ford vs. Ferrari, the Duece vs. Il. Commendatore, Shelby’s hot-rodders vs. Ford’s engineers. But this book reads more like a novel than a history book. It contains a lot of background on the main players without being boring. You might know how it ends, but you won’t know the stories behind the story until you read this book. Good MG connection not only with Carroll Shelby (‘next year Ferrari’s ass is mine’) but also with Ken Miles. Highly recommended. ~~Bill Mennell