These pictures are from an Audi Owner's Club caravan to Key West on May 21, 2011 using Jay Wilson's brand new Audi S4; a fun trip!

“Master of Science” is really very grandiose-sounding, isn't it? I promise I won't insist on being styled as such, now that the unthinkable day is here and I actually have my degree in hand.

For new readers: I've been working on a master's degree in electrical engineering for the past 5 years or so, acquiring along the way a textbook case of ABD (“All But Dissertation”, a disease which is actually a formal status in some parts of academia). This summer, growing weary of the debilitating symptoms of this illness, I sat behind my computer and effected a cure, which required every scrap of free-time available from August to November. Hence the lack of updates on this blog in recent months.

Now, of course, I have all the time in the world—time enough, at least, to start on some exciting new projects. Come back soon for details!

On Saturday, March 20, my friend Jay Wilson and I were guests of Bell Micro at the famous 12 hour sports-car race. As always, this was an event that combined world-class endurance racing (it is probably second only to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in significance), with the following sideshows:

• Car-show-type exhibits from some of the most interesting auto manufacturers
• A broad range of individually-owned vintage sports and race cars in various states of repair and respectability
• An absurd redneck carnival decorated by what can charitably be called 'folk art' and fueled by a biblical deluge of beer and tequila

Despite the absence of Audi this year, Peugeot deserves all respect for their flawless one-two victory in the LMP1 class and in the race overall, which makes them the first French manufacturer to ever win at Sebring — that Tricolor on the grandstands will certainly stand out at the end of a long line of German and Italian flags! Congratulations (and enthusiastic thanks for inviting us!) are also due to Bell Micro for once again finishing on the the podium, this time in third place in the GT2 class with the Rahal-Letterman BMW M3.

This building at 1515 Flagler Drive has been a bit of an eyesore since it took hurricane damage in 2004. It was brought down with explosives on Sunday, the third tallest building to ever be demolished so in the United States. And I was lucky enough to be there!

I set up my Canon G6 on multiple-shot mode for this—it did pretty well, especially given that I was just holding it above my head in the tightly-packed crowd.

My apologies for the belated post. This was my first, though I certainly hope not my last, visit to the famous endurance races; I'd like to offer my thanks to our gracious host Bell Microelectronics, sponsor of the Panoz team that took third place in the GT2 class, for making it possible.

The pictures are all the work of my cousin Torm.