Needless to say if you take a look at our Archive page and pull up Aug 2003, you'll see SLO has had a busy, busy month, and in many ways.  The thing that amazes me the most about this team is how multi-faceted we are, and I mean from track making, to technical know-how, to MTM community involvement, to rumbling and racing.  Where racing is concerned no one, and I mean no one can dispute the fact that we have the "deepest" bench out here, so it's not like we rely on one or two guys to pull us thru a tourney.  With N8 committed to real life recreational endeavors, Jump attending to personal matters, Scrooch finishing up his potty training, Demi unavailable, JDAK out playing Army guy, Knuck, HotShoe, and Muddd all with previously scheduled engagements, and me...well, I'm still helping out with the Expo...we STILL rocked the house!!!

Once again, taking center stage was +ALL2much as the tourney host.  The track for this weekend's tourney was a goody - Dog Country, taken from the RIP APL.  Since time is of the essence (Expo duty calls), let me cut to the chase by saying SCAT, Shaggy, Fila, & Ravashin RAZ stepped out there and lit - it - up!  Here's how it came out in the wash:

                          1st - SLO_Fila

                          2nd - SLO_RAZ

                          3rd - OLD_racnut

                          4th - SLO_Shaggy

Man 'o man, what a way to close out a tourney, huh?  Exceptional performance, guys - especially you, Fila!  Dang - I'm missin all the fun!  I can't wait to get back out there with ya!!

As always, thanks to ALL2much for continuing to support this game and those who play it.  He's also on a life-long quest to be the first MTMer in three years to be inducted into the Tourney Host Hall of Fame.  Just 3,759 more to go and he's in there! 

Lastly, "GGs" to the rest of the field - from what I heard it was a blast!

Hey all, we just put together a fresh set of tracks for our APL, and we think you're going to like what you see. Several of the picks came from this years' Expo, so you gotta know this list is ssssssssmokin!  Get em now and let's get to racin! 

Every week about this time for the past few months I've been diggin stuff out of my own personal archives of "special photos", then coming here to trash my friends & teammates (I have one friend on the team, but unfortunately he's inactive).  It's good, semi-clean fun, but sometimes my conscience starts to bother me lol. 

I'm not going to conjure up any wacky tales about Razzy.  The stuff he says day-in and day-out is wacky enough without my adding anything to it lol. What I will say is he's one of the hottest racers out here today, and this past weekend he dispelled any notions (if there were any) that he wasn't!  His performance at this weekend's tourney earned him a convincing first place finish - his first.  And mark my word, if he had time to enter tourneys regularly, he'd have more 1st place trophies--no bout a doubt it.

The real surprise to me was +ALL2much garnering third place, which is superb.  I had the chance to chat with A2M prior to the tourney after one of his practice sessions.  Needless to say he wasn't brimming with confidence, but he obviously pulled it all together when the time came - check it out.

Malibu350 was back in action (shouldn't he be workin on a track?) and he pulled off another 4th place finish, so congrats to him.

What can you say - another grand slam winner of a tourney by A2M, which translated into fun for all involved.  GG's to those who attended, and thanks once again to you, A2M for taking the time to support the MTM community.  Here are the final results:

                          1st - SLO_RAZ

                          2nd - RIP_Death1

                          3rd - _ALL2much

Oh wait - I just have to take one last shot at Ravashin Raz lol.  Congrats again, bud.  You da man!!!

According to my wife, the only thing I'm good at making is a mess, but that's another story lol.  For all you tr?ck makers (or aspiring tr?ck makers), however,  Bin Edit 2 is now on the shelf and available for use.   Word has it this is a killer program, and if I may anonymously quote (Phineus lol) one of this game's guru's..."I really can't say enough good things about this update.  If MTM add-ons are your thing, you'll love the new binedit.  A ton of work and extensive testing went into this thing, and man oh man it shows."

BIG thanks to Malibu350 (on right with the nice chapeau) & Oliver Pieper, as well as to those who assisted with testing the program.  Down with checkers, long live MTM 2!

Knarf, the maker of MTM Starter & MTM Setter, has a new program under his belt - the MTM 2 Installer.  In short, this is one dang good utility to have if you're doing an initial install or a reinstall.  It enables you with the ability to get everything you need and want without the hassle of jumping form site to site.  If you're new to MTM 2, and you want to experience what add-on racing is all about, plus have over 200 tracks in common with SLO and a host of other MTM 2 racers...you'll definitely want this program. 

I have a few updates to make, but since I'm heading out of town in about....4 min, they'll have to wait til Monday, Aug 25.  Until then... 

The SLO Tracks & Miscellaneous Tracks pages have been updated to reflect the onslaught of recent releases for Expo 2003.  If you haven't checked em out yet, or if by some miracle this Expo 2003 talk is new to you, take a few minutes to review the page, check out the tracks, test drive the trucks, and enjoy what I think is the absolute best part of this game - its unmatched variety.  

Super host +ALL2much pulled off what "I think" is a first for him, which is participate in a race tourney he hosted.  I spoke to him afterwards, and he said next he'll try hosting a tourney while simultaneously racing, watching his favorite TV show (Sesame Street), and knitting a nice sweater.  What a show-off, huh?

The track for this weekend's tourney happened to be one of this year's Expo submissions - "Elevation", by SLO_Fila.  I can't comment on the track just yet since the review/judging process is still ongoing, but what I can say is "readme.txt files are quite informative" lol. 

Before I get to the who placed where and all that crapola, when I looked at the list of participants and saw the name "Malibu350", I thought surely that couldn't have been the real deal - has to be an imposter.  It wasn't.  According to Mal, he said he had some extra time on his hands, and it had been a while since he ran a tourney, so he figured he'd give it a go.  That and he heard RAZ, Jump, & N8 wanted his autograph, so he thought he'd oblige them.  What a guy, huh?  Whatever the reason, it was awesome seeing one of the all-time great track makers of the game out trading paint with da fellas.

As for the tourney, looks like The SuperStar was in top form once again in yet another all SLO final.  The last round was a thriller, and one look at this replay says it all. It picks up the action at the end of 4 of 5 laps, and I'm here to tell ya, it's amazing stuff.  Awesome job out there once again, Team SLO, and "GG's" to all the other racers who came out to support this tourney.  NOTE:  Mal said since he didn't win autograph prices are now $15.00 a pop instead of $8.00, and that he better not catch Fila or N8 on one of his tracks (ever).  Then he closed by saying Knuckles was a stupid name for a racer, stuck out his tongue, and left.

Here are the official particulars:

                           1st - SLO_N8
                           2nd - SLO_RAZ

                           3rd - SLO_Jumper

                              Tied for 4th

SLO_Demigod, SLO_Shaggy, Malibu350, +ALL2much

Normally updates to the N&U Archive are posted at the start of a new month, e.g., on the 1st of September, we would normally update the archive page to include the N&U for August.  However (comma) since this month has been event-filled (to say the least), we've gone ahead and posted the update on our archive page to reflect happenings for this month.  Consider it a courtesy to those who've been too busy to keep pace with all that's going on.  Hey, do we aim to please here at SLO or what?  

In case you're wondering what's up with Expo 2003, the answer is the track/truck review phase is currently underway.  There were quite a few submissions overall, hence it's going to take a little time to draft reviews for every track and every truck.  Please be patient - the final outcome is in sight!

When we first met knuckles he seemed normal enough, not  unlike any of the other members on SLO (which means his "elevator doesn't quite reach the top floor).  Check out this conversation:

Ok let's break this puppy down:  We began talking about racing events - Knuck and I, anyway.  Ducky seemed to be in his own little "special place"...far, far, away lolol. But notice how the conversation quickly changed to talk of Ben-Gay (of all things).  Weird you say?  Hell yeah!  I was suspicious, so I had *+*SHIMMER*+* (she likes that twinkle crap around her name) go over to his place under the guise of a goodwill gesture (took him a case of Geritol). What she found shocked everyone; she said there were empty tubes of Ben-Gay all over his house, in his truck, in the fridge - everywhere!  Oh yeah, the last part of that conversation is making sense now, huh?  

Despite his "habit", we saw fit to bring him in anyway.  He's a heck of a nice guy, a darn good racer...although he claims he was faster when he "oiled up" with Ben-Gay.  It matters not now, for he's on the road to recovery having enrolled in BGAA (Ben-Gay Addicts Anonymous).  We get weekly reports on the guy, and he's doing quite well--down to only four tubes per day!   

Knuck, welcome to the team, partner lol!!  I'm runnin a tad behind, so your profile won't be up til tomorrow.  But I assure you I'll get it done.  By the way, you'll get your welcome package as soon as you reach that magical 2-tube per day milestone.  Sorry man, but the package includes "Sports Creme", so like...we wanna be dang sure you've got this Ben-Gay thing licked first lol. 

Once again, welcome aboard, bud!  How about a SLO standing-o for our newest member....

* * * * * SLO_Knuckles * * * * *

I'm short on time and long on things to do, but still, there's always time for posts like this one.  +ALL2much held another tourney this weekend, and this time around he featured the track, "Crabtree Lake", by SLO_HotShoe, a guy who's quickly carving out his place in MTM 2 history as being one of the all-time best. 

It was 4 laps in the final round, and as it's happened on several occasions in the past, SLO was vying for all 3 podium positions.  Shaggy & N8 took the top two spots, with RAZ and MUDDD picking up 3rd & 4th respectively.  

Any time you make it to a final...well, that's a good thing, of course.  But all-SLO finals are very much like the kind of races we enjoy day-in and day-out with one another.  There's lots of joking and laughing before, during, and after the race, which is absolutely great.  You'd never know it was the final round of a tourney if you were in the room with us.  What you won't find (ever) is someone trying to "one-up" the other guy/girl, poor sportsmanship, and sore losers...I mean real sore losers. The camaraderie, laughing, joking and more are the qualities and characteristics that make this team what it is.  The tourney wins...well, to slightly alter an old cliché, that's just "icing on what happens to be a damn good cake".

MUCH congrats to the aforementioned SLOsters for "doing it to it" out there.  Also hats off to FLASH & SCAT, who were also in attendance, as well as Master J (Jump) and Finna (M.J.'s daughter), who came out to cheer the team on.  Finally, "GG's to all those in attendance, and of course, special thanks to +ALL2much for once again pulling off another great tourney!

PS - Also, thanks to me for managing to stave off regurgitating my breakfast having to say nice stuff about RAZ, MUDDD, N8, Shoe, FLASH, Jump, SCAT, and Shaggy.  Matter of fact I think I'm gonna go take a hot shower; I feel kinda cheap & dirty after making this post lol.

Just in case it isn't painfully obvious, if you have the RF list as part of your racing repertoire, we've just added "Replica Fan's Gallery" to the lineup.  All you need do is download the track, toss it in your MTM 2 folder, then download the newly updated .ini file, and you're all set.  That's it - over and out!

I learned of Replica Fan about 1.5 yrs ago from reading the informational text included with tracks by a guy named Finne.  RF was his "go-to-guy" when it came to beta testing his tracks.  I didn't know anything about him until I saw a link at KC's and popped into his site.  Amazingly enough our paths crossed about 9 months ago (I think lol), and admittedly I was pretty excited to finally meet the guy who's name I'd seen so many times in readme.txt files for Finne's tracks.

In short, when SLO_SS left the Zone to attend to personal matters, we were out of a truck maker.  On top of that we had amassed several new teammates, all of whom didn't have a personalized team truck.  I asked RF if he would step in temporarily to fill the void left by SS, and he agreed.  Amazingly enough RF exceeded everyone's expectations by not only catering to each person's detailed requests for what they wanted in a truck, he also offered to make new trucks for those who wanted something different - a new look.  This guy put in some serious hours constructing trucks & detailing them to specification for our members.  On several occasions he even redid a truck if something wasn't quite up to the recipients expectations.  I'm tellin you, in our private forum we were discussing ways to repay him, & was leaning heavily toward someone having to give up their first born & $5,000.00 in the end lol.  

Fortunately it didn't come that, but we knew we wanted to do something special as a show of appreciation for all that he'd done for us.  SLO_HotShoe stepped up to the plate, and as a result, we're able to make this special presentation today.

RF...your generosity and kindness far exceeds the number of trucks you crafted for us, bud...and in fact, has more to do with what comes from within.  With that said, Team SLO would like to present to you, "Replica Fan's Gallery"!  This one's for you, man--a little something which represents the immense gratitude we feel for all you've given us.  Thanks for everything, bud; you'll always be tops in our book.  Well, as long as our trucks continue to work like they're supposed to, that is lol. 

*Sneak peak at the layout

Quick post here - I've been making a few updates on the site, to include the MTM Starter instruction info on our Utility page, the N&U Archive page, the miscellaneous tracks page, etc.  More updates are forthcoming, but in the interim, if you see something that's not quite right, or if you have a suggestion, drop me a line if you would please by clicking on my name above.  That's it for now, and we'll see ya on the tracks!!

Ah yes, there's been much talk of this Expo thing, and many have eagerly anticipated the end of it, which of course, marks the beginning in terms of having access to all the goodies that's been stored in a maximum security vault at MTMG.  Now that Aug 4th has come and gone, it is my pleasure to announce that tracks & trucks are now available for download to the general public!  

First and foremost I'd like to acknowledge the time, effort, and dedication of those who participated in this year's Expo.  The level of creativity I've been privileged to witness firsthand is absolutely stunning, and now that the tr?cks are available to all, you can see for yourselves what some of your MTM companions are capable of.  This is my first time being associated with an MTM 2 Expo, and all I can say is that it's great!  If you didn't get to participate this year, if there's one next year, I highly recommend the experience - do not pass it up!

Finally, I'd like pay tribute to the guy who made it all happen - Phineus, seen here being fitted with a special suit prior to performing the final beta test on his Expo 2003 track submission, "Alphaville".  He doesn't get out much (shy lol), and he seems to prefer operating in the the background (in dimly lit laboratories), but I'm here to tell ya, this guy is simply amazing.  He's been the driving force behind Expo 2003, and the time he's invested into putting it all together, steering the ship, working issues, providing support, and much, much more is literally beyond what any of you can imagine, I assure you.  I see a lot of it, but even as close as I am to it, I know I don't see it all, which amazes me even more lol.   I'll post his home address and phone no. in the game room's main chat area so everyone can contact the guy and express their gratitude.  Hey, it's the least I can do, and I'm sure he'll appreciate the gesture as well...and be sure to call collect lol.  Hat's off to you, Phin - your tops in my book, bud!

The name "Knarf" has become pretty popular around the Zone of late, and for a very good reason.  He's the author of two programs specifically designed for those who use lists of tracks, which also has become fairly popular.  First up is The MTM Setter.  It's fairly new, and what it does is provide the user with the Hall of Fame time (if recorded) of a track, as well as the suggested garage setting.  So if memorizing garage settings isn't your forte, definitely checkout this program.

The MTM Starter, on the other hand, has been around a little longer, and its primary function is to allow for swapping between track lists.  He's recently updated the program, and it now performs a few other functions.  Knarf has certainly been a huge asset to those who use track lists, and with that in mind, I'd just like to say on behalf of all of Team SLO, "Thanks a million bud!"

Pro racing tourney host +ALL2much cranked up another winner this weekend which featured Badger's "Photo Finish".  The turnout was impressive, the racing was fantastic, and in the end it amounted to a great time for all.  

Interestingly enough, an individual (who shall remain nameless) Zone Messaged me and said, "Gee, you guys didn't win this one; that's too bad"  LOL I'm always up for the opportunity to enlighten someone, and this was just too good to pass up.  

I informed him that first and foremost tourneys are for fun.  Yes, there's competitive spirit out there, and no one goes out there to lose per se, but the overall intent is to generate organized fun for those who enjoy such events.  Moreover, I said, where this team is concerned tourneys are only one small facet of what we're all about.  I invited him to check out our page and/or come into a room when we're racing or just hangin' out to get to know a few of our members.  Additionally, I stated that our fun comes in many forms, to include participating in tourneys, supporting our Hall of Fame page, being involved in the upcoming Expo 2003, random pickup games with fellow members or team friends, sharing information, helping one another out, assisting at MTMG's forum, and having a great time in ours. Finally, I said make no mistake - it's great to win tourneys; we've won heaps of em (racing and rumbling) and we'll definitely win more, but here on SLO it doesn't begin and end there.  It never did and never will.  

Now wasn't that informative? LOL ok, well getting back to the tourney to wrap things up since I'm taking up quite a bit of turf...N8 was the only SLO to make it to the podium yesterday finishing up in third behind RIP_Death1 (1st) & RIP_DirtyRacer (2nd). Much congrats to the top three finishers and hats off to SLO for showing continued support for +ALL2much's efforts to keep this thing going!