Article: Foundations of the 818

[Dave Smith]

You can view the page at http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/content.php?133-Foundations-of-the-818

[Dave Smith]

15 years and untold hours of street, track, building, and driving experience is getting poured into the latest Factory Five design. The new 818 is being built on the incredible foundation of Factory Fives history.

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Ralph Button is a legend with over 400,000 street miles on his Mk1.

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Dan Lawson entered his "Team Factory Five West" Challenge Car into the very first 25 Hours of Thunderhill. He was the first entrant and he contributed tremendously to the Factory Five race community before his death.

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In the earliest days of Factory Five, Judge John Phillips called me from the top of Pike's Peak in his Mk1 Roadster.

These are three stories out of almost 8,000. Simply overwhelming.

[John Phillips]

These are three stories out of almost 8,000. Simply overwhelming.

Man, you just brought a tear to my eye, Dave. I'm so touched that my trip up Pike's Peak all those years ago still means as much to you as it does to me! And I can still remember chasing Ralph Button all over Death Valley and California on our "Stooges Tour Across America in 2001", and seeing him bounce his whole body weight on his Roadster trunk lid trying to close all the junk inside. I think I read all the adventures Dan Lawson ever posted, but didn't get to meet him. Can't wait to build me an 818...but right now gotta finish prep'ing the Mk III for Homestead - NASA TT this weekend. Mixing the dreams and the fun and the people this FFR life has brought me is just the best. John Phillips

[riptide motorsport]

Yeah, mabey someday I'll have half of Ralphs miles on mine!!!!!!!!!!!! Steven