Best job in the world...
Best job in the world...
Does this man have the best job in the world or what?
Valentino Balboni
http://www.roadandtrack.com/video/in...id=41291405001
Valentino Balboni
http://www.roadandtrack.com/video/in...id=41291405001
Team Mustang Source
Joined: December 23, 2004
Posts: 641
Likes: 0
From: Pacific Northwest
Does this man have the best job in the world or what?
Valentino Balboni
http://www.roadandtrack.com/video/in...id=41291405001
Valentino Balboni
http://www.roadandtrack.com/video/in...id=41291405001
Team Mustang Source
Joined: June 19, 2004
Posts: 6,840
Likes: 2
From: Phoenixville, PA
I've met Valentino, and had the priviledge of riding with him around Pocono Speedway during La Bella Macchina Italian Car weekend in Pocono. While Saturday is the Concorso event (and what a show of cars!! 
), Sunday is track day. You can buy a ticket for both days if you like and on Sunday, just watch the owners of Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Maseratis, Lotus, Porsche and other hi-end exotics run around the high-bank oval, and the infield course, in an "open track" enviorment. To get into the event itself it was like $20 or something cheap. The 2 years I went, I paid $50 one year and $100 the next to ride in a Murcielago with Valentino as my driver!!! 
The money goes to a charity Lamborghini is associated with and its the most AMAZING car-based thing I EVER DID!!! He is so nice, so mellow, and very generous. I got 3 laps one year and 6 the next year. They give you a helmet to use, and I also brought my camcorder with me and filmed the whole ride.
The 1st year, he asked me if it was my 1st time in a Lamborghini, and I said yes, and he said, you'll have fun, I promise. The rush and acceleration out of pit lane onto the high-bank is unreal. The back-stretch he hit 160mph, then blipped the paddles 3 times and nailed the brakes to reign it in for the infield road course. Powersliding around every corner, I was getting thrown around and was loving every minute!! When he hit the last corner of the road course and hit the front-straight, he punched it to 175!!!!!
It was a an amazing thrill, hearing that V12 scream behind me. The windows were cracked a slight bit and the wind noise at that speed is intense!! When we got back after the laps, the fellow running the event asked me what I thought? All I could do was laugh and smile and say HOLY S***, WHAT A RUSH!! He smiled and said thank you for the donation. Before I left, I got Valentino to sign my 1:18 scale Verde Ithaca (Lime Green) Autoart Murcielago. That is a model I WON'T EVER SELL!!!
The next year (2005), I went again and paid the $100. I got 6 laps. The one thing I will always remember about Valentino, is just how good of a driver he really is, and how calm he is at high speed! We took off out of the pits, and when we reached the infield course, there were 3 Ferrari Challenge race cars, doing shake-down laps, but they were NOT letting us pass. Valentino was not amused. They know to let him pass, as he has EVERY COLOR wristband on (each color means when your allowed out on the track. He can go anytime he wants, since he's driving people all day). So we are basically riding the *** of the last Ferrari, literally inches from his bumper!!
He said something in italian, that I am sure wasn't a compliment to the driver in front. He didn't like it, cause he couldn't speed around the corners and slide the car to give the passenger a thrill. I was getting a little miffed as I didn't want my ride to end like this. So when we got to the open straight, the driver finally put his hand out the window to let us pass (they wouldn't let us pass around the corner), he said something again and hammered it!! Then I got my thrill ride!!! I would have been terrified if someone else was driving, but he knew how much room he had (literally a few inches) but he was in COMPLETE CONTROL the entire time!!! It was so surreal!! He is the best at what he does and I would do it again!!
I got the Mustang the next year and couldn't get off to go back, and haven't been back to the even since, as the Concourse is still the last Saturday of June. Carlisle is the 1st weekend, and I take my car to that. But next summer, I believe I'll head back to the event and let my girlfriend ride in the lamborghini as well. Alas, I don't know if they will get Valentino back (he is usually there, and since he's retired, he may want to come back now), but if he is there, she will have a blast.
If anyone is close to Pocono, and wants to experience speed, its the best $50 and $100 I ever spent!! What a thrill. Valentino is the man!!! And he deserved that special edition Gallardo with his name on it!!!
), Sunday is track day. You can buy a ticket for both days if you like and on Sunday, just watch the owners of Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Maseratis, Lotus, Porsche and other hi-end exotics run around the high-bank oval, and the infield course, in an "open track" enviorment. To get into the event itself it was like $20 or something cheap. The 2 years I went, I paid $50 one year and $100 the next to ride in a Murcielago with Valentino as my driver!!! The money goes to a charity Lamborghini is associated with and its the most AMAZING car-based thing I EVER DID!!! He is so nice, so mellow, and very generous. I got 3 laps one year and 6 the next year. They give you a helmet to use, and I also brought my camcorder with me and filmed the whole ride. The 1st year, he asked me if it was my 1st time in a Lamborghini, and I said yes, and he said, you'll have fun, I promise. The rush and acceleration out of pit lane onto the high-bank is unreal. The back-stretch he hit 160mph, then blipped the paddles 3 times and nailed the brakes to reign it in for the infield road course. Powersliding around every corner, I was getting thrown around and was loving every minute!! When he hit the last corner of the road course and hit the front-straight, he punched it to 175!!!!!
It was a an amazing thrill, hearing that V12 scream behind me. The windows were cracked a slight bit and the wind noise at that speed is intense!! When we got back after the laps, the fellow running the event asked me what I thought? All I could do was laugh and smile and say HOLY S***, WHAT A RUSH!! He smiled and said thank you for the donation. Before I left, I got Valentino to sign my 1:18 scale Verde Ithaca (Lime Green) Autoart Murcielago. That is a model I WON'T EVER SELL!!! The next year (2005), I went again and paid the $100. I got 6 laps. The one thing I will always remember about Valentino, is just how good of a driver he really is, and how calm he is at high speed! We took off out of the pits, and when we reached the infield course, there were 3 Ferrari Challenge race cars, doing shake-down laps, but they were NOT letting us pass. Valentino was not amused. They know to let him pass, as he has EVERY COLOR wristband on (each color means when your allowed out on the track. He can go anytime he wants, since he's driving people all day). So we are basically riding the *** of the last Ferrari, literally inches from his bumper!!
He said something in italian, that I am sure wasn't a compliment to the driver in front. He didn't like it, cause he couldn't speed around the corners and slide the car to give the passenger a thrill. I was getting a little miffed as I didn't want my ride to end like this. So when we got to the open straight, the driver finally put his hand out the window to let us pass (they wouldn't let us pass around the corner), he said something again and hammered it!! Then I got my thrill ride!!! I would have been terrified if someone else was driving, but he knew how much room he had (literally a few inches) but he was in COMPLETE CONTROL the entire time!!! It was so surreal!! He is the best at what he does and I would do it again!!
I got the Mustang the next year and couldn't get off to go back, and haven't been back to the even since, as the Concourse is still the last Saturday of June. Carlisle is the 1st weekend, and I take my car to that. But next summer, I believe I'll head back to the event and let my girlfriend ride in the lamborghini as well. Alas, I don't know if they will get Valentino back (he is usually there, and since he's retired, he may want to come back now), but if he is there, she will have a blast.
If anyone is close to Pocono, and wants to experience speed, its the best $50 and $100 I ever spent!! What a thrill. Valentino is the man!!! And he deserved that special edition Gallardo with his name on it!!!
Last edited by 05fordgt; Sep 26, 2009 at 01:04 PM.
Legacy TMS Member
Joined: October 17, 2004
Posts: 922
Likes: 1
From: Northmapton, PA
Perhaps this one...
http://www.kansascity.com/stargazing/story/1462433.html
Warning - may NSFW
But yeah, that is a pretty cool job!
Perhaps one better would be The Stig!
http://www.kansascity.com/stargazing/story/1462433.html
Warning - may NSFW
But yeah, that is a pretty cool job!
Perhaps one better would be The Stig!
Bullitt Member
Joined: November 13, 2006
Posts: 357
Likes: 1
From: Fort Mill, SC
I've met Valentino, and had the priviledge of riding with him around Pocono Speedway during La Bella Macchina Italian Car weekend in Pocono. While Saturday is the Concorso event (and what a show of cars!! ), Sunday is track day. You can buy a ticket for both days if you like and on Sunday, just watch the owners of Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Maseratis, Lotus, Porsche and other hi-end exotics run around the high-bank oval, and the infield course, in an "open track" enviorment. To get into the event itself it was like $20 or something cheap. The 2 years I went, I paid $50 one year and $100 the next to ride in a Murcielago with Valentino as my driver!!! The money goes to a charity Lamborghini is associated with and its the most AMAZING car-based thing I EVER DID!!! He is so nice, so mellow, and very generous. I got 3 laps one year and 6 the next year. They give you a helmet to use, and I also brought my camcorder with me and filmed the whole ride.
The 1st year, he asked me if it was my 1st time in a Lamborghini, and I said yes, and he said, you'll have fun, I promise. The rush and acceleration out of pit lane onto the high-bank is unreal. The back-stretch he hit 160mph, then blipped the paddles 3 times and nailed the brakes to reign it in for the infield road course. Powersliding around every corner, I was getting thrown around and was loving every minute!! When he hit the last corner of the road course and hit the front-straight, he punched it to 175!!!!! It was a an amazing thrill, hearing that V12 scream behind me. The windows were cracked a slight bit and the wind noise at that speed is intense!! When we got back after the laps, the fellow running the event asked me what I thought? All I could do was laugh and smile and say HOLY S***, WHAT A RUSH!! He smiled and said thank you for the donation. Before I left, I got Valentino to sign my 1:18 scale Verde Ithaca (Lime Green) Autoart Murcielago. That is a model I WON'T EVER SELL!!!
The next year (2005), I went again and paid the $100. I got 6 laps. The one thing I will always remember about Valentino, is just how good of a driver he really is, and how calm he is at high speed! We took off out of the pits, and when we reached the infield course, there were 3 Ferrari Challenge race cars, doing shake-down laps, but they were NOT letting us pass. Valentino was not amused. They know to let him pass, as he has EVERY COLOR wristband on (each color means when your allowed out on the track. He can go anytime he wants, since he's driving people all day). So we are basically riding the *** of the last Ferrari, literally inches from his bumper!!
He said something in italian, that I am sure wasn't a compliment to the driver in front. He didn't like it, cause he couldn't speed around the corners and slide the car to give the passenger a thrill. I was getting a little miffed as I didn't want my ride to end like this. So when we got to the open straight, the driver finally put his hand out the window to let us pass (they wouldn't let us pass around the corner), he said something again and hammered it!! Then I got my thrill ride!!! I would have been terrified if someone else was driving, but he knew how much room he had (literally a few inches) but he was in COMPLETE CONTROL the entire time!!! It was so surreal!! He is the best at what he does and I would do it again!!
I got the Mustang the next year and couldn't get off to go back, and haven't been back to the even since, as the Concourse is still the last Saturday of June. Carlisle is the 1st weekend, and I take my car to that. But next summer, I believe I'll head back to the event and let my girlfriend ride in the lamborghini as well. Alas, I don't know if they will get Valentino back (he is usually there, and since he's retired, he may want to come back now), but if he is there, she will have a blast.
If anyone is close to Pocono, and wants to experience speed, its the best $50 and $100 I ever spent!! What a thrill. Valentino is the man!!! And he deserved that special edition Gallardo with his name on it!!!
), Sunday is track day. You can buy a ticket for both days if you like and on Sunday, just watch the owners of Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Maseratis, Lotus, Porsche and other hi-end exotics run around the high-bank oval, and the infield course, in an "open track" enviorment. To get into the event itself it was like $20 or something cheap. The 2 years I went, I paid $50 one year and $100 the next to ride in a Murcielago with Valentino as my driver!!! The money goes to a charity Lamborghini is associated with and its the most AMAZING car-based thing I EVER DID!!! He is so nice, so mellow, and very generous. I got 3 laps one year and 6 the next year. They give you a helmet to use, and I also brought my camcorder with me and filmed the whole ride. The 1st year, he asked me if it was my 1st time in a Lamborghini, and I said yes, and he said, you'll have fun, I promise. The rush and acceleration out of pit lane onto the high-bank is unreal. The back-stretch he hit 160mph, then blipped the paddles 3 times and nailed the brakes to reign it in for the infield road course. Powersliding around every corner, I was getting thrown around and was loving every minute!! When he hit the last corner of the road course and hit the front-straight, he punched it to 175!!!!!
It was a an amazing thrill, hearing that V12 scream behind me. The windows were cracked a slight bit and the wind noise at that speed is intense!! When we got back after the laps, the fellow running the event asked me what I thought? All I could do was laugh and smile and say HOLY S***, WHAT A RUSH!! He smiled and said thank you for the donation. Before I left, I got Valentino to sign my 1:18 scale Verde Ithaca (Lime Green) Autoart Murcielago. That is a model I WON'T EVER SELL!!! The next year (2005), I went again and paid the $100. I got 6 laps. The one thing I will always remember about Valentino, is just how good of a driver he really is, and how calm he is at high speed! We took off out of the pits, and when we reached the infield course, there were 3 Ferrari Challenge race cars, doing shake-down laps, but they were NOT letting us pass. Valentino was not amused. They know to let him pass, as he has EVERY COLOR wristband on (each color means when your allowed out on the track. He can go anytime he wants, since he's driving people all day). So we are basically riding the *** of the last Ferrari, literally inches from his bumper!!
He said something in italian, that I am sure wasn't a compliment to the driver in front. He didn't like it, cause he couldn't speed around the corners and slide the car to give the passenger a thrill. I was getting a little miffed as I didn't want my ride to end like this. So when we got to the open straight, the driver finally put his hand out the window to let us pass (they wouldn't let us pass around the corner), he said something again and hammered it!! Then I got my thrill ride!!! I would have been terrified if someone else was driving, but he knew how much room he had (literally a few inches) but he was in COMPLETE CONTROL the entire time!!! It was so surreal!! He is the best at what he does and I would do it again!!
I got the Mustang the next year and couldn't get off to go back, and haven't been back to the even since, as the Concourse is still the last Saturday of June. Carlisle is the 1st weekend, and I take my car to that. But next summer, I believe I'll head back to the event and let my girlfriend ride in the lamborghini as well. Alas, I don't know if they will get Valentino back (he is usually there, and since he's retired, he may want to come back now), but if he is there, she will have a blast.
If anyone is close to Pocono, and wants to experience speed, its the best $50 and $100 I ever spent!! What a thrill. Valentino is the man!!! And he deserved that special edition Gallardo with his name on it!!!
The best car experience I've had so far was participating in a 2-day High Performance Driving School at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC last year. I was able to get up to about 110mph on the back straightaway in my Mustang Shelby GT before braking for a sharp right turn. Holding the gas pedal to the floor until the last possible second scared the crap out of me every time. I can't even imagine hitting 175mph!
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