[Russ Dickey]

Thanks Evan. I'll take one more shot at my logic, and then that's it. For all you Dale Earnhardt fans out there, this may be morbid, so I apologize in advance. I was never a Dale Earnhardt fan.

Anyway, let's say that one of these rabid Nascar fans who happens to be lucky enough to own one of Dale Earnhardt's hemets or uniforms, scrapes off a bit of hair or a sweat stain, takes it down to the local DNA shop, and clones Dale Earnhardt. After years of nuturing, the clone emerges from the DNA shop, made from the same stuff as Dale, looking like Dale, sounding like Dale, and walking like Dale, but you and I know, it ain' no Dale. He would be held in higher regard than a professional look-alike, but still wouldn't be the real Dale Earnhardt. That's kinda how I think of the CSX's. Apples to oranges you say? Maybe, but that's the kind of twisted logic you get from a guy who's bored at work.

As you have said in many a previous thread, it really comes down to semantics. Yes, legally and factually, you own a real Cobra. But because the general public associates "real" with "original", you're always going to run into this type of flak. And let's face it, a lot of guys around here say that "the Shelby name ain't worth all that extra cash". But if price was no issue, I bet most of them would have opted for the CSX, too. And now that price isn't an issue, I predict that Shelby sales will skyrocket.

I think a lot of the bashing you endure stems from guys who probably have to justify every purchase they make: house, clothes, whatever. If everybody would just be happy with what they have, and realize that regardless of the manufacturer, we are all getting to realize a dream that millions of others can't, you probably wouldn't have to be the lone muskateer so much.

Peace out.

Russ