Getting Hyped
Corner carving, road racing, open tracking; call it by its proper name if you must, but I have one word for it: exhilarating! All right, I admit, more often than not I'm labeled as a simple-minded fool who only has a passion for drag racing. And yes, while I can't completely deny the fact that I love the rush of going from point A to point B as fast as possible in a straight line, I also can't deny my secret passion for hitting the apex and flying out of a corner at wide-open throttle.
For what it's worth, I didn't always feel like this. Years ago, a friend of mine invited me to flog his-cough-Import at a local autocross event, and I can't even begin to tell you how much of a turnoff that was. Burning cones and never getting out of First gear was anything but stellar, but, hey, I gave it a shot. It wasn't until several years later that I had my first experience in a real open-track car. Back when I was staffer at Car Craft, I had the opportunity to not only check out, but strap myself into a NASA (National Auto Sport Association) American Iron car. We're not talking about crazy power; instead the rules simply state that the car must weigh 9.5 pounds per rear-wheel horsepower, requiring a minimum weight of 2,700 pounds for V-8 cars with the driver. My mule for the afternoon made 300 hp to the wheels and had to weigh 2,850 pounds. Within the first few moments, I was hooked, and quite frankly, everything was going smoothly until I realized I had cars all around me-and we were all lobbying for the same 90-degree bend.
More recently, I was invited to Spectre Performance's track day at Willow Springs International Motorsports Park in Rosamond, California. That day reignited my fire for hitting high-speed banks, and this time I jockeyed a 450hp '70 Camaro backed by a Richmond six-speed on a robust 2.5-mile course. I also enjoyed the fact that the Spectre crew called it the outside car, meaning it was far from being aesthetically perfect, but it handled and was built to be driven on and off the track. And let me tell you, it was quite nimble, but you had to be careful about rolling into the throttle or you'd find yourself facing the wrong side of the track.
Now that I've come to terms with the latest adrenaline fetish, I ask you this: What are your thoughts on open-track vehicles? I'm not talking about full-blown road-race cars or Pro Touring-esque vehicles but more so a true street ride with a mild powerplant and the ability to seriously plant all four tires. Am I crazy for even thinking about this? Be sure to share your thoughts by e-mailing me at the addy listed below!
E-mail me: chevyhi@primedia.com
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