Spring Rally: Getting on the Track


Here I am, listening to track instructions that are extremely vague. "Don't do anything crazy. Have a good time." What are these mixed messages? I have no idea what to expect on this track. There are a number of turns, kinks, elevation, straight-aways, you name it it's here and they're basically saying "have at it."


I ask around and basically discover that most folks treat these brand new cars like a 4-year-old with a Hot Wheel. My main worry the first time out is getting a feel for the course and not going off into any gravel (you will be forever reminded by everyone if you do). So I take out the black STi and have a pretty slow, but thrilling run. They don?t time it, but I can tell I didn?t go nearly as fast as I could have, or as fast as everyone else was.


I take out the Mazda RX-8 and push it a little faster and think to myself ?Wow Dave this is fast.? That?s until the Ford GT40 comes flying around the other side of the turn I just completed, square into my rearview mirror. I have that image etched in my memory very distinctly, even a day later.


Luckily, the driver of the GT must sense my lameness and slows down to let me finish. The rest of the pre-lunch drives got me more comfortable on the track but they were also pretty draining. I took out a new Infiniti M35 with sport package that did very well for an automatic. I also got to take the all-new Eclipse out. But more on that, and the undisputed best ride of the event, later.

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