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.