The Smell of Asphalt, the Taste of Glory! Part 1

This past Sunday was one of the coolest days I have ever experienced. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would get a chance to test drive and beat the hell out of several different cars in one day!

The SRT Drive school that Chrysler has is a full day of adrenaline pumping, tire-screaming, engine-revving excitement!!!

They break the day out into several "modules":

• Advanced Car Control
• Autocross
• Full-Throttle Challenge
• Performance Drive
• Hot Laps

Advanced Car Control/Autocross

Of course the first module of the day, 'adv car control', they put me in a Caliber SRT4, which is a manual transmission.

"I can't drive a manual transmission," I lean in with a whisper to my crew chief.

"No worries," she says. "We'll put another instructor in there and get you moving. Besides, you won't come out of 1st gear for this module."

Cool.

Later, with two engine stalls and the worst times recorded, we move onto the Viper course. (I did drive the Jeep in the first module and that was pretty sweet though!)

The Viper. Can I just say how hot of a car this is? I mean...

Tell me that isn't hot. I dare you!

Yep. Stalled the engine in that baby, too. Such is life. I had fun. And I did get better at getting the car into gear, so it wasn't a total bust.

Full Throttle Challenge

The next couple hours were spent getting into Chargers, Magnums, 300's and Jeeps sitting side-by-side. With the call of one of the instructors, "Drivers ready?!?!!" we watched the amber lights count down to green, where we put all of our might onto the gas...and then brake just as hard!!!
We were timed on our reaction time, as well as how long it to to race the track. They averaged the times out and the best drive won. After a few test runs we were assigned numbers, and the competition began.

I did well in my first couple races but then was promptly knocked to the bottom. All kept saying was, "Would someone beat that other guy who keeps winning!" And this is how it played out:

I handed the guy in the Black Jeep his walking papers when I left him in my dust!

The instructor on the right handed me my time and told me to get my rear into the Red Magnum, so I could race in the finals.

This is where I looked directly at Rich and said, "How in the hell did I make it into the finals?"

I quickly sized up the track once last time. Did a little trash talking, which was encouraged!

We raced neck and neck! I put everything I had into the gas!

As I got out of the car begging the guy on the left tell me I was starting down at the time ticket which said, "Winner". But it didn't quite register...

Until here. All I could do was smile as everyone applauded me. The moron who can't drive a stick, but can kick tail in a drag race!!!

I swore the next time we did this (and there will be a next time, oh yes, there will) I will know how to drive a manual transmission.

Cars are cool. Enough said.