I went to the race track a
little while back. It was the first time I'd been to the track in quite a
few months. At the risk of sounding like Ferris Bueller, life moves fast.
I remember when I used to think in terms of weeks, now I tend to think in
terms of seasons. As in, I hope I can get back to doing car stuff again
sometime in the fall, this fall, not next fall.
There was very little
driving going on, just a few demonstration laps in a pair of white Mercedes
sedans. Atlanta Motorsports Park was holding an open house, showing off their
almost finished race track and newly constructed garages. AMP is one of those
country club tracks that have been springing up over the past decade or so.
My neighbor down the street is a member and invited me to attend the open
house with him and his son.
I've considered becoming a
member of AMP myself actually. Much in the same way I have considered inventing
faster than light travel, becoming a United States senator, or buying a Porsche
911 GT3 RS as a track car. Meaning the thought took up space, some would argue
valuable space, in my brain but never went any further.
We were lucky enough to
get a ride in one of the white Mercedes sedans. I have never been on a race
track before it's been officially opened and I have to admit it was, in a word,
prettyfreakinawesome. From the three
laps taken in from the back seat it looks to be a fantastic course with 16
corners, over 100 feet of elevation change, lots of blind sections and more
than a few places that will separate those with money from those with talent.
If is funny how often times those two quantities are inversely
proportional.
Just being there, mingling
with other car people, seeing all the wonderful sports cars parked around
the track and drooling over the race karts (that is a whole other heroine-esque
addiction I need stay away from, or embrace wholeheartedly, I am not sure
which just yet) had me excited about doing car stuff again.
I'm not sure exactly what that "stuff” might entail. Finding time
to get the car ready for a track weekend, packing everything up, towing to the
track, driving four plus sessions a day, and then towing home to do the getting
ready thing in reverse has been difficult. I might get back to basics and start
autocrossing again. I quite like the simplicity of spending half a day
dodging cones while attempting to set the fastest time. Maybe I can find
an air cooled 911 that needs a new home. The mid to late 80's Carreras are
to me what muscle cars are to baby boomers. Or maybe I'll go buy a race kart...