I ran the Wine Country Classic this past weekend at Sears Point. Typical high
profile event. Lots of great cars, lots of spectators and some fun racing.
The highlight of the weekend for me was sat eve. About 30 cars were selected
to drive into the town of Sonoma. My Devin was chosen much to my surprise. So
at 5 pm we headed out onto the highway with a CHP escort . The 12 or so miles
were covered at a surprising clip. Beautiful evening.. Warm, bright and full
of the smells of the fields we were passing. I really enjoyed roaring down
the highway in a wild beast of a car. As we approached the town square the
streets were lined with folks all smiling and waving. Lots of cameras and
kids too. We had been told to make two circuts around the town square where
there were even more people lining both sides of the streets cheering us on.
I took full advantage of the oportunity and made as much noise as possible.
With the open exhaust on the corvair engine in the devin it is quite loud. It
was every teenagers dream. Roar through the middle of town in a real race car
making lots of noise and have everyone cheering you on.
Then we all puled inside the square and lined up all the cars for everyone to
see. There were many tents and canopies where wine and food was being
offered. Lots of tables spread arounnd the grass. So for the next two hours
we all ate and drank and talked and answered questions about the cars. Lots
of people waliking around looking at the cars and tasting the wine and food.
At about 8 pm we were told to fire them up and once again we followed the CHP
back out of town to the cheers of the crowds on our way back to Sears Point.
The run back was at an even quicker clip. Lots of fun racing along the
highway in a line behind a CHP with the lights flashing clearing a path for
us..People in the oncoming cars were wide eyed as this caravan of wild things
passed them in the opposite direction.
Driving an unmuffled race car on an open highway felt like something that was
once a lot more possible that it is now. Felt like the old days. In someones
53 Ford with loud pipes and a warmed up flat head out on some back road on a
warm summer night. Probably not going anywhere in particular but just driving
for the sheer pleasure of hearing the exhaust and feeling the power under
your right foot.That doesnbt happen too much anymore. At least not in my
life. Too much traffic, too many rules, too many consequences.
But for a while last saturday night all restrictions were gone and we were
all 17 again.
Jerry Burr..
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