Those of you who have followed my blog will probably remember me telling you about my friend, Randy Lamp, and his blazing car, "The Atom." Jay Leno is among the owners of this hyper-fast, yet street-legal car.
Ashley Randy Dakota Scott
I was thrilled when Randy invited me to join his son, Scott, and son-in-law, Ashley Tucker, to attend a two day performance driving school in Hallett, Oklahoma. The experience was one I never imagined I'd get to enjoy.
When we arrived at the school, we found our "Spec" cars customized, donning our names on the side.
A lot of red and gray :)
Upon arriving the first day, we attended class with an instructor, complete with multi-media presentations. The training materials were very well designed. Our first driving session involved becoming familiar with the car, changing gears, stopping quickly and turning up hill (experiencing the first of many spins.)
We were strapped in like astronauts inside the cockpit of these racers. After each session, we'd receive a print-out of our times around the track, giving us a goal to eclipse. Ashley improved his time the most during our two-day session, while Scott "cleaned our clocks" with the absolute best times.
On the second day, the instructor pushed us to push our own limits, informing us that we had not begun to reach the potential of the cars -- especially on curves and turns. Following our instructor's orders, we proceeded to push the limits. That's when I spun the car on and off the track many different times (at curves and turns.) One time, I spun all the way into the tire wall (and I'm glad we didn't capture any photos of that.)
This was the first time I saw Randy's new car, complete with McDonald's logos.
I have found that whatever Randy sets his mind to do, he does it with uncompromising excellence. It was fascinating to see his brand new car (looking like a rocket) in action, zipping around the track. Thanks, Randy for this unforgettable experience!
Although I didn't set any speed records (maybe the most spins in one lap?), I developed a whole new appreciation for what it takes to be a competitive driver. The team at the Hallett Track was extremely friendly and helpful. While driving the track, you can think of nothing but the task at hand. Very exhilerating! And at those speeds, it's a rush. Again, the word I use to describe these two days is simply "amazing."
