My Torino runs 3 laps around Charlotte Motor Speedway!!!!!
 

I'll put the story and the background for the video here. If you want ot just skip and go for the video, here it is:

THE VIDEO!! : 1968 Ford Torino runs Charlotte Motor Speedway-1/1 - YouTube

So the backgroudn story is taht if you spend $50 or more, or give $25 to charity, then you get 3 laps around the racetrack in your street car!!!

So the Torino and I took a ride to Charlotte, which is 160 miles from my home. We got a pair of t-shirts and a baby bib from the Ford Racing Hauler. Quite frankly, the mark downs they claim they have are very marginall... most of the "Many itmes as low as $1" were close to $1 anyway.


So I get on the track... they put cars out between a pair of safety vehicles (Safety trucks or tow trucks depending on the rotation) in groups of 20. You can't pass the lead vehicle, and the other car stays behind to mark who the last car is.

I will also comment that someone is going to get killed. They looked like they were going close to 100 when I was sitting on pit road... after running behind a couple of guys, I think most were going well over 100... 110-120 territory!! No idea how fast that lead car was going really... they were gone pretty quick from me and my Ford!!! Even though it's a race track, all you'd really need to do is move up the track like you were racing in the race and go up into someones fender and be nose first in the wall before you could blink.... it's dangerous, but fun if you play it safe.

I sat on pit road and watched about 4 groups go around the track, along with a group of motorcycles going around. While on pit road, I took several pictures.


Once I got on the track, after watching people pass one another, cut back and forth on the track, etc, I decided I didn't want to try to be running with the Shelby Mustangs, Corvetes, and some other stuff that was there. Fortuantely for me, I was the 3rd from the last to go out, and a Mustang and Camaro passed me pretty quickly after we got going. I caught a trailblazer, and blew the horn to make sure the car I was passing knew I was intending to overtake him.


Anywho, I ran about 85-90 on the back stretch, similar speeds on the front stretch, and about 75-80 on the corners. In defnese of going so slow, 1) I was on 40 year old suspension, 2) I had no power steering, power brakes, traction control, ABS, etc.,) 3) My mother was in the car, her family died in a car accident in 1956, 4) I spend 1 year and 1 month working on the car.... suck to crash it. I didn't even intend to go as fast as I did.


The corners are crazy to run in. If you can't run 70 mph, you're going to be turning right trying to stay on the banking, and tha'ts more scary than just putting your foot in it and going really. At night, they do a "Carolina Christmas" light show, which I'm trying to upload a video of right now and will post later, but they put you on the track on the back stretch, you run the flat part of the track in 3&4 and go down pit road, and then weave through the infield. Instead of staying at the bottom like I was supposed to, I stayed on teh track for a few seconds at 15 mph and my mom thought the car was going to flip over. My dad held onto the outside edge of my door to keep from sliding across the seat.

While on pit road, we observed some motorcycles go to victory lane and take photographs. I talked to one of these guys who claimed he was running 110 through one of the corners. That must be crazy.... can't imagine what that feels like on a bike. Once I ran my lap, I didn't ask permission but decided to beg forgiveness if asked, and just drove to victory lane for a couple of quick photographs and a photo from behind the pit wall.

Great experience... may just go back for 3 more laps next year!!! Maybe next year I'll take my Chevrolet and run a little bit.


Without further ado, the photographs...

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...100_2205-1.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...e/100_2206.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...e/100_2207.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...100_2208-1.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...e/100_2209.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...e/100_2211.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...e/100_2212.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...e/100_2213.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...e/100_2214.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...e/100_2215.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...e/100_2216.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...e/100_2217.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...e/100_2218.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...e/100_2219.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...charlotte2.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...charlotte1.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...charlotte3.jpg

Great Pics, id love to take my car out on a track

NIce pics and Video ..:thumbsup:

very cool

Duane, you da man dude, totally awesome, I gotta do that someday........ Awesome vid!

That's AWESOME! I'd love to do something like that. You got a LOT of cool pics on and around the track. Even cooler you have a video from it all!

Christmas Light Show 2011-1/1 - YouTube

For anyone itnerested, there is a 12 minute video fo the light show held at the track right now too.

pretty cool Duane, is the video you took from one of the flip-vid cams you recently purchased? If so, I need one also!

Thats awesome, congrats man. The car looks right at home there, just needs stickers.

Thats sweet! Also watched your wood drifting videos,looks like your monte is pretty powerful and sounds nice;)