2007 Mopar Speed Festival Photos

[ChargerGirl]

This is just a teaser for the cool video I shot at this event. Unfortunately I was too busy today driving and meeting some awesome fellow mopar nuts to take more photos. Note the primer gray daytona. It has a 500 ci engine and two bucket seats and I got to go for a ride in it around the track with no helmet on. Wooooooo!

Okay, the pics... Yes, they stink, but it was early and I had to hustle to the driver's meeting.













Now for my day at the track...

Thanks to my prior track experience (Willow Springs, Laguna Seca, Infineon and AutoCross) from the past five months, I've been upped to intermediate. This meant I when I wasn't on the track I could scope out all the bad ass classic mopars who were stuck in the newbie group.

I had a lot of fun throwing Scarlett through the turns and flooring her out in the straightaways. I did have a scare though on one of my mid-day runs. I had just hit a straightaway and figured what the hell, floor it. I took a look in my rearview while flooring and noted a viper AND a corvette coming up fast. So I did the right thing, slid over, put my arm out the window and went for the brake. About this time, I hear the dreaded "system warning" bell. My engine light has come on. Crap! The car goes into limp mode...CRAP! I'm in turn 3, doing 30 MPH!!! OMG!!! I keep tapping the gas hoping for a response, because there's no where to go off the track that isn't tons of gravel. Luckily by the time I got to the apex in turn 4 the transmission perked back up and I was able to get back up to a reasonable speed and exit to pit row.
Meister was there to help me out, thankfully and broke out the superchips tuner to check what exactly the code was. Apparently I confused my transmission, because the codes were "transmission error" and "incorrect gear ratio". What the hell? Its an automatic, right? Well, Meister cleared the codes for me and also checked my oil.

Its a good thing too, I was a quart low. I thought I could go another week before my next service, guess not. So he found someone with some mobil 1 to spare and added a quart. Granted its 10w30, but at least I can get through the weekend and get home in one piece.

I went and grabbed a bite to eat, then was able to participate in the parade run (you can drive your car around the course with passengers, no helmets, provided you don't drive like a moron). So I took one of the mopar widows around the course a few times and she enjoyed it so much she later got a ride around the course with an instructor and with a helmet, full speed!

After that I was offered a ride in the primer gray daytona...OMG!!! I've only seen these things in museums and books and here I am riding around Willow Springs in one. Sweeet!!!!!

This was a project car that this guy built on a bet/dare. So yeah, she's ugly, but she's got a 500 ci engine attached to a four speed automatic just for giggles. LOUD!!! FAST!!! POWERFUL!!!

After lunch and the parade runs we went back to our run groups and I tore it up a few more times with Meister, two vipers and a corvette.

Then I ducked out to go up to the top of the hill and film the guys going up and down the hill through the twists and turns. I ended up with nearly half an hour worth of footage. Figure I'll do a montage and put it on youtube when I get home.

As if today wasn't a blast, tomorrow I'm joining a bunch of mopar enthusiasts and classic car owners on the Friday morning Malibu Beach cruise, joining a club member down at API for when he gets his Zoomers installed, then heading to the Beach Burger event and the first official SoCalLX club meeting. Saturday I'm meeting some LXers for breakfast in Encino, then heading over to the Mopar Spring Fling to try and get my car in the show. After all that, THEN I'm driving home on Saturday afternoon.

This has already been one of my favorite experiences and I'm only a third of the way done. Damn!

Okay, I'm out of steam...

Thanks for letting me share and keep an eye out for the video link.

[bruno]

Wow Tamara! You have been elevated to a well-deserved position and represent the ladies proud with your racing techniques and talents. I enjoyed your write up and felt like I was sitting in the stands as an observer.

Thanks, also, to our super hero, Meister, for lending his help after the limp mode incident. Looking forward to more pics, video, and write up. The weather also looked perfect, especially after the heat wave from last weekend.

bruno

[JonW]

Nice pics! It looks like it was a very cool event.

Can't wait to see the video. I hope you did some in-car video stuff - I always like to see that.

Anyone interested in the June 1st track day should sign up immediately in the thread started by DrBReed (here) and Ozzie (at LX-Forums).

They really need LX sign-ups or they will have to open it to other cars.
Willow Springs LX Track Day Friday June 1

[BlkLikeMe]

Sounds like you and the rest of the enthusiasts had a great time..minus limp mode..good think Meister had the Viagra to perk her back up and onto the track lol Thanks for sharing and definitely enjoyed the pics

[ChargerGirl]

Originally Posted by JonW

Nice pics! It looks like it was a very cool event.

Can't wait to see the video. I hope you did some in-car video stuff - I always like to see that.

Anyone interested in the June 1st track day should sign up immediately in the thread started by DrBReed (here) and Ozzie (at LX-Forums).

They really need LX sign-ups or they will have to open it to other cars.
Willow Springs LX Track Day Friday June 1

Yes, PLEASE try and do this event, its a lot of fun. Hell, it was my first track back when I started in November. This time was my fifth and I can't wait to do more. Not sure I can come in June, but I encourage anyone interested in trying a road course to check this out. We got through an entire day with 38 cars/drivers and no serious accidents and no bad behavior. Great group of guys running these events, can't say enough about them.

[Dennis808]

Once again, the event photographer master! LMAO, you're everywhere! Hehe, thanks for sharing the photos. Beauitufl classics and the present.

[DUBSTER]

SEWEEEEET pics!!!!

[aperformance]

That's my Zoomers Girl... Has a nice ring to it.. We missed you at API I guess you couldn't make it with all that you had going on...Nice pics and great write-up!

[ChargerGirl]

I didn't allow for Friday traffic on the 405. I'm definitely stopping by the next time I'm down there. Which is actually the end of the month. I'm going to the Mopar Shoot Out at California Speedway.