Imagine twenty-five sports cars. Imagine over forty automotive enthusiasts. Imagine Texas roads which make sports cars smile. Imagine fine dining as well as small-town home cookin’. Imagine combining all this into a four-day experience. What you now have is the Raging Bull Texas Stampede (RBTS).
This is the seventh annual Stampede and personally my fourth year to attend. I’ve attended hundreds of driving events over the years. I’ve discussed hundreds more with other enthusiasts. I’ve even researched drives throughout the country and read many different experiences. Nothing can compare to the Stampede. Many other drives encounter great roads. Many are well planned. However, it’s the level of planning, the safety precautions, and even the intricate maps which supersede everything else. The “Tourmaster” is behind all this planning, yet always in front leading the way. We, the Stampede participants, are incredibly thankful.
I will assure you, and assure you again, that on the Stampede you will enjoy almost every ounce of performance in your car while on public roads. (Obeying all traffic laws of course!) I mentioned the safety precautions. Slow is now what has come to mind for most of you, but you need to read the beginning of this paragraph again. The list of precautions is huge and for the most part there to allow you to drive faster while staying safe. Of course, as usual, a good part of this is not being stupid and just driving within your limits. This is made easier by the fact that to attend you must be older than 25 or have had some legitimate racing experience.
Here’s how it went down…
Thursday. Since many couldn’t meet until Friday morning, Thursday was an “unofficial” day for the Raging Bull Texas Stampede VII. We met that morning, hoping the rain was done and the roads would soon clear. Unfortunately the forecast was for rain all day and through Friday. Soon the drizzle began again. While a bit disappointed, you could still see a twinge of excitement in everyone’s eyes. Well, almost everyone. I brought my dad this year. Being a retired pilot, I knew he was familiar with speed and more g-forces than we would experience over the next few days. What I didn’t know is how he’d handle not being the “pilot”. I might have seen a little apprehension in his face that morning. We had eight cars and another meeting us a few miles down the road. Luckily that morning’s drive was intended to enjoy the beautiful landscape of the Austin hill country. We did exactly that…for the entire 200 yards of visibility. We had hope though, as we were to visit Harris Hill Road’s 1.8 mile, 11-turn track.
Luckily, for the most part, the rain held off while at Harris Hill. A few others had joined the group for the afternoon that couldn’t make the morning drive. The track was wet but still a lot of fun. We started off with some classroom instruction by a couple great guys (think BMWCCA / PCA / pro-racer types). Next we headed out for some lead/follow laps, alternating 2nd position behind the instructor car. While these weren’t hot laps, they were far from one-handed coffee drinking laps. After that, everyone had the opportunity to ride along in an instructor car or as a passenger in their own car with an instructor at the wheel. I took advantage of that and moved over. My dad sat in the back, and I sat in awe at how smooth and effortlessly my Infiniti G35 was flogged around a wet track. I got a few suspension setup tips, and I learned a few different lines which were amazingly helpful on a wet track. It was beautiful. I then was fortunate enough to be one of the participants allowed to do hot laps in my own car. So I spent a good 15-20 minutes trying to recreate the earlier laps with the advantage of two less people in the car. Apparently my car also had an extra helping of oversteer which was mysteriously absent when the instructor drove. All in all, even with the rain, it was a great day. Then it was to the hotel and a great dinner with plenty of words like coil-overs, torque, and boost-controllers.
Friday. A monsoon apparently came during the night and was hovering. We gathered for the drivers’ meeting where the true identity of the Tourmaster was revealed as he stressed safety about cold performance tires and wet roads. We started off in a heavy rain and worked our way to the middle of nowhere, where we primarily would remain for the next 2-3 days. I really mean nowhere. There’s nothing out there but freaky albino deer, turkey vultures, and amazingly smooth twisty roads. Throughout the day, we all came to terms with the wet roads. Some, me included, even began to enjoy them as our tires surprised us with remarkable levels of grip. After 264 miles, with only a couple short breaks and a wonderful Italian lunch, we arrived at our destination. Hickville. Redneckville. I can’t remember the name. The lodging and dining options were limited, but to the Tourmaster’s credit, the roads nearby were just too good to not subject us to a few visions of The Shining. Regardless, there was food and a bed there, and that was all that mattered.
Saturday. An early morning was met by a certain yellow Corvette Z06 (Big Bird) being washed in the freezing cold by a cut-off hose while a few of us went for a quick run up and over a mountain and back. The roads were a bit damp, but the mountain road was sublime. Afterward, at our drivers’ meeting, our spirits were high with a forecast of sunshine for the rest of the weekend. The roads were soon dry as we bombed away toward a Tex-Mex lunch and a quick visit to the Mexican border. By this point, Big Bird had to have had at least 4 baths. That afternoon, we drove a 17 mile stretch of near-perfect pavement and high-speed sweepers. The road ended at a highway with (gasp) traffic which led to our hotel for the night. So we did what any good enthusiasts would do. We turned around, drove back 17 miles, turned around again, and drove the 17 miles a third time. On this last leg of 17 miles along with 70 or so twisty mountain highway miles back to the hotel, I let my dad drive. Keep in mind; he’s never had a sports car. The next thing I know, he’s throwing the gear lever around, smoothly pitching it into turns, gunning it out, and catching the car in front of us. Impressive. That night we had a wonderful steak dinner and a few of us hosted some of the great officers and airmen of our great United States Air Force. Wonderful conversations ensued. Raffle drawings were conducted. Someone won a set of Toyo tires. My dad won a DVD player. It was the perfect end to the perfect day of driving.
Sunday. After another drivers’ meeting and Big Bird’s 505th bath, we were back on the road. It was an absolutely gorgeous day again with even more roads almost devoid of any traffic. Only as we neared our lunch break did we encounter any other vehicles. So we just relaxed and enjoyed the pretty country as we approached some great BBQ. It felt like the old west…but with cars. As we ate, many stories were told of how we each conquered the Raging Bull over the past few days. Some said their goodbyes and went on their way. The rest of us caravanned for as long as possible before peeling off one by one toward home.
The drive home on I-35 was long, but we blended into traffic at what seemed an obnoxiously sloooowwww rate. My dad and I discussed the many great people and cars we met and admired the past few days. My dad even began to ask questions about which new cars handled well, had good acceleration, and would be good in the Kansas City and Colorado snow. We made it home and my parents went on with their usual retiree travel, heading for Phoenix for a couple months. The next thing I know, my dad and I were swapping emails with thoughts and links to car reviews and stats. Well good, at least he has an idea what he wants. I figure once they go back to Kansas City in a couple months, he’ll take his Civic out of the garage, sell it, and buy something fun.
Nine days. That’s how long it took. Nine days later he bought a 2010 Subaru WRX Premium. He wanted good handling. Its all-wheel drive system and suspension has it covered. He wanted good acceleration. 0-60 in 4.7 seconds. Covered. I guess the Civic will still be in Kansas City in March to sell in better weather.
Watch out in Maricopa County, Dad. I hear Sheriff Joe Arpaio is a tough one.
You may remember that I had the opportunity to review the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS a few months ago. Well, that wasn’t all the fun I had with the car. The guys at Burnout Radio planned out an amazing day of head-to-head goodness with the Camaro, a Dodge Challenger SRT-8, and a Ford Mustang GT500.
Mark your calendars for February 22 when the full video hits, but for now, here a teaser!
This event is, by far, my most anticipated automotive event every year. So please excuse me for a moment while I stray a bit from my usual event coverage and reviews.
Are you looking for a great opportunity to advertise your business to the automotive enthusiast community? Are you familiar with the Raging Bull Texas Stampede, now in its seventh year? Did you know it is possibly the best as well as the safest multi-day spirited driving event in the country?
If I have your attention and the below list gets your attention even more, email me at trent (at) reflectionsofthedrive.com
Registration and track fee include:
1. Spirited 789 mile drive through the hill country led by the Tourmaster
2. 137 miles of bonus runs for those who ‘Can’t Get Enough’
3. The experience of driving the most challenging and scenic country roads in Texas
4. Driving on nearly 200 miles of roads never driven before by any group
5. Experiencing the longest non-stop driving leg in Stampede history
6. The safest spirited driving tour in Texas, maybe the country
7. Tour of Austin’s best driving roads
8. Pre-arranged visit to private road course including several laps on the track
9. One hour driving class by driving instructor (pending finalizing arrangements)
10. The unmatched camaraderie of 35-50 of the coolest driving enthusiasts in Texas
11. Rush of adrenaline and numerous high-G turns over hundreds of miles
12. Several negative-G dips and zero-gravity humps (for the brave and fearless only)
13. Hundreds of miles of beautiful hill country scenery
14. Visit to an official border crossing station on the US/Mexico border
15. Pre-arranged visits at specially-selected restaurants with a variety of cuisines
16. Pre-arranged overnight accommodations with discounts, including one of the best cabin resorts in the hill country
17. Gathering around the (liar’s) firepit Saturday night
18. Planned surprises the Tourmaster cannot tell you about
19. Courtesy Vehicle to carry your luggage, other items, and extra tires
20. Paramedic and EMT traveling with group
21. Entire road trip previewed for road hazards
22. Detailed road maps of entire trip (between 15-20 pages)
23. Free products from Meguiar’s
24. Memories of an unforgettable weekend
25. The entire weekend is organized for you.
While visiting the Chevy Experience at the Texas State Fair in September, my wife and I were fortunate enough to win tickets to the NASCAR Dickies 500 race at Texas Motor Speedway. While I’ve never been a big NASCAR fan, a legitimate car guy should be excited about free tickets to any race. I was very excited. Part of the package included tickets to the Chevrolet Hospitality Chalet in the Village of Champions as well as a pit tour. Sweet!
I must say, the NASCAR experience is a unique one. I’ve been to both IRL and Grand-Am races at Texas Motor Speedway, and neither will prepare you for the seriousness of NASCAR fans. The people-watching there is world-class. I’d highly recommend attending a NASCAR race to any gear head/auto fanatic. After all, it’s a race, and it’s a lot more fun to watch in person than on TV. What makes it even better is having a scanner. You can rent one there for $30 or so, or if you have your own, $5-$10 will get yours re-programmed with all the driver/crew chief frequencies. It’s a blast to hear the driver and crew chief discuss track conditions, engine performance, and car dynamics. This is an absolute MUST HAVE for any NASCAR race.
Check out my race day gallery and comments by clicking on a photo.
Thanks again to General Motors for the tickets! We had a great time!
On December 1, Infiniti held an event in Beverly Hills to reveal the much anticipated full-sized 2011 M. This fully redesigned M is an absolutely beautiful car. One might notice the design cues taken from the Essence Concept. The interior quality is arguably amongst the best in the world. Stunning. The M35 will become the M37, powered by the 3.7 liter V6 powerplant from the G37 making 330 hp and 270 lb/ft of torque. The M45 will be gone too, being replaced by the M56. The M56 gets a beastly 420 hp and 417 lb/ft of torque. Both will be available in all-wheel drive as usual. It sure seems that Infiniti is gunning pretty hard for the BMW 5 series sedans, whether intentional or not.
Infiniti also announced a few changes for the 2010 G37 Sedan. It seemed to be a bit of a small news item at this M focused event, but it was one that had my full attention. I won’t list everything but will hit on a few highlights. Most notably, the front fascia has been redesigned to be a bit more aggressive. Also, thankfully Infiniti finally ditched those horrible fog lights integrated into the headlight assembly. Now the fogs are where they should have been all along, down low. The rear-end has been subtly redesigned as well, although it’s the technology inside that will be noticed most by Average Joe. The nav system has been upgraded and now includes a 9.3GB hard drive for music, 7 inch touch-screen, real-time weather and traffic, and a restaurant guide. If that isn’t enough, you can even opt to stream mp3s over Bluetooth directly to the system. It seems these days even economy cars are getting some impressive tech, so kudos to Infiniti for a mid-cycle techno-kick to keep us nerds happy.
All in all, Infiniti has done a great job to keep the G37 exciting while we wait on a full redesign. Is that coming in 2011? Who knows, but this 2010 G37 remains one of the best luxury sports sedans on the road. If Santa is kind enough to drop $37,000 in my stocking this year, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings to spend 2010 in a new 6MT Sedan.
For the past few years, I’ve been somewhat of an honorary Honda S2000 (S2ki.com) club member in North Texas. I really enjoy the events they organize. Initially I somewhat fit in, at least having a convertible, with my Nissan 350Z Roadster. Then the baby came, and now I have the G35 sedan. While missing the open air aspect a bit, I always look forward to actually keeping up with the crazy fun S2000s in my family car. Saturday was to be the 7th semi-annual Boston Mountain Tour (BMT), organized by the OK and AR S2ki.com clubs, beginning in Eureka Springs, AR.
Due to the distance from North Texas to Eureka Springs, a tour to the tour was planned for Friday. Someone affectionately named this drive the Pre-Boston Mountain Tour Tour (PBMTT). Friday morning at 6:00 am came early after a late night of last minute preparation and packing. The car was packed and prepped for a couple hard days of driving to and in the Boston Mountains of NW Arkansas. By 8:00 am, cars were arriving in Melissa, TX ready for some fun. The majority of these cars were infiltrators as well.
Thirteen of us left for Eureka Springs that Friday morning around 8:45 am. We had plans to meet one more before leaving Texas, and three more in SW Arkansas. We had 425 miles to cover and wanted to do so before dark. Unfortunately the infamous and annoying daylight savings time change the previous week was making this much more difficult. The goal for the day was to be rounding curves more than driving in a straight line. I think we succeeded in doing so. It was a wonderful day on great roads filled with high speed sweepers and tight twisties, both on and off-camber. Some of the downhill sections had me wishing I had swapped to track/street brake pads like I did for the last event. But even with a brief downhill section of having to adjust for a little brake fade, I had a wonderful day of enjoying a very fun route which did not include a single Interstate or major highway. Unfortunately though, DST won the daylight race…by less than an hour. It was dark when we arrived in Eureka Springs, hungry and tired.
Saturday morning was the beginning of the actual Boston Mountain Tour, and as usual it was impeccably organized. We began with a parking lot full of amazing cars and drivers full of anticipation. After the drivers’ meeting, we hit the road in three groups. The first BMT I attended last spring was over many of the same roads. Regardless, the full day of driving was beyond fun and on some of the best roads ever made for sports cars. The highlight for me was most of the morning where I chased the leader of my group in his new S2000 CR. Needless to say, I had to concentrate a bit and keep it really smooth to keep up in the twisties. That guy could drive! We had a morning and afternoon break, photo opportunities of all the cars, and a great lunch and dinner. Thank you to all the S2ki.com members who made this event happen. I can’t wait for the next one. Maybe then I’ll go check out the Rowdy Beaver.
Click any of the pictures to view the entire gallery.
It may seem odd, but for years I associated the Camaro with speed. It’s true. I had no feelings of malcontent, and I did not associate the Camaro with wife-beater t-shirts, mullets, and bondo. It looked good, had a great V8, was relatively comfortable, and provoked driving fast. That was a win in my book. It still is to some degree.
My entire first-hand Camaro experience was with a 1989 Camaro RS which had the 5.0 liter V8 option. By today’s yard stick, the engine’s 170 horsepower and 255 lb-ft of torque is quite meager. But in 1990, even short the 70 horsepower which was available in the IROC-Z’s 5.7 liter V8, it was a monster to this high school student.
It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in North Texas when a friend picked me up in his new RS. I immediately was addicted to the torque pushing me into the seat. The next thing you knew we were flying along at 135mph, T-tops removed, and my hair blowing in the wind. That’s right. I had hair once. Moving on…
Now let’s fast forward almost 20 years. Everything has changed. Here’s where the wife-beaters, mullets, and bondo come into play. In the 7 years following Chevrolet killing the Camaro in 2002 after 35 years of production, its reputation went drastically downhill. There still was that distant memory of high school, but that memory was all too often overshadowed by a giant mullet cutting me off in traffic with his bondo-covered Camaro apparently fitted with a smoke screen “feature”.
A few weeks ago, everything changed again. Chevrolet delivered Burnout Radio a 2010 Camaro 2SS, and I drew the long straw to drive it the first few days. This is the 5th Generation of the Camaro, and I’ve yet to find someone who dislikes the way the way this car looks. Every curve and angle blend together to make one of the best looking American cars produced in recent decades. This 2010 model urges you to reminisce of the first four generations while remaining wholly modern in design. Chevrolet nailed the styling, pure and simple.
For those who aren’t familiar, the Infiniti Essence Concept car is a gas/electric hybrid vehicle utilizing Infiniti’s “3D Motor” technology. This electric motor provides 158 bhp and twice the torque of your run-of-the-mill unit. Combine this with another 434 bhp from the twin-turbo 3.7 liter V6 and you’ve got a nice-sized 592 bhp and can get almost 30 mph in combined city/hwy driving. You’ll notice plenty of intriguing things as you look through the photo gallery, including that the Essence has no mirrors. There are 6 cameras to do that job. One on the roof, one on each A-pillar, one in each quarter-panel vent, and one on the trunk lid.
Ever since I saw the press release on the Infiniti Essence Concept and read it would eventually come to Dallas, I was on a quest to find out the location, date, and time it would be here. That quest ended a week or so ago when I received a response from @InfinitiNews on Twitter. The Essence was to arrive at Hotel ZaZa on September 24. I showed up and met Josh with Infiniti, who eloquently explained more about this hybrid beauty. A few photos were all I could take before leaving for another event, but Josh informed me there was an Infiniti owners event there later that evening. Perfect. I conveniently own an Infiniti G35 and could then get some night-time shots as well. So I swung by later on for a few minutes and then left with some more pictures and some champagne in my belly. It was a good night.
Chevrolet has once again taken over a small parking lot on the south side of the State Fair of Texas. I highly recommend checking them out if you go to the fair this year. I was able to attend the Sneak Peek a couple days ago and was impressed with the “Chevy Experience”. You can even drive a Bumblebee Camaro around the course. Unfortunately, “no wheel spin” is the rule…something about not wanting mangled fenders and flattened fences. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the Chevrolet lineup. So after you get some fried butter, stop on by. If you’re on Twitter, follow @GMTexas and let them know you’re coming!
For those of you who love to just get out there and drive, make sure to check out BF Goodrich’s Nation of Go. Whether you’ve got a sports car or a 4×4, you’ll like this site. Follow the Nation of Go’s Lancer Sportback RalliArt and Quigley GM 4×4 van as they inspire us to drive cool routes and trails across the country.
