This past Thursday and Friday while dealing with a major plumbing break in our shopping center in Delano, CA (25 miles north of Bakersfield), I had the chance to join several friends in between contractor and city inspector meetings at Buttonwillow Raceway (about 25 minutes away) for Hooked On Driving's first event in the southern California area (really middle CA).

It was a one day (Friday) event, loads of fun as they have less rigid rules than SoCal Audi events which I have attended in the past.

There was an impressive collection of cars which included a McClaren, a Porsche Carrera GT, my friend's new Viper GTS, an F-type V8S, an Audi R-8, and many other great cars.

Although, I have been to Buttonwillow four or five previous times, the configuration of the track was changed to eliminate a small hill curve prior to the back straightaway, in order to elongate the back straightaway to nearly one mile!! At the end of that straight is a V shaped turn that is more than 200 degrees, so that you are nearly stopped at the end of that "dragstrip."

I must admit that the first time down I was quite intimidated as it's a game of "chicken" as to how long you can hold out without braking. And as I had new rotors and brake pads that really hadn't been tested yet, I was a bit cautious.
While I never really look at the speedometer on the track as I'm usually preoccupied, I did catch a glimpse on a later lap and managed to see a 132-133 mph reading. With a little more late braking (euphenism for "GUTS"), I am fairly confident I could have gotten to 140-142mph. Some of the exotics were hitting 145-150.

So, at least I got to have some fun while shelling out $20,000 for a major plumbing breach.

 

There is alot of smile on that driver coming around that corner The XK is a comfortable GT and freeway traveler but it does AMAZINGLY WELL on the track! Best of both worlds I say!!

 

Looks like you had a lot of fun Ted!! Regards, Ralph

 

Hey Lothar52,
I had to pick the one with a smile otherwise you guys might have seen the ones with the terrified look of fear coming to the end of the straightaway.