Team Texas driving school

SFC Hiatt · Post by **SFC Hiatt** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 17:28

Holy four letter word!!

My lovely wife for Christmas got me 10 laps at the Team Texas NASCAR driving school at the Texas Motor Speedway. Let me preface my description of my experience by telling you that I have done some exciting things in my life to include:

A little combat working for Uncle Sam, lived in Germany and Korea, repelled from the scoreboard of the Texas Longhorns Basketball Court to deliver the game ball of the Austin Wranglers arena football game on NBC television, flew to AirVenture, parachuted with the Army’s Golden Knights, and a couple other things that I can’t publically talk about……………………..and riding 3 laps over 160mph around the Texas Motor Speedway with a professional NASCAR driver after driving myself around for 10 laps somewhere around 140mph is the most fun thing I have ever done in my life!!

Check them out at www.teamtexas.com.

SFC Hiatt · Post by **SFC Hiatt** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 21:03

Joe must be asleep or out of the country away from the internet or he would have slapped me by now and told me that NASCAR was not real racing.

Turns out he use to be a racecar driver.

Post by **joea** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 00:34

Just a little bit, for about 6 years wasted a lot of money racing. Did a lot of SCCA road racing, then threw caution to the wind and tried open wheel cars and blew money even faster. Won a few, had lots of 2nd and 3rd placings but it seems that I could almost never beat a local doctor who had 10x the money I did to buy the best of everything, while we were on a shoestring budget.

Difference is that road racing races, period no matter the weather. If it rains, we race. If it snows, we race. Crashcar run in a circle and if it even hints of rain they stop the race. In Nascar the drivers bump people off of the track to get ahead, but in road racing if you do that you are black flagged and brought in the pits and your race is over, and you are not allowed to race again until you understand that this is not the way to do things.

I know, it makes a lot of noise, is fun for some people but in real life we go right and left around the roads, so I prefer my race cars to do the same thing.

The Austin Healey that I got my start in...

One I have now that I need to get to restoring "one of these days"...

Have got a few more pics but not on this computer. Have been out flying the "work airplane" and just got in the house.

Nathan K. Hammond · Post by **Nathan K. Hammond** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 23:30

Sounds awsome Chris! I got to ride around the Kentucky track several years ago, and I've never been so scared and laughed at the same time. There is nothing like going into a turn at 140 and watching the wall fly past only 18 inches away.

Oh, and double points for poking fun at Joe.

nkh

Post by **joea** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 23:48

I will teach you guys how to turn right someday!

Nathan K. Hammond · Post by **Nathan K. Hammond** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 23:50

HAHA

nkh

WWhunter · Post by **WWhunter** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 07:08

I like the road racing too. Also did lots of amature drag racing when I was younger.
Did a ground-up restoration on a Lotus Europa and set it up to race at Road Atlanta. I would have to say it was one of the best handling cars ever build that was street legal. Like driving an overgrown go-cart. Wasn't much bigger either. LOL Never got the chance. 15 year old girl ran a stop light and totalled it out while it was being trailered.
I'll email a picture if someone want to post it.

Keith

james gevay · Post by **james gevay** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 07:32

Cool pictures Joe, love those SU's, is that a Bugeye Sprite in the last picture?
I just picked up a '74 MGB this fall, it's only been a 30 year lapse since when I last owned one.
I agree, real racing is turning right and left, although there's no argument that NASCAR is popular with the masses.
Hiatt, getting a chance to drive a car like that would be a blast, glad you had a good time.

Post by **joea** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 07:47

Keith,

Email me a photo, will post it.

Had a friend who had a Europe and he felt the same. Loved the car but it was so low that other drivers did not see it, and kept turning in front of him from the other lane, so he sold it. Still fun to drive.

Chris,

One of my best friends used to build Nascar engines, so I know how you feel. There is nothing like the horsepower but a road racing track is still more my cup of tea (or is it moonshine?:) )

Joe

WWhunter · Post by **WWhunter** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 12:19

Email sent. Maybe one of these days I'll sit down long enough to figure out how to post.