Before I get into the event itself, I just wanted to let you know how I came about going to the driving school in the first place. I want you to know this simply because if you get the chance you should go too. Like right now. (Have I mentioned it was awesome? Because if I haven’t I will do so many many more times before I am done.)
I was able to attend this event because I receive mailings from Marlboro. I couldn’t tell you which bar I signed up for the mailings from Marlboro because I was most likely drinking and only wanted the free cigarettes. Normally Marlboro sends me coupons, which equates to paying for half the tax of a normal pack. This time they sent me an invite to attend ‘Marlboro’s Hot Laps’ which I honestly thought was just a joke at first (read: Attend Driving School! Small print: 1 in 10,001 chance to win!) I gave them a call just for the hell of it and 10 minutes later Kevin and I were reserved for the event. (Awesome).
On Saturday afternoon we arrived at the California Speedway. The Santa Ana winds were blowing pretty hard so I was worried that they would cancel the event. Nope. They rounded us up to the waiver release, gave us a backpack filled with gifts, got measurements, suited us up, snapped our picture, and off we were to the IROC stock cars.
Of the three cars that we rode in, the IROC was the least interesting. Not to say that going 150 mph around a track was boring. It was just the least interesting. I only felt that I might die three or four times.
IROC Stock Cars
After the IROC, they moved us on to the Panoz GTS for some street racing. Basically the drivers went 130 MPH then made a left turn. Or a right turn. I might have screamed a little. (Awesome!) After that, we got to ride in the Mustang. It was your basic Mustang really except that they let us experience drifting. I never quite grasped what drifting was until I was sitting in this car going sideways.
Drifting
Finally the rides were over and they fed us lunch. We filled out survey sheets that in not so many words said, “Do you think this event would make you tell your adult smoker friends that Marlboro is awesome?”
Adult Smoker Friends, driving school is awesome. Marlboro, keep sending me things like this while you kill me with your poison.
Awesome!
