Disclaimer:
This short "race" took place from a redlight, with clean intersection/traffic/pedestrian free asphalt ahead, and *I* shut it down for safety reasons. The consent of my one passenger was also given. No race is worth death or damage, and I try to always keep my head about me, even when I AM breaking the law. :smile:
My girlfriend is Hungarian, and every so often we take a ~25 mile weekend morning ride out to this one butcher who sells a variety of Hungarian specialty meats. We usually go on nice mornings, and today was no exception. The air was clean and crisp, but warm enough to have the windows down even with shorts on. It was sunny and gorgeous.
We're about 7/8 of the way there, and I pull up in the left hand lane at a light. In the mirror, I see a very dark blue (nearly black) F-body of some type pull up behind me, then move into the right hand lane at the last moment. Clearly he WANTED to be beside me. I casually check the TC (off), as I quietly say, "This guy is probably going to go pretty hard off the light. I'm going try to keep up with him if that's OK with you." My F-body spotting skills are weak, but it sounded deep and rumbly, so I figured it wouldn't be easy to stay with him. She said how could I know he was going to go, but that she didn't mind. (F-body, intentionally took the lane next to me, trying to be casual, but I could hear his engine as he feathered the clutch back and forth waiting for the light. I KNEW he was going.)
I didn't rev or any of that, just waited quietly... bubububububub... I didn't even push in the clutch until I saw the other light turn yellow.
The light turns green, and I'm hoping he'll go out slowly at first so I have an easier time with traction. He does, as do I, and the moment I hear him get on it I push it to the floor. The moment he hits it, my front bumper is at his door... a split second later when I hit it, I'm immediately back up with him... he's got maybe a foot on me. By this time it's second gear. We shift about the same time, and it's like there is a bar connecting our two cars. If I hadn't had to watch the road, I could have looked over and waved at the guy, because we were absolutely accelerating at the same speed. I THINK I was inching up in him near the end of second, but really that could just have been wishful thinking. All the way through second, neither of us pulls by any appreciable amount amount, then we hit 3rd.
Third started out the same as second, and I really think I could have pulled him as the rpms climbed, but our lanes were merging into one by then. There was no way either of us was going to be far enough ahead to merge safely, so I shut it down. Shortly thereafter we turned off, so there were no further opportunites. I'm not certain that I would have gotten permission for a rematch anyway! :smile:
If having a passenger makes as much difference as I've heard, I'd have really liked to try it again with just me in the car, and no merging lanes.
Honestly, I'm pretty surprised. I thought the Firehawks were limited edition Firebirds with pretty damn fast times. OTOH, as I've said, my F-body knowledge is limited. It was badged as a Firehawk, though, so unless it was fake I'm pretty sure that's what it was. I didn't even (and generally don't) powershift.
In either case, it was a good time!
Joe
_________________
Dark Highland Green #1934
Bone Stock except for a deep Zaino Shine!
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<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: DHG-1934 on 2001-10-13 17:11 ]</font>
This short "race" took place from a redlight, with clean intersection/traffic/pedestrian free asphalt ahead, and *I* shut it down for safety reasons. The consent of my one passenger was also given. No race is worth death or damage, and I try to always keep my head about me, even when I AM breaking the law. :smile:
My girlfriend is Hungarian, and every so often we take a ~25 mile weekend morning ride out to this one butcher who sells a variety of Hungarian specialty meats. We usually go on nice mornings, and today was no exception. The air was clean and crisp, but warm enough to have the windows down even with shorts on. It was sunny and gorgeous.
We're about 7/8 of the way there, and I pull up in the left hand lane at a light. In the mirror, I see a very dark blue (nearly black) F-body of some type pull up behind me, then move into the right hand lane at the last moment. Clearly he WANTED to be beside me. I casually check the TC (off), as I quietly say, "This guy is probably going to go pretty hard off the light. I'm going try to keep up with him if that's OK with you." My F-body spotting skills are weak, but it sounded deep and rumbly, so I figured it wouldn't be easy to stay with him. She said how could I know he was going to go, but that she didn't mind. (F-body, intentionally took the lane next to me, trying to be casual, but I could hear his engine as he feathered the clutch back and forth waiting for the light. I KNEW he was going.)
I didn't rev or any of that, just waited quietly... bubububububub... I didn't even push in the clutch until I saw the other light turn yellow.
The light turns green, and I'm hoping he'll go out slowly at first so I have an easier time with traction. He does, as do I, and the moment I hear him get on it I push it to the floor. The moment he hits it, my front bumper is at his door... a split second later when I hit it, I'm immediately back up with him... he's got maybe a foot on me. By this time it's second gear. We shift about the same time, and it's like there is a bar connecting our two cars. If I hadn't had to watch the road, I could have looked over and waved at the guy, because we were absolutely accelerating at the same speed. I THINK I was inching up in him near the end of second, but really that could just have been wishful thinking. All the way through second, neither of us pulls by any appreciable amount amount, then we hit 3rd.
Third started out the same as second, and I really think I could have pulled him as the rpms climbed, but our lanes were merging into one by then. There was no way either of us was going to be far enough ahead to merge safely, so I shut it down. Shortly thereafter we turned off, so there were no further opportunites. I'm not certain that I would have gotten permission for a rematch anyway! :smile:
If having a passenger makes as much difference as I've heard, I'd have really liked to try it again with just me in the car, and no merging lanes.
Honestly, I'm pretty surprised. I thought the Firehawks were limited edition Firebirds with pretty damn fast times. OTOH, as I've said, my F-body knowledge is limited. It was badged as a Firehawk, though, so unless it was fake I'm pretty sure that's what it was. I didn't even (and generally don't) powershift.
In either case, it was a good time!
Joe
_________________
Dark Highland Green #1934
Bone Stock except for a deep Zaino Shine!
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: DHG-1934 on 2001-10-13 17:11 ]</font>
