When I was 70, I won my first two drag car races.

While the Tesla engine was totally quiet, I can't tell for my stomach or heart when the Sacramento Electric Car Association's Guy Hall told me to "knock it down" on my practice drive before the upcoming race.

I drove Guy's car. When I stepped on the accelerator, the car took off so quickly that my heart raced out of my chest and my stomach thought I had had butterflies for lunch.

It was a classic fight-or-flight stress response, except that flight caused the response. After a few more attempts, I was ready for my first drag race at the age of 70.

When it comes to driving, I'm not a young 70s. I am an old 70s. My indicator is constantly moving for no apparent reason. There is always the risk that I will drive up because I slow down at yellow traffic lights. Driving at night is an adventure.

So you can imagine my surprise when I received an email from Guy Hall out of the blue.

He asked, "Can I put you behind the wheel of a high-performance electric car on the Sacramento Raceway drag strip that is racing against a gas hog? You will likely win. Next Wednesday? All you have to do is point it straight ahead. "

I replied and said, "I am definitely interested in being behind the wheel, but I need more information. Should my wife take out life insurance? "

After a few more emails, I met Guy at the raceway. I had never been to a drag race or some kind of car race. In high school in the late 1960s, many of my classmates had muscle cars. Their cars made excessive noise, drove very quickly, and broke down frequently.

On the flip side, my friends had Volkswagen Vans that only went from 0 to 60 mph on a steep descent. A parking ticket on the freeway was highly unlikely. However, we were stopped regularly by the police, mainly because of an obscure car regulation regarding long hair in young men.

At Sacramento Raceway, I paid my $ 15 entry fee and filled out some forms. And then I got in line for the race. On this very hot Wednesday night there were around 60 gas guzzlers and around 20 electric cars.

As with most sporting events, especially those that last 12 seconds from start to finish, there was a lot more hanging around and chatting than actual activity time. The people at the raceway love their cars.

Matthew Cotton, daytime broker, drove his sharp-looking 2015 Mustang GTO. He told me the heat would affect the car's speed. He explained how motorists often use ice to cool their cars.

Duane Thomas has been working on the raceway in various jobs for five years. He was in charge of the water box that the gasoline cars drove through to get their tires wet before the race. Electric cars should drive around the water box. Duane stated that this gave the cars better traction.

While the electric cars didn't seem to need that much TLC, Tesla drivers like Will and Jannette Phelps loved their 2016 Model S and both planned to take turns at the wheel. When I asked about her previous racing experience, Will volunteered that his wife had been given a drag racing ticket once in high school.

It was finally time for me to race. A gasoline car against Guy's Tesla. After the very patient and friendly Raceway employee helped me to position my car at the start line, I waited for the traffic light to turn green.

I flattened it like I was told. It took me 12.115 seconds to travel a quarter mile and reach a top speed of 104.39 mph. The gasoline car took 16.018 seconds and reached a speed of 84.05 mph.

I thought I left quickly. But I was a moron compared to the Tesla Model S Plaid drivers who clocked at 150 and 151 mph. Sacramento State University psychology professor emeritus George Parrott, who is older than me, was disappointed when his Tesla plaid only drove 147.10 mph. He expects to get 153 mph next time.

My heart started racing just thinking about it.

The next time you see me drive, you'll recognize me on the 2010 Black Prius with the flashing lights on.

source https://seapointrealtors.com/2021/07/27/how-i-drove-over-100-miles-per-hour-without-getting-a-speeding-ticket-sacramento-news-review/

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