Feeling the need for speed

By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express

One thing about journalism is you never really know where the next day of the job will take you.

Last week, out of the blue, my editor Joel asked me if I was interested in “riding in a race car.”

“Definitely,” I replied without much thought as I was focusing on writing a story regarding a candidates debate the previous evening.

I received the contact information for Dave Drimmie, communications manager at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, formerly Mosport.

After a quick e-mail exchange, I was asked to be at the park at 11:30 a.m. the next day.

The morning of Thursday, May 17 came rather quickly and by 10:30 a.m., I was on the road.

Dave had asked if I needed directions to the park. Interestingly enough, I didn’t because I have driven past or within a few minutes of my destination hundreds of times over the past 15 years.

However, this was the first time I would actually enter the gates.

After a quick jaunt up through Bowmanville to the border of the City of Kawartha Lakes, I arrived.

I walk into the office and am greeted, after putting my signature on a piece of paper I’m handed a media pass.

“Do I need to call Dave Drimmie to be picked up,” I asked.

“Do you have a car?” the woman replies.

“Yes.”

“Well, you can probably drive over there, but here is Dave.”

As I turn around, I’m cheerfully greeted by Dave, who tells me he just has to pop into the office and then we’ll be on our way.

A minute later, the two of us climb onto his golf cart and start on our way towards the track.

“Have you ever been in a race car before,” he questions as we move rather slowly, an oxymoron considering the thundering sound of cars zooming around the track in the background.

“First time actually being here,” I reply.

 

Once we get to the track, there is a canopy set up.

I am introduced to a woman by Dave, and he heads out to pick up another rider.

The woman opens up a crate and hands me a fireproof suit to put on.

After awkwardly suiting up (“Is this right,” I asked sheepily), I put on my helmet.

There are few others taking part in the media ride-along chatting about racing. Not being much of a fan, it became clear that these were conversations I would likely be lost in.

I snap a few selfies and upload them to Instagram, and the waiting game begins.

This is not to say that it was a long wait to get into the car.

It’s at this point the butterflies in my stomach started start to flutter. I would compare it to the feeling you get when you reach the front of the line for a roller coaster at Canada’s Wonderland.

Dave is now back and asks me how I’m holding up.

“I’m ready, buddy,” I say, trying to sound nonchalant.

Probably humouring me, he says, “You don’t really need the helmet on just yet. And try to stay out of the sun. Do you want a water?”.

A few minutes later, the car we will be riding in pulls up, driven by Scott Hargrove.

It is a Porsche 911, a car I admittedly have only heard of in rap songs.

He greets us and starts to suit up.

The time is nigh, I realize.

The group heads towards an entrance on the track as the first rider jumps in the car with Scott.

Another car comes slowly onto the track, with a man snapping photos.

Dave appears a bit annoyed at this point, noting that it’s a very strict window of time for the event and most likely we’ll only get one lap each now.

“That’s fine with me,” I said, telling myself that should be enough excitement.

Finally, the car veers off to the east and disappears around the bend.

Dave tells me I am next, and to put my helmet on.

I am handed a GoPro to hold to capture some footage during my ride, and I see the car heading back towards us.

I jump in, and somehow am able to put on my seatbelt without missing a beat, despite my nerves.

After quickly shaking hands with Scott, we’re off.

“Whoooooooooohoooooo”,” I exclaimed within the first few seconds.

As we hit the first turn, I realize how much skill it takes to participate in race car driving.

I’m not sure exactly how fast we were going, but Scott noted the car can reach speeds of 200 mph, roughly 320 km/hr, or twice as fast as I’ve ever reached in my own car.

As we race around the track, I am somewhat focused on capturing decent footage on the GoPro, and before I know it we are heading into the final turn.

Scott seems to give it a little something extra just to give me the full experience.

As I hop out, I tug off the helmet. Dave asks how it was.

I’m cleaning up my response a bit here, but it was along the lines of, “amazing.”

After the rest of the field take their turns, we head back up to the registration office on the golf cart, which after the previous ride, makes it seem like the world is going in slow motion.

This past weekend, tens of thousands of people nestled into Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the annual Victoria Day Speedfest

The next event scheduled is the VARAC Vintage Grand Prix, on June 15 to 17, Father’s Day Weekend.

It will offer a chance to see restored cars from the past century of motorsports at CTMP’s Grand Prix circuit.

For more information, visit canadiantiremotorsportpark.com.

If this entire experience has shown me one thing, it is that, as a journalist, you are truly never sure where your next assignment will take you.