Last weekend Beth and I headed over to Anniston, Alabama for some race track time. We left Marietta GA about 5:30pm after leaving the garage open so Erik could get his 365.

Traffic straight out I-20 was heavy, and we stopped early for gas and a restroom break. A couple southern guys commented on the car and one of them told me raced dirt track.

We proceed I-20 to Anniston, cruising about 85-90. Beth was sleeping in the right seat. She only woke up when I came up on a Camaro blocking the left lane, flashed my lights once, and when I had the chance, blew by on the right. He sped up, and I slowed down (from about 110) and moved into the right lane and let him pass.

We did a little shopping in Anniston and then went to dinner. We stayed at the Victoria Inn as recommended by Mike Charness, and had dinner at the Top of River. Highly recommended. We had drinks, ate in the bar, southern food - Mustard greens, catfish, etc... with tip less than $40 (!) and then went to check in. It is a nice bed and breakfast and we stayed in one of the suites. There was a piano bar so we had a couple more drinks, and I had a cigar.

Needless to say, I was a little fuzzy in the morning and tried to get motivated to get up to make an 8:30 registration. Filled up, and drove about 20miles south to the race track. Made it there at 9:15 right as the drivers' meeting was starting. Parked the car and Nick van Goor was right there, and so was Gary Milgrom.

Went upstairs in the timing booth and Mike C. went over the track which was drawn on a chalk-board. Then another gentleman, I forget his name went over the correct lines. I think he was the one with the race prepared RX7 [added by Nick: that was Tom Turner and he did drive the RX7]

It was cold and clear, and from the tower we could see the whole track. It was as Mike C. advertised, generally flat, lots of runoff room. We signed a few waivers and went downstairs to the cars.

I think we had a 328, a 308, a Mondial, two Porsches, the RX7, 2 NSXs and my TR (am I forgetting one?) Missing in action was Charles and his Chevy something or other... Druce and his girlfriend had also shown up in his new Volvo.

And we were off, some of the guys started going around, and I filled my tires and removed everything, fire extinguisher, floor mats, etc...

I drove around onto pit lane and parked. By this time Mike C. had come in and I bummed a ride in his 308 to see the track and line. It looked like generally an easy track to get around, with the exception of the marbles on the turn after the back straight away, and on most of the corners there was a small bank that would not be fun to traverse if you really got off the track. But, no tires walls or cement walls.

I took my TR out and started learning the track and line. The track kinda drives like this: Go to the end of pit lane, look over your left shoulder, if there is anyone approaching let them by and give them some room and take off to your right, a short straight (end of the front straight) leads into a jog into the first left hand corner. Everything is marked with small white cones at the correct apexes and it became increasingly easy to find the line.

A short straight leads into a left hand turn into the back straight. Up to about 90 (110 after practice), and three cones for braking. A medium left goes to the back twisties. It is patchy cement and I would shift down to 2nd for the rest of the twisty corners, take a look at Mike's web page for all the corners, but then a sweeping left carousel leads back to the front straight and a shift from 2nd to 3rd, the only two gears I needed to use.

The TR is a pretty bitchin' ride. The 308's I used to have and the ride I took in one of the 328's at the track are a big difference. They are lighter with less power, and the TR just squats down in the corners, hugs down and plenty of power to spare.

After a few laps, I took it in and had a cigarette and talked with the guys. Then back to racing! It wasn't wheel to wheel, only passing on the front straight, not much of that as usually only a few cars were on the track at once.

I started to figure out the lines and started to really have some fun. Overcooked it into a couple corners, got squirrley, you know, the usual track antics...

While we were out there, Gary and a couple other guys fired up the grills and we had hotdogs, and beans, and gatorade... Thanks, guys.

A great time, but Beth and I had to go. The rest of the guys started going in the opposite direction around the track, but we headed back to Atlanta.

Thank you Mike Charness. See you next time!