RFM Front Page News

PORTLAND, Oregon (July 20, 2006) — I couldn’t think of a better way to start off an ALMS race weekend. A ride in the recently retired, Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing #31, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. Yes. This is the actual car. Not a show car with an engine tossed in it, but the actual car that won the 2004 24 hours of LeMans GT Class. The same car that won the 2005 GT2 Class American Le Mans Championship. There are many other significant marks this cars owns. That list is very long. For more information visit the Petersen Motorsports Website.

With none other than team owner, Michael Petersen at the wheel.

The team took the car and placed a passenger seat in it for Media and sponsor rides over the weekend. Today was media day and I was not going to miss this incredible opportunity.

So, we waited at pit out and then signed off injury waivers for both the ALMS/IMSA and Petersen Motorsports. I haven’t signed that many papers since buying my last car! Just kidding…It was only two forms.

I pop on the helmet and Hans device (no easy task for a Hans device newbie) and enter the tight confines of this purpose built Porsche. 5-point harness attached, I survey my temporary home like a kid in a candy store. Nope. Not even a hint of factory bling in this car. A pure, purpose built, racing machine. Yeah, baby!

Michael powers up the engine, checks the gauges and we’re off full bore to the Festival Curves. The acceleration pushes you firmly into the seat. Massive braking and a hard right over the rumble strip. A hard left and mash the pedal to the floor as we leave the Festivals.

Turns 4-8 are always fun to negotiate. Flat turns with multiple apexes. Michael saws the wheel and feathers the throttle through this section. We rise up to the slight hill in 6-7, swing on down to 8 and up through 9 which includes the back straight. The g-forces in the Petersen Porsche are significant. There are no speedometers. I have no idea how fast we are going. It doesn't even matter. Life is good.

We enter turn 10 hard and fast, clipping the kerbing. The front of the 911 jumps off the ground and it’s clear the next corner will not be made as we spin 180-degrees and slide backwards into the grass. For a fleeting moment I wonder if we will back into the tires that protect the cars from the armco behind them, but Michael slows quickly. Fear never entered my mind. Life is awesome!

I’m sure my heartbeat is 300-400 by now and I’ve a huge smile on my face. Michael apologizes. I reply, “Nonsense. That was awesome! Let’s go!” as we get back on the track and accelerate full throttle into turn 12 and head down the front straight back to the Festivals.

Entering the Festivals is an entirely different experience at full speed. The brakes on the Porsche are incredible and it feels as if your teeth might literally be thrown onto the windshield. The turns are hard and violent this time around. The acceleration out of the infamous chicane is much more pronounced and we complete lap 2 without incident.

Michael again attempts to apologize for the spinout, but I would have none of that. I shake his hand and tell him that I would not have had it any other way. This was definitely one of my most exciting race rides ever.

My wife, Mary, was next up to ride and with time getting short they would only run one lap per ride and unfortunately not run the front straight. The ride after Mary, the left rear hub broke and that was it for the day. We surmised it was the jump over the kerbing we took earlier that damaged the hub.

Many, many thanks to the Petersen/White Lightning racing team for making this possible. It is truly a rare opportunity to be able to ride in a true race vehicle at this level. Also, many thanks to the American Le Mans Series for their hospitality and also for making this type of experience possible.

A very special thanks to Michael Petersen for the ride of my life and an experience I can share time and again. I will never, ever forget this.