Holy shit. I finnaly found out what was missing in my life. You know, that little tugging feeling in the middle of your stomach when things are going right and you are still not happy.........oh boy i found something that filled me up!

I attended the Marlboro "Hot Laps" event at Carolinas Motorsports park in Kershaw S.C. this past Sunday. We arrived at 2 P.M. When I say "we" I mean my fiancee and I. None of my friends wanted to go, fearing rides on a race track.

One of the coolest things from the beginning was the treatment. From the getgo, the staff treated everyone like a pure-bred race car driver. From the "language" used to the demeanor in how they pointed and walked, everything was "race-inspired". We parked in the grass lot and were immediately old to start drinking gatorage and water due to the nature of dehydration. I thought it was a joke.....WOW! I swear I lost 10 pounds of water. I luckily shed my polo shirt before we started.

We then moved on to a "driver's ed" for "riders". we were fitted for suits, helmets, etc. Next, we were taken to a "class" teaching us the etiquette of riding along in race cars. we arrived on pit road and it was alread 93 degrees. We got to wear full race jumpsuits which helped make us sweat like it was 193! We were waiting to ride along in a Panos GT-S, which is the track version of the Panos Esperante. The car was driven by a modified Ford Mustang Cobra 4.6L V8 making 320 HP in a car that weighed in at 2700 lbs. even. It was funny b/c the race car had "doors" yet you still had to fall in and climb out. There was such a high interior wall for safety reasons there might as well not had been a door to begin with.

I felt like I was orgasming for 3 1/2 minutes straight once we hit the track. I got to speak to the driver before we took off and he asked me if I raced and I said no, but I drove a Honda S2000 and I love high speeds and curves. he knew alot of the S2000 and said he had driven one at a track in AZ and was very impressed. He told me he would not hold back at all unless I gave him a thumbs down while driving.

So off we were! From the start, we were flying! That car is ridiculously fast! I could tell the driver was trying to go all out to impress the "rookie" here b/c he slipped and slid a few times, especially around turns 6-9. Still awesome!!! We hit 137 MPH on the straightaway. Jill told me the highest they hit was 118 MPH. Her car ended up blowing something in the engine and they had to swap cars. POOF 8,000 bucks! The driver told me I could buy a Panos like the one we were in if I saved up 65K!!!!

we took 2 laps and pitted. I thought we would hit it again after drinking some fluids, but that was it!. I couldnt complain! I felt bad b/c I quit smoking in May, yet Marlboro was here spending over 400 bucks for each of us to entertain us! We got to eat some NICE food, prepared by some traveling chefs they had with them.

later I got to view a Panos GT-S and an IRL car up close and personal. I was stoked by the IRL car, which of course had a Honda 3.0L V8 in it!!!!!!!!! freakin 645 HP!!!!!! So since I have 2/3rds of the engine I should be able to make about 400HP N.A.!!!!! anyways......

Great event and hats off to Marlboro, they didnt hand out smokes, nor ask us why we didnt smoke. I felt bad and asked a staff member to buma smoke so I could pretend like I was still smoking, and they told me "it's not that kind of promotion"! Appearantly, Marlboro is taking their racing seriously!

here are a few pics.....forgive me if they are the wrong size, too big or too small.....my first time posting pics....





L.E.D. TV! we were being broadcast on live cable TV!


Suited up, ready to run!




$15,000 steering wheel made of carbon fiber!


OMG I FIT!!!


HA! I KNEW slotted was better than cross-drilled!


Dash of the Panos


the Perfect suspension set up!

 

P.S....... we got to keep the head socks, and the thick race gloves!!! very cool! Also we got backpacks, portable ashtrays, Mag-Lite solitaires, hats, and disposable cameras.

here is some info on the Panos GT-S



the rest of the pics....

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j10/aare...o%20Hot%20Laps/

 

Great pics! That trip sounds like a blast! How did you get access to something like that??

 

I dunno. I used to sign up for marlboro offers when the "cigarette" people would come to bars. SO I guess I was on their mailing list and I was randomly picked. That's my guess. Thanks Marlboro from an ex-smoker!!!

 

What a great day! Excellent pics and write up Dre. I love CMP; now you just have to go for one of the track days where you can drive your S.