I went to a car show at the California Highway Patrol (CHP) academy on saturday. It was a great event. Sorry I don't have pictures of this one. As a part of the show they had a high speed driving demonstration on their training track. This was the CHPs version of the Thurnderbirds or Blue Angels. They had 5 2001-2002 Camaro pursuit cars and drove them around the track first in tight formation with some nice precision seperations, weaves and joining back together. Then they really let them rip, coming off a banked turn on the back straight they were travelling about 130 mph and then came to a flat 60 degree turn. They were power sliding through that corner with tires smokin'! There was a crescent shape turn in front of the grandstand and they came sliding through that at about 80 with right-left-right drifts. The cars were spread out and the 3 came through cleanly, then as the 4th one swung back to the final right I thought "Oh SH*T, he's lost it" as as he swung way past the line to continue on. The car keeps right on going around and he does a complete 360 and keeps on going never dropping under about 50-60 mph. The crowd went wild! The 5th driver came through and did the same trick. Their finale was 4 cars going clock wise and 1 coming counter and they all met in front of the grandstand with 3 going on the crescent turn and the other two passing on the straight that spanned across it. It was a great demonstration. These were the driving instructors at the academy and they definitely knew what they were doing behind the wheel. At the end they each pullled right down in front of the stands doing a good smokey burn out. Then each stepped out of their car and the announcer introduced them one at a time as they took off their helmets. When the third one pulled the helmet off and long blond hair fell across her shoulders the crowd went a little quiet then burst into huge applause!
Sure made me think of Meag's NASCAR ambitions!
Pat
