Undoubtedly, the promise of foul weather played a hand in a smaller turnout of exotics this year, but it failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the more than 160 families participating in the event. There's a crisp bite to the air as we line up in pit row to take on our first set of excited passengers.
Gabe, 9 years old, is a beautiful boy with large brown eyes and tousled curls. Smiling shyly, he admits that his absolute favourite car is a "Red Ferrari", but by the time we're whistling up the Andretti Straight at just under 200 km/h, he's decided that the Turbo S comes a close second.
Although I'm in one of the fastest and most capable cars on-track today, I have no trouble admitting that my lap times are among the slowest. Not only am I responsible for precious cargo, but Mosport is a track that commands respect from even world-class professional drivers and the cold rain that has just begun has only made it more treacherous.
But Gabe's not complaining—eyes shining, he laughs out loud while, duck-like, the Porsche wags its tail through the bottom hairpin.
The young folks aren't the only ones fulfilling a need for speed; a few of the parents buckle in for some fast laps too. One, a single mother, her kind face lined with worry, softens as she tells me of her two sons, one of whom is currently undergoing dialysis, and their recent trip to Disneyland. It was the trip of a lifetime, with all arrangements and expenses looked after by the Foundation.
The rain is really coming down now, and I'm surprised that the line of waiting passengers shows no sign of dwindling. There's a movement among the long-time supporters and organizers to move the event closer to summer, and as I consider the freezing rain and its effect on the already overworked immune systems of the waiting kids, I can't help but agree that it would make sense.
The weather's turned really nasty, and the rain has given way to driving sleet that's coming at a fierce angle and greatly reducing any visibility. Several of the high-horsepower, rear-wheel drive cars have pulled into the pits to wait for it to blow over after one of the Corvettes went into a spin. Still, there's no end of cheerful passengers waiting to pile into my car, and as long as the marshals give the okay, I'm not ready to quit.
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| Photo: Lesley Wimbush/Auto123.com |
Gabe, 9 years old, is a beautiful boy with large brown eyes and tousled curls. Smiling shyly, he admits that his absolute favourite car is a "Red Ferrari", but by the time we're whistling up the Andretti Straight at just under 200 km/h, he's decided that the Turbo S comes a close second.
Although I'm in one of the fastest and most capable cars on-track today, I have no trouble admitting that my lap times are among the slowest. Not only am I responsible for precious cargo, but Mosport is a track that commands respect from even world-class professional drivers and the cold rain that has just begun has only made it more treacherous.
But Gabe's not complaining—eyes shining, he laughs out loud while, duck-like, the Porsche wags its tail through the bottom hairpin.
The young folks aren't the only ones fulfilling a need for speed; a few of the parents buckle in for some fast laps too. One, a single mother, her kind face lined with worry, softens as she tells me of her two sons, one of whom is currently undergoing dialysis, and their recent trip to Disneyland. It was the trip of a lifetime, with all arrangements and expenses looked after by the Foundation.
The rain is really coming down now, and I'm surprised that the line of waiting passengers shows no sign of dwindling. There's a movement among the long-time supporters and organizers to move the event closer to summer, and as I consider the freezing rain and its effect on the already overworked immune systems of the waiting kids, I can't help but agree that it would make sense.
The weather's turned really nasty, and the rain has given way to driving sleet that's coming at a fierce angle and greatly reducing any visibility. Several of the high-horsepower, rear-wheel drive cars have pulled into the pits to wait for it to blow over after one of the Corvettes went into a spin. Still, there's no end of cheerful passengers waiting to pile into my car, and as long as the marshals give the okay, I'm not ready to quit.
 |
| Photo: Lesley Wimbush/Auto123.com |