Formulas

A formula is what infants eat.

It's also a category of race cars.

And, thanks to a Father's Day gift from my sons--Marc in
St. Louis and Joel in Minneapolis--the three of us had a chance
to sample the latter, July 26 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI.

Elkhart Lake came to prominence in the early 1950s when
enterprising local leaders created the idea of road racing
through the town--then a population of about 500. The races
attracted large crowds and some of the world's leading
drivers. A few years later, a 4+ mile course was built nearby, and
it's hosted major events ever since.

Our instruction took place on a 2.1 mile course laid out inside the
larger Road America course. There was some classroom
conversation, then...out to the track in protective
driving suits (and they're warm) carrying our helmets.

The car is open-wheel, 1,100-pounds, capable of 130 mph--in effect,
a big, sleek go-kart on steroids. We were shown the brake-clutch-accelerator
relationship and sequential gearshift system...old stuff for motorcycle
riders like my sons, but not for me. We donned our helmets, sardined
ourselves into the car, fastened safety harnesses and were ready to go.

In small groups, we were told to follow an instructor in a lead car
show us the "line" through the series of turns (some, 90 degrees)
and straightaways.

While I didn't come close to challenging the car's potential speed
capability, I found that even 70 or 80 in a car with such immediate
response tends to focus your attention...quickly.

We had 90 minutes on the course, with a couple breaks.
I may have circled the course about 15 times, and could feel myself
gaining confidence with each lap. And I definitely was aware of
learning to anticipate what was ahead and positioning the car
accordingly.

The MasterCard ad says it well: The chance to share
an experience with the sons who gave me the gift...

Priceless.