I initially thought little of my editor’s request to do a ride along with a professional driver ahead of next week’s the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
But as I stood on a rattling Shoreline Drive, deafened by the thunderous roar of race cars hurtling past me, I immediately regretted my nonchalance.
Unfortunately, there was little I could do. By 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, April 9, I had donned a racing suit and balaclava, pulled on a helmet and gloves, and effectively signed my rights away.
Indeed, before I had even had a chance to tell my family it was nice knowing them, I was strapped into a IndyCar two-seater preparing for blast off — my life now in the hands of retired racer Davey Hamilton.
I was one of the few reporters invited to experience the thrill of the 1.97-mile street circuit during the Grand Prix of Long Beach’s annual media day, which takes place before around 180,000 attendees descend on downtown Long Beach for the three-day racing festival from April 19 to 21.
It was a big privilege, I tried to reassure myself, before we took off with a stomach churning 160 mile-per-hour acceleration down Shoreline Drive.
My first thought: “I’ve made a terrible mistake.”
“I hope I don’t pass out,” was my second.
But I clung onto consciousness by picturing my editor’s disappointed face when I informed him I couldn’t complete the assignment because I had no memory of the ride. I also appealed to my ego by reminding myself that he had accomplished the same feat in 2019 without fainting or vomiting — two unwanted bodily functions I now felt on the precipice of.
Consciousness secured, the next task was to open my eyes. They had immediately sealed shut in what I felt was a rational reaction to our blindingly fast take off.
Unfortunately, my story would be scant on detail without the power of sight, so like the good reporter I am, I commanded by nervous system to calm down and obey my orders.
At first, they opened in fleeting blinks, only to be slammed back shut by the blasting wind and ever-present nausea. But eventually, I managed to get them propped open — just in time to see us hurtle toward a cement wall and the driver slam on the breaks.
Right as I prepared to utter my final prayers, the car turned sideways and careened around the corner. To my surprise — and delight — we had not crashed, but instead expertly navigated one of the circuit’s eight turns.
Reinvigorated by my survival, I tried to enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime, adrenaline-fueled journey.
The ride gave me a new sense of appreciation both for the sport of race car driving and the skill it requires of its competitors.
Formula DRIFT cars line up for some practice runs on Tuesday, Apr. 9, 2024, at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach circuit downtown. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
At times, the car seemed to float on air, bestowing a sense of weightlessness as we accelerated along the straightaways and breaking with shocking grace as we whipped around the course’s corners. It was a far cry from the rattling turns and skids I was accustomed to in my brief dabbles with go-karting.
The incomprehensible speed at which the race car hurtled along the course messed with my perspective. Palm trees blurred, my eyes watered and the two-minute-long ride seemingly lasted an eternity. But paradoxically, it was also over in the blink of an eye.
And there I was, right where I had started, sitting in the pit, alive.
I was jacked up on adrenaline as I leaped out of the vehicle and thrust two triumphant fists in the air — I had survived!
In truth, I had done absolutely nothing other than sit still for 120 seconds. The actual accomplishment was all thanks to my driver, Hamilton.
I gave him a huge thanks before blurting out the question that had been on my mind the entire ride:
“Have you ever been in a crash?”
“Oh yeah,” he grinned in response, “a big one.”
At a 2001 IndyCar Series race in Texas, Davey was involved in a crash that almost cost him his life.
“A guy blew an engine in front of me,” he said. “I was along for the ride at about 225 mile an hour, so I hit the wall, got airborne, ripped the front of the car off. I sustained some massive leg injuries.”
The injuries were so extreme, in fact, that at one point doctors thought amputation would be his best option. Davey ultimately underwent 23 operations to reconstruct his feet and legs. He was unable to stand for five months after the crash and was in a wheelchair for a year.
And yet, this was not enough to turn him away from the sport. Davey returned to the cockpit in 2005 and continued racing until his retirement in 2011.
What an inspirational story, I thought to myself. But boy, was I glad I heard it after my ride.
Grand Prix of Long Beach
When: Friday to Sunday, April 19-21
Where: Downtown Long Beach
Cost: $40-$1,275, depending on the day and the package
Information: gplb.com
