Flat Out
A few years ago we had access to a vacant Streets of Willow Raceway and Hagerty invited a few clients out for a private filming of their vehicle. The challenge was, set a fast lap in their priceless vintage cars while being chased down by a camera crew in a Caravan. Everyone had a great time and I think the footage we captured was pretty great.
We filmed six cars in two days. Everyone one of them wild in its own right. This particular Shelby GT350 was driven by its owner, Steve Beck, who bought it when he was 18 for $900. He still drives it like a $900 car.
Owner Craig Eckberg had no hesitation flogging his priceless 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. He even challenged the other drivers to a heads up race, we the camera crew were the only takers.
This was my first experience with one of these rare 300SL’s. Hearing the straight six wind out on the straight away sounded like a Messerschmitt doing a fly-by.
Joel Mogul wasn’t able to achieve the top speed of 173mph with his 1971 Ferrari Daytona 365 GTB/4 at this small circuit but it might as well have been. This car looks like it’s going 200mph sitting still.
Nothing has more of an essence of vintage war plane than a Shelby Cobra 427. I tried to hold the gimbal while riding in this car, when the accelerator hit the floor I felt like my arms were about to be ripped out of their sockets.
Bob Radke’s Porsche 911 was a bit different from the rest of the group. His machine was frankensteined with an LS6 V8 where the flat-six should be. A bit strange to hear the sound of American muscle coming from a nimble sportscar but I’ll take it.
The final car is a kit car I’ve been crazy about since I first saw one online as a youngster. Looking like an LMP car for the street the Ultima GTR is another LS powered machine, but this one’s purpose built for the racetrack.