Justin Pritchard:

This would be interesting.

Lesley was driving the ultimate chick-car: A Mazda Miata- or as it's called now the "MX5" which is slightly more masculine. Crash was behind the wheel of another Mazda- the epitome of affordable zoom-zoom: the Mazdaspeed3. That, isn't so surprising, except that I was driving America's biggest and brawniest sedan: the 300C SRT8.

I'm a 24 year old guy fresh out of school- just the type of person who Mazda targets the Speed3 at. The SRT8 is more a match for Crash's demographic- an older gentleman with a taste for octane and a yearning for the days of cheap gas and stoplight wars downtown on Friday nights.


So there was one forty-something Crash Corrigan driving a pocket-rocket designed for my generation, and me driving an explosively fast muscle sedan designed for his.

Lesley, with more lapping experience than Crash or I, was invited onto the track to begin lapping while Crash and I were relegated to the classroom to learn about contact patches and weight transfer.

It's the sort of class I like: with lots of car-guys and girls in attendance, and the occasional sound of a supercharged Lotus Exige or Turbo Supra ripping past the classroom window a mere 15 feet from the track.

What an experience. I'll be back for sure!

Crash loved his Speed3 while I insisted that the SRT8, for the money, is a well set-up track-going locomotive that doesn't show its weight till the tires start to get hot. I was frightened of it when I arrived at the track at 7:30 am...but after a few hours I had it under control in the very environment SRT products are built for. In this setting, one can feel the added attention that engineers put into handling and brakes- and it makes the experience all the while more rewarding.

Crash managed to surprise me. For an older guy in a far less powerful hot-hatch, I'd had trouble catching him on certain stretches. Goes to show you what years of experience account for, and the fact that Mazda's made sure his machine can handle well in any setting.

I'll get you next time!!