Smoked Him!

My county likes to set up these 1/8th or 1/16th mile drag strips up everywhere. You get to a light and the right lane opens and continues for only a few hundred feet and then has to merge back in to the left lane. I have had several close calls with idiots trying to pass just one more car before they force their way back in the left lane. I usually just let them go and let them in if I can. Today I was in the left lane at a red light and there was no other traffic except for someone in a late 80's Chevy pick up rumbling up behind me who pulled into the right lane. It was loud, had a V8 and was a jacked 4 wheel drive single cab truck. As I waited for the light to turn green he began to edge beyond the stop line revving his motor. I waited until the light went green and then I floored it. I heard a loud racket as he tried to catch up but this 61 year old Grampa took him cleanly off the line and gained 2 car lengths on him. I slowed to let him pass and noticed he had a huge cloud of smoke coming from his truck as he tried vainly to pass me. I decided at that point to teach him a lesson and kept the mighty 3800 floored. I opened up a 3 car length lead on him as he tried mightily to catch up when his lane had to merge back into mine, so I slowed to the speed limit, 45 (from about 55) and he had to follow me down the hill. When we reached the bottom, the road opened to 2 lanes and he zoomed around me to get stuck in the Microsoft traffic. As he flew around me I noticed he was a young kid with his girlfriend sitting next to him. Ouch. That had to hurt!

Some disclaimers, I don't condone street racing but sometimes a guy just has had enough. I know the Reattas aren't known as powerful machines but that 3800 does have some snap when called upon. I was surprised that I took a V8 so easily. Discovering that I still have good reflexes even at my advanced age is gratifying. And yes sometimes even us old guys can be idiots.

:)

John F.

i do this and concider it maintaining my right of way.

My wife would say, "Don't encourage him"!

"the mighty 3800"?

Ya, right.

Kit

Recently had a similar situation where a road transitions to one lane (from two) several hundred feet past a four way intersection. Drive through there pretty often and always stay left as the right lane ends forcing a merge.

I did smoke a moron who tried to pass on the right (in a last gen Mercury Cougar with a 6 in it) one evening about two years ago. I was driving the Cadillac that night and left him feeling inadequate.

Anyway, back to last weeks fun. This is a 35 mph zone that goes to 30 past the intersection. Just past the merge about an 1/8th mile is a narrow street that adjoins the main road at an odd angle about parallel to the main road, so essentially a very narrow Y. You have almost no view of this street on approach from the west, and only really see it in your rearview once past it. Bottom line, it is the perfect place to setup a speed trap for east bound traffic on the main road.

I knew there was a cop sitting up there while I was waiting at the red light as I had been through there the other direction less than 10 minutes prior. So this punk rolls up next to me on the right in a tricked out Integra. Neon light kits, loud fart-can exhaust, thumping stereo and clearly bogus (not street legal) bluish headlamp conversion and blackout kit on tail lamp. Had blue turn signal and park lamps as well and low profiles on 18" blackout wagon wheels. You get the picture.

He puts in in neutral (probably a 5 speed) and is revving and looking at me (his windows are down). So he wants to race a guy twice his age driving a domestic with a V6/auto? Nice that he wanted a real challenge (note the sarcasm).

I drop into neutral and rev mine (was in the 91 coupe) to wind him up for entrapment. I go back in drive just before the light turns green and gun it. Punk lags at first as he doesn't seem to know how to drive a stick to its full potential. Finally gets it going and blows by me near the end of the merge lane easily doing 55+ (in a 30 mind you). I immediately back off to 30 mph on the nose.

A few seconds later as I come up on the side street, Buford T. Justice is in hot pursuit of the Integra and has the clown in the bag for probably 20 over the posted speed plus a book full of other violations on improper lighting and mods. Probably illegal tint too, if he bothered to check.

I just laughed. Sometimes it is too easy to lead an idiot to their own demise. Maybe getting nicked like that will teach him some restraint. Ok, probably not. That's why he deserved it.

KDirk

"Old age and wisdom will always defeat youth and zeal!"

Still, I do wish my Reatta was faster... I did put on a cold air intake and succeeded in burning rubber off the line. However, (here's that old age and wisdom thing again...) I decided that healthy motor mounts were more valuable than squealing tires! But it is sad that my wife's Toyota Sienna can always shut me down! At least she would rather drive my Reatta because it LOOKS fast!

"Old age and wisdom will always defeat youth and zeal!"

Still, I do wish my Reatta was faster... I did put on a cold air intake and succeeded in burning rubber off the line. However, (here's that old age and wisdom thing again...) I decided that healthy motor mounts were more valuable than squealing tires! But it is sad that my wife's Toyota Sienna can always shut me down! At least she would rather drive my Reatta because it LOOKS fast!

i have no problem spinning the tires.it could be because i had to inflate them to the maxumum of 44 pounds so they wouldn't look slack.people kept telling me to put air in them at 35 pounds.

Sometimes a man has to do things he normally would not, nice work ol yeller!

Jon,

Now that's funny. Kind of like like a WWII fighter jet. Of course, your car has the goods to put the hurt on these road warriors. Those of us running what the general gave us are not in the position to fill a score card like that

KDirk

[ATTACH=CONFIG]243631[/ATTACH]I keep score

Nice job on that hood mat.

... Punk lags at first as he doesn't seem to know how to drive a stick to its full potential. Finally gets it going and blows by me near the end of the merge lane easily doing 55+ (in a 30 mind you). I immediately back off to 30 mph on the nose.

A few seconds later as I come up on the side street, Buford T. Justice is in hot pursuit of the Integra and has the clown in the bag for probably 20 over the posted speed plus a book full of other violations on improper lighting and mods. ...

Was relating to Kitskaboodle yesterday that a similar thing happened to me a long time ago, driving my Fiat 124. Guy was in front of me at a light in some '60s beater, with the jacked up rear, no mufflers, girl friend almost in his lap. On the other side of the intersection the road turned into a one-way, and curved to the left. When the light turned green, I went through the intersection behind him, got in the left lane, and wound the "mighty" Fiat 4-banger up to about 30 mph - the speed limit. He got on the gas and blew by me. Meanwhile, the road curved and there were two cop cars on the other side of the curve... They put down their doughnuts and chased both of us down. Gave both of us "Too fast for conditions" tickets, and he got a ticket for muffler violation. I took the cop to court, as I had done nothing wrong. Judge ruled me Not Guilty.

Jon, did that hood insulator come from Car Motorsports by chance? I am inclined to get one of theirs, look very sharp.

Walt,

Now that was a dirty cop trying for the twofer, especially if you were doing the speed limit. Glad you beat it in court.

This guy I lead into the trap was a straight moron. I'm a very live and let live minded guy, so I don't care how much you mod your car but the appearance of the Integra told me what kind of fool I was dealing with. Since he came looking for trouble, I gave it to him.

I hate revenue enhancement (read: cops lying in wait to extort someone) but some clowns just need to get schooled. I've had other instances (whilst driving one of the Reattae) of someone in a hot car trying to bait me into a road race.

I almost always ignore this garbage as my ego doesn't benfit from these episodes even if I were to win the race. I've found restraint more satisfying than posturing against some idiot. This recent incident was the rare exception.

KDirk

Yes it is from car motorsports. I got one for the trunk lid also.

Fast reactions will beat HP on street tires any day. Besides hold the brake and rev to about 1800, release the brake and instantly at max torque. I have fun with all of my sixes (and the Jeep is the best tow car I've ever had) but for intimidation, nothing beats a 44 year old warmed over V8 and a Muncie with Posi. (and a number of handling tweaks from my autocross daze). Crossfire has traction control and needs it. Judge doesn't.