Kevlar
05-18-2003, 10:39 PM
Ever been driving and wish you took the 'other' car? Well tonight I was out... driving the 540/6 when mind you, I'm crusin' on the highway and I see some headlights coming from behind really fast. Non xenon... non-exotic, but still moving quickly. Sure enough, it wizzes past and it's a Mustang. :confused: I don't know what kind of Mustang... all I know is it was loud. I don't know if it was a Cobra... or GT or Mach 1 or whatever... just loud, very loud. Looked lower than normal, but then again, I don't know squat about Mustangs.
Anyway, I match his pace and we cruise along for a little bit. Mustang is slightly into the triple digit arena, and moving quickly. No traffic, just the two of us. We are coming to an interchange between two highways. I figure... alright. I'll run with the 'stang and see how far he's willing to push it and see if the 'stang can hang.
We coming into the interchange and I move to the outside lane (I was behind him). I drop down two gears into 4th and surge ahead some to let him know I'm there and I wasn't planning on going anywhere. Now, here is the bad part. I'm on the outside already at a disadvantage... bad, and being on the outside, I have to keep an eye on Mr. 'Stang so if he starts to lose it, I'm going to have an emergency way out... very bad. The only thing going good for me here is I've taken this interchange at a billion times and I know every crack, crevace, bump and highway reflector.
So... I'm thinking... worse case scenario, I'm going to have to back-off and let the 'stang get ahead... follow him through the corner and try and out power him as we straighten it up. Crap... definite disadvantage. Alot to think about when barrelling down on a corner... then it happens. Mr. 'Stang starts to back off... I'm thinking woo hoo, I still have some space before I have to jump on the brakes.
The stang falls back to just past the rear bumper before I jump on the brakes and prepare to visualize my corner. Advantage for me is I have taken so many different lines through here, I know where I have to put the car and when. Upon turn-in, the 'stang is still at my rear bumper and I'm now back on the gas to keep the car balanced through the corner. A quick glance reveals the stang has dropped back... not at the rear bumper anymore... probably half a car, maybe slightly more behind. We go through the interchange and as I'm getting ready to straighten her up I start to apply power.
Danger Will Robinson Danger :eek:
I look ahead... and there is traffic approaching. One single car in my lane... obviously not moving very fast. I start to add this factor into my calculation while still starting to power out of the corner.
Decision Time... :95
Do I go full throttle and pass the Mustang or do I be the great gentleman... and mash brakes so the Mustang can go by. Do I finish the kill with one fail swoop... or was my out braking him and staying ahead of him through the corner consitute defeat.
Being the bigger gentleman and figuring my ability to out brake him and out handle him in a car twice his size while out powering him on the small straight... I figure I've done enough.
I mash brakes... quickly bringing the car out of warp and the 'stang goes flying off into the distance. I rest assured knowing I just used a huge sedan to match pass with a 'stang. If I had the 'other' car... who knows ;)
Anyway, I match his pace and we cruise along for a little bit. Mustang is slightly into the triple digit arena, and moving quickly. No traffic, just the two of us. We are coming to an interchange between two highways. I figure... alright. I'll run with the 'stang and see how far he's willing to push it and see if the 'stang can hang.
We coming into the interchange and I move to the outside lane (I was behind him). I drop down two gears into 4th and surge ahead some to let him know I'm there and I wasn't planning on going anywhere. Now, here is the bad part. I'm on the outside already at a disadvantage... bad, and being on the outside, I have to keep an eye on Mr. 'Stang so if he starts to lose it, I'm going to have an emergency way out... very bad. The only thing going good for me here is I've taken this interchange at a billion times and I know every crack, crevace, bump and highway reflector.
So... I'm thinking... worse case scenario, I'm going to have to back-off and let the 'stang get ahead... follow him through the corner and try and out power him as we straighten it up. Crap... definite disadvantage. Alot to think about when barrelling down on a corner... then it happens. Mr. 'Stang starts to back off... I'm thinking woo hoo, I still have some space before I have to jump on the brakes.
The stang falls back to just past the rear bumper before I jump on the brakes and prepare to visualize my corner. Advantage for me is I have taken so many different lines through here, I know where I have to put the car and when. Upon turn-in, the 'stang is still at my rear bumper and I'm now back on the gas to keep the car balanced through the corner. A quick glance reveals the stang has dropped back... not at the rear bumper anymore... probably half a car, maybe slightly more behind. We go through the interchange and as I'm getting ready to straighten her up I start to apply power.
Danger Will Robinson Danger :eek:
I look ahead... and there is traffic approaching. One single car in my lane... obviously not moving very fast. I start to add this factor into my calculation while still starting to power out of the corner.
Decision Time... :95
Do I go full throttle and pass the Mustang or do I be the great gentleman... and mash brakes so the Mustang can go by. Do I finish the kill with one fail swoop... or was my out braking him and staying ahead of him through the corner consitute defeat.
Being the bigger gentleman and figuring my ability to out brake him and out handle him in a car twice his size while out powering him on the small straight... I figure I've done enough.
I mash brakes... quickly bringing the car out of warp and the 'stang goes flying off into the distance. I rest assured knowing I just used a huge sedan to match pass with a 'stang. If I had the 'other' car... who knows ;)