{"id":31526,"date":"2023-10-04T13:41:25","date_gmt":"2023-10-04T17:41:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=31526"},"modified":"2023-10-04T13:41:25","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T17:41:25","slug":"payne-behind-the-wheel-at-the-american-speed-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/payne-behind-the-wheel-at-the-american-speed-festival","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Behind the wheel at the American Speed Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Pontiac<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 At 7,000 RPM, my 1964 Porsche 904 GTS howled through Turn 8 at Champion Motor Speedway at 100 mph in third gear. Hard on the brakes. Downshift to second into the 90-degree left Turn 9, then back on the throttle past the grandstands into Turn 10.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Just like 60 years ago when the 904 was one of the supreme GT sportscars on the planet.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/29\/PDTN\/71008122007-american-speed-festival-23-payneongrid.jpg?width=990&amp;height=558&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" width=\"536\" height=\"302\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Thanks to M1 Concourse\u2019s American Speed Festival time capsule here at the corner of Woodward &amp; South Boulevard, car fans this weekend can experience what it was like. My historic Porsche is one of over 100 performance cars entered this year across eight classes representing the full cornucopia of motorsport. Le Mans cars are the headliners, celebrating 100 years of the famed, French, 24-hour race. Ford and Porsche GT cars are on hand, as well as prototypes like a 1965 Ferrari 250 LM and 1967-winning Ford Mk IV right out of the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/29\/PDTN\/71008123007-american-speed-festival-23-payneporsche-904.jpg?width=660&amp;height=368&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Detroit News auto columnist Henry Payne with his 1964 Porsche 904 at 2023 American Speed Festival\" width=\"515\" height=\"287\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/29\/PDTN\/71008123007-american-speed-festival-23-payneporsche-904.jpg?width=660&amp;height=368&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/29\/PDTN\/71008123007-american-speed-festival-23-payneporsche-904.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=736&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Detroit News auto columnist Henry Payne with his 1964 Porsche 904 at 2023 American Speed Festival\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Detroit News auto columnist Henry Payne with his 1964 Porsche 904 at 2023 American Speed Festival\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Corvette is also being celebrated in its 70<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0birthday year with eight generations of racers ranging from a 1963 Z06 race car to the latest 2023 Z06 production car. There are rare IROC Camaros and Porsches representing the International Race of Champions era when the world\u2019s top drivers \u2014 from endurance, formula, NASCAR and rally racing \u2014 jumped into identical cars to prove who was best.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-2\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">As a long-time race fan and driver, it\u2019s special to walk among these iconic cars under M1\u2019s huge paddock tent and talk with owners, drivers and spectators about their significance. But the icing on the cake is that we get to demonstrate these cars on track. In the middle if a major metropolitan area. Just 15 minutes from my home.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/29\/PDTN\/71005923007-20230929-ctjbu-payne-speed-festival-001.jpg?width=660&amp;height=454&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Sportscars roar around a bend at M1 Concourse during the American Speed Festival on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023.\" width=\"536\" height=\"369\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/29\/PDTN\/71005923007-20230929-ctjbu-payne-speed-festival-001.jpg?width=660&amp;height=454&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/29\/PDTN\/71005923007-20230929-ctjbu-payne-speed-festival-001.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=908&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Sportscars roar around a bend at M1 Concourse during the American Speed Festival on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Sportscars roar around a bend at M1 Concourse during the American Speed Festival on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023.\" data-c-credit=\"Clarence Tabb Jr., Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Such opportunities are normally reserved for race tracks like Road America in Wisconsin, or Mid-Ohio, or Watkins Glen in New York \u2014 race tracks in the middle of farm fields miles from metropolitan areas. But M1 Concourse and its 1.5-mile test track is unusual \u2014 an urban treat like Indianapolis Motor Speedway or the downtown Detroit Grand Prix.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-3\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"2\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">My car was one of 108 made in 1964 as part of so-called homologation rules requiring that manufacturers make a minimum number of production cars to qualify for international endurance races like Le Mans. Such rules are still in place today \u2014 which is why you see Ford GTs on the street as the production versions of the race cars that won Le Mans in 2016.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Thanks to the Speed Festival, spectators can see up close how cars have changed from my tiny Porsche 904 (I need a shoehorn to fold my 6\u20195\u201d frame into it) to the comparatively large, modern Ford GT, which grew in size as wings and other aerodynamic tricks demanded wider tires, beefier suspensions, and broader body surfaces.<\/p>\n<aside id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\">\n<div class=\"label\" hidden=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"message\">\n<div class=\"title\">Get the\u00a0<span class=\"highlight\">Michigan Politics<\/span>\u00a0newsletter in your inbox.<\/div>\n<p class=\"description\">Washington and Lansing, red and blue, we&#8217;ve got your government covered.<\/p>\n<div class=\"frequency\">Delivery: Daily<\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"input-container populated\"><input autocomplete=\"off\" name=\"email\" required=\"\" type=\"email\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"clickable\"><\/div>\n<p><label>Your Email<\/label><\/div>\n<div id=\"bar\">\n<div class=\"highlight\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-primary\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-secondary\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">I modified my Porsche over the years with bigger engines to keep up with other competitors, and my car shares a 318-horsepower, 3.0-liter flat-6 engine (a significant upgrade over the original 180-horse flat-4 egg-beater) with a 1973 IROC Porsche 911 down the paddock owned by Roger Penske .<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/29\/PDTN\/71005838007-american-speed-festival-23-corvettes.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The American Speed Festival displays Corvettes from the Chevy sports model's 70-year history.\" width=\"536\" height=\"302\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/29\/PDTN\/71005838007-american-speed-festival-23-corvettes.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/29\/PDTN\/71005838007-american-speed-festival-23-corvettes.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The American Speed Festival displays Corvettes from the Chevy sports model's 70-year history.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The American Speed Festival displays Corvettes from the Chevy sports model's 70-year history.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">This historic car was raced by the late, great Mark Donahue \u2014 Penske\u2019s engineering and driving partner in The Captain\u2019s early racing days.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Next to Penske\u2019s IROC 911 is a 1977 IROC Chevy Camaro Z28 that was raced by the legendary Indy driver Al Unser. Now owned by Bill Warner out of Florida, the car is being piloted by driver Steve Boyle this weekend.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cIt\u2019 a beast, isn\u2019t it?\u201d smiled Boyle as he prepared for his track session. This timeless car makes 450 horsepower from its 5.7-liter V8.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/29\/PDTN\/71005928007-20230929-ctjbu-payne-speed-festival-114.jpg?width=660&amp;height=504&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Vintage Indy racecars were among those taking to the track Friday in Pontiac.\" width=\"549\" height=\"419\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/29\/PDTN\/71005928007-20230929-ctjbu-payne-speed-festival-114.jpg?width=660&amp;height=504&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/29\/PDTN\/71005928007-20230929-ctjbu-payne-speed-festival-114.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=1008&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Vintage Indy racecars were among those taking to the track Friday in Pontiac.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Vintage Indy racecars were among those taking to the track Friday in Pontiac.\" data-c-credit=\"Clarence Tabb Jr., Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">With the soundtrack of cars on track in the background, spectators will see it all here: a 1980 Budweiser Lola Can-Am car, modern Ferrari 488 Challenge racer, Ford Mustang drifter, Fred Calero\u2019s 1400-horsepower GT1 creation, even open-wheel Indy racers. My favorite is the 1968 Lotus 56 STP \u2014 its turbine engine bringing the jet engine sounds of an airport runway to M1\u2019s race course. About the only car not represented here are electrics, as EVs&#8217; cost, weight and short range are disadvantages on long-track events.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-4\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"3\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Speed Festival offers further immersion with seminars inside the Event Center featuring the drivers and creators of some of these historic machines. As I exited the track Friday morning, a Corvette symposium was beginning chaired by Corvette C7 designer Tom Peters and including panelists like Corvette championship driver Johnny O\u2019Connell.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/29\/PDTN\/71008116007-american-speed-festival-23-driversmtg.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"2023 American Speed Festival driver's meeting.\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/29\/PDTN\/71008116007-american-speed-festival-23-driversmtg.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/09\/29\/PDTN\/71008116007-american-speed-festival-23-driversmtg.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"2023 American Speed Festival driver's meeting.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"2023 American Speed Festival driver's meeting.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">And that was just Friday. Speed Festival\u2019s time capsule continues on Saturday and Sunday with a charity ball benefiting Pontiac, Speed &amp; Style Awards, Ford GT parade laps, and more track time for some of the fastest thoroughbreds ever made.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pontiac\u00a0\u2014 At 7,000 RPM, my 1964 Porsche 904 GTS howled through Turn 8 at Champion Motor Speedway at 100 mph in third gear. Hard on the brakes. Downshift to second into the 90-degree left Turn 9, then back on the throttle past the grandstands into Turn 10. Just like 60 years ago when the 904 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31526"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31526"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31526\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31527,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31526\/revisions\/31527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}