Streets Of Willow Springs
Not to be confused with Big Willow next door, you may have seen in Ford vs Ferrari. Although Streets Of Willow Springs is the smaller, lower speed road course it involves tighter, more technical turns, and more of them. The track is located about 85 miles north of Los Angeles and is 1.6 miles in length. The Elevation change is about 45 feet throughout the track.
This is my second ever track day experience. I’m both incredibly excited, but also very lost. I got directions to the wrong address. Already running late, this wasn’t the best start to the day. My friends, who I led to the middle of nowhere, weren’t pleased either. Entering the premises of a raceway is always a wonderfully nervous moment. The first real shot of adrenalin of the day. Then you slowly drive about the grounds to find an area as a home base. This being my second time, I was starting to get the flow of what a standard track day entails.
Making our way through the sea of drivers already prepping for the day’s first run, we find the rest of our group. Ahead on a trailer, sat a peculiar looking Jeep. A project track vehicle that has been gutted and modified just enough to both abide by track safety regulation, but also shockingly, proved to be relatively competitive.
Quite the spectacle to behold, it’s a 1998 Cherokee 4.0 straight six, four speed auto with wheels from a 90s Mustang. It’s been equipped with a full roll cage, rear limited slip differential from a Ford, big brake kit, rear spring conversion and cut front springs to lower it. The engine is completely stock. Two of our group would go on to drive this car, and in the first lap of the first session, just a few corners in, our jeep expert Ryan managed to spin out rather gracefully. He and the second driver, Gus, later got into quite the groove passing tough competition, such as Mustang GT’s.
Ultimately the 190 hp Jeep put down a very respectable time of 1:35. I could go on about how technically good a vehicle is or isn’t on and off the track, but the fact of the matter was, watching this old jeep whiz past us spectating with a wheel in the air was incredibly entertaining. Judging by the smiles of both Ryan and Gus after each run, it was apparent they had the last laughs out there. The ’98 Jeep, freak in the streets, ran a great track day. you can’t make this stuff up!
I finally convinced Aaron to come out to a track day. He’d been wanting to do some kind of event with his GTI. Streets Of Willow, it seemed, was the one. Track days are usually put on by organizations that offer instructor assistance for drivers who are new to track driving. I won’t name names, but the particular company on that particular track day did offer an instructor however that sole person was nowhere to be found. This meant Aaron had to learn as much as he could, as fast as he could from the quick introduction meeting at the start of the day, and our group giving him pointers. Thankfully most of us had experience and could guide him enough to know what was sort of going on.
Aaron picked things up quickly. He said he felt relatively comfortable driving on track after the first two sessions. I remember even with an instructor on my first track day it took me that long to feel any sort of comfortable as well. A day at any track can feel like the wild west, where you really have to take control of your own situation as everybody is generally focused on making the best out of their day. The hours go by quick so there generally aren’t a lot of people there to hold your hand. Despite this, everyone seems to find their way, and if you make the most of it, you will thrive. I’m glad Aaron was able to experience a full day at the track. He did well, learned about his driving style, and had a great time. We didn’t manage to scare him off either because he quickly signed up for another track day at Chuckwalla Raceway soon after.
At the grid for my run group, an overwhelming sense of urgency hits my brain. It’s a tingle that runs down my spine. The best way I can describe it is like what happens in bull riding when the animal is released from the gates and goes wild with the rider on its back holding on for dear life. That first, often sloppy lap, it is I who is the rider on the back of the raging bull (BMW M2). After getting some rust out the first lap or two, things tend to seem a little more under control for the rest of the day.
Chasing Down The EvoX
This was my first track day with new tires. I had grip for days, and needed it. The thing I find odd about Streets Of Willow is it seems to give the driver much more of a challenge in terms of finding a solid flow. Most tracks tend to have a continuous flow throughout them, but Streets seems to change its attitude with every other corner. Consistency proved to be difficult for me that day. It wasn’t until a majorly quick Mitsubishi Evo X and I started duking it out that I started to really get a hang of the track. The Evo and I went back and fourth, each taking the lead here and there, but that driver proved to be victorious in the end. I welcomed the challenge though because it made me focus harder, and pay much more attention to braking points, apex points, and push limits just that bit more. The M2 made me feel like a rockstar at my first track day, and this day was no different. For me, the time doesn’t mean as much as the raw experience of track driving itself. That said, I put down a time of 1:31.
I can remember visiting Willow Springs when I was young watching Corvette/Viper races and kart racing as well. Now I was driving on that very track with my own car. It was yet another incredible experience that only made my heart grow even fonder of track days. I can’t wait to have a go at the Big Willow track, and maybe take another stab at Streets Of Willow to go for more consistency.