Hauling Ass in Hellcats and Vipers at Willow Springs
Willow Springs race track is one of the most thrilling 2.5-miles of asphalt in Southern California. The other day, I took a Viper and a couple of Hellcats (both Challenger and Charger versions) to speeds averaging 130 miles per hour — all courtesy of Dodge.
The muscle cars were amazing and blew past my expectations on a track full of twists, turns, dips and drops with a wicked, fast straightway. First opened in 1953, it is the oldest permanent racetrack in the U.S.
The Dodge Viper has been my favorite American roadster since 1992, the first year they came out. It’s a beefy American muscle car that is unique enough to remain interesting. The souped up, ACR track versions are simply amazing and a blast to drive. The Hellcats are wicked fun too, and surprisingly, hug this track like nobody’s business.
If I had to choose between the two it would be a tie. Each has its advantages, strengths and trade-offs. The Challenger looks mean and handled extremely well on the track. The Charger, for a sedan, is a real hustler — a scrappy, beast of car. And the Scat Pack versions with the 6.4L HEMI V8 sound insane, with an engine roar that mimics a bombing raid. It also stays glued to the road, throughout most of the twistiest of turns.
V10 or V8? 485 horsepower versus 645 horsepower versus 707 horsepower? What’s a few horses, right? No! More is better. Always. Still, after a full day of laps at Willow Springs, I do love them all.
Back when he was a student at USC, George Lucas shot the racing film 1:42.08 (1966) at Willow Springs with a Lotus. It’s a fantastic short film that captures the excitement of attempting a record lap on the raceway.
And taking these cars up to top speed is exciting. It’s all instinct and speed and adrenaline. There comes a point where your eyes are so fixed on the road, you don’t even want to look at the speedometer.
After traveling at those speeds, it wouldn’t surprise me if the idea for a Star Wars land speeder was born on this track. The setting is totally Tatooine. Check out the vintage video and cool cars in the gallery below.
