As senior staff editor of Super Street, I'm allowed certain privileges that our other clowns don't have. One, I'm allowed two restroom breaks during the work day instead of a paper cup in the corner, and two, the boss-man lets me pick and choose where I'd like to go for work. Seeing as how my lavish lifestyle only sees fit to choose exotic locations like Tokyo, Daytona Beach, and Englishtown, New Jersey, I thought it would be quite foolish of me to pass up a press event with Yokohama Tires, where we would not only partake in Northern California's finest wineries, but we would also have the chance to test out two of its latest tire additions-the AVS ES100 and the Parada Spec-2.
Set in the lush hills of Sonoma County, we stayed close to the newly remodeled Infineon Raceway, formerly known as the Sears Point Raceway. The most recent changes include a new grandstand, redesigned walkways throughout the race park, as well as a new Jim Russell kart-racing school and short road course. Although I have no formal experience testing tires, I felt that if I made a total fool of myself and purposely drove slowly (as if that was any different from how I drive normally), that I would have a much better time instead of trying to impress my peers with my vehicular prowess.
Split into four groups, each group was given approximately an hour and a half with four different courses in which we could test both our driving abilities as well as the real world performance of both tires. My first course was the Road Ride, where we would drive standard passenger vehicles around the perimeter of Infineon. Without a Japanese import in sight, I was planted into the cabin of a late-model BMW and proceeded to drive cautiously throughout the countryside (remember, slow and easy). I quickly noticed that driving with the AVS ES100s on the road made for a quiet but responsive feel, and grip was easily maintained the entire time. Designed with a new silica tread compound, this tire is intended to last longer than its predecessors, but will offer just as much performance at a better price. I also took this time to drive around as if I were a spoiled college student out on summer break with nothing better to do than to parade around in daddy's automobile. I've never seen so many people flip me the bird.
Next, we headed back to Infineon, where we met with the instructors of the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School, which is one of the newest additions to the track itself. Here, we were given the opportunity to try our hands with these really cool, but extremely intimidating go-karts that had been outfitted with Yokohama tires. This is where I admit that I had a hard time-not only was I lapped consistently and laughed at by the instructors, but I also spun out twice, proving once and for all that JDM Wong is not meant to drive these machines. At this point, my self-esteem was at an all-time low, so I nestled back into a corner and wept quietly to myself. No, I really didn't. (Yes, he really did.-RFC)