The custom rollcage surrounds you like an iron web. That it protects is hard to believe, but true. Rarely has Farrell had a chance to find that out; he has only crashed three times in his 15-year racing career (none due to driver error), though once was enough to reinforce his esteem for the technology and the value of life.
That came in 1995 during an IMSA Firehawk race at Road Atlanta. He was jamming the course at 155 mph. He went to put his foot on the brake, and it went straight to the floor. The pistons had popped out of the brakes. He had no hydraulics. And no brakes whatsoever. Luckily, he steered away from the bridge and pulled it into Fourth gear then Third. "That locked the back up because I over-revved the motor," he says. "I went into a big slide under the bridge and went backwards into a clay bank tire wall, which launched the car vertically, doing spirals through the air, up to about 40 feet, I'm told. I crashed down, and I rolled four times down the hill. All I remember is the dust settling and looking down at my body and thinking, Hell, I'm alive. I kicked the door open and sprinted over the wall. My natural reactions were valid-I started bringing [the car] down through the gears, trying to scrub speed. And I didn't panic. I continued to drive until there was no more driving to be done."
During this story, Farrell sounds more like a soldier than an athlete. Indeed, the dials and controls make the interior really look like it has been through a war. Everything here is worn and stripped of its natural first layer. The steering wheel has been shaped to the contours of Farrell's grip; the dials and gauges are aligned perfectly to his line of sight. His laptop is the only thing that ever rides shotgun. He swears by it and Electromotive's TEC-II fuel management system and ignition control. Before, during, and after each pass, the TEC-II gives him a complete rundown of every aspect of the run: how he's launching, how he's shifting, and what he can do better. He loves the system so much that he even has one hooked up to his motor boat.
As I step out of the car, Farrell smiles at me, knowing, what I have just experienced and what I will never get a chance to. He knows that I probably couldn't and wouldn't want to handle it. He knows he's in a special place. A place where few have been, and people like me-a writer, journalist, peon-will never tread. It is a place and a time. A very low time. And a lower time that he has yet to reach. That's why he is still driving-because there's much more driving to be done.
Fast Facts
Owner: Peter Farrell Supercars
Manassas, VA
Ride: '93 Mazda RX-7
Under the Hood: 13B street port, PFS single turbo kit with Turbonetics ball bearing turbocharger, PFS air cleaner, 3-inch exhaust, Electromotive ignition and TEC-II fuel delivery system, Centerforce clutch with custom disc
Stiff Stuff: Koni adjustable shocks, PFS springs
Rollers: 15x10 Weld wheels and 20x10x15 Mickey Thompson slicksin back, 15x5 Fenderline Warriors and 15x5 Goodyear Frontrunners in front
Stoppers: PFS rotors in front, stock in back with PFS carbon kevlar pads
Outside: PFS ground effects and wing
Inside: Sparco racing seat, Auto Meter gauges, A'pex AVC-R valve controller, custom rollcage