It's 5:15 AM when the second wake-up call arrives, but I've been up for almost an hour. Despite crawling into bed a little after midnight, I don't feel like a Koala after a eucalyptus binge – quite the opposite, actually. I'm wired, electric, ready to run a 26-mile marathon and then tackle the southwest face of El Capitan. It's been a long time since I've felt this kind of energetic surge without the help of everyone's favorite stimulant, and right now, I won't need caffeine, gaurana, taurine or a single B vitamin for the next three months. My bags are packed, my inbox is clean and I'm headed out the door with helmet in hand. Today is the day I break 200 miles-per-hour and I've finally got the tools to do it.
These "tools" consist of a deserted stretch of airfield and a selection of Italy and Germany's finest, provided by the kind folks at World Class Driving. WCD has been in the States since 2006, building on the highly successful model originally pioneered in Europe of offering everyday stiffs and supercar cognoscenti a chance to drive the most exotic rides available to man. They deal in dreams, and their currency reads like the Hamptons garage of a disgraced hedge fund manager.
You name it, WCD probably has it. Like Ferraris? They'll put your butt into the bucket of a 599 GTB, F430 or Scuderia. Lamborghini more your style? Pick an LP – 560 or 640. It's yours for the taking. The list goes on. Audi R8? Done. McMerc? Prepare yourself for the ultimate GT experience. And they just acquired an Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione; one of the first imported into the States.
While WCD's core business is primarily comprised of day-long excursions where drivers get to experience the joy of piloting five supercars on the road, they've just launched a unique program that allows a lucky group of 12 to 15 the chance to push themselves and their dream machines further and harder than prudent on public roads.
