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Our caravan of Evos!
June 30, 2009 was one of those days I’ll forget! I was invited by Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) to partake in an extended drive from their Cypress, California headquarters to what is currently called Infineon Raceway, Sears Point to those of us that have a few years on us. This trip takes me back to my college years with my group of buddies back in upstate New York.
Being the huge Cannonball Run fans that we were we developed our own version of the event and named it after our final destination, Sutter’s Mill and Mining Co. (
http://www.suttersburgers.com/) across the street from SUNY Albany. It went something like this…one of the three of us could call the other two at any time (when we were not working) and say “Sutter’s”, hang up the phone and “it” was on. Our goal was to jump into our vehicles, hit the road from Endicott, New York and head to Sutter’s Mill, approximately a 2.5 hour drive northeast from our locale.
The prize for making it to Sutter’s first was the coveted “woobie” which was nothing more than a towel we deemed worthy of our quest. Looking back I don’t know why we picked this item, but to have it was to be the king!
Now Doug, Todd and I were like the 3 musketeers with a competitive edge. Todd and I competed against each other in SCCA Solo II in our Ford Fiesta’s (my NY winter beater of choice) and all of us were avid golfers whether it was a full 18 holes or the local putt-putt.
I’ll never forget the night Todd got the jump on all of us and I had to play catch up in my 1983 Ford Mustang GT. Thankfully it was slightly faster than his modified Ford Fiesta and I passed him in the last section of freeway and thankfully stayed ahead through the city stop light section, to take the coveted woobie.
The first "pit" stop...the line was long as they wait for their turn.
All of these memories came rushing back during my trip with Mitsubishi as we headed north through Los Angeles morning traffic in a group of 6 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions with 2 support Outlanders. One for the film crew, the other for some of the Mitsubishi folks that were rotating into the Evo’s with us to chat along the way. Our Evo’s were two GSR’s and four MR’s all 2009 models.
Back on the road in our 2009 and 2010 Evos!
If you’ve read other front page stories on this site, you’ll no doubt know that there are/were no 2009 Lancer Evolutions for the United States. The 2009 model was cancelled in the last minute by Mitsubishi corporate but not before MMNA already had received their press Evo’s. These 2009’s could not be sold here, so they would have to be destroyed or crushed.
During our road trip Mitsubishi had planned stops for fuel fills, food fills and the final one at Infineon. On the way there we posted on Facebook, tweeted on Twitter and were having fun trying to get people to find us along our route for free fuel if you were driving a Mitsubishi Lancer. Once we arrived we were given more food and a walk-around of a 4G63 (Evo-engine) powered open-wheel car.
The 4G63-powered open wheel school car.
Our first scheduled stop...for fuel. It was decided here that we'd fill the tank of any other Mitsubishi Lancers we saw while filling for fuel.
Yeah we were having fun! Peace there MR. Blaze!
After filling us with pizza and cake we were then offered some hot laps from the instructors around the track. As one person commented, time to test your gag index! Thankfully this was all leading up to the fact that another approach was deemed worthy of those 2009 Evo’s and Mitsubishi is donating them to the Jim Russell Driving School at Infineon Raceway for them to offer at the new Lancer Evolution Experience. It should be an excellent partnership for both.
The hot laps...the driver looks calm, the passengers, not so!
Doug and Todd if you are reading this…“Sutter’s”! Just kidding.
(Look for more information about the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Experience at Jim Russell in an upcoming story)
