High all, I spent a lot of time over the past two years reading through the posts on the forum but have never found a reason to get involved until now. My girlfriend suggested that I tell my side of the story, mostly as therapy, before you heard it embellished from someone else. Yes, I did get my ass kicked in a race by my a woman in a brand new stockedd MR2 Spyder this past Monday morning.

For those you who have spent anytime in Southeren California, you are more than just familiar with Ortaga Highway (74) that runs from Lake Elsinore to San Juan Capistrano. This road has a lot of tight turns and changes in elevation and is the perfect place to test your skills. However, the yearly death toll from sport bikes and sports cars is a testament to the dangerous this highway can dish-out to the unskilled pushing the limits of any vehicle. That being said, the scenery is breath taking.

Before reaching the actually highway, I was playing a cat and mouse game with a light blue Miata on Highway 15. Apparently we were heading the same way. The Miata was really no match for my S2k and I made it a point to show him that, over and over. Well we were actually starting up Hgwy 74 and I decided to let the Miata take the lead again. I wanted to show him what it was like to get passed by a real roaster on a demanding highway.

I was studying the road and the Miata ahead of me and did not think to look in my rearview mirror. The Miata and I were traveling at a good pace and cars we passed were not a concern. When I pull within about five feet of the Miata, there was a streak passing me on the left. It not only passed me, but the Miata and another three cars that were ahead of us. I ignored the Miata kicked up the revs followed that silver streak that appeared to at first looked like Boxster. The car was brand new driven by a woman, and did not even have plates yet. Instead of a California plate was a sign that said West Wright Potter followed by a 800 number that I could not read. (What the hell is a West Wright Potter)

That woman beautifully maneuvered that car around a truck and a another car and left me struggling to keep up. The car was about 75 yards ahead on me when the road took a sharp turn to the right. It was at that point that the car was in a perfect profile and its true identity was reveled. Though I have only seen two in real life and never close up, there was no mistaking the profile of that bad boy MR2 Spyder. Even worst, that car went into that sharp turn without evening breaking. I thought I was looking at a Disney ride. In the straight sections of the highway I had to kick in extra revs just to catch up. Every time I catch up we hit another serious of curves. That damn Spyder would again attack the curves without breaking, and pull further and further ahead. When I tried that same approach, I was constantly on the verge of under steering and loss of control. Though, through the curves and straights, our speeds ranged between 30 and 65 mph, that Spyder was driving in its elements and the conditions it was designed for. With all my experience, I was being outperformed by a woman in a car that was not in the same class as mine.

I had completely lost site of the Spyder well before the halfway point. When I got there, I truned around and went home. What the heck, my day was ruined. I went home, crawled in the bed and thought about all the things I could have done differently. I know that had I been a better driver, I could have at least kept up. But when all things are considered equal, the driver of the Spyder would have been a better driver also and I would have been in the same place as I am in now.

I do feel better about writing this. I know now that (after 2 years) in certain satiations, a car like the MR2 Spyder can give a car like mine a competitive run. I no-longer feel invincible but I have also learned a valuable lesson. It is very, very hard to beat a man (or woman) in his own backyard.

Nice story :)

BTW, everything is on the Internet:
http://councill.home.mindspring.com/sbjournal/potter/potter1.html

I dont get it, someone elaborate what J&H was referring that link to?

I dont get it, someone elaborate what J&H was referring that link to?

ditto

He asked:

"What the hell is a West Wright Potter"

... follow the link :)

That'll teach you to mess with a toyota rice boy :P:P:P

...jk...I love the s2000 and nsx...both are amazing 2 seat sports cars. If given the chance I might even consider an s2000 after a test drive this spring...then again it's about 2-3 times as much for a "pre-owned" s2k compared to a 91-92 mr2 turbo...so I'll see how I like them both...

The mr2 (in any of it's three iterations) is an amazing car...for the price you really can't get a better setup...maybe something with more power or more value...but nothing comes close to it in terms of handling for the price. The closest thing to it would probly be the fiero...but that's an older car and it's definitely not on-par with the 2 imo...though it can be made into a pretty great car.

She very well could have been driving the hubbie's car, and the hubbie (hell, or herself) could have done whats becomming an increasingly popular swap.. the Celica GT-S motor into the MR-S. I watched some japanese video with orido in it and he was driving an MRS with the GT-S motor in it, owning everyone.

it's a BOAT? damn what sort of clue is that??? i was hoping to see some more on the car... bugger!

i was reading the new issue Super Street today (or was it SCC?) and they featured an MR2 that looked completly riced out....insane ammounts of mismatched graphics blah blah....you get the point. stock suspension, brakes and wheels....but was sportin a Camry v6 swap. pretty crazy, although they didnt tell what numbers it put down.

some guy named bill strong put a northstar V8 in a mkI........its posted on the forums somewhere.
I couldnt find it.

enough time and money you can do anything.

wait wait ....i've found it.

www.racingstrong.com

bill comes to this board every now and then, but he is in charge over at the MR2oc

www.mr2oc.com

enough time and money, yes. but having the knowhow can save you a lot of both.