Driving Rant - The Drivers Utopia

The second installment in the rant is not so much a rant but it is a reflection on my favorite part of the drive from Pittsburgh to Atlanta and vice versa. There is a section of road in WV that is just fun to drive. By fun, I mean it is akin to a road course track. The road just continuously turns in a cutback fashion that is a real way to see where your driving skills are at and how your car handles.

When I'm driving this section of road, there is not a preference of driving north to south or south to north. If there is any preference, it would be on the drive north. This direction gives you a gradual introduction into the turns. You can slowly realize you are in this area. Conversely, during the drive to the south, you suddenly find yourself in the turns and they eventually fade out.

Please keep in mind, this area is not always fun or anywhere close to safe in which to screw around. The majority of driving in WV is in the mountains and is prone to bad weather. Snow, rain, and/or fog will really make this area more "fun" than it has any right to have. Although, if you catch this section when it is clear, day or night, you can put the pedal down and really challenge yourself and your car.

This segment of road that is so much fun is between mile marker 57 and 99 on I-79. However, this is not 42 miles of continuous twists and turns. I think that there are really three sections in this 42 mile stretch. When driving north, you will get on to I-79 from Route 19 at marker 57. From mile 57 to 69 the turns are gentle and are very spread out. During this 12 mile segment, you can slowly ramp up your speed and see what you are willing to handle. However, these turns are slightly more gentle than the ones in the later sections of this road. You may not even realize that you are here when you first get here. It isn't until you get into the second section that the frequency and tightness of the turns may catch your attention. From marker 69 through 79 you may begin to realize that the fun is approaching, but these still do not hold a candle to the best section of the road.

Mile marker 79 - 99 is just a constant barrage of turn after turn and hill after hill. These turns are not Indy car sharp, but for an over the road experience, I've yet to find better. I have been able to take these turns in a few different vehicles and I can say that you must pay attention to your car and what it has to tell you.

Before I get into the details of how I have fared while driving this section of highway, I have to explain my standards for this drive. This is exceptional important to discuss because I am not claiming that I've driven through this area the fastest. I have been passed through the main segment of these turns. However, because of the way the people who have passed me were driving, it made my life difficult. My standard is that brakes are not to be used. Only the throttle deceleration is acceptable to make this drive fluid. The people who have passed me through this section would enter the turns way too fast and slam on their brakes to keep their car on the road. I think this is poor a practice. While you are highway driving you are at the mercy of the other drivers on the road. Brake lights don't tell you how much they are braking. Brake lights alone don't tell you why they are braking. Particularly during night driving, they could have seen a cop or in these mountains, worse, a deer.

I feel that brakes should be reserved for very specific circumstances. I believe that the only reasons brakes should be used on the highway is in an emergency situation, to avoid an accident because of slower (not to mention ignorant) traffic, traffic jams, or police in the vicinity. Outside of that, you should maintain a speed that is easy to control and does not require braking into a turn. I understand that there are times when you enter a turn too quickly and have to brake. I'm not perfect, I've entered a turn too hot before and had to brake. However, the cars that I mentioned were braking into every turn, not just one here and there. They were obviously driving way too fast for the conditions.

So, you may be asking yourself, why I don't think braking into a turn is a good idea? Well, I will give you a simple answer. I like my car, my car is more expensive than I would like to pay to have fixed or replaced. If I don't have to brake into a turn, that tells me that I am in full control. When driving in the mountains, such as this segment of highway, conditions can change in a heartbeat. Therefore, if I am comfortable enough with my speed to not brake, then my car is stable enough to help me react to a change in condition more safely than if I were already braking. So, now that you know my standards, lets talk about what I've done.

I've driven an SUV through here and I could barely get to 80 and maintain it safely. The SUV had too high of a center of gravity to try to push it through the turn at a faster speed. Also, the SUV was not mine and I had only as much experience driving it from Pittsburgh to this point of the highway; all highway driving. Not to mention, this vehicle was not built for speed and I acknowledge that. This truck was for comfort and it did that well, just don't ask it to perform like a car because it won't.

I've driven a Hyndai Elantra through here and was pleasantly surprised. It was not too difficult to push the car to doing 90 through here. However, Angel didn't like me pushing her car that fast through the turns (and I'm sure being on the phone didn't help that opinion much either). But I was certainly pleasantly surprised how it handled. However, I think that 90 was about as fast as I could have gone comfortably.

I've driven my current car, Chrysler Sebring convertible several times through this exhilarating gauntlet. I throttle myself to drive it at 90, though, I could go faster. With all of my fearlessness, driving through here faster than 90 just seems reckless. Yeah, I realize that going 20 miles per hour over the speed limit is reckless already, but to push things further would put my life and well being at additional risk.

The first time I made the trip north through this section in the Sebring, I was very surprised. Since this is the first front wheeled drive vehicle I have ever owned, I thought that with certainty that this car would act differently through these turns. I thought I would loose the feeling of the rear of the car. Therefore, I thought I would loose the ability to enjoy the twists and turns like I had before. Well, I was quickly proven wrong when I decided to test myself at this point in the drive. I started out pretty reserved; getting the feel of the car and the road in the earlier sections. I was quick to learn that the feeling of the car on the road was very similar to that which I was used to in my rear wheel cars. This gave me the confidence to push it a bit harder. I think this first time through these turns I may have pushed the envelope to the vicinity of 95. It was so exhilarating and additional confirmation that I did buy the right car for me.

The only other vehicle that I have driven through this area was my 96 T-bird. To date, this has been the gold standard of a vehicle for me to enjoy through here. I could sustain 90 easily through here, yet I doubt that I ever pushed it more than just peaking out at 100. Please keep in mind that triple digits for me is not common.

So, let me put this driving experience into comparison with some other areas that may be a bit more well known.

No, I can't provide an accurate comparison to Mulholland Drive in California. I have never had the opportunity to be on the road regardless of the chance to drive it. The only reason that I know anything about this road and its racing history is due to "Street Rod 2" It had a race over the road in question. However, I have come to learn that the road in the game was not a representation of the road in real life. I guess that isn't a big deal, knowing the name is what was more important from my perspective.

However, for you Pittsburghers (which most of you are), there is a road that I can make a small comparison against. Baldwin Road is very much a fun road to take, particularly in the ascending direction from Rt. 60. I find the uphill to be more exhilarating and much less dangerous than the descending on this part. If I knew the road was closed and could afford the disaster that could result (personally and to my car) I might think about the downhill (but that will never happen). Furthermore, I think it is unreasonably dangerous. There are just way too many things that could go wrong in the tight turns and narrow road. Conversely, in the uphill direction, there is not as much that could go absolutely disastrously wrong. Going up, you are limited by the horsepower the car can contribute and the suspension to keep the car in the correct lane and the wonderful effects of gravity. The speed limit on this road is 35, and under any but the best of conditions is completely reasonable. Although, living in Pittsburgh for as long as I had, I've had plenty of good condition shots at this road.

So, what is so exciting about this 1/2 mile hill climb? Well, it is the tight and blind cutbacks that bring you to the crest of the hill. Of my cars that I've pushed up this hill, my fastest speed has been a sustained ~55 MPH. However, after doing that once, I didn't want to seriously try to match that pace. The adrenaline was pumping that day. That record was set with my '89 T-Bird SC. I haven't owned a car since that I could ever think of getting back up to that speed. The '96 T-Bird didn't have a chance because of the lack of the supercharger on the same engine as the '89 possessed. I have too much respect for my Sebring (well earned respect mind you) to try to tach out in any sort of attempt to compare with my personal record. Also, I think the horsepower to weight ratio is just wrong to put out some real competition with the SC on this hill. Yet, it will still allow me to comfortably pull ~45+ MPH around the bends.

If anyone else has any twisty or tricky roads to share, I'm all ears.