As much fun as we had on this adventure I don’t think I have ever enjoyed saying, “Honey I’m home.” as much as I did this time. Make no bones about it… when someone tells you the La Carrera Panamericana is a rally and not a race, they haven’t got a clue what the hell they’re talking about. When was the last time you heard of someone passing another car on a narrow two-lane hi-way at 160 miles per hour? If that’s a rally I want no part of it. Who am I kidding? I live for this stuff.

To drive in a historical race such as this one and see your name in print up there with the likes of Phil Hill, Juan Fangio and many more, let alone run against 100 of the most beautiful cars in the world not to mention many of the top rated drivers from all over the world, well let’s just say it’s about as surreal as it gets. I am still having to pinch myself every time I wake up and ask myself if it’s true.

There is so much to this race… the cars, the fans, the drivers, the country, the fear factor and the ecstasy of actually doing it. Putting it bluntly, it is a living wet dream.

California’s Best Racing team is fortunate to have some of the very best documentary cameramen in the business keeping track of the entire build, race and finish not to mention various interviews all of which is shot in HD which should make for one of the most incredible racing video/documentaries ever done with regards to the La Carrera Panamericana. The in-car footage alone will make you hang on for dear life… I should know, I was there. From what I am being told, it should be close to ready sometime in December. I don’t know about you but I can’t wait.

The sad thing about this entire adventure is it’s impossible to come close while attempting to describe the flood of emotions… the racing, the wrecks, the victories, the people, the fans, the beauty around every corner, the amazing cities/villages with their cobblestone streets, breathtaking churches and the architecture, the hundreds of miles with fans cheering you on, passing the police at 125 miles per hour (sometimes on the wrong side of the road), and this is just the first day! And just wait until you see the footage of Lucky doing 130 miles per hour right thru the middle of the fifth largest city in the world… Mexico City! The fans came out by the thousands, lining the highways, standing on the tops of buildings and trying to get a place to stand on overpasses or pedestrian walkways was simply impossible. This is the first time anything like this has ever happend and it was mentioned several times that this is like asking for permission to close the 405 in downtown Los Angeles.

If I could frame the look of those children’s faces when they walk up and you reach out to shake their hand… Priceless. And all the kisses and hugs the ladies had to offer… priceless. When the parents would take photos of their daughters and sons sitting in Lucky it was electric. I have never signed so many t-shirts, babies, posters, hero cards and even a few butts and boobs in my entire life. Is it an ego boost? Hell ya! After signing a photo for a young boy of Lucky and I in a small village, I asked my translator to ask the boy’s mother, “Will your son hang that up in his room?” My translator turned to her and asked the question and she almost cried as she hugged me. The translator said, “No, he will make it into a shrine. Thank you.”

The only regret I have is that I wish my father were alive today so that I could share all of this with him. My wife is convinced that he has seen it all but when I saw some other teams of father and son it truly made me smile. On the other side of the coin is the fact that my Son Will was with me and that I consider a gift from God.

There is a lot more to write about and in a few days when I have had the chance to unwind I would be more than happy to attempt a stab at telling you some of the good stuff. As a matter of fact I can’t think of a single moment I wasn’t on the edge of my seat.