Cars And Track Staff
By Dal Kirby
Sitting in the cube farm of our office, my colleague and I spend a lot of time talking about cars—telling stories, sharing pictures, and daydreaming about being anywhere other than the office. One day, he finally said, “Let’s take our cars on the track.”
Within minutes, we found a local track that offered charity laps where anyone could test their skill behind the wheel. It was on.
My car at the time was a 2016 Audi Q5 3.0 TDI—mostly stock, aside from window tint, wider tires, and upgraded exhaust tips. Performance‑wise, it was still a daily driver, but in the looks department? Pure fire.
When the day arrived, so did the nerves. After a safety briefing, we lined up for our laps. Around me were serious track cars, others that were lightly modified—and then there was me, rolling up in my fiery SUV.
We were off. No tire‑smoking launch, just a smooth and calm release. As we picked up speed on the approach to the start line, I reached over and turned off the air conditioning—because obviously that was going to give me more power. I floored the Q5, and it delivered exactly what I wanted heading into the first turn.
That’s when I realized I’d forgotten to check the braking markers.
The turn came at me fast, but I hit the brakes and made it through cleanly. What I didn’t do—aside from “gaining horsepower” by shutting off the AC—was secure the empty coffee cup and water bottle on the passenger seat. They thankfully slid onto the floor instead of under my pedals, but they produced an awful clanking sound that followed me for the rest of the laps.
As I pushed the car closer to its limits, it performed admirably—with one hiccup. Feeling more confident after a few well‑executed corners, I tried to dive deeper into one turn.
Bad idea.
The brakes were hot, and when I pressed harder, they didn’t respond the way I expected. I held on, prayed, and hoped the Audi would make it through. Tires screeched, the coffee cup clanged wildly, and somehow I emerged onto the straight. For that moment, the grocery‑getter SUV had become a full‑on race car.
The Q5, however, wasn’t thrilled in the days that followed. Warped rotors, a small antifreeze leak, and an overall sense of mechanical unhappiness set in. Eventually, I said goodbye to the Q5—but I hope someday to find another fun car to take its place on the track.
That experience remains one of the most thrilling and enjoyable times I’ve ever had in a car. All I can say is this:
Go put your car on the track and drive it fast.
You won’t regret it.
