Way back in June of 2004, I got an invite from Chrysler Canada to join them out at Downsview Air Force Base in North York, Ontario, where they were doing two things - storing hundreds of cars - had leased time on the airstrip and set up several slolam courses.

Guests were given wrist bands and then taken on some high speed, exhilerating drives as a passenger in one of about 6 SRT-10 VIPERs. Each had with a professional driver at the wheel. What a treat! Everyone who wanted to got to ride once around their track - accelerating, braking from high speed, cornering ... it was awesome. For some reason, my daughter (who at the time was just finishing high school) got two rides!

Also on hand, were all kinds of cars (licensed mainly from Nova Scotia and Ontario) which were for the guests to drive without any escorts! There were: a few dozen Crossfire Coupes and Roadsters, some 300C SRT-8s, a few Magnum SRT Wagons (replete with Hemi), SRT Hemi Pickups and some nimble little Neon SRT-4s. The rule was - follow the course, drive how you want to - hit one of the cones - your day is DONE! I saw one idiot get escorted out, but generally people behaved even though they were given the keys to the vault! Everyone was trying to find the traction control switch on every vehicle but they'd been disabled. Smart thinking. Still, it was AWESOME to have had this opportunity. Too, there were offroad hill courses on which you could take a Jeep out for a thrilling ride.

Does anyone remember that? It served as the inspiration for the Crossfire that I search for and finally got last week. The reason for the long delay was a seven year, 3 degree stint at university for my daughter. She finishes her M.Ed. in a couple of months. And so it was time for Dad to treat himself as he entered into retirement!

Seriously, this is the resulting impact that the marketing genius who came up with that idea and then sold it to management, can have. A seven year, passionate imprint on my mind. Thanks for that!

I waited for another invite the following year, but it never came. It was a one time affair that travelled across Canada like a franchise. I'd love to know where that yellow roadster was today. It was THE car for me - still is.

Those were the heady days of Chrysler's Street Racing Technology in Canada. Probably, if they'd do that with an SRT Challenger, I'd be buying one of those next!

BTW, Happy Thanksgiving to all our American cousins!

John