Executives Escape For Racecar Runs

For some professionals, all that’s necessary to unwind is a set of clubs, 18 holes, perfectly maintained greens and maybe a battery-powered cart.

That won’t cut it for Jeff Gaddy, Gordon Beavers and some other Northwest Arkansas businessmen.

Their favorite leisure time activity requires a helmet, a flame-retardant suit, hot tarmac and a few hundred horses screaming under the hood of a racecar.

Gaddy’s day job as president of Gaddy Investment Co. in Fayetteville keeps him busy through the week, while Beavers is a professor of computer engineering and computer science at the University of Arkansas. But once a month or so, they head to Hallett Motor Racing Circuit in Hallett, Okla., for the thrills of 120-mph runs on the straight aways.

There’s no prize money for the winners; they’re in it purely for the thrill of the race.

Race day entry fees at Hallet run about $125, or $95 for High Speed Touring, where drivers can test their street car on the track.

Though the fees are small, racing isn’t a hobby for those on a tight budget. A set of racing tires, which might withstand a couple weekends of racing, can run $2,000.

Gaddy’s car cost about $50,000 when it was new in 1984. It was his street vehicle for years, but it would be tough to say how much he has invested in it since that time. The engine has been replaced twice, he said.

The feeling of speeding past another driver is unlike anything else, Beavers said.

“I enjoy it, but I’m not sure that I can put into words what it is,” he said. “When you feel all that horsepower behind you and that rush of acceleration, the feeling is addictive.”

Gaddy has been racing for 16 years, and had some advice for beginners.

“To get started, leave your ego at home,” Gaddy said.

Just like swinging a golf club or playing any other sport, learning to race requires practice and learning through repetition, he said.

The way a racecar handles is vastly different from how a street car handles. For starters, racing tires have no tread, which is used on street tires to channel away water.

When racing, however, “you want as much rubber on the road as possible,” Gaddy said.

The brake pads used for racing are also specialized. They’re made to withstand temperatures of up to 2,000 degrees, and are so hard that if used on a street vehicle, would wear out the brake rotors in no time. Conversely, standard brake pads would wear down to metal-on-metal within about 10 laps of racetrack use.

To stay cool, Gaddy wears a suit that has water pumped throughout it. It is made of a special mesh that allows for air flow, but seals up to protect the wearer if exposed to the extreme heat of fire.

Another important aspect of racing safety is to know who the other drivers are and how they race.

“You learn who you can trust to always hold their line and who is a loose cannon to stay away from,” Beavers said.

Gaddy has three sons who also race, and he believes that because of the risk involved, it teaches safety, respect and responsibility.

Racing on the track has actually made Beavers a much more conservative driver on the road, simply because the two different types of vehicles handle so differently, he said.