Jason Childress' driving could make any gastroenterologist jealous, as he can instantly and safely transplant his passenger's stomach to his or her throat just by pressing on the accelerator and turning the wheel.
He is one of the owners of Gateway Classic Mustang (GCM) and has spent more than half of his life as a professional driver, he said. He spent a sunny Friday afternoon in the Hyde Park Fire Training Facility instructing for, and participating in, the Shelbyfest autocross event.
His approach to maneuvering his Mustang is not that of a white-knuckled speed demon, but more akin to a symphony composer or ballet dancer, displaying expert control and even grace as his vehicle enters sharp turns, quick accelerations and sudden stops.
Childress was at his most anxious before he took off from the starting line of the course but became more relaxed as he sped through to the end.
"An autocross is a track that is set up in a parking lot (or other) big concrete or paved area so that you can basically go out and drive your car, and the whole idea behind it is learning car control," Childress said. "Shelby Mustangs and other Mustangs have got a lot of horsepower. So, with the horsepower that you have, you need to be able to control it. ... so we started teaching people how to drive their car so they can be in control of what is going on."
Shelbyfest started in 2006 in St. Louis when Shelby Mustang owners got together to show off their cars. The next year, the first official Shelbyfest started in Hermann with 26 cars with owners from five different states, according to the event's website, shelbyfest.net.
This is Shelbyfest's first year in Jefferson City and the autocross' first year at Shelbyfest.
Kyle Caraway, one of the Shelbyfest founders, explained, "This is the best way they can come out and actually use their cars, but they don't just get to show up and go crazy. There is a drivers' meeting, and they work with these qualified instructors from Gateway Classic Mustang. These guys are trained in controlling these cars, so it has been a real education. For a lot of these owners, they come out here and drive these cars and realize all of a sudden there is a little more to precision driving than they think."
GCM started participating in car shows and autocrosses about 10 years ago, Childress said. They do roughly 15 a year, mostly between March and October.
He added the autocross is similar to driving courses for police, firefighters and emergency medical technicians.
Paul Bandelier, a Jefferson City resident who restores classic Mustangs, said, "I came out to just have fun because there is not a whole lot of venues where you can take your car out and abuse it and have no repercussions from the local law enforcement.
"On the first trip you are pretty nervous and you are really not sure where to go, but after that it is kind of second nature and it is a lot of fun. I recommend it to anybody."
Another Shelby owner, Jeff Glinski, said he thought the course was very interesting as he watched other drivers fly through it, awaiting his turn. He elected to ride with one of the GCM instructors.
Glinski came from Wisconsin Rapids for his fifth Shelbyfest and his first trip to Jefferson City.
"There are some very nice cars out today, and people are really enjoying the course here," he said. "I think it (Jefferson City) is a good venue. Everything, as far as I can tell, is very well laid out and organized."
Shelbyfest will continue today with a car show in downtown Jefferson City and later with the "Saturday Throw Down" at 9:30 p.m. in Spectators Sports Bar & Grill on East High Street.