It's A Tough Job

Wringing out nowicki autosport’s michelin-themed conceptz Z06 at the new M1 concourse

- Barry Kluczyk

Auto writers hear it all the time: “You must have the best job in the world.”

It’s easy to believe it, but as with any occupation there are highs and lows. For every pit pass to an IMSA race or invitation to judge a concours event, there are countless hours of follow-up at the keyboard. The deadlines are never-ending and someone is always asking when the copy and photos will be ready. Always!

Then again, and it doesn’t happen every day, we are privileged with experiences that make the ride on the perpetual deadline machine worth the fare. That came recently when we had a private road course all to ourselves and Nowicki Autosport and Design’s ConceptZ Z06 at our disposal. Yes, there are worse ways to earn a living.

The road course was the 1.5-mile track at the center of M1 Concourse, the new, 87-acre automotive playground along Woodward Avenue in suburban Detroit. Ringed by “car condos” where enthusiasts can store their vehicles and then exercise them on track, it’s a facility and community quite unlike anything else. The track isn’t wide enough to really accommodate multicar racing events, but that’s not what it was designed for.

It was designed to enable individuals to push their cars to their limits off the street, and in that regard it’s a dream track. It has a couple of fast straights, some tight turns and a couple of subtle elevation changes to keep you on your toes. It was the perfect venue to run Nowicki Autosport’s Z06 through its paces.