Continental provided my airfare, accommodations and meals during the event. All opinions expressed are my own.
In my earlier days I was a bit of a risk-taker. I can remember diving off cliffs into the lake (yes it was stupid!) riding roller coasters with my hands raised the entire time and anything else that seemed to get my adrenaline pumping. But as I have gotten older, had kids and realized that I am not invincible, my days of throwing caution to the wind are long gone. At least that’s what I thought because this weekend I threw all that out the window during an amazing press event with Continental Tires.
This past weekend I had the adventure of a lifetime. In a matter of two days I was able to take my first ride in a helicopter, test a variety of tires, including the new TrueContact tires on a 3-acre wet pad, ride shot-gun with a professional drift driver, skeet shoot, go fishing, and hang out with some pretty awesome people. It was definitely a weekend to remember.
You can check out a quick video of what the Contiental Uvalde Proving Grounds experience is all about below.
When you are used to driving with two young passengers in the vehicle you learn to follow the rules of the road pretty quickly. So when someone tells you to “go faster” and then hit your brakes when you hit a road full of water, it doesn’t exactly come as second nature. I really had to step out of my comfort zone during this weekend so that I could take it all in and really experience what these proving grounds were all about.
The first stop of the day was the briefing room where we went over everything we would be doing for the day. The amazing folks at Continental went over all the do’s and don’ts and how to stay as safe as possible. We were even warned about the other residents of Uvalde that may be lurking around. These residents are also know as tarantula’s, scorpions, snakes and other creepy critters that will send a chill up your spine. After the briefing we were all set loose to experience first hand the difference in tire quality.
So I’m gonna be honest. Before arriving to the Uvalde Proving Grounds I pretty much knew nothing about tires. I have purchased many tires over the years but the main thing that I looked at was price, durability and how long this tire was going to last me. I never really thought about what type of role the tire plays when it comes to vehicle safety. After actually feeling and seeing the difference between Continental’s TrueContact tires and some of the other competitors I will never feel the same way. The right tires really do make a HUGE difference. When I am driving I want to know that if I need to suddenly come to a complete stop that my car is going to stop, not go crazy and all over the place. I need to have this type of confidence and reassurance when I am driving, especially with my kids.
So what did I take away from this experience? There is a lot more to staying safe on the road than being a cautious driver. You can be the most experienced driver there is, but if you don’t have the best of the best when it comes to tires you could find yourself in a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation. Bottom line: You need to do your research before you buy. Don’t just look at the price, look at the overall value and performance of the tire.
Ok now if your looking for a good laugh, check out this video below of me and my awesome driving partner April from First Time Mom and Dad. The following video is of us on the 200m Circle track that goes in a complete circle. You are suppose to go about 48 miles per hour while hugging the white line all while going around this circle. At the end of the circle is a small patch of wet road which you will hit going 48 miles per hour. We tested this particular track 2 times, the first with new TrueContact tires and the second with two new tires and two worn tires….this was the first time!
I will be sharing more with you guys over the next few weeks on my experience at the Contiental Uvalde Proving Grounds. They are in the process of editing a video of all of us individually in the cars (EEEKS…that makes me nervous). It should be pretty entertaining to say the least especially the first few rounds of driving when we weren’t used to it. In the meantime, I encourage you to check out Continental and the True Contact tires online and let me know what you think.