By Shaun Summerfield
Just a week after racing in the Daytona 24Hour race, Scott Dixon is in for a very different experience at Rod Millen's Leadfoot festival this weekend.
Not only is the laidback Hahei Ranch a world away from the flash and dash on offer in Florida, but Dixon will be driving a car which is a world - not mention, a century - away from anything he races.
Anne Thompson's 1906 Darracq is a real piece of Motorsport history. 110 years ago it raced in the very first Grand Prix staged near Le Mans in France. At least its engine did.
The 14.2 litre (a current Grand Prix car has a 1.6 litre engine) four-cylinder motor has endured an incredible history; from race winner, to motorboat engine in Ireland, to well cared for back-up generator at the Christchurch Star.
The chassis had been left for dead but, as fate would have it, an identical one had been used as a support vehicle by a foundling Mount Cook Airline. Unlike the giant motor, it hadn't been looked after and was found half buried in a Paddock near Gore.
Reunited and restored the blue beast is once again tearing up roads and tracks around the world
The 4B car broke down at the French Grand Prix but delivered success in its next race, the Vanderbilt Cup in New York.
It was one of the most exciting sporting events of its era- drawing over 200,000 spectators to Long Island
When you compare the winning speeds, the Darracq isn't exactly impressive compared to Dixon's Indycar.
The 1906 average winning speed was 98.6km/h while Dixon's average speed during qualifying for the 2015 Indy 500 was 364.9km/h.
But, with no seat belts, only a handbrake to slow down (stopping is a plus) and less suspension than a ride-on lawnmower, the Darracq is very much a challenge.
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