For sheer motivation and inspiration, Brock Yates' book about the Harris-Baker rally is a must. Forget that silly Burt Reynolds, Dom Deloise movie and think about the editor of Car and Driver teaming up with Dan Gurney one year after Gurney retired from racing, driving a borrowed 465gtb from Manhattan to Redondo Beach in 38 hours (including stops for speeding tickets) and you'll get the idea. The race was run 5 times and the fastest ever time was just under 35 hours, which at 88mph seems reasonable, until you try it. Gurney was was quoted saying they never exceeded 175 on any public roads (which Yates backs up 'cause he swears they were only doing 174 along highway 10 outside of Phoenix in the predawn light as they tried to avoid jack rabbits). If you can read this book and not try some speed stunt then put a bullet in your head, you are already dead. I live one exit south of the San Francisco airport on 101 and after reading this I drove from home to the El Tajon rest stop at the north start of the grapevine pass on I5 in 3 hours flat. Not advisable but fuck was that fun (I think I let my speed drop to 87 on the curvy parts of Pacheco pass but made up for it doing 115-120 once I hit I5) and by some crazy luck I managed to avoid getting caught doing this on a Saturday morning.