We have a speed freak on our hands! Lauren Axelrod, known usually for her writings on subjects ancient and venerable finally confesses her addiction to speed. Here, she takes a nostalgic look back at the raceways of the past.

In 1955, Autopia was an example of the multilane limited-access highways which were still being developed. Before the park initially opened, the cars were tested without their rubberized bumpers. This of course resulted in some major collisions, although that was the fun part of the initial test drive. The cars at Autopia were eventually fashioned with rubber bumpers, and a guard rail was put in place to discourage reckless driving. What’s the fun in that?