You know you are traversing an active military installation when the walkie-talkie squawks, “Turn right at the missile.”
The Motor Trend and Studio TEN crews are filming this year’s version of the World’s Greatest Drag Race here at Vandenberg Air Force Base, and we are quickly reminded of its critical role in America’s arsenal.
As the Cold War heated up in the 1960s, Vandenberg’s function as our premier missile testing center made it an essential military site. But as global relations simmered to détente and glasnost, Vandenberg became known less as the epicenter of West Coast intercontinental ballistic missile testing and more as the test and launch center for countless Air Force, NASA, and Department of Defense satellites. More recently it’s been the launch site for Elon Musk’s SpaceX team, as well.
But the original mission remains imprinted on the airmen and officers posted here, perhaps more so now as international tensions are once again percolating. Although there are no live nukes on the base, Vandenberg remains America’s launch pad to ensure our missile technology is on target.
One airman frames his job description with a spin on the old Domino’s Pizza slogan, “We deliver in 30 minutes or less, or the next one is free.” It’s a confident refrain from the military personnel who have a continual, cautious connection with a please-don’t-ever-let-it-happen atomic event.
I have a personal connection to Vandenberg. My late father was a bona fide rocket scientist, his career wending through our nation’s missile and satellite systems. As a boy, I recall the numerous times he was away from home for a launch at Vandenberg. I remember because seeing a rocket launch is about as cool as it gets. Of course, there’s no Take Your Kid To Work Day when you are launching top-secret satellites, so I had to imagine the spectacular plumes of vapor trailing a rocket as it slipped the surly bonds of Earth.
With my dad on my mind, I follow our escorted convoy through Vandenberg’s sprawling 99,000 oceanfront acres north of Santa Barbara. The Motor Trend crew doesn’t have time for an official guided tour, and we are occasionally cautioned, “Please don’t point your cameras over there,” in reference to certain hush-hush sections of the base. We all had been vetted thoroughly before our arrival, and our movement and itinerary had been planned to the minute, but the amount of cooperation and latitude the base personnel gave us was astonishing for its flexibility and accommodation.
We arrive at Vandenberg’s main airstrip—2.84 miles of immaculate tarmac—with our field of 12 supercars prepped for this year’s edition of the World’s Greatest Drag Race. The runway is inactive this Saturday, giving us the freedom to film our Motor Trend OnDemand (and YouTube) production.
Endless takes are needed to produce a seamless video, and many hands are required to help with the logistics of wrangling a dozen cars. In addition to granting us access to the base, Vandenberg’s top brass had told a squad of our nation’s finest servicemen and women to assist on this sparkling, breezy Saturday—a call of duty far different from their regular obligations.
Every single military man and woman present had the stern eyes, squared shoulders, and crisp bearing straight out of a recruiting poster. By proximity alone, I seemed to improve my slouchy civilian posture. But more than providing their steely presence, the base personnel helped make the production hum so briskly we finished an hour ahead of schedule.
On behalf of Motor Trend, I would like to recognize the men and women of Vandenberg Air Force Base for their brave service, for allowing us use of their facilities, and for their much-appreciated assistance in the production of the World’s Greatest Drag Race. It never would have happened without the direction of 1st Lt. Travis Schirner, who coordinated logistics with Vandenberg and the Pentagon. Special thanks, too, goes to the base commanders who greenlit the operation: Col. Michael Hough and retired Col. J. Christopher Moss. We thank you and salute you.
Read more about our 2017 Best Driver’s Car contenders:
Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
Aston Martin DB11
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
Ferrari 488 GTB
Lexus LC 500
Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Club
McLaren 570GT
Mercedes-AMG GT R
Nissan GT-R NISMO
Porsche 718 Cayman S
Porsche 911 Turbo S
