TTF Run 5: 7000 RPM on SR-88

Out before sunrise, home by brunch. The crew took SR-88, the Apache Trail, out of Apache Junction at first light. The run went through Tortilla Flat and up to the overlook beyond it, then came back down into a town packed with cars.

This time @xband_ctr ran a DJI Action 5 on his white FL5’s wing, pointed backwards. So for most of the climb there’s footage of the Boost Blue doing the chasing.

The morning, by the clock

Times are from the phone photos, the dashcam and the DJI’s clock. Elevations are from the photos’ GPS.

Time	Where	What
05:52	Heading out	Still dark. The dashcam catches the Boost Blue lit red by its own brake lights.
06:50	Staging pullout on SR-88, northeast of Apache Junction (≈ 1,790 ft)	Type Rs lined up on the pavement as the sky turns orange.
06:56	Staging pullout	The wing cam starts rolling. The group pulls out with the Boost Blue swinging in behind the white FL5.
06:56–07:16	SR-88 eastbound	The climb: a straight under the power lines, a truss bridge, red-rock walls, through Tortilla Flat and up.
07:15–07:54	The overlook past Tortilla Flat (≈ 2,775 ft)	Everyone parked on the gravel with mesas all around. Photo stop.
08:45–08:54	Shoulder of SR-88	Lineup on the shoulder, then the group heads back down.
09:14–09:22	Tortilla Flat (≈ 1,670 ft)	Main street lined with cars: C8 Corvettes, a Porsche 356, a Cobra, 911s.

The climb

The road from the staging pullout gets better with every mile. First there’s a straight under the power lines where the group stretches out, then a truss bridge in the first sun. 15 MPH is painted on the road just past the bridge, and it means it. After that the red-rock walls close in.

The rear-facing wing cam keeps the Boost Blue in frame through most of it. The closest chase is in the bends about three minutes after leaving the pullout.

Through Tortilla Flat there were cyclists on the road, so it was a slow roll through town. Past it, SR-88 keeps climbing. The wing cam’s clip ends at 07:16 with everyone parked at the overlook. That’s about 20 minutes and close to 1,000 ft of elevation after leaving the staging pullout.

The top

The overlook is a wide gravel pullout about 1,100 ft above Tortilla Flat, with mesas on every side. Most of this run’s photos were shot here between 07:15 and 07:54:

• the Boost Blue next to the white FL5;
• a rear three-quarter shot with the wing against the hills;
• the hero front shot on the gravel.

The crew stayed for over an hour. Around 08:45 everyone lined up on the shoulder to head back down.

Back down through Tortilla Flat

The way down runs past a chevron-marked corner and the red-rock wall, then through the canyon under the cliffs. By 09:14 Tortilla Flat had turned into a car show. The main street was lined with exotics and classics, and the Boost Blue and a black FL5 parked up in front of the old wooden storefront. Then home for brunch.

If you’re driving it

• Go early. The sunrise light is the reason to do this run. By 09:00 Tortilla Flat was full of cars, bikes and people.
• Watch for cyclists through Tortilla Flat, and respect the painted 15 MPH sections.
• Stop at the top. The gravel pullout past Tortilla Flat has room for a whole group and views in every direction.

Watch it

• “7000 RPM”, the run’s reel, is embedded below. It’s cut to the Ford v Ferrari monologue, with the chase cam off @xband_ctr’s wing.
• BLU 5 NEWS is the same run as a ’90s local-news parody, with Xband Lee “live from the wing”.
• Happy National Cat Day is the wing cam set to a cat meme. Pew pew pew.

Crew: @xband_ctr, @zach_pfl5, @scottie.pngg and @kongty05. Chase-cam footage is from @xband_ctr’s car.