Be afraid: T-Rex lives

By Robert Norris
of The Daily Times Staff

These guys should bring a starter with them on their trips — a race starter who drops the flag and announces: “Gentlemen, start your engines!”

Driving a T-REX gets the blood flowing. Heck, just looking at these vehicles, a combination of motorcycle and a car, is a kick. So is the rumble coming from the throaty Kawasaki engines.

“It’s the closest thing to racing, but you’re street legal,” said Johnny DeLarochelliere, T-REX factory test “pilot” from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

As a Canadian race champion of CART, the former Championship Auto Racing Teams open-wheel racing series, he should know.

T-REX is a two-seat, three-wheeled motorcycle with handling more like a high-performance race car.

The quirky crossover vehicle was designed by Daniel Campagna, a Formula One (F1) mechanic, who developed the prototype in 1994 and founded Campagna Corp.
It features Japanese motorcycle technology. The glass-fibre reinforced plastic body includes a carbon-fibre windscreen and headrest. The driver and passenger are protected by a multi-tubular-steel roll cage. And yes, riders wear seat belts.

The performance numbers are eye-popping: acceleration from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds; quarter-mile top speed of 157 mph.

This week, members of the T-REX of America Club, which has members across North America, were in Blount County to — of course — “do the Gap.” As in Deals Gap on the North Carolina end of the world-famous Dragon.

The loose-knit group set up camp at the Holiday Inn Express in Alcoa. Some were headed back to Canada, others to Myrtle Beach. Most plan to come back to Blount County again next year and make this an annual affair. But they aren’t exactly the type to hang in a pack.

“We like our privacy,” said one of the drivers known as Flarex aka Tony.
The Floridian said a lot of the T-REX owners go by their Web names, such as 007 Rex. Why do they ride? For Tony, it’s simple.

“It’s a blast,” he said. “I bought a T-REX. My Porsche sat in my garage for two months
without me driving it. So what did I do? I sold it.”

The “it” that was sold would be the Porsche.

“The common point is the thrill of speed and driving,” DeLarochelliere said. “And the adrenaline. But with a safety factor ... without worrying about falling over,” Flarex added.

Not exactly a vehicle for the masses. There are only about 450 in the world.

“These things are so rare — and this is a true fact — most people, the first time they ever see one, this is the last time they’ll ever see one,” DeLarochelliere said
Rare indeed. So are the lifestyles of T-REX connoisseurs.

“Some of those owners that have those bikes have Lear jets, a couple of Ferraris sitting in their garage, a couple of Maseratis. If you talk to these guys, it’s like this toy is $300,000. This one is $400,000. My jet is $6 million. My T-REX is $60,000. They go out in the garage — what they gonna do?”

DeLarochelliere smiles. He knows. They’re gonna ride that three-wheeler.
But don’t let him fool you. The T-REX is not just for the rich and famous.

Elizabeth Ann Chaput, DeLarochelliere’s wife, knows. A $60,000 ride is not pocket change for all the owners.

“Not for us. We have five kids. I’m a teacher, and he’s a policeman and a test pilot for the company,” Chaput said.

When they go on vacation, they take the van and take turns driving the kids in a T-REX. Which is the advantage of the bucket seats.

“You’re side by side. You’re not one behind the other. You’re not banging helmets. You can talk to each other.”

Chaput was introduced to the T-REX by her husband, and now she’s hooked, too.
“He’s an ex-Canadian champion of CART, so when he got to an age where he had to stop driving he needed something to get that thrill and that rush.”

So what’s in it for her?

“It’s fun and it’s safe and it’s fast. I love speed.”

The couple likes to put T-REX through its performance paces at Mont Tremlant, a ski resort north of Montreal that also has a race track.

As she talks, a revving T-REX driver drives by, almost drowns out her voice. She give him a look as he roars past.

“There are some show-offs who do donuts and stuff,” Chaput said.
An eavesdropper walks up, also with a smile, a facial expression common with T-REX fans.


“Who’s a show-off?” the guy asks.
“That would be you. Who did donuts at the Gap?” she retorts.

“Who did them first?” he replies. “That would be your husband.”

Yes, that would be the Canadian CART race champ.

As for the trip to Blount County and the rides, Chaput has one word: “Amazing.”