"...a half hour or so of hitting the bends just right and accelerating out of the curves that was an utter joy for me."
Oh, that sounds like *heaven*! I love to drive. No, it's not very green, and I no longer go for hours-long drives just for the pleasure of being behind the wheel, but yeah, when I do drive I like to make it count, fun-wise.

"It's the joy of exercising a skill to the best of my ability, I think"
Yes, that's it exactly!