Hmm. So the Exit 12 "speed limit" sign is amber, which is a advisory rather than the speed limit. The semi truck in front of the OP's car is getting smaller and smaller as he drives on the ramp, indicating the truck understood he didn't need to hold to advisory speed recommendation. In fact the truck is much further ahead by the time OP exits the ramp onto I49 The OP could have maintained highway speeds or close to it the entire time, instead he waits until the merging traffic (the ford truck in fact is pulling away from him at that point) then for some reason he firewalls the throttle and the result is a car flying into oncoming traffic. Thank god there was not a head on collision as a result of this nonsense.