Okay, here's the deal, several months ago, my friend and I got a NASCAR Driving Experience gift from our respective families. It was described as an 8-minute solo driving experience on a track of our choice in a real "NASCAR race car". NOT a ride-along or follow a lead car type thing. We reluctantly scheduled it because it was pretty much non-refundable. We trucked down to Welcome, NC Thursday and toured Richard Childress Racing, then the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte yesterday. When we showed up at Charlotte Motor Speedway this morning, we both stood there on pit road and kind of said "those cars don't look that fast", and I could tell they weren't running nearly as fast as the pros (obviously). You could hear the rev-limiters popping off as the solo participants drove around the track. So we kind of relaxed a little and realized that our chances of dying today weren't nearly as high as previously thought. THEN they got us suited up and took us into the media center for instruction. As they're standing there showing us film and saying things like "stay above the white line or you WILL wreck", "the car WILL stick even though you won't think it will...", etc., reality kind of set in! So, to cut to the chase, the cars had rev-limiters on them at 5000 rpm's. We were running 150 plus mph laps (which isn't nearly as fast as the professionals, but FAST ENOUGH when you have to turn left and drive up on a steeply banked wall of asphalt). Let me tell ya, it's one thing to run down the frontstretch with the double dog leg or the backstretch at those type speeds, but when you stick that car into Turn 1 by yourself (with only a spotter in your ear coaching you), that is INTENSE! It feels like the lateral G forces are gonna throw you through the passenger side roll-cage, and THEN you almost jump out of the turn up onto the straightaway going "mach dammit" for a few seconds before you sling it into another turn. Eight minutes doesn't seem like a long time, but I don't know if I could have held my breath much longer! The cost was $350. If you guys ever get the chance, DO IT! They tour all over the country to the various tracks. Yeah I'm sure a lot of you hate any type of racing, think it's just silly, are involved in other types of racing, yada yada blah blah..... That's not the point I'm trying to make--just do it if you ever get the chance. It's the ride of a lifetime. I participated in this one-- NASCAR Racing Experience-Drive a Real NASCAR Race Car!. And, if you don't want to drive by yourself, they have a ride-along program with cars that were going over 180 mph today. Those poor people were climbing out of those cars shaking with stunned looks on their faces. I have a complete new respect for race car drivers who run those tracks at 200 mph sometimes THREE WIDE in the turns! Getting out on some lonely stretch of highway or a dragstrip and running 120 or 130 mph (been there, done that) is NOTHING compared to this. I am convinced--those guys who drive stock cars, indy cars, etc. professionally must clank and spark when they walk (even Danica).

 

MAN DOC' That sounds like fun got to try that oneday. LIFE IN THE FASTLANE !!!!!!

 

Doc just wants to see how many of you peed in your seakers like he did.

 

Wow Doc, thats a once in a lifetime deal and my hats off to you for goin for it. Id have to do the ride along, because I know the limits of my driving skills. Congrats.

 

I got a sense of the thrill just by your description! Sounds like a blast! Nice write up!

 

What a great story! It sounds like a total blast. A once in a lifetime experience. I've been a car guy and a race fan as long as i can remember. A deal like that would be a dream come true.

 

My wife and I did the Ride a-long at Atlanta Motor Speedway back in April. It was indeed a thrill! My 70 y.o. wife had a blast!! As Doc said..the Drive along cars were speed limited and allot slower. I would love to do it at Talladega or Daytona!

 

Sounds like an awesome experience Doc. Just reading your post made my heart rate increase! Don't know that I would have the "clank and spark" in my stride to try it for real. Great story. Thanks for sharing.

 

Another 40 mph and Old Yeller will be ready! how's the new house coming along?

 

I did some work for a Nationwide series driver, Brad Coleman. He was telling us about driving and going 200 plus, just him talking about it scared me. The guy working for me got to drive at Texas National - he loved it. Back in the day I took my BMW bike to 130, now I wouldn't even think about it.

 

Good stuff Doc. Thanks for sharing! I've ridden around Indy a couple of times in a bus. Probably the closest I'll ever get!

 

Way to go Doc, I went with my wife the other day to a limited sale at Walmart, thank god for the holy crap handle, lol. Good for you, that for sure is a once in a lifetime exprience. We don't have that opportunity up here, the best we can do is at the local Kart for rent track, you can get an extra mile an hour or two by pulling up on the throttle cable with your right hand while driving.