In addition to skydiving and jetboat riding during my research trip to Daytona Beach, Florida, last week, I also got to ride along in a race car at 160 mph around the Daytona International Speedway. How cool is that?!
I’m not a race fan at all and I drive like a grandma (sorry Mom!). But I did get thrill from strapping in to a NASCAR-style stock car for three laps around the track, which features turns that bank at 31 degrees. (Though, honestly, after my absolutely incredible tandem-sky-diving experience, it was a little bit anti-climactic.)
I felt totally safe throughout the entire three-minute ride. Just a bit claustrophobic when I got buckled in, with this huge helmet on my head, plus a supportive head/neck brace attached to me and the back of my seat. I could barely move my head side to side (which I guess was a good thing). My heart only sped up a couple beats when the woman who helped get me situated told me to “pull the red straps in case of an emergency.”
I think if I were a true race fan, and I enjoyed driving fast, I’d pay the $399 to the Richard Petty Driving Experience to actually learn how to drive one of the cars a few times around the track. It’s a program that lasts 3 hours and includes training and eight laps around the track. For the ultimate racing experience, you can dish out $2,999 for personal instruction and a 40-lap driving program.
Or, if you’re more like me, you can always visit the simulated track at the Daytona 500 Experience’s Acceleration Alley. For $5, strap into a mock race car and compete against others on a video screen in front of you. If you wreck, you’ll feel it!
