Just returned from Richard Petty Driving Experience now with video

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rp23g7

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My wife bought me a Kings Experience for my Christmas present last yr, as i had it planned about 13 yrs ago, but i met her instead. We went to California Speedway.

What a blast, 20 laps by myself, in a set of two 10 lap sessions.

I had a ride along too, to get to know the line and a feel for the car.

WOW, i have a lot more respect for those NASCAR guys now, 20 laps is a friggen workout, i cant imagine 400 miles, with 40 other cars around.

The ride a long was great, they guy just blasts out of the pits and into the first turn, i was like HOLY %@$#.

it was awsome as a rider.

The Kings experiance is 2 sessions of 10 laps. You follow a instructor, 3 car lengths behind, and in the same groove he is driving. Its harder than it looks.

I found myself not trusting the car, you could feel the car slip around abit on the asphalt repair stuff and smell the rubber around the turns, and not accelerating hard enough coming out of some turns, especially turn 2, that wall was really close. I was letting him get to far ahead on the backstreach on the first session.

Second set of laps i concentrated more, those NASCAR guys are in shape, it was a 95 degree day, and baking hot in the car, and trying to stay in the groove at 150 mph is a workout.

My best speed was 156mph on my last few laps, with a average of 136mph.

My wife went on a ride along, 3 actually, they in car video was not working right, i guess it wont work after 150 degrees. So her first two didnt work, so they got a car out of the garage for her.

She had a second car following them, they screamed out of the pits and came blowing by on the first lap, the second lap they past us and you could hear the car get into the rev limiter, 7500 rpm on the set up on the cars, 170mph, wow

not sure how to imbed a video on here
 
Wasn't it great! I got to do it about 10 years ago. Did you get the obligatory picture with the car and the helmet on top of the car, with you in your "racing suit".? lol

I got mine on the wall in the hall, lol
 
they are actually going to send the official one, it was too hot and the photo printer wasnt working. got a bunch of pics with our camera and video too
 
I did that at Texas Motor Speedway about ten years ago, and it was a fantastic experience!
 
A friend of mine did that at Daytona a few years ago. He said it was a blast.
 
That is on my bucket list, I signed up six years ago when we were at Vegas for a NASCAR race it was to be the fallowing Monday but it got canceled.
You should try a Sprint Car next!

Kenny
 
I have always wanted to do this, but I built a house/cottage on a hill I bought
Dun it on the dirt but never on pavement and yes it is a heck of a work out...... Congratulations on the experience
 
Sounds really cool.

I would think the top race team cars drive a little better. Balancing and wheel alignment plays a large role, even the driveshaft needs to be right on. If those test cars were in a race, they would not be out in front of the pack.

Don't forget, most drivers are under 40, maybe 30. I used to ride dirt bikes as a teen, if I rode one now I be sore head to toe later on.
 
I too experienced this at Texas Motor Speedway. I would do it again in a heartbeat! Went 10 laps and my arms were like jell-o I tell ya! It was harder than I thought it would be. I don't see how those guys can drive that fast, that close to other cars, for that long. I have never really liked NASCAR prior to that, and still I'm not crazy about it, but I have a whole new respect for the drivers.
 
I too experienced this at Texas Motor Speedway. I would do it again in a heartbeat! Went 10 laps and my arms were like jell-o I tell ya! It was harder than I thought it would be. I don't see how those guys can drive that fast, that close to other cars, for that long. I have never really liked NASCAR prior to that, and still I'm not crazy about it, but I have a whole new respect for the drivers.

Same here, i cant imagine 40 other cars on the track, and my instructor was going around with his arm out the window on some laps, holy poop, your taking that corner with one hand on the wheel?????
 
"instructor was going around with his arm out the window on some laps"


That isn't too smart. In fact I be tick off, what if a tire blew out, unlikely with todays tires but what if. Good drivers are always ready for the unexpected.

I see the same **** over here. Out in the 55 mph zones the cross mile rds are intersections control by a traffic signal. I seen driver ed cars hanging way out past the white line while trying to turn right on the red light. Any car that decided to change lanes and bump the car on their side could send a car slamming in to the side of the cars waiting to turn right, if they are stop past the white line. I hang out past the white lines at times also but not when cross traffic is going 60 mph. Out there I stay a ways back from the white line.
 
Very cool wife! They say it's easy,no way.After I said that,how about guys like the "KING",Fireball Roberts,and the like.Todays cars are sophisticated,compared to the 60's,70's.In Hot Rods's tribute to Shelby(the 50s), he would lose an average of 15 lbs during a longer race. Wild stuff.
 
Very cool wife! They say it's easy,no way.After I said that,how about guys like the "KING",Fireball Roberts,and the like.Todays cars are sophisticated,compared to the 60's,70's.In Hot Rods's tribute to Shelby(the 50s), he would lose an average of 15 lbs during a longer race. Wild stuff.

NO, its not easy, when we blasted out of the pits on the first lap i was friggen amazed at the acceleration. I would like to see a car set up for a short track do a drag race, they are probably 9 second cars.

I was doing a average of 130mph, and i was tired after 20 laps keeping the car down in the groove in a turn, those Nascar guys are going 30 to 40 mph faster, no wonder they have spotters, you cant turn your head more than a inch either way, and i never looked at the gauges, i was too busy watching the track and the guy in front of me.

I have sat in my brother in laws NASCAR, (Jack McCoy) 69 Daytona, and cant imagine driving that around a track, with a non fitted seat and no hans device and other (prehistoric) stuff, WOW, those old timers must have been animals

Carlys 3rd ride

[ame="http://youtu.be/Rwi3kw1niUw"]302 Found[/ame]

My ride

[ame="http://youtu.be/v12aMS1yIGU"]302 Found[/ame]

My 1st 10 laps

[ame="http://youtu.be/IDzne7u8Rto"]302 Found[/ame]

My 2nd set of laps

[ame="http://youtu.be/WhWYlTJMB8c"]302 Found[/ame]
 
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