Tired of vicarious thrills? Want to learn to drive a bonafide stock car? Concord, North Carolina’s the place to be. A couple of sites stand out:
The NASCAR Racing Experience. Get ready to suit up and turn left with a vengeance as you drive a NASCAR racing machine during timed sessions. This is a three-hour deal, replete with one-on-one tutelage by instructors. At the end of the session, pull into the pits and revel in the fact you raced the clock. Prefer not to solo, to let someone else do the driving around those banked ovals? Ride shotgun for three laps in the NASCAR Ride Along Experience, where speeds get up to an adrenaline-pumping 170 mph.
The Richard Petty Driving Experience. The King of stock car racing loves motor sports, loves it so much that he’s put his name on a company that lets folks like you and me experience what’s it’s like to go really, really fast. Your Honda Accord back in the garage probably doesn’t summon up 600-horse power. His steeds do, and they’ll teach you how to handle one of these beasts – whether you want to travel eight laps or eight. Again, for the semi-adventurous of heart there’s a ride-along option where an experienced driver takes you on a three-lap thrill at speed up to 165 mph.
If you’re a NASCAR fan, and want to take your visceral understanding of motor sports to a whole new level, get up off the couch and out into the real for the laps of your life.
Story by Jerry Chandler
(Image: The Freewheeling Daredevil)
