The RPDE is more like an amusement park ride than an actual driving school. The gist of it is that you go out and follow an experienced driver around Kansas Speedway behind the wheel of an old Sprint Cup-type car. You can go as fast as you are comfortable driving, as long as you stay within the boundaries set by the pylons on the track, and you slow down if the leader waves you off.
The first part of the day is spent in the classroom, where you learn the basics of the track and what the car is supposed to feel like. They also spell out the rules so you don’t go peeling out or something. This is the most boring part of the whole deal, but if you haven’t been to the racetrack before, or you are nervous about what you’re about to do, it will probably ease your mind a little.
The next stop is the orientation ride. Everybody gets into a big passenger van, and one of the professional drivers takes you around and gives you an idea what it’s like to actually be on the track. He gives you tips on things like what lines to run and where to get off the gas. If you haven’t been around a race track before, this ride alone might be a pretty big thrill. Also, rumor has it that if he tips the van over in the turn, your driving experience is free.
So now it’s time to get suited up. They fix you up with a nice RPDE driving suit and a shiny white brain bucket. There’s also a neck restraint that somehow clips the back of the helmet to your crotch.
Once you’re in your driver’s costume, plan to sweat off some pounds waiting to get in the car. When I was there it was hot. Africa hot. It doesn’t get that hot in Brooklyn. They did have air conditioned busses sitting around out there if you couldn’t take it anymore, but most people just hung outside to get the most of their time at the track.
While you’re waiting, you or other members of your family can participate in a ride-along for a couple-hundred bucks or so. This is where you get in a two-seater and ride shotgun while one of the professional drivers takes you real close to the wall as fast as they can. I tried that once before and thought it was pretty fun. On the other hand, my mom tried it, and when she got out of the car, the first thing out of her mouth was, “that’s all? I guess she’s too used to riding with my dad.
At some point, your number will come up to drive. I was sent to a rather generic-looking old Grand Prix stock car. I don’t know if it was an old Sprint Cup car, ARCA car, Nationwide Series car, or what. I know it wasn’t a truck. It didn’t really matter what it was, though. It was noisy and hot and cramped, and it was exactly what I was hoping for.
I think I did the Rookie experience, which was five laps and cost about 400-bones. The most important thing to remember is that you don’t want to look like a wuss to your family and friends. They tell you before you go out that if the lead driver doesn’t wave you off to slow down twice, you probably aren’t going fast enough.
At some point on the track I was clocked at around 150-mph. That sounds pretty fast, until you realize that it wouldn’t qualify me for any race held at the track. Oh, I felt like Richard Petty, but in a real race I would have been black-flagged before I came around to take the first lap. I did get waved off by the lead car, and everyone said it looked like I was going fast, so my ego was sufficiently stroked despite my inability to bring home any prize money in this fall’s Nextel Cup event.
The best part about the whole thing to me is that you get to experience the sounds, smells, and feel of a real race car on a real speedway. You feel the strain on your body as you go through the turns. You realize how hot and cramped it really is in one of these cars. You get an idea of the loud, droning engine noise that these drivers have to deal with. It’s a very sensory experience, and it gives you a real perspective on what you’re watching on TV. No video game can match the feeling of being behind the wheel of a real racecar.
I really did notice that I was faster by the end of the run, and wished I could run more laps. Luckily, the RPDE can accommodate that wish if you are willing to pay for it. With packages ranging up to $1,300, the RPDE has an experience that can give you so many laps you’ll be begging for a chiropractor.
If you’d like to learn more about the Richard Petty Driving Experience, or you want to book a ride or drive for you or the race fan in your family, call 1-800-BE-PETTY, or visit www.1800bepetty.com.
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