Driver registration and check-in.

NASCAR Racing Experience rolled into Fontana and the Auto Club Speedway last weekend for a couple of days of speed and fun for drivers, riders, and fans.  Touring several of the country’s prominent NASCAR venues, NASCAR Racing Experience makes real NASCAR vehicles available to drive or ride in an educational, safe, and quite open – for instance, passing is allowed – environment.  These aren’t replicas or look-alikes; they are the real cars driven by guys like Jimmie Johnson, Dale Jr., and Jeff Gordon.  What a cool idea.  Imagine a baseball fan being able to walk into the dugout, picking up a bat used by one of his heroes, and taking batting practice at Dodger Stadium, Petco Park, Yankee Stadium, or Fenway Park.

Cars in the hot pit lane.

Families and friends were all smiles as drivers were belted into their cars for a few laps around the two mile banked oval track.  After climbing out, the drivers were ear-to-ear grins as they went on to collect their certificates, souvenir licenses, t-shirts, and other goodies.

Cars in the hot pit lane ready for track time.

Piggy backing with NASCAR Racing Experience was the Mario Andretti Racing Experience, which is a similar track program using open wheeled Indy cars.  Although the two programs have somewhat different schedules, they are often at a particular track over the same period.  Both programs offer various levels of track time from a single 8 minute session at the low end up to four 8 minute sessions at the maximum.  What a way to build fan loyalty, excitement, and commitment!  I spoke to several drivers who were given the experience as gifts, and it was just the beginning of their motorsports involvement as a participant…

After touring other tracks for the next few months, both with be back at Auto Club Speedway in late March.