CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Move over Jr.! We've got a new guy on the NASCAR circuit!

Almost 2 years ago, I bought Mr. W the NASCAR Experience.  This experience entitled him to go to any NASCAR track in the USA, attend a short training session with a crew chief, suit up, and drive an official NASCAR race car on the track for 8 minutes. When I bought it, I thought, "Wow, he is going to LOVE this and I'm going to be the best wife ever!" He opened his present on Father's Day and he had very little enthusiasm for this gift. In fact, I think if I had told him that we could return it, he would have. Not only was I shocked, but I was disappointed too.  Try to give this man something really awesome and out of the ordinary and he acts like that.  What is up with that???

This certificate is good for 2 years.  After that, it expires and you lose your money.  I was pretty sure he was going to let it expire.  However, when this east coast trip was being planned, the NASCAR Experience was scheduled to take place at the Charlotte Motor Speedway today.

Once you arrive at the track, you have to check in at the security booth and drive through the "tunnel" to pit road.

Once you park an get out, you hear them.  The familiar sound of those race cars going around the track.  There was a class before Mr. W's class and they were driving around the track when we arrived.  Mr. W's class was pretty large.  His class started at noon.  The class before started at 10:00 and consisted of 17 drivers.  I think there was twice that many for the noon class.

You had to check in at the merchandise trailer on pit road.  You got your suit, your pager, and were told to wait until they called for the 12:00 class to go to the training/media room.

One of Jr.'s cars. The drivers give their cars for this use once they are through driving them.

The trailer where you checked in on pit road.

Mr. W in his racing suit. Doesn't he look all serious?

Just a random car going around the track so I took a picture.

So, they finally call for the 12:00 class and everyone heads to the media room for the training. Time for pics since you walk through a part of the infield that you couldn't get to otherwise.

You get to the media room and there is a short video which gives you  a lot of instructions. Then a guy who works in the pit gives you a lot of instructions followed by a short Q & A. They then take you back to the pit where the crew chief gives you more instructions.

When it is your turn to drive, your pager goes off.  Mr. W's went off right away.  He was in the first group to drive.  You have a spotter that is sitting up high and giving you instructions in your earbuds, which are put in your ears and then taped to your ears. You put on a head cloth and then your helmet. They plug your earbuds into a board to make sure you can hear the spotter. They walk you out to your car and you climb in.  One of the crew fastens your seat harness, puts in your steering wheel, and puts the web screen in your window. Then, you wait until your spotter tells you to go.

Cute head cloth don't you think? :)

Testing the earbuds to make sure he can hear the spotter.

Walking out to the car

Doesn't he look like a natural?

Add the steering wheel

Once you get the green light to go, you take off down pit road, stay on the apron until you reach the back straight and then you slide on up the track. You can't pass anyone unless your spotter gives you the OK.  Mr. W got the OK.  When your time is up, the spotter tells you "checkered flag" and that's your signal to come in. Eight minutes does go by very quickly.  But, you should have seen the smile on Mr. W's face when he got out of that car!

He got his official certificate with his official speed and so he bought a T-shirt that showed he is a member of the 150+ club. Notice the MPH on the certificate.

He did tell me once we got in the truck to leave that this was TOTALLY AWESOME! Best gift ever! OK, now I'm feeling better.  He said that he started shaking when he got in the truck and it took him a few minutes to get his mind on driving on regular streets again. Yeah, I think he liked his gift. Don't you?

We wanted to stop for lunch after we left and what better place to stop and eat after driving around a NASCAR track than Quaker Steak and Lube!

 

Yeah, I'd say, at least for today, I am the best wife ever!