BanjoLink - Posted - 03/28/2026:  20:36:45

In a race car with a professional driver. It’s called a “NASCAR experience” because it gives you a real appreciation of the skill of the drivers and the car that you have no idea about watching on TV. I have no clue how the car stays on the track in the turns. I know it is because of the tremendous downforce, but your body says something different.

STUD figmo Al - Posted - 03/29/2026:  03:03:17

Nothing like stepping into another pros shoes to get an inkling.... ;0)

Goes for many things in life...

rinemb - Posted - 03/29/2026:  04:10:24

That is cool!

1935tb-11 - Posted - 03/29/2026:  10:09:38

darlington is a tough track period... it was even worse when the wall stuck out coming out of turn 4 in the old configuration. bet you got an Adrenaline rush diving in and going straight into the wall in 1 and 2.

glad you got to have this good time, everyone should try it once !!

TimFoster - Posted - 03/29/2026:  10:24:01

That’s awesome! A few years ago my wife got me a track day at Pocono Speedway as the ultimate Father's Day gift — you do a quick spat of race instruction, then pace behind an instructor for a few laps in one of their NASCAR trainer cars (4sp 650hp)… and then they let you take your daily driver out for a few laps!



It was nerve racking for sure — the lines they showed you through the corners were at most two feet off the wall… and doing 145mph worth of that in your daily driver (with two unoccupied child car seats in the backseat at the time lol) definitely approached the limits of my “fearlessness”.  I can only imagine how much more aggressive it would have been with a proper driver manning the wheel.  Respect to all the guys that do it for real at competition speeds!

Edited by - TimFoster on 03/29/2026 10:35:54

chuckv97 - Posted - 03/29/2026:  10:25:17

Very cool,, I can see you playing Groundspeed on banjo in the car while whizzing around that track

BanjoLink - Posted - 03/29/2026:  15:22:45

quote:

---

Originally posted by STUD figmo Al

Nothing like stepping into another pros shoes to get an inkling.... ;0)



Goes for many things in life...

---

Absolutely right Al ...... until you do, you have no idea.  You may think you do, but you don't.

There has always been an argument as to whether race car drivers are athletes.  I still do not know the answer to that question, but I can tell you that they have something that I do not have.  The physical stamina that it takes to go around that track and any other several hundred times at those speeds takes a toll physically and mentally.  You have to be in good shape in both,

BanjoLink - Posted - 03/29/2026:  15:25:31

quote:

---

Originally posted by 1935tb-11

darlington is a tough track period... it was even worse when the wall stuck out coming out of turn 4 in the old configuration. bet you got an Adrenaline rush diving in and going straight into the wall in 1 and 2.



glad you got to have this good time, everyone should try it once !!

---

Terry, I think the only time my driver lifted was going into turn one (or it could have been three).  The other turn he may have let of the throttle slightly but not like turn one.  The people that bought the driving experience, Iam sure, thought they were going fast, but we passed them like they were standing still.  If you really want to know what it is like the riding along gives you a lot better idea of what it is like.

1935tb-11 - Posted - 03/30/2026:  07:05:32

quote:

---

Originally posted by BanjoLink

quote:

---

Originally posted by 1935tb-11

darlington is a tough track period... it was even worse when the wall stuck out coming out of turn 4 in the old configuration. bet you got an Adrenaline rush diving in and going straight into the wall in 1 and 2.



glad you got to have this good time, everyone should try it once !!

---

Terry, I think the only time my driver lifted was going into turn one (or it could have been three).  The other turn he may have let of the throttle slightly but not like turn one.  The people that bought the driving experience, Iam sure, thought they were going fast, but we passed them like they were standing still.  If you really want to know what it is like the riding along gives you a lot better idea of what it is like.

---

i did the one at charlotte... and the guy ask ,, you ready .. i said hell yeah !    he turned it loose and it was about 1 inch between me and the wall ... i looked over at him like dang bro !     and he was just grinnin from ear to ear....

BanjoLink - Posted - 03/30/2026:  08:00:16

quote:

---

Originally posted by 1935tb-11

quote:

---

Originally posted by BanjoLink

quote:

---

Originally posted by 1935tb-11

darlington is a tough track period... it was even worse when the wall stuck out coming out of turn 4 in the old configuration. bet you got an Adrenaline rush diving in and going straight into the wall in 1 and 2.



glad you got to have this good time, everyone should try it once !!

---

Terry, I think the only time my driver lifted was going into turn one (or it could have been three).  The other turn he may have let of the throttle slightly but not like turn one.  The people that bought the driving experience, Iam sure, thought they were going fast, but we passed them like they were standing still.  If you really want to know what it is like the riding along gives you a lot better idea of what it is like.

---

i did the one at charlotte... and the guy ask ,, you ready .. i said hell yeah !    he turned it loose and it was about 1 inch between me and the wall ... i looked over at him like dang bro !     and he was just grinnin from ear to ear....

---

My driver was from Charlotte and said he mostly drove there.  He was just filling in for a couple of days at Darlington.  He was a little older guy (for a race driver), at least late 50's, but he sure knew what he was doing.  In the turns he was really "driving" the car as if he was constantly trying to catch the rear end from sliding out.  Right before my ride they changed the front right tire, as I am sure they go through a lot of tires just doing the ride-arounds.

1935tb-11 - Posted - 03/30/2026:  13:50:27

quote:

---

Originally posted by BanjoLink

quote:

---

Originally posted by 1935tb-11

quote:

---

Originally posted by BanjoLink

quote:

---

Originally posted by 1935tb-11

darlington is a tough track period... it was even worse when the wall stuck out coming out of turn 4 in the old configuration. bet you got an Adrenaline rush diving in and going straight into the wall in 1 and 2.



glad you got to have this good time, everyone should try it once !!

---

Terry, I think the only time my driver lifted was going into turn one (or it could have been three).  The other turn he may have let of the throttle slightly but not like turn one.  The people that bought the driving experience, Iam sure, thought they were going fast, but we passed them like they were standing still.  If you really want to know what it is like the riding along gives you a lot better idea of what it is like.

---

i did the one at charlotte... and the guy ask ,, you ready .. i said hell yeah !    he turned it loose and it was about 1 inch between me and the wall ... i looked over at him like dang bro !     and he was just grinnin from ear to ear....

---

My driver was from Charlotte and said he mostly drove there.  He was just filling in for a couple of days at Darlington.  He was a little older guy (for a race driver), at least late 50's, but he sure knew what he was doing.  In the turns he was really "driving" the car as if he was constantly trying to catch the rear end from sliding out.  Right before my ride they changed the front right tire, as I am sure they go through a lot of tires just doing the ride-arounds.

---

they make plenty of money for tires... probably get the busch series (or whatever its called now) low lap tires for a song,, just a few laps not enough to hurt,, to keep cost down.

Wet Spaniel - Posted - 03/31/2026:  08:35:34

I bet that was a fun an interesting experience John. I know we all like to think we’re best drivers. In the world, but sitting in the passenger seat with someone who really does know their onions is a truly enlightening experience.

BanjoLink - Posted - 03/31/2026:  09:11:17

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wet Spaniel

I bet that was a fun an interesting experience John. I know we all like to think we’re best drivers. In the world, but sitting in the passenger seat with someone who really does know their onions is a truly enlightening experience.

---

It was.  Over the years I have been to five or six race car driving schools.  When they send out questionnaires before you go to the school they ask you "if you have had any race car driving" experience.  They much prefer the answer in "NO", because they do not care for students who "think" they know how to drive.  They want to teach you, and after going to a few of them you know the answer why.  Many of your instincts are wrong.  

The Skip Barber Race Schools that I went to were all using Formula Ford open wheel racers.  All of them taught a technique called straight line braking where you go max speed on the straight away, hit the brakes really hard (threshhold braking), just short of locking the wheels up, roll into the turn and then accelerate around the turn.  Their spiel was it is not how fast you go into a turn that counts, but how fast you come out.  The alternative is what is called "trail braking" where you hit the brakes hard on the straightaway and as you are going into the turn you ease off of the brakes and then accelerate.  Both are good, but just guessing that straight line braking is easier to teach.

One thing that is true is all racing, is that you always accelerate in the turns, letting off the throttle ot hitting the brakes transfers the weight to the front of the car, making the rear much lighter ...... thus much less traction and causing the rear end to come around.  This is something we practiced on the skid pad at one of the schools that I attended.  All fun, but can get a little scary when the rear of the car you are driving passes you.

Wet Spaniel - Posted - 03/31/2026:  09:52:04

I had a day in a formula ford once - absolutely brilliant fun. With the rescue team I help out with, I do a lot of off road driving in 4x4s and ATVs to a pretty challenging standard and it’s always interesting to see what vehicles are both capable of, and how they react in different environments. I also have my ‘blue light’ ticket, and I have to say I look forward to the regular refresher training - it’s a bit different to your driving techniques, but understanding how to get a fully loaded long wheelbase Land Rover to ‘make progress’ on public roads is, shall we say, interesting - it’s not so much about the speed as maintaining the momentum. We always train I. The vehicles we drive, but I’d love to get let loose in a proper police pursuit vehicle. I love having the opportunity to drive in some unique situations, and especially with the ATV stuff, I’m pretty good, but there’s always someone who know more and has more experience, and I will always jump at the chance to learn from them.

Edited by - Wet Spaniel on 03/31/2026 09:52:49

steve davis - Posted - 03/31/2026:  10:21:02

Played a gig at one of Maine's old tracks (Arundel) around 1/3 mile.
It was shut down for a few years,but has found renewed interest and investment.
They let me take a couple of laps in my Hyundai and took the band around for 5 laps in their cars fender to fender.

My driver asked me if he could push for the lead and I gave him thumbs up.We were in a '67 Dodge fastback.Huge rubber on these.