[SIZE=“4”]Even if it was 30-years too late, it was still a riot.
These are clips (all the way on the bottom), of myself and my son JC doing the Richard Petty Driving Experience back at the first of the year at Daytona.
This all began as a Christmas gift from my sweetie to me in December 08? to do the 8-lap drive along deal, then when we got there and had the opportunity to get a ride-along for my son after my laps were done we did that too.
A little background on both rides;
First, for mine; since I?ve never been on anything bigger than a ?-mile, and it has been 26 years or so since I?ve mashed the loud pedal on a stock car it was very exhilarating indeed! I also was a little lighter (by a hundred pounds!) back then as evidenced here by my trying to get my industrial sized a$$ in and out of that little window!
The only downside was that we just didn?t go fast enough.
I know some of you have done the Petty thing maybe here at Daytona or elsewhere so you?ll understand when I say you can only go as fast as your instructor in front of you. In fact, there are two lights in the lower corners of the rear window in your instructor?s car in front of you, a green light in the left corner and a yellow light in the right corner.
You are taught in the class before you go out on the track to stay 5-car lengths behind the instructor. If you lag too far back he turns on the green light which means catch up, if you crowd him or get too close he hits the yellow light which means back-off!
In fact they cautioned any hot-dogs that may be used to intimidating people out on the interstate by riding 6-inches off their back bumper until they move over that three strikes and you?re out! I.e.; the third time you get the yellow light, game over. You?re pulled over and sent home with no refund.
So needless to say, you?re better off doing this as a complete novice as opposed to having former racing experience because backing off 5-car lengths goes completely against the grain! As you can see, I got the yellow light enough times to get my deal stopped but he didn?t for whatever reason so I was glad of that.
Also, another difference between the drive along and the ride along (besides the price) is about 10-miles an hour. On the drive along we?re held to 145 ? 150 MPH whereas my son?s ride along averaged 160-MPH.
Now for JC?s ride along; this was very special as my son is a handicapped male adult.
As some of you already know, my son was severely injured by a hit-&-run driver while riding his bike in front of our house in 1977 when he was eight years old. He received a closed-head injury with severe brain stem damage (the same thing that killed Dale Sr.) that left him in a coma for several months at Tampa General Hospital before he finally regained consciousness.
As a result, he is 35-% paralyzed, blind in one eye and mentally impaired. He?s always loved racing and I was always going to take him for a few hot laps in the FOUR Late Model when I was racing as I did once with my dad but I never got around to it.
So that?s what makes this special. He finally gets his ride in a race car but this time on a grown-up track. Need not I tell you that the kid was all smiles from ear to ear when he got out of that thing!
Here are a few still shots before blast-off.
JC & me before my laps.
Preparing the Jack Daniels car for the XXXL driver.
JC getting suited up for his ride along.
JC getting ready to climb in the 21 car.
JC strapped in ready to go!
Now for the clips:
JC at Daytona
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I am so happy you both got to do that. My son did it last year and said it is something he will never forget.
