HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- You may never get the chance to run into the end zone at Lambeau Field or take batting practice at Yankee Stadium.
In fact, most fans will never step on the same competitive surface as their sports idols, unless their sports idol is a NASCAR driver.
A half dozen times each year, the NASCAR Experience comes to Richmond Raceway and gives fans the chance to drive on the same track where legends like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt not only drove but won. Through the experience, fans can get an appreciation for just how difficult what they watch every weekend really is in reality.
"They say everything looks easier on TV, but you put a regular Joe like yourself or myself for even eight minutes on the track and it's more than enough time," Zachary Kenney, NASCAR Racing Experience Quality Control Manager, said. "Just the stamina and endurance it takes from the drivers, not just to be in the car for an extended period of time but to also withstand the conditions and the speed out there all at once is quite difficult."
Before the Cup Series came to do it for real, Richmond Raceway allowed me and some other extreme novices the opportunity to get behind the wheel and take a few laps.
That included getting an in-depth tutorial on how to run on this particular track wearing a fire suit and helmet and getting into these cars, which feels something like full contact twister.
The car seats are as snug as an infant carrier and the seat belts and HANS devices are the same worn by professional drivers every week.
The cars have no AC, no automatic transmission, and the only radio you'll hear is your spotter giving you pointers on how best to run around the track.
"You could say this about any sport but there's nothing that really translates to the conditions you experience out on the track," Kenny said. "We've had football and basketball players out here. We've had UFC fighters out here. They all say the same thing. It takes quite a bit of stamina and quite a bit of endurance but is completely different than a lot of other sports."
This particular session drew out former NFL tight end Vernon Davis. Davis has driven a pace car and done two driving schools. He also notices the parallels between his former job and his new interest.
"This sport feels like football. You walk out, there's a ton of noise. The crowd is into it. It feels like game day. It's an amazing feeling and that feeling is something that you never really want to go away," Davis said.
Davis admitted the fastest he had ever driven a passenger car was just over 100 miles per hour. During this school, the instructors regulate how fast each student can travel based on the car's RPMs. But those who got the hang of it the quickest got up into the triple digits.
The basic appeal of NASCAR is that nearly everyone drives, albeit some faster than others. This type of driving will make anyone a fan instantly and made several this day as well.
"They're into it. They enjoy it, and they just want to be a part of the experience with you. They want to ride along," Davis said.
"I grew up a huge sports fan. I can't say I was a NASCAR fan, I watched NASCAR, I had a favorite driver. But being out here every single weekend, working at all the different race tracks and being around the environment, it causes you to become a fan quite quickly," Kenney said.
For more information on the NASCAR Driving Experience, visit their website:
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