Mario Andretti Racing Experience?

[whadeduck]

Has anyone done this before? I'm planning on doing it at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the Fall. Looks like fun.

[stonebridge20]

I can give you the Mike Agnifilo racing experience at a fraction of the cost.
First day will be spent scrubbing rubber out of the inside of race wheels and washing the tow rig.

Lunch not provided so prepare accordingly.

[Earley Motorsports]

Has anyone done this before? I'm planning on doing it at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the Fall. Looks like fun.

I have in the Indycar copy. It was for a birthday many years ago. Did it at Kentucky Speedway on the 1.5 mile oval. It was fun but the laps gp by real quick. I did 18 laps but wished for more. My wife did the two seater and she did just over 160mph sitting in the back. My speed was just over 150mph by memory.

The sad part was there was an elderly gentleman there and he was so excited he tripped and whacked his head real hard and was unable to go after being all suited up.

[Lastminuteracin]

I did it in Vegas many years ago. Brought my own helmet so I was a marked man to start with. The cars may look like an "Indy" car but at that point they were tube frame chassis with a stock block Chevy in the back. It's lead and follow. You need to stay a set distance behind your leader. If you fall back they won't go any faster. Stay a little below him so he can see you in the mirror. Don't push but make him see you are under control. If you screw up you get black flagged. I got up to about 160 and could have easily done more. Last lap I climbed up his gearbox going into one. I could see his eyes get big. Then I fell back a ways on the back straight and stood on it just to see what was left. I was already coming in so what could they do? All in all it was fun but not much of a challenge. The cars are set up so well they are very easy to drive. My wife could have easily done it. I'm glad I did it but probably wouldnt do it again.

[Lotus7]

I’ve been crewing at a number of events in the past where the organizers have offered “passenger ride arounds” at lunch time. I always offer to sign any waiver they want in exchange for a 99% effort ride, but they always declined. The drivers (those who will talk off the record) say that they are typically instructed to drive at 75%. Yawn. I’ll pass.

[dalz]

Brought my own helmet so I was a marked man to start with.

I feel the same way at the RA karting track on a pro weekend.

These cars started out in a school called Driving 101, and they've been through many org. evolutions. The cars were also used as extras for that awful movie Driven. They were originally conceived as a short-track car, to provide rear-engine experience for USAC midget and sprint car racers. Most people say it's an enjoyable experience.

I should say a woman lost her life in a crash in one of these cars at Fontana. Witnesses said that she drove head-on into the inside backstretch wall without appearing to slow or even lift off the throttle. Mechanical failure was ruled out after investigation. She most likely somehow lost control, panicked and froze. No matter how much precaution is taken, there's no way to make a venture like this completely dummy-proof.

[Ian French]

Has anyone done this before? I'm planning on doing it at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the Fall. Looks like fun.

Well I have some bad news for you.. about 4 or 5 days ago, they announced on their Facebook page that they are no longer offering Indy style rides. On their website all of their Mario Andretti Racing Experience logos have been pulled off, and it's only advertising the NASCAR experience rides.

I guess they've called it an end. I wonder if they intend to sell the cars on?

[whadeduck]

It doesn't surprise me. It all comes down to what the insurance companies are willing to cover. If it gets to expensive or the insurance companies simply won't cover the events, the events "go away." I never did it. When I added everything up, it was too expensive anyway.

[t walgamuth]

I got one of those for bd a coupe years ago. It says never expires. Anybody know if there is a way to do it now?

[E1pix]

I can offer you the Eric Westfalia Experience for a sixer of Sam Adams.

Twelve if you require safety gear. ;-)

[alangbaker]

I’ve been crewing at a number of events in the past where the organizers have offered “passenger ride arounds” at lunch time. I always offer to sign any waiver they want in exchange for a 99% effort ride, but they always declined. The drivers (those who will talk off the record) say that they are typically instructed to drive at 75%. Yawn. I’ll pass.

As a member of our clubs Race Drivers Committee—the instructors—I've done passenger ride arounds, and the figure we're were always told was 85%.

I once took out the wife of a fellow driver at the course, and I may have broken through 85%... ...a little. But in my defense, I was still driving at a pace that easily let me play tour guide as we went around the circuit.

I got a scowl from the driver who was helping people in and out of the cars—who also happened to be a very good friend of both the wife I was driving and her husband...

...but her husband told me afterward that she loved it.

??????

[DaveW]

Back in the '80's or '90's I did a couple of noon track ride sessions at Mid Ohio driver schools in, IIRC, a Nissan 280Z school car which was really easy to drive at whatever level I wanted. I asked the passengers what type of ride they'd want - mild (~90%), fast but smooth (~95%), or wild-tail-out (95% with intentional oversteer). Most wanted the 3rd choice. Obviously, to me, that was the most fun.

[E1pix]

I love that you considered 90% “mild.”

[t walgamuth]

I thought it was for a ride with Mario driving. .....disappointing as the advertising makes you think so.

[DaveW]

I love that you considered 90% “mild.”

The following are my opinion only, and are my estimates of % of my ability, not % of maximum possible speed:

90% leaves plenty of margin so the car never gets upset. 95% leaves enough margin that if one encounters gravel, dirt, etc. on the track you can almost always save it. Oil on the track is so unpredictable that one needs some warning to assure getting through it no matter what % of your ability you are driving.

Driving on the street is in most cases so unpredictable that I rarely exceed 50% even when I'm in a sporting mood and there's little to no traffic around.

OTOH, driving the race rig through downtown Chicago or Philadelphia at almost any time is around 70% no matter how cautiously I'm driving.

As a side note, when I had my FV, driving it at 90% felt uncomfortable and unpredictable. I had to drive it VERY close to the limit to make it feel good.

[DaveW]

I love that you considered 90% “mild.”

Of course, % of driving ability is a perception-based rating - it's not at all absolute. What I consider 90% may be some else's 95 or 75.

It's sort of like evaluating art, scenery, photography, a woman's beauty - it's in the eye of the viewer, only in this case you're evaluating your own driving.