Day 3: The Need for Speed

Yesterday was all about Steve's Richard Petty Driving Experience. For Christmas, all of the family went in on this gift to him: 18 laps of driving a NASCAR car.

After spending the morning at the pool with the kids, we headed over to Walt Disney World Speedway. Steve got suited up and we all listened to a short orientation to the program.

After a short additional bit of instruction in the pits, Steve was pretty much ready to go.

Steve first took a couple laps around in the M&M car to see what the ride was like and to watch someone else drive to get a feel for how it worked. Top speed during the ride along laps: around 140 mph.

Then it was Steve's turn to drive. He was put in the 79 car and then was to follow the instructor's ESPN car at a 3 to 5 car distance around the track. The instructor would advance him increasingly faster and faster each lap. In his first 8 laps, Steve got up to 122 mph.


Then, with some constructive feedback, Steve got back in the car and took his final 10 laps. This time, he topped out at 127 mph and was four hundredths of a second shy of the top speed that they will get you up to in these sessions. Good work!



Thanks again, everyone! It was a real rush to WATCH Steve get to do this...I can only imagine how much fun it was to actually do it!

Labels: disney

posted by Terri Milstead @ 6:15 AM Comments: 0