Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Now race fans can get behind wheel

Unlike fans of other sports, many auto racing buffs have trouble identifying with the participants. That's because unless you've driven a race car at race car speeds, it's hard to imagine what it's like.

But Richard Petty is about to show you. Then he's going to let you experience it for yourself.

The NASCAR living legend used Tuesday's Las Vegas stopover of son Kyle Petty's Charity Ride Across America to disclose plans for the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

The new Las Vegas Motor Speedway will serve as West Coast headquarters for the popular stock car school, currently operating at the Charlotte and Atlanta Motor Speedways.

"We've been working on this for two or three years," Petty said at Tuesday's Charity Ride breakfast at the new Speedway site. NASCAR stars such as Geoff Bodine and Morgan Shepherd loaded up on bacon and eggs before hopping on their Harley Davidsons for Phoenix, leg 2 on their annual six-day, 3,012-mile trek from Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., to Charlotte, N.C.

"We've been hitting up Richie (Clyne, the LVMS president) every day I guess," Petty added. "He said 'wait until I get something.' Now that things are coming along, the timing is right."

There are six levels of the Petty program, none of which requires previous racing experience. Petty emphasized the Driving Experience is not designed for the Winston Cup wannabe, but for the fan who wants to experience the thrill and sensation of driving a Winston Cup car.

"Instead of Fantasy Island, this is Fantasy Race Track," he said, posing for photographs alongside a Pontiac with a special livery, incorporating Petty's famous No. 43 and light blue colors with a Las Vegas theme.

Price of the program ranges from $89.99 (three laps as a passenger with a professional instructor) to $2,399 (a 40-lap driving program offering personal instruction and "crash clause"). The minimum driving experience -- for eight laps at speeds of up to 145 mph -- costs $329.99.

Petty said about the only aspect of Winston Cup racing that isn't covered is "trading paint." If fans want to experience what that's like, they'll have to use their own cars on their own track.

"The way this thing works is you don't turn anybody loose," said the revered King of NASCAR, who won a record 200 races during his illustrious career. "You get two cars out there behind the pace car. That way you control the speeds and keep the people from getting too crazy and wrecking the cars.

"But they can run 'em. When you catch up to the pace car, the pace car speeds up. No matter how brave they are, we'll be ready for 'em."

The first Richard Petty Driving Experience in Las Vegas is set for Sept. 16 -- one day after the Indy Racing League 200-mile inaugural at the 107,000-seat, 1.5-mile tri-oval situated on Las Vegas Boulevard between I-15 and Nellis Air Force Base.

"It's unbelievable to have an organization headed by Richard Petty at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway," Clyne said.

"But it's the right place for it. Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a world-class facility and Richard Petty Driving Experience is a world-class driving school."

Those interested in signing up for the school should call 1-800-BE-PETTY.

* PETTY CASH: Last year's Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America raised more than $200,000 for the Winston Cup Racing Auxiliary and other charities. This year, the event also is partnering the national Make-A-Wish Foundation, with the goal of raising $750,000. ... Kyle Petty spent much of the breakfast taking photographs of his co-riders. "When several of us decided to ride our Harley-Davidson motorcycles cross country from Charlotte to Phoenix in 1993, we had no way of knowing our little harebrained idea would eventually turn out to be something the eyes of the racing world -- let alone the nation -- would be watching," Petty said. ... Speedweek's Bill Webber is along for the ride, chronicling the adventure for ESPN. ... Las Vegas was the first of six overnight stops on the tour which will take riders through Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Nashville, Atlanta and Charlotte. The smallest stopover locale is Santa Rosa, N.M. ... It costs only $50 -- or whatever a rider can spare, according to Petty, to ride on any of the six legs.

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