The Experience of a Lifetime

Today is my birthday.

At about 11:50 PM I will be 50 years old.

Yesterday I got an early present with Jimmie Johnson winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover.

But I'd already had the Best. Present. Ever.

My wonderful husband, Brad, decided that, in honor of this milestone, he would give me a special present---the Richard Petty Driving Experience at the Kentucky Speedway. I've wanted to do this forever and Friday he made it happen.

All dressed and waiting for the driver's meeting.




We had videos and some classroom instruction on the cars and what we would be doing. That's our crew chief 'Jr'. There were 8 in my class--I was the only chick.



As you can see it was a perfect day. The track is located in Sparta--about an hour and twenty minutes from Lexington. This is just one of the Petty haulers.



My class waiting for the first class to finish.



This is the ride along car---you get to ride shotgun with a professional driver--in this case another woman ---and feel what it is like to zip around the track at 165 MPH.

Getting in and out is a trick in that helmet and HANS device. The ride along was just AMAZING! I loved every second of it.

Waiting for a car to drive
Each driver has a 'trainer'. You follow them on the track keeping about 3 car lengths between you. They show you were the best line is on the track so that you can get your speed up.



Tony was my 'coach'--he's putting the HANS on. The HANS is a head and neck restraint system.
The folks at Petty take safety very seriously. This is an inherently dangerous activity but I never felt concerned.


Strapped in and ready to go!

The first part of my session was 8 laps and then pit for discussion and tips and encouragement. Tony was a hoot and very upbeat. It took me a while to get comfortable with the feel of the car and start pushing for speed. It's so different from driving a street car. This is the first break.

I then did 11 laps and came back in. There were faster cars than me so we had to stay low on the track a lot during that time and I couldn't get into a rhythm to get decent speed during that second session. The guys were super cool and sorted it so that I could have some laps by myself during my last 11 laps.

That was F.U.N!!!! I started getting faster each lap and topped 109 just as they waved the checkered flag ending the session.






I was laughing and grinning for a while--it was just a blast.

We took the backroads home, enjoying the perfect weather and reveling in each other's company.

There is no doubt I'll remember this day forever.

But the experience of a lifetime for me is repeated every morning when I wake up and reach to touch him and we say 'I love you' and every night when we kiss goodnight and in a thousand little moments in between.

I love you, baby. You are the greatest gift I will ever receive and I treasure you and our life together.

I can never thank you enough.