After an overview of passing procedure, radio etiquette, and signal flags, the driving theory was short and sweet. One: Be smooth on and off the gas and turn smoothly. Don't make abrupt moves. Two: Look far ahead to find and stay in the racing line. Three: Build up speed gradually. Drive only at speeds with which you are comfortable. If you scare yourself, you're driving over your limits. With that, we were off to pit lane for the first of our three track sessions, with classroom Q&A between each.
A quick primer on the quick-release steering wheel, starter switches, and fire-extinguishing system, and we were strapped into racing harnesses. Following single file behind the van for a few low-speed introductory laps, we practiced passing and scrubbing our tires to heat them up. Three laps later, the van pulled off and we were on our own. More choreographed passing exercises, a little more speed each lap, and 12 minutes later, we were back on pit road. Top speed, maybe 80 mph.
Class time was used to clarify any confusion that developed on the track, and for tips on avoiding the most serious of past student transgressions. "If the back end comes around, don't steer into the skid like you've learned. When the front tires grab, you'll be right into the wall. Just stand on the brake," Bruce advised. There was also constructive criticism for a few of us. I had a tendency to drift high into turns one and two, and Bruce pointed out that bad habit on the radio and in class. I apparently wasn't watching far enough ahead to apex correctly and needed to trust in a little more turn-in.
Otherwise, my fiberglass-bodied Monte Carlo was stable and surprisingly easy to steer. Plenty of V-8 noise, in spite of a racing muffler, and the smell of honest-to-goodness-no-catalytic-converter exhaust. Speeds of 100-125 mph will definitely hold your attention, and midway through this session, the radio crackled with a reminder to loosen the inevitable death grip on the wheel. A quick survey of my other body parts revealed a lot of tension elsewhere, too. Learning to relax at this would be an acquired skill.
Instructor Eddie showed each of us the fastest line around the track, via one-on-one lead/follow laps. By this time, I was planting the throttle for the length of the straightaways. I still lifted to enter the turns, but was back on throttle at the apex and down the next straight. My video revealed 0:56-0:57 laps at the end of the last session, a lap average of over 120 mph. The top speed I managed on the straightaways was no doubt faster. Very satisfying. Very fun. Fast enough for this scribe.
I was surprised to be climbing back into my ride home just four and a half hours after I'd suited up, but my head was still buzzing from an hour plus of actual track time. Drivetech gave me the same triple-digit-speed view of the track and grandstand some of the world's greatest pro drivers have had. For further NASCAR driving studies, I'll look for a multiday course syllabus that includes in-depth racing technique instruction.