Driving a NASCAR... in Corby

James gets to live out his Talladega Nights fantasies thanks to a new programme at Rockingham

Old fashioned, low tech, driving around and around in circles; NASCAR is boring, right?

Perhaps like many people that is the impression that I've always had of the racing organised by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, known around the world as NASCAR. I'm not even sure how aware I'd be of the sport if it weren't for Hollywood's best efforts to recreate the thrills and spills in the 1990 big budget movie 'Days of Thunder', starring none other than Mr Tom Cruise.

But strangely my interest peaked suddenly last week when I got a call from Editor Trent on Friday afternoon. The phone call went something like this:

Yes, they're real actual NASCARs!

Me: Hi Dan, what's up?
Dan: Hi. Not much, busy as always. Listen, I've had a diary SNAFU, can you cover for me on Sunday?
Me: Hmm... maybe. Might be tricky. What's the deal?
Dan: I need you to go to Rockingham to drive a NASCAR.
Me: I'm definitely free.

And so it was that I found myself at Rockingham on a sunny Sunday morning to drive a real, actual NASCAR courtesy of the American Race Car Experience (ARCX), which has recently made its way across the pond and set up shop at Rockingham Motor Speedway.

After a surprisingly succinct introduction and safety briefing, it was straight down to business. I suited up, got my helmet on, secured the HANS device... and then removed it again so that I could get into the car because the doors are, well, there aren't any doors - you climb in through the window.

Once installed in a car, I had a brief passenger ride to show me the circuit layout, plus get a feel for the cars and the speed we'd be experiencing. ARCX have made life easy for drivers by painting some guidelines around Rockingham's oval so you can make sure you stick to the approved racing line at all times. It's a bit like the guideline that you can turn on when playing Gran Turismo. This means all you need to worry about is throttle and steering inputs, as there is no need to brake or change gear once up to speed.

Remember the door isn't a door James...

All of which had me a bit deflated, as I started to suspect that my initial prejudices about NASCAR were correct. It all seemed a bit easy and a bit monotonous, although in fairness I'm probably best considered a 'tough crowd'; I've driven some very fast cars on some very fast circuits, and had rather a lot of fun doing it. Anyway, I put this to the back of my mind and just readied myself for a drive, which came around very fast thanks to the quick, efficient and typically extraordinarily polite hospitality of our American hosts.

ARCX have a whole range of cars on hand, several of which were actually entered in the Sprint Cup last year by the likes of Danica Patrick. They had Toyota Camrys, Ford Fusions and Chevrolet Impalas, all of which sound dull but look incredible in the metal. However, there was one car that I had my eye on all morning. They had the car from the aforementioned movie, complete with 'Cole Trickle' written on the roof and number 46 on the door.

And so it was that I ended up at the front of the queue, all ready to drive just as the green and yellow beauty pulled up in front of me. I swear I could hear the soundtrack to the movie and I heard someone mutter something about 'dropping the hammer'...

Shake and bake in Northamptonshire!

Anyway, I had eight laps of Rockingham and I wasn't going to waste any of them. With a neat headphone installed in my ear, my 'spotter' up in the stands guided me out of the pits, up to speed and then around the track, giving handy hints and tips when needed. Aside from the somewhat agricultural feel of the controls, the first thing you notice about a NASCAR is that they want to turn left. Everywhere. I had heard rumours of them being set up to turn left a bit, but I hadn't expected it to be such an effort to drive down the straight - sorry, straightaway.

Once you're over that you are hit by the sheer, brutal noise of the massive 5.8-litre V8. Sure, they're old fashioned in concept, but the performance that is achieved from a NASCAR race engine is genuinely cutting edge; hearing one rev hard and feeling it fire you towards a large banked corner is a genuinely thrilling experience, and something I'm going to remember for a very long time.

As the laps ticked by I began to get more of a feel for the car and started to circulate faster and faster. As mentioned, the clutch and brake pedal are not needed once you're underway, which is a very strange sensation. Unsurprisingly the way the car turns into the corners is startling as it hungrily dives left at the merest hint of steering input. After about four laps I started to lift later and more gently and I could feel the car squirming around underneath me. One thing I hadn't really considered is how much the corners on a banked oval circuit vary from one another. OK, so there are only four, but they keep you on your toes... especially Turn 4, which again in a parallel with the movie has been dubbed "treacherous Turn 4"

Is this before or after JD?

All too quickly the experience was over. With lower rev limits, used slicks and a member of the public behind the wheel, the cars are limited to about 175mph. Believe me though, this is plenty and an experience that I'd recommend thoroughly. I left wondering what on earth it must be like to race one of these cars at about 200 mph whilst surrounded by about 40 other cars.

I've just added visiting the Daytona 500 to my bucket list - who's with me?

Info:
Driving experience packages range from £499 for the 'Pole Position' package consisting of eight hot laps, to £3,699 for the 'Advanced Track Day', which includes passing and side-by-side racing in an 80-lap programme.

For those who would prefer to take to the track as a passenger, a ride-along option is also available for £99. More information at ARCX.

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Jimmy Recard

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