Stock Car Driving School - Get On The Fast Track

Instructor Jay Hawley goes... 

   

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Instructor Jay Hawley goes over some last-minute instructions.

Students introduce themselves, and in this, there is another positive. They get to know each other. There's a small sense of camaraderie, even between strangers. This is going to be a great adventure, and everybody seems to share in the moment.

From Hawley's initial safety instructions and introductions, students then board passenger vans, in which Hawley shows students the proper, and quite precise, line to take around the track, in this case, Lowe's Motor Speedway. Then, students get to drive the van.

Before students ever sit in an actual racecar, they know the racetrack.

How much does Fast Track concentrate on safety and getting a proper line down pat on the track? It takes more than three hours to actually strap into a racecar, and then it's with an instructor riding shotgun. You have time to look around the car, and get a sense of what you're about to do.

Even for us plus-sized guys, Fast Track has cars and seats that are sized comfortably. Here's a hint, though: If you're relatively tall, don't wear the school-provided helmet and HANS while you're getting into the car. There's plenty of time to get ready when you're in place inside the cockpit.

For those who have never raced, there is security in having someone with you in those first few rather timid laps around the track. Obviously, you can't hear over the roar of the engine...and the thudding in your chest that happens to be your heart...but hand signals and an occasional light touch on the steering wheel from Right-Seat Charlie do the trick.

And then...then you're on your own.

Fast Track drivers do not have pace cars to follow. You're truly solo. That's not to say, however, that you're not being watched. You are. A Fast Track crewmember watches from the flagstand and several are on pit road. You can't pass until given the flag to do so, again, due to safety concerns.

Enter a turn too high or low, and you're going to hear about it. Still, that's one more item in the plus column. Because class sizes are typically fairly small, with maybe 15-20 students, there is time for one-on-one instruction after each set of 10 laps or so. The instructors correct, encourage and then send you back on your way.

Fast Track gets so much right, it's hard to consider where the school might have room for improvement.

Because this is a school that can include racing novices, it's quite understandable that passing is only allowed on the backstretch. And that's only after being given a go-ahead from the flagstand to do so. You absolutely, positively don't want a bunch of idiots who've never sat behind the wheel of a racecar going for all the marbles all over the place.

Do that, and you'll lose your marbles. If not more.

Still, catch a car at the wrong time, and you may get stuck behind Grandma for a lap or so. At $1,250 for 30 laps, you certainly want to make every single one count. It can be frustrating, but not overly so. You don't trade safety for economy, ever.

The car I drove did not feature the aerodynamic roof rails that are standard in NASCAR and ARCA. Even without them, it drove beautifully and stuck in the corners.

Finally, most racing schools offer DVDs featuring footage of each student's time on the track, shot from inside the car. It is an absolute must-have, especially for fans. Fast Track's DVD, however, is pretty pricey at $105 (Fast Track T-shirts are $30).

I wanted the DVD, so I ponied up the money and gave an instructor my address to ship the disc when ready. I couldn't wait to see it, to time my laps and figure out exactly how fast I'd gone. I waited. And waited. Then waited some more. It never came. Turns out, the camera in my car had shut off after recording only the first couple of minutes while I was still sitting on pit road.