The late USAF Col. Joe Kittinger on a 170-mph ride in a NASCAR Racing Experience stock car with Forbes writer Jim Clash behind the wheel, Daytona International Speedway.
Mike Killian
Yesterday, after giving my umpteenth ride-along at Daytona International Speedway, the excited passenger next to me remarked just how lucky I was getting to do my job, and wanted to know how I had secured it. The two of us had just circled one of most famous tracks in the world three times, each 2.5-mile-long lap lasting less than a minute.
I didn’t think much about her question at first. I’d been giving these rides for NASCAR Racing Experience (NRE) for five years, clocking more than 30,000 miles, and, to me, it was normal, almost run-of-the-mill. I know most every seam and bump on Daytona’s asphalt now, and can run it at 170 mph comfortably on the low, center and high lines in strong winds and in different cars, although the #7 is normally my “office.”
How did I get the job? I started out two decades ago as a student, in Indy cars. I had written a Forbes story about Bob Lutz, owner and founder of the school, known then as Cart Driving 101.
After the story was published, Lutz encouraged me to pursue my dream of averaging 200 mph on an oval track. I had watched Tom Sneva do it at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1977, a feat at the time considered impossible, akin to Sir Roger Bannister breaking the four-minute mile in 1954. Sneva’s milestone captivated me.
Along the way to reaching my dream, I put in the time, driving on tracks Cart Driving 101 included on its race menu – California Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and more.
Each experience helped hone my driving skills. I also graduated from programs at Skip Barber Racing School, Frank Hawley Drag Racing School and Bertil Roos, in open-wheel cars on ovals, drag-strips and road courses.
Forbes writer Jim Clash before his 208-mph lap in a Sam Schmidt Indy car, Texas Motor Speedway.
Steve McNeely
When the time was right, Lutz helped secure track time at Texas via its late manager, Eddie Gossage. I raised $25,000 for the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation and Racing For Kids charities. Schmidt loaned me use of one of his Indy cars, pro driver Robbie Buhl donated his coaching talents, Treadway Racing stepped in as pit crew and Firestone secured the tires.
On my tenth lap, I averaged 208 mph on the 1.5-mile-long oval, getting around in 26.020 seconds. Dream accomplished. Wow!
What would be next? I tried my hand at stock cars, first at Charlotte, then Daytona. At some point, I asked Chris Daniel, chief operating officer at NRE (what Cart Driving 101 eventually morphed into) if I could take a rider around to experience not just what it was like to have my own well-being at stake, but someone else’s. He checked with Lutz, and, to my surprise, Lutz agreed. I had a friend volunteer as guinea pig, and at California I took her around in both Indy and stock cars. Mission accomplished.
Fast forward to now. After the successful California ride-alongs, NRE let me become a bonafide ride-driver, even though I’ve never raced professionally. I didn’t go the traditional route, but, with two decades of training, found a different path.
In addition to Daytona, I give rides at Talladega Superspeedway, Charlotte and Atlanta. Customers have included two-time Daytona 500 champ Michael Waltrip, Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle, former USAF Thunderbirds pilot Michael “Thorny” Brewer and astronaut Sian Proctor. The staffs at the tracks, especially Daytona, have been patient and supportive, and for that I’m grateful.
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – AUGUST 26, 2023: NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Getty Images
After 30,000 miles, folks might think Daytona gets old for me. Just the opposite. Yes, the oval is not as challenging as it once was, though don’t let your guard down as the track will bite you. But the looks and smiles on the customers’ faces are what do it for me. It’s probably what fighter jet pilots see on my face when, for a story, they take me supersonic in their F-16s. Ho-hum to them, da bomb for me.
How long will I keep ride-driving? As long as I’m able to juggle it with my job as an adventure journalist – and as long as Lutz and Daniel let me. That ride-along passenger’s query yesterday made me think, really drove the point home for me (pun intended). Let’s go racing boys!