5 Questions Before ... Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 presented by Target

From “The Beast of the Southeast” to “The Tricky Triangle”, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads from one tough racetrack to another. Pocono Raceway is a very difficult racetrack to maneuver, mostly because of its distinct shape and unusual characteristics. Instead of on an oval where there are four identical corners, Pocono has three unique turns. Turn 1 has 14 degrees of banking, Turn 2 has 8 degrees, and Turn 3 has 6 degrees. All three have different characteristics of different types of racetracks, though overall the track seems to resemble that of a flat racetrack like Indianapolis or Loudon.




Here are some questions heading into the weekend…



Will Jimmie Johnson make a rebound this weekend? … I refuse to be fooled into believing that Johnson is now down and out. Every single year the No. 48 team has a dry spell where everyone says they are basically out of it. They won’t win another championship. This is finally the end of their reign. I’m not buying it, and no one else seems to be either. Everyone is waiting for Johnson, Chad Knaus, and the entire 48 team to rebound sometime. When they do, everyone will roll their eyes, throw their hands up in the air, and say, “I knew it!” It’s a matter of when, not if. This weekend at Pocono wouldn’t be a bad start. In 16 starts at this track, Johnson has 2 wins, 5 top 5s, 10 top 10s, and 2 poles. His average finish is 10th. Johnson finished 7th at this race last season, and 13th in the fall race. Call me crazy, but it sounds like this would be a perfect track for Johnson to brush off all of the “slump” talk and show everyone that was all it was: a slump. A string of bad luck. Whatever you want to call it, though, it won’t last forever. They will be back. If not this week, then sometime soon. You can’t keep a good team down!



Can Kurt Busch keep the winning streak alive? … Busch has a fantastic record so far this season, and most recently has been putting up some stellar results. Busch has won the last two races, including the All-Star race, and hasn’t finished outside of the top 20 since Phoenix in April. Can Busch make it three in a row this weekend at Pocono Raceway? Past results say it is very possible. Busch has won twice at this racetrack and has completed 95% of the laps run here. If anyone has momentum right now, it’s the No.2 team and they’re going into Pocono with their eyes on the prize. Keep an eye on the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge in Sunday’s Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500.



Is Denny Hamlin the favorite heading into the race? … He certainly seems to be! Hamlin, like Busch, has been running very well as of late, putting up some strong numbers at the halfway point in the “Race to the Chase.” Hamlin isn’t too shabby at Pocono either. Hamlin will be returning to the site of his first career victory, and to the track where he is the most recent winner. Hamlin has won three times in only eight starts at this racetrack, and only twice has he ever finished outside of the top 6. He has completed all but two laps and has always qualified 16th or better. It’s a very good track for a very successful driver on a very strong team. They’re the obvious choice for any serious fantasy player and will almost certainly be very competitive the entire weekend.



How boring will the race be? … I’ve already named three drivers that are potential shoe-ins for the victory, but that doesn’t mean all three of them will be fighting for the lead once the laps are winding down. Pocono Raceway isn’t particularly known for its exciting racing. In fact, if you ask race fans which is the most boring track on the circuit, most of them will respond by saying Pocono with no hesitation. Any driver that has ever won a race at this track has more than likely dominated with little or no threat from the other drivers. Double-file restarts made their debut here a year ago and seemed to spice up the racing a little bit. Maybe they can save the day again this year if one driver tries to stink up the show.



Who will Kyle Busch aggravate this weekend? … There’s no point into going in Busch’s career statistics at Pocono. Lately the story hasn’t been about his finishes or his performance. They’ve been about his feud with another driver. For two weeks in a row, all we’ve heard about is Busch having some sort of issue with a fellow competitor. First it was his teammate Denny Hamlin; then it was one of the most laid back drivers in racing with Jeff Burton. Maybe it’s time for Busch to lay low for a while instead of frustrating the people he has to race with. However, that’s highly unlikely. Busch is going to race hard against his competition without even a thought towards what they’re going to think of him afterwards. To him, nothing matters but winning and if he’s in Victory Lane it really doesn’t matter how the other drivers fell. It may not be a popular attitude, but it’s Busch’s style. Just don’t expect any of the other drivers to spontaneously move out of his way if they see him coming.





Bonus questions: If Pocono is the “Tricky Triangle” than why isn’t Indianapolis the “Reckless Rectangle”? … Does Pocono Raceway hand out complimentary sleeping bags at the front gates? … What will it be like to not hear “Boogity, Boogity, Boogity” for the first time this season?

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Climbing in and Strapping Up: Behind the Wheel at Pocono

A racecar from the StockCar Racing Experience gets ready to go out on the track.

On Tuesday I shared with you my experience of doing a ride-along at Pocono Raceway last week with StockCar Racing Experience, the driving school based at the 2.5-mile speedway in Long Pond, Pa. The ride-along is recommended for those in SRE's driving program so they can experience how the racecar handles on the track and observe some of the maneuvers they will later perform themselves.

I couldn't drive one of the Sprint Cup-style stock cars myself because I do not drive stick shift. However, I tagged along with a class of students as they prepared to get behind the wheel. I want to thank StockCar Racing Experience for giving me this opportunity and to the students who let me live vicariously through them.

Nuts and bolts
StockCar Racing Experience offers a variety of driving programs, starting with the basic package of eight laps (20 miles, one session) and up to 32 laps (80 miles, four sessions). Participants must be at least 18 years of age, have a valid driver's license and experience in driving a manual transmission.

The majority of the school's customers, around 70 percent, receive the experience as a gift, said SRE President Jesse Roverana. The school also brings in many clients through its corporate race program. Companies may offer the drive or ride programs as incentives to employees to meet company or sales goals, Roverana said.

Students in the driving program wait to take their turn.

SRE also offers advanced driving programs that allow for more one-on-one time with an instructor at Pocono. At this level, you're more likely to see professional racecar drivers coming in, especially those who have little to no experience running at the unique tri-oval track.

"Some drivers have never been here (at Pocono) before," Roverana said, noting that the speedway would be hosting its first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in August.

Roverana said that just a few weeks earlier, Truck Series driver Austin Dillon had been at Pocono and ran laps with the program.

"He did well. He was getting a feel for markers, visual reference points, bumps on the track," Roverana said. NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer also utilized SRE's program during his rookie year in Sprint Cup in 2006.

StockCar Racing Experience will have an informational booth at Pocono during the NASCAR race weekend, June 4-6. For pricing and more information, you can also visit www.877stockcar.com.

Participants in the driving program wait for class to start.

Class in session
Chris Marcho, the instructor who took me on a ride-along around Pocono, guided me to a classroom where a group of students would begin the driving program. I counted 17 drivers in the session.

The majority of students would be participating in the eight-lap program, including Marianne Imburgia of West Chester. She received the SRE driving experience as a gift from her husband.

"I'm a huge NASCAR fan," Imburgia told me. "I love driving fast and I love loud cars."

She's never been to a race at Pocono, but attends the September NASCAR races at Dover.

B.J. Hageman, 51, of New Jersey is a motorsports fan who likes to watch Rally Car and motorcycle racing, especially the Isle of Man TT race. Hageman himself has been riding motorcycles since he was 16. But this would be his first time driving a stock car.

Hageman said he had recently gotten a bonus from work. With the money he had left over, he said, "I decided I was going to have some fun."

There was also a local celebrity among the class. Eric Peterson is a DJ for country music radio station Froggy 101. Peterson co-hosts the morning show "Wake-Up Call with Eric and Selena." A co-worker would be filming his experience for the radio station's website.

Instructor Bruce Sibel brought the session to order. The purpose of the class was to provide a detailed look at operating the racecars, safety procedures and track rules. After watching a half-hour video, we discussed its main points.

Sibel explained an instructor will lead two students on the track. The first lap will be run at 100 mph (5,000 rpm).

"The first lap is the hardest lap - the car is rattling and banging around," Sibel said. From then on, as the students become more comfortable in the car, the instructor will gradually increase speed.

Drivers should maintain a following distance of four car-lengths while staying one car-length away from the wall.

"Stay in your instructor's tracks, not those of the student in front of you," Sibel said.

Instructor Bruce Sibel talks about the importance
of making sure the steering wheel is securely in place.

Field trip
Next, Sibel took the class to the garage to demonstrate some basics, such as how to enter and exit the racecar. The steering wheel is removed before the driver gets in, then put back on once he or she is seated. (When I did the ride-along, the steering wheel was not a factor for me because I entered the car through the passenger side.) Sibel stressed the importance of pulling on the steering wheel after the driver is seated to make sure it is securely in place.

After the garage demonstration, we took a van tour around Pocono Raceway. Sibel explained there were markers positioned around the track to provide a frame of reference.

For instance, I realized there were traffic cones in different colors placed on top of the walls. Each color had a different meaning. Yellow cones indicated the driver should start slowing down going into the turn. When coming out of the corner, the orange cones were a sign to straighten the car out.

As we got into the corner, Sibel said Turn 3 was the most difficult because it was the longest and flattest of Pocono's three turns. It's easy to get lost in Turn 3 because your eyes can lose their sense of progression. The cones help aid the drivers in maintaining their focus through the turn.

Participants in the driving program, including Eric Peterson,
center, examine the racecar while listening to Sibel.

Almost there
After the van tour, we went to the area of pit road that I described in Part 1 of the blog as being sectioned off. The driving students would be fitted here for their firesuits and helmets. This is also where they would wait for their turn to drive the stock cars. Kurt, the driving instructor, explained the area was barricaded for safety reasons, as drivers would be entering and exiting racecars continuously.

While the drivers waited, Kurt said they could sign up for the ride-along. "You can see how the car sticks to the track at a speed much faster than you're going to run," he said. "It's also a hell of a lot of fun."

Marianne Imburgia

Marianne Imburgia was feeling a little anxious about getting behind the wheel.

"Driving a car with 600 horsepower? Yeah, I'm nervous," she said. She had never been on a ride-along and decided to take the opportunity to go for it.

I ran into Imburgia afterward. She looked ecstatic.

"It was awesome! It was unreal," she said, smiling. "I just tried to relax." She said going on the ride-along eased some of her worries about driving.

SRE General Manager Steve Fox, left, gives
advice to a participant in the driving program.

Center of attention
While the drivers waited to take turns, I saw several of them gathered around one of the instructors, eagerly listening to his every word. The instructor was Steve Fox, general manager of StockCar Racing Experience. The Hazleton resident has been with SRE since the school started in 1998. He will also be competing in Saturday's ARCA race, the Messina Wildlife Stopper 200.

"I'm telling them how to go fast!" Fox said when I asked him what kind of tips he was giving. "Look far ahead. Eye technique will make you smooth. If you're smooth, you're fast."

"Drive the corners with your eyes, and think faster than you're driving."

Fox would be the man to talk to about racing. With a career in motorsports spanning 30 years, Fox has raced stock cars, motorcycles and snowmobiles and has competed throughout the region. He won a race on the road course at Pocono in his SCCA Formula Ford car on the Fourth of July in 2008 - in the rain.

Fox will again be racing at Pocono on Saturday. He will drive the No. 28 Universe Racing Firehouse Dodge in the ARCA race. His sponsor is Universe Towing, based in Bronx, N.Y. Fox's ARCA debut came at the June 2008 Pocono race. Saturday will mark his third series start.

A SRE car gets ready to take to the track.

Behind the wheel
So after the preparation, demonstrations and expert advice, what was it like to drive a Sprint-Cup style stock car?

"Once I got in and started the drive it was absolutely awesome!" Imburgia said. "It was a totally exhilarating drive."

Imburgia said she reached a top speed of about 135-140 mph. For someone who likes to drive fast, I think props are in order!

Froggy 101 DJ Eric Peterson was just as enthusiastic.

"By the time you get to lap 6 of the eight laps, you feel comfortable. If you like to drive, you will like this," he said.

Like Imburgia, Peterson went on the ride-along before getting into the driver's seat.

"The ride-along was totally invaluable. It allows you to understand the extra capabilities of the car before you drive it," he said. "It gives you a good feel for what it's capable of at top speed."

When the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 gets under way at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, the 17 drivers I observed at the StockCar Racing Experience will be able to look at the Sprint Cup drivers and know firsthand what it's like behind the wheel.

________________
Related links:
StockCar Racing Experience: www.877stockcar.com
Pocono Raceway: www.poconoraceway.com
Universe Racing: www.universeracing.net
Froggy 101: www.froggy101.com

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Alli O...Pocono Update-New Color, New Sponsors

Special Paint Scheme for Owens at Pocono

CONCORD, N.C. (June 2, 2010) – Alli Owens’ NECA/IBEW Chevy will have a new look for the Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200 at Pocono Raceway. The No. 15 Venturini Motorsports-fielded Monte Carlo will have additional support from IBEW 3^rd District, the New Jersey Business Association and the New York Business Managers’ Association this week at the 2.5-mile speedway. The familiar ElectrifyingCareers.com logo will remain on the hood.

The IBEW and NECA organizations, which have supported Owens for the past three seasons, are excited to see Owens receive funding from the local organizations.

The IBEW 3^rd District, consisting of Local Union (L.U.) 3, L.U. 5, L.U. 102, L.U. 229, L.U. 229 Local Labor-Management Cooperation Committee (LLMCC) L.U. 163, L.U. 163 LLMCC, L.U. 743 and L.U. 743 LLMCC, along with the NJ Business Association and the NY Business Managers’ Association will be in attendance at the race on June 5 to cheer Owens on. The groups will receive a true “VIP” experience, including a meet-and-greet session with Owens prior to the race and a pit tour.

“I’m so excited that the IBEW 3^rd District, the New Jersey Business Association and New York Business Managers’ Association have come together in support of our race program,” Owens said. “Pocono was one of the races that we didn’t have funding for, but thankfully these organizations saw the value in our race program and rallied to sponsor our car. I’m so proud to have their colors on my car. I’ll do everything I can to capture them a checkered flag.

“IBEW and NECA are terrific organizations,” continued Owens. “They’ve been with us from the beginning and we couldn’t have done this without them. I’m really thankful for all they do. Fortunately, their sponsorship allows for participation at the local level and we have several opportunities to bring Local Unions new business and reward the workers. It’s been very successful so far and I hope we can keep it up.”

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Part 2 of "Climbing In and Strapping Up" will be posted Thursday

Dear Skirts and Scuffs readers,

Due to technological issues with my home computer, Part 2 of my blog, "Climbing In and Strapping Up at Pocono: Behind the Wheel," about the StockCar Racing Experience driving program at Pocono Raceway, will not be posted until Thursday.

I apologize to our readers for the inconvenience. I'm sorry to keep you waiting and appreciate your patience at this time.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Kivak

Lead editor
Skirts and Scuffs

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5 Questions After ... Coca-Cola 600

Drivers can now cross out the date of the longest, most grueling race of the season: the Coca-Cola 600. If drivers can make it through this race, they can make it through any race. Winning this race can define a driver’s career and Kurt Busch is no doubt more than happy to add his name to a star-studded list of past 600 winners. Yet Busch can’t seem to take the spotlight without younger brother, Kyle, quickly stealing his thunder. Kyle may have the headlines, however, but Kurt has the trophy. That’s all that really matters, right?




Here are some questions regarding the races this weekend…



Is Kyle Busch bound and determined to anger every driver? … Or just most of them? Jeff Burton is one of the most mild-mannered drivers in the NASCAR garage area. He’s even been nicknamed “The Mayor” for his outspokenness on issues in NASCAR. Yet, on Sunday night, Burton was seen wagging his finger in Busch’s face and raising his voice at the No. 18 driver. Burton was frustrated by a move Busch had made on a restart, making it three wide between Burton, Busch, and Kenseth. Busch made contact with Burton, cutting down the No. 31 car’s left rear tire. Burton went from a top 10 finish to finishing off the lead lap. The heated exchange on pit road post-race, though, raised many eyebrows because of Burton’s normally laid-back demeanor. The week previous, Busch was feuding with teammate Hamlin. Though nothing ever happened outside of the media center between the two this week, Busch definitely isn’t making any friends this season.





Has the golden horseshoe been laid to rest? … Yes, the horseshoe jokes are getting old very quickly. You have to admit, though, that watching Johnson struggle so badly has been quite the shocker. Oh sure, at some point the past four seasons Johnson has struggled, luring us into a sense of security and leading us to believe that this will finally be the year he loses the championship. Normally, though, his “struggles” haven’t been struggles as much as they’ve been a lack of victories. In previous seasons, Johnson would quietly hang around the top 5 or top 10, not necessarily challenging for victories. Yes, he was a player in the Chase, but all the “experts” seemed to dismiss him as an actual title contender. Then, out of nowhere, the No. 48 team would start clicking off victories and they were once again back in the title hunt. This year, though, has been different. At first, “struggles” seemed to be just as they had been before: a lack of victories. Lately, though, the No. 48 team has truly struggled. In the last five races, Johnson has only finished on the lead lap once, and two of those finishes were DNFs. Not good. While the finishes don’t necessarily show the performance (they’ve led 270 laps in the past five races), the finishes are really hurting the No. 48 team. They are in no danger of missing the Chase, and there’s no reason to think they won’t rebound. Still, though, the recent failures of the team have made them seem almost (gasp!) human. Is it too early to say we may have a fight on our hands after all?





How is Kevin McDowell doing? … That’s a name that most of you probably aren’t familiar with so let me explain who it is first. Kevin McDowell is the rear tire changer for Greg Biffle’s No. 16 car. In Sunday night’s race, Tony Stewart sideswiped McDowell and sent him to the infield care center. He was later transferred to a local hospital. No word has been made yet of McDowell’s condition, though he was said to be in good spirits on his way to the infield care center on Sunday night. Our thoughts and prayers are definitely with him and we hope to see him back in action on pit road again soon!





Did anyone expect Kurt Busch to be this good? … Yes, Busch was strong last year. At the end of last season, Busch had accumulated 2 wins, 10 top 5s, and 21 top 10s. He ended up 4th in points. It was a pretty impressive season for the driver of the No. 2 Dodge for Penske Racing. This year, though, Busch is getting a much stronger start. Busch had two wins all of last season. He has already won two races this season in only 13 starts, and three races if you include the All-Star race. He has more top 5s and just as many top 10s at this point as he did last season. When people were making their preseason predictions for the championship, not many people said the name “Kurt Busch.” Maybe “Kyle Busch”, but if they said Kurt it was most likely a slip of the tongue. Busch has been this year’s “dark horse” runner for the championship. Right now, he’s out-running drivers like Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and even younger brother Kyle. If he continues this performance through to the Chase, we may see Busch challenging for a second NSCS title.





How much did Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi enjoy Sunday? … Sunday was without a doubt the greatest day of the year for motorsports. It always is. 1100 miles of racing between the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 is always a day that race fans look forward to every year. Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi are two of the most revered figures in auto racing and both of them would have multiple cars competing in both races. Ganassi had drivers Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon competing in the 500 and Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray in the 600. Penske had Will Power, Helio Castroneves, and Ryan Briscoe in the 500 and Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, and Sam Hornish Jr. in the 600. Ganassi’s driver Franchitti won the 500 and Ganassi became the first owner to win the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 in the same season (McMurray won the Daytona 500 in February). He came oh so close to becoming the first owner to win the 500 and the 600 on the same day when McMurray finished 2nd to Busch, but Penske beat his friendly rival Ganassi in a hard fought battle between the two drivers. Neither owner ever seemed to stop smiling as both enjoyed a great deal of success in the most anticipated day in motorsports.





Bonus questions: Did David Reutimann prove last year’s rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 victory wasn’t a fluke by finishing 5th on Sunday? … Was Clint Bowyer ok with a 7th-place finish for his 31st birthday? … Did anyone do a double-take when they saw Dale Earnhardt Jr. leading a few laps?

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NASCAR Teams Play Their Own Version of Family Feud

Rivalries are nothing new in NASCAR. In fact, they’ve pretty much been around since the sport began more than 60 years ago. But it seems like rivalries have moved to the forefront more this season than in the past few years, perhaps because of NASCAR’s new stance on letting drivers police themselves.

NASCAR’s move that was announced during the off-season, basically described as “boys have at it” was probably adopted to bring rivalries back to the sport to create excitement, which would, therefore, draw new and previously disenchanted fans either to or back to NASCAR. What probably wasn’t expected was the fact that these rivalries seem to be cropping up between teammates.

Sure, there was the Carl Edwards/Brad Keselowski debacle back at Atlanta, but other than that, most of the flare-ups, whether they grew into rivalries or not, have been between drivers racing out of the same shop: Jamie McMurray/Juan Pablo Montoya, Jimmie Johnson/Jeff Gordon, and most recently Kyle Busch/Denny Hamlin.

To read more, visit AutoRacingDaily.com

Photo of Denny Hamlin by Amanda Vincent

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Climbing In and Strapping Up: My Ride around Pocono Raceway (Part 1)

Me and StockCar Racing Experience instructor Chris Marcho
before our ride-along at Pocono Raceway last week.

Every summer, NASCAR comes to Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. For the past three years, I've been attending NASCAR events in June and August at what I call my home track. I've seen Sprint Cup races, practices and ARCA races. I've spent hours roaming the pits and the infield. I've sat in the stands with the sun beating down on me - with the sunburns to prove it - or the rain soaking me through.

But last week, I got to experience Pocono from an entirely new perspective - the inside of a racecar going 160 mph!

The StockCar Racing Experience at Pocono gives individuals an opportunity to drive or ride as a passenger in a Sprint Cup-style stock car at the 2.5-mile tri-oval speedway. With the Pocono race weekend just around the corner (June 4-6), I decided to find out what it's like on the other side: to be in the racecar instead of watching it from the stands.

I've never driven a manual transmission, so I couldn't drive the car myself. But I did the next best thing: I went for a ride-along with an SRE instructor around the track nicknamed the "Tricky Triangle." The first part of this blog is my account of that experience.

After my ride-along, I accompanied a class of students taking the driving course and went through the preparation process with them. This will make up the second part of the blog (to be posted Thursday).

So what was it like? Keep on reading as I take you with me on my ride-along at Pocono. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

SRE’s stock cars

What is SRE?
From April to October, StockCar Racing Experience conducts ride-along and driving programs at Pocono Raceway, one of the most unique tracks on the NASCAR circuit.

Instructors are on the track about 50 days out of the year, said SRE President Jesse Roverana. The school can see around 100 clients on a weekday, but the number jumps up during the weekends.

Since its inception in 1998, SRE has assembled its own racecars, which have clocked a total of 1.6 million miles around Pocono, according to the school's website. In 2008 the school began the transition to the Car of Tomorrow design, which Roverana said accounts for nine of its 18 stock cars. Future cars will be manufactured as COTs. Roverana said the new cars are fairly similar in handling to the previous style.

The chassis, drivetrain and tires used with SRE-assembled cars are the same as those in Sprint Cup, Roverana said. But there are some differences. The school's cars utilize fiberglass bodies instead of steel. There's also a difference in motors. SRE's stock cars produce 600 horsepower, compared to 850 horsepower in Sprint Cup motors, Roverana said.

Jesse Roverana, StockCar Racing Experience president

Safety is important at SRE. The school boasts no injuries or accidents in its 12-year history.

"We realize it's a dangerous sport," Roverana said. The school continues to update its procedures and curriculum to provide customers with the highest level of safety.

While some racing schools operate out of multiple racetracks, SRE is solely based at Pocono. Located within two hours of New York City, Philadelphia and New Jersey, the school has access to a customer base of nearly 50 million people in a 200-mile radius, Roverana said. Pocono's central location - and lack of nearby NASCAR-sanctioned tracks - gives SRE an exclusive hold on a highly populated metro region.

SRE's ride-along consists of a passenger-seat ride with an instructor in a two-seat racecar at around 160 mph. Clients have a choice of two options: a three-lap ride and a six-lap ride. I would be going on the three-lap ride-along.

The school recommends the ride-along to individuals in the driving program. The experience allows drivers to observe how the racecar handles on the track as well as how a professional operates the equipment. Thursday's blog will include more information about SRE's driving program, but those interested can also visit the school's website, www.877stockcar.com.

Time to strap in
I was standing on pit road at Pocono Raceway on a sunny weekday morning. It was supposed to be near 90 degrees, but all I could feel was a nice breeze as I watched the cars whiz by on the track. And maybe a few butterflies ...

Before I could go on the ride-along, though, I needed to sign liability forms. The women who assisted me at the SRE trailer were very friendly. I told them how I would be writing about my experience for Skirts and Scuffs.

"Be sure to tell Chris to take you full-throttle," one of them said, smiling. "Chris" was Chris Marcho, an instructor with StockCar Racing Experience whom I had met on Twitter. He's the face behind SRE's Twitter account, @877stockcar, and would be taking me on the ride-along. I smiled and made a mental note: ask for "full-throttle."

Me in my firesuit

After signing the forms, I was fitted for a firesuit and a helmet. The firesuit was red and blue, and was missing the sponsor names and logos I was accustomed to seeing on the suits of NASCAR drivers. The firesuit can be worn right over your clothes, but I found out it was easier to take off my sneakers, climb into the suit, zip up and then put my sneakers back on. I tried on the helmet to make sure it fit, but I didn't have to wear it until I was strapped in the racecar. Marcho was on the track conducting a ride-along, so I held the helmet under my arm as I waited for him to return to the pits.

As I waited, I observed my surroundings. There were linemen wearing headsets scattered along the pit wall. One let Marcho know I was waiting for him and was now helping others suit up for their ride-alongs. Another was waiting for the racecars as they pulled in, helping the passengers to climb out. In a fenced-off area, another was talking with individuals in the driver program as they waited to go out with an instructor and do laps. Just outside the fence was a tent where family members could sit and wait.

Just then, a car with a 24 on it and painted with flames - yup, just like Jeff Gordon's - pulled up. The lineman who had alerted Marcho earlier called me over. Another lineman walked with me to the car's passenger side. He held my helmet for me as he instructed me how to enter the racecar. The doors don't swing open like your typical car on the street - I'd have to climb in through the window.

"Put your left leg in first," he said, as I held onto the car above the window for support, "then your right." I slid into the seat and I was in. That was easier than I thought, relief sweeping through me. I can be rather clumsy, and I didn't know if my entry would be so smooth!

The lineman fastened me in using a five-point harness, which consisted of two shoulder belts, two belts at my waist and one through my legs. After I was strapped in, I was fitted with a HANS (head and neck support) device. These are the same safety procedures NASCAR drivers follow.

Then the lineman helped me put on my helmet and tied it taught.

"Are you nervous?" he asked.

I paused, remembering the butterflies I felt when I first got to the track. But they must have flown away, for now I felt calm, even relaxed. I felt safe.

"No," I said. "I was earlier, but not anymore."

Marcho’s car pulls up to pit road

I turned to the driver and met an extended hand. "Hi Rebecca, my name is Chris," he said.

I shook his hand. "Nice to meet you in person," I said with a smile.

I told Marcho how the women who had checked me in had told me to ask him to "full-throttle."

"We can do that," he said. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, let's go," I said eagerly.

And so we took off. (That's exactly how it felt).

As we picked up speed on the straightway and approached Turn 1, it reminded me of being on a plane when it takes off for flight - except we were going straight ahead, not up. I started feeling dizzy going into the corner, and that's when I realized I wasn't focusing on anything in particular. I decided to look far ahead in front of me. Once I found a focal point, I was no longer dizzy.

For three laps, Marcho and I rocketed around Pocono Raceway. True to his promise, he went full-throttle, pushing 160 mph. I took my eyes off the track to watch him work the pedals. I noticed when he started to slow down before entering a turn, he didn't use the brake; he simply lifted off the gas. Upon exit, he accelerated again.

My favorite part of the ride-along was the corners. Pocono has such long straightaways that it can be tricky to navigate the turns. But that's where you feel the g-force, the pressure that gravity exerts on an object when it is accelerating relative to freefall. It's what causes you to be tossed to the side, opposite the way you're going into the turn. For me, it was also the most exhilarating part of the experience. What a rush!

Too soon, the three laps were over and Marcho was pulling onto pit road.

"So what did you think?" he said.

Absolutely exhilarating. Can we go again?

What I actually said was, "It was awesome! Thanks for taking me."

A lineman came over to help me out of the car. Would it be as easy for me to exit as it had been to get in?

The lineman unfastened my seat belts, took my helmet and removed the HANS device. Afterward, he directed me to climb out through the window by sitting on the door. As I maneuvered myself out the window, I kept my body turned toward the car. I grabbed onto the roof - as I'd seen so many NASCAR drivers do after finishing a race - then swung out my left leg, then my right. I was out! Clumsiness averted, once again.

I returned my firesuit and met up with Marcho. He said I could still join a class of students taking the driving program and follow them through their preparation.

"Sounds good to me," I said, and we headed to class.

Check out Part 2 of my blog, "Climbing in and Strapping Up: Behind the Wheel at Pocono," on Wednesday. I follow the participants in SRE's driver program and talk with some of them about their expectations and their experience in the driver's seat, including a local radio personality. I also get to speak with the school's general manager, Steve Fox, who is entered in this weekend's ARCA race at Pocono.

The linemen assist with racecars on the track

(Photos taken by Rebecca Kivak)

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Any opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.

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