My drive in a Aventador

As some of you may remember since I got good grades in my first semester of college I was rewarded with the opportunity to drive a Lamborghini Aventador around a track at exotics racing. I have family in Las Vegas, and I was already going to go out there for spring break so we decided that then would be a good time. I just got back and figured I’d post how it went. I don’t have any pictures yet, but I hope to in a few days.

Besides autocrossing this was my first track time, and my only time on a real track. In all honesty I really should have done a track day in a Miata or something before this in order to get the most out of it. I found myself trying to learn the basics of going from autox to track in a 700hp beast that wasn’t really suited for learning. On the flip side though the instructors were used to this and expected that you have never done anything like this before, unless informed otherwise.

My initial fear was that this would be a glorified pace lap and the instructor would be there to remind you to go slow. I am happy to report this was not the case. My instructor (Richie Hearn, former IRL driver) was encouraging me to improve my line and do things to go faster. I was told that if you did have track time and knew what you were doing they would loosen up and give you more leeway. At one point I glanced down at the speedo on the straight and was at 130mph. Also the entire staff seemed to be very friendly. One of the instructors was a playboy cup driver, and I talked to another for a few minutes about fd rx7’s that he’s owned.

My reaction to the car was that it was simply amazing. It had an amazing amount of power and just kept pulling strong no matter your speed. It also made the most beautiful noises I’ve ever heard and being surrounded by other Lambos and Ferraris made it even better. My main complaint would be that the car cost $400,000 and you could buy a few hundred Miatas for that, or build a challenge car every year for the next 200 years before you spent that much.

In conclusion if it were a gift I would do it again in a heartbeat, but with my own money my Miata would be doing a track day at Summit Point instead

Here is a pic of my daily from the past 2 weeks and some others to hold you over until I get the good pictures from my Uncle. I also have the in-car video of my laps

Edit: Could somebody please replace the a with an an in the title

Lol that you start the pictures in "an" Aventador thread with an 80's corvette.

Congrats! I wouldn't hold the price of the car against it. In the market it's in, it's properly priced and the people who buy it don't really want 200 miatas...

In car video

He sounds like a very good instructor actually. That must be a dificult job. You looked very competent but imagine the people he gets most days. Would love to do something like that but I'm affraid driving a car like that would ruin me.

That's a lot of awesome parked right there.

That would be soooo cool. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the review, I'll check out the vid later.

This confirms I'll go ahead and sign up for this the next time we go to Vegas.

nocones wrote: That must be a dificult job. You looked very competent but imagine the people he gets most days.

He said my biggest problem was that coming from autox I was trying to brake too late and then ended up carrying too much speed into the corner. I felt really slow, but he said I was one of the better people that come through.

I was the only person in the class we had to take before that knew what an apex was so I'm sure being an instructor there isn't the easiest.

Looks like you had an awesome time - thanks for posting the video!

I'd kill to drive the new 458 Italia. Is there a price sheet online for these events?

List of cars and prices

I also talked to somebody who said they should be getting a mclaren mp4-12c within the next few weeks

http://www.exoticsracing.com/

Prices are not all that bad.

Yeah, the prices actually aren't that bad! You pay that much to rent a Ferrari for the street in Vegas and you don't get to flog it nearly that hard.

I also did a ride along in a Corvette. The driver was in the playboy cup and is also a professional drifter. At one point he passed a 458 sideways in a corner. I'll post that video when I get a chance

Aventador is an ok car, but a Miata is much better

Drifting ride along

Har har

Edit: I meant that @ AutoXR.

Hmm surprisingly affordable. I'd like to replicate the track in a simulator and learn it well to make the most out of those laps

I. Hate. Your. Guts.

I am jelly.

I went to vegas with my wife last fall, and SHE suggested that I should go do this!

Seeing that we were spending a week there and wanted to maximize the things we could do, after a little debating I decided against it, figuring that would just free up money to do other things, or lose in a casino or whatever.

Sometimes I dont know whats coming out of my mouth anymore.

Dude!

That is a lot more reasonable than I would have thought, especially out in vegas. I'm very jealous. I've probably paid almost half that much to drive karts for an hour. Considering they get all kinds of folks out there, I can only imagine the brass ones it takes to be an instructor there.

ratghia wrote: Drifting ride along

Haha, love that pass

Great pix. I've got to see if it's too late to take our spring break in Vegas.