The Xtreme Xperience

So I am doing this...

http://www.thextremexperience.com/

And actually, I am dragging my wife with me and making her drive. We are going to Talladega Gran Prix (3/23) and both will be driving F430s.

Anyone else done this before? Thoughts? Comments?

Also, if anyone else would like to sign up.... use the code: XXSOCIAL for 60% off

I saw something similar to that with driving a Lambo. I was a bit suspicious it would be a bit of "driving a fast car slow" kind of thing. I mean, those cars, even on a typical AutoX course are probably not all that much fun especially since they are almost certain to leave all the stability control / ABS stuff on.

Hopefully I am wrong. And if nothing else, you will certainly get to experience full acceleration.

Now, if they let you drive something like this:

Oh boy!

Yea, from what I gather the cars are in full nanny-mode. The track is mostly open with some braking point cones to keep people from getting into trouble, stuff like that (probably a good thing for my wife).

However, how often are you going to get to drive a Ferrari on a race track? This will be a first for me, and I consider myself to have pretty decent car-community connections.

Coming to my local track in October............Hmmmmmm.

I wonder how pissed they'd be if someone were to put the SLS into "dyno mode" thus defeating all forms of traction, stability, abs, and torque management......

I drove the F430 at their Atlanta Motorsports Park event last fall. It's an inexpensive to get behind the wheel of an exotic, but you only get about five minutes of seat time. We weren't driving 10/10ths, but I was able to scrub the tires through the corners - even in the long fast sweeper leading onto the front straight. Videos:

http://tractioninc.tumblr.com/post/34805887012/taking-to-the-track-in-a-ferrari-f430-first-time

http://tractioninc.tumblr.com/post/34806508496/a-lap-of-atlanta-motorsports-park-in-a-ferrari-i

In reply to nderwater:

Were you not driving 10/10ths because of you or them?

Both. It's a new, technical track and I had ever driven it. Most of the participants were noobs, so we were asked not to shift the cars and that limited straightaway acceleration some. We were also asked not to brake too deep at the end of the straights.

Each session was lead-follow, but we kept a pretty brisk pace. If I was catching the car in front I would back off the throttle in the straights, and could pass slow cars when instructed.

^And nevermind.

Yea, berkeley paying money for that

Nice to have some one "point "out where the turns are.

So, now I've done it and I thought I would share my feedback on it.

First things first... it wasn't a race, there was no timing and passing was done via point-bys like a time trial. It's an experience.

Was it driving a fast car slow? No. You could go as fast as you felt like driving and the track allowed for. I hit 120mph. So, not slow. You could optionally paddle shift. Traction control was on in all the cars, but it was in Sport or Performance mode. I never felt it.

The biggest draw back was by far the limited number of laps (3). The best way I can describe what those laps are like is: doing an autocross in someone else's car on a track you don't know.

You have very little time to get comfortable in the car before you set off. I counted, and I literally touched the brake pedal twice before barreling into the first hot corner.

As nderwater stated above, you aren't anywhere near 10/10ths. I was probably about 7/10ths.

(Begin Excuses) Noah's flood had literally just passed as we pulled up to the track. It was a lot wet.

In the briefing / class room training, they told us we were going to drive a dry line for a third of the track, a wet line for the third of the track, and the rest of the time would be spent dodging water. None of this ended up being true, but it was something they filled my head up with.

I hadn't been at this track since it had been repaved and reconfigured. Even before that it had been about 5 years.

I was instructed to let a car pass, so I slowed, then they changed their mind and wanted to do it later. Then when I let the car pass, I was told I was following too closely. (End Excuses)

So the video looks like I am going slow. And I was.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNSfzfXMq48&feature=youtu.be

Was it worth it? Yes, for the first time. My wife went with me (and drove), and we both had a good time. It's not a track day, if that is your expectation then you will be disappointed. If you just want to drive a super car in anger for a couple minutes, then this is the ticket. Xtreme Xperience did a good job of hosting and making it easy to do. You get in a line for your car like you are in line to ride a roller coaster at Six Flags.

iceracer wrote: Nice to have some one "point "out where the turns are.

One of my co-pilots was the lead driving instructor for AMP. It's a track I expect to spend a lot more time at, so I was more than happy to have him along.