The Indy Racing Experience earned nearly 20 new fans on Monday as members of the NASCAR media covering the Daytona 500 took thrilling rides in the National Guard 2-seater.

Indy Racing Experience Turns NASCAR Writers into IndyCar Riders
Daytona 500 media gets taste of both the Richard Petty Driving Experience and Indy Racing Experience on Monday

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Feb. 9, 2009) – Several regional and national media covering the upcoming Daytona 500 had a chance to experience IndyCars firsthand Monday at the Walt Disney World® Speedway.

Close to 20 print and online media were bussed from Daytona Beach to the 1-mile tri-oval courtesy of ESPN to enjoy a morning with both the Richard Petty Driving Experience and the Indy Racing Experience.

While stock car racing has been on the minds of the majority of these writers, the reactions following both experiences left one to believe that they traveled back to Daytona with IndyCars on their mind.

“I had never been in an IndyCar before but I have been around the sport for years and years as well as Champ Car and Formula 1,” said Bryant McMurray of the Fayetteville Observer in Fayetteville, N.C.  “Being mainly on the stock car circuit, there were some days during testing I would just get in and ride around with Richard (Petty) or Cale (Yarbrough) or some of the others, but to get in an IndyCar and actually ride in it was quite impressive.  You sit low to the ground, which gives you that real sensation of speed.  I’ll take the IndyCar any day over the stock car.”

Several media members in attendance had the opportunity to cruise around Daytona International Speedway over the weekend in a Chevrolet Camaro driven by NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson.  One of those writers pleased with her hot lap was FoxSports.com senior NASCAR writer Lee Spencer.

On Monday, however, that ride was all but forgotten.

“The type of vibration that you get riding around in an IndyCar is unmatched and I have done a lot of different driving experiences in street cars, suped up cars and pace cars, all of which were driven by championship caliber drivers like Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Mark Martin,” Spencer said.  “(The Indy Racing Experience 2-seater) was absolutely exhilarating.  The fact that you’re riding with (Davey Hamilton), who knows all the best points and the fastest line around, you just really get the authentic experience.  It was just a delightful treat.”

RacingOne.com’s Jeff Wackerlin showed up Monday wearing his colors proudly.  Instead of sporting the Richard Petty or IndyCar shades of blue and red, Wackerlin donned a black Dale Earnhardt No. 3 hat.  He left the Walt Disney World® Speedway with another black hat, this one displaying IndyCar Series and Indy Racing Experience logos, and an appreciation of just how quickly the Indy Racing Experience’s National Guard 2-seater was turning laps.

“The speed is just amazing,” Wackerlin said.  “It seems like you are going 100 times faster in the IndyCar than you are in the stock car.”

Following his Indy Racing Experience, Dwight Drum of RaceTake.com was able to step back and reflect on the differences between being a motorsports rider and a motorsports writer.

“I cover drag racing, IndyCar and NASCAR, and to be able to finally get into an open-wheel car, it really just completes the puzzle for me,” he said.  “I get to talk to all those drivers who do that and it’s almost like a picnic to them.  (Racing) is a part of our life because we have to report on it, but to actually get in and feel it, it sure makes it easier for us now to write about it.”

The Indy Racing Experience operates daily at the Walt Disney World® Speedway and opens for both riding and driving experiences at 4 p.m. ET.  Reservations can be made online or by calling (888) 357-5002.

For more information on the Indy Racing Experience, please contact us by phone or submit questions and comments HERE.