By Melissa Strahley
Special to In Motion
Every weekend, white knuckles clutch the reins of a 2,750-pound machine fueled by 600 horsepower and a lead foot. Most rely on video games to simulate this thrill, but for racecar drivers at New Smyrna Speedway, it’s an average Saturday night.
Video games based off of cinematic thrillers like the “Fast and Furious” series have raised a modern generation with an insatiable need for speed. Societal confines enforced by the ever-present police prohibit driving above a certain limit, making the exhilarating feat of winning a street race a felonious one. Luckily, local venues in the Daytona Beach area are offering those with a driver’s license a speedy solution to this problem.
“The first thing I would recommend is to try the Driving Experience,” General Manager Kim Brown of New Smyrna Speedway said. “It sounds sort of silly, but it’s a great way to find out if driving a racecar is something you might want to do.”
The Rusty Wallace Driving Experience allows participants to climb in an authentic racecar and turn laps around New Smyrna Speedway like the professional drivers do for a cost. It’s comparable to the experience offered at Daytona International Speedway, but on a smaller half-mile surface of asphalt.
The company travels to various speedways throughout the year and offers multiple experience selections at a beginning price of $169. Scheduling and purchase options can be found through the website or by calling 855- 227-8789. They kicked off 2016 off at New Smyrna Speedway Jan. 16-17. Nightly races are run annually from March through November.
As outlined on its website, New Smyrna Speedway is a high-banked, half-mile paved oval track located just 5 miles west of New Smyrna Beach at 3939 State Road 44. Known by locals as the “World Center of Racing,” New Smyrna Speedway has been home to some of the finest stock car racing in the entire country for 45 years. Along with providing weekly racing and special events in the area, the Speedway has been utilized in recent years as a testing facility for teams from the NASCAR Nationwide, Camping World Truck and Sprint Cup Series.
Brown also mentions the Speedway’s spectator races, an event where licensed drivers can bring their own vehicles onto the racing pavement and battle other competitors for a cash prize. She emphasizes the importance of getting out to the racetrack and meeting people.
“We hold the spectator races every month or so. It’s fun to just come out, race and make friends with people, see where you fit in.”
While the regular season of $12 Saturday night shows won’t start until an unannounced date in March, New Smyrna Speedway hosted two special racing memorials on Jan. 2 and 23 before the opening of the “2016 World Series” this month, which features nine consecutive nights of speed. Regardless of the date, racing always begins at 7:30 p.m. Questions concerning tickets and details about this year’s schedule can be answered by dialing 386-427-4129 or clicking onto the website: http://www.newsmyrnaspeedway.org/
New Smyrna Speedway Super Late Model driver Anthony Sergi is a 20-year-old student at the University of Central Florida, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. He advises those in similar fields to get involved in racing through academic programs such as the Society of Automotive Engineers, which allow you to build a racecar from the ground up. Even without an interest in the technical aspect of racing, though, Sergi admits a love for an engine with four wheels is all the excuse needed to head out to the local track.
“I started in racecars at the age of 10 because my father always saw me racing around the yard with my four wheeler,” explained Sergi, who competes weekly during the race season, along with many other young drivers.
It did not take him long to start in a novice division of the Speedway, after working his way up through the ranks. He admits making time for both racing and schoolwork can be challenging, but it has its rewards.
“Racing is a lot of fun but you have to remember that school comes first. College definitely makes you learn time management and I think that is what really helped me learn how to keep up with all of my work at the shop, at school, and at home.”