For my birthday I received 3 laps in a Baja-style race car with Wide Open Racing. I wasn't sure what to expect but it sounded fun. I thought 3 laps sounded a bit brief but I signed the online waivers and showed up at the assigned time. I wondered when I should eat lunch so as not to lose it later. The car is the real deal, a Baja racer, huge tires, big suspension, two race seats with five point harnesses, carbon fiber body, etc. The guide said the vehicle cost $150,000 and I could buy insurance for $35. I said yes. We were fitted for helmets which was a little off-putting; stinky used helmets, not nice. I received the optional febreeze upgrade but passed on the hair net. My head is shaved, no critters can't hang on anyway. It still stunk but eventually my nostrils became attuned to the smell. Then the guide took us in his Jeep Cherokee to survey the track. I figured we'd drive to it and just look it over from the hill. No, he drove the track, the whole thing. Okay, not big deal, dirt track right. No, the trail has giant ruts, rocks, mud, steep-ass hills, blind turns, big puddles. I didn't think we'd make it back from the surveying trip. The street truck he was driving with all 5 of us packed in was shucking and jiving like it was going to explode. He promised it'd be MUCH smoother in the race car. Right. As we drove the track the guide gave us important observations like, "don't hit that rock, you have to straddle it or you'll blow a tire and rim", "don't go too fast here or you'll lose control and flip", "one guy rolled the car here, that was $15,000 in damage", and "I once rode with a client and he drove us into that tree and broke the frame". I was happy for my insurance. We went back and got the race car. We went over all the controls including the push button start, kill switch, shifting (you have to be able to drive stick), intercom between the helmets so the passenger can scream at you, etc. The other guys in our group drove the car over to the track while we did the Cherokee trip again. Once there the other guys went on their first runs. Slow at first, then faster as they got bolder, each lap on the loop taking about 10-15 minutes, each time they'd stop to have the helmet face mask wiped as they got muddier and muddier. Then came our turn. Strapped in now, we received a quick re-review of the controls and then we were off. I floored it, trying to push the envelope. We flew around corners, got soaked in the puddles, mud flying everywhere. I jammed it up hills and made turns like we were on rails. It was amazing. The car just went forward and up no matter how rough the road got. Rocks and ruts disappeared under the wheels like nothing. I tried my best to get air on the big jump but struggled to avoid the puddle before it and also overcome the fear of shooting between trees and up over a blind incline. My co-pilot was a times helpful - "rock on the left!" - and other times just screamed "slow down!" or "let me out!". I pushed it pretty hard but you could easily drive it slowly and have fun too. The guide said no cameras but if you have a flip or camera in a waterproof case with a wrist strap, the passenger could easily film the ride. I think the guide will relent if you insist. After three rounds I was getting tired. I could have gone further but it really does take a lot of concentration. Baja racing has always been an interest of mine, I know it's a crazy sport, but I can't imagine how physically and mentally adept the racers must be to endure the long races, including racing at night. I'll definitely go again, it was a great thrill. I'd like at least 5 laps. It's expensive tho. Look for coupons on Groupon and other sites to save a bundle. If you have a big group, call for special pricing. Make sure you wear clothes that can get muddy. Dress warmly, bring gloves. A change of clothes for the ride home wouldn't hurt. The guide was great, he gave lots of advice, took our picture, etc. The place is rugged. Not only the trail but the staging area is a gravel area, trailer for the office, and port-o-potties. No other services. And it was a haul from Malvern, Pa. The area is also a day-use area for all kinds of off roaders so the parking lot is filled with trucks, trailers, ATV's, etc. It was worth the trip and is recommended! read more

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I got my boyfriend a 3 lap package around the track for our 1 year anniversary. I can say with confidence that this was a MUCH better idea than a nice t-shirt. Our appointment was at 11a, and we ventured 2 hours up from Philadelphia and got there with 5 minutes to spare. You could sense the stigma of 'people from the city coming up here to drive these things'. And if you couldn't sense it, all you had to do was open your ears because people, both employees and customers alike, were talking about it. We kept our mouths shut, and just kind of laughed. Clearly we must not have looked the part. I wore a tank top/ sports bra and long yoga pants. My boyfriend wore jeans and a long sleeved shirt. His idea was MUCH better than mine. After we got checked in, the 9am tour pulled up and 2 guys jumped out of one car COVERED in mud, and then the second car pulled up, and a guy and a girl- the same. Just absolutely covered. I wished i had worn long a long sleeved shirt and jeans... but alas... We waited for about 20 minutes as they looked the cars over. It was cool to see how much care goes into the maintenance of these cars. Rewinding to the check-in process, I was offered insurance, and after reading reviews surrounding the cost of these vehicles, i graciously accepted. This was a gift. I don't want to give him the gift of paying $150K to fix what I thought would be a fun afternoon... We ended up somehow not doing any damage to the car, but I wanted to make sure that my boyfriend could relax while he drove this thing. It made me a much more relaxed passenger. We got our helmets. Mine wasn't that stinky, but my boyfriend said that his was not quite so pleasant. They gave us all hair nets which was actually super-nice. Finally it was time to hop in. I had scouted out the less-muddy of the 2 and was pleased when we were told this would be our vehicle. I was holding on to the fact that i may not get *that* muddy, while my boyfriend was just talking about how he was going to hit every puddle. I don't know what I was thinking. They checked our seat belts, hooked up our radios so we could all communicate, and took Mick through the functionality of the car along with a rundown on its quirks. We followed this white jeep Cherokee across the street and through a track that reminded me of the roads in Costa Rica: big sharp rocks, deep ruts, puddles, mud, etc. I was shocked at how great the jeep did!!! We ended up in the middle of a field under a little 'garage'. We were given 2 clean towels (to wipe off our eye shields after we hit mud puddles... at this point I've given up), and off we went. Unfortunately, our baja racer's throttle was sticking... so every time Mick tried to shift into 2nd, the car stalled. We made it about 50 yards, and then hit the button on the dash and seconds later, our guide was there. He messed around with the car for a second, and we turned around and followed him back to the garage. By the time we got there, another baja racer was there waiting for us. Clearly, you can't control the functionality of the trucks, but the stuff they could control was top notch from beginning to end. We hopped out of BC3 and into BC1, buckled up, got all reconnected, and once again, we were off!!! The track is INSANE and the car took every rut, and turn with grace! One part is a grassy field, then it gets all rocky and there are sharp turns, a 7 foot wall that you ride up, mud puddles EVERYWHERE, an area with deep thick mud (we spun out here once... oops), a stint through the woods, etc. It was just awesome. Mick took it as fast as he could having only seen the track once, but each lap his confidence grew. In our group was 2 guys who were signed up for 3 laps each. We finished our last lap and they still had 1 to go, so they let us do 1 extra lap which was by far and away the best one. By that point Mick had a great understanding of the track, and really rocked it! We got back, and were totally covered in mud, with smiles ear to ear. What a rush! We cleaned up, checked out, and drove home. Mick spent the day talking to his friends about the track and the cars and the whole experience. It was really great. As a girl... and a fairly girlie one at that, I wasn't so sure about being a passenger at first, but I'm glad i went for it. It's an experience I won't forget. Much better than a t-shirt... read more

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The experience was amazing! The staff was knowledgeable, friendly, and personable and really helped us to have a great time. The package was also a great deal: 2 people get the experience (driver and co-pilot) and safety and communication equipment was provided for your time on a well-maintained course in a powerful vehicle. We would definitely do it again!!!! read more

Outstanding experience!! Barry and I weren't sure what we got ourselves into, but had a blast. Vehicle way more capable than we were, intimidating but surprisingly drivable course, solid encouragement and coaching ("smooth is fast" will stick forever), and we got better and better as we went. Just don't make my rookie mistake--I left my face shield up until AFTER the first mud puddle! Geoff K. read more

This was a pure blast. My husband and I came for the Orlando day experience. The staff was very friendly and helpful, they even stopped on the way in to buy us rain gear so that we didn't get to wet! The track was fun to ride and the experience was unforgettable, would def do this again and agian! read more

Last weekend was my first time @ Legendary Excursions. It was my friend's bachelor party so we just decided to do something risky and fun! We enjoyed the experience, you arrive there (make sure you have a GPS to get in there) Then they explain you with a video how it works (like 20 minutes to sign papers, see the demo video, decide if you want to have a video and the insurance). Then they show you the race and u freak out! it's pretty awesome! The moment you start driving you feel like you can die! heheh Watch out! And drive safely!! The only cons is that we got the video and it was a bit messy, 10 different files, no sound of what we talk in the car, too much light, saturated so u cant see whats happening. The rest I give 8/10. read more

I was given a gift of the Legendary Experiences 5 lap Wide Open Baja Experience from my parents and had no idea what to expect. I've done racing experiences before (Formula 2000) and enjoy racing sims, but I've never wanted to off road. I wasn't even excited about the trip. I just knew I might need a change of clothes. My brother, his wife and I met Mark (the owner of the Baja Cars) at 1pm on Sunday, August 7th 2011. Mark was very nice, professional and spent the day with us. We signed a waiver, watched a safety video and within 30 minutes were in a Jeep riding to the track. Getting to the track requires a special vehicle. The terrain is no joke and a stock SUV might have a hard time getting there. We took a lap around the track with Mark pointing out where we could get into trouble. The track is 5 miles long, varied terrain with sharp inclines and declines that to a city driver like me looked insane. After that, we put on helmets and got into the cars and were pretty much let loose. The amount of freedom was shocking. We were allowed to drive the car as hard as we wanted. No restrictions. These are $150K cars, so the only thing that was keeping me from doing something stupid is that the insurance deductible was $2000. But those inclined to push hard, you are free to do it. The cars are shockingly good. What seemed like an earthquake in the Jeep was barely noticeable in the Baja car. The shocks have 18" of movement. The seat pad is probably 6 inches deep with padding. What I expected to be a very hard ride was shockingly pain free. I "got air" several times and the landings are deceptively soft. I will repeat again... these are amazing machines. Unfortunately, if you can't drive a stick, you can't drive the Baja Race Cars... not shocking to me, but another guest ended up only getting hot laps with the pro. The stick is a bit touchy, and can stall out from a stop pretty easily, so this isn't the place to learn how to drive a stick. You should be confident in driving a stick before getting in this car. I did 3 laps pretty easy, and pushed on laps 4 and 5. It was a ton of fun and an experience I will never forget. Any driving enthusiast will enjoy this. It is just something that can't be replicated. After my 5 laps, I took a "hot lap" with Mark for an extra $30. This was money well spent. He was doing things i wasn't even thinking of trying. When i raced the Formula 2000 cars i was within 5-10 seconds of the pros. I wasn't within 1 minute of the pro here. He was probably 25-30% faster. Overall, it was just an amazing day... but be sure to bring a change of clothes. My white T-shirt was completely brown by the end of the day. A great gift for a driving enthusiast. read more