Attended my first Rusty Wallace Racing Experience this morning (6-25-14) at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA. My wife signed me up for the 15 lap shootout as a driver with the photo plaque. I had read that videos were iffy, so we decided not to get it. The weather was beautiful as I checked in. They offered a three-lap ride along with a pro driver in a faster car before I did my drive, which I did for an additional $39. Well worth it as the cars are nothing like what you drive on the street. It is confining, visibility is not as good as a street car, and the noise and smells are distracting but really cool! The driver gave me tips for my own drive, which also helped immensely. I would recommend the ride along.
Larry did our classroom instruction. He is obviously experienced, no-nonsense and "just the facts" kind of guy. He answered and anticipated my questions. There were eight of us, all fairly older, and a mostly quiet group. I asked the most questions, and Larry answered them all but kept things moving. Pay attention!
We went to the stands and did a birds-eye view of the track, which again was helpful. After that we walked out to our waiting pit crew, who got us suited up and ready to go. The Ride-alongs went to one area where we waited our turn. The other drivers went to another area and were soon on the track. The ride-alongs would zip past the drivers who were in slower cars. However the slower cars are still fast enough. So fast that one guy lost control on turn one and bit the wall, taking one car out for the duration, but thankfully he was not hurt. I got the insurance and didn't worry but was still careful. They said most accidents happen in the last 10% of the race as guys get over confident. I definitely felt more confident towards the end and was not letting off the gas completely as I entered the turns, which helped me get in position to pass. They did let me pass one guy by making him move over (via radio). You do not get a microphone, so you cannot communicate back to them except by doing what they tell you. Safety was the primary concern, and I felt everyone was committed to safety.
Once in my car we had to wait while the other car that wrecked was removed. They let us go three at a time while the ride-alongs (two of them) would zip past us like we were target practice. Still lots of fun. Our group of three started out slow, and I was the middle car. They told me to back off the lead car, which I did too much and then i was given guidance on how to smoothly accelerate into the straight away. That was all I needed and I soon caught up with the lead car, which they let me pass. I caught the next car but at the end of my shootout, so they would not let me pass him.
I made it a point to read all the terrible reviews and good reviews before going, and I had no expectations either way. That being said, I was very happy with the experience, including the staff, the cars, and the structure and pace of the program. Will do it again with my sons when RW comes back to Monroe. Oh, the plaque turned out quite nice. Thanks Rusty Wallace and crew. read more