Rusty Wallace Racing Experience- Iowa Speedway

I bought this for my father as a father’s day gift. He is a HUGE race fan and has visited many tracks across the US but has never taken the time to do one of these experiences even though he has wanted to. I was so excited to see this was available so close to home for us. My father being retirement age was nervous to say the least but also excited. The girls getting you registered were very fast and helpful. The driver meeting was intense with lots of information to cover in a short period of time but it was made very clear that safety was the biggest concern. Multiple times we were told what to do it the radio didn’t work and what you should be hearing from your spotter in the sky. These are real cars that have been raced by the big boys and not modified. You have to wear the Hans device and everything. If you are claustrophobic this could be a big challenge for you since you are strapped in extremely tight with no wiggle room.
I really recommend adding on the 3 lap ride along so that you can ride with a professional first and get the feel for what it will be like as well as advice from a real driver while in the car. VERY beneficial if you have never done this before. Also, the insurance while optional should be a no brainer here.
My mother and I both went along for the event and were allowed to sit through the driver meeting and be right along pit wall the entire time. They have tents and chairs set up for the people watching the drivers. I could have not been more thrilled with the experience my mom and I got along with my dad.
My dad had an amazing time! Adrenaline pumping and challenging for his age but he said he would love to do it again. We did the 12 lap experience with the 3 lap ride along and he said that was plenty for him. I would definitely recommend more that 6 laps since the first 3 – 4 you are getting to know the car and get the butterflies out of your stomach. His last 5 laps were much faster than the first due to comfort level.
The ladies a the trailer who have your pictures and videos are super helpful. We didn’t quite like the picture due to the lighting and they went above and beyond to make it something that we were satisfied with. The picture plaque was nice quality and not overly expensive.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who want to have a real race experience. It is on the expensive side but it was well worth the money. We were very well taken care of and had an amazing time. The look on my father’s face was worth every penny!!! PRICELESS! Thank you Rusty Wallace Racing Experience and your entire team at the Newton Iowa Raceway.

After a classroom training and a subsequent 3 times around the track with a professional, we were cut loose to do the drive. In the class, the teacher distinctly said that there would be a follower who would track our progress and keep us informed as to hazards, passing (or passing vehicles), and not to worry about counting the laps as the «follower» would let us know when to come in.
My vehicle initially had some problems with the communications which the tracker fiddled with and it seemed to be functioning. Once on the course, however, the best I could get from the headset were some garbled sounds. Not knowing I had exhausted my 8 laps, a trailing car with an expert bumped my right front quarter panel and waved me into the pits. Somehow, this became my fault and it cost me $ 500 for the repairs to the fenders of the two vehicles. I DO NOT feel I was at fault, am insulted that the professional driver claimed I was «trying to hit him» both on the track and coming into the pits.
Thus, I feel compelled to put a negative comment on Unilocal.This could be ameliorated in several ways:
Take more time with the instructions as I did not recall the instructor saying to come in if there was a headset problem. There was a lot of information in a short period of time so perhaps I missed it.
Put the flags signalling when your ride is over in a more visible place than in the grandstands since we were instructed to look forward and the helmets truly restrict one’s peripheral vision.
In the 3 lap with a pro, have an interactive headset that allows the pro to point out where the flags are to watch out for. Reinforce the stripes on the track and how to respond to any warning flags.
Include a sign that shows the number of laps elapsed by vehicle number which is in a highly visible location.
In short, a fun experience ruined by some sloppiness that could be fixed easily… to say nothing about the $ 500 I am out. Watch for the Unilocal notice and a complaint to the Better Business Bureau…