I highly recommend the ride-along experience in a race car with Richard Petty. We both did it…read moretogether and loved it. When I say together, I mean we each had our own seat in a car but the race cars go two at a time. One car is leading, one car is following, but both cars are going 165 MPH on the race track. When we initially arrived, we had trouble finding the location. After visiting the administrative office, we were told we had to enter at GATE 5. It was easy sailing from there. We had gift cards (which were a great deal at $59 for a ride-along) and were able to check in quickly at the blue truck to purchase our ride-along. After signing a waiver form, we received an arm band and a lanyard with a USB attached to it. We had no idea what the USB was for until we were in the race car. The USB was used to save a video of our experience inside and outside of the race car. Right before we took off, a professional photographer also took our picture. Pictures were $17.50 w/o the plaque, $35 with the plaque, and the video was about $49. We ordered the video and they actually gave us the 4GB USB to take home. The video is NOT on a DVD. After checking in, we were sent off to the tents where we had to put on a full body suit and a helmet. The staff there provided us with the correct size suit and measured us for the correct helmet size. Like real race cars, the cars do not have doors. I highly do NOT recommend this experience for people who cannot climb in and out of a race car window. This was the only way we could get into and out of the race car. There was a man who was in a wheel chair. Thankfully he was not a heavy person and the staff were able to carry him into the car. The staff did an excellent job of strapping me in. I felt safe during my entire experience from start to finish. Everyone was also very nice and answered any questions we had. I was told to keep my eyes open as the car raced by inches away from the race track wall at 165 MPH. It was exhilarating! We were thankful that the weather was perfect for our ride-along. I had purchased the gift cards in 2010 but was never able to use it until this year (2012) because Richard Petty's schedule conflicted with ours. I recommend checking the yearly schedule on the website for ride-alongs and drive-alongs because Richard Petty is not always at the Chicagoland Speedway. However, these gift cards are okay to use nationwide wherever Richard Petty is. No appointment is required. It was all on a first come first serve basis. Another thing to check off on my bucket list!

What do you buy for someone who is a daredevil at heart but who has done almost everything crazy…read moreyou can think of from jumping out of a plane, to running with the bulls to flying an airplane? How about giving him the experience of a lifetime of taking the wheel of a real 600 HP NASCAR race car and taking it out on the track for 8 laps? Yep. That's what the Richard Petty "Rookie" Experience gives you The scheduling staff are very helpful, explaining in detail, the various options they have and when they will be in your town. You can also get a complete line up on their website. And on the day of the experience, they go out of their way to make you feel like a real race car driver! A couple of pointers to help you at this course. Get there early before your experience as you may have some difficulty as we did finding the right gate. GATE 5 is the gate but that is not on the main road rather down a side street. But once you find it- there is signage that steers you to the garages and the small house where they will get you suited up and ready to go. Also know that if it rains, you may have to postpone your experience but full vouchers are given for alternate dates. All in all an experience of a lifetime that is worth every penny for that daredevil in your life!

I attended an Xtreme Xperience here at Autobahn and it was amazing. There were so many cars to…read morechoose from. Ferraris, a Lamborghini, Porsches, and some Charger Hellcats for ride-alongside. Having never driven on a racetrack before and with multiple cars on the track, I first did a ride-along with a pro driver to learn the track, understand the cones, and learn the hand signals. Well worth the $80 before my drive. I drove a Ferrari 488 GTB. To use Vivienne's words on "Pretty Woman", "This baby corners like it's on rails!" So smooth and powerful, you hit 120mph and barely feel it. For $429, you get 4 laps around the track in one of the cars. For multiple car experiences, there are package deals. The track was great. Fun curves and some stretches where you can really put the pedal to the metal. Loved this entire experience. 10/10. Would do again. Driving out of the country club going only 30mph after that was hard. It felt comically and yet annoyingly slow

I did the Xtreme Xperience in Joliet. I know you can't really find reviews online except on…read moreFacebook. I'll post at the actual location. I drove the Lamborghini Huracan on a Sat. I got there an hour before the drive time. Since there were only 3 of us in our time slot, we skipped the class and did an expedited version of the do's and don'ts. I enjoyed the car and my instructor was good, but I hated the track. I was expecting something like Nascar style or at least some good straightaways. There were too many turns and not enough time to go as fast as I wanted. I only got up to 100 mph. I did that in my regular car on the tollway. If they changed the track for the Joliet location then I would recommend this place. For the amount of money, it was not enough time to really get a feel for the car. You get 3 laps. 1st one was a waste since my instructor was going through everything with me. 2nd one was when I was starting to get the hang of it. In all reality, I just had one really good lap.

This place USED to be a great time... every year it gets worse and worse... owner is more than…read morehappy to take (and refuse to refund) your money for shows she knows will not deliver what she's promised... runs out of water on hot days... starts hours past listed time without communication to the crowd... will make you sit for hours in cold rain (after you pay for non refundable parking, food, and booze) then ultimately cancel... team demo has dwindled down to 4 teams instead of the advertised 8... it's a shame what she's turned this place into... it really used to be a highlight of the summer..

This place took our money for tickets then canceled the event and there was NO WAY to get our money…read moreback. Scummy.

The Ed Rudolph Velodrome is one of only two short, banked tracks for official bicycle racing in…read moreIllinois and one of just 28 in the entire country. For over 50 years, this distinctive venue has been a hub for cycle racing, training, and entertainment. But for me, it is more than just a racing track. It is a place filled with joy, memories, and a sense of tradition. Nearly every Independence Day, my family and I gather here to watch the Northbrook fireworks. Decades ago, before I got married, I loved taking leisurely walks from our home to the velodrome with my parents. Sometimes my grandmother would join us when she was visiting. At that time, spectators were only allowed to sit on the bleachers behind the track. Before the fireworks show, the infield would host inter-school marching band competitions, which we always enjoyed watching. The fireworks were launched from inside the velodrome, bursting spectacularly overhead, sometimes raining sparks over the infield, where some bold attendees would rush to sit despite the warnings. Today, the setup has changed. The marching band performances are no longer part of the event, and the fireworks are now launched from outside the velodrome, making them visible across Meadowhill Park and Techny Prairie Park and Fields. Still, we prefer to watch from inside the velodrome, our favorite spot. While my family still lives in town, we no longer live within walking distance of the velodrome. But we've kept the tradition alive. Each year, we park around downtown Northbrook and enjoy the pleasant 15-minute walk to the velodrome. It adds to the festive spirit and brings back a bit of the feeling from those days long ago. Now, spectators are welcome on the grassy infield. When we arrived this year, a DJ was entertaining the crowd before the fireworks. Families and children were fully immersed in the festive atmosphere. We brought lawn chairs, settled in, and enjoyed the energy of the evening. The fireworks were spectacular as always, a dazzling end to a perfect night. My parents and grandmother have since passed on, but each year as the fireworks light up the sky, I like to think they're watching from above, smiling with us, still a part of this beloved family tradition. I love the velodrome. This tradition is a celebration of family, community, and the simple joy of gathering under the stars. I hope it continues for generations to come.

It's amazing to think that this place is free and open to the public! It's a quarter-mile track…read morewith 18-degree banked turns (steep enough to notice but not so steep as to affect your balance), and it's the smoothest surface I've ever ridden on. The website asks that you only ride with a track bike (fixed gear) and helmet, but there are pictures of people riding bikes with gears, so I'm not sure how strictly they enforce that rule. They do also insist that you wear a helmet, which is only common sense. I loved riding even when there were only two other riders on the track. It's a lot of fun to have someone to chase or outrace, even if they're not really in on the competition. The track has plenty of seating for spectators, and they have races open to various ages and skill levels. The addition of lighting allows for riding well into the evening. I rode on a sunny Saturday at around noon and was on a homemade fixie that I built; the other two riders were on more-professional bikes, and a few other riders showed up with what looked like some pretty high-end bikes and clothing--but the overall feel is of a track that's open to anyone. As you can see in the photos, there are painted lines to separate the faster riders (closer to the inside of the track near the thicker blue line) from slower riders (further out to the edge, outside the think blue line). If you want to have the feel of being a "cutter", or if you want your kids to feel like they're racing, this is a great place to go. (Bonus points if you know the "cutter" reference).

I have been to K1: Buffalo Grove and K1: Addison in the past and never really had an issue, but I…read morehappened to see an e-mail for their Karting Academy so I thought it would be a good way to introduce my 15 year old daughter to Go Karts. She didn't end up making it, but the staff was able to give me a more than fair equivalent for the Academy tuition, already above and beyond just at the check in expereince! Academy started in the classroom to learn the basics. Surprisingly, the information dump was not overwhelming and we were lead to the track for a warm up so the staff can study our pre-existing driving habits. At the academy, individual strengths and weaknesses were identified and we got LOTS of laps to practice. I was physically sweaty and tired by the time we finished! I look forward to bringing my daughter back!

A lot of fun!!! Great place for teenagers Birthday! I like…read moreto visit them just for racing with my daughter and son. We had a great time there/ Thank you guys!

Yesterday , We took…read moreour kiddos to sports zone to do the batting cages, we let our daughter try it out, she does not play ball but she practices with her brother and dad all the time and dad pitches to her she does just fine, we let her go into the slow pitch batting cage and the owner ran over and yelled at us and was extremely rude, we took it as he was just concerned and we didn't read the rules she's 5 and you have to be 6. We apologized and took her out no problem. He still stays there and keeps egging it on, he starts point at the rules all aggressive, we still again agreed we didn't read them and apologized. HE THEN states "I don't know if you need to read them in Spanish" like WHAT THE FUCK!!? So because of the color of our skin you make that comment yet we have been speaking to you fluently in English, my husband and I have no accents and we barely ever speak Spanish. So we were BLOWN AWAY. Moral of the story this piece of shit is RACIST. And yall shouldn't spend a PENNY there!!

Racist owner, in a predominant Latino community... rude staff, you could tell the difference in…read moretone when they speak to us..