GREATEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!! I had always wanted to go to one of these NASCAR driving experiences but wasn't sure if they were really worth spending the money to go around a track. Well let me tell you, it is MORE than worth it! If you've ever considered it, do not wait another day. You will only wish you had done it sooner. What finally brought me to the track was one of my clients had purchased this driving experience for me. He knew how much I loved cars and racing and we had discussed doing this in the past. He had gone himself the year before and knew I would love it. So I finally had a great reason to go. I was very excited and scheduled my day on October 3rd, 2015 at the Iowa Speedway. When I was online booking my date and going through the options, I opted for everything, including the extra 4 laps since he said his 12 laps went by very quickly and he wished he had purchased more. I had the 12 lap experience and added the extra 4 for a total of 16 laps. I also purchased the video, photo, and ride along (to ride with a professional driver), and insurance of course. And to explain just how great of a time this was, I did another 16 laps that same day. And if that wasn't enough, I went back the next day and purchased the 50 lap package! The amount of fun and excitement is hard to express in a review. But the thrill of driving around a race track is something I will never forget and intend to experience many more times in the future. Heck, now I'm considering doing the driving school to gain more knowledge and possibly do some real racing in the future. The driving experience is amazing but one thing you do not want to miss out on is the ride along. The ride along is an instant eye opener and something everyone should experience, especially if you've never been in a race car before. The professional drivers are just awesome and will assure you get the experience of lifetime! If you are going to do the driving experience, I feel it is imperative you go for the ride along first if you really want to be able to drive your car with any confidence. The ride along will help you understand how well these cars can grip the track. I can't believe how many people showed up for the driving experience for the first time and did not purchase the ride along. Granted, I'm sure there were a lot of people there who had received the driving experience as a gift and did not get the ride along with it. Well you can add the ride along while you are there. Heck, the spectators can go purchase a ride along anytime they want. The point is, do not overlook the importance of the ride along. If this is your first time, you really need to experience the ride along to give yourself a better understanding of the capabilities of the car. In the two days I spent there, I saw the difference between the people who did the ride along and the people who did not. And when you saw the fastest people on the track, every one of them had taken the ride along first. Even my second day when I went back for the 50 lap experience, I again purchased the ride along just to learn more about when and how the professional sets up the car going around the track. Not to mention it is so much fun to experience the ride in a faster car being pushed to the limit. Do yourself a favor, take the ride along, you won't regret it, and I guarantee you will have faster lap times because of it! I assure you anytime I ever go back for a driving experience, I will always purchase a ride along beforehand just to open my eyes and get the adrenaline pumping and not to mention there is nothing better than going fast! I want to thank everyone at the Rusty Wallace Racing Experience at the Iowa Speedway who made my experience the best I could have asked. They were a great bunch of people who wanted to make sure everyone had the best time and stayed safe. Starting with Pauline at registration, thanks for taking care of me! Sandy our driving instructor, excellent advice and vast knowledge, thanks for taking the time to discuss my laps to see where I could go faster. Melvin, the man in charge of fire suits and helmets, one glance and he knows exactly what sizes you need, thanks for letting my 2-year-old daughter have a super fun day! The photographer (I think it was Wendy but just can't remember), thanks for the excellent picture and for making the day lots of fun. Derrick in the pits, you and your bother and the rest of the guys were awesome, thanks for making sure I was secure in the car and felt comfortable. John, my spotter both days, thank you for being the guy who kept me safe and in check on the track and being that voice in my ear that kept me planted in reality. And a special thanks to Rusty Wallace for making all of this possible and putting together such an amazing experience for regular people. You have customer for life and I will be back any and every chance possible. Think I'll check out the Kenny Wallace Dirt Track Experience too! Frank A read more

As a kid and into my early adult years I grew up traveling with my dad as he drove dirt track late model throughout the mid west. I always thought I would somday take over the seat but as time past so did my opportunity. I never really had the chance to get in, buckle up and race that car against competition and I always wondered if I had what it takes. Then, 20 years later my mom purchased a Rusty Wallace Racing Experience at the Iowa Speedway for my dad at Christmas. I expressed my excitement as I could not wait to be by my dad once again at the race track. I was excited to watch my dad open his Christmas gift which was his helmet and racing suit with the racing certificate. As expected, it was awesome!! Then it was my turn to open a gift and WOW, not only did my mom buy the experience for my dad but also one for me. I could not wait to have the opportunity to not only get my chance to drive but to be on the track at the same time with my dad. I owe it all to my mom for the opprotunity but next inline is the Rusty Wallace Experience. We completed our race on May 24, 2014. Not only did my dad and I have a absolute fantastic experience but my son and brother did a ride along. We purchased extra laps (total of 16) and let me tell you, it was well worth it!! I can not speak for my dad but I loved every lap I had, just known that I could run the car hard and reach max speed while maintaining the race line, I wish I had 100 more laps!!. I know my dad had a awesome time as well, that is all we talked about on the way home. My dad finally got to race with me and I finally got to race with my dad. We talked about trying to schedule another experience in the future before life passes us up, that is how much fun and enjoyment we had. I also want to thank all the people at Iowa Speedway. The staff was very friendly and helpful from the time we entered the track to the time we exited and I'm a firm believer that quality people make the difference and the people at Iowa Speedway from the instructor, professional drive (Kenny) to the spotter were alll excellent. Thank you for making not only my day but the chance for me to realize that I'm confident I could have taken over the seat of my dads car back in the day. Thanks again. read more

What a difference a year makes! I drove the experience last year and although the people were great and the experience in the car was fun, they really had the rev limiters dialed way down so the top speed was pretty slow for anyone with driving experience. again, the people were great, the spotters were great, but the in car experience was a bit of a let down. I am sure it was awesome for someone who has not been in a car before, but hitting the rev limiter at the start/finish line didn't give me the feeling that I had to "control" the car. It was pretty tame. I booked again this year to take a friend who had never been in a race car and thought he'd have a great time, and since I'd be there I couldn't pass up the chance to get into a car again. DANG! They have changed things up for this year. The car was fast, I only hit the limiter twice during my 12 laps! I actually felt like I was in charge of a real race car. It was unbelievable! Going fast, hitting the marks, and all of the sensory input from the car is something that one must experience to know what it feels like! The friend I went with was amazed at how the car handled and was super impressed with the experience. Everyone was awesome again this year, from the track personnel to every employee of the experience. You can tell their goal is for you to have a great time! My friend and I are planning to book at Chicago next time. We understand it's the same group that works Iowa, so we know the staff will be awesome. BTW, the next time someone tells you that racing is just a bunch of guys turning left, get them into one of these RWREs. I assure you they will have a whole new respect for oval racing!!! read more

I got the Rusty Wallace Racing Experience for my birthday and I don't think I can write a review to do it justice. It was AWESOME. I would highly recommend the ride along for everybody. This shows you what the car is capable of. It is unbelievable that the car sticks like it does! You won't believe it! If you don't do the ride along you'll never know how hard you can push the car. Next comes the 8 lap solo drive. I could have stayed on the track all day. It only gets better and faster as you drive. The track is marked with a recommended drive line and spotters on the radio coach you and keep you safe and aware of what's going on around the track. All the staff are polite, trained and helpful to get you the most out of your experience. There is a professional racer teaching a class before your experience and he tells you all you needed to know, from safety, to rules and to tips to get you the most of your experience. The only thing I could think to improve the experience would to be to chase one of the professional drivers around the track. One of the best parts of the race was chasing down another car and passing him/her on the back stretch. Awesome...just awesome. read more

My wife bought me the driving experience as a gift and I loved it. When you check in you have to take a training session (our trainer was Terry, a retired stock car racer) that explains how to drive on the track, when to accelerate, when to decelerate, how the harnesses go on and come off, etc. It took about an hour but he had a lot of great advice. They do try to sell you add ons- I ended up buying the insurance (although check with your car insurance because it may be covered by your policy) and the three lap ride-along. I added the ride-along because I didn't want to waste four of my eight laps trying to get a feel for the track before I really got into it. I'm glad I did because once I got in the driver's seat I was comfortable and could really go! The spotters are great- they give you a headset to wear and they keep you in line, whether you are too high on the track, doing a great job, or need advice. Everyone from the check-in people to the trainers to the spotters to the photographers were great- really knowledgeable and helpful. The eight laps flew by! If I do it again I would definitely add extra laps! Overall a great experience! read more

This was an AWESOME experience! The classroom training really set the stage for the actual racing and the instructor, J.J. did a great job of setting proper expectations about the entire thing. The staff was great in fitting me with a helment and fire suit, getting me into the car, and a quick instruction on the gears and clutch. I had not driven a stick shift in about 10 years and the instructors walked me through it very well. When I got out on the track, the spotters were GREAT! He walked me through entering the track and getting up to speed and he was very positive and gave great complementary feed back the entire time! Everyone was very polite and helpful, which added the to experience. I would, and already have, recommended this experience to a bunch of my friends and family members! I would do it again in a heartbeat! Thank you for such a unique and awesome experience! read more

My family bought The Rusty Wallace Racing Experience for me for fathers day this year. I had a great time and will do this again. The classroom portion started on time and was very informative. The instructor explained what to expect and how to handle any emergency. I highly recommend the ride along with a pro driver to get a feel of the car and the track feels at speed. They have a spotter watching you drive and let you know how you are doing. The only time I was advised to slow down and pull to the left was when someone was passing me. Otherwise you drive as fast as you can safely handle the car. It was a great experience and I look forward to doing it again. I have already recommended this experience to some of my friends. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable on the experience which helped it to move along smoothly. All in all a great morning. read more

We set up our experience (3 drivers) Using a groupon/ living social deal so it was actuallt a pretty fair price. A couple weeks before the drive one of our drivers hurt his shoulder and couldnt drive. RWRE were very accomidating to us switching a driver and we made the switch easily. the day of the race went well with signs directing us where to go. and even allowed for our large group of spectators. We added a ride along the day of and ended up haveing to wait awhile in that line. after that we didnt have to wait long for our actual driving experience. and even though it was a short 10 lap experience it was incredible fun and everyone we saw (including our drivers) were grinning ear to ear when it was over. Overall it was a very well organized event and catered to the participants very well. I'm Very thankful for the experience! read more

My wife purchased this ride along at Christmas for me. I thought O.K. this will be fun three laps at Newton Speedway and I'm sure they won't get on it like in a race. When we got there they said for $20.00 more I could do a side by side 5 lap with passing so I said O.K.. Wow They gave those 500 horses a work out and ended up being 8 laps. I'll tell you my driver was one heck of a wheel man because a slow car came out of the pits as we were doing a cross over and both drivers reacted and over came the situation and maybe it was part of the plan, but it was a real adrenalin rush. Think I might drive one next year, if not I would definitely ride again. Great people, professional, and very friendly. Thanks for the real feel of being in a racecar as I have always been a Nascar fan. Frank McNeil Jr. read more

On June 1, 2014, I experienced the time of my life! I was given a 12 lap driving experience at the Rusty Wallace Racing Experience in Newton, IA as a Christmas gift from my children. What a day! From the welcoming staff to the drivers meeting, where we were given guidelines to getting the most from the experience, to the actual driving experience, the entire package was well run and accommodating. The emphasis on safety was obvious. The entire experience was over the top. This included photo plaques, in car videos, and instruction through ear pieces while driving at speed. I would recommend this experience to anyone whom has a need for speed and wants to go fast and turn left. It was truly an experience of a lifetime thanks to ALL the staff involved. read more

It was awesome! When you first get there you have that "what should I expect" questioning and anxiety going on in your head. But once you get into the drivers meeting all that turns to excitement! From that point on you can't wait to get into the Ride along or Drivers seat fast enough. I would suggest that you do the ride along because once you see that those cars are truly gripping the track you'll feel more comfortable and want to go FAST!!! Trust me those cars are a blast to drive! And for those of you who don't know, there's spotters up in the tower walking you through you whole drive experience! Gives you that comfort level if your still not real sure why you signed up for this... LOL read more

The staff at the Iowa Speedway were very courteous, knowledgeable and pleasant to talk to & be around. The one-hour briefing prior to driving was very informative and very clear on what the driver & staff expectations were going forward. And when the folks at the RWRE suggest you do a ride-along with a pro first before driving, they aren't kidding: it's the perfect way to get your bearings in the car and eyeball your marks on the track before getting in to drive for the first time. If I had the money, I would come back and do the RWRE at Iowa Speedway every time I could...just a great day! Jeff Cue Des Moines, IA 6/15/2014 read more

This experience was a definite game changer. I had no idea what to expect going into the speedway, and let me tell you that it was amazing. The safety briefing was great for someone who had never been in a real NASCAR before, and I appreciate every last bit of that. I would definitely recommend the ride along before driving that way you can actually feel how the car should handle with a professional driving. Thanks to the entire team. The only suggestion I would make it buy some more fire suits in the larger sizes. My family members had to wait around because all of the larger sizes were in use. read more

My brothers and I purchased the racing experience for our dad as a Fathers Day gift, and he loved it. We joined him on race day, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The only suggestion I would have would is to be provided with lap statistics. When I told everyone about us doing this the first question they asked was "how fast did you go"? I would think that some lap times and front stretch speeds would have been great to compare to my family members. I think we would pay extra for this, but how much more would be the question. We spent the rest of the day talking about doing this again! read more

I had a really awesome time, it was the best experience a guy could dream of. The thrill of being able to drive the car was a once in a life time experience. I think it was all very planned out on time, my class started pretty right on time and I was only in class for 30 minutes, I got to ride for the 3 laps, and then was able to drive my own car. I am very pleased with my experience and will be telling multiple people about how amazing it was! I do wish I could have been able to drive faster, I was yelled at for going too fast but was handling the car totally fine. read more

My daughters and wife bought me this experience for my Birthday and Father's Day. It was AWSOME!! Great instructions by JJ on both what to do and what not to do. Everything went as explained and the spotters did a good job getting you around the track and moving several out of my way. It was a great experience for a gear head like me and even better that my family could watch it up close. I would do this again and for sure a longer session. Anyone who loves cars should do this. read more

It was an incredible experience to drive a real NASCAR! I did the ride along first which gave me an authentic feel for real racing, but it also prepared me for getting into the car for myself. My wife purchased the 8 lap driving experience for me which really only gives you a taste for what driving a NASCAR is really like. Now I have a desire to do it again because it's hard to know what to expect the first time through. But I recommend it for any NASCAR fan. read more

I was very pleased with the atmosphere the workers were very informative and very well informed of any question asked was answered and if they didn't know they found out for me. I would recommend the experience to anyone wanting to get that thrill of a life time. The wait time was not long I will be trying to get a drive time lined up soon I hope. hope this review helps anyone looking. read more

Best Christmas gift ever! Had a great time. If you ever wanted to know what its like to drive a race car, you've got to do it. I have a much greater appreciation for the real NASCAR drivers and their spotters. Exciting, nerve racking and a little scary all at the same time. The only issue I had was that I couldn't find the brake pedal getting into the corners. I'll be back! read more