INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WDRB) — A bright — and thankfully cooler — Saturday morning in May gave me the chance to swap my sports jacket for a racing suit and finally live out a lifelong dream.

Growing up in the Indianapolis area, I’ve always wanted to get out on the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That opportunity finally came — and it was every bit as thrilling as I imagined.

Dressed in a full racing suit, fire-resistant gloves, and a protective head sock under my helmet, I was prepped just like a professional driver. The man behind the wheel? None other than Davey Hamilton — a veteran of 11 Indy 500 races.

Getting into the car wasn’t as hard as I expected. These purpose-built cars are surprisingly solid, but once I was seated, I was strapped in tightly. And I mean tight. Breathing became a bit of a challenge.

We took off from pit lane and onto the IMS road course, which winds just shy of 2.5 miles with 14 turns. As we sped north down the main straightaway, I quickly realized: this ride was built for speed, not comfort.

Moving into the early turns, Davey Hamilton began weaving the car back and forth — heating up the tires, just like during a real race. It was hard to tell exactly how fast we were going, but I could feel the g-forces building as he navigated the twists and curves.

Then, suddenly, we were on the oval — where things got real.

The car surged forward into Turn 1 of the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and that’s when I noticed my helmet riding higher on my face than it should’ve been. It wasn’t tightened down properly, and it definitely made the high-speed portion of the ride a bit more intense than I bargained for.

For just over three and a half minutes, I experienced the thrill of a high-speed ride along at IMS. The pros average about 115 miles per hour on the road course during the GMR Grand Prix. We weren’t quite that fast — but we weren’t far off.

Had my helmet been fully secure, it might’ve been the perfect ride. But even with a few bumps, it was an unforgettable experience — one I won’t soon forget.

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