Flick through any motoring magazine and you’ll probably find a test-drive story with a journalist flogging a road or race car around a circuit. In most cases the journo comes across as a right royal tosser, pretending to be a Michael Schumacher when he’d struggle to beat a David Thexton.

These stories waffle on with lines like “tip the car in at 200 squillion km/h and you detect a hint of oversteer, that’s easily corrected in these experienced hands”. All we can detect from such crap are that the hands are experienced at one thing – and it’s not steering!

As you’ve probably gathered, V8X tries to remain a wanker-free zone (except, maybe, for the ‘ArmcHair’ column. Just kidding, Nev...).

It’s also usually been a test drive-free zone – until now. Understandably, no V8 Supercar team has been stupid enough to let us loose in their $300,000+ race car. And mere mortals like V8X staffers probably couldn’t get a Bathurst-bred V8 out of pitlane, much less safely around a proper race track.

So when the blokes from V8RACE Experience rang up and said they were offering a drive in a ‘user-friendly’ Supercar-inspired BA Falcon at speeds of around 200 clicks, for the average punter, we thought it was time to check it out. We also had another motive to sample what they are offering.

V8X gets dozens of requests from readers and their partners for gift ideas. A typical email is: “my boyfriend/husband’s birthday is coming up and he is a huge V8 Supercar fan. Is there anywhere he can drive a V8?”.

Until now, our answer was “er, dunno”. From now on, however, we’ll be looking at referring such requests to the V8RACE Experience.

While this mob has been around for a while, operating out of Queensland Raceway, they have just set up shop in Melbourne and Sydney.

Mexicans can purchase five or eight laps at pace at Melbourne’s Calder Park, while Sydneysiders get to charge around Eastern Creek. As I’m from the Emerald City, V8X editor Big Hair Nev sent me out to the Creek for a blast.

Nev had another reason for choosing your humble correspondent for this assignment – I have never driven on a racetrack, much less raced a high performance car. Both he and V8RACE Experience wanted a racing rookie to illustrate that anyone with a road licence can do this. And that’s what they got, a complete greenhorn. (Though I did try my hand, once, at a motorkhana. This performance left me a sizzling 67th in the 2002 NSW Motorkhana Championship. No, don’t be impressed...)

Anyway, I lobbed at Eastern Creek and was ushered into the V8RACE Experience drivers’ briefing area with a group of (mostly) gift voucher recipients. Here Konica Series team owner, and the bloke running the program, Rod Dawson, was preparing to give his pre-drive spiel, before we suited up.

I was expecting to hear a long list of ‘don’ts’ from Rod, but got the complete opposite.

In fact, one of his opening statements blew me away.

“Our instructors usually encourage people to go faster, rather than asking them to slow down,” Dawson said. “We try to take people outside of their comfort levels, while maintaining a safe environment for them.”

This approach included marking out the racing line (read, the fastest line) with witches’ hats. This allows rookie drivers like me to concentrate on nailing the throttle, steering and braking without fretting about which line to take through corners.

And let me tell you, when it came time to hit the track, threading the needle through those hats was a godsend.

The hats enabled a joker like me to confidently steer the BA around the Creek – including the notoriously quick Turn One – at a much higher speed than without. Otherwise I would have struggled to negotiate one of Australian motorsport’s most thrilling sweepers. After all, this was the corner where Skaifey had his biggest ever accident a decade ago...

For me, blasting through Turn One was the highlight of the afternoon. But it wasn’t the only one.

As a V8 Supercar purist, I wasn’t expecting the three Falcons to look and sound like the cars that thrash around The Mountain each October. But I was pleasantly surprised. Of the three, I was strapped into a replica of Glenn Seton’s #5 Ford Performance Racing Falcon, which reflects Ford’s support of the program.

The paint-scheme and the aero kit was a faithful reproduction of Seto’s current steed, with only the windscreen signage and the wheels outwardly different. The CSA wheels are the same as those used in V8BRute racing.

Another Falcon was painted up similar to Steve Ellery’s BA, which reminds me that punters can purchase V8RACE Experience gift vouchers at Super Cheap Auto stores. The third machine’s livery displays the drive program’s other corporate partners.

The cars started life as roadgoing BA Falcon XR8s, but have been extensively modified to bring them towards V8 Supercar spec. Frankly, unless you’re a tech head like Jimmy Stone or Larry Perkins you’d be hard-pressed to pick the difference at first glance.

They run on racing tyres, and the stripped interior — which improves the car’s power-to-weight ratio – features a full rollcage.

“We gutted them and put in a Supercar-style cage,” Dawson told me. “Then we added racing seats, harnesses and window nets.”

And like their full-on V8 Supercar cousins, Dawson’s V8RACE Experience crew has paid particular attention to the shock and spring package.

“We’ve dropped them down on the ground, to lower the ride height,” he confirmed. “The closer you get them to the ground, the less likely the chance of one going over. I work on the basis of getting cars to the lowest ride height possible, because in an emergency situation that may well save you.”

The safety focus is a necessity, as speeds topping 200km/h are be achieved, depending on the driver’s skill and bravery.

As I’m generally lacking in both departments, it was reassuring to have the mandatory instructor strapped into a racing seat next to me. And this is where Rod Dawson’s earlier words rang true. Once the instructors see that you’re in control of the situation, they indeed encourage you to push beyond your comfort zone.

First lap out is a ‘sighter’, to get used to the car and to warm up the rubber, before really getting into it. To make things easier, only third and fourth gears are needed to set what feels like a blistering pace.

“We don’t make people chug around in fifth gear, like some other programs do,” was Dawson’s mantra.

Heading down the Creek’s main straight on my second lap, I can’t resist a glance at the speedo. The needle hits 180km/h, and I’m determined to see it nudge 200 before my five laps are up.

This shouldn’t be too difficult as the car is much better than the driver. ‘Seto’s’ Falcon feels remarkably stable at high speed, especially through Turn One and under brakes.

Throughout my run I can hear the instructor calmly dishing out advice via the earpiece in my helmet. Typical instructor chat is “pick up the throttle”, “roll through the corner”, and “off the brakes”.

I’m conscious of another of Dawson’s comments during the briefing, so I’m pleased to have met my ‘200 kay’ goal, before the chequered flag was waved at me.

“Look, we get some big boofy blokes, who are all gung-ho before they go out. But when they get in the car it’s like they were in (the movie) Driving Miss Daisy,” he smirked. “Then there are the really quiet types, who look like they work in a library, who end up being the daredevils. You can never pick it.”

After driving ‘Seto’s’ car, I’m a resigned to the fact that I was probably in the Miss Daisy category. Not that I give a rat’s, er, backside, as the experience was an absolute buzz. For a moment there – just a fleeting second – I felt like a V8 Supercar ace.

The speed of the things is genuinely impressive. Even the aforementioned ‘tosser’ journalists would reluctantly agree.

If you’re reading this article thinking “hmmm, sounds all right”, and are sick of unwrapping sox and undies on your birthday, here’s a suggestion. Leave your copy of V8X, open at this story, somewhere where your missus (or hubby) will find it. Then hope they take the hint...

A fair-dinkum race team

While the name ‘V8RACE Experience’ might sound like a ride at a Gold Coast theme park, the drive program does have a decent dollop of race credibility. It’s the brainchild of Queensland V8 Supercar team boss Rod Dawson.

Dawson runs a three-car squad in the Konica Minolta V8 Supercar series, spearheaded by banana-bender Wayne Wakefield. The former Stone Brothers Racing enduro driver races the Greenfield Mowers/Century Batteries Falcon vacated earlier this season by Brett Peters.

Peters and Dawson combined to win back-to-back GT Performance championships in a Subaru WRX STi before stepping up to Konica competition last year. The team posted a race win upon its championship debut at Wakefield Park, before finishing an impressive fourth in the 2003 championship.

Peters cited a desire to concentrate on his camera retailing business after the 2004 series’ first round, opening the door for Wakefield to return to V8 competition.

Wakefield, who has the biggest fan following of all the Konica series drivers, has been known to pop up at V8RACE Experience track days from time to time. Such was the case at the inaugural Eastern Creek drive day, as it was held immediately following the track’s recent round of the feeder series.

Beats sox and undies

As the V8 Supercar category has gone from strength to strength, so has demand for an authentic Supercar-style driving experience.

According to V8RACE Experience’s Greg Evans, some 2000 enthusiasts have paid $199 each over the last 12 months for 5 laps behind the wheel of a high performance V8 at Queensland Raceway. Hence, the expansion into Melbourne and Sydney.

“V8 Supercars are difficult to get a ride in, let alone a drive,” Evans, the organisation’s marketing guru, said.

“We get enthusiasts who want to get behind the wheel of something they feel comfortable driving, but a car like nothing they have driven before.

“The cars look great; sound loud; and go fast. The cars have a real racing feel about them, but they give drivers a strong sense of being in control.”

Greg Evans – not the bloke who hosted long-running TV dating game Perfect Match – said V8RACE Experience made a conscious decision to make them look like the real thing.

“That’s really part of the appeal. People want to drive cars similar to those they watch on television.

“It is the closest thing to a V8 Supercar that Joe Average is ever going to get the opportunity to drive. Unfortunately, even if you could afford to allow the public to drive a V8 Supercar, 99 per cent of the population couldn’t get one out of pitlane.”

V8RACE Experience offers two vouchers – red and gold.

“Because the three tracks we operate out of are all different, there’s a $199 five lap voucher for Calder Park or Queensland Raceway. And there’s a $299 voucher for five laps at Eastern Creek or eight laps at Calder or QR.

“The price is based on the hiring cost of the track.”

Evans said V8RACE Experience eventually hopes to operate in every major city.

“We reckon we could build a good program around cars based in Perth, Adelaide and Auckland.

“Many of the participants come via gift vouchers. A lot of these are purchased by women, following a hint being dropped by a bloke.”

How do I get it? V8RACE Experience includes: Booking and pass or gift certificate mail out Pre-drive Tuition Race Suit and Helmet In-car Coach and safety briefing Your Drive for a set number of laps (refer RED or GOLD Pass) Photo certificate Option 1: $199 RED Pass Package Includes 5 laps at Calder Park National Circuit or Queensland Raceway Option 2: $299 GOLD Pass Package Includes 5 laps at Eastern Creek International Raceway or 8 laps at Calder Park National Circuit or Queensland Raceway Optional extra: $45 for in-car video of your Drive with dash mounted cameras for in-car driver and on-track action Dates available at all tracks: Calder Park from June Queensland Raceway from June Eastern Creek from October For more information or to book Vouchers and Gift Certificates call: Calder Park and Eastern Creek 03 9427 9531 Queensland Raceway 07 5461 9100 Or purchase directly from any SuperCheap Auto store.