Coach rode in two-seat NASCAR piloted by Sam Hornish
OBrien exhilarated by high-speed laps
By Conrad Brunner | July 20, 2009
The first thing they invited everyone to do was eat.
For those of us just tagging along to chronicle the event, that was a nice gesture. For those like Pacers Coach Jim O'Brien, soon to don a firesuit, strap on a helmet and take a 175-mph lap around Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a stock car driven by Sam Hornish, it was more like a challenge.
In fact, when driver Ryan Briscoe – who would take passengers around the track in a two-seat Indy Car – strolled through the makeshift dining room on his way to the track, he smiled and said, "don't eat too much."
O'Brien was one of several celebrities – including Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who arrived on his Harley-Davidson – to take high-speed rides around the Speedway on Monday as a special event to promote Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard NASCAR race.
"I'm nervous, as you might imagine," O'Brien said beforehand. "I've never done anything like this before. I've always wanted to do it and I'm really looking forward to it. I think it'll be a hoot."
Asked if it would feel strange to have his fate in someone else's hands, O'Brien laughed.
"I don't want to be in control of this," he said. "I want a professional in control."
The vehicles used are two-seat replicas of their racing brethren in the IndyCar and NASCAR Sprint Cup series. The Indy replica, valued at $650,000, will reach speeds approaching 200 mph and will lap at an average speed of around 175.
Briscoe apparently hasn't spent much – if any – time in the two-seater cockpit. Upon being strapped into the driver's seat, he examined the buttons on his steering wheel and promptly asked a crew member, "What does this one do?"
The Dodge Challenger stock car is nearly as fast, lapping at around 165 mph with top speeds in excess of 175.
"It's very similar to what the race on Sundays," said Ron Dabisch of Richard Petty Driving Experience, which provides the crew for the ride-alongs. "It has a little bit less horsepower, kind of like a setup for a restrictor-plate race, but it's perfect for this program."
Dabisch also said the cars were "over-engineered for safety," which was nice for me to hear but might've meant more to O'Brien – who, by the way, did choose to eat beforehand.
"What's the worst that could happen?" he said with a devilish grin.
After trying the IndyCar on for size and finding it "too claustrophobic," O'Brien opted instead to take his laps with Hornish.
After sliding in through the passenger-side window and hanging on for three laps, O'Brien emerged exhilarated, using words like "frightening," "thrilling," and "awe-inspiring" to describe the experience.
"I was white-knuckling it all the way around," he said with a smile. "I was grabbing everything except his knee."
He also developed an instant respect for the athleticism required of the drivers.
"I certainly have a better appreciation for what it's like for the drivers," he said. "The strength it requires. Out there, nobody's around us; I can't imagine doing it with cars all around you lap after lap. It's thrilling and awe-inspiring."
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For those of us just tagging along to chronicle the event, that was a nice gesture. For those like Pacers Coach Jim O'Brien, soon to don a firesuit, strap on a helmet and take a 175-mph lap around Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a stock car driven by Sam Hornish, it was more like a challenge.
In fact, when driver Ryan Briscoe – who would take passengers around the track in a two-seat Indy Car – strolled through the makeshift dining room on his way to the track, he smiled and said, "don't eat too much."
O'Brien was one of several celebrities – including Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who arrived on his Harley-Davidson – to take high-speed rides around the Speedway on Monday as a special event to promote Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard NASCAR race.
"I'm nervous, as you might imagine," O'Brien said beforehand. "I've never done anything like this before. I've always wanted to do it and I'm really looking forward to it. I think it'll be a hoot."
Asked if it would feel strange to have his fate in someone else's hands, O'Brien laughed.
"I don't want to be in control of this," he said. "I want a professional in control."
The vehicles used are two-seat replicas of their racing brethren in the IndyCar and NASCAR Sprint Cup series. The Indy replica, valued at $650,000, will reach speeds approaching 200 mph and will lap at an average speed of around 175.
Briscoe apparently hasn't spent much – if any – time in the two-seater cockpit. Upon being strapped into the driver's seat, he examined the buttons on his steering wheel and promptly asked a crew member, "What does this one do?"
The Dodge Challenger stock car is nearly as fast, lapping at around 165 mph with top speeds in excess of 175.
"It's very similar to what the race on Sundays," said Ron Dabisch of Richard Petty Driving Experience, which provides the crew for the ride-alongs. "It has a little bit less horsepower, kind of like a setup for a restrictor-plate race, but it's perfect for this program."
Dabisch also said the cars were "over-engineered for safety," which was nice for me to hear but might've meant more to O'Brien – who, by the way, did choose to eat beforehand.
"What's the worst that could happen?" he said with a devilish grin.
After trying the IndyCar on for size and finding it "too claustrophobic," O'Brien opted instead to take his laps with Hornish.
After sliding in through the passenger-side window and hanging on for three laps, O'Brien emerged exhilarated, using words like "frightening," "thrilling," and "awe-inspiring" to describe the experience.
"I was white-knuckling it all the way around," he said with a smile. "I was grabbing everything except his knee."
He also developed an instant respect for the athleticism required of the drivers.
"I certainly have a better appreciation for what it's like for the drivers," he said. "The strength it requires. Out there, nobody's around us; I can't imagine doing it with cars all around you lap after lap. It's thrilling and awe-inspiring."
