Mar 23, 2015 3 min read

Local gearheads will now be able to rev their engines at Motordrome Speedway.

The Richard Petty Driving Experience, which allows amateur drivers to get behind the wheel of real race cars at NASCAR tracks across the country, is coming to the half-mile oval in Smithton for the first time beginning next month.

“This is a big coup for Motordrome and the entire region,” track owner and operator Todd Melfi said.

The Driving Experience typically runs its driving school at major speedways that host NASCAR Sprint Cup events, but Melfi said Motordrome was chosen as a “pilot program” to see how it would work at a local short track. Melfi, who worked with former NASCAR champion Rusty Wallace to build Iowa Speedway nearly a decade ago, said his affiliation with the driving school helped to attract it to the track just off Interstate 70.

“Anybody who talks about ride-alongs in a race car or doing the driving experience … you’ve heard of Richard Petty,” Melfi said of the seven-time NASCAR champion and namesake of the driving school. “It’s the industry leader in the world for providing real NASCAR ride and drive (experiences) and gives the fans a chance to feel what it’s like to be behind the wheel.”

The ride-along and driving experiences will be available on various weekend dates in April, May, June, September and October. Eight laps behind the wheel of a race car will cost $249, while a three-lap ride-along in the passenger seat with a professional driver costs $99.

The driving school typically uses former NASCAR stock cars with modified engines to run at slightly slower speeds than professional lap times. Melfi said the Driving Experience has several extra cars in its inventory “collecting dust,” and the partnership with a local track offered a new opportunity for them to be showcased. He expects about five race cars to remain at the track during the season. They can be used for promotional events when not be in use by the driving school.

“This is an opportunity for them to try it as a pilot program, and if it does work, take it as a model program to other tracks across the country to see if they can make it work there,” Melfi said. “We’ve kicked the tires a bit in the offseason and worked the numbers in the offseason. We fully expect this to work.”

Chris Kirby, the director of marketing for Petty Holdings LLC, said it was a natural fit to bring the driving experience to Western Pennsylvania and the speedway in Westmoreland County.

“Petty Holdings has a great relationship with the Motordrome team, and we also looked at the geography, with the Pittsburgh area being known for its racing enthusiasts and affinity for sports in general,” Kirby said in a written statement. “Richard Petty Driving Experience will allow those fans to get up close and personal with NASCAR.”

Motordrome Speedway holds weekly Friday night races for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series during the summer. The NASCAR K&N Pro East Series, a regional touring division, will run at the track Aug. 15.

More information on the Richard Petty Driving Experience at Motordrome Speedway can be found online at www.drivepetty.com. Motordrome’s racing schedule and other track information can be found at www.motordrome.com.