What’s on your bucket list? If you’re a car guy or gal, there are two things that most likely made the cut: driving an exotic sports car and driving such a car on a racetrack. Now, thanks to a new enterprise in St. Louis called Apex Motorsport, you can kill two birds with one stone! Last fall, the guys at Apex were nice enough to invite me to their ‘Drive on a Track’ experience at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois. Though I’ve had a bit of track experience and have gotten to drive some amazing cars as an automotive journalist, there was still one I had never driven that I really wanted to: a Ferrari. As someone who views automobiles as moving sculptures, I have always admired Ferraris, but I’d never had the chance to sit in the driver’s seat. Until recently. For Apex’s track day, I was asked which car I’d like to drive. My choices were a track-prepped BMW M3, a Nissan GTR track edition, a Porsche GT3 and a Ferrari 458 Italia. Fortunately, the Ferrari was available, and I arrived at the track with my helmet, new driving shoes and a lifetime worth of anticipation.
I was greeted by Tim Cowhey, someone I know from several track events at Gateway over the years. He had me sign some waivers and told me what to expect: 15 minutes of classroom instruction from an experienced driver to learn the fundamentals of track driving before heading out to meet our instructors and do it ourselves. Every instructor has tons of track experience and deep knowledge of the car his student is driving. Having someone talk you around the track is an invaluable resource, and a great comfort for those with little or no track experience.
I was not disappointed in the least. The Ferrari 458 Italia is a beautiful automobile, and getting to drive it was a real treat. It must be what a violinist feels when he gets to play a Stradivarius. It’s everything you could ask for in a sports car, with tons of power, superb handling, excellent brakes and a soundtrack that resembles a symphony to a petrolhead like me. I just wish Ferrari still made cars with manual transmissions.
After we finished our four laps, there was another group of participants waiting its turn. One of the ladies waiting pulled me aside and told me they were scared since I had been driving so fast. I assured her it was not my first time around a track, and I had to take full advantage of getting to drive a Ferrari!
Though not something you’re going to do every week, this experience is perfect if you’re a car lover or know of someone who would appreciate the gift. Prices for the driving program I did start at $250, and you must be at least 21 years old. If you want to just ride with a professional driver, it’s $130. You also can choose certain cars for a street rental (starting at $100/day) or a track event (contact Apex for details). Check out all of the details, including Apex’s high-performance driving education and group and corporate events, at apexmotorsport.com.