I Wanna Go Fast

This past weekend, Cody and I + his family headed to Talladega, Alabama so Cody and his brother could go really, really fast!

Last Christmas, Cody's mom gifted him and his brother a gift certificate for the NASCAR Racing Experience. Once they were given the gift, the two boys picked a track they wanted to shake n' bake at - which turned out to be Talladega. Since the racing experience crew travels to different tracks each weekend, we had to wait until May when they'd be back in Alabama.
We live only about two hours away from the track, but since we had to be there early in the morning, it made more sense to get a hotel nearby on Saturday night and then hit the track Sunday morning. Once we arrived at the track, the boys checked in and received their awfully cute fire suits and buzzers. Before they could tear up the asphalt, the program holds a "driver's meeting" like the real drivers do Sunday mornings. In the driver's meeting, they're introduced to their "crew chief" and watch a tutorial/safety video. Friends and family are more than welcome to attend, and drivers for the day are encouraged to ask questions before jumping in the cars. 
Once the driver's meeting was over, we headed to the track, where you wait your turn to get in the racecar. Each driver has a buzzer, kinda like a restaurant beeper, and when it goes off, it's your time to get fitted for your helmet. While you're waiting for your turn, the racing experience offers a ride-along program for those who don't feel comfortable getting behind the wheel. Cale's fiance', Anissa, decided she wanted to join in on the fun and paid for the racing experience with a professional driver. Not only can you enjoy the ride a little more since you aren't having to be in control of the car, you get to go faster than if you drove by yourself! She absolutely loved the experience! Totally on my bucket list!
Finally it was time for Cale to get fitted for his helmet, and hop in the car. As Cale was whipping it around the track, Cody was getting prepped for his turn in the car once Cale came in from his laps. We were able to watch them from a stand on pit road, which was really neat! Cody had the best time pretending to be a real NASCAR driver and already wants to do it again. We had the best time, and I strongly encourage anybody with a need for speed to check it out! (a great father's day gift idea also!)
*I'll pre-apologize for the photo dump I'm about to pour onto this blog post. But it's the best way to get out all these cool pictures to everybody involved in the experience!