AUSSIES LEAVE THEIR MARK

“We get a lot of Aussies out here and we always have a lot of fun with them,” says head driving instructor Mark Skinner, who has been with the Richard Pett y Driving Experience for nine years. An accomplished racer himself, Mark says while the school’s cars are skinned and framed to be very similar to Sprint Cup Nascars, they are closer in performance and behaviour to the Nationwide support series machines. “We run 355 inch Chevy Bowtie blocks with alloy heads, hi-rise manifolds and 900cfm carbs. Rear ends are nine-inch and we run Richmond 4-speeds," said Mark. “A lot of Aussies tend to get a little too close to the wall in Turn One on their first couple of laps, so we sometimes have to bring ‘em down the track a little. But they always have fun.” Visitors can book the three-lap Ride-A-Long Experience, which has you in the passenger seat being chauffeured around the track by one of the school’s instructors for $US109, or you can take on the banking yourself for eight laps with the Rookie Experience, with the instructor coming along for the ride. This one will set you back $US499. All the cars are well prepared and presented and the instructors go through a thorough training program before they qualif y to sit in the right seat. For more information, go to: drivepetty.com.