Imagine Lifestyles 'Exotic Sports Car Racetrack Experience'... my experience

polizei · 03-03-2012, 07:30 AM

For Christmas this past year, I asked my wife for one of those Living Social racetrack experiences at the New Jersey Motorsports Park. The ad specified that it was normally $300-400 for the experience, and it was on sale for $150. This is an offering of 'Imagine Lifestyles' and they refer to it as the 'Exotic Sports Car Racetrack Experience'. The details indicated that you received a 'petal to the metal experience' and 'two hot laps' in the exotic of your choice:

Ferrari F430
Ferrari California
Lamborghini Gallardo (2)
Mercedes SLS
Audi R8

I selected the F430 because I've never had the opportunity to drive an Italian super-car, and the F430 strikes me as the most iconic of the group. Upon arriving at the track, I was directed to registration where all drivers are required to purchase track insurance. It's a little annoying that this wasn't baked into the initial cost, but I'm sure it was in the fine print. No problem. Here were the insurance options:

Thinking that I'd be doing hot laps in a quarter-million $$ car, I figured I'd pay $100 for a $250 deductible up to $200k. I also splurged and spent $25 for an in-car video of my 'petal to the metal experience'.

Onto Driver's Training... This was actually one of the best parts. A long-time PCA instructor delivered the training, and he did an excellent job of reviewing cornering, apexes, tire patches, etc. Roughly 40 drivers turned out for the event.

Onto the racing... Imagine Lifestyles organized the group into 6 lines - one for each super-car. A Subaru WRX served as the pace car, and then the 6 super-cars followed in a single-line formation. No passing allowed. An instructor sat in each car. I was 4th in line to drive the F430, and observed the tacky management of the event. The Imagine Lifestyle employees were so clearly trying to rush customers through so they could process all 40 individuals within one hour. You're expecting fine dining and you get you boot camp mess hall treatment. Annoying but I get it.

As you can imagine, with a single-line formation you only go as fast as the guy in front of you. And from watching the first 3 groups, it was not fast. My turn came to take the wheel. I handed the instructor my SD card to capture video of the experience. I felt nervous excitement build as I pulled out of the pits, expecting to experience the rush of the F430s growling V8. I pulled onto the track and found my instructor to be a control freak or a ninny - probably a combination of the two. There were a few occasions in which he felt the need to reach for the steering wheel. Watch the video to see for yourself, and please notice how slow I'm going... Even if my instructor had been more liberal, I was limited by the guy in front of me:

IL Racing Experience at NJMP - YouTube

After finishing up, I was instructed to pick up the SD card containing my video. In frustration, I told the individual managing the videos that I really wasn't interested in seeing it and that I'd like a refund for the video if possible. She was taken back and asked why. I told her, "I was disappointed by the experience and didn't have any fun. I'm not really interested in having a video to remember this experience." She said that I couldn't have a refund, so I agreed to take the video.

She then grabbed the Imagine Lifestyles Manager for the event, and he asked me, "What's the problem?" I explained that I thought the event was misrepresented and that it wasn't any fun. I mentioned that if it was possible, I'd like my $25 back for the video. I also mentioned that had I know how slow I'd be going around the track, I would not have spent a dollar more on insurance than required. He explained that the focus of the program was on safety and that they had a guy the previous day total an F430, which really shook up a lot of the instructors. Understood. I said that if I knew what I was getting into, I would not have driven 1.5 hours and spent nearly $300 for 4 minutes of mediocre driving. I was bracing for a response of "Tough luck... Do your research". I was truly taken back. He nodded, and then offered to let me do another 2 laps directly behind the pace car in a Ferrari California. Of course, I agreed and followed him back to the track!!

This time around was MUCH better. The instructor riding along asked me to describe my track experience. I gave him some background, and then said, "Well go ahead and let's see how you do." So, I gunned it around the first few corners, and he said, "I'm not sure how much I need to tell you - you're doing fine." I thanked him for the compliment and ran down the pace car, who seemed happy enough to push it up a notch. We made it around the track without incident and without the need for the instructor to reach for the steering wheel... I thanked the instructor for being cool about it and doubly thanked the manager for turning the day around for me.

All in all, I think the program is a good fit for folks that have never been on a racetrack and are just looking for the experience of being behind the wheel of an exotic. If you're expecting to experience the power and handling of an exotic, this program is probably not for you, unless you're lucky enough to have a cool instructor AND not be behind a slow car. Because of these factors, I feel that the program was misrepresented by Living Social and Imagine Lifestyles. The average individual going through this program does not have a "petal to the metal experience" or the opportunity for "2 hot laps". My takeaway was to save my $$ for DE...

Zeke · 03-03-2012, 08:03 AM

I've done both the Richard Petty stock car thing and the Mario Andretti open wheel thing and both were a LOT better than that sounded. Yet, some woman managed to kill herself at MA.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

Andy,
I'm glad they took care of you, they probably deal with idiots all day... I got to drive at the Mid Ohio track several years ago and it was a $1500 "all day school and 1hr on the track" kind of thing. I won it at the "Porsches to Oxford" event. I loved it and they took my wife out in the skid car, so the day was fantastic and I would strongly recommend it. We drove the Honda S2000 and the Acura TSX, no Ferraris, but the cars moved and they let us drive at the speed that we were comfortable at, which made up for the "non exotic" cars...

HardDrive · 03-03-2012, 01:36 PM

I can't imagine the crap those guys have to deal with.

polizei · 03-05-2012, 11:06 AM

Thanks for the comments guys - I'll have to give one of those other driving experiences a shot at some point. Though, I think I'll get my money's worth just by plugging into some PCA DE events and receiving some instruction there.

HardDrive - you're absolutely right. The manager mentioned to me that some of his staff were pretty shaken up by hooligan's the day prior. I imagine that an event where you're committed to an entire day of driving may be a safer environment for everyone than one in which you only have 2 laps of SPEED and everyone inevitably tries to squeeze out every ounce of fun.

motion · 03-05-2012, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeke

I've done both the Richard Petty stock car thing and the Mario Andretti open wheel thing and both were a LOT better than that sounded. Yet, some woman managed to kill herself at MA.

Zeke: Where did you do the Andretti experience? Any advice? I have a gift card to do that.

72doug2,2S · 72doug2,2S's Garage

Can someone explain the insurance to me? I have insurance on my car, if someone else drives it, the the car is covered, if I rent a car I also am covered.

Is the insurance due to the fact you're on the track and that isn't covered under yours or theirs?

Another insurance question.

Each Fall, I am involved in driving a series of hot exotics in traffic a few miles. For example a '70s Ferrari Daytona convertible. This car is probably $500-1,000k? If I wrecked it who's insurance is going to pay?

The event costs me nothing, I am simply a very lucky volunteer.

polizei · 03-05-2012, 11:44 AM

Hi Doug - Most insurance companies do not cover vehicles driven on a racetrack and therefore you must look elsewhere for insurance. It's my understanding that most of these driving programs require additional insurance to participate.

In regards to your other question, if the state requires insurance for the vehicle to be registered, then the insurance of the title-holder would likely be covering you. Insurance companies generally cover the vehicle provided that the holder of the insurance "authorizes" you to drive the vehicle. The fact that they gave you the keys to drive it should serve as authorization, and since you're on a public road, I don't believe you'd bear any personal financial liability. Now if they make you sign a waiver, all bets are off!

72doug2,2S · 72doug2,2S's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by polizei

Hi Doug - Most insurance companies do not cover vehicles driven on a racetrack and therefore you must look elsewhere for insurance. It's my understanding that most of these driving programs require additional insurance to participate.

In regards to your other question, if the state requires insurance for the vehicle to be registered, then the insurance of the title-holder would likely be covering you. Insurance companies generally cover the vehicle provided that the holder of the insurance "authorizes" you to drive the vehicle. The fact that they gave you the keys to drive it should serve as authorization, and since you're on a public road, I don't believe you'd bear any personal financial liability. Now if they make you sign a waiver, all bets are off!

That is good news. Now I can love the feeling again of starting up the Daytona and driving off without thinking, I really hope I don't have a crash. I have to say, it is so "choice" to drive.