Back in May of 2012, we had the pleasure of visiting with our son, Ryan, at Monster Racing* Excitement at the Dover International Speedway in Dover, DE.
“What in the world is Monster Racing Excitement?,” you may be saying. Co-Founded in 1995 by legendary NASCAR Stock Car Driver Reds Kagle and his partner Sonny Kruhm, Monster Racing brings the fan “out of the stands and onto the track.” From the Monster Racing website we read:
Monster Racing allows you to get behind the wheel of a genuine stock car and experience first hand what it is like to be a real driver taking on the Monster Mile®.
Their programs include a variety of Ride Only, Drive or Ride & Drive packages. Participants can also get professional photos taken of them in the car and can also order their actual In-Car video DVD of their drive as a souvenir.
Ryan was gifted the opportunity to experience the Ride and Drive package and we made a “Family Day” of 
it with his Mom and Dad, and some of his Aunts and Uncles joining him at the track. In fact, his Uncle Ken has been working with Monster since its founding.
The whole Monster Racing operation is top notch. They run two shifts, morning and afternoon. We were in the morning. They’ve got the whole experience well orchestrated from the moment you arrive. Drivers get an Driver Orientation in a van driven around the track by one of the professional drivers. They go over the rules of the track and what to expect. Then you get suited up in protective gear. Go for your Ride (if part of your package). Then you get another Driver Meeting prior to taking the wheel.
I was able to shoot some video of the day. I had three HD cameras on hand. My Panasonic HMC40, Panasonic Lumix GH2 and a GoPro Hero2. Since we wanted to keep all the footage in HD, we swapped out the Monster video SD camera for the Lumix for the In-Car video. We mounted the Hero2 on the side of one of the cars using a suction cup system. Unfortunately, the speed and vibration proved to be too much for it and we had to stop the entire event temporarily while the staff went out on the track to retrieve “debris on the track” and collect the camera. It survived with only some minor scratches. But, we got some really good footage.
After Ryan’s ride, we had to see if he’d fit in the number 25 car, which had already been rigged with the Lumix camera. It would have thrown a proverbial wrench in the works had he not fit. But, fit he did and was all set to drive. Once loaded, off they went and he did terrific. By the time he took the white flag, they were zipping around the track pretty good.
The whole day proved to be grand fun. “Mrs. J” even took a ride — Well actually two rides.
Due to my crazy work schedule, the post event video editing was done “catch as catch can” but began in earnest as Christmas was approaching. I thought it would be a nice gift for Ryan.
Well without further ado, I’m happy to share “A Day at Monster Racing.” This is a rather large file so it may take a while to download, depending on your internet connection. If you want the full 720p HD version, you can click on this link (NOTE: 1.13GB): A Day at Monster Racing (720p)
UPDATE: We were sorry to hear that Monster Racing has closed up shop in Dover, DE.