On the fast track in Miami

November 14: Cathy and I went our separate ways today – her to go shopping at Sawgrass, me to go very, very fast in a race car at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

What a nice view to enjoy our morning coffee in front of 🙂


We got off to a very late start, but just before 11:00 I finally got next door to the Doral resort, picked up my Hertz rental car, and set the GPS to the race track about 30 miles south.


There’s a whole lot of pavement and concrete in South Florida, but with a GPS, getting around is quite easy. This is the approach to Homestead-Miami.

Homestead-Miami Speedway

Next weekend is the Ford NASCAR Championship Weekend, a major event. The parking at the track goes on forever – it must total at least 100 acres. There’s grandstand seating for 65,000 people at Homestead-Miami. To show you what that looks like from my perspective, that’s well over double the population of the entire Yukon.

Homestead-Miami Speedway

Holey moley this place is big!! It took me a while to find the right gate. After driving around for a while I finally went to an area that I knew was wrong and a security guard there pointed me around the the back, Gate 18.

Homestead-Miami Speedway

Things are getting set up for the big weekend, with lots of big motorhomes.

Homestead-Miami Speedway

The pace car and some support vehicles.

Mustang pace car at Homestead-Miami Speedway

I signed in and got a pass to drive into the infield. That itself is cool 🙂

Homestead-Miami Speedway

These are the car-haulers for the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

Richard Petty Driving Experience at Homestead-Miami Speedway

The “Drive Your Own Race Car” area.

Richard Petty Driving Experience at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Just the sight of these things gets my adrenalin pumping.

Richard Petty Driving Experience at Homestead-Miami Speedway

The office.


I hadn’t been assigned a car or got suited up yet but there was a willing camera-handler handy so I had this shot taken.

Richard Petty Driving Experience at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Car 56 would be my chariot for a few minutes.

Richard Petty Driving Experience at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Getting a driver suited – the gear that’s being adjusted holds the driver’s head to the roll cage.

Richard Petty Driving Experience at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Getting in requires a bit of flexibility – right leg in, leg leg in, grab the roof, duck and slide in.

Richard Petty Driving Experience at Homestead-Miami Speedway

I shot this video to show you what it looks like from the ground. To get a video shot from the car was an extra $49 and there was a “no-publication” statement on it, so a no-deal.


This is where I wanted to be!!!


When you get high on that bank you’re a loooong way up! The lap record here for a NASCAR car was set by Jamie McMurray – 29.816 seconds at 181.11 mph.

Homestead-Miami Speedway

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt!!

Homestead-Miami Speedway

I went touring a for a while, not to anywhere in particular. This is Miami as I passed by. The coolest place I found was probably Bal Harbour – a lovely high-end community on the sea.


It’s now almost 09:00 am on the 15th – in about 4 hours Cathy and will say goodbye to our friends and board the Carnival Destiny at Miami for a 5-day cruise that will take us to Half Moon Cay, Nassau and Grand Turk. ttyl!