‘Junior Ride-Alongs’ from Richard Petty Driving Experience Now Available at Disney World
Richard Petty Driving Experience (RPDE), the worldwide leader in stock car drive and ride entertainment, announced today that it will now offer “Junior Ride-Alongs” at its Walt Disney World® Speedway location in Orlando, FL.
RPDE’s “Junior Ride-Alongs” program will provide children, who are at least 48 inches in height, the opportunity to experience real-life racing excitement while they ride shotgun with a professional driving instructor for three thrilling laps in a specially equipped two-seat NASCAR race car.
“Junior Ride-Alongs” are possible as a result of RPDE’s partnership with The Joie of Seating, a premier fabricator of custom-fitted aluminum racing seats owned and operated by two-time NASCAR Nationwide series champion Randy LaJoie. The North Carolina-based company built custom racing seats for this program, specifically designed to ensure the safety and security of smaller bodies. These full containment racing seats feature built-in shoulder and head protection and a five-point safety harness that is the same design used by NASCAR drivers.
“For 10 years we’ve specialized in designing custom racing seats that provide the safest in-car experience,” says LaJoie, “Our extensive experience in the industry makes us confident your child will enjoy a safe and fun ride-along with RPDE.”
Located just outside the Magic Kingdom property, RPDE’s Disney location has been known as a high-speed attraction for adults for more than a decade, providing thousands of moms and dads the thrill of a lifetime. Now with “Junior Ride-Alongs” available just in time for summer, NASCAR racing can become a family affair at Disney.
“We’re thrilled to be able to make RPDE even more family friendly and can’t wait to see the ear-to-ear smiles on these kid’s faces after experiencing the excitement of NASCAR first-hand.” says Bill Scott, General Manager of Richard Petty Driving Experience at Walt Disney World® Speedway.
“Junior Ride-Alongs” with Richard Petty Driving Experience at Walt Disney World® Speedway are $59. No reservations are required. Children must be ages 14 and under and be at least 48″ in height.
Categories: Theme Parks, Walt Disney World Tags: Disney World, NASCAR, Racing, Richard Petty, RPDE, Walt Disney World, WDW
Exotic Car Driving Experience to Debut at Walt Disney World, January 2012
Combine some of the world’s finest automobiles with a track specifically designed for drivers to safely experience their awe-inspiring acceleration, speed and handling and you have “Exotic Driving Experience”, the latest offering from Petty Holdings.
Best known as owner and operator of Richard Petty Driving Experience, the worldwide leader in the stock car ride and drive business, Petty Holdings has applied its expertise in delivering safe, accessible, exciting automotive entertainment to develop an experience allowing anyone with a driver’s license the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a “supercar” – a rarified class of automobile.
Exotic Driving Experience will feature supercars by Ferrari, Lamborghini, Audi, and Porsche. Future plans include the addition of other exotic models, as well.
It will officially begin on January 16, 2012.
“This exotics business is the most significant new offering from our company since the creation of Richard Petty Driving Experience in 1994? said Brian Flynn, Petty Holdings Chief Executive Officer. “This was a strategic decision intended to expand our customer base by diversifying our experiential offerings.”
Plans call for Exotic Driving Experience to operate approximately 150 days annually on The Exotics Course at Walt Disney World Speedway, a new track configuration (see below) at the motorsports complex located on the grounds of the world-famous theme park.
Driving Experiences will start at $189 for six laps around the circuit. Thrill Rides with a professional driver at the wheel will be available for $99.
Built in 1994, the one-mile oval at Walt Disney World Speedway® has been home to Indy Racing League (IRL), NASCAR Truck series and United States Auto Club (USAC) sanctioned races. Since 2000, it has been operated year-round exclusively by Richard Petty Driving Experience, which has seen more than 250,000 people drive or ride in one of its NASCAR race cars.
Petty Holdings recently completed an interior road course-style section at the track, specifically for Exotic Driving Experience, which features a series of quick, challenging right and left-hand turns, known as “switch backs.” Complete with barriers and rumble strips, this section replaces the frontstretch of the oval when the supercars are on track and, together with the backstretch, comprises another one-mile layout which has been named The Exotics Course at Walt Disney World Speedway®.
“We needed a circuit that would allow customers to really get a sense of what these incredible cars are capable of” said Rick Fedrizzi, President and Chief Operating Officer, who designed the new interior section. “Drivers can rapidly accelerate to high speeds on the backstretch of the oval and, when they come into the interior section, feel the incredible braking and handling characteristics of whichever exotic they’ve selected.”
“It is an absolute blast to drive this course in any one of these cars,” Fedrizzi said.
Although Exotic Driving Experience officially begins after the new year, reservations for 2012 can be made at exoticdriving.com or by calling 815-822-0149.
Categories: Theme Parks, Walt Disney World Tags: Richard Petty Driving Experience, RPDE
Richard Petty Driving Experience at Walt Disney World to Offer Free Shop Tours to Annual Passholders
Walt Disney World has sent an email to Annual Passholders advising them of a new experience being offered at the Resort, the Richard Petty Driving Experience Shop Tour, which is free to annual passholders for a limited time (regularly priced at $15).
The thirty-minute tour, which runs at 8:30 am on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, includes a behind-the-scenes look at the track’s design and maintenance shops, a history of the track and a van ride around the one mile tri-oval.
Annual passholders are able to bring up to four guests with a maximum group size of about 20 guests. The free RPDE shuttle, which is available at the Transportation and Ticket Center, will be available.
The tour is also available to non-passholders for $15 per person.
The track, which used to be used as a NASCAR race track, is currently home to the Richard Petty Driving Experience as well as often used by professional drivers for test runs throughout the racing season.
To book the new tour, which begins on March 16, call 800-237-3889 or click here for more information.
Categories: Theme Parks, Walt Disney World Tags: Richard Petty, RPDE, Tours
Richard Petty Driving Experience Offers Free Experience to WDW Annual Passholders
From now through March 31, annual passholders can enjoy a three-lap ride along experience free at the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Retailing for over $100, this experience is limited to one time per passholder, aged 14 and above (under 18 requires a parental guardian).
Shuttle service to the Richard Petty Speedway is available at the Transportation and Ticket Center.
To make reservations, call 1-800-BE-PETTY or visit the official Richard Petty Driving Experience website.
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Categories: Theme Parks, Walt Disney World Tags: Annual Passholder, AP, Passholder, Recreation, Richard Petty Driving Experience, RPDE, Sports
Limited Time Offer: Get 43% Off Richard Petty Rookie Experience Today and Tomorrow Courtesy of @PettyDrivingExp
Through its twitter page, the Richard Petty Driving Experience is offering 43% off its Rookie driving experience at Walt Disney World on August 7 and 8th only. To cash in on the offer, call 1-800-BE-PETTY and mention offer code TWITTER and don’t forget to follow them on twitter for future updates and offers.
Categories: Theme Parks, Walt Disney World Tags: Discount, Richard Petty, RPDE, Twitter
Richard Petty Driving Experience Introduces Membership Program
CONCORD, N.C. — Richard Petty Driving Experience (RPDE) announced, today, the launch of its new membership program, entitled “Experience Rewards”, designed to incent past customers to a return visit to the track for more laps and added excitement.
Membership in the program is available, free of charge, for customers who have driven with RPDE in the last 5 years and to all new customers who participate in a driving experience. Benefits include the opportunity for 12 months to participate in an unlimited number of Rookie Experience programs for just $199 – a savings of more than 50% – or to receive a discount of $199 on the Kings and Experience of a Lifetime programs. Members are also invited to bring along 3 friends who will each get a $50 discount off their driving program and, in turn, become members themselves.
Categories: Theme Parks, Walt Disney World Tags: RPDE



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