Driving experience coming to Lee Civic Center
Imagine yourself behind the wheel of a super-fast Maserati or a Lamborghini. This weekend, you’ll have that chance.
Velocity Driving will hold its unique driving experience this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Lee Civic Center, as the parking lot and fairgrounds will be transformed into a private racetrack filled with some of the most incredible speed machines in the world.
And it costs about as much as a dinner for two.
Velocity Driving is a Long Island-based company that was founded in 2012, devoted to serving driving enthusiasts who want to experience being behind the wheel (or riding shotgun) of a rare sports car that previously only magazines could describe in words.
“We travel the East Coast and come south for the winter. We provide an exotic car-driving experience at a reasonable cost,” said Michael Humenny of Velocity Driving. “We have internal codes that allow customers to get a great deal.”
The vehicles aren’t reserved for the ultra-wealthy. For as little as $49 you can ride along with an expert driver and experience the speed and sounds of exciting machinery. For as little as $99, you can drive them yourself.
Some of the cars at the event will include the Nissan GTR, Lamborghini Gallardo, Maserati GranTurismo MC, Porsche 911 Turbo S, and more, while the parking lot will become a private racetrack filled with straightaways and chicanes to test your driving capabilities.
An instructor will be in the passenger seat giving pointers on how to get the most out of the vehicle. All vehicles have Formula 1-style transmissions with paddle shifters, so no stick-shift experience is required.
“Everybody loves it. Nobody gets out of a Ferrari or Lamborghini without a smile. We have a lot of kids who come that are car enthusiasts who play video games and only saw one through a TV screen,” Humenny said. “They get to touch them and be around them and enjoy the experience of going for a ride.”
To drive, you must be at least 18 years of age and have a drivers license. If not, you can still experience these cars in an instructor ride-along experience.
The event will take place on Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
While registrations in advance are encouraged to guarantee a spot, walk-ins are welcome. It is free to sit and watch.
There are steep discounts for those who register using codes. The two-lap ride-along code is 2LAP2015SALE, the four-lap driving experience code is 4LAP2015SALE, and the seven-lap driving package, which includes photos and a T-shirt has the code 7LAP2015SALE.
For more information or to make a reservation, call Velocity Driving at (631) 488-0952 or on the web at www.velocitydriving.com .