Fuel your need for speed with this BMW driving experience at IMS

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Looking for the perfect holiday gift for a thrill seeker?

Here’s one to fuel your thoughts. 

There’s a unique racing experience offered at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Car enthusiasts have the chance to test drive different makes and models of BMW’s on the IMS road course, going top speeds! 

It’s made possible through the BMW Performance Center and its half-day experience driving school.

The day starts in the classroom to learn all the basics to driving fast before heading out to the track to test your new knowledge. That’s where the real magic begins. 

Participants go through three different stations at the track: drag racing, lead and follow laps, and timed autocross. All while driving a series of BMWs, including M2, M3, M4, M5 and M8.

Don’t worry, you’re not just thrown into the fire–instructors are in constant communication with the drivers via walkie talkie, teaching students the key secrets to racing. However, students are in the cars by themselves, giving them the ultimate freedom.

“We’re gonna teach them the basics of how to get around a race track. How to use their eyes to look ahead and prepare for what’s coming, how to be smooth on their inputs, the steering, the throttle, and teach them about braking,” said BMW Performance Center Lead Instructor Derek Ware. 

“It’s really crucial to teach them about braking as a race car driver because you’re going to have to be really firm on the brakes, which is the opposite of what you typically do on the streets.”

This was the BMW “half-day” experience. The performance center also offers a “full-day” option.

You can already book for next year on bmwperformancecenter.com or through the Indianapolis Motor Speedway website. The half-day costs $650.