Jeffrey Earnhardt Racing Experience Orange County Speedway

Jeffrey Earnhardt Racing Experience is a travelling driving business, separate from the track. On set event days it brings its own racecars to Orange County Speedway, a 3/8 mile short track in Rougemont, North Carolina, and you take the wheel by yourself. There is no instructor in the passenger seat and no pace car: a coach talks you round over a radio built into your helmet, every lap is at full pace and you are allowed to pass.

Orange County gets the short track fleet: a Late Model, a Super Late Model or a Modified. Anyone who wants to sit in the passenger seat instead can take a three lap ride along with one of the team's pro drivers.

The business belongs to Jeffrey Earnhardt, grandson of Dale Earnhardt, who has raced in the NASCAR Truck and Xfinity series and runs the experience under his own motto, Earning Earnhardt. It visits more than 30 tracks around the US, and nobody needs racing experience to drive.

• Three cars to pick from: the Late Model, the Super Late Model and the Modified. All of them are real racecars that have been raced in competition, most with manual gearboxes and a couple with semi automatics.
• Nobody rides with you. The cars have no doors, so you climb in through the window opening, get strapped into a 5 point harness and hear the instructor through earpieces in your helmet, calling the line, the braking points and when to pass.
• There is no pace car, every lap is a hot lap and passing is allowed. The cars can reach 155 mph, though how fast you actually go depends on the track.
• Before anyone drives there is a drivers meeting of about 40 minutes covering flags, getting on and off the track, the line, passing and the car's safety features. Only drivers sit in.
• Then it is into a fire retardant suit, a full face helmet with the radio fitted and a NexGen head and neck support, all supplied, with photos taken pit side before you climb in.
• Ride alongs are three laps beside a pro driver with no orientation needed beforehand, and the operator recommends one before your own drive.
• A single view GoPro mounted on the roof can record your laps onto a micro SD card that you take home.

• Orange County runs on set event days only. The next date is Sunday 1 November 2026, with Late Model drive classes starting on the hour from 10am to 2pm on the operator's Bookeo booking page. No 2027 Orange County dates are published yet; the schedule is on the operator's Upcoming Schedule page.
• Booking is online through Bookeo, linked from the Orange County track page, or by phone on 336-628-7223. Groups of six or more book by phone or email.
• Drive prices in US$: Late Model 5 laps $199, 10 laps $349, 20 laps $649, 35 laps $999, 50 laps $1,299. Super Late Model $259, $399, $749, $1,199, $1,599. Modified $299, $549, $899, $1,499, $1,899.
• At 18 October 2026 the Orange County page runs 50% off all driving packages for a limited time (code 50OFF, end date not published): 5 laps from $99 in the Late Model, $129 in the Super Late Model and $149 in the Modified.
• Ride along: three laps with a pro driver for $99. Voucher holders can add one to a drive for $69.
• Add ons: Vehicle Protection Plan $60 (added by phone; the booking confirmation shows Insurance: YES), in car GoPro video $59 (micro SD card and adapter supplied, your own cameras are not allowed, checked at the laptop station before you leave and refunded on site only if it failed to record), photo plaque $59. The voucher redemption pages also list an insurance, photo plaque and T shirt bundle for $139. Extra laps and car upgrades are sold on the day; prices are not published.
• Damage: staff decide fault on site. A driver at fault has the session ended, loses the remaining laps without refund and pays for damage on the day, up to $1,000 with the Vehicle Protection Plan or up to $15,000 without it. Personal car insurance does not cover the racecar, and drivers need their own health insurance.
• Drivers must be 18 years of age or older with a valid driver licence. Ride along passengers must be 14 years of age or older with a parent or guardian present.
• Size limits: height 5 ft 0 in to 6 ft 4 in, waist and chest no more than 52 in, and you must fit through a 15 by 28 in window set 35 in off the ground. Anyone who cannot drive a manual tells staff at the track.
• Bring your driver licence and the driver info packet from the operator's website. Wear clothes that fit under the suit, such as a T shirt, and closed toe sneakers with soles not much wider than your foot, with socks covering the ankle. Boots, sandals and open toe shoes are not allowed, and crew may tape long laces. Sunglasses and a light jacket for waiting are recommended.
• Allow 2 to 3 hours for a drive, longer for the bigger packages, and the operator suggests an extra hour for delays. Check in opens at the registration trailer on pit road 30 minutes before your class; missing your class time forfeits the booking and the money paid. A ride along takes about an hour.
• Weather: the operator can cancel for rain, high wind or unsafe temperatures, with notice by phone or email 1 to 72 hours ahead. Drivers check their own event status and turn up at the booked time whatever the forecast. A cancelled session gets a makeup date within 12 months, not guaranteed to fall on a weekend; there are no refunds, and travel and lodging are not covered.
• All sales are final. Bookings can be transferred or sold on. Rescheduling costs $50 per booking with 30 days or more notice and $100 with less; a no call no show costs 75% of the price paid to reinstate. Fees can be waived with medical documentation. A missed promo code can be fixed by phone within 48 hours of booking for a $15 card fee.
• Gift vouchers never expire and can be bought as a money amount or for a set track and extras; they are redeemed through the operator's Bookeo voucher page. Breakaway vouchers cover every car and lap count at all of the operator's tracks.
• Corporate packages run from $1,599 for 8 people with 10 laps each over two private hours to $5,999 for 36 people over three hours, with a private 45 minute orientation, a pro ride along, water and sports drinks, gear and insurance included. Extra ride alongs for a group are $49 per person.

• Last verified: 18 October 2026
• Official link: https://jeffreyearnhardtracingexperience.com/