Jeffrey Earnhardt Racing Experience Tri-County Speedway

Jeffrey Earnhardt Racing Experience is a travelling driving business, separate from the track. It brings its own racecars to Tri-County Speedway, the 4/10 mile paved oval at Granite Falls, North Carolina, on set event days and puts you in the car on your own. Nobody sits beside you and there is no pace car: an instructor coaches you over a radio in your helmet, every lap is at speed and passing is allowed.

Tri-County gets the short track cars. The menu here is a Late Model and a Super Late Model, the full bodied stock cars, and an open wheel Modified, with drives from 5 to 50 laps. There is also a three lap passenger ride along with one of the team's pro drivers.

The company is run by Jeffrey Earnhardt, grandson of Dale Earnhardt, who has raced in the NASCAR Truck and Xfinity series and built this business under his own motto, Earning Earnhardt. Tri-County is one of more than 30 short tracks and NASCAR venues on its list.

• Three cars to choose from: the Late Model, the Super Late Model and the open wheel Modified (the short track car with its wheels out in the open). They are real racecars that have been raced in competition, mostly with manual gearboxes and a couple of semi automatics.
• You are alone in the car. There are no doors, so you climb in through the window, get strapped into a 5 point harness and hear the instructor through earpieces in the helmet, calling acceleration, braking, passing and the fastest line round the oval.
• The cars can reach 155 mph; the actual top speed depends on the type of track.
• The day starts with a drivers meeting of about 40 minutes: flags, getting on and off the track, finding your line, passing and the car's safety features, then questions. It is drivers only.
• Then you suit up in a fire suit, a full face Bell or Simpson helmet with the radio built in and a NexGen head and neck support, all supplied, and get a photo by the car on pit road before climbing in.
• Ride alongs are three laps in the passenger seat beside a pro driver with nothing to learn first, and the operator recommends one before your own drive.
• A roof mounted GoPro can film your laps onto an SD card you take home, and the photo plaque is printed while you are out on track.

• Tri-County runs on set event days only, and no date is published for this track at the moment. New dates appear on the operator's Upcoming Schedule page and the Tri-County track page.
• Booking is online through the operator's Bookeo booking pages, linked from the Tri-County track page, or by phone on 336-628-7223. Groups of six or more book by phone or email.
• Drive prices in US$ for 5, 10, 20, 35 and 50 laps: Late Model $199, $349, $649, $999, $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 Tri-County page shows 50% off all driving packages (promotion code 50OFF in the booking links, 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 $99.
• Add ons: Vehicle Protection Plan $60, in car GoPro video $59 (micro SD card and adapter supplied, your own cameras are not allowed, 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 and a three lap ride along added to a voucher drive for $69. 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 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. Sunglasses and a light jacket for waiting are recommended.
• Allow 2 to 3 hours for a drive, more 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.
• Friends and family can come along and watch the classes on track; cameras and video cameras are welcome.
• 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; 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 are redeemed through the operator's Bookeo voucher page. Groupon vouchers (three lap ride along, 5 and 10 lap Late Model drives) and Breakaway vouchers can both be redeemed at Tri-County. Groupon bookings get an email payment request for taxes, fees and add ons within 1 business day, and the booking is cancelled if it is not paid within 12 hours.
• Corporate packages run from $1,599 for 8 people with 10 laps each (two private hours) to $5,999 for 36 people (three hours), with a private 45 minute orientation, a pro ride along, water and sports drinks, gear and insurance included.
• Last verified: 18 October 2026
• Official link: https://jeffreyearnhardtracingexperience.com/