In Second Life you can visit Motorati Island and race on the many virtual race tracks or if you own the NASCAR Play Station game you can get the feel of speed. I love to race these games...but I had a need for speed that virtual reality could no longer satisfy!

Donning my helmet, I slipped in through the window, got strapped into the five-point harness, steeled all my courage and took the ride of my life on a twisting turning road course with John Heinricy at top speeds of 110 MPH in the race ready performance Solstice GXP Club Racing Concept.

Jokingly he turned to me before we took off and asked , " You not one of those who is going loose your cookies on me are you?" No - Way! I had a blast, what a rush, my adrenaline is still pumping and this was last Tuesday! Woo Hoo!

John Heinricy has had a long and distinguished career at General Motors, serving as assistant chief engineer for the Corvette and as Director of the GM Performance Division.

He also campaigns a variety of GM products in SCCA competition, winning the annual runoffs in Corvettes, Firebirds, and Camaros. He has also won SCCA National events in Cobalts.

After our "practice" run of three laps around the track  I had a totally new appreciation of the skill, concentration and endurance required to be a race car driver.

Thank you John for the ride of my life! ( I even got his autograph !)

Now that John showed me around the course ..or better the blur I saw as we whizzed by, it was my turn to drive the track.