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" As much as we&amp;#039;d like enthusiasts to take their cars and motorcycles to the track, the reality is that most people are perfectly fine watching other people compete and take risks in the motorsports world. And while you can pay-to-play by spending big bucks and getting your track fix using other peoples&amp;#039; machines, Speed TV, the automotive-oriented cable TV channel, set up a sweepstakes that allowed five lucky winners and their guests to get ride-alongs from Indy legend Mario Andretti, drift and rallycross driver Tanner Foust, pro motorcyclists Jason Pridmore and Steve Rapp, stock car driver Kyle Petty and stunt-driver/Pikes Peak racer Mike Ryan.   A key point to make is that this experience isn&amp;#039;t something that you can buy your way into. All the guests in attendance were picked at random, and it was only through a gracious invite from SpeedTV that we were able to experience a smattering of the ride-alongs and socializing time that the contestants received.   Riding with Mario Andretti in a Dallara   Video window may take a few moments to load...            First up would be a ride with Mario at the wheel of a 2-seat Dallara. Powering this winged machine is a detuned 3.5-liter V-8 sending power through a 6-speed sequential transmission. While the exact pedigree of the motor was questionable, it delivered enough of the sounds and feel of a full-spec powertrain to keep the prize-winners, and myself, entertained.         Mario Andretti and the 2-seat Dallara-Honda IndyCar.     Rear seat room was minimal and the forward view was hampered by Mario&amp;#039;s roll hoop. But the grip provided by the soft compound Firestone slicks (as denoted by their red sidewalls) on Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca&amp;#039;s surface was breathtaking.   Riding with Kyle Petty in a Sprint Cup car   Video window may take a few moments to load...            Next up was a ride with Kyle Petty in a Nationwide Dodge Challenger bodied Sprint Cup car. Like the Dallara, the Sprint Cup spec motor was de-rated for durability at only 650 bhp.   There was a lot more room inside this car, and you could easily discern the chassis wiggles, tire sidewall flex and minute steering corrections that Petty was exercising. By the end of the second lap, you could feel the tires getting hot and greasy.         Kyle Petty and the Dodge Challenger bodied Sprint Cup car.     &amp;quot;Unlike formula cars, Cup cars are at their best during the first two or three laps, when they&amp;#039;re carrying full fuel and on fresh tires. They have the best front-to-back weight distribution and you can really use the tires,&amp;quot; noted Petty. When asked about the ideal setup for Laguna, his half-joking response was to &amp;quot;go get a different car.&amp;quot;   Riding with Tanner Foust in a Drift Car   Video window may take a few moments to load...            Last, but not least, Tanner Foust gave laps in a drift-prepped Mustang GT. While I was secretly hoping for a ride in his Rallycross car, drifting around Laguna was an eye-opening experience. Never have I gone sideways through the corkscrew, at least not intentionally.         Tanner Foust and the Drift-Prepped Mustang GT.     While the rides themselves were enjoyable, watching the interaction among drivers was equally exciting. Foust turned into a regular enthusiast as he climbed aboard the back seat of Andretti&amp;#039;s Dallara, and it was revealing to hear all the drivers and riders talk about their different lines and approaches at this legendary circuit. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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