Things to Do in Montclair

In 2005, Jason Williams and Ken Faught assembled a team of experienced racers and designers to create the driving experience at Pole Position Raceway. Williams, a motocross racer since 1984, and Faught, a three-time land-speed record holder at the Bonneville Salt Flats, recruited professional drivers Kurt Busch and Jeremy McGrath to help their engineers. They reimagined every detail of the track from the ground up, creating indoor courses that balance the grip of asphalt with the swervy fun of polished, concrete slick tracks. Pole Position’s Formula EK20 Pro Karts rumble over the track powered by 18-horsepower motors (nearly triple that of average gas karts), which reach speeds up to 45 miles per hour without filling the temperature-controlled arenas with fumes.

After the first Pole Position Raceway opened in Corona, California, it soon spawned eight locations stretching to the Atlantic. Technicians maintain the fleet via handheld computers, and top drivers are regularly sent out to evaluate karts’ handling and reading comprehension. During races, up to 12 guests compete in contests that last about 10 minutes.

Trainer Bobby Howard brings more than 40 years of experience to Foxcroft Farm, including 14 he spent as a professional jockey competing in races such as the Kentucky Derby. He distributes this equine knowledge during private and group lessons, as well as hunter- and jumper-training programs.

Though Bobby and the other Foxcroft Farm instructors teach students of all ages, they specialize in teaching young riders. Unique opportunities for kids include seasonal camps, where they can learn everything from grooming to reasons why horses simply aren't a viable replacement for the family minivan.

Although stealing glimpses at new cars can be fun, test-driving one can be downright thrilling. On each day during Inland Empire Auto Show's Ride & Drive program, car enthusiasts can ecstatically maneuver various vehicles from the show's fleet of shimmering four-wheeled chariots. Visitors can select a two-door Fiat, an open-roofed Jeep, or a Toyota before steering it along a nearby track, analyzing its speed and turning capabilities before returning to the show to partake in varied activities and attempting to see if their houseplants fit in cars’ cup holders.

Scandia Amusement Park adds a Nordic theme to classic amusement-park rides. Towering over the park, the signature Scandia Screamer Coaster sends riders through more high-speed drops, twists, and turns than that time they tried to cartwheel down the stairs. Shrieks of excitement echo at Cliff Jumper, a 100-foot-drop tower, and the Viking Ship, which swings like a giant pendulum through the air. A kiddie section treats young visitors to less-intense rides, including a carousel and the aptly named Little Dipper Coaster.

Back on the ground, more than 12,000 vibrant flowers line two Scandavian-themed putt-putt courses. Waterfalls and trickling streams calm players as they putt golf balls through challenging obstacles such as a stone castle. The competition continues at batting cages, which hurl baseballs and scoops of ice cream at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour. Aside from these everyday attractions, Scandia Amusement Park lures in visitors with birthday-party packages and a seasonal haunted house.

For more than 30 years, Southern California Golf Schools' professional golfers and teachers have been passing their club-swinging tutelage on to golfers of all ages. The team includes a former PGA of America president, a current PGA board member, and staffers previously voted Golf Digest magazine's top 25 instructors in America. Throughout California and Nevada, in golf resorts, private country clubs, and high-end golf courses, the experienced instructors tutor neophyte and advanced golfers during lessons ranging from 90-minute mini-golf schools to five-day stay-and-play golf sessions. The golf pros teach pupils how to perfect full swings, enhance their short-game play, and maintain proper diving form while retrieving balls from the lake.

Championship-level karts and professional Formula 1 racers grip the asphalt turns and straights at Allen Berg Racing Schools' duo of private racing tracks. Navigating Auto Club Speedway's 13 twists and turns in a fleet of competition-grade racecars, the speed-smitten staff demonstrates the art of tire burning and swift pizza delivery. Alternatively, along Varsity Chrysler Speed Park's 1.1-kilometre track in Calgary, miniaturized karts reach up to 120 kilometres per hour while staying inside the new-and-improved safety barriers. During the road-car program, experienced instructors crank the speedometers of street-legal cars to teach students the art of lapping, slalom, and how to achieve speedy drive-thru chicken-nugget orders. At the cap of engine-revving sessions, the vehicles' HD cameras capture the full experience in an on-board video.