Though most acknowledge the need for speed while eating ice cream on the equator, Americans continue to depend on slow modes of transportation such as rickshaws and turtle skates. Rev up for real speed with today’s Groupon to SpeedTech Auto Racing School at the Richmond International Raceway. Choose between the following options:

• For $169, you get an 8-lap Rookie Rush driving experience in a stock car (a $369 value).
• For $296, you get a 16-lap Rookie Rush driving experience in a stock car (a $738 value).<p>

SpeedTech Auto Racing School’s Rookie Rush program lets velocity cravers feast on fast-blowing air, appropriately seasoned with the rules of the road. The driving experience starts with detailed classroom instruction, during which a veteran driver imparts racing basics to students before taking them on a tour of the track in a van, demonstrating how to navigate the concrete sea without ruffling their eyebrows. Then racers hop into the driver’s seat donning flame-resistant suits and Snell-certified helmets for adrenaline-brewing laps in a stock car as an instructor rides shotgun, offering tips and hand-fed marshmallows along the way. The Richmond track is a 60-foot-wide, three-quarter-mile loop featuring a front stretch of 890 feet and back straightaway of 860 feet, with 14-degree banking turns around a D-shaped oval course.

Former professional driver and expert instructor Randy Baker and his team have been guiding drivers toward greatness for more than 20 years; past pupils include Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Jeff and Ward Burton, Danny Sullivan, and the mysterious Racer X. SpeedTech combines a fleet of super-speedy rides—authentic, metal-bodied vehicles boasting 650-horsepower V8 engines—with a serious emphasis on safety. Check out SpeedTech’s race-program schedule for upcoming dates.