Mandatory fireproof underwear is my first clue that this will NOT be an ordinary joyride! That’s right, I get to ride in "The Indy Experience" 2-Seater race car with this year’s Indy 500 Champion, Dan Wheldon...and that means suiting up like the pros do - Nomex skivvies and all.

Image courtesy of IMS by Michael Voorhees

But back to Dan. Here’s a guy who epitomizes the Planet Joyride motto of “Live Life, Love the Ride” every time he gets behind the wheel: He won the Indy 500, he's currently ranked first in the Indy Racing League, he's already had 5 wins this year, and he's tied with Sam Hornish Jr. for most wins in a season.

It’s high time that he and I went for a little spin.

The Argent Mortgage Indy Grand Prix in Sonoma is the venue for Dan’s extreme joy on Sunday, August 28, as he and his teammates of Andretti Green Racing compete in the Indy Racing League’s second road course race of the season.

Image courtesy of Times Photo: James Borchuek

The good folks at Andretti Green Racing and Jim Beam ( www.jimbeam.com )are kind enough to sponsor my own extreme joy this Thursday, August 25, as Dan and I break the Planet Joyride Land Speed Record. Hell, I remember doing 115 flat-out on a desolate little stretch of highway outside of Vegas, but THIS time I won't have to worry about a speeding ticket! We won’t be going as fast as they do at Indy because Infineon is a road course, where the speeds aren’t as high as on the Indy oval...but something tells me I won’t be bored. The G-Forces alone are enough to kick my butt: drivers undergo 4-5 lateral G's in turns, and up to 1.5 G's while accelerating or braking.

A force of 4-5 G's is similiar to having a 40-50 lb. weight attached to your head.

Hmmm. I see why they call it "The Indy EXPERIENCE."

May the G-Force be with me!

(2 days later)

Where's the slot to drop a quarter so I can go around again?!!

I LOVED IT!

Okay, they were right. Those G-forces DO feel like a 40 pound weight attached to your head...but you don't give a damn because it's so much face-peeling fun!

But first let me set the scene!

I'm at the Andretti Green hospitality tent, when I see him walk up – all sunglasses and a strut. Dan Wheldon, world-class race car driver...and my chauffeur for today :).

We are introduced and chat for a bit. Things I learn:

Dan has no fear on the track.

Dan is human off the track.

Dan is damn fine. :)

We then go to the Andretti Green Team press conference.

These four drivers – Bryan Herta, Dan Wheldon, Dario Franchitti, and Tony Kanaan – form an incredibly close and supportive team. Sure, they are loaded with testosterone and compete, argue and kick each other's racing ass, all the while elevating the team's game and using words like “brothers” and “loving” to describe their dynamic. Joyriding With Tough Guys Who Bond!

(see Tony Kanaan below, the man who would end up winning at Infineon on Sunday)

Then it's time for my own, personal Indy Joyride!

First, I sign my life away.

Then I put on all the fireproof Nomex gear – a nice look for me :).

Now it's time to take the plunge into the back seat of this $650,000 lightning bolt!

My favorite moment: Once I'm seated in the car I ask, "What's this red button for?" and my crew guy says, "That's the fire extinguisher." Riiiiight.

The "back seat" (really a tiny pothole that I squeeze into) has an additional collar frame that they attach to the car that kind of "holds" your helmet, so there is limited head movement anyway. Of course, that meant my HEAD stayed pretty still while my BODY was straining against the straps of my girdle-tight 5-point harness. There are some serious undulations and very hard turns on the Infineon course. (There is a 16-story difference between the highest and lowest points on the track. Yowie.) I can't believe how physically demanding it is, and I'm just a passenger! See me staying loose and very Gumby-like into every act of turning, braking and accelerating – and there are PLENTY of those in the course of our 3 laps. On race day, they do 80 laps, shift gears about 3,000 times, and lose a few pounds in sweat. These guys are ATHLETES.

Thrills of the day:

-We broke the Planet Joyride land speed record - got up to 160 mph during My Indy Experience!

-Dan is recognized as an Extreme Joyrider and entered into the Planet Joyride Hall of Fame. (See his Official Planet Joyride orb being presented to him below)

Things we can all learn from Joyriding with Dan:

-"What you put into life is what you get out of it"

-He is a world-class winner, and even HE has occasional doubts about how to handle certain situations and pressures. He stops to ask, "Am I doing this right?"

-He Joys it On! One of his goals is to pass on his life lessons by mentoring others.

-When times are hard, he always surrounds himself with people who support him and pull him through.

-"Believing in yourself is very, very big...but not in a way that prevents you from learning from your mistakes or learning from others."

Dan, you rock.

That's one more joyride visa stamped into my PJ Passport!