Experiencing a ride in the fast lane

DAYTONA BEACH -- The driver wearing diamond earrings and pink glossy lipstick flipped up the ignition switch and pushed the start button. The Pontiac 5-liter V-8 engine began to roar.

No backing out now.

I was snugly strapped into the left-side passenger seat of the No. 2 CITGO Howard-Boss Motorsports car, about to experience three adrenaline-pumping laps at nearly full speed in the Daytona Prototype that my driver, Milka Duno, and teammate Jan Lammers will co-pilot in tonight's Brumos Porsche 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

It's the seventh of 14 races in the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series and the prelude to the NASCAR weekend, in which the Busch Series runs Friday night and the Nextel Cup Pepsi 400 runs Saturday night.

While waiting for Duno to take a warmup lap, mechanic Scott Sterkenburg told me: ``When you're in the car you'll want the ride to be over with, and when you stop you'll want to go again.''

`ALWAYS A RISK'

Then he tried to assure me: ``We haven't had anybody throw up yet. Of course, there's always a risk of that.''

All I could do was hold on now as Duno mashed the gas pedal to the floor. The million-dollar, 500-horsepower machine took off like a dragster down pit road on Wednesday morning as ominous black clouds rolled in.

The Brumos Porsche 250 is run on the 3.56-mile road course that utilizes most of the 2.5-mile, 33-degree banked oval of the famous speedway, as well as a newly paved infield section.

Just as we soared past the last pit box and entered the main track, Duno stepped on the brake -- hard. My body, despite being in a full harness seat belt, wanted to fly through the windshield.

She was back in first gear, negotiating a 90-degree turn to start the infield portion.

Said sports car legend Andy Wallace, who will be teammates tonight with 2002 Cup champion Tony Stewart: ``First gear is relative. Ours will do 97 mph.''

The turns are so sharp and tight, and there is very little grip on the newly paved track, that Duno said they take some corners at only 40 mph.

We flew through an S section and come upon the ''International Horse Shoe.'' Duno explained afterward that this section requires patience.

Once around the horseshoe, Duno gunned it again, as my stomach wished I hadn't eaten oatmeal with berries.

Under perfect conditions and with new tires, Duno said she can keep the gas pedal flat through the ''kink,'' a little bend in the straightaway that connects two horseshoes.

Just as I think my stomach is happy, Duno slammed on the brake again as we negotiate the ''Pedro Rodriguez Horseshoe,'' named for Rodriguez, who once teamed with NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. in a Mexican race.

We have one more sharp turn before full-throttle freedom -- the banked oval of the superspeedway's Turns 1 and 2. I flinched as we headed right toward the wall. Concrete looks a lot scarier than the tire barriers.

I'm sure I recalled Duno saying, ``Don't worry, I don't like to crash.''

It's as loud as a Guns N' Roses concert inside the tiny cockpit, but I could hear the gears switch. First to second to third to fourth to fifth.

''The banking part I love,'' Duno said.

But just as we soared down the backstretch toward Turn 3 of the speedway, at speeds approaching 175 mph (they go about 190 in the race), Duno braked hard again for a chicane the drivers call ``the Bus Stop.''

In about the time it took to open and shut my eyes, we had slowed by nearly 100 mph.

Wallace and Duno, who teamed to win two sports car races at Homestead-Miami Speedway last year, agreed that was a great place to pass.

Once out of the ''Bus Stop,'' it's back on the banking for speedway Turns 3 and 4. It's so cool to come around Turn 4 and see the front-stretch grandstands on the right and pit road on the left.

The 3.56 miles took about about two minutes. Scott Pruett holds the qualifying record in a Daytona Prototype in 1:45.783 (averaging 121.154 mph).

STANDING THE HEAT

When the first lap was over, I could feel myself breathing hard, as if I had just finished a thrilling roller coaster ride, only in a sauna.

Before getting into the car, I put on a fire-resistant suit, fire-resistant socks, helmet and gloves. I felt like I was dressed for the summit of Mount Everest, but we were in the sweltering heat and humidity of Florida in the summer.

I have no idea how they can focus on driving while the heat makes you want to pass out.

''You just get used to it because you're in there for so long,'' Wallace said. ``Eventually, I guess your blood just gets thin and it's OK.''

I was ready to call it a ride after Lap 1. But we had two more to go. I begged my stomach to behave, knowing the last thing the crew wants to do is have to clean my breakfast out of their car. The crew already had two hours' worth of work to take out the passenger seat and prepare the car for today's practice, qualifying and race.

I got out of the car, noticing the strong smell of fuel for the first time. I usually don't sweat much, but my clothes were drenched with perspiration inside my fire suit.

Tonight's race is 70 of those arduous laps for 250 miles or 2 ¾ hours, whichever comes first.

I gulped water and tried to catch my breath as I watched Wallace take 'NSync singer Chris Kirkpatrick for a three-lap spin. Kirkpatrick was supposed to be in Palm Beach Gardens on Wednesday to work with his vocals coach, but he delayed the session for this rare opportunity.

But after one lap, the car pulled onto pit road. The track is so big that it was raining on the backstretch, but still dry on the front stretch.

''That was amazing, so much fun,'' he said. ``I wish it hadn't of started raining. We would have had to go like eight more times. I'd have pulled out the bank account for one of those cars.''

For me, three laps was enough to know these drivers earn their money.

-- Miami Herald