Iowa racing fans who’ve always wondered what it would be like to climb into a NASCAR-style stock car and scream down the track at 150-miles an hour will have a chance later this year. Chris McKee, spokesman for the Richard Petty Driving Experience, says they’ll offer a driving program in August at the new Iowa Speedway in Newton, which is due to open this summer.

McKee says the least expensive option is a three-lap ride-along. As the name implies, you ride along “shotgun” with a professional instructor at the wheel for 99-dollars.

McKee says there are two other options that’ll be offered to Iowans who want a little more hands-on experience with the thundering, high-velocity vehicles. The “rookie” program offers eight laps behind the wheel while the “king’s” program gives you eight laps, a pit stop and then ten more laps for a total of 18 laps. Those experiences cost 399-dollars and 799.

The new track will be seven-eighths of a mile in a tri-oval layout. McKee says the speeds will vary, depending on which program you choose, but they’ll all be fast. He says if you compare the new Iowa Speedway to other tracks of similar size like Phoenix, Kentucky or Darlington, they’re going to be hitting 140 to 150-miles-per-hour on the ride-alongs, and not quite as fast for the rookie and king’s programs. The packages will be offered over four days, August 10-13. For more information, surf to “www.iowaspeedway.com”, “www.1800bepetty.com” or call 800-Be-Petty.