You don’t have to be a racing fan to wonder what it’s like to circle the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a racecar. If you’re really curious, sign up for the IndyCar Experience in Indianapolis, Orlando’s Walt Disney World Speedway or at tracks hosting IZOD IndyCar races.

Heart pounding, I donned a fireproof driver’s suit and helmet and walked onto pit row of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In seconds, the crew had strapped me into the seat behind the driver’s and the car was accelerating onto the famous 2.5-mile oval. Stands blurred by and turns came up impossibly fast, like a video game run amok. Traveling at 180 mph, I could feel 2 g-forces pinning my helmet to the head restraint. I’m not sure I breathed until the whine of the 750-horse-power engine dropped to a rumble and we eased back into pit lane.

Unlike stock cars (which resemble street vehicles), IndyCars are single-seat racecars with exposed wheels and needle-shaped bodies sitting inches off the ground. In the Indy 500, drivers will hit top speeds of 230 mph and feel up to 5 gs. The chasses for all IndyCars (including the special two-seaters) are built in the nearby Dallara factory, which I toured as part of the $499 IndyCar Experience.