Need for Speed

Dad has plenty of ties. This Father’s Day, he might prefer the gift of burning rubber. Emotive, a company that offers high-end driving experiences, is running several new pedal-to-the-metal programs at Sonoma’s Infineon Raceway.

Audi Sportscar Experience: The new Audi R8 is a V8, 414-horsepower, all-wheel-drive beast. First, Dad will run through a slalom course to get a feel for how the car handles, then he’ll practice individual corners on the track—one of the most demanding in the world—and finally, he’ll take full laps, following the lead of an instructor. By the end of the day, he’ll be skidding through the S-turns on the backstretch at 90 miles an hour. One-day R8 course is $1,895; two-day course is $3,495. Audi Sportscar Experience, (800) 466-5792, www.audidrivingexperience.com.

Jim Russell Racing Drivers School: Emotive bought the Jim Russell School late in 2006. The company invested $10 million in building a new state-of-the-art facility at Infineon, buying a fleet of custom Formula Three cars and instituting a new curriculum that aims to replicate the complete experience of being a race car driver. A variety of classes are available, ranging from one-day, one-on-one instruction to three-day advanced courses. Programs range from $595 to $4,295. Jim Russell Racing Drivers School, (800) 733-0345, www.jimrussellusa.com.