Think of the most exhilarating thing you’ve ever done in your life. Unless you pilot spaceships for a living, it will never measure up to what goes on in a Formula 1 race.

Imagine accelerating to 200 mph in nine seconds, then being at a standstill three seconds later. The driver of an F1 car experiences forces up to 5G during braking and cornering throughout the two hours they race around the track. Completing one race is the physical equivalent to running a marathon, so drivers are among the fittest people in the world.

That’s all great, but as there are only 22 F1 drivers on the track at any given time, your chances of getting to pilot such a vehicle are practically zero.

Instead of getting all pouty, there’s another option. Just as the F1 season started up a week ago in Melbourne, Australia, racetracks around America will soon open for business as well. This is great news for adrenaline junkies, as we can finally bring sports cars out of hibernation.

For those without racecars, tracks here in New York and around the country also hold events called “open track days,” where you can bring any car and pound around the track as fast as you can.

Open tracks days have led to some of the absolute best times I’ve had in a road car. Driving on the street is limiting, and there are a million different things to worry about.

When you drive onto the track however, all those worries evaporate. There are no speed limits, no traffic or pedestrians, and you get the biggest thrill you’ve ever experienced in your life.

Driving on a track is an experience you can’t find anywhere else. Thirty or 40 people and their cars gather at the track with the end goal of enjoying the day — that includes driving your car home. You’re allowed to bury your foot to the floor for as long as you dare before stomping on the brakes to round a corner. A track is the one place where burnouts are encouraged, and you’re only chided for not pushing the limit enough in a corner.

I’ve been a part of several open track days with my personal and other cars, and on top of all the fun you have, it’s also a learning experience. You get to master your car and its tendencies when you drive it on a track.

Rarely do people encounter understeer and oversteer in real-world driving, but a track amplifies a car’s tendency to plow or snap around on you because of the high speeds. Do you know what to do if either of those things happen on the street? Knowing how your car reacts in an emergency situation could be the difference between you ending up in a ditch or completely untouched.

When you’re on the track and driving fast, you can gain an understanding for how your car might fare if you somehow lost control because somebody swerved in front of you, and you were forced to take evasive action. Remaining calm is crucial in a situation like this, and learning car control on a track is one way to build this skill.

Once you’ve done the learning, the real fun begins. If you really get into motorsports and decide you want to compete, tracks offer time trial days where you can bring your car of choice to try and best everybody else. I’d suggest attending a grassroots motorsports event at a local track to get a feel for the environment if you have any interest in the sensation of speed and G forces.

The thrill and adrenaline rush of driving on a track never goes away. There’s a “run what ya brung” attitude and everybody’s invited to take part. We might not all be Formula 1 drivers, but we sure can capture the spirit of the sport.

Zac Palmer is a sophomore magazine journalism major. His column appears weekly in Pulp. He can be reached at zipalmer@syr.edu.

Published on March 27, 2016 at 10:41 pm