Still looking for the perfect Father’s Day gift for the guy who already has a closet full of ties and a cupboard of #1 Dad coffee mugs? Here are a few gifts that will have a car-enthusiast dad’s heart racing.
Richard Petty Driving Experience at Phoenix International Raceway
Dad can ride along with a professional driver or get behind the wheel of a 600-horsepower NASCAR racecar for anywhere from eight to 50 laps at speeds up to 125 miles per hour. Ride-alongs are priced around $65 and driving experiences range from $449 to $2599. For some family bonding, when you purchase a ride-along experience, your teen can join in for just $29. Driving experiences require reservations. Visit the website for a full list and description of available courses and pricing.
Bob Bondurant School of High-Performance Driving
High-performance driving, Corvette Z06 experience, Grand Prix, Formula Car racing, stock-car driving, slalom, skid-control, autocross – whatever dad’s passion, Bondurant has a class to provide the appropriate adrenaline rush. He can spend a few hours or a few days on the track, learning the skills appropriate to his favorite type of performance driving. There are even special courses for Corvette owners to bring their own cars out for some track time. To check out the vast number of courses offered at Bondurant, visit their website.
Accessorize
Some guys go for a Rolex or a Tag Heuer, but even if he doesn’t have a Maserati parked in the driveway, dad can sport one on his wrist. Maserati-inspired watches range in price from just under $200 to over $1100, in an array of styles. For a variety of other Ferrari or Maserati-inspired gifts, Scottsdale Maserati has boutique as well as an eBay Store.
Or, give dad the gift of always feeling like he’s behind the wheel of his favorite sports car. Any enthusiast would rather be ensconced in a Recaro racing seat than slaving away behind the computer. Now, dad can kick back at the office in a Ferrari Scuderia Carbon office chair ($25,000), a Corvette C5 ($4500), or a chair inspired by Lamborghini, Bentley, Maserati, Jaguar and others. RaceChairs Performance Furniture also offers a variety of home and office accessories and art.
Works of Art
Many consider cars to be works of art in and of themselves. But there are a number of artists who concentrate on vehicles as an art form by committing them to canvas, collage or sculpture. Some are contemporary, some are nostalgic, but whatever your style, their pieces make a great addition to any home. Lucretia Torva and Dave Newman are just a few examples of local artists who have turned their love of automobiles into stunning and nuanced pieces of art.
