On the fast track -- for a day

SO you think you know driving?

You battle that latte-swilling, bass-thumpin’, always-changing-lanes-for-no-reason L.A. freeway traffic daily, right?

That doesn’t qualify you for the NASCAR circuit, as I discovered last month at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving.

My one-day “Intro to Racing” course at the school was a gift from my wife, Gayle. With nine other novices, I got eight hours of hands-on training at the school’s 62-acre complex in Chandler, Ariz., near Phoenix. My instructor, Danny Bullock, has taught there five years and races on two circuits, the American Speed Assn. and the National Auto Sport Assn.

Mixing droll humor with a calm manner, Bullock drilled us on the proper way to handle skids, make hairpin turns, accelerate and decelerate on manual transmissions -- all at speeds of which the Highway Patrol would not approve. Then we put that into practice on a 1.6-mile, 15-turn motocross track and went through a series of time trials.

I’m a closet gear head, often fantasizing about chasing down a Michael Schumacher or Tony Stewart. I envisioned doing a 140-mph or 150-mph lap before the end of the day.

Reality, however, was a different beast. First, we weren’t on NASCAR-style oval tracks. Second, there is G-force -- which is not the nickname of some gangsta rapper’s posse. It’s the tug of gravity on your body when you are making a turn or coming out of a skid. You might not notice G-force while turning at a busy intersection. But you will when you make hairpin turns above 50 mph. Driving suddenly felt like the teacup ride at Disneyland.

I was still a bit green around the gills when we got on the motocross course, following Bullock in our Mustang GTs at 80 mph. My concentration lapsed; I misjudged a turn and had to veer off the track. I got right back on but drove to the pit area to quiet my belly.

We were dressed for the 105-degree desert heat -- shorts, T-shirts and sneakers -- but I was sweating inside my driving helmet. I couldn’t fathom wearing a protective racing suit and maintaining the concentration necessary to maneuver on the track for five minutes, much less the duration of the Indy 500.

On the timed course, I was consistently clocked at 1:08 for the two laps, with an average top speed of about 55 mph.

OK, so I’m not the next Jeff Gordon. But I am a faster driver and, in my estimation, a safer driver. I learned techniques that could save my life, but I also better understand my limitations. I am less inclined to roar through a traffic signal or tailgate someone going the speed limit.

And if I have a chance to go back, I will. The next level of instruction is in a Corvette. It goes 0 to 60 in 4.6 seconds.

**

Bondurant racing school, 20000

S. Maricopa Road, Gate 3,

Chandler, Ariz.; (800) 842-7223,

www.bondurant.com. One-day

“Intro to Racing” course $1,295.