The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: January twenty-third, experiencing life in the fast lane.

If not an actual need, many drivers habitually crave speed. To be fair, there is nothing quite like the adrenaline rush of pushing a high-power, high-performance vehicle through tight turns and long straightaways far faster than any public roads legally allow. Here's one way to satisfy that craving in relative safety.

Numerous auto racing tracks host professional courses where speed hungry novices can take classes in the fine arts of driving fast. In the mid-1970's, Skip Barber, a veteran of decades on the racing circuits, started a school with two borrowed Lola Formula Fords. It now has a fleet of 150 cars and trains 13,000 students a year at some 20 top tracks. Barber's one-, three- and five-day programs attract professional drivers, celebrities and speed demons. Initial classroom instruction provides quick overviews of basic safety, car sense and driving strategy, but the real teaching takes place on the track.

The school's two liter, Formula Dodge instruction vehicles are powerful, demanding thoroughbreds. Just squeezing into the tubular frame cockpit is intimidating. The front wheels loom large when your legs are stretched out straight with only a thin aluminum floor pan and three inches of air between your backside and the asphalt. When the rubber's on the road, simple wisdoms such as "slow into the curve and fast out" become easy to understand, albeit difficult to follow. Though classes are graded on the curve and the straightaway, the feeling of managing unbridled speed and power is like nothing else.

FMI Skip Barber Racing Schools, offered at 20 tracks, are open to anyone with a valid license and the ability to drive a manual transmission. For information, 800-221-1131 or www.skipbarber.com The website www.racingschools.com provides information on other well-established racing schools.

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