As part of the trip to the GT Academy finals, the media had a chance to get behind the wheel of Nissan’s strongest racers, the 370Z and the GTR. We actually got to drive the Nissan GTR Black Edition, the only model currently in the US in light of the circumstances in Japan. Oh, we also drove the Juke.

We got to take the cars through an autocross course, which is an exhilarating experience. It was my first time on that kind of course, unlike the auto media that was there. Still, I managed a couple decent runs, most notably in the GTR.

After the autocross we were taken around the oval by a pair of professional drivers from the the Richard Petty Driving Experience. As far as I could see, we hit 105 in the 370Z and about 120 in the GTR. That doesn’t sound fast on a straightaway, but around a banked curve it felt like madness.

I’ll have a full writeup of the experience tomorrow. For now, enjoy the gallery.