I did the ST Octane Academy in Utah a few years ago when I bought a new Focus ST. It’s impossible not to have fun on a track and autocross course with a car you don’t own. The hydraulic hand brake in the Fiesta ST was fun, probably my favorite part was doing J-turns and parallel parking by sliding the car sideways into its spot. The track portion was fun but there is a mix of skill levels and no passing was allowed. I’m not going to pretend I’m fast but there are people who attend that genuinely have no idea what the car is capable of and are out for a Sunday drive. I had to cruise at idle down the straightaway for every one of my laps to give myself space.

I recently did a BMW Ultimate Driving Experience and it was a ton of fun considering it was free. I got lucky and had no traffic but my buddy got caught behind Sunday drivers in the autocross and it definitely ruined the fun for him.