5 Extreme escapes for dad

$3,995 not including airfare or hotel

Adrenaline-junkie dads will love a weekend at the Skip Barber Racing School, which offers three-day professional driving courses at the all-new Autobahn Country Club outside of Chicago, or the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.

There, they'll get behind the wheel of either a Mazda MX-5 Miata or a Formula One open-wheel race car (pictured). Each day begins with a short classroom "chalk talk," and then dad is literally off to the races, practicing slalom, braking and downshifting exercises. There are also high-speed lapping sessions and track drills in drafting, passing and racing in the rain.

Once drivers have completed the racing school, which spokesman Rick Roso likens to a "shot of heroin," then they're eligible to sign up with the Skip Barber School for a day of racing at some of the country's most famous tracks, including Daytona International Speedway. Of course, your father has to be able to drive a stick shift - and relinquish all fears - in order to qualify.