WATCH: Juan Pablo Montoya operates flame-throwing, car-crushing robotic T-Rex

Juan Pablo Montoya normally races a car that weighs less than a ton.

Thursday, he got behind the controls of a 30-ton, 40-foot-tall robotic dinosaur that shoots flames and crushes cars.

“From the inside, you’re way up there. When you lean over to pick up the car, you’re like, ‘whoooa.’ It’s a bit like a roller coaster,” Montoya said. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s pretty exciting. It’s one of those things you normally don’t get to do.”

The machine, Robosaurus, is in Dallas as part of the pre-race festivities for the Firestone 600 INDYCAR race. It will operate at the race on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Robosaurus lifts cars over its head using claws that have 28,000 lbs. of biting force. It can shoot fire from its nostrils 20 feet in the air.

Montoya said he isn’t as vicious on the racetrack as Robosaurus is crushing cars.

“I think I’m a little nicer,” he said. “Just a little.”