Looking to go to Racing/Driving school; need opinions!

G35stilez · 12-12-05, 08:05

I will be graduating from college this year and more than anything else, I want to go to racing/driving school for my graduation present. I have wanted it since I got to school. My dad will be accompanying me as well as some friends.

The main thing we are looking for is to become 'expert' road drivers (ie: manuevering) and good racers. Most places offer one or the other so we toyed with the idea of 2-days manuevers, 2 days racing, or whatever. Here's what we have looked at:

http://www.bondurant.com/courses/HPDweb.html

http://www.bondurant.com/courses/HwySurvival.html

http://www.bondurant.com/courses/IntroRR.html

http://www.skipbarber.com/driving_sc...ng_school.aspx

http://www.skipbarber.com/racing_sch...ng_school.aspx

http://www.racenow.com/b01_programs.htm

http://www.derekdaly.com/driverprograms.htm

Right now we are open to any advice. We know the big names are Skip Barber and Bob Bondurant. If you have any experience, advice, or other info to give, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Accumulator · 12-12-05, 08:52

Of the ones you listed my wife and I have done Bondurant (several courses) and Skip Barber (one course). Either would be great, but if I had to pick for you I'd say to do the 3-day Bondurant course. Don't shorthchange yourself- do a "full immersion" approach and take a course that lasts as many days as you can afford.

We really got a lot out of the 3-day HPD course, almost as much as we got out of their 4-day Gran Prix course. I can pretty much guarantee that it'd be a *GREAT* choice. It covers everything you need to know and gives you enough of it that you'll retain a lot of it. A one/two day class is fun, but six months later you might not be able to pull that stuff off at a moment's notice (remember that I credit the driving schools/etc. for surviving our "deer incident" with minor damage instead of dying at the wheel). More is better.

99ITR_SC · 12-12-05, 04:32

I recall they used to use Dodge Neons at Skip Barber. For my money, i think i would pass on that lovely opportunity and go somewhere with a car that could match my own.....! Its like using a rotary for years and years, and then being taught how to master hand-polishing.

Slackmeister · 12-12-05, 05:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by 99ITR_SC

I recall they used to use Dodge Neons at Skip Barber. For my money, i think i would pass on that lovely opportunity and go somewhere with a car that could match my own.....! Its like using a rotary for years and years, and then being taught how to master hand-polishing.

Given the choice, I'm sure most of us here would rather drive a Viper or a Corvette around a track instead of a FWD econobox, but proper technique can be taught in any car.

holland_patrick · 12-13-05, 05:42

try this one
http://www.team-oneil.com/school.safety.htm

PrinzII · 12-13-05, 05:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Accumulator

Of the ones you listed my wife and I have done Bondurant (several courses) and Skip Barber (one course). Either would be great, but if I had to pick for you I'd say to do the 3-day Bondurant course. Don't shorthchange yourself- do a "full immersion" approach and take a course that lasts as many days as you can afford.

We really got a lot out of the 3-day HPD course, almost as much as we got out of their 4-day Gran Prix course. I can pretty much guarantee that it'd be a *GREAT* choice. It covers everything you need to know and gives you enough of it that you'll retain a lot of it. A one/two day class is fun, but six months later you might not be able to pull that stuff off at a moment's notice (remember that I credit the driving schools/etc. for surviving our "deer incident" with minor damage instead of dying at the wheel). More is better.

I just looked at Bondurant and there are two courses I am interested in. The 3 day High Performance Driving Course and the 4 Day Executive Protection Course.

Accumulator · 12-13-05, 07:14

PrinzII- I haven't checked lately, but Bondurant's Executive Protection courses were *very* expensive last time we priced them, many thousands of $. That's a big part of why I ended up going with the Security Driver's Course at Beaverun. The Beaverun course was only $1250 or so IIRC and was, IMO, adequate given my having already learned the basics of driving. Note that this course is considered sufficient for people being deployed as drivers in hot zones around the world. I'd rather spend the big bucks on the basic driving skills first and then fine tune things with a course like the Beaverun one.

So IMO it'd be best to take the 3-day High Performance course. I remember that you do chauffeuring, and I'd still recommend you do it that way. Trying to learn car control and situational awareness/response at the same time would be an awfully tall order. No matter what, it's the car control stuff that you want to be able to pull out of the hat at a moment's notice, otherwise nothing else matters except luck (whether the problem is bad weather, bad drivers, or bad people).

Oh, and as to which cars the schools use, yeah, you can learn how to drive in *any* car that's set up properly. Actually, a really fast, car with sky-high limits is about the last thing I'd want for an introductory course. Just not the right tool for the job (the job being learning car control, which is really reprogramming the driver). There's a reason why Bondurant didn't have us in Formula Fords until the last day of a four day course

Wally · 12-13-05, 07:34

For what it's worth...

I'm a dedicated driver (see my under-line), I live in Belgium, about 270 km's from the Nurburgring, the most treacherous circuit in the world. Believe me if I'm telling you that everything there is scary, from the start to the finish.
About every car-maker test their cars there, all sorts of tarmac, corners, gradients, cambers etc...

There I really have learned to drive a car, it wasn't cheap but well worth.

It's al about "balance", forget fancy suspension, cool-looking brakes and so on, the first thing you really have to understand is the physics of a car, what'is it doing in what time and why ?

White95Max · 12-13-05, 07:43

The Skip Barber Racing School around here at RoadAmerica uses Neon SXTs, automatic and 5spd. They also have several Dakotas and 3 Viper SRT-10s.

After I graduate, I'd also like to to to a driving school. Let us know what you decide and how it went.

vdog0531 · 12-13-05, 08:15

i am VERY interested in doing this when i graduate as well. i would love to know how it goes sean.

Shiny Lil Detlr · 12-13-05, 08:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Accumulator

Oh, and as to which cars the schools use, yeah, you can learn how to drive in *any* car that's set up properly. Actually, a really fast, car with sky-high limits is about the last thing I'd want for an introductory course. Just not the right tool for the job (the job being learning car control, which is really reprogramming the driver). There's a reason why Bondurant didn't have us in Formula Fords until the last day of a four day course

Agreed. Honestly if you think about it, the cars that MOST people are driving anymore are FWD anyways; and the principles are a little different between FWD and RWD (not a huge amount, but still different). So to go from driving FWD cars to learning in a high-powered RWD rig isn't realistic. Better to learn in a car closer to what you drive than to be stuck in something that is a polar opposite.

I'd love to find a course designed specifically for SUV and Truck drivers, though (since that's what I daily-drive)

Accumulator · 12-13-05, 09:22

Nice to see so much interest in this topic. Short answer to the whole "which school" thing is that any school is better than no school.