View Full Version : Car Racing Schools/Courses
montanadave
11-22-09, 07:57
Kind of off in the weeds, I know, but I figured it can't hurt to ask.
My wife would love to go to a three or four day car course where she could get out on a track and really haul ass. I would like to find a good training school and give her the course for her birthday next year. Given our location and air connections, the quickest hop is probably going to be to Phoenix or Las Vegas.
Anybody know about driving schools in those areas. I've looked at the Bondurant Racing website (Phoenix) but was curious if anyone had any kind of first hand experience with this sort of thing.
I've also got an ulterior motive in looking around Phoenix as I might be able to schedule a course at Gunsite (or Frontsite in Vegas) while she was racing around the track. Anybody got any ideas?
Check out Skip Barber. They are one of the better outfits out there. My old business partner used to be an instructor, he now drives in Rolex and Grand AM series...
montanadave
11-22-09, 09:07
Found a Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump, NV that has a three day Corvette performance driving course and it's just a hop, skip and a jump to Front Site's training facility.
Anybody know about either of these outfits?
BONDURANT is another well known school.
May I offer a suggestion? Try Autocrossing if you can prior to going. SCCA has an Evolution School in which they provide personal instruction on over and understeer, threshhold braking and proper turn-in, balancing the car, etc.
You'd be very much prepared to do well in whatever driving school you choose.
An Auto-x would be good place to start. They try to keep speeds around 60mph and they're very helpful with novice drivers. It's a good place to learn the limits of yourself and your car...on the other hand, you're going to gain a significant hatred for cones:D
Some of my associates have attended the training at Bondurant for applications overseas. Everyone said that it was top notch.
Used to work at Bondurant. Great school. Some of the best instructors in the world. They have the best equipment for training, esp. their skip cars. BEst course to do the first time is the 4 day course. If you go in the summer they will cut a deal on the overall price. At Bondurant you will get about 5 hrs a day in the car, they don't break up your laps so you lose pace and their training is great. The 4 day course is around the equivlent of a few years track time. Worth every penny. I would maybe consider Skip Barber but they have some very lame policies regarding flat spotting tires and such.
montanadave
11-23-09, 08:10
My wife isn't all that concerned about any specific model/type of car. She's just jazzed to get behind the wheel and race around a track. I think she's probably going to be in for a lot more than she bargained for (i.e. driving fundamentals, techniques, specific skills r/t braking, steering, etc.) but that's OK--she'll enjoy being challenged.
Right now, the Bondurant school in Phoenix looks like the best fit but, DAMN, it is expensive! Phoenix is a good location, however, because we have a direct flight from Billings so it's a one-hop stop.
The idea of going together with her doing the driving course and me getting in a pistol class is still appealing and the previously mentioned outfits out of Las Vegas are perfect for that but I don't know anything (other than their websites) about either place.
The Front Sight firearms school in Pahrump has a lot of courses but is expensive and seems, well, a little skeezy. Anybody have any feedback on the place?
Dave Berryhill
11-23-09, 08:30
I went to the Bondurant "Lap the Oval" 1/2 day class at Phoenix a few years ago (it was a gift from my wife). It's a pretty nice introduction class and a lot of fun. They start you in the classroom and go over cornering skills on the chalkboard, take you for a few laps in a large passenger van showing the way to enter and exit the turns and then get you out on the track in small Formula cars ASAP.
It's not a multi-day class but it is a great introduction.
Submariner
11-23-09, 09:16
Isn't there another school like Bondurant located in WV?
I'm having a senior moment and cannot recall.:(
Isn't there another school like Bondurant located in WV?
I'm having a senior moment and cannot recall.:(
Yes. B.S.R., Bill Scott Raceway. EDC, Evasive Driving Course, Anti-Terrorist Driver training.
That would be Bill Scott Raceway in Summit Point, WV
Haven't been there myself but now that I'm thinking about it I might just have to get my old man a trip out there for FATT for his b-day/X-mass his 325i could use a fitting send off...
For more details see:
http://www.bsr-inc.dreamhosters.com/
Haha looks like I took too long daydreaming... thanks Cold Zero!
I took the 2 day driving school at Skip Barber back in the mid-90's at Lime Rock, CT, as opposed to the racing school which is a different animal.
The driving school uses a combination of classroom and specialized track sessions (skidpad circle and road course) to teach kind of a hybrid of performance driving and safety. You will learn a lot and I know it has saved my butt I few times. Much more valuable than driver's ed.
This is a great one in Pahrump Nevada...
http://www.springmountainmotorsports.com/
I think either way, you kinda have to consider the overall "package". You wouldn't sign up for a Magpul Dynamics Advanced Carbine class after just purchasing a 6920...
Spring Mountain in the reviews I've read is a very, very, very good school. BUT, I think it may be a little more "advanced" then what she (or you) may actually be wanting. If you look they call their school "Spring Mountain Advanced Driving School" and while I'm sure they would take the time to make sure she can do heel/toe, hit the proper shift points etc having never been behind the wheel of a 405hp manual transmission Corvette can be a little intimidating (hell, I had a 330hp LS1 Camaro and that could get a little hairy at times lol).
They have their Lotus school too, but I've only heard the reviews around their Corvette school so I can't really comment on that too much.
Bondurant and Skip Barber would probably be a little more performance driving oriented and be less intense and more applicable to what would/could happen on the street vs a more "race" oriented school like Spring Mountain.
Now I'm not meaning to belittle you or your wife, so please don't take it as such. I have no idea what her, or your skills are behind the wheel. Just remember it's supposed to be fun! So take into account you/her experience level(s) and find a course description that sounds like it'll be fun and somewhat challenging, but more-so fun.
An Auto-x would be good place to start. They try to keep speeds around 60mph and they're very helpful with novice drivers. It's a good place to learn the limits of yourself and your car...on the other hand, you're going to gain a significant hatred for cones:D
+1 on Auto-X
Pick up a beater Civic, Miata, MR2, etc. Go out an have fun, you'll learn as you go and meet some cool people, you'll get your monies worth more then just attending a driving school, IMO.
I took the Grand Prix course about 20 years ago...4 day course...Not sure what they call it know...
Great experience...great instructors and I loved the old mustangs...
Well worth the time and effort...
Wally
not to derail but an additional question you may have is "is it legal to have a firearm in your vehicle while attending said school?" :D
The three or four day grand prix course at Bondurant takes someone with average driving experience and brings them up very quickly. 1st day and a half is spent on the paddock learning the basics. Then you transfer to the track and end in the formula fords.
The instructors there are very responsive and will spend extra time with students that show promise and interest.
They also offer a real nice executive driving course. Best fun you will ever have banging fenders!
montanadave
11-24-09, 08:05
My wife is leaning pretty hard towards the 4-day Bondurant Grand Prix Road Racing class and from some of the feedback, it appears Bondurant is well-regarded and this particular course is not only comprehensive, but a lot of fun as well.
Bondurant is running a discount if someone signs up for a 2010 course before the end of the year and they also offer an additional discount (which someone previously mentioned) if you attend after June 1.
Gunsite offers their Pistol 250 4-day class during the same time period as the Bondurant school in June. Ya know you've been married a while when the perfect vacation consists of flying somewhere together then heading in opposite directions to do your own thing. :D
I dunno man. We are all firearms enthusiast here and you can't replace a good training class but, because I've done both, I'd choose the racing school. I think if I hadn't done 1 or the other I would choose the one I hadn't but, how often do you get to tear around in vehicle that isn't yours? :cool:
Well if they were really commited to one another they would do the executive protection course. This includes running road blocks and practicing drive by shootings on a target car. They are headed in the right direction though!:p
I can only comment on the racing school side of things. Some of my friends who I road raced with went to the skippy schools and learned alot and gained some good skills, one even did a couple of private lapping days with coaching. They have a great rep and you learn a solid skill set that can be applied at the track in any car really. Bondurant has a great rep as well and Bertil Roos seems to be pretty solid too (seen them at pocono countless times).
Another thing to consider if you have a street car in good shape is attending a high performance driving event with a club like bmwcca http://www.nybmwcca.org/school.php theres chapters all across the us, that page is just the one I was a member of back in ny. Its a great safe environment that gives you the best bang for your buck, autocross is around 4 timed runs that might last 1-2min and its a competition when during the driving school you get 4 30min sessions a day, 2 class room sessions and skills not speed or time is all that is worked on. I instructed with another club that had a race attitude and you will never have a better hpde instructor then those that do bmwcca evenets
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