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

S

stilez

New member
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_school/driving_school.aspx



http://www.skipbarber.com/racing_school/racing_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!
 
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 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.
 
99ITR_SC said:
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.
Click to expand...



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.
 
Accumulator said:
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.
Click to expand...



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.
 
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 ;)
 
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 ?
 
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.
 
Accumulator said:
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 ;)
Click to expand...



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) :getdown
 
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.
 
Thanks everyone for the help thus far.





As of now, its looking like Bondurant in AZ. We are planning on meeting some 'left coast' friends there, so it will be a nice meet in the middle... sorta.



Accumulator: It makes a lot of sense why to go for 3-days vs. one. My father and I are just looking to get the most out of the course. We both enjoy fast cars and are pretty good drivers ourselves, but I know there is soo much more out there to learn.



Keep it comin :).
 
Even though I think it would be fun and informative as hell, I still wouldn't be able to shell out that much. I would rather spend that on my car and make it go faster and handle better and teach myself (with the help of my dad, former road racer). Or go buy a POS and mob the heck out of it at the track, if you crash it oh well. lol
 
GSRstilez- I can pretty much guarantee that the Bondurant 3-day school will be a "gee, *so* glad we did that!" experience. I think it's incredibly cool that your dad is going to do it with you. Wait until you see each other's performances on the accident-avoidance exercise :eek: BTW, that's what saved us during the "deer incident".



When you look into accommodations, check out The Buttes. It's not top shelf (that would be The Phoenician) but it's good for attending training like at Bondurant. The Buttes is our regular place when we're training in Phoenix and we're, uhm, fairly particular ;) but we don't want to spend a fortune on accommodations when we're really just there to accomplish something like the driving school (if that makes sense). The Buttes was always good for Bondurant classes, pretty easy commute to/from too. At the end of the day you'll probably be a bit worn out from the driving, so getting back to the room, changing and having dinner might well be all that the two of you will want to do.
 
I sould also take a look at the Jim Russell 3 day Techniques of Racing course. It is focused on racing but the skills you will learn carry over to the street. The course includes LOTS of track time. If you have any more questions just ask.
 
Man, that looks like fun. Might have to make that a future vacation idea! The only problem I'd have would be if I should bring the Z28 or the SVT Focus. :hairpull Probably the Z28, since it's much harder to control, and I'd get more out of a class with it.
 
Wally said:
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 ?
Click to expand...



LUCKY!!! Can I live with you over the summer? haha...I have nothing to add to this thread... :geez



-justin
 
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