Driving School recommendations?

[Roberts68]

Tonight Jodi tells me she wants to do something special for my birthday in July and the first idea was the Richard Petty Experience. She was thinking in Vegas because of all the other stuff to do there and I have never been there.
Having said that I will clarify now we are talking the $200-500 session not the full blown $3k package. We are not in that league so once on a trip we would take in some sights but high rollers we are not.:_paranoid

Anyway, talks turned to performance driving schools in musclecars as opposed to chauffered joyriding in a rented NASCAR for a few laps and how a school might be money better spent in the long run.

I want to add, we are not committed to any destination at this point so please don't be limited in suggesting sites. The only stipulation I was given is getting out of MN as a couple for a trip.

Can anyone weigh in on programs I should check into or share past experience? Pro's/Con's? We appreciate any suggestions you might offer, Thanks!

Robert

[Sieg]

Laguna Seca or Infinion (Sears Point) would be nice. They are also tracks you'll get to watch a lot of races at on TV in the future which adds to the experience for years to come.

If you don't have any track experience I'd go to a local track day as a beginner so you have some basic track procedure knowledge going into the school which will help calm your nerves and let you focus on improving driving skills at the school.

[clill]

Where is that babbling Weld when we need him. He will tell you which Bondurant school he went to and actually learned stuff. It is in Phoenix Az.

[clill]

Oh wait...He's on a beach in Hawaii...

[Sieg]

Oh wait...He's beached in Hawaii...
Fixed :thumbsup:

[Track Junky]

Where is that babbling Weld when we need him. He will tell you which Bondurant school he went to and actually learned stuff. It is in Phoenix Az.

:lol: Thats exactly what I was thinking when I read the title of this thread.

[intocarss]

Where is that babbling Weld when we need him. He will tell you which Bondurant school he went to and actually learned stuff. It is in Phoenix Az.

I haven't laughed this hard in days :rofl: :thumbsup:

I have two friends that went to the Bondurant school in Az. And they both loved it and learned a lot

[Roberts68]

You know what is funny? Bondurant was the first one that came to mind. Now I have to wonder if skimming over some of that babbling trickled in, sort of an osmosis reaction could have taken place.

Mentioning Arizona earned me a "been there". Her folks used to live in AZ so fresher pastures offer more appealing grass at this point.

There looks to be classes held local at BIR which is not as iconic as Laguna Seca or Infinion, etc and could always be done another time. BIR was a stop for the OneLap last year and James really liked it from what I read.

Keep 'em coming guys... GW won't be gone forever.:thumbsup:

[uxojerry]

BSR in WVa.

[clill]

I just texted the link to Weld. That would be 5:00am where he is. With any luck he didn't turn his phone off and I woke him up.:D

[Roberts68]

I just texted the link to Weld. That would be 5:00am where he is. With any luck he didn't turn his phone off and I woke him up.:D

Nice! :unibrow:
:rofl:

[Sandbagger]

For that kind of coin you could do a whole season with Midwestern Council ,
Blackhawk ,ACC , Gingerman , Road America
2-3 ,3-5 lap sessions with timed runs after that . Coachs are available

[carbuff]

Unfortunately a Bondurant type school is going to be out of your preferred price range I think. I did it about 10 years ago and loved it! It's a whole different level from your local HPDE type events.

If you are serious about spending time on a track, try to budget a school like that if you can. And the earlier the better in your learning curve. They can help teach you good habits to start instead of learning bad ones yourself. And it's a whole lot of fun!!!

Good luck, any path you choose will be fun as long as you're on a track. :)

[GregWeld]

A little birdie --- well "he" actually looks more like Big Bird...and has cars to match his feathers.... whispered in my ear about this thread.

If AriDzona is out then I have nothing to add. Bondurant WILL teach you how to drive - but they're not cheap and they have nothing to offer below a couple grand. It's the best 3 or 4 days money can buy... if you decided to do it.


IMHO there's just no way a commercial driving school can put on a class - supply you with a car/tires/fuel/instructor for a couple hundred bucks. There's just too much overhead. I ran through a complete set of tires in ONE DAY at Bondurant... and even at their cost it would be 400 bucks or so just for that! I actually got kudos for doing that, not a "hey buddy - take it easy".

Gwen gave me a 3 day Corvette driving experience for my 50th -- and it was the most fun thing I think I'd ever done.

[GregWeld]

Unfortunately a Bondurant type school is going to be out of your preferred price range I think. I did it about 10 years ago and loved it! It's a whole different level from your local HPDE type events.

If you are serious about spending time on a track, try to budget a school like that if you can. And the earlier the better in your learning curve. They can help teach you good habits to start instead of learning bad ones yourself. And it's a whole lot of fun!!!

Good luck, any path you choose will be fun as long as you're on a track. :)





Bryan -- PM or email me (preferred) about the V8 Supercar race.

[GregWeld]

I just texted the link to Weld. That would be 5:00am where he is. With any luck he didn't turn his phone off and I woke him up.:D



Gwen says you're in trouble!

[clill]

Maybe the dummy that didn't turn his phone off should be in trouble...

[GregWeld]

No --- that's not how it works at our house.

[Roberts68]

A little birdie --- well "he" actually looks more like Big Bird...and has cars to match his feathers.... whispered in my ear about this thread.

If AriDzona is out then I have nothing to add. Bondurant WILL teach you how to drive - but they're not cheap and they have nothing to offer below a couple grand. It's the best 3 or 4 days money can buy... if you decided to do it.


IMHO there's just no way a commercial driving school can put on a class - supply you with a car/tires/fuel/instructor for a couple hundred bucks. There's just too much overhead. I ran through a complete set of tires in ONE DAY at Bondurant... and even at their cost it would be 400 bucks or so just for that! I actually got kudos for doing that, not a "hey buddy - take it easy".

Gwen gave me a 3 day Corvette driving experience for my 50th -- and it was the most fun thing I think I'd ever done.

Thanks for that GW, and exponential thanks for not posting it in a Youtube video response format from the beach sporting your leopard print banana hammock.:captain:

When you put it in that perspective it certainly makes good sense as to price point. We will take that under consideration but in our case, buying tires can take precedence over affording a track day frying tires. This might be another case of reality tapping me on the shoulder, whispering something about "running with the big dogs" and trailing off with... "if you have to ask, you probably can't afford it".

[GregWeld]

3qfBiz64Axs

[SLO_Z28]

http://evoschool.com/

Hands down. Its coming up very soon for you too.

[HIFLYR]

Be careful and check out the safety aspects of the school you choose, my wifes doctor was killed at a Bondurant school. No fault of the school but accidents happen.

[Roberts68]

http://evoschool.com/

Hands down. Its coming up very soon for you too.

We are looking for someplace 6-7 months from now actually. I looked at the schedule and that appears to be a circuit based program and is in WA around July

Do they provide the vehicles?

Be careful and check out the safety aspects of the school you choose, my wifes doctor was killed at a Bondurant school. No fault of the school but accidents happen.
:wow: What a shame.
Thank you for that suggestion.

[GregWeld]

Evolution - you drive your own car....


Bondurant etc you are supplied with a car / fuel / tires and anything else you need including helmet etc.


Beginning Bondurant courses ASSume you know nothing... and build from there... and most importantly they teach you BRAKING not just stomp the go pedal. But they're expensive as is any first rate experience.

[James OLC]

The first course I took was with Racing Adventures - http://racingadventures.com/. I've known the owner for a long time (he was a customer of mine back in the day when I had a speed shop) and the course is pretty decent for the money. It may not be Bonduraunt or Skippy School but its good instruction in someone else's (well prepared) car. I did the corvette but most guys in my school did the cobras.

[GregWeld]

Be careful and check out the safety aspects of the school you choose, my wifes doctor was killed at a Bondurant school. No fault of the school but accidents happen.



I searched for 20 minutes and could find ZERO mention of this on the internet... I only searched because I find it hard to believe. I've done two driving schools there and while anything can happen... I would think that something like that would be big news.

[MaxHarvard]

Robert, just do BIR with me. ;)

[Roberts68]

Robert, just do BIR with me. ;)

Well Gosh Eric, that is a pretty romantic offer but somehow Vegas with Jodi seems sooooo much more tantalizing. :unibrow:
:rofl:

Kidding aside, That would be cool to do BIR; do you know if they have their own cars or if you use your own? To say mine is a "ways off" from being 7 months out is probably a gross understatement the way my shedule has amped up.:willy:

[TheJDMan]

Just keep in mind that there is a world of difference between a driving Experience and a driving School. Programs such as Richard Petty Driving Experience are designed for the average NASCAR fan that is looking for a thirll but has no interest in actually learning any driving skills. On the other hand a Driving School like Bondurant or Skip Barber will actually teach you high performace driving like a professional. An economical alternative is a track day event. Most commerical road race tracks offer some sort of Track Days which will provide a ride along instructor and allow you to drive your own car on a real race track for a few hundred dollars. These Track Days are a good place to start learning the basics without the expense of a full blown driving school. Check out http://www.nasaracing.net/ for information on their driving events.

[Roberts68]

I couldn't agree with you more TheJDMan... Which is why I got a little "Deer in the Headlights" when she mentioned a NASCAR based program and started looking to alternatives.

I know there are tons of guys on here that could give me pointers and BIR as MaxHarvard mentioned is the closest facility.

Getting my car together by next season is a dream but as we know not all dreams come true. I would like to find a place to drive a "purpose built" car and get some instruction. Some of the motorcycle stuff crosses over but a Valentino Rossi I was not. Still, when I was into my bike I did pay attention to information pertinent to being a better rider, smoother and safer with aspirations of being faster through corners.

Do you know what region of NASA MN would be? I did not see BIR in the regions I looked up but maybe they are more SCCA? I'm pretty naive about the different organizations.

[intocarss]

I searched for 20 minutes and could find ZERO mention of this on the internet... I only searched because I find it hard to believe. I've done two driving schools there and while anything can happen... I would think that something like that would be big news.

Maybe he is confusing it with this

http://sports.yahoo.com/irl/news?slug=txspeedwaydeath

[Roberts68]

Maybe he is confusing it with this

I wouldn't think so since that woman was only 24.
HIFLYR referenced the alleged fatality was "his wifes doctor" which could be female, but how many people reach the title of doctor by 24?

I really like the new pictures of your Camaro in your signature Jerry. Lookin' good!:thumbsup:

[intocarss]

I wouldn't think so since that woman was only 24.
HIFLYR referenced the alleged fatality was "his wifes doctor" which could be female, but how many people reach the title of doctor by 24?

I really like the new pictures of your Camaro in your signature Jerry. Lookin' good!:thumbsup:

OH I really didn't read the first post about the death just Gregs & thanks for the props!

[Track Junky]

Agreed....Car looks great Jerry!! :thumbsup:

[MaxHarvard]

Well Gosh Eric, that is a pretty romantic offer but somehow Vegas with Jodi seems sooooo much more tantalizing. :unibrow:
:rofl:

Kidding aside, That would be cool to do BIR; do you know if they have their own cars or if you use your own? To say mine is a "ways off" from being 7 months out is probably a gross understatement the way my shedule has amped up.:willy:


They do have their own cars you can borrow ;)

http://www.birperformance.com/

Do we have a budding Bromance?

[tazzz2_ca]

I've been considering Spring Mountain Ranch and the "Ron Fellows" program out there....

[GregWeld]

I've been considering Spring Mountain Ranch and the "Ron Fellows" program out there....



I've done Spring Mountain --- and Bondurant is a FAR better school. You might get more seat time at Spring Mountain - but you won't get the schooling that you do at Bondurant. Bondurant will really watch your every move and coach you on driving faster... or your braking...

I was slow in a corner in the open wheel Mazda cars and said so - next thing you know - there's my instructor at that corner just watching me... after 3 laps or so he's flagging me in - and has a big white board with the track on it and he shows me what I'm doing -- and what he wants me to try.. sure enough. Bam I'm driving thru the corner WAY faster and feeling really good about it.

These guys don't want to just entertain you -- they WANT to teach you how to be better and they're good at it.

Just my "buddy to a buddy" talking.

[James OLC]

^^ this is a really good point.

Lots of "schools" are really nothing more then "experiences" that want you to enjoy yourself and are reluctant to be really critical of your driving or abilities. You really have to know what you want for yourself when you pick a school. When I went to DirtFish last spring I specifically told the instructors what I wanted to get out of the school and asked them to be blunt in their assessments rather than giving me a "good job" or "getting better" every time we got out of the car. Kind of like doing hot laps with Mary... :)

There are lots of extremely talented drivers who return to Bondurant every year for a "tune up" or to focus on specific weaknesses.