MACA Racers - Need advice

[fak3r]

I am looking to take some racing courses this November for my birthday and was hoping to get some suggestions/recommendations what schools I should contact in the area. I wouldn't mind travelling a few hours to get there. I am need to stay within a range of $1000 or less. Preferably less...much less.
Since I am a novice, I am guessing my goal is to walk away from the course understanding corners/turns/straightaways, etc, have plenty of time to practice them on the track and if need be, down the line, be able to take my car out to a course on my own time (but I am guessing I would need some sort of a certification before I can do that).

Any help and suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

-Paul

 

[zaxjax]

I am looking to take some racing courses this November for my birthday and was hoping to get some suggestions/recommendations what schools I should contact in the area. I wouldn't mind travelling a few hours to get there. I am need to stay within a range of $1000 or less. Preferably less...much less.
Since I am a novice, I am guessing my goal is to walk away from the course understanding corners/turns/straightaways, etc, have plenty of time to practice them on the track and if need be, down the line, be able to take my car out to a course on my own time (but I am guessing I would need some sort of a certification before I can do that).

Any help and suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

-Paul

Paul

Just go rob a bank and then get on the Beltway when the cops are after you. You'll learn real quick.

 

[fak3r]

Paul

Just go rob a bank and then get on the Beltway when the cops are after you. You'll learn real quick.

hmmmmmmmm
Guess I need to upgrade mah RYYYYDE first

 

[dragon40k]

Hell for $1000 you can get at least 2 events and about 4 hours of track time. PM gcassidy or wheelhopper or kens03cobra. Those guys do track events all the time.
Here is a little light reading on the subject.
http://www.tirerack.com/features/solo2/handbook.htm
http://www.norcal-saac.org/ot/primer.pdf
http://www.corner-carvers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33775&highlight=greensix
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=203
I don't sugest posting in the corner-carvers forum unless you have something constructive to add, as they accept no BS, stupid questions or stupid people.

 

[rtomlin]

Hey Paul -

Summit Point operates a driving school called BSR. They do a pretty good one day program called Friday at the Track which includes classroom instruction, track time with an instructor and a session on the skid pad in their training cars. If you've never been on a road course before, it's not a bad way to learn the basics. They have a session on the Shenandoah Circuit on Oct 24 and another on the Main Circuit on Nov 7. Cost is not too bad at $250.

Rick

 

[gcassidy]

Paul, I'm looking around the house for a copy of GrassrootsMotorsports magazine from last year where they compared a bunch of the racing schools like Bondurant, Skip Barber, Jim Russel, Spring Mountain, etc..

There are two different types of education you can pursue, depending on what you want and how much $$$ involved. The high performance driver education events like FATT, NASA HPDE, CarGuys, TrackDaze, etc. can start you off, and give you a taste of road courses. You use your own car. Then there are pure racing schools. They usually use the school's cars because they are teaching specific lessons and techniques that are aimed more at the driver who wants to go racing. They cost lots more because of this.

If I find that comparison, I'll post it up.

 

[fak3r]

Thanks very much for the info, guys. I will spend a few hours this weekend looking over the information. There is a lot to read and learn. This is going to be good!

-Paul

 

[wheelhopper]

Sign up for the next NASA event at Summit. By time you pay for the event, food, gas, R&B, you'll spend about $650. You might be able to sign up for the one in October that a bunch of us are doing. There HPDE1 group is for new drivers. If you can't make October I am probably doing the early November event as well.

 

[gcassidy]

HPDE 1 for Oct is full and waitlisted. But there's the Hyperdrive which is one HPDE session for $50. A great (and much less expensive) way to test the waters.

 

[gcassidy]

Paul, here's the article in GRM I was looking for.

If we can hook up, you can borrow it and read the whole thing.