Driving school Experience

[Carroll DeWeese]

I went to the 4 day Bondurant school just before they whet to Corvettes. I was probably 5th best out of the 6 students on the first 3 days. On the 4th day, we drove rear engine Ford Formula cars. I could run everybody down in those cars. I was either 1st or 2nd best student in the class in those cars. I recommend racing schools to anyone.

Seat time is key. You can read all you want, but you only really learn by putting theory into practice. You have to drive on the edge to learn how to drive on the edge.

You do not need to drive a Cobra at the school. You are learning principles and how to "read" and "feel" a car on the edge. Front and rear wheel experiences are both useful for understanding how cars react. When you get back into your car -- street or Cobra -- you will be a better driver. Perhaps 80% of "race" driving is vision and anticipation. You will learn throttle control. You will learn to become smoother. Smooth is fast. You will get to know yourself and your limits better. You will learn how to react. Some natural reactions get you into trouble. You should become better in avoiding trouble.

You have had many suggestions for school. Go to the best that you can afford. Go as long and as often as you can afford. It is money well spent. Perfect practice makes perfect. Your body forgets. You need refresher experiences in the future to maintain and increase skills.

School is FUN! Enjoy yourself.

[john gyann]

I have been to a lot of driving schools, including Skip Barber, Track Time, CGI, Evolution and some others I can't even remember. To me the best school for someone starting out is Bondurant. It was the last school I attended and felt like I had wasted my money on all the other schools. They were all fun but I really learned how to drive at Bondurant. Went right to Run & Gun and took second place Top Gun road course pro. I have gone back seven or eight times since for advanced and won Top Dog road course prepared the last two years.

[Kputz]

As indicated above, forget the SCCA schools unless you intend to use it for licensure. SCCA schools do not teach you how to drive, they teach you how to race. Their schools are weighted heavily on flagging, staging, starting, safety and manners. Learning to drive is your problem. You may get some tips on that individual track, depending on whom your instructor is, but it is the intent of the SCCA school that you know how to race....whether or not you ever learn how to drive.

[Fitz]

When I got my FFR cobra with the a 347 in it my wife felt I was way over my head. Always had BMW M3 and roadsters, AMX (I am an old fart 57). Went to a few Firebird group club things here in Phoenix and was a bit over my head at speed. So I did the 1 and 2 day sessions with the cobra boys. Bondurant is the first thing I should have done. My wife gave me a 4 day gift driving their vettes, and Formula fords. What a blast. But they do teach you both classroom, and on the track. I took my cobra out with the vettes. Now your talking a whole new world. Going from the vettes to the cobra was like going from a new Caddy with all the goodies to a old pickup with a giant engine. I could catch the vettes on the strait but not in the corners.

I am going to go to Bondurant again and do a 1 day with them. It would silly not to do this before even driving your cobra. I am going from a small block 347 tricked out to a 460 tricked out with all the goodies under the car. (See my gallery).

I can not tell you what a difference it made for me. The instructors were great and serious. Bob B was around and even drove my car which is required or his dog will attack you.