Driving Schools

[BillSwenson]

Ever since I completed the Skip Barber 2-day driving school last summer at RoadAmerica, Blas has been after me to find a deal for club members. They only offer 5% off for 5 to 9 club members, but they have the same 20% off promotion as last summer if you sign up before June 30 for any of these:

1-day $795 with Dodge Neon
1-day combo $1,295 with Neon, Dakota, Viper SRT-10, 2-liter Dodge formula open wheel racer (many club members are too, um, ample to fit in the open wheel car)
2-day $1,295 with Viper SRT-10 which seemed the best value to me
3-day ultra $1,395 Viper SRT-10 and open wheel

There are only 2 available dates at RoadAmerica, July 2-3 and Sep 10-11.
Call 800-221-1131 or visit skipbarber.com. If you plan to attend either date, you could coordinate with other club members by posting to this thread. At the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, there are 2 schools, driving101.com and 1800bepetty.com. They mostly seem like brief, expensive thrill rides. Then there are the clubs, like SCCA.com and NSSCC.com. They are much cheaper than Skip Barber and are a route to competition licenses, BUT being non-profit they take a lot of your time, as in whole weekends. Which is why I no longer autocross my Cobra. I suggest we regularly drive at chicagoindoorracing.com, maybe combined with Snaken'eggs.

Bill Swenson

[LURK]

Hey Bill-

Have you guys checked out Racing Adventures? They hold one and 2 day sessions at tracks all over in FFR Spec Racers, 'Vettes, or your own Cobra- they have some dates in September at the 'bahn in Joliet. Just FYI.

I have done Skip Barber and Racing Adventures- both are good in their own way, but being able to thrash a Cobra around a track has its definite upside!

I'm sure no matter what you choose you guys will have a blast.

http://www.racingadventures.com/

Best-

-John

[speed]

You can do "on race track" driver's schools with Midwestern Council and NSSCC without having to do autocross. (Mostly at Blackhawk Farms Raceway in Rockford. However they do have an event coming up at the Milwaukee Mile (Oval track w/ infield road course. ) They'll be the first on the re-opened track. They also have an event cming up at the Autobahn in Joliet.

http://www.nsscc.com/

Also, as discussed in an earlier thread in the WCCC forum: N.A.S.A (National Auto Sport Association) now has a midwest division. I just did two of three days at Road America doing their HPDE - High Performance Driving Event which is esentially driver's school. (We could sign up as a group.) The event at Road America was terriffic. Great insrtuctors, more track time than you can imagine. I did somewhere 'round 260 miles of high speed (race) driving in two days all with excellent instruction available. They have an event coming up at Putnam in Indiana and another at the Autobahn amongst others and will be returning to Road America too.

http://www.racenasa.com/

The costs are generally 'round $200 a day less per additional day for multi-day sessions.

Great fun!

dm

[Noel]

If you guys put something together for a driving/racing school. I'd be in. I've done 3 events with skip baber and liked them but would like to try something different as well.

this may be a dumb question, but in the sites mentioned above you drive your own car, right? (other than skip barber of couse)

the reason I ask is because my cobra isn't ready yet and even when it is I'll have to break in the engine. I have another car that I've tracked, but I really don't like beating on that car....ie...i'd rather pay more and drive the school's car.

[speed]

Noel,

The driving / racing groups I mentioned all require your own car. There are some companies you can rent race cars from for specific events but for driver's school with someone else's car you need to go to the usual schools like Skip Barber, Bob Bondurant, etc. There are a lot of different choices depending on location, what kind of car you'd like to drive and what kind of driving you want to do.
As far as Cobra's go there are some Cobra oriented opportunities. I belive Cobra Racing Adventures is the name of one. I believe Bondurant has Cobras. And Factory Five has information. There are probably others too.

I may or may not be driving at the Milwaukee Mile with M.C. ans N.S.S.C.C. this weekend and at Putnam Park in Indiana with N.A.S.A next weekend.

I don't currently use my Cobra primarily because my roll bar is to low for my height. I use another car.

Best of luck! Maybe see you on the track.

David

[Noel]

Question: Do any of you guys know of or anything about Rotary Rockets (spec mazda)?

Thanks for the info David.

Noel

[Robert Evans]

Look at:
www.springmountainmotorsports.com
If you have ever left a school wishing for more track time, then SM is for you. TONS of track time!
I enjoyed it so much that I went and bought my own Z06 Corvette. You won't be disappointed.