Driving School?


Kayvan

Kayvan

GT Owner
Jul 13, 2006
4,782
Can anyone comment on Skip Barbers High Performance Driving School.

They have a 911/Boxster, 330i package thats like $1500. They used to do a Viper program, but that appears to be gone.


That WSJ article on exotic crashes has spooked me, and I just want to make sure I have the basics down and some avoidance techniques.

Its given at Lime Rock park (which is the closest to me v. Pocono, Watkins Glen)
 
www.springmountainmotorsports.com


I have been to other big name schools over the years. For the type of car we drive this was by far the best. If you brought your car they would likely let you drive it in an after the class session.
 
Kayvan said:
Can anyone comment on Skip Barbers High Performance Driving School.

They have a 911/Boxster, 330i package thats like $1500. They used to do a Viper program, but that appears to be gone.


That WSJ article on exotic crashes has spooked me, and I just want to make sure I have the basics down and some avoidance techniques.

Its given at Lime Rock park (which is the closest to me v. Pocono, Watkins Glen)
Click to expand...

I have wanted to take one of these courses for a long time. Keep us posted.
Maybe a couple of us GT owners can take one of the courses the same weekend. :thumbsup
 
I took Skip Barber two day driving school about 7 years ago. Mostly at that time Dodge Neons up on upper infield go kart track by the skid pad. Then a short stint in the Viper on the same small track. If anyone wanted to have at it in their own car they were allowed but it was on the small track as well. When I took their 3 day racing school in the open wheeled cars, that was on the regular track but they didn't offer you the opportunity to take your own car out...I surely would have jumped at the chance with my M3 had it been offered.

Stu
 
I took the ///M Performance School at CA Speedway recently. We drove the M3, M5, and M6 on the track. I would have loved to take my GT on the track, but it was not offered to any of us.
 
cobrar1339 said:
www.springmountainmotorsports.com


I have been to other big name schools over the years. For the type of car we drive this was by far the best. If you brought your car they would likely let you drive it in an after the class session.
Click to expand...

here here.... a great school, best bang for the buck:thumbsup :thumbsup
 
It is not a driving school but to get on the track you must have completed their classroom sessions. They give you a lot of track time and you will be with an instructor until you pass their test for solo driving. Even if you are a solo driver you can always book an instructor and they are very knowledgeable. There is nothing better then driving on a road course with an instructor in the passenger seat.

www.chinmotorsports.com

I have only been with them to sebring a few times but they go to a lot of different tracks. Great prices and you will meet a lot of great people.
 
Another vote for Spring Mountain. You can do the school in Corvettes, Radicals or their new Lotus school. :biggrin
 
Really, the specific school means little in relation to just attending a school. I've been to at least 10 of them (honestly lost track) and they all share a basic trait -- they teach you how a car behaves at -- and beyond -- it's limits, as well as how to avoid going beyond it's limits and what to do if/when that happens.

The Skip Barber school at Laguna Seca is a blast simply because the course is so fun, but Derek Daly in Vegas is good, as is Danny McKeever's Fast Lane at Willow Springs, Bob Bondurant in Phoenix and Skip Barber at Lake Elkhart (another amazing course -- but very long and hard to memorize without A LOT of laps).

What most drivers need to learn more than anything is humility. Just about every crashed GT (and Enzo, and Gallardo, and Carrera GT, etc., etc.) has come from the same thing -- a foolish driver assuming he could handle a car's power and/or trying to give himself or his passenger (or the crowd watching) a thrill.

Any one of us has the ability to use these cars properly and with great skill, and any one of us has the ability to spin one into a wall. It comes down to attitude and respect and humility. The best schools drive that point home throughout the course. Take any of them with an attitude toward learning (and not trying to "look cool" or "show your stuff" to the instructors) and you'll come out a much better driver.
 
ENZO BTR said:
Really, the specific school means little in relation to just attending a school. I've been to at least 10 of them (honestly lost track) and they all share a basic trait -- they teach you how a car behaves at -- and beyond -- it's limits, as well as how to avoid going beyond it's limits and what to do if/when that happens.

The Skip Barber school at Laguna Seca is a blast simply because the course is so fun, but Derek Daly in Vegas is good, as is Danny McKeever's Fast Lane at Willow Springs, Bob Bondurant in Phoenix and Skip Barber at Lake Elkhart (another amazing course -- but very long and hard to memorize without A LOT of laps).

What most drivers need to learn more than anything is humility. Just about every crashed GT (and Enzo, and Gallardo, and Carrera GT, etc., etc.) has come from the same thing -- a foolish driver assuming he could handle a car's power and/or trying to give himself or his passenger (or the crowd watching) a thrill.

Any one of us has the ability to use these cars properly and with great skill, and any one of us has the ability to spin one into a wall. It comes down to attitude and respect and humility. The best schools drive that point home throughout the course. Take any of them with an attitude toward learning (and not trying to "look cool" or "show your stuff" to the instructors) and you'll come out a much better driver.
Click to expand...


REREAD KARL'S WORDS, He is so spot on, and if you don't practice what you learn on a regular basis you loose it. Just like markmanship and gun handling.
 
In my opinion most schools don't give you enough seat time. Three laps isn't going to teach you much. I would do a school, but then try to find a good open track day with a good group (porche club is strict) so that it's safe to be out there and you get a lot of seat time. Most track days you'll get 4 or 5 20-30 minute sessions. Compare the seat time and the cost (200 vs 2000). Most track days have instructors with experience so you won't miss out on that. Give them both a try of course. After a full day at full throttle and full braking, driving on the street is awfully boring though....
 
Try Spring Mt. I know guys that have gone for three or four days and at the end of each night go to their room, order a pizza and a two litre of coke because they are so exhausted from running the track. By the way there is lots to do in PAHRUMP... :)
 
Kayvan-IMHO, you are "spot on" to be lookng into a driving school before heading out to the track. I have, unfortunately, seen too many people take their cars on a road course with no experience/instruction, and often times the results have not been good.
A recommendation. Check out the Bertil Roos Schools. Their web site is www.racenow.com. They have schools at Moroso in Fla., VIR in Va., and Beaverun and Pocono in Pa.
The instruction is superb, lots of seat time, and more fun than you may have had in a long time.
 
Spring Mtn is about 75 mins outside of vegas. People stay in Vegas and drive to the track, but that will wear on you. It's best if you are there to learn, to stay in the city.

You will get over 500 track miles at this school. Dave and Victor are very good at what they do. They will generally split the groups up after day one. Experienced in one and inexperienced in the other. If you have never been before it's a bit scarey at first. You will grow fast and get comfortable. If you have open track exp you will learn even more than you had hoped for. I will bet your open track lap times drop 4-5 seconds, easy with no other changes. And that is if you already run in the top 20%. More if you don't.

That said, there are many others that are very good too. But IMO a Formula Ford or a 300hp BMW are not on the same plant, balance, braking, power or handling wise. Nothing is like a GT, but I would rather be learning in a C5 or C6Z than the other cars. You will be able to transfer this experience to your GT better than you could with a Formula Ford, Dodge or BMW.

When you leave for the day, your bootie will be sore from pinching your cheeks, you will be sweaty, nervous, excited and hungry. You will sleep well and get up with enthusiasm. Every school I have been to is like this.

Be warned: it is not the pretty green track, it is not the luxo track, it's simply the place I had the most transferable learning experience. The track is huge and throws about every turn you could experience in there. If you want to learn to run hard in a big power car, this may be the best in the West. They do however have some nice new bldgs and are moving up quickly. John Morris form Radicals West owns the track.

I go to lots of open tracks where people spend big money on go fast gear and get out run by far lesser cars. The seat time and good training is way better than $20k in mods. Schools are way cheap for the ROIC. Follow up with some good tires, belts + seat time and you will impress yourself beyond belief.
 
so I'm heading out to Spring Mountain on Sunday to do the 3 day course.....just re-read this thread to get pumped up.....can't wait....especially since the GT has been put away for the winter..........so Bony.....what is there to do in Pahrump? :biggrin
 
Driving schools

I've done the track days with instructors which is great for learning the layout, line, and hazards of the specific track you're driving, would recommend in additon to drivng schools. Driving schools will be more about handling trouble, and recognizing limits. In addition, if you wish to get a license for sancitioned events or even work toward a pro license you will need to attend a certified school to meet the requirments.
 
GTNJ said:
I have wanted to take one of these courses for a long time. Keep us posted.
Maybe a couple of us GT owners can take one of the courses the same weekend. :thumbsup
Click to expand...

Count me in for a mid-June date, as long as we can round up some other GT's.
Absolutly I'll bring mine!
 
I've done some schools ( Jim Russell and Derek Daly) and I've had a one day private lesson in my FGT with Danny McKeever in October on the short track at Willlow Springs. As stated before, the schools are valuable (and fun!) to learn about driving on a track with lines, apexes, braking and balancing a car correctly. But since the FGT is it's own animal, nothing beat that day with DM. Learned so much about this specific car, it was awesome.
In fact, I'm heading up again on Sunday with the Speed Trial USA group for another day of fun.:banana
Since we have so many FGTs in SoCal (and MidCal, Bony), we really should set up a track day at Willow Springs or Buttonwillow in the spring of 2008. We can piggyback on a group already hooked into the track, and I bet they would let us have our own run group if we came with 10 or more cars. Less than $200 for the day, can't beat that. :thumbsup
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Top Bottom