Chip G

Hey all, a friend of mine is coming out to visit this summer (we're both turning 30), so we've decided that we're going to do a performance driving/racing school. Here are the constraints:

Cost - it would be nice to keep total cost under ~$1500

Travel - Better to be local (school at Laguna, Sears, T-Hill) so as to spend the money on the course, not airfare and hotel.

Cars - If it were just me I'd be happy using my own car, but he won't have one, so it needs to be someplace that provides cars (or, potentially, someplace I can use mine and he can rent something reasonable).

Instruction type - looking for racing/performance driving, which means hot lapping, line, heel-toe etc. as opposed to defensive/highway driving stuff.

I've taken a look at Russell (Sears Point) and Skip Barber (Laguna) as well as Bondurant (probably not ideal since it's in Arizona). Anybody have recommendations/experiences to share?

Argeiphontes

look at doing Formula cars. Most schools that teach high-performance driving have their own cars and you work on skid-control, heal-toe, threshold braking, trail-braking (depending on the theory taught at the specific school) and do some auto-x work.

Russell does offer a course where you drive your own car, but I'm not sure if you actually take it onto the actual raceway.

I can give some more input on both types of schools and which schools I enjoyed most if you tell me which of these you'd prefer (formula or strett-car).

Formulae courses will run you upwards of $2,500 for 3 days.

Argeiphontes

Also look at Derek Daley(sp?) in Vegas. I think they might use street cars on track........

98

I'm just doing the test drive, but there are others in all price ranges.<ul><li><a href="http://www.jimrussell.com/">http://www.jimrussell.com/</a</li></ul>

Chip G

but I understand that options are limited in that respect. Formula cars are interesting in their own way as pure racers that I can't drive every day, and I'd much rather lap in a formula car than autocross/skidpad in a street car. I'm also willing to do a shorter course (1-2 days) to keep the price reasonable.

seedub

BDaddy took the course where you drive your car and they did run the track @ Infineon

Jeff Vader - boscoj

for $2700 you could do the entire 3 day techniques of racing in formula fords at Sears . . .

Jeff Vader - boscoj

The Searspoint school is here.<ul><li><a href="http://www.russellracing.com/index.asp">http://www.russellracing.com/index.asp</a</li></ul>

burson

look at www.unlimitedlaps.com. They don't provide a car, but it's cheap and fun. Next event at Thunderhill June 20.

Chip G

If this is just a lapping thing, sounds like fun, but we (he especially) are looking for plenty of instruction too. I've attended open track events before and am educated (if not proficient) in the theories of high performance driving, he has zero background.