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Posted by: Stang Killer Feb 22 2007, 06:10 AM

The car is down, and im itching like crazy to get on the track with something. Thinking about giving either Skip Barber or Bondurant. Im specificly looking at the into to racing from both schools, but want to know what everyone else thinks?

Posted by: Doug Phillips Feb 22 2007, 02:15 PM

QUOTE (Stang Killer @ Feb 22 2007, 02:10 AM)

Posted by: z28racergirl Feb 23 2007, 02:10 AM

I did Skip Barber 3-day race school at Laguna Seca in 2000? and their Advanced school at Road America in 2001. The latter was cut short cuz some idiots drove some planes into buildings and dirt on the eastern part of our country.

I also took the Driving Concepts school in 2002. I'd actually already raced with American Iron, but Ryan F with NASA told me he thought I'd benefit from the class even tho I'd done the Skippy schools. I did. Read on.

Skip Barber taught me tons about weight transfer, heel-n-toe, threshold braking, etc in an open wheeled car. Nothing about "racing" like I do door-to-door in American Iron. The 3-day at Laguna taught me TONS about feeling a car and feeling how a non-street car feels--how a purpose track car feels. I was driving a 1996 Mazda MX-6 street car at open track and and HPDE at the time. The "2" day was supposed to be more advanced but they still started the day talking about "the line" and beginner crap. Which was good since I'd never been to Road America... but I wanted to feel the difference with the slicks and wings. The 3-day we had tread and no wings. Day two there was the one that was f-ed up. I was driving the Camaro on track at this point.

Driving Concepts, on the other hand, taught me tons about racing and race craft. I did that one at Buttonwillow ("home" track) and in the Camaro. I learned that you shouldn't go out for a session with your track chair in the trunk A#1. I also learned how to look at other things while on track besides where my car was currently going. My horizons totally lifted. That school was more about "what do you think you're doing on the track and what do you want other people to think about you being on track" than about driving techniques. I learned most that it's not just a one (wo)man thing when I'm in #29 on track. It's a whole population of us sharing space on a track. It's not about being timid though, its about sharing the space. Some people share very well and race very well, some have their heads up their arse and don't race well. After DC and time racing I feel like I can spot that range instantly by the smallest things... it's empowering.

I think I learned more from DC. And you could rent a car and do it in that. There's no time for "gonna do my best lap time evar" sessions with all the other stuff you do. Plus, when you're not on track you're in the classroom.

Jason (hubby) took the class recently, and I loved to hear that Judy Ray (I think she runs it?) introduced him to the class as "Christine Knight's husband." Have no fear, men, I believe all the other instructors are of the male variety. But Judy is an accomplished racer so please look past the gender thing.

Christine

Posted by: Stang Killer Feb 23 2007, 05:20 AM

Gender dosent bother me, if shes running it, shes running it for a reason.

Posted by: jensend Feb 28 2007, 04:07 PM

My first "racing school" was the Bertil Roos open wheel school at Pocono. I went there because it was road course focused, affordable, and less than 3 hours from my home. Turned out to be a very fortunate choice. They were very professional, patient, and the cars (FF2000s) were well maintained. Classroom instruction was excellent. In-car instruction was also very good and done in Volvo V-70s. They also encouraged full family participation and provided instructor driven laps for all family members during our classroom sessions. It was a great school program which has cost me a virtual fortune in the 10 years since that first hit on the go fast crack pipe. If you have no road course experience and you have a limited school budget, it's a great entry point. Favorite quote from the Chief instructor's classroom spiel: "By days end some of you will find that this is the best thing that's ever happened to you. For others, you may find that... other sports beckon."

Posted by: SIK02SS Mar 4 2007, 05:56 PM

jim russel racing school at (was Sears Point) Infineon Raceway in 2003....i got a discount b/c my dad owned a shop there at the time; and I'm starting in a formula ford and working my way up the ranks (up to a formula B then a big block corvette, then prolly get a CMC or AI car going).....but then this stupid thing called school got in the way of racing

Posted by: CMC #37 Mar 4 2007, 06:21 PM

I think these schools are probably worth what you as a person are willing to put into them. I have had students at Thunderhill who have been to Jim Russell, Skip Barber, Bondurant, etc, and there are some that I am certain were only there physically and not mentally. If you go with the right attitude and are prepared mentally to learn you'll most likely get a lot out of any school.