Looking for a good driving school. Recomendations?

[Rizzo]

Hi guys. I am looking to take some good customers to a driving school. Im just wondering who you would recommend? I would consider open car or even Nascar style but the main thing would be to have fun but still be able to get some racing laps in. I have done the Racing Adventures High Performance school already and would not go back again. Very disorganized and not professional at all not to mention the cars were junk. The 2 customers I would be going with would be rookies and have never done any high performance driving so a school that caters to beginners would be best. I just dont want it to be all classroom and then go do 2 laps and then back to the class room. Im looking to be able to have a good combination of driving and learning. Let me know if what you think and if you've been to any really good schools please let me know.

Thanks

 

[Chelseasnake]

if they are new take them to a corvette school. lol

 

[stew4706]

Bondurant is awesome! I went for their 4 day course last month and 6 of 7 hours per day we were driving.

 

[Steve M]

I've done the 3 day school at Spring Mountain (yes, they were Vettes), and I would highly recommend it. They do lots of vehicle control stuff on the skid pad that is a lot of fun, but you get plenty of time on the track too...great for someone new to high performance driving, and the cars are very forgiving when you get to their limits.

 

[gb66gth]

Skip Barber 3 day racing school.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

I had a blast at Skip Barber. Those big name NASCAR schools are a ripoff, but I did a local one a couple times and they let me go balls out.

 

[Mopar Steve]

Don't forget Viper days. I just got home from the NARRA/Viper Days event at Road atlanta. This was a great event at an awsome facility. Instructors ride along in your car and instruct you as you are comfortable. There is also some good classroom time as well. I drove in the SOLO class without an instructor, but there were willing to give me pointers as to a better line and braking areas because this was my first time at this particular track.

The price, at about $400 bucks is a great deal for all the track time you get.

I have also attended "Car guys" and "Track time schools" those were just Okay.

 

[sfm79]

I would like to take a class where I drive my car with an instructor. It sounds like a Viper Day Event would be good. Is there a list of where these can be found?

 

[georgethedog]

I would like to take a class where I drive my car with an instructor. It sounds like a Viper Day Event would be good. Is there a list of where these can be found?

This. ^ Thanks.

 

[georgethedog]

I found this:

http://www.viperheadquarters.com/viper-racing/viper-days/

 

[Rizzo]

I've done the 3 day school at Spring Mountain (yes, they were Vettes), and I would highly recommend it. They do lots of vehicle control stuff on the skid pad that is a lot of fun, but you get plenty of time on the track too...great for someone new to high performance driving, and the cars are very forgiving when you get to their limits.

WOW. Id never heard of this place. I called and got some info on it and it looks great. They have some great deals for summer time but its so damn hot in Vegas at those times. The track and the accomodations look amazing. Makes me want to move close to there just so I could become a member ...lol. I am going to seriously consider this one. The cars are all new, the track is newer and hell...you're 45 mins from Vegas...How can you go wrong...

 

[Mopar Steve]

I would like to take a class where I drive my car with an instructor. It sounds like a Viper Day Event would be good. Is there a list of where these can be found?

http://www.viperheadquarters.com/viper-racing/viper-days/

 

[Steve M]

WOW. Id never heard of this place. I called and got some info on it and it looks great. They have some great deals for summer time but its so damn hot in Vegas at those times. The track and the accomodations look amazing. Makes me want to move close to there just so I could become a member ...lol. I am going to seriously consider this one. The cars are all new, the track is newer and hell...you're 45 mins from Vegas...How can you go wrong...

Yeah, my wife got me the 3 day school for my 30th birthday a couple years ago...we stayed right there in one of their condos. Each one had its own garage underneath too, so you wouldn't have to worry about leaving your car sitting out if you brought it. They even offer private instruction (for a price), and their head driving instructor said people would come there with their Lambos and Ferraris so they could learn how to drive them. They'll usually have to pull the ZR1s out to do lead/follow for those types of customers.

And yes, Vegas is only 45 minutes away, so that's where we went many of the evenings for dinner/entertainment. If money/time permit, I'd like to go back and take their level 2 course...that one apparently has even more track time.

 

[johniew398]

Spring Mountain ZR1 course, two or three day. I attended the two day class because it came free with the ZR1. Lots of skid pad time like someone already said and plenty of track time.

My wife who isn't in to speed rode with an instructor and loved it.

 

[TrackAire]

I did the 4 day Bondurant course last year, 3 days in Grand Sport Corvettes and one day in a open wheel Mazda powered car (my favorite part). I would highly recommend Bondurant, especially if they are rookies. Tons of seat time and literally, we drove at least 400 miles of on track driving in the Grand Sports.

Another advantage of Bondurant is there is a brand new Indian casino/hotel/resort right across the street. Super cheap, super nice, multiple restaurants, it is literally brand new. (I think my room, which was a lot nicer than most "nice" rooms at the Sheraton was around $79.95 per night). Just north of Bondurant is a huge mall, restaurants, multiple hotels, etc if you want other options. Because of the heat, rates are lower in the summer and higher in the winter.

If you contact the sales person (I don't remember his name right now) and sign up when Bondurant has a booth at Barret Jackson, SEMA, etc they often run 20% discounts if signed up at the show....but will sign you up on the phone as long as the sales rep is at the show working the booth. IIRC the 4 day school was approxiately $3800.00 which is a lot less than many of the other top name schools.

I've also heard good things about Spring Mountain. Pahrump also has some unique entertainment facilities (think Secret Service type entertainment ) if your clients are into that.

You're smart to take your customers to a driving school, it's something they'll never forget and brag about to other potential customers.

Good luck,
George

 

[96GTS]

The Spring Mountain track is about an hour from Vegas, and it is a VERY nice facility. There is pretty much every imaginable turn/corner there (including off camber negative turn so you feel like you're driving on the outside of a basketball). http://www.trackpedia.com/wiki/Turn_by_turn_guide_to_the_Spring_Mountain_Motorsports_track It's a really good track, and I remember having an instructor with me to talk me through the course. It was a Viper Days Event, and Skip Thomas gave us plenty of classroom time to go over the track. After the 2nd time out he asked us how many turn officials we saw, and most people only saw half. It was a good learning experience because it shows you just how much is going on that you don't notice.

The SRT Experience is a great option as well. You get to drive all the SRT vehicles, and some of the instructors will let you ride along with them as they do a lead/follow. The instructor I rode with was Claude Borbonnais, and he was in an SRT 300 leading 3 Vipers. He left the pits with the Vipers following and showed them the correct turn-in, apex and exit. One hand was on the wheel, the other was shifting when he wasn't on the radio talking to other instructors about what they were going to have for lunch. After 2 or 3 turns, he looked on the mirror at let off the gas and slowed down. I asked what he was doing, and he said "Waiting for the Vipers to catch up." He made it seem as eventful as going to the grocery store as he was runnning off and leaving cars that easily had 100 horsepower on him with much better suspension and tires. Any track time you get will make you a better driver, and it will humble you. If you don't exercise on a regular basis, it will show you how out of shape you are because it's as physically draining as it is mentally. While some of the tracks let you use their cars, you can't appreciate the phenominal performance of a Viper until you've pushed it ******* a track and realize you're still not driving it to its full potential.

 

[JoelW]

I would like to take a class where I drive my car with an instructor. It sounds like a Viper Day Event would be good. Is there a list of where these can be found?

I just did the Viper Days event at Road Atlanta too. It was a lot of fun though I thought the classroom part was a bit weak. But you really learn the track in the car. Get online and google NARRA. You can find an event near you. You have to join - $25 - but for $395 it was a bargain for the track time we got. You can also look at NASA, SCCA, and Chin Motorsports for events - all have basically the same format and cost. NASA is very popular around here. - don't know about your area. If you are going to use your car, check out the NARRA inspection form and go over your car carefully. I plan on doing it again soon!

 

[sun diego]

I've done Bondurant, Skip Barber, Spring Mountain and Viper Days. I've had over 30 days of instruction because I'm a slow learner.
They are all excellent.

Spring Mountain has a good track, good instuction and Vegas. It is a bit of a hike to daily commute from Vegas. I'd suggest staying overnight in beautiful downtown Pahrump. They split you into 2 groups based on ability in the basic, which is good.

If it is summer time and you want to avoid the heat, and have nice hotels and shopping, I'd say Skip Barber at Laguna Seca, Monterey. You will always remember that track. You can do it in Formula cars or Miatas. both are fine. The Miatas are a bit better for newer drivers.

If you want some added thrills at Bondurant, do the shifter carts in the evenings as well as the day course. The tracks at Bondurant are a bit boring. The instruction is first rate. Bondurant usually has a few different levels going on at the same time, which gets people in the right course.

 

[DrumrBoy]

If you have your own cars, NARRA is a great deal. Track time is abundant....traffic is very light (video of just how open it is....) and great scenery......plenty of Vipers and professional teams with serious iron....

If your customers aren't bringing their own cars, then a Barber or Bondurant school is the ticket.

http://vimeo.com/40459334?utm_sourc...content=cliptranscoded&utm_campaign=adminclip

 

[VIPER GTSR 91]

Spring Mountain is one of the best. In fact Skip Thomas of the old Viper Days told me that of all the schools he went to they were the best. Wherever you go take at least the 3 day course and preferably the 4th day lapping session.