Race School Experience BONDURANTS

[Shandon]

I wanted to share a bit about my experience out at Bondurants Race School. I have found the more I track my car that upgrades under the hood are merly more detrimental to my life than the upgrades you can get inside your head and SOP (experience). I have done Viper days and tracked my car with local groups over the past few years, so before I went I had some decent track time already under my belt. I have been thinking about getting my SCCA Liscence and realy wanted to try out one of these high end race shcools. I researched a lot of places and landed on Bondurants as the School of choice.
I didn't know when I could ever get the time to do it but I figured next year or so with some planning and money savings it could work out. So this past fathers day my wife suprised me with the "Thats what I want you to do for Fathersday/Birthday" gift. The money is less of a big deal as getting away is for me because we have a very large family and me being gone puts a lot on her. Anyway I was blown away! I couldnt believe it I was heading to Arizona for the Grand Prix Race School Course.

The School is run with the C4 Corvette and Z06's. Prior to this I have never driven a corvette and I never will after spending 3 7hr days in one ..Oh how I missed my Viper. Anyway Day one starts out as most with fundamentals of understanding the "Line" the track, passing zones, car control etc. (Oh and a van ride around the track at ungodly speeds that you will never forget!). Lots of track time both in the Skid Cars and on the track learning weight transfer and practicing "heal toe" techniques. The "Heal Toe" is one of the main things I have got to get down and I find it hard in the viper so im working on it. This day really helped me a ton! Anyway day one was realy about fundamentals of street and track driving. Very small class and one on one instruction was attained anytime you wanted

The next two days were spent practicing Heal Toe and hitting Apexes and loads of training on trail braking. Contrary to much that I have learned Bondurants pushes trail braking as a standard in entering turns. I seemed to take to it well as it felt natural and the car responded well. Lots of track time and pushing these cars to the limits on there track. Last day was spent with the pace car and practice race starts. That was fun! I thought going through the truns at speed was an adrenaline rush but wow when your next to somebody door to door doing it! Now thats serious fun! Anyway I will say that even with my medium experience level I was able to walk away with a lot of new skill. I am now qualified to apply for my SCCA Liscence should I want to get into real racing. I would recommed this school as well as Viper Day to anyone looking to "Mod" there personal driving skill set. Its a great time with Instructors that will blow your mind on what can be done in a car. Anyway thought I would share.

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And so I don't get scollded to bad by everyone for posting pics of Corvetts on the Viper forum, here is my baby in action.

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[JonB]

Congrats on the "SOFTWARE" Upgrade....[that suft stuff between your ears!]

Trail-Braking is one of those skills that must be taught....it is counter-intuitive. It lets you brake later, and deeper, and helps the car rotate (turn) into the apex. It gets you almost a car-length every turn, vs. a driver that does not.

Im the guy that gets to train the "Simulated Starts" at PIR for many of the race schools over the past 14 years..... it is very realistic, despite our "This is NOT a Race" warnings. When I took my novice licence many moons ago, we did NOT have benefit of practice-starts....it definitley prepares you better for the adrenilie rush. The protocal is "Simulated Start" but we actually say "STIMULATING Start" in the driver's meetings.

Even the Viper Cup did Practice Starts at VRL to expand their margin of safety.

Going to a pro school is the best "performance upgrade" you can do for improved lap times....afterwards, make it stop better, then turn better, and THEN add HP....

Bondurant has some top-notch instructors.... mine was none other than PARKER JOHNSTONE of CART and Honda racing fame..... Im pretty sure Ciny Lux is an occasional Bondurant instructor, and they are the "in house" {Ford} school at Miller Motorsports Park as well.......

 

[RTTTTed]

Driving skills are very important as is practising.

At our Vernon AutoX last sunday I won, but second place was a stokc Gen 3 (with Driver practise)and a modified Porsche took 3rd, while another Gen 2 took 4th (with your new 17"PS2s Jon).

The other 3 had much more experience than I. I had the most car. I think that personal driving skills are probably the BEST upgrade - as you guys are saying. After upgrading my blower to a 2.8L blower I am going to be shopping for some race training experience as well.

I found the AutoX to be a "near speed limit" skill testing experience and recommend it as a self training device. I think that the corner drifting I was doing at the AutoX can be used in Daily driving Emergency situations.

Ted

 

[Leslie]

congrats Shandon on your experience! It was fun reading your post and I have no doubt you are driving your Viper now instead of it driving YOU!

 

[Zentenk]

Man I'd love to do this before I go to Germany...

I haven't had any training except messing around in my LS1 TransAm in the rain drifting turns and it saved me a few times in that car. Then when I got the Viper it saved me 5 more times. Mostly all I have drifted were U-turns and stop signs, never while moving or with people around. I'd recommend people learn how to control your tail end with smooth throttle, a lot of people let out quick or hit brakes and that sends the car off and your doneski.

Man I want some real instruction!

 

[Black Moon]

I bet you didn't loose the rush for days. I think those are C6's.

 

[Dale.Volz]

Ditto to everything Shandon says (except that Bondurant uses C6 Corvettes). For my birthday and in celebration of my 3rd year as a cancer survivor, my wife and children gave me the 4-day Bondurant Grand Prix racing course. Besides vastly improving my driving skills, it was one of the most intense and exhilarating 4-day experiences of my life. At one point I told my classmates not to tell my wife but that this experience was better than sex - which they promptly told her as soon as she arrived at the track.

I strongly endorse the Bondurant school. I'm now holding a certificate for a full day of one-on-one advanced road racing instruction. Watch out Wittmer; here I come.

Below is a photo of my venomous girl parked on the Bondurant track next to my son's Z06 (yes, I failed as a father) and with a row of the school's Z06s in the background.

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[ViperGeorge]

I attended the Panoz school at Road Atlanta many moons ago. It was done in custom Panoz, closed wheel cars similar to the Esperante. Road Atlanta was frickin awesome. I would be interested in another round to sharpen my skills. What do people prefer the Bondurant School or the Miller School?

 

[Mopar Boy]

Thanks Shandon! That's great! Have wanted to do a driving school for many years and as I also would like to take up racing, your info is great!

Just too bad they have so many chevies.....

 

[GTS Dean]

I attended the Bondurant 4-day school in '92 - the day after I placed the factory order for my '93 RT/10. Best high performance money I ever spent. Period.