[Spearfishin]

Hi,

I'd really to take my V to VIR (closest track to me) but am confused on where to start. Anyone have any insight on the best option for a first time track day participant at VIR?

And I guess clarify for me..."driving school" is distinct from "track day", correct? But I see some track day organizers have coaches for beginners. Am I understanding that correctly?

Thanks

 

[m13s]

Hi,

I'd really to take my V to VIR (closest track to me) but am confused on where to start. Anyone have any insight on the best option for a first time track day participant at VIR?

And I guess clarify for me..."driving school" is distinct from "track day", correct? But I see some track day organizers have coaches for beginners. Am I understanding that correctly?

Thanks

Spearfish-

There are many options available to you. Car clubs, BMW, Porsche, Audi all are NFP and have a defined ladder system for advancement using the S.L.I.P. system. You do not need to have a car specific to the club, it is open to all.

SCCA Track Night in America is also good if you are new and want to see what being on track is like.

Next up are for-profit clubs: Hooked on driving, HOD, Chin track days, and a slew of others. These also have a defined ladder system and have good instruction.
Open track day and lesser know clubs.
These groups are what I call cowboy groups and they offer instruction along with track time but do not have (as good) grading systems like the ones above.

On the track website, there should be a calendar of who has track days and when.

Send me a DM and I can give you more details based on your background and needs.

 

[Spearfishin]

Thanks for reply. I will shoot you a PM. I've been on road course once on a bike almost 15 years ago. "It was hot" is about all I can remember in terms of specifics, so consider me a pure novice.

 

[RocketSled]

I strongly advise you to take some "advanced driving" classes before you track your car. You may not learn anything you don't already know, but you'll get to practice in controlled conditions, typically using someone else's car. Practice makes perfect, as they say.

Your car stays under control until it doesn't, and when that happens you can't need to think about what to do, it has to be reflex, muscle memory. And the only way to develop the reflexes is by repetition. If you don't have those reflexes, you're not ready for anything but a sightseeing loop around the track...

 

[Spearfishin]

I strongly advise you to take some "advanced driving" classes before you track your car. You may not learn anything you don't already know, but you'll get to practice in controlled conditions, typically using someone else's car. Practice makes perfect, as they say.

Your car stays under control until it doesn't, and when that happens you can't need to think about what to do, it has to be reflex, muscle memory. And the only way to develop the reflexes is by repetition. If you don't have those reflexes, you're not ready for anything but a sightseeing loop around the track...

Can you give me an example of an "advanced driving" course, ideally in VA? Not opposed, but was looking to get onto the track, with a coach... So making sure I understand the distinction.

 

[m13s]

Rocket sled good advice. One thing that is lacking in hpde events is car control when there is less grip as speeds increase. 9 out of 10 times it's a crash and could be avoided if the right skills and 'feel' is taught.

 

[RocketSled]

I took a 3-day class at Lime Rock, offered by Skip Barber. Bondurant has schools like this, too. I have no idea what's available in the VA area, but I have to think there's something. At a minimum, the various police departments in the State have to have someplace to send their officers to teach them how to drive fast. The class I took at Lime Rock was similar to a class they offered specifically for police driver training. The class was two days worth of skid pad and "lane toss" skid recovery with instruction on the proper use of brake and accelerator in these situations, and then we got one day to drive as fast on the track as we dared. And in the afternoon we whined so much they finally agreed to let us run our own cars on the track for a couple of hours before heading home.

 

[Spearfishin]

Signed up last night for Chin track day at VIR in October. Sign up opened at 9pm, I was ready at computer at 9 and when I got done with registration at 9:04, I went back to sign up page and all of the novice slots were already sold out, so apparently a sought after event.