3 Day or High Performance School?

[jhs]

I'm trying to make a decision between the 3 day Racing School and the 2 day High Performance School. As someone who lives in New York and is generally limited to driving the fine vehicles rented by Hertz and ZipCar, driving a 911, M3 and Exige sounds pretty good. But friends have said that only the Formula school is the real deal, pushing the edge and teaching you something.

So, how much of the 3 day is double clutching that I'll never use again, and how much of the High Performance is a glorified test drive? I'd like to have fun, but also learn some skills that I can use.

Thanks for your input!

[dalyduo]

In terms of becoming a better driver you'd benefit most from a 3 day racing school and then the 2 day high performance school. Your friends are right that the 3 day is the real deal when it comes to understanding vehicle dynamics more purely. The open wheel cars give much more direct feedback and you will get more take home value as a driver from that experience.
The 3 day is a series of exercises that teach vehicle dynamics and racing techniques with increasing speed and difficulty in progressively manageable bites in a real open wheel race car. You learn a great deal in 3 days and have a lot of seat time. There is no longer a double clutching component in the 3 day racing school because the cars have 5 speed sequential gearboxes that don't require double clutching. The old school cars had 4 speed crash boxes that needed double clutching but they were phased out last year. In terms of fun, challenge and learning the 3 day is the way to go.

Having said that the High Performance Driving school has great value too and parallels a regular driving school in that the braking and turning, emergency lane change and autocross components are the same but are done in high performance cars at somewhat higher speed. Skidpad is done in both regular driving and HPD in the same RX-8's specially prepared for the skidpad. (There is no skidpad work in the racing school) The big added value in the HPD is track time where you get a racing line talk and then in groups of 2-4 cars participate in lead-follow sessions around the track at speed. If you've never driven one of these cars at speed it's a great primer for understanding their performance envelope and how to handle it but you'll get a quantum leap more learning and track time in the 3-day racing school.

The reason I'd say do the 3 Day Racing School first and then the HPD is because the skill and understanding you'll acquire from the 3 day will only inform your understanding and appreciation of the HPD cars. I think you'd have a lot of fun doing either course first but you'll learn and retain more by doing the racing school first and then the HPD.

[oldredracer]

In terms of becoming a better driver you'd benefit most from a 3 day racing school ... yada yada yada. What does duo know? He's just a Masters champion in the race series AND an instructor. Take it from 'just an instructor', he got it right. Your usual good job, Mr. D.:bowdown::bowdown:

While I've never been accused of being terse, think of it this way.

3 Day Race = deep end of the pool. You'll go as fast as your right foot wishes, but with safety always in mind and with supervised speed that increases as skills are added.

2 Day HP = Skid recovery, emergency lane changes, increasing and decreasing corner entry (and hopefully, exit) in 400 hp vehicles. In other words, a road test on a historic race track without the salesman screaming like a little girl.

That was terse...for me. Either way, have fun. We insist. :wave:

Ps. Where in NY?

[Magical Trevor]

What they said. And, to over-simplify things, the HP cars have a bunch of buttons that insurance won't allow you to push. The formula cars have no nannies, so you'll be disciplining yourself (an important skill). Then, if you do the HP later as Pat suggests (sounds good to me), you should be able to get away with more on the autocross in a Lotus while not scaring the car's computer or your instructors :D.

[oldredracer]

What they said. And, to over-simplify things, the HP cars have a bunch of buttons that insurance won't allow you to push. The formula cars have no nannies, so you'll be disciplining yourself (an important skill). Then, if you do the HP later as Pat suggests (sounds good to me), you should be able to get away with more on the autocross in a Lotus while not scaring the car's computer or your instructors :D.
Uh, Trev. The Lotus is a brilliant car with a very small brain (nearly nannyless?). You want to meet your nanny, drive an M3 with and without all the driver aids. They can make an elephant tap dance. And I'll have you know I scare very easily.:D

[jhs]

Guys, thanks for the input. I've signed up for the 3 Day and look forward to some nanny-less edge pushing in the spring!

[Vic]

Having said that the High Performance Driving school has great value too and parallels a regular driving school in that the braking and turning, emergency lane change and autocross components are the same but are done in high performance cars at somewhat higher speed.

Hello, I'm new here and have a question about that comment. I've done several track days but I don't have a lot of "loose" car control techniques (e.g., throttle steering). I was interested in the 2 day HPD school but wasn't sure how much autocross training would help me. But I had been wondering if the course was almost like a tight track since you say autox components done at somewhat higher speed.

Also, do I have to do the HPD to do the 3-day racing school? thanks.

[dalyduo]

Welcome Vic,

Glad to have you aboard.

There is no pre-requisite for a 3-day racing school. It helps to have some experience with a clutch and an interest in learning race craft but anyone with a drivers license (or the rare exception of an underage racer with extensive karting experience) is eligible for a 3-day racing school.

My "somewhat higher speed..." comment was referring to the high performance cars that accelerate and brake harder than the standard sedans used in regular driving schools. The autocross is short enough that the difference in speed isn't great but requires quicker responses to manage the higher limits of the HPD cars.

The original autocross at Lime Rock Park (and each teaching location has it's own unique skid pad and autocross) is a small kidney shaped race course with a dog leg straight requiring first threshold and then trail braking to rotate the car out of an open radius right turn, followed by a quick lane change chicane and then a closed radius right turn back onto the dog leg straight.
It doesn't look like much but it gives you a full compliment of car control challenges from the drivers seat that, when driven properly, put you and the car is at their limits. It isn't about the speed, especially when starting out, it's about learning vehicle dynamics that apply at any speed.

A car control clinic will give you the most skid pad and autocross time while the HPDriving school includes some lead-follow time on track. Skid pad and autocross seat time will help you understand weight transfer and throttle management of under and oversteer the most

The best reason for choosing the high performance driving school is to evaluate those cars for purchase or simply experience their high performance envelope. If you want to learn car control to be a better driver or racer then do the advanced car control clinic. It'll give you more "take away value" when you go back for a track day or racing school.


Hello, I'm new here and have a question about that comment. I've done several track days but I don't have a lot of "loose" car control techniques (e.g., throttle steering). I was interested in the 2 day HPD school but wasn't sure how much autocross training would help me. But I had been wondering if the course was almost like a tight track since you say autox components done at somewhat higher speed.

Also, do I have to do the HPD to do the 3-day racing school? thanks.