tommboy Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 Hey guys I just got a 2008 subaru LGT 5 speed, I know how to drive stick but would love to go to some type of driving school so I can learn some tips or tricks to performance driving. Can anyone suggest any good schools that teach performance driving? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SneakyFast Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 I think "Skip Barber" is all over the place. Where are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leper Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Tom, Bob Bondurant's School of High Performance Driving is not only a terrific experience, it's the best vacation time you'll ever spend. (Certainly more intense than beachcombing at Maui or a bad Lap Dance in Las Vegas.) You will learn more in three days than you can possibly imagine. Side benefit: What you learn may save your life on some future occasion; it did mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommboy Posted March 16, 2008 Author Share Posted March 16, 2008 Im in Buffalo ,New York Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmc032 Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Tom, Bob Bondurant's School of High Performance Driving is not only a terrific experience, it's the best vacation time you'll ever spend. (Certainly more intense than beachcombing at Maui or a bad Lap Dance in Las Vegas.) You will learn more in three days than you can possibly imagine. Side benefit: What you learn may save your life on some future occasion; it did mine. where is this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBT Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 where is this? Check this: http://www.bondurant.com/. And second the comment about saving your life... course cost continues to pay dividends, especially if you get the family involved too. SBT - Pro amore Dei et patriam et populum - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V4LG7 Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 http://www.skipbarber.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommboy Posted March 16, 2008 Author Share Posted March 16, 2008 It didn't seem like any of them are in the New York area........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V4LG7 Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Limerock is in CT. You can take Skip Barber courses there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommboy Posted March 17, 2008 Author Share Posted March 17, 2008 Is there a specific course I would best benefit from? I see the high performance driving school is more expensive than the mazda one. Although the car I own has more power than any of the cars they use for the mazda course which might be a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autotech Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 ive done the skip barber racing and driving school and they are both great, very expensive, but great to do. Something that is closer to you is watkins glen International raceway. http://www.theglen.com i THINK!!! they have have a drivers school there, if not you can take your car to a track day there, enter as a novice and get training from a pro that will be your passenger and you can get tips for yourself in your own car. Price would be about the same aswell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NutBucket Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Is there a specific course I would best benefit from? I see the high performance driving school is more expensive than the mazda one. Although the car I own has more power than any of the cars they use for the mazda course which might be a problem. Tis better to learn on a car with less power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack ffr1846 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 From Buffalo, you're local to Watkins Glen and probably the Ohio tracks or even north to Mosport or Tremblant. And Lime Rock. There are a number of clubs that offer driver schools in your own car. All start out with classroom sessions and then you are in your car with an instructor who will provide an in-helmet communicator for you so you can hear each other. If you want to take it a notch down, you can always start in autocross. Many will have instructors available. Take em for every run! Some clubs with track days that are somewhat near you: http://www.comscc.org/ COM has schools and Time Trials all over the northeast including Mosport, Tremblant and Watkins glen (plus NHMS in New Hampshire) http://www.scda1.com/ SCDA is a private organization run by Ian Prout (son of Bill Prout...former peer racer with Skippy and Lime Rock track manager). One of the only places (besides a skippy school) where you'll be able to run at Lime Rock without paying the $100k initiation fee (no, I'm not kidding). They also do Watkins Glen and NHMS. http://www.wmc-bmwcca.org/ White Mountain BMW CCA. They mostly do NHMS. Along with the Boston chapter, they do Tremblant. I can't give you info on Ohio stuff....I stick closer to home. jack http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r127/Jackffr1846/Animationhr1.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malvic Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 http://www.carcontrolschool.com/ if you want to come up to Toronto area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerMan Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Tis better to learn on a car with less power. Nah, I just took my first High Performance Driver Education with NASA in the LGT and it did fine. The LGT is a great beginner car on the track. -Less than spectacular weight/power ratio. The car is heavy and only has 200WHP. -AWD -Pushes at the limit -With good tires and brake pads+fluid it scrubs speed quickly -Soft suspension + street alignment = predictable and stable. Won't be the fastest but it also won't be twitchy. AWD is very nice for the beginner, because it will negate "some" driver error and make recovery more possible. It also allows you to play with when to roll on the throttle, where to brake, etc. Example: My VERY FIRST lap, I decided that it would be a good idea to brake mid turn. Of course, the rear loses traction, the front has tons of traction = oversteer (skid). AWD = steer into skid, step on gas to balance car and end of drama. Street tires will HOWL to let you know that you are approaching the limit. Street tires are also a bit more linear than r-compound, so instead of falling off a traction cliff you will just slide a little more. I would look into doing some HPDEs with NASA. Then try to find an instructor that is good and races currently. The CMC guys are really fast in TX, I bet they are fast up north too. Good instruction is key. Here is NASA's Northeast Website. http://www.nasanortheast.org/ Here is their schedule: http://www.nasanortheast.org/schedule.htm They are running at Limerock in April and running at the Glen in May 5th-6th which should only be 3 hours from Buffalo (it took me about 2 hrs to get there when I lived in Rochester). Also check out my other thread about my first time out on the track: http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84001 At a very minimum you will want to flush out your brake fluid for something better like ATE super blue. Performance street pads and better street tires will help, but the brake fluid is a must. You DON'T want your fluid to boil! I would just change those things anyways, the stockers are barely adequate IMHO. As you get into it more, you will probably want to upgrade to track pads at the track. If you can't tell I am hooked :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leper Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Tommboy, The Bondurant high performance school is worth the investment. Use school cars though, they take an incredible beating. When I went, none of the student's cars finished the three days. (Porsche, Mustang, Mazda RX) What they charge to use their cars is less than the tires, brakes and repairs you would need for your own. When you return, you'll be amazed at how much smoother you will drive when moving quickly. (Rather than hurky-jerky like most ham-fisted street racers.) Just today, I drifted my GT in the rain with slight throttle oversteer and thought "hey, just right!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2006Specb122 Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 From Buffalo, you're local to Watkins Glen and probably the Ohio tracks or even north to Mosport or Tremblant. And Lime Rock. There are a number of clubs that offer driver schools in your own car. All start out with classroom sessions and then you are in your car with an instructor who will provide an in-helmet communicator for you so you can hear each other. If you want to take it a notch down, you can always start in autocross. Many will have instructors available. Take em for every run! Some clubs with track days that are somewhat near you: http://www.comscc.org/ COM has schools and Time Trials all over the northeast including Mosport, Tremblant and Watkins glen (plus NHMS in New Hampshire) http://www.scda1.com/ SCDA is a private organization run by Ian Prout (son of Bill Prout...former peer racer with Skippy and Lime Rock track manager). One of the only places (besides a skippy school) where you'll be able to run at Lime Rock without paying the $100k initiation fee (no, I'm not kidding). They also do Watkins Glen and NHMS. http://www.wmc-bmwcca.org/ White Mountain BMW CCA. They mostly do NHMS. Along with the Boston chapter, they do Tremblant. I can't give you info on Ohio stuff....I stick closer to home. jack http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r127/Jackffr1846/Animationhr1.gif I would like to take a look at some events closer to home. Have any suggestions ..... Sacramento, CA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siper2 Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 If you want to do a little rally and snow safety, hop up to northern NH: http://www.teamoneil.com I went in February 2001 in my old RS, just for a one-day snow course, and it was awesome. My wife and I both want to do a Bondurant/Barber course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJChenMPH Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 x2 on SCDA at Watkins Glen. I've done the vast majority of my track days with them, including four days at Watkins Glen. Since you're in Buffalo and near Toronto, look into BMW Canada's driver training. They offer good driver education courses in Toronto -- I've taken the Advanced and Perfection courses, I'm trying to find the time and money to do the Fascination courses. www.bmwdrivertraining.ca x2 on using the skills you've learned to save your life. Read here (on a different forum) for my experience... Good luck... EDIT: holy resurrection from the dead, Batman...I thought this was from March 2009, not March 2008. And I was up in Buffalo for the plane crash, had I known you were on the forums... Andy | My Whips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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