MRW

While sneaking around on this forum ('03 C4 Cab), I came across a number of occasions wherein people talked about the Bragg-Smith Driving School in Nevada. I checked out the website, and it certainly looks interesting. I did the PDE 2-day last year at Barber, and loved it. I have been planning to go back this year to do the two-day Masters' version, but I see that the Bragg-Smith is 3 days, less expensive, and apparently very track-time intensive. A few questions- how did you guys like it? Anybody been to PDE and B-S, and can compare the two? Looks like it's in the middle of nowhere- where do you stay? Finally, what's it like doing the school in Corvettes vs. 996s?

BTW, I enjoy the info exchange re: the GT3. Had I purchased a year later, would have been a clear choice. Lovely looking car.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Sun Ra

https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...e&pagenumber=4

read to end, lots on this..

you can stay at the ugly saddlewest, ask for a new room in the 300 series, like 340, rooms are nice, casino is gross. or you can commute from LV

MRW

Watt, thanks for the reference. Sounds like a mixed review- perhaps I'll stick to PDE, in that I know that it's good.

Hubert

here are the search results from the "racing & drivers education forum"

https://rennlist.com/forums/search.p...der=descending

rockitman

I hear Panoz racing school at Rd. Atlanta is awesome. You drive GT style cars.
http://www.panozracingschool.com/

Bob Rouleau

MRW - check out www.pca.org
Find the region near you and contact them. Every PCa region runs Drivers Ed events on race tracks. Similar to the PDE way less expensive and near to home. Most regions run mutiple events during the season so you can get 10 or more days on track,

Best,

Les Quam

I have been to Bragg smith both level 1 and 2 , and Derek Daly 4 day than lapping, Bondurant 2 days, and Skip Barber 3 day plus 4 seasons in the Barber Dodge race series. jim Hall Karting 3 day and Herta karting 3 days. Bragg Smith offers tons of track time and real world results for people who want to be better in their high performance cars, but don't necessarily want to move on to racing. What you learn at Bragg Smith will make you a quicker driver and could save your life. It is designed not so much as a racing school but more as a driving school. I highly recommend it. As for SCCA, BMW, Porsche driving schools or exsperience's all I can say with certainity is that I raced against the nations top instructors from those formats and they all were slow middle of the pack guys in identically prepared cars. And were kind of the laughing stock of the paddock. Now before I get flamed for this, let me say That is MY personal experience from a few seasons. That is not to say their are not dozens and dozens of top notch instructors at the BMW, Porsche, programs. I just never have run into any. The few times I observed such instruction I was thinking they were going to get the drivers killed with that advice. I have run into many drivers from Jim Russell and they were all well trained very good safe drivers. So I believe that is also an excellent program, producing ultra quick drivers. My thoughts are to tailor a program to your needs and to stay with pro's who train people for a living. If you want to dabble at racing for fun go to Barber or Russell. You can do their 3 day then 2 days of lapping then a race weekend. In one week experience everything. Bondurant is great also, can't go wrong with them. Their are nice places to stay in Pahrump, I can find you one if you want. I think the one Watt stays at is walking distance to the whorehouse, but i'm sure thats a coincidence. Watt has never told us if he actually took the Bragg Smith course. Maybe he could enlighten us.

MJones

Do all the courses that you can, it's all about seat time.
PDE is performance driving not racing but their instructor base are like the PHD's in racing. Hurley Haywood, Jack Baldwin, David Murray, Andrew Davis, Chris Hall, All are driving in the upcoming Rolex 24.
There is more knowledge to be had from Racers who teach
than from teachers who race.

Sun Ra

"I think the one Watt stays at is walking distance to the whorehouse, but i'm sure thats a coincidence. Watt has never told us if he actually took the Bragg Smith course. Maybe he could enlighten us"

Les,

I did meet the girls at Smith's food and drug and they all wanted to know how you were. They love short guys with lots of gold chains, chest hair and fast cars from LV... I'm afraid none of them will help you evolve as a Henrik Ibsen fan. They loved the 22" spinners on your gt2!!!

Sloth

A second for Panoz... great program with lots of insturction and track time. I have done the beginneer class at Road Atlanta and the advanced class at Sebring. It is a proper race oriented program and you can get your SCCA regional licence.

macfly

Last year I took the Derek Daly 4 day school, which is in Vegas, so it is a nicer placer to stay, and there a lot more for your other half to do if she is coming with you.

The school is 1 day skid pad etc in a heavily Dinanized Z3, then 1 day laping in the Z3, then 2 days in single seat Forumla Fords, wich are a hoot to drive, and being rear engined race cars are more like a 911 than a 'vette.

I couldn't give the school higher marks for both fun and education, it is a really great 4 days. I have spoken to other folks who have done it & Skip Barber, and they all say way more seat time in DD.

Whatever you choose to do have fun!!

Les Quam

Watt, did you go to Bragg Smith? I am interested in your opinions and thoughts. Why do you keep failing to answer a less than personal question. And keep quiet about the Smith girls, my wife may read this. By the way next time your in Pahrump you may want to go to Frontsight one of the best firearm training academys in USA if you own a gun(and i'm not talking about your lovegun}or have any interest it's the place to go to learn how to responsibly use it. I frequent them often. Frontsight I mean, not the brothel.

Sun Ra

Les,

clearly you didnt read the link i gave the gentleman who began this thread? much about ruperts class. read it and then query me for further

my shooting instructor is blithely named kent turnipseed. he teaches a form of gun-jitsu which is amazingly accurate and fast, turning your body into a structure that points and fires -- very fast and accurately under stress. rifle, shotgun, handgun.

he is the best http://www.quickshoot.com/

PogueMoHone

MRW,

I have attended both the Bragg-Smith and the Porsche Masters program.

Despite the difference in cost the Porsche program is far superior, and you will learn a lot more. Bragg-Smith gives you a car, expectation and is short on folow through, though with more organization, management and passion it could be excellent.

The Porsche program picks up and works on your strenghts and weaknesses, whereas the Bragg-Smith scholl may just identify those weaknesses. If you are the real pushy type you could probably stretch the learning at Bragg-Smith but to me it seemed like a teeth pulling exercise and there was no "passion" from the Instructors, it was more of a "routine" thing.

A $1 has different value to each person but I think the extra cost for the Masters Program is money well spent, and enjoyed. For only a $1000 extra, you get a whole lot more.

MRW

Colm-

Thanks for the input. I'm convinced that the next step for me is to do the Masters. I really enjoyed the level 1 two day PDE, and the instructors, in addition to being excellent drivers in their own right and good teachers, were a lot of fun to hang around with. Let's face it, it's cool to cocktail with Hurley Haywood and Jack Baldwin. After the Masters level, then I might want to try something different. Anyway, thanks again.

MW