MJones

After you do the High Performance Driving Class, you can sign-up for the Masters. Highly recomended!!

In the Masters the rotation is similar, a bit less classroom time, with more seat time on track. There is a track tour where you are driven to various spots on the course and get out of the van to discuss line, topography and shifting options, and witness drivebuys. One inteesting area is turn two, the carousel, when you are driving it it feels as if it is off-camber and you are going to slide off. When you are standing at tracks edge, this is not the case, there is +camber, it's just G forces playing with your head.
Depending upon what run group you are in...the pace in lead and follow really picks up. then on day two you are turned loose alone on the track.

On my last visit, in the 997 on track, just short of 400 miles were logged

Your first session on day two can be a daunting experience, since you are on your own with nobody to follow, finding your own line, and marks.
It is natural to follow the line of the car in front of you cause that is pretty much the way we have ingrained ourselves to drive over the years.
The harder part is learning to "look ahead" past the cars in front of of you ploting your own line, hitting your own marks.

I'll be doing another Masters this coming March 29,30. It will be my 11th PDE and my 9th Masters. For me it is all about "seat time", and driving the Barber track, lunch is great as well!

MJones

Getting the lay of the land on the van tour from "Professor Whitehead".
A whole new prospective of the track!

OCBen

Wow, that sounds like fun, all alone on the track, finding your own line with no other cars in the way. Or are there other cars on the track at the same time?

And when you are playing 'follow the leader' are you prohibited from passing a slow poke in front of you (such as Jeff might be) or will tailgating be the only recourse?

MJones

When doing lead and follow the pace is varied to keep everybody together...if there is somone who is not comfortable with the pace (running slow), run groups are modified to keep similar tallents together. Stragglers are not allowed.
In addition every few laps the lead car is rotated to the back of the pack so everybody gets to "follow the leaders tracks in the snow" to get the correct line.

In the Masters there are two run groups on track at a time spaced out at intervals when you leave pit lane..thats 8-10 cars out on 2.38 miles of track...but like magnets the cars seem to pack up...
Two options: there are designated passing zones to use or you can go thru pit lane and get some space

bravocharlie

With all due respect, I think you're sweating the details here. The PDE is run so effciently that the issues you raise are dealt with in a manner that the participants aren't even aware.

baboou

The only thing I would add to BC's excellent post is you need to provide transportation from the track to the airport. PDE admin will call a cab or a limo if there are several needing transport. If your not staying another night at Ross Bridges they do not provide transport to the airport. If you have an early flight out let the PDE staff know and they'll get a cab for you.

E55AMG

Intersting point about learning to "look ahead" vs. lead/follow. As I commented earlier that is what I found the most disappointing about the Skip Barber intro to racing. It is really hard to learn the line when you have your nose focused on the car in front of you, as opposed to the AMG event where you have an instructor next to you telling you to "point your nose" at the next turn, look ahead, etc. I remember at Lime Rock where I was behind this guy and he took an awful line into turn one. I lost focus for a moment and was looking at his car instead of the line and I proceeded to take the same miserable line! The instructor looked at me and said: "You were watching the car in front, weren't you"?

Wow, 11th PDE! Have you done anything else i.e. Skip, Bondurant, etc. ?

OCBen

Do you get Frequent Drivers discount? ... You should. ... Or at least have your room comp'd like the high rollers at Vegas.

But speaking of money, how much is it again for the standard PDE (the 2 day event)?

lawjdc

Me too!

1080iAddict

$3,000.00 - tuition only.

OCBen

So let's see, there's probably an

Enrollment fee - $50

Registration fee - $100

Course Materials - $200

Helmet Rental fee - $50

Gasoline Surcharge - $100

Oh, and the cost of meals and hotel accommodations - all added to the basic tuition fee of $3,000.00. Did I leave anything out?

OCBen

Ha ha. I bet I post faster lap times than you, 'Bama Boy!

lawjdc

Actually, you really did leave out the $200 additional insurance that lowers your out-of-pocket expense, should you total one of their cars, from $10,000 to $2,000. Serious!

bravocharlie

I did not have to pay the additional $200 for the lower deductible because my insurance carrier (Chubb) covered me. It pays to have a good insurance company.

1080iAddict

Ben, there are no other charges other than:

1. Insurance deductible as mentioned.
2. classroom seats covered in natural leather: $600
3. classroom seat legs painted in matched exterior color: $1,200
4. classroom seats with deviated stiching: $1,500