seattle_sun

I would love to go to PDE, but from Seattle it is quite a haul- I don't know if the wife will go for it! How does PDE compare to Skip Barber,etc? Any suggestions for schools on the West coast?

blake

I don't know - but I am glad you posed this question. I must choose which one to go to FIRST, so could use advice on that as well....

allegretto

Depends on what you want to learn. If you want to learn about your Porsche's characteristics, what other Porsche's driving characteristics are like or just want to eat, drink sleep Porsche and go back to your world, DE is best.

if you want to develop SCCA licensure skills and think you will have the time and opportunity to race, or at least track regularly, the Barber School is a good way to start. You won't drive anything like a Porsche there though.

Two completely different learning venues.

FWIW, I just finished the Barber School (3 day) myself and I can say from my perspective it was GREAT! A real hoot and I learned some great things I can take on the track with any car. I'm signing up for the 2 day Advanced School soon.

If you have the time and money, do both. They are both good.

BiggerTwin

Skip Barber also offers the High Performance Driving School which uses BMW 330i and M3; Porsche Boxster and Carrera; and a Dodge Viper. It has classroom lessons, skid pad, lane change exercises, autocross and track time. I found it very informative and enjoyable.

Alan

allegretto

Agree

B-Line

I have completed both the skip barber 3 day: intro to racing
and, the 2 day: advanced racing school.

I would say, if you are the "delicate" type, do the Porsche Driving Experience.
But if you are the gritty, get down and dirty type.. No question, Skip Barber.

Yes, PDE you get to drive Porsche's.

-- But at skip, you don't get in the car, it's more like you strap on the car. Five point racing harness, open wheel, open cockpit.. It was the time of my life. But it's not a "white glove" driving school. They are there to teach you the basics, but also how to be "fast".. Skip is preparation for people who might have some sort of interest in racing.

If you just want some basic skills to improve your Porsche driving skills, go PDE. If you want to strap in, suit up and feel like a real race driver for a couple days.. GO SKIP.. It is a great place to start a potential racing hobby as well. It's arrive and drive..

-- Also, all around the country, if you tell people you went to SKIP, that's a badge of honor. You come with a built in level of street cred. If you go to the Porsche Driving Experience, it's more like telling people you want to fantasy basketball camp with Larry Bird.

B

icon

you also get to drive a fantastic track in barber motorsports park for pde!
but, of course, i'm bias living in b'ham.

the delicate type b-line???

ELUSIVE

I did the Skip Barber 3 day at Laguna Seca...absolutely incredible...but it's more of a prep for racing...and not a get to know your own car. With that said, you can apply a ton of what you learn in the formula dodge to your pcar. I did it to get my SCCA license quickly.

I would say that if you want to learn about racing go skip barber, if you want a high performance driving school in a porsche then do the PDE or the Skip Barber high performance.

ronmart

What does everyone here think of Skip Barber versus Bondurant (http://www.bondurant.com/)?

Some of my hard core driving friends have said that Bondurant tops them all, but I had never even heard of it until recently.

B-Line

no doubt, Barber Motorsports Park is fantastic. That's what I've heard anyway, never been there. But Skip also runs fantastic tracks. Laguna Seca, LimeRock, Sebring, etc.

And I say delicate because, for example, my stepdad. He's a retired pilot. We sent him to Skip because he wanted to learn about HPD. I think getting in and out of the formula dodge was a little uncomfortable for him. It can get hot in the cars no air conditioning, no power steering, no supple leather seats.. It's much more "RAW" at Skip.
I would assume that the PDE is come "comfortable" and someone who is older and not as limber, would probably prefer the more cushy driving of a boxster and 911 over a Formula Dodge. A formula dodge does not even have a sequential gearbox at that level. That means you have to -double clutch heel-n-toe downshift-
Skip they are teaching you how to do "rolling starts at a beginning of a race"
"How to draft" "how to pass" all the while being STRAPPED into a seat where you are completely restricted from moving except for your hands and feet.
It's hot in the cars, if it's raining, you get wet. You wear a driving suit, etc.

So when I say, SKIP "racing school" is not for the delicate. I would probably not send it as a retirement gift for someone.
I would however and I can't stress this enough... send anyone who is serious about wanting to be fast on a track to SKIP.

B

B-Line

I think you would have a very hard time finding someone who has been to both SKIP and Bondurant as they offer a lot of the same. It would be like taking tango dancing 101 at two different places.

Bondurant has an excellent reputation and I have no doubt there instructors are great. I am also sure that they both teach much of the same thing.
I believe that Bondurant concentrates more on sports cars (like the vette) then they do on open wheel, open cockpit, but they have that too. (just as skip has sports cars in the school lineup as well.)

I might be wrong here so don't quote me on this:
I think SKIP is a much, much bigger operation than Bondurant.
Also, the great thing about SKIP is not just the racing schools. They also have a number of racing leagues. So when you have completed the schools, you can register to race against other SKIP graduates in a single event or even a whole season.
It's the whole package. And a racing weekend is about $3K-$4K for SKIP.

The race series all over the country with skip so you get to go to many tracks and they have different classes based on skill level so you can be competitive even at the beginning.

I don't know about Bondurant Racing. I have met hundreds of SKIP graduates in my years of going to the track. I've yet to meet anyone from Bondurant so am interested to hear what they have to say about the program.

B

E55AMG

I also did the intro to racing last year and had a blast. You're right, the hardest thing is shoe-horning yourself into and out of the car!!

E55AMG

My brother spent a good bit of time at Bondurant about 10 years ago (and raced porsche's). He thought they were great. He went with me to the Skip intro last year and although you can't compare a 1/2 day intro to either school's full program he thought they would be pretty similiar. I would love to do the full Skip school but I'm pretty sure I won't end up in their racing series. There is a much better chance I'll start participating in PCA DE's so the PDE may be a better education for me.

I agree with you 100% about the SKip being much more "raw".

B-Line

FYI, I have never been in a race in my life. Just DE's. I don't know why I haven't raced yet, but I may start this year. I did my first SKIP school in 2000. My second skip school in 2003.
So even though I have not followed through with SKIP racing, the skills I learned are great for DE days.
For example, lets say the guy in front of you has more HP but is a slower driver. Even though you probably have to wait for a point by. Knowing how to pass him properly, ie: brake later, turn in later, etc. is impt.

The SKIP skills are UNIVERSAL.. I can't say that enough. It's the same physics as if your driving a FEDEX truck around the track.
But the choice is yours..

And, the one day is just not enough in my opinion.. You really need to do the 3 day intro to racing in order to have some foundation for being fast and getting faster.

B

Marv

"It's the same physics as if your driving a FEDEX truck around the track."

I don't know about FedEx on the track, but on the street those guys don't waste any time!

Maybe there is a SKIP class for FedEx!