NJMP Racing School
08-08-2011, 09:45 AM
#17
Rennlist
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Location: Durham, NC and Virginia International Raceway
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Looking forward to hearing about it!
__________________
-Peter Krause
www.peterkrause.net
www.gofasternow.com
"Combining the Art and Science of Driving Fast!"
Specializing in Professional, Private Driver Performance Evaluation and Optimization
Consultation Available Remotely and at VIRginia International Raceway
-Peter Krause
www.peterkrause.net
www.gofasternow.com
"Combining the Art and Science of Driving Fast!"
Specializing in Professional, Private Driver Performance Evaluation and Optimization
Consultation Available Remotely and at VIRginia International Raceway
08-10-2011, 09:21 AM
#18
Rennlist Member
I think that any driving instruction is a good thing and plenty fun. The diesel TDI's are from the TDI Cup series and are real race cars. You can learn a lot in a car like this, esp. when someone else owns it.
The NJMP one day program seems a bit odd to me. They start with giving you a gearing chart, teaching you how to check your oil, and 1/2 day of lead/follow. They end with practice race starts. Everything in between deals somehow with data acquisition. I wonder if someone is selling something here?
I've taken 2 race schools - Mid-O and an SCCA licensing course. If you want an SCCA license 2 approved schools must be taken within the same 12 month period. In the M-O school we drove their Acuras and had a lot of off-track (class, parking lot exercises, etc.) components. It was expensive and you were treated well. The instructing staff there is formidable and rife with names you would recognize in an instant.
In the SCCA course (October @ WGI w/Glen region SCCA) we learned to race. SCCA was a fraction of the cost of the private school but you needed a novice permit (incl. medical), fully compliant car, all safety equipment. You also need your own water, meals, and crew -- necessary because you are busy 100% of the day in a rotation of track/class/debrief. No one here is teaching you how to drive or treating you like a customer. If you are not making the grade you do not get licensed and may get asked to leave. There are no parking lot exercises and no discussion on how to spend your money.
I think that if I were planning a driving school at this point I would go towards open wheel. You already put your Porsche on the track and know the very basics, so why not a completely different experience? Having said that, I am returning to Mid-O in 1 1/2 weeks in Marc's 993 (not race compliant) for an advanced driving/instructor course. Hey, they'll have water, lunch and little certificates at the end!
-- Mindy
The NJMP one day program seems a bit odd to me. They start with giving you a gearing chart, teaching you how to check your oil, and 1/2 day of lead/follow. They end with practice race starts. Everything in between deals somehow with data acquisition. I wonder if someone is selling something here?
I've taken 2 race schools - Mid-O and an SCCA licensing course. If you want an SCCA license 2 approved schools must be taken within the same 12 month period. In the M-O school we drove their Acuras and had a lot of off-track (class, parking lot exercises, etc.) components. It was expensive and you were treated well. The instructing staff there is formidable and rife with names you would recognize in an instant.
In the SCCA course (October @ WGI w/Glen region SCCA) we learned to race. SCCA was a fraction of the cost of the private school but you needed a novice permit (incl. medical), fully compliant car, all safety equipment. You also need your own water, meals, and crew -- necessary because you are busy 100% of the day in a rotation of track/class/debrief. No one here is teaching you how to drive or treating you like a customer. If you are not making the grade you do not get licensed and may get asked to leave. There are no parking lot exercises and no discussion on how to spend your money.
I think that if I were planning a driving school at this point I would go towards open wheel. You already put your Porsche on the track and know the very basics, so why not a completely different experience? Having said that, I am returning to Mid-O in 1 1/2 weeks in Marc's 993 (not race compliant) for an advanced driving/instructor course. Hey, they'll have water, lunch and little certificates at the end!
-- Mindy
08-10-2011, 06:15 PM
#19
Rennlist Member
They are going to have to get some certification towards licensing pretty quickly if this is going to be a real school. On the other hand, if it is really two hours track time, the price is fine considering these are real, prepared, logbook racecars, _someone else's_ racecars, and you get attentive, quality coaching for the day. You couldn't rent a spec Miata for a normal DE for less than this per diem...
08-10-2011, 06:58 PM
#21
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I think we're getting hung up on the word "school." This is more of a driving "experience" and it sounds pretty cool. The TDI Cup cars are the ultimate momentum cars. Hopefully they'll use the same tire setup that they used at the TDI Cup.
11-11-2011, 03:00 PM
#22
Track Day
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Sorry to drag this up, but did you ever end up going? A friend and I are looking for something relatively local for a good price and this came up in our searches. We really wanted to do the Cadillac Experience, but it was in Las Vegas and the plane tickets and hotel rooms really killed the super cheap entry fee of $556. We are just looking for something fun with the most on track time and don't really care about any sort of licensing or anything like that. Anyone else have any suggestions?
