Paul Solk

Since we have the unfortunate thread about Dream Racing experiences I though I would share a few laps from Las Vegas Dream Racing with their chief instructor in the car... This is the Gallardo Super Trofeo and the 458 Cup.

Their Ferrari cup cars are really special to drive. There is no way around it, they are magical to drive. I ran a 52.2 in the Gallardo and then a 52.1 in the 458 Cup car once I got my spin out of the way in turn 2 The owner was pretty damn cool as well, came out to speak to me and when the lead instructor told him what lap times we were throwing down he just let us keep going back out You can actually hear the owner when the lead instructor tells him we just ran a 52.2 in the Gallardo say "Holy ****" Then I spun 5 laps later in the Ferrari Apparently throttle input needs to be modified from AWD to RWD. That Lamborghini just grips everywhere and loves to be rung by the neck. The 458 tried to get away from me again in my second session but managed to save it and we kept going.

As you can see and we had a long conversation about it after, they will let you push as long as they feel you are in control and understand what you are doing. You can see we are blowing the brake markers pretty good as well, it all comes down to the instructors comfort level and is a judgement call on their part.

Also notice the track layout. The long straight is met by miles of runoff, straight across another track section then more runoff. Other than that even as my spin proved, most off's would be pretty innocuous. There aren't too many places to get yourself into major trouble.

458 Cup Laps




Gallardo laps, lots of traffic in the beginning...

333pg333

Wow...they really do have to cater for non drivers. Those brake markers are so short of the what is normal. Guess that's just how they have to run these sort of places. If your laps were comparatively fast times then it's hard to imagine what those poor guys could have hit?? Seems like there must have been parts failure or even the driver might have had a medical issue. There's a lot of run off and you can't get up to any real speed.

Slakker

This is a different track/company than where the accident took place.

Nice driving Paul. :52 is smoking fast. The best I could manage was a :55 in the GT3. But I blame it on driving the Cayman the session before. The Cayman was so easy to slide around that it took me a couple of laps just to remember how to get the rear end of the GT3 to rotate (using the brakes). Ya, that's definitely my excuse.

Paul Solk

As @Slakker mentioned, different track and organization. I am not familiar with the one where the two gentleman died however I have done Dream Racing numerous times and as you pointed out in my video, there aren't a lot of places to get into real trouble how they have the track laid out and using their suggested markers.

@Slakker, TY very much. 55 is pretty quick too. They say over a minute you may as well have taken a bus, under 58 is quick, under 53 is moving for that track. As you can see, I had to do some adjusting from the Lambo to the Ferrari as well. I still blame the AWD Lambo for my spin in the 458 Like you said, where else do you get to really "drive" these cars like this. I would like to say my drive in the 458 was a test drive but yeah, that's not happening LOL.

A session here includes a training video. Simulator time with your instructor, then seat time. Always very well run.

ProCoach

Dream Racing has an excellent staff and the lead instructors are well known.

Paul Solk

I was with Travis, I was very familiar with his brothers Kyle and Cody from AMA... Racing family.

Slakker

And here's the kicker, they now use VBox HD2's in the cars and give you all of the files for analysis in Circuit Tools when you buy the video.

I had Cody for instructor. Not sure if it's the same one but he was super cool.

Horus2000

Agree about dream racing. I've been there a couple of times over the years and this fall did a number of laps in the 458 cup (best time of 52.9) and the Porsche cup (best time of 50.9 - that thing is a beast).

I found them really professional each time. One thing I appreciated is that when they saw the cars that I wanted to drive (not your average put me in a neon lambo dude) they assigned their top porsche instructor and he peppered me (very politely) with questions about experience.

They were also very deliberate about me driving the 458 first, which was super easy to drive. I did get serious oversteer at the same spot with the 458. I imagine spins are common.

The GT3 Cup was a whole different experience. Much more visceral, but it never once got out of sorts. It's a serious race car that needs an experienced driver. I really loved it and loved the experience with them.

One major difference with Dream Racing is that they put you through a simulator of the track well before you ever get in a car. An instructor is watching you closely in the simulator and that probably determines how much rope they give you in the actual car. I would recommend them highly. And as said above, where else are you going to get to drive true factory race cars.

333pg333

Ahh, right. Sorry for the ignorance re the different tracks.

Looked to me the main reason for the spins on that turn was the off camber turn compounded by that kerb. Almost looked like a kerb to deliberately miss.

Horus2000

You're right, it's the kerb that's the issue, but it's so tempting to cheat it.

In different spots around the track the kerbs are real and will pop the rear up, in others they are just painted. It takes a number of laps to memorize which ones are real vs. painted.

MoD

I have gone to Dream Racing a few times and they have always been amazing. I drove the 458GT, 991 Cup and Huracan Super Trofeo back to back to back and what a great experience. The video in the 458 did not work, but went a 49.7 in the 991 Cup and 48.8 in the Hurracan.

The 458 was the easiest of the 3 to drive fast, but I think I was the slowest in that one, my camera did not work to confirm. The 991 Cup was my favorite of the 3 to drive, the Hurracan was the fastest, and def the most extreme. They run such a great program. The ability to run these cars in and of itself is really cool.

MoD

I was able to get Alessandro Balzan in the 991 Cup with me. Pretty awesome experience!

333pg333

Out of curiosity, how much is one of these days?

ProCoach

I can imagine!

ProCoach