ColorChange

The wife came through and said I get to go to racing school as birthday present. I am thinking of doing the 3-4 day Derrick Daly Formula racing school. I like them because they have full data acquisition and they have a good reputation.

Any comments or other suggestions?

Mike in Chi

Most of the professional schools are good.

What kind of car do you like? Check how much track time each has and in what cars. Some put you in formula cars right away, some start in mustangs

Since you have a 996, you might consider PDE. Theirs is a two-day school in 996s with lots of track time, and they are starting an advanced school as well.

Skip has a race series that you become eligible for once you graduate.

Greg Fishman

To add to Mike's questions/suggestions:

What do you want to do with your new found skills? Is racing in your future, or do you just want to learn some driving skills. If the later I would look at PDE. If the former, Skip Barber, Daly, Bondourant all have good reputations.

Geo

Some people do racing school just for the thrill of driving an open wheeled formula race car. That's OK too. Or any or all of the above.

One thing I'll suggest is to consider a Canadian school. With the exchange rate you may find it a bargain. I don't know anymore however. In 1989 I attended the Spenard-David Racing School in Shannonville, ONT. I paid in CA dollars what I would have had to pay in US dollars and thus got about a 30% discount. BTW, this school is now the Bridgestone School at Mosport.

Otherwise, I like the Daly school as well for the same reason you do. I think that puts it a step higher than the others unless you want to compete in a school series, and then you cannot compete with Skippy.

ColorChange

Thanks guys:

I just want to drive faster now. I promised the wife that I would do no wheel-wheel racing until the kids are out, 16 more years ... ughh.

So, I just want to learn and go faster. I'm jrestricted ot DE's and open track times now. The biggest selling point to me is the data acquisition system instead of instructer opinion.

Al P.

Along with the school you may want to consider a DL90 data logging system for your 996. That way as you continue to do DE's you can look at the data from your own car. Sounds like you've had a difference of opinion with an instructor or two.

Fast82930

Colorchange,

My wife sent me to the 4 day Bondurant school back in 1998. It was great fun and I learned a lot.

Last year we wanted to do a school together. I couldn't find an advanced class that overlapped a basic 3-4 day school (for my wife) so we decided to just do a 4 day class.

It was between Skippy at Laguna Seca and Derek Daly.

We ended up doing the 4 day Derek Daly school because of the data acquisition. Two days in the Z3's and two in the formula cars.

The Z3's were a blast but, If I were to do it again, I would do the three day formula car class. The data acquisition is a great learning tool.

My fast lap Data Graph

I have an instructor in-car (hand held) lap from the outside course at LVMS below.

Derek Pic's and Video

Have fun

MJR911

I did the Skippy three day race school before ever getting into a Porsche. If I were to do it again with the intention of racing porsches, i'd do a full cockpit car like at Road Atlanta in a Panoz. The Skipp school was great, and I have no doubt i'd give anyone on here a run for their money in a FF around LRP, but the cars are so different.

Eh, its all a blast if you've never raced before. Do the Daily school, but Geo makes a good point in that you're close to Canada and Mosport is a hell of a track.

JBMNYC

There's a Porsche driving school with one branch in NY state and another in MS. Anybody know about it? Must one use one's own (brand new 996) car?
Thanks. My first post on Rennlist.
Don't even have the car yet.!

JBM

JimB

I just did the 2 day Advanced Road Racing course at Bondurant and really enjoyed it. We spent 6 1/2 hours a day on the track and there was just three of us with one instructor. One of my two class mates was Winston West driver Austin Cameron so I was in pretty good company. I'm not a big NASCAR fan but boy could that kid drive. I would certainly recommend their program.
Jim

MJones

In May you can do back to back beginning and masters (4days) of PDE which will give you some great skill building by some of racings best in a 911 on a very technical track.
Nice part is that you REALLY get to experience the capabilities of the 911 at speed on a world class track

If you are not a member, join The Chicago PCA is a very active chapter and early in the year will have a begining DE at Blackhawk Farms as well as a DE at Road America.

Track driving/racing is ALL about seat time!

dgz924s

Panoz....But if all you are going to do is DE I would take all the cash for the school (2000-3000 dollars) and run a number of PCA DE events with an instructor with PCA. Much more track time for the money! GL! Dal

chris walrod

My wife has been bugging me what I want for Christmas and I have been thinking of asking for a two day driving school of some sort. I am in Socal and would prefer within driving distance, like Laguna Seca or Firebird etc.

Not sure what to do. I guess I should research this more...

Great thread BTW!

Hubert

Not much mention of the skippy school, why? Do they not provide the same degree of instruction/telemetry etc? I'm referring to the 3 day racing school and the 2 day advanced school. Anyone with feedback? For someone looking to get involved in racing as a primary focus how does it rate?
I'm planning on attending in Feb. @ laguna seca (would like to make sure my money is well spent). Lastly, someone made mention that the experience gained in an open-wheel car didn't/doesn't translate to a "regular" car -- could someone expand on this?

Geo

Define "primary focus."

Horsepucky.

If that were the case, you wouldn't find ex-F1 drivers in DTM, ALMS, etc. A lot of drivers who made it to the top of open wheel cars, but couldn't stay up there end up in sports cars. Sports cars are less precise than most open wheel cars, so if you learn to drive an open wheel car well, you'll drive a sports car well.

I remember reading an article in R&T a little over 20 years ago where they interviewed Tom Davey who had just won the SCCA GT3 championship in a Scirocco. He talked about the fact that he came out of formula cars which teach you to be tidy and he felt this gave him an advantage over the other tin top racers.