The landscape in that picture was originally a desert... the pictures shows how wet women get when they see Noble driving his Lotus...

 

or they both **** a horse when they saw my sexyness
yeah!! all kidding aside i still have yet to park it without someone taking a picture

 

I hate to drag this up... but I haven't been on the forum for a long time but the Dexter days are far from the wild wild west so I have to comment.

As far as suitability for beginners, students receive 2 hours of track time before anyone else is on track to start their familiarization and have top notch instruction all day long. Only the highest level professional instructors are used, not weekend warriors (such as all of us who just happen to be lucky enough to be quick). Pierre Savoy, Ken Wilden, J.F. Dumoulin, Terry DiFrancesco, and David Empringham are far more qualified to teach, and keep their students safe, then any of us.

As far as safety... there are incidents, this is the track and if an experienced person wants to go out and smack up their car there is nothing that can be done about it, but in the 17 years that this format has been running we have had very few incidents, and no one has ever been hurt. The only comment on the "boxster" incident of last fall i will make is that the driver was not a beginner student.

The format isn't for everyone, but the feedback from those who participate is that it works very well, and the open format makes for a very relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere.

Marc

 

yeah!!

 

The day I was there the intro for beginners was only an hour, not two, however I think the "follow the leader" format is hands down the best way to introduce someone to a new track. I said so to UCR and they said there just wasn't time at their events.

I did retract my "wild west" comment, as it was a bit over the top, but as you say, the format isn't for everyone. At my experience level, I'd prefer a separation between 'weekend warriors' as you so aptly called them and the test and tune or race guys. I'm a definite weekend warrior, no interest in racing whatsoever.

Having been at the UCR DE this weekend, I think the BRG format is the best I've driven so far, no question.

 

Hey Marc, I was thinking a bit about this last night. I'm assuming you know more to the story than I do - if this wasn't a beginner student, why was he pushing it hard enough to lose it while not wearing a helmet? Neither of the people in the car were wearing helmets. Or was it a mechanical issue or similar that caused the crash? What I heard from one of the instructors (or it might have even been Howard himself) was that he was just pushing too fast through 2.

 

If someone goes off track it is usually that they are going too fast (for the conditions, for the car, for their skill level). I can't comment as to why he was pushing with his buddy in the car with no helmets, or if it was a mechanical fault. That he had a passenger shows that he wasn't in the beginner group, as students are not allowed to have passengers other then their instructors.

The end result, whatever the cause, was that they both walked away unhurt which is what matters.

 

Very true.

My dad and I were both driving that day, and after lunch we were allowed to go out together with no instructors. We did have helmets on, though, and took it easy.

 

Just ran with BRG88 group today. Weather was gorgeous, but not too many cars show up, not sure why.

Pretty relax group, since we have the track for the whole day, there is no urge to rush anything (I like). Instructors available for everybody and they are very helpful. I will definitely run with them again.

Thanks Christien for your report.