The Hoth

If someone wants to improve his/her driving skills (for real world driving not for racing), any commendations?

Legal Bill

Yeah, autocross.

pgss2k

I took a Skip Barber High Performance Driving School a few years back. It was really focused on real world skills. Did some braking/lane change threshold braking exercises, skid pad/catch a slide stuff, autocross to get some putting the theory into practice and a lead follow on track session which was fun but not racing! It was a little pricey but I drove a current 911/M3/335/RX8 and Cayman. It was good at showing how much more capable most cars are than most of the general public understands. Gave me some confidence in my skills and improved my feeling of vehicle dynamics. If I remember correctly it was about 1500 bucks though. I had always wanted to do something like it and thoroughly enjoyed it. No other formal schooling to speak of other than track day instruction which also can be very good or not so good depending on the instructor and your willingness to learn. Hope that is helpful. Good luck and have fun

ScottyBallistic

Keep a eye on the new calendars I put in the pinned topics.


Sccnh runs two Auto-x schools at NHMS . But the BMW club does a real world drivers experience school with defensive maneuvers and they wet section to recreate different situations.

grovefromnh

COM Sports Car Club runs a series of high performance driving schools along with time trials the next day. They use the road course at NHMS, the full 3.5 mile grand prix course at Watkins Glen, etc,etc. Instructors ride with you, talking to you via helmet to helmet radios that we provide. As there is no passing allowed in the corners, you and your car are quite safe. Auto-x is actually harder on your car. Our on-track sessions last from 20min to 45min depending on the track length. You will get about 3hrs of instructed track time and have the chance do drive in a 1hr open practice. Check out "comscc.org"

IMP

A thread like this would be better served without baseless & unsubstantiated claims such as the above.

A track day will wear your street tires and brakes faster than autox. Generally 4-5x faster, sometimes even more depending on how hard you actually push/brake on the track. I have known people to go through a full set of tires and brake pads on one track day. (Example just posted today: http://roadraceautox.com/showthread.php?t=32022 )

8 min of autox time (your average seat time for an autox) is much, much easier on your car than 1.x hours of seat time at a track day. How many times do you shift at an autox? Generally, once per run, from 1st to 2nd. Track day? Lots lots more. Upshift and downshift.

As for safety, for auto-x, you won't stuff your car into a wall, suffer an "off" that will damage your car, nor are you on a course tail to nose with other cars/drivers questionable driving capabilities or awareness... at the same time. Usually separated by about 20-30 seconds depending on location.

But to say auto-x is harder on your car, no... it is most definitely not.

That said, yes, you do get more seat time at a track day. And it *is* a blast. COM is a great bunch of people to go with. Also SCDA. Just don't do NHIS. Go someplace else (Watkins Glen, Calaboogie, etc...) so you're not stuck in a 'parade' of cars in the beginner run group the whole day. NHIS is usually oversold for the amount of track real estate available.

One time, I went to an event at NHIS with COM, was behind an instructor driving a students car and for 6 laps, couldn't get the point-by no matter how much I filled his mirrors. That was a common occurrence on the two track days I've personally with COM at NHIS. Kinda swore off COM after that, because of NHIS and just parading around. Don't let my personal experience dissuade you... go do a different track with COM is all I'm saying.

Now, if you've read all that, where do you live OP? There are plenty of clubs that also do auto-x at Moore Airfield at Ft. Devens in Ayer Ma. almost every weekend during the good weather months. (April-Oct). All of them have instructors in one capacity or another.

Team O'Neil in Tamworth NH also does a winter safety driving school. Snow tires required. There's a good education, but then again, lowered or 'low' cars aren't the best in the snow. I'd suggest taking almost anything but a lowered car or something as low as a stock S2000 to it. But your winter beater with snows if you have one, or whatever you drive in the winter... great real world.

There's also InControl ( http://www.driveincontrol.com/ ).


--kC