How many people here have actually gone to racing school

Im doing the Skip Barber @ Laguna Seca this summer with my Dad for his 60th birthday! It should be fun!

 

BMW level 3 course at MT Tremblant and Ferrari racing course in Fiorano. Next up is either F2000 school in MT Tremblant / F1 driving experience / 2nd level Ferrari racing course in Fiorano.

 

various track schools and then the 3-day Skippy to do the SCCA license. Have been racing ever since.

Seat time is what makes you good. I also highly recommend NASA racing for those that want a little more gentlemen like race series. SCCA is cut throat.

 

So in other words, you're one of the armchair experts he was talking about

 

Not exactly, big guy. I'll make sure to invite you next time I'm driving in your neck of the woods.

 

+1

 

yup- Bultaco 360s and 750 Triumphs.

 

Russell at Sears point Infineon last year....Awesome!

 

Sarcasm. Anyway, I'll take you to a baseball game instead. That's MY area of expertise.

 

Never translates well on the intarweb...

 

Yep, definitely 1 or even 5 race school attendences makes you an absolute racing expert ...

Heck I'm surpriced Ferrari has not called for your services
Pete
ps: Retiring to my comfy couch

Look I think it's cool that you guys and girls are out there hitting the track, but I cannot agree with the first post that attending race schools means you are an expert and should out rank others opinions who haven't.

Unless we have a current F1, F2, F3, A1 driver posting we are all outsiders/spectators having a chat ... lets accept that.

 

F2? I thought that was disbanded decades ago?

 

Pete, fair enough, but these series do not the greatest driver make. Great drivers come from all kinds of backgrounds and discipline. On the other hand, you're certainly no expert with 2 skools and 5 track days under your belt.

 

Okay I'm having a communication problem

I'm no longer disputing where good, bad or indifferent drivers come from. Yes I have accepted that some great drivers have started from a racing school.

What I do not accept is the starting post of this thread:

This implies that if you have done some cr@ppy racing school or even a good one that you are now an expert and fully qualified to discuss racing as a knowledgeable insider.

Bollocks I say ... get back in that armchair . We have no experts on this site. We do have some current racers (Rob for one) and yeah they should be given credence but even they will admit there is a big difference between racing what they race and what Kimi (for example) does.
Pete

 

I attended the 3 day BMW M school in Spartensburg,SC. Great time and great instructors. Lots and lots of seat time!! There was actually a kart driver from Ferrari NA at my school doing a spy session to see how BMW ran their schools, very funny! The next thing you know, Ferrari has its driving school! There was also a guy from the Wall Street Journal in attendance and he did a article featuring me!!!!!! How cool, I have it framed and all.
I love the track events with Ferrari of Washington, usually some great instructors in attendance. You are never done learning!!


Robert

 

Amen.

Pete

 

Jim Russell course at Snetterton. Full week with race at the end. That was 1985. I then went back in 1986 and did a number of races with the Russell race series. That included another short course for Donnington.

After that I came back to the U.S. went to college then raced 80cc & 125cc Karts while working as a race mechanic for a couple of year.

I miss the race cars every now and again. If anyone's in the LA area and needs some help with one of their cars let me know. If I've got some free time you've got an extra set of hands.

 

That is funny, because in that business, it's really easy to figure it all out. It's a very small community of producers, facilitators and instructors.

 

He didn't tell everyone until we were all saying goddbye at the hotel. Funny thing was he always had the best times by 2 or 3 seconds and he just looked real smooth on the track. So it all made sense when he spilled the beans.


Robert

 

Yeah, I've had some problems with it in the real world too! The offer still stands on the ballgame, though, if you're ever in Chicago.

 

I current race my 348 wheel to wheel and been to some schools and Pete you are so dead on! There are miles of difference between ths Joe's and the Pro's in racing.

 

I believe this is the first such admission on the R&T Forum. The more I know the more I realize I don't know.

One of the best things about Fchat is that there is much knowledge from some of the posters. However, some think opinion is fact and want to go to nuclear war over racing issues. It is a sport, an amusement, not life and death.

Thank you for your thoughtful post.

 

The problem is (if we actually say it is a problem) that you have to attend a 3-day school to be allowed to run SCCA for example.

Funny thing is though, I think you can get your GrandAm license without any school or proof of prior racing. I have to check but their application looked very...schall I say...everybody can join in.

 

Well race schools are different too. They don't pass the top 10 finishers to go on to incident free probationary races to get race licensed. Race schools sign off on you if you end the weekend basically incident free. That is not much of a challenge. There is no "be fast" requirement. Then you do a couple incident free probationary races and voila you are SCCA or what ever licensed. If you went to dental school you would need more than a heartbeat to pass you actually need to attain a "level" of minimum capability. At consumer race schools that just means you don't hit stuff.