Skip Barber Racing School

Defensive driving in Racing? As shown by Schumacher in Melbourne?


Seriously I took the 3 days Skip Barber racing class and it was brilliant. To this day I hear some of the instructors' voices in the back of my head. While you're at it (or better yet before you go to class): Read their book. It is really good.

 

No... more like defensive driving shown by JV... o wait.. thats not it.. thats just SLOW! lol

what i meant by defensive driving... is more like car control and have a better feel of the car(steering and throttle).. because i've been in accidents caused by my own mistakes.. so i want to gain back my confidence.

I've never driven on the track, and after reading all the fellow fchatters comments... seems like taking the Driving course first is the wise thing to do.. thats why I want to do the one day combo

 

While the combo might be the more fun way to go (because you get out on the track) it is not your best bet in terms of learning car control. If you really want to learn about the car at its limits you want to take the 1 or 2 day defensive driving course. I would recommend the two day because it gives you a night to think and then another day to apply what you have learned and to get comfortable. If you cannot do the 2 day, go for the 1 day defensive. While getting out on the track in the combo course would be exciting you will not push the cars or yourself whereas in the defensive u will have the ability to push both of your limits all be it at a lower speed. Hope this helps, if you need any more info or have any questions let me know. Good luck

 

Zach --

My Skippy school was at Mid-Ohio, 27 years ago, a three day course with Crossle 32 FF's. The cars were set to high ride heights and running shaved street tires. So they were more akin to street cars or English spec FF than they were a real SCCA race version. All that said... if you can drive the race cars well - you surely can drive the street cars well. But if your only experience is street cars; you may not have the needed skill development when you move up to a faster breed of street car, or race car and things start to come in a fast and furious sort of way. My view is you'll never regret you seat time in the faster cars, i.e. the race cars.

btw- the Spring following my Fall course at Mid-Ohio, they had another course running at IRP. I stopped out there, and managed to get a couple of rides around the track where they showed the line.....the apexes, etc. They also happened to have a new instructor added to the crew... a guy named Danny Sullivan. That's been good for a few bragging rights fun over the years. Hope you have some similar kind of fun.