jwt1603

Do any of the road racing schools, Panoz, Barber, etc, really help you with auto-x competition? We run auto-x almost exclusively and only two or three high speed events per year. (Running CMP this weekend).

Since the driving style required in so different would it be worth the 5K for a three day road school? It would be 5K because my wife and I would both go and it looks like the schools run about $2500 each give or take, especially when you add in hotel / airfare / meals, etc.

Are there any other low speed schools besides Evolution? They don't seem to have anything close to us on any kind of regular basis. They would be cheaper though because when they do have a school within a reasonable driving distance we can trailer our car there.

That's another question about the schools. Since they use cars that are different (sometimes radically like the Panoz) than our 94, would it even be worth it? Our car is set up decently for the class we run in but it's obviously nothing like a true race car.

Thoughts?

Kschwamy

The best autocross school we have found is the Evolution School. There are occasionally a local club sponsored auto-X school in diffent areas.

I have been to Bonderaunt which is good for road racing school and for high speed stuff. I have also attended Spring Mountain and that is a great place to learn how the car handles and will definately help with high speed.

If you want to auto-X my recommendation is find an Evolution school and go to Level 1 and 2 back to back.

Good luck

johninar

I have attended Spring Mountain and Evolution. They both help with car control, but the Evolution schools are the best for AutoX. Well worth the money and far cheaper than a road school like Spring Mountain. That being said, I really learned a lot about the car and myself as a driver at Spring Mountain. I highly encourage everyone who has not been to a school like that to go. You will learn some amazing things about the Corvette..... and yourself.

Rogue Leader

Ive done both Barber and Evolution. Skip Barber will help you a little with AutoX but not really as you are really just learning the car, how it handles and how to handle it at high speeds on a race track. AutoX is much more quick hands, low speed manuvering. I just did a couple Evolution schools again and I can tell you nothing else can prepare you better, they have great instructors and a great course setup. Plus you will learn to handle YOUR car. Its worth the trip if they arent close, its THAT good.

provette67

I too attended Spring Mountain and Evolution and loved them both but for different reasons.At sprin Mountain/Bragg Smith I ended up getting a ridiculous 600+miles on a teaching road course.While at evolution I got the equivelnt in autoX ,if you are going to autox go EVO

jwt1603

Thanks everyone.

Evo has a school that I think we can make it to in October. It's about 6 hours away trailering but we're going to do it.

I really agree with the comments about using your own car. Driving a new C6 on a road course is going to be a lot different than our C4 on an auto-x layout. That's one of the things that makes me hesitate on those schools.

I'm sure they're all great but we need to take it one step at a time. I'm also sure that we will go to a high speed school eventually but since we're still pretty new to racing we'll learn one thing at a time.

Have a great holiday weekend and stay safe everyone.

AU N EGL

The National Corvette Museum has a HPDE on Carolina Motorsports Park Oct 28-29

http://www.corvettemuseum.com/regist.../infocmp.shtml

Bill Dearborn

An autocross school would be best. However, an HPDE where you use your own car will help you with being smooth and is a lot less costly than the schools that provide cars. There are many excellent schools across the nation that can improve both your high speed capability and your autocross capability. I autocross a lot but find that my capability seems to be more finally honed after 2 days at an HPDE where I have been pushing my car around a track. The techniques are different for each type of event but smooth is best for both and an HPDE can give you several hours of practice time to at being smooth. You can't get that during an autocross.

One thing to think about is a number of HPDEs are run on short tight tracks which are more like a high speed autocross with lower top speeds than a true road course like Watkins Glen where speeds through a number of corners far exceed the top speed you would ever see in a low speed event. For example, HPDEs that are run on the Pocono infield courses are more like high speed autocrosses since most corners are very tight. The East course even has a couple of corners where you have to use second gear.

Bill

Kschwamy

Good luck Provette67 , my wife and I go to the one in Cincinnati which is a 7 hour drive for us and 3 or 4 hours for Pancho. Let us know how it goes and have fun.

no spin

There's still student slots available? I ask because at our last club meeting I told the club that it was most likely sold out by now. But I guess it really doesn't matter they just like driving to the nearest restuarant.

AU N EGL

Yes there are a few slots still open at the Advance level. The Beginner, Novice and Intermediate levels fill up fast.

varkwso

Too true!

My local club can argue well the merits of Zaino...