Need some input
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 4,131
Likes: 2
From: "Never play games with a bitch who can play them better" NE PA
Cruise-In VIII & IX Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07-'08
I saw your post in the AutoX/RR section.
I would recommend Spring Mountain. I've been through both the 3 day level one, and the level two course. I can't say enough about how well it prepared me for the track, and street. This school is very well run, buy professionals who know how to teach. There are lots of schools out there, with very fast instructors. If they can't convey to me, what they know, it is of little value. These guys have a program that works.
The three day course will give you the proper tools to be safe in HPDE, help with Autox, and make you a better safer driver on the street.
Extensive time in the skid car and the Corvette gives you a great set of skills in car dynamics and skid control. You gradually work up to faster speeds and learning how to negotiate different sets of turns. Heel and toe, and so much more.
I would encourage a school such as this to get good habits learned before you develop bad ones.
I would recommend Spring Mountain. I've been through both the 3 day level one, and the level two course. I can't say enough about how well it prepared me for the track, and street. This school is very well run, buy professionals who know how to teach. There are lots of schools out there, with very fast instructors. If they can't convey to me, what they know, it is of little value. These guys have a program that works.
The three day course will give you the proper tools to be safe in HPDE, help with Autox, and make you a better safer driver on the street.
Extensive time in the skid car and the Corvette gives you a great set of skills in car dynamics and skid control. You gradually work up to faster speeds and learning how to negotiate different sets of turns. Heel and toe, and so much more.
I would encourage a school such as this to get good habits learned before you develop bad ones.
Gee thanks Larry 
HPDEs are a good way to get a feel for driving on the track & you will pick up some quick advise & pointers. There are some limitations though. You work with a variety of instructors (as others have mentioned). Most are typically "weekend warriors" simply meaning they have other full time jobs, & are doing events for extra cash, or because they love to do it. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying the don't have useful knowledge to pass along, most of them do & are very experienced. Car clubs like PCA also offer some good weekend instruction. The instruction is most often done in your car. Check with your insurance, but, in most cases, insurance will not cover any damage that occurs on the track. With GPS & Onstar they can determine these things.
When your talking about a Corvette School like the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School at Spring Mountain & the higher cost (compared to HPDEs) you have to remember a few points. We teach the Ron Fellows philosophy of driving over 3 days, & includes approx. 300 miles of track time. Our instructors are professionals who do this everday for a living. This is their job & they truly are world class instructors. The instruction is done in our cars (C6, Z51, Z06, & Callaway Corvette), so you don't have to sweat insurance, or wear & tear on your car. Our track is a 2.2 mile track purpose built for training Corvette drivers. We pay for all of our own cars, maintenance, our instructors, & our facilities so that is where most of the cost goes to.
Most important of all, our class teaches you all aspects of driving the Corvette, including braking, car control, accident avoidance techniques, visual scanning, heel & toe downshifting, & weight distribution/ weight transfer skills. All of these skills are not only usefull on the track & improving your skills, but they do translate into normal day to day driving & can save your life.
When your talking about a Corvette School like the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School at Spring Mountain & the higher cost (compared to HPDEs) you have to remember a few points. We teach the Ron Fellows philosophy of driving over 3 days, & includes approx. 300 miles of track time. Our instructors are professionals who do this everday for a living. This is their job & they truly are world class instructors. The instruction is done in our cars (C6, Z51, Z06, & Callaway Corvette), so you don't have to sweat insurance, or wear & tear on your car. Our track is a 2.2 mile track purpose built for training Corvette drivers. We pay for all of our own cars, maintenance, our instructors, & our facilities so that is where most of the cost goes to.
Most important of all, our class teaches you all aspects of driving the Corvette, including braking, car control, accident avoidance techniques, visual scanning, heel & toe downshifting, & weight distribution/ weight transfer skills. All of these skills are not only usefull on the track & improving your skills, but they do translate into normal day to day driving & can save your life.
Thanks
Hey Oak
Thanks very much---I always appreciate your .02
