Post driving school effects
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 656
Likes: 247
From: Florida
Post driving school effects
Just back from Ron Fellows. Awesome experience!! Has anyone else noticed yourself a liitle more aggressive on the throttle and taking turns faster after the driving course?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,037
Likes: 9,801
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
It isn't being more aggressive it is just realizing you don't have to putt putt around like your Grandmother told you had to. You now know cars can go around corners faster without tipping over and they can accelerate fairly rapidly while still being operated sanely and with an eye to fuel consumption. The slow drivers all around you have no idea how incompetent level of their car handling skills and you are advised to be more aware of them so you can avoid them as they will not be expecting you to drive the car in an expeditious manner which means they will make further errors in judgement as to when to pull into a lane, when to attempt to pull away from a stop sign, etc.
Bill
Bill
Miller Time Wisconsin 🍺
Joined: Oct 2012
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St. Jude Donor '13 thru '22
The desire to drive cloverleafs hard enough that you have to throttle steer. 
Last edited by Iconic; Oct 16, 2017 at 01:55 PM. Reason: Typoz
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,872
Likes: 333
From: Olmsted Falls Ohio
St. Jude Donor '12 thru '24
I don't think I've gotten more aggressive on the street, but I will say I see the turns in the road in an entirely different perspective, to the point where just in normal driving you notice how others set up ahead of you - you can tell who is thinking about what they're doing and all the others.
I'm also more confident in adverse conditions. This past week was driving some wet curvy roads between Somerset, Pa and Cumberland in the Cruze. One semi-blind right curve surprised me and I realized I could be a tad fast for the conditions. Instead of jumping on the brakes, just applied a bit of brake to balance the car slightly forward and it went right through the turn. Those wet skid-pad exercises stuck with me after more than two years since the school.
I'm also more confident in adverse conditions. This past week was driving some wet curvy roads between Somerset, Pa and Cumberland in the Cruze. One semi-blind right curve surprised me and I realized I could be a tad fast for the conditions. Instead of jumping on the brakes, just applied a bit of brake to balance the car slightly forward and it went right through the turn. Those wet skid-pad exercises stuck with me after more than two years since the school.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 8,729
Likes: 1,508
From: Redmond WA
I'm probably the opposite. Kind of like learning to ride a motorcycle made me a more paranoid automobile driver.
I really like the track environment and just don't trust the road surfaces and other drivers on public roads. So I actually never push any limits on the street except raw acceleration. I'm probably seriously in the minority but I'm not a big fan of "driving in Mexico" or "canyon carving" or that stuff, I'd rather be at the track.
Not a judgment, just a story.
I really like the track environment and just don't trust the road surfaces and other drivers on public roads. So I actually never push any limits on the street except raw acceleration. I'm probably seriously in the minority but I'm not a big fan of "driving in Mexico" or "canyon carving" or that stuff, I'd rather be at the track.
Not a judgment, just a story.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 1,744
Likes: 234
Absolutely! I was scared chicken when I first bought the car; I'll never forget I was afraid to even give it gas driving 2 hours back home from CT.
As soon as I got back from Spring Mountain, that's where I discovered 650 HP is not enough and now I want to add 200 to 300 more HP by upgrading the supercharger when the warranty is up shortly.
I should have never went to SM. Just kidding
As soon as I got back from Spring Mountain, that's where I discovered 650 HP is not enough and now I want to add 200 to 300 more HP by upgrading the supercharger when the warranty is up shortly.
I should have never went to SM. Just kidding
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 656
Likes: 247
From: Florida
Racer
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 361
Likes: 116
From: Kentucky
I'm probably the opposite. Kind of like learning to ride a motorcycle made me a more paranoid automobile driver.
I really like the track environment and just don't trust the road surfaces and other drivers on public roads. So I actually never push any limits on the street except raw acceleration. I'm probably seriously in the minority but I'm not a big fan of "driving in Mexico" or "canyon carving" or that stuff, I'd rather be at the track.
Not a judgment, just a story.
I really like the track environment and just don't trust the road surfaces and other drivers on public roads. So I actually never push any limits on the street except raw acceleration. I'm probably seriously in the minority but I'm not a big fan of "driving in Mexico" or "canyon carving" or that stuff, I'd rather be at the track.
Not a judgment, just a story.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 4,488
Likes: 1,028
From: MN
After Ron Fellows I noticed two main changes--First, I went from occasionally using M mode in my A8 to using it 100% of the time. Second, I take corners and S curves a little different now, tending to pick my points and smooth them out (within the lines, of course)
RF was a lot of fun!
)RF was a lot of fun!
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
I'm probably the opposite. Kind of like learning to ride a motorcycle made me a more paranoid automobile driver.
I really like the track environment and just don't trust the road surfaces and other drivers on public roads. So I actually never push any limits on the street except raw acceleration. I'm probably seriously in the minority but I'm not a big fan of "driving in Mexico" or "canyon carving" or that stuff, I'd rather be at the track.
Not a judgment, just a story.
I really like the track environment and just don't trust the road surfaces and other drivers on public roads. So I actually never push any limits on the street except raw acceleration. I'm probably seriously in the minority but I'm not a big fan of "driving in Mexico" or "canyon carving" or that stuff, I'd rather be at the track.
Not a judgment, just a story.
Found after hitting a track my driving on the st was tame never got temped to screw around. Roads and tracks are entirely different.
The proverbial idiot trying to show their sKi1lz on the st is super annoying.
Premium Supporting Vendor
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,033
Likes: 514
From: Pahrump NV
you all crack me up!
It is good to see that we had an effect on your daily commutes!
Until you experience the track, with a professional behind the wheel, there just is no way to fully realize what a car is capable of!
it's been almost 20 years since I was taken around a road course for the first time, in a c4 corvette, and I remember when we went into the chicane (on our north/south track) and thinking, there is no way, absolutely no way, we are making it through here...but the instructor straightened out the esses, broke, downshifted (heel toe of course) broke for turn 4 and came out of there howling...it was surreal and I was hooked, plus never drove the same again!
Lucky enough to have worked my way up the chain here, and put in thousands of laps, in all kinds of cars. Just blessed!
I'll add that on the road, I have avoided, conservatively, about 50 wrecks, due to visual scanning, seeing situations before they develop and car control, all learned here.
keep the stories coming! I'll share with our staff.
Thanks to all of you who have come and continue to come!
__________________
Victor Resendiz
Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club
Ron Fellows Performance Driving School
The Official Performance Driving School Of Corvette
www.racespringmountain.com
victor@racespringmountain.com
800-391-6891
Victor Resendiz
Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club
Ron Fellows Performance Driving School
The Official Performance Driving School Of Corvette
www.racespringmountain.com
victor@racespringmountain.com
800-391-6891