Spring Mountain expansion/insurance factor
01-04-2019, 10:30 PM
#21
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2000
Location: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
Posts: 23,939
Received 2,051 Likes
on
1,362 Posts
St. Jude Donor '13
I've done Spring Mountain twice (2001 and 2018), learned a lot and had a lot of fun both times even though I had lots of autocross and HPDE between those two years.
At my first HPDE weekend many years ago, someone asked the lead instructor if HPDE students were better and safer drivers.
He said that in his experience, they were better but no safer, because they tended to push the cars more on the street. I have no statistics but anecdotal evidence suggests that he is correct.
At my first HPDE weekend many years ago, someone asked the lead instructor if HPDE students were better and safer drivers.
He said that in his experience, they were better but no safer, because they tended to push the cars more on the street. I have no statistics but anecdotal evidence suggests that he is correct.
The following users liked this post:
Jeffthunbird (01-05-2019)
01-05-2019, 12:58 AM
#22
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
I've done Spring Mountain twice (2001 and 2018), learned a lot. At my first HPDE weekend many years ago, someone asked the lead instructor if HPDE students were better and safer drivers.
He said that in his experience, they were better but no safer, because they tended to push the cars more on the street. I have no statistics but anecdotal evidence suggests that he is correct.
He said that in his experience, they were better but no safer, because they tended to push the cars more on the street. I have no statistics but anecdotal evidence suggests that he is correct.
01-05-2019, 01:06 AM
#23
Le Mans Master
Wow, Sesibaba seems to have struck a nerve. Seriously, that post set you off? I hear older generations joking about “snowflakes”, but I have to wonder did he invade your “safe space”?
I’m neither 34 nor 65 (45)...and I didn’t take his observations as a slight. If you drive like a pro and screw like an 18 year old, then good for you...but Relax. You have to be aware that MOST (not all) of your generation do own garage queens and are noobs to this kind of event. I attended Spring Mountain 2017 in my early 40’s and I too found most of the gray hairs to be frustratingly slow. It’s an open class/event, so it comes with the territory and overall found it to be highly enjoyable.
Im going back to SM in late February and can’t wait. I’ve always driven manual, but got an A8 Z06 when I attended last time. This time I’m looking forward to driving a manual.
No, he didn't strike a nerve, I just find it a bit funny the way he observed things. I'm neither under 34 or over 65 myself, and I've done a few years of Autocross (although in a much less powerful car than my current ZO6), but no on track experience. I've done the Corvette Owner School once and the Level 1 3 day once, and in the Level 1 there were 3- 30 somethings and 2- 20 somethings, the rest in the 40's, 50's and one guy 72. Quickest guy was 52, second was 40, I was third and tied with the 72 year old, so much for the younger is better theory. One observation I had was that although we were told in the classroom that "smooth and deliberate= fast", the younger guys seemed to be trying way too hard, guess they hadn't figured out that the car goes faster in a straight line than sideways, drifting may be cool, but it ain't fast.
01-05-2019, 01:15 AM
#24
Le Mans Master
Another interesting aside here, I asked Chief Instructor Rick Malone the percentage of Corvette owners that actually take advantage of GM's deal for the Corvette Owner School, and he told me it hovered in the mid 30% range. That's pretty sad, considering we all spend between $50k to upwards of 100k depending on which form of Corvette we buy, you would think spending another $1,000 to actually learn what the car is capable of in a controlled track environment, my local Corvette Club has around 400 members and I only know of about 4 or 5 other than myself that have been to Spring Mountain. I guess looking at it that way, it does support the "garage queen/waxer" theory.
01-05-2019, 01:35 AM
#25
I can't imagine its 30% - the math does not work (like 30k cars sold a year would leave 9k students - that's a 173 drivers per week, every week of the year at SM). It is sad that more people don't take advantage of this great program.
I did mine in 17. In my late 40's. I have some car track experience though most of it is well over a decade ago as well as some AutoX. I do a good bit of track time with motorcycles, a dozen plus days on track a year on the bike(s). I ended up as one of the 2 fastest guys on track (oddly both in M7 Z51's - great having the instructor call the group of Z06's in front of you to pull over so you can go by
)
I think that initially limited track time and limited instruction may be somewhat counter productive so far as street safety is concerned. You get a false sense of confidence at first which does not translate well toward well being off track. With additional track time you tend to get prospective and understanding that things track-like are best left on track.
I find this true with motorcycle riders. All of the street guys think they are good and "fast" riders. They get served a serious dose of humble pie their first time on track. Unfortunately some think that the bits they pick up in the their first few days on track make them invincible on the street, often to tragic results. I'm fairly sure that 100+ days I've done on track on a bike have made me a better rider and even the limited track (and autoX) time in a car has made me a better driver. But neither is guaranteed to bring wisdom or common sense and I'm guessing the insurance companies understand that part.
I did mine in 17. In my late 40's. I have some car track experience though most of it is well over a decade ago as well as some AutoX. I do a good bit of track time with motorcycles, a dozen plus days on track a year on the bike(s). I ended up as one of the 2 fastest guys on track (oddly both in M7 Z51's - great having the instructor call the group of Z06's in front of you to pull over so you can go by
)I think that initially limited track time and limited instruction may be somewhat counter productive so far as street safety is concerned. You get a false sense of confidence at first which does not translate well toward well being off track. With additional track time you tend to get prospective and understanding that things track-like are best left on track.
I find this true with motorcycle riders. All of the street guys think they are good and "fast" riders. They get served a serious dose of humble pie their first time on track. Unfortunately some think that the bits they pick up in the their first few days on track make them invincible on the street, often to tragic results. I'm fairly sure that 100+ days I've done on track on a bike have made me a better rider and even the limited track (and autoX) time in a car has made me a better driver. But neither is guaranteed to bring wisdom or common sense and I'm guessing the insurance companies understand that part.
Last edited by madski; 01-05-2019 at 01:38 AM.
01-05-2019, 02:06 AM
#26
Le Mans Master
I can't imagine its 30% - the math does not work (like 30k cars sold a year would leave 9k students - that's a 173 drivers per week, every week of the year at SM). It is sad that more people don't take advantage of this great program.
I did mine in 17. In my late 40's. I have some car track experience though most of it is well over a decade ago as well as some AutoX. I do a good bit of track time with motorcycles, a dozen plus days on track a year on the bike(s). I ended up as one of the 2 fastest guys on track (oddly both in M7 Z51's - great having the instructor call the group of Z06's in front of you to pull over so you can go by )
I think that initially limited track time and limited instruction may be somewhat counter productive so far as street safety is concerned. You get a false sense of confidence at first which does not translate well toward well being off track. With additional track time you tend to get prospective and understanding that things track-like are best left on track.
I find this true with motorcycle riders. All of the street guys think they are good and "fast" riders. They get served a serious dose of humble pie their first time on track. Unfortunately some think that the bits they pick up in the their first few days on track make them invincible on the street, often to tragic results. I'm fairly sure that 100+ days I've done on track on a bike have made me a better rider and even the limited track (and autoX) time in a car has made me a better driver. But neither is guaranteed to bring wisdom or common sense and I'm guessing the insurance companies understand that part.
I did mine in 17. In my late 40's. I have some car track experience though most of it is well over a decade ago as well as some AutoX. I do a good bit of track time with motorcycles, a dozen plus days on track a year on the bike(s). I ended up as one of the 2 fastest guys on track (oddly both in M7 Z51's - great having the instructor call the group of Z06's in front of you to pull over so you can go by
)I think that initially limited track time and limited instruction may be somewhat counter productive so far as street safety is concerned. You get a false sense of confidence at first which does not translate well toward well being off track. With additional track time you tend to get prospective and understanding that things track-like are best left on track.
I find this true with motorcycle riders. All of the street guys think they are good and "fast" riders. They get served a serious dose of humble pie their first time on track. Unfortunately some think that the bits they pick up in the their first few days on track make them invincible on the street, often to tragic results. I'm fairly sure that 100+ days I've done on track on a bike have made me a better rider and even the limited track (and autoX) time in a car has made me a better driver. But neither is guaranteed to bring wisdom or common sense and I'm guessing the insurance companies understand that part.
Rick said it hovers right around the 30% range, give or take. I think GM sold a bit over 18,000 Corvettes in 2018, but it's still pretty sad more don't take the class. I did the Owner School on my new ZO6, but paid for the 3 day Level 1 on my own dime, and I'm already planning on returning for the Level 2 school. In my mind, its money well spent, and I did learn quite a lot in both Schools, and it has made me a better driver on the street, and the people who don't do the Owner School are doing themselves a real dis-service. A lot of guys do engage in street racing, which is both dangerous and stupid, so I will be doing some track events so I can drive my car the way it was intended to be driven, on a track. Do some guys develop "big *****" after the School? I'm sure some do, but the smart ones put what they learned in practice to be better and safer drivers. But, that being said, if common sense were common, everyone would have it, and you can't fix stupid.
01-05-2019, 02:12 AM
#27
Melting Slicks
Another interesting aside here, I asked Chief Instructor Rick Malone the percentage of Corvette owners that actually take advantage of GM's deal for the Corvette Owner School, and he told me it hovered in the mid 30% range. That's pretty sad, considering we all spend between $50k to upwards of 100k depending on which form of Corvette we buy, you would think spending another $1,000 to actually learn what the car is capable of in a controlled track environment, my local Corvette Club has around 400 members and I only know of about 4 or 5 other than myself that have been to Spring Mountain. I guess looking at it that way, it does support the "garage queen/waxer" theory.
01-05-2019, 02:23 AM
#28
Drifting
This year I moved from a '13 BRZ to '17 Z06. My rates actually went down. Very slightly, but down. Which amazed me based on the potential cost to repair in a collision. I have actually noticed that the various karting seasons (speedway and enduro shifter) and autocross, about 9 years worth, slowed me down on the streets. Bondurant school in 79 made me reckless on streets. Real track time cooled it off.
Insurers dont recognize the schools, but they should. I put daughter through So Cal SCCA Ladies only autocross way back, and Im pretty sure it has saved her life.
Insurers dont recognize the schools, but they should. I put daughter through So Cal SCCA Ladies only autocross way back, and Im pretty sure it has saved her life.
01-05-2019, 02:32 AM
#29
Melting Slicks
Another interesting aside here, I asked Chief Instructor Rick Malone the percentage of Corvette owners that actually take advantage of GM's deal for the Corvette Owner School, and he told me it hovered in the mid 30% range. That's pretty sad, considering we all spend between $50k to upwards of 100k depending on which form of Corvette we buy, you would think spending another $1,000 to actually learn what the car is capable of in a controlled track environment, my local Corvette Club has around 400 members and I only know of about 4 or 5 other than myself that have been to Spring Mountain. I guess looking at it that way, it does support the "garage queen/waxer" theory.
I got the 18 Grand Sport in April, so I am going back to the Class Feb 5th. I called but you can no longer add the 3rd day. If you could I would have. To me, the class is money well spent, especially when its only 1K. I'm so looking forward to taking the class again. I am sure I will learn more. I know I will have a blast and it will be money well spent.
I find it unbelievable that most owners do not take advantage if this offer. To me its foolish not to use the offer.
01-05-2019, 04:01 PM
#30
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2000
Location: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
Posts: 23,939
Received 2,051 Likes
on
1,362 Posts
St. Jude Donor '13
Another interesting aside here, I asked Chief Instructor Rick Malone the percentage of Corvette owners that actually take advantage of GM's deal for the Corvette Owner School, and he told me it hovered in the mid 30% range. That's pretty sad, considering we all spend between $50k to upwards of 100k depending on which form of Corvette we buy, you would think spending another $1,000 to actually learn what the car is capable of in a controlled track environment, my local Corvette Club has around 400 members and I only know of about 4 or 5 other than myself that have been to Spring Mountain. I guess looking at it that way, it does support the "garage queen/waxer" theory.
For most people:
Use a week of vacation time, or lose a week of income if self-employed.
Add airline tickets both ways, maybe $500. Bring your spouse along and its $1,000.
Add airport parking for you own car at home, maybe $50-150.
Add car rental in Nevada, maybe $120.
Add a hotel night in Pahrump, maybe another $120 for a nice place.
Add outside meals including airports, maybe $100 or $200 if spouse comes along.
Since you've spent that much money already on tickets, most people I know do at least one extra night in Las Vegas, sometimes no choice due to flights. Maybe $200 per night including meals.
Some people will be able to do the school for only a little more than the "tuition" cost. I did it in 2001 that way, 2018 was more "luxurious".
For most people, it's a week out of your life and more like $3,000. So I'm not surprised that most people, especially those who don't do autocross or HPDE at home, skip the school. Too bad.
01-05-2019, 04:27 PM
#31
Unfortunately, the total cost is usually a lot more than $1,000.
For most people:
Use a week of vacation time, or lose a week of income if self-employed.
Add airline tickets both ways, maybe $500. Bring your spouse along and its $1,000.
Add airport parking for you own car at home, maybe $50-150.
Add car rental in Nevada, maybe $120.
Add a hotel night in Pahrump, maybe another $120 for a nice place.
Add outside meals including airports, maybe $100 or $200 if spouse comes along.
Since you've spent that much money already on tickets, most people I know do at least one extra night in Las Vegas, sometimes no choice due to flights. Maybe $200 per night including meals.
Some people will be able to do the school for only a little more than the "tuition" cost. I did it in 2001 that way, 2018 was more "luxurious".
For most people, it's a week out of your life and more like $3,000. So I'm not surprised that most people, especially those who don't do autocross or HPDE at home, skip the school. Too bad.
For most people:
Use a week of vacation time, or lose a week of income if self-employed.
Add airline tickets both ways, maybe $500. Bring your spouse along and its $1,000.
Add airport parking for you own car at home, maybe $50-150.
Add car rental in Nevada, maybe $120.
Add a hotel night in Pahrump, maybe another $120 for a nice place.
Add outside meals including airports, maybe $100 or $200 if spouse comes along.
Since you've spent that much money already on tickets, most people I know do at least one extra night in Las Vegas, sometimes no choice due to flights. Maybe $200 per night including meals.
Some people will be able to do the school for only a little more than the "tuition" cost. I did it in 2001 that way, 2018 was more "luxurious".
For most people, it's a week out of your life and more like $3,000. So I'm not surprised that most people, especially those who don't do autocross or HPDE at home, skip the school. Too bad.
PS: For information, what is the full cost now of the Spring Mountain class? (I bought my car used).
01-05-2019, 05:35 PM
#32
Safety Car
Member Since: Feb 2016
Location: Bainbridge Island WA
Posts: 4,980
Received 3,818 Likes
on
1,614 Posts
01-05-2019, 08:51 PM
#33
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Aug 2011
Location: Ft Lauderdale, Florida
Posts: 3,034
Received 361 Likes
on
216 Posts
Really?? Good observation there, ace. Maybe next time I'm at Spring Mountain and not washing or waxing my ZO6/ZO7 we'll see who keeps up with who, but then again mine is a manual, so you're probably too young to handle one of those. Last time there I had 3 guys in my group in their late 20's, and they couldn't hang with any of the "old" guys, so I'm thinking maybe age is only a state of mind?
01-05-2019, 09:01 PM
#34
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Aug 2011
Location: Ft Lauderdale, Florida
Posts: 3,034
Received 361 Likes
on
216 Posts
Wow, Sesibaba seems to have struck a nerve. Seriously, that post set you off? I hear older generations joking about “snowflakes”, but I have to wonder did he invade your “safe space”?
I’m neither 34 nor 65 (45)...and I didn’t take his observations as a slight. If you drive like a pro and screw like an 18 year old, then good for you...but Relax. You have to be aware that MOST (not all) of your generation do own garage queens and are noobs to this kind of event. I attended Spring Mountain 2017 in my early 40’s and I too found most of the gray hairs to be frustratingly slow. It’s an open class/event, so it comes with the territory and overall found it to be highly enjoyable.
Im going back to SM in late February and can’t wait. I’ve always driven manual, but got an A8 Z06 when I attended last time. This time I’m looking forward to driving a manual.
01-05-2019, 09:05 PM
#35
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Aug 2011
Location: Ft Lauderdale, Florida
Posts: 3,034
Received 361 Likes
on
216 Posts
At least you are willing to accept the truth. I am 34 but when I was in my 20s I could eat everything I wanted and not get fat, get drunk till 4am and be perfectly ok at work at 9am and screw 5 times in a row back to back. Cant do any of that now at 34. I am sure it will only get worse with time.
01-05-2019, 09:11 PM
#36
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2000
Location: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
Posts: 23,939
Received 2,051 Likes
on
1,362 Posts
St. Jude Donor '13
Some people spend way too much energy worrying about what other people think.
We bought our first Corvette in our late 20's and our fifth one last year. We are officially senior but don't give a hoot.
We have continued to buy Corvettes because we like the car, not what others think about it.
Our club has red hot autocrossers who qualify as "senior", and waxers/cruisers in their 30's.
If they are friendly and enjoying their car, nobody cares.
We bought our first Corvette in our late 20's and our fifth one last year. We are officially senior but don't give a hoot.
We have continued to buy Corvettes because we like the car, not what others think about it.
Our club has red hot autocrossers who qualify as "senior", and waxers/cruisers in their 30's.
If they are friendly and enjoying their car, nobody cares.
The following 3 users liked this post by Gearhead Jim:
01-05-2019, 09:49 PM
#37
Melting Slicks
I’m 55 and I’m probably average age for a C7 owner. I feel like 55 is the new 35. Older but haven’t lost a step. Yes, there are many old fellas and wax and washers who buy C7’s. To each his or her own!
That Spring Mountain expansion looks like an awesome addition to an already amazing facility. I was there in December and it was a great experience. I knew nothing about driving on a track and at the end of day 2, I was hauling ***!
I feel like I became a better driver but not to the extent where I would expect an insurance discount.
As far as age group in the class, there were many young drivers. One of the fastest drivers was an older fellow who races motorboats so don’t underestimate anybody sitting next to you. We had a nice, nice 80 year old lady who received a Stingray from her husband for her birthday. We had a couple of other women also who could bring it on the track.
If you are thinking about going (I recommend highly), and you think you are a great driver, you will be humbled quickly when you ride with an instructor. Class size is about 20. On day 2, you will be placed in a group that drives similarly to you. There will be half of the class in a fast group and the other half in the second group. Within your group, you are further split up. We had 2 very fast guys out front, 3 the next group and then 4. If you prove to be fast and safe, you won’t be held back. In the afternoon of day 2, they certainly aren’t parade laps!!
It was apparent that the GS and Z06 had little advantage over the Stingray on the track. It came down to how well you could corner. The fastest driver was in a Manual Stingray Z51.
As far as cost, the class is $2500 for the 2 day owners class and nearly $4000 for a Stingray 3 day class. It’s higher for GS and Z06.
I did the $1000 coupon special. You drive the similar car that you bought. In my case, a Stingray mn7. I spent about $3000 total as my wife and I made a vacation out of it. I used FF miles to buy the plane tickets. 2 nights at SM and 2 in Vegas. We went to 2 shows and spent way too much on food on the strip. We visited Hoover Dam which was awesome. Also Red Rock Canyon. It was all well worth it.
That Spring Mountain expansion looks like an awesome addition to an already amazing facility. I was there in December and it was a great experience. I knew nothing about driving on a track and at the end of day 2, I was hauling ***!
I feel like I became a better driver but not to the extent where I would expect an insurance discount.
As far as age group in the class, there were many young drivers. One of the fastest drivers was an older fellow who races motorboats so don’t underestimate anybody sitting next to you. We had a nice, nice 80 year old lady who received a Stingray from her husband for her birthday. We had a couple of other women also who could bring it on the track.
If you are thinking about going (I recommend highly), and you think you are a great driver, you will be humbled quickly when you ride with an instructor. Class size is about 20. On day 2, you will be placed in a group that drives similarly to you. There will be half of the class in a fast group and the other half in the second group. Within your group, you are further split up. We had 2 very fast guys out front, 3 the next group and then 4. If you prove to be fast and safe, you won’t be held back. In the afternoon of day 2, they certainly aren’t parade laps!!
It was apparent that the GS and Z06 had little advantage over the Stingray on the track. It came down to how well you could corner. The fastest driver was in a Manual Stingray Z51.
As far as cost, the class is $2500 for the 2 day owners class and nearly $4000 for a Stingray 3 day class. It’s higher for GS and Z06.
I did the $1000 coupon special. You drive the similar car that you bought. In my case, a Stingray mn7. I spent about $3000 total as my wife and I made a vacation out of it. I used FF miles to buy the plane tickets. 2 nights at SM and 2 in Vegas. We went to 2 shows and spent way too much on food on the strip. We visited Hoover Dam which was awesome. Also Red Rock Canyon. It was all well worth it.
Last edited by Jeffthunbird; 01-05-2019 at 10:12 PM.
01-05-2019, 10:14 PM
#38
I fully agree. My wife and I both took the class in 14 when I bought my 14 Stingray, I was able to add the third day to my class back then, and my wife did the two day. So I had to foot the whole bill for her class. Was worth the money. You learn so much about the capabilities of the car, and its handling. My wife and I both learned a lot, and we both enjoyed it.
I got the 18 Grand Sport in April, so I am going back to the Class Feb 5th. I called but you can no longer add the 3rd day. If you could I would have. To me, the class is money well spent, especially when its only 1K. I'm so looking forward to taking the class again. I am sure I will learn more. I know I will have a blast and it will be money well spent.
I find it unbelievable that most owners do not take advantage if this offer. To me its foolish not to use the offer.
I got the 18 Grand Sport in April, so I am going back to the Class Feb 5th. I called but you can no longer add the 3rd day. If you could I would have. To me, the class is money well spent, especially when its only 1K. I'm so looking forward to taking the class again. I am sure I will learn more. I know I will have a blast and it will be money well spent.
I find it unbelievable that most owners do not take advantage if this offer. To me its foolish not to use the offer.
If you've taken the school in the past, you can sign up for level 1 or level 2 school rather than retaking the "corvette owners school". They can apply the discount towards those classes. It will be more than $1000 because these classes cost more, but more time will be spent focusing on track driving, especially in the level 2 school.
01-06-2019, 01:24 AM
#39
Le Mans Master
Im sorry because it looks like my post offended you. Im sure there are lot of guys in their 60s and 70s who could kick my *** in driving and they probably bench, squat and deadlift more than me as well and im sure you would kick my butt in a race. That being said you cant deny the fact that the "Average" new Corvette buyer is that guy who drives it once a week and stares at it more than driving because whenever I look at used corvettes for sale I find 10 year old ones with less than 10k miles on them everywhere.
I wasn't necessarily offended by the post in itself, just the fact that you generalized it a bit. Your observation about "most" Corvette owners is basically correct, there are a lot of guys that just go to Club shows and lobby for votes to get a plastic trophy, as soon as they pull in, they're cleaning the car every 10 minutes or so. I hate judged shows, if I go to any it's usually a Cars and Coffee where there's a little bit of everything to look at. I probably don't drive mine as much as I'd like, but that's because even though I "retired" at a young age, I'm still pretty involved in the Specialized Transportation business and I train people in the operation of Heavy Tow Rotator trucks and equipment. Honestly, I make no pretentions of being Mario Andretti 2.0, and I really don't care to be, I just enjoy driving my ZO6 fast without risking accidents or tickets on the street, so maybe I'm quicker, maybe you are, it really doesn't matter to me. As far as the lifting stuff, I really don't try, but I've spent a lot of years doing heavy work, so you may not want to challenge me to arm wrestle or anything like that. I'm guessing maybe the reason most Corvette owners are a bit older may be the price of the car, a lot of younger guys can't afford something like a Grand Sport, much less a ZO6, but I do know a lot of guys that have $1,000/month loans on their Corvettes, but not for me. I'm a bit old school in thinking if I can't afford to pay for it, I probably don't need to have it, so mine was paid for when I took delivery. So, long story short, no offense taken, we're good.
01-06-2019, 01:38 AM
#40
Le Mans Master
I’m 55 and I’m probably average age for a C7 owner. I feel like 55 is the new 35. Older but haven’t lost a step. Yes, there are many old fellas and wax and washers who buy C7’s. To each his or her own!
That Spring Mountain expansion looks like an awesome addition to an already amazing facility. I was there in December and it was a great experience. I knew nothing about driving on a track and at the end of day 2, I was hauling ***!
I feel like I became a better driver but not to the extent where I would expect an insurance discount.
As far as age group in the class, there were many young drivers. One of the fastest drivers was an older fellow who races motorboats so don’t underestimate anybody sitting next to you. We had a nice, nice 80 year old lady who received a Stingray from her husband for her birthday. We had a couple of other women also who could bring it on the track.
If you are thinking about going (I recommend highly), and you think you are a great driver, you will be humbled quickly when you ride with an instructor. Class size is about 20. On day 2, you will be placed in a group that drives similarly to you. There will be half of the class in a fast group and the other half in the second group. Within your group, you are further split up. We had 2 very fast guys out front, 3 the next group and then 4. If you prove to be fast and safe, you won’t be held back. In the afternoon of day 2, they certainly aren’t parade laps!!
It was apparent that the GS and Z06 had little advantage over the Stingray on the track. It came down to how well you could corner. The fastest driver was in a Manual Stingray Z51.
As far as cost, the class is $2500 for the 2 day owners class and nearly $4000 for a Stingray 3 day class. It’s higher for GS and Z06.
I did the $1000 coupon special. You drive the similar car that you bought. In my case, a Stingray mn7. I spent about $3000 total as my wife and I made a vacation out of it. I used FF miles to buy the plane tickets. 2 nights at SM and 2 in Vegas. We went to 2 shows and spent way too much on food on the strip. We visited Hoover Dam which was awesome. Also Red Rock Canyon. It was all well worth it.
That Spring Mountain expansion looks like an awesome addition to an already amazing facility. I was there in December and it was a great experience. I knew nothing about driving on a track and at the end of day 2, I was hauling ***!
I feel like I became a better driver but not to the extent where I would expect an insurance discount.
As far as age group in the class, there were many young drivers. One of the fastest drivers was an older fellow who races motorboats so don’t underestimate anybody sitting next to you. We had a nice, nice 80 year old lady who received a Stingray from her husband for her birthday. We had a couple of other women also who could bring it on the track.
If you are thinking about going (I recommend highly), and you think you are a great driver, you will be humbled quickly when you ride with an instructor. Class size is about 20. On day 2, you will be placed in a group that drives similarly to you. There will be half of the class in a fast group and the other half in the second group. Within your group, you are further split up. We had 2 very fast guys out front, 3 the next group and then 4. If you prove to be fast and safe, you won’t be held back. In the afternoon of day 2, they certainly aren’t parade laps!!
It was apparent that the GS and Z06 had little advantage over the Stingray on the track. It came down to how well you could corner. The fastest driver was in a Manual Stingray Z51.
As far as cost, the class is $2500 for the 2 day owners class and nearly $4000 for a Stingray 3 day class. It’s higher for GS and Z06.
I did the $1000 coupon special. You drive the similar car that you bought. In my case, a Stingray mn7. I spent about $3000 total as my wife and I made a vacation out of it. I used FF miles to buy the plane tickets. 2 nights at SM and 2 in Vegas. We went to 2 shows and spent way too much on food on the strip. We visited Hoover Dam which was awesome. Also Red Rock Canyon. It was all well worth it.