I just decided to take advantage of the offer of the discount at Spring Mountain I received with the new Z06 I bought last fall. I am going for the March 19, 20 class and it will be my first time there. For you who have attended, will you please give a summary/overview of the schedule. How much classroom time, how much time riding with an instructor driving, time driving with an instructor along, solo, etc.

I didn't find much information on their website and I would just like to know more about what to expect.

The only downer I have so far is that my car is an A8 and that is what I would prefer. But they have no more available for those dates, so I accepted an M7 car. I prefer an auto but it's not a deal breaker. My last manual Corvette was a 93 Ruby six speed, but I sold it several years ago. I am 71 years old and when it comes to stick shift driving, my take is the old "been there, done that" attitude. But I think it might make it more enjoyable at this event to revisit stick shift performance car driving.

Please pass along your thoughts and experiences.

 

You will have a blast. Use this forum Search function and you will find multiple reviews and comments.

 

I attended SM last September for the 3 day Level One course in an M7 Z06. You will enjoy every minute of it. In the beginning there will be a lot of time spent on the braking exercises and wet surface driving. As well as “where to look” exercises. As the day progresses you will get out on the track. Each track session lasts about 25 minutes, followed by classroom instruction where they go over your track session. After 25 minutes, you’ll probably be ready to come in and recharge your brain. It’s mentally fatiguing.

You’ll be following an instructor for a bit. He will be in a Camaro SS and you wont be able to touch him. Eventually as you start getting faster they transition to a Stingray. You will be solo the entire 2 days. With the exception of an instructor driving you around for 2 laps to humble you LOL. There is a 2 way radio in every car and the instructors talk to you throughout your time in the car. Eventually the instructor follows you and you have to pick the lines for yourself. And after that it’s just the students on the course using what you’ve learned to try and get your fastest lap.

The cars are expertly maintained and are gone over by mechanics every time you park it. Every want and need you have will be addressed there. The SM staff is second to none.

As far as driving the M7, you’ll probably like it better. If you are on the east track, which you probably will be, you’ll be in third gear 90% of the time. There are only 2 shifts to 4th gear on the east track. The instructors will push you to drive the car harder than you ever thought you could. You will be impressed with the ability the Z has on the track.

My GF bought a new Stingray last year and got the SM owner’s school discount. She and I are both going to owner’s school on 4/9-4/10. This time I’ll be in a Stingray M7, she’ll be in a Stingray A8. I’m even more excited this time because I know how much fun I had there last time and my GF will get to experience it too.

Next year I will return for Level Two in an M7 Z06 if they are still running C7’s.

Enjoy!!!

 

Things happen.You may be able to swap to an auto. They have "back ups".Voice your concern right away.

 

Just tell them you’ll settle for a ZR1.

 

Basically you drive an hour, get instruction an hour, drive an hour, etc.

A lot of the first morning is exercises, so they'll make you brake hard in the wet, finding apexes, etc. All comes before some real track time in lead-follow format. You will not get laps with an instructor aside from the 2 laps on the 2nd day with him driving to show you how you can push it.

I had a ball last October.

 

It's a blast!!! Just a note: On the course we used for the track time, the Manuals just used gears 3 and 4, so not a lot of shifting involved.

Along with track time, there are some interesting exercises to show how effective the settings are to control skids. In one, you try to spin out on a wetted surface--it's amazing how the "wet" setting controls this. In another exercise you steer under full braking to show how the car can be controlled even while braking. There are a few more like this, but my memory is fading a bit.

PS: If you like swimming at all, they have a really nice swimming area! I showed up early for registration, so had plenty of time to relax before the course started.
PSS: You will get a new appreciation for Camaros after following them around the course.

 

Like others have said you will not shift much at all if on the east course. The A8 cars (like mine) had 2x as many shifts as the M7s as you could get into 5th on the straight. They didn't agree with using 2nd in some tight corners but I did a few times not sure if it made any difference as times were tough to track because.they would start and stop on the straight but not go all out until after turn 1 to the point of killing an actual timed lap (probably on purpose to keep you from going over the top and crashing lol)

The advantage of torque in the Z06 is evident as well. There were a few GS and Z51s in our class.

You'll have a great time.

Sessions are about 20 25 minutes on track and a 20 to 30minute classroom in between.

I enjoyed it. The SS 1LE Camaros get in the way once you figure the track out but you'll figure that part out on your own.I was reminded about spacing several times and I was thinking well get a faster car then?

through the Esses you can give yourself motion sickness before the car gives out (another place you fly up the camaros ***).

It's so much fun bring an sd card for the pdr.

They'll group you by skill after 1st day. I was in with the quickest/most aggressive of the class and surprisingly they were in 2 Z51s both M7 and one M7 GS. Only thing that sucked was If I wasn't behind the instructor they were killing my momentum. After sessions they would comment about how they couldn't keep up with the Z06 when I was in front and I'm thinking "no kidding". They would good guys and drove well but they can only do so much being amateur (like myself) and being down on power. The stingrays having less rubber and brakes which they complained were fading.

Unfortunately I had maybe 3 or 4 laps where I could almost go all out (during the sessions in which I was directly behind the instructor). My critique of the sessions were for the instructors to use a faster car for the Z06. They said at end of day 2 reviewing my lap times they would have had I made it known. My fault. Keep that in mind. Mod 130s requires them to switch to the stingrays and up from there. That's where i was but again, that was limited to starting lit slow or ending slow (but crossing line at WOT either end they use the long straight to make swaps and gather etc)

I couldn't believe how well the Z06 handles and brakes. I always knew it was amazing but it was hinestly otherworldly...

 

Thanks for the replies so far, keep them coming. Now for another question. My car has PDR but I have never used or investigated it. What would I need to bring with me to record my driving sessions? Whatever it is, are they available at the school, or do I need to bring it? I know this information is self evident to much of the crowd here, but remember, I'm old school. My 1964 Chevy II with 283 Power Pack and Muncie 4 speed had an AM radio as it's infotainment system, and at times it seems I have not progressed much beyond that.

 

You'll need a 32GB SD card, they do sell them at the gift shop.

Only other thing I strongly recommend is chapstick. It was incredibly dry.

 

PDR is a blast to review the drives when you get home. But when I went the PDR was formatted for only the smaller capacity SD cards. The recommendation at the time (2016) was "Do not bring larger than 32 unless you reformat it with fat 32" They do sell them at the course, but I would take one just in case. Also just email them for details before you buy one.

One suggestion: I did not review these until I went home. If you happen to have a PC along, you could review your first drives the night before the second day. I wish I had thought of that.

 

I just attended the class the last two days so your timing is great.

Here's how it went for me.

First day, you have breakfast from 6:45 to 7:15. You then go to the classroom for the first of many lectures. Since classes are full you will probably be divided into two groups. After the overall group meeting, one group will go on-track while the other has another class session. When the first group finishes their track session, the roles are reversed. You will be in the car on-track several times. Lunch is usually around noon.

Second day is the same except that there is more track time (four sessions for each group) plus a couple of demo laps where you ride with one of the instructors.

If you have looked at videos of prior classes you may (as I did) find that the track being used is different than what they are using now. The switch was done to accommodate the journalists and now the dealers who are getting classes on the new C8. They are using the circuit that was being used for previous C7 classes. So if you studied those vids to get the course down pat you are in for a surprise! Personally, I think the circuit now being used is more technical.

I have had (over several decades) instruction by the pros that used to train the amateurs for the pro/celeb race that preceded the Long Beach GP. I also did a Skip Barber course at Laguna Seca (formula fords). Except for Kelly Collins who was one instructor for Barber (and previously on the Corvette race team), I was more impressed by the pros at Ron Fellows. They are super nice and very informative. They will encourage you and answer all your questions. If you trust what they are telling you to do you will really enjoy the experience and develope a new appreciation as to how great the Corvette is.

Enjoy the class!

 

I will be there March 17-19th. Can anyone suggest a certain size SD card? I do not have the PDR in my GS, so I don’t know how big of a card is needed. Thanks in advance for suggestions!

 

There are enough CF posts on Spring Mountain to keep you busy for a while... the reviews have been universally positive and having had a lifelong involvement in various forms of education it is on the short list of the best training I have ever received. Well worth the time, effort and money.

 

I used a 32 and had plenty of room to spare.

 

They provided a 16GB Class 10 SD card as part of the "summer special" last year and it used less than half of the space. That said, only track time was recorded on the card and recording the training sessions is worthwhile because they're eye opening but the information fades with time. The practice sessions are akin to drinking from a firehose and being able to review them months later is useful.
Suggest becoming familiar with the PDR and record the training sessions as well as the track time. Reckon that would fit on 16GB but I'd use a 32GB just 'cuz

 

I barely dented my 16gig but only recorded day 2 track sessions. This time I'll use the same card and record day 1 as well. I bet I won't even be half full.

 

You'll have a blast. Really, on track, once running, you're going to go from 3-4 (maybe 4-5 once on the straight) and 4-3....thats it. Have fun

 

I am going June 5th & 6th and like you wanted to get a bit familiar of what to expect, Here are some video's I have found that help a lot:




One other thing I haven't seen mentioned, when I got my letter a few weeks after signing up they suggest buying a pair of Pilloti driving shoes which they do sell at the school, I got on ebay and found a nice hardly used pair for $35 shipped and after driving with them you can definetley feel the pedals, ect. better with them.

Here is an example: But do a search there of your size to make it easier, I found a matching pair for the wife and her M7 car.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Mens-Piloti-Prototipo-Suede-Leather-Driving-Racing-Shoes-Size-7-5-11-5/293123938540?hash=item443f8c58ec:m:m5Zta UlaUB2ADB4pAXkrYyw:scPSGround!95492!US !-1

Lastly here is a post I started: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...e-5-6-a-2.html

 

There are many shoes that work well that are not driving shoes. I use a pair of ASICS wrestling shoes myself. Very light and comfy. And my left foot fits in the resting pocket to the left of the three pedals. Nice and narrow soles.