racing schools around Sacramento, CA area?

[Lynch]

I got in an accident a couple days ago where I was racing a friend. The damage wasn't too bad but I could have prevented it from happening if I knew what to do.

Could anybody recommend a good driving school in the sacramento area or even the bay area for around 500-600 dollars?

[badmonkey]

Originally posted by Lynch
I got in an accident a couple days ago where I was racing a friend. The damage wasn't too bad but I could have prevented it from happening if I knew what to do.

Could anybody recommend a good driving school in the sacramento area or even the bay area for around 500-600 dollars?

Thunderhill is about 1 hour north of Sacto. SCCA and NASA hold regular HPDE's there, BMW CCA does an event or two there also. NASA also does quite a few at Sears Point, about 1 hour west of Sacto. They usually run $225-$275 for a day.

Do yourself a favor, go learn how to drive fast on a track, you'll first realize that street racing is 1) stupid, 2) you do not know how to drive fast, 3) street racing is stupid. "Street racers" usually make the worst students, so go with an open mind, listen to the instructors, leave the street racing mentality in the gutter where it belongs.


///badmonkey

[B.Watts]

Originally posted by Lynch
The damage wasn't too bad but I could have prevented it from happening if I knew what to do.

Don't expect to know what to do after one school. The chances of someone getting into an accident actually go UP after their first school as they assume they are somehow compotent drivers. They actually end up driving too hard for their limited skill set and end up with either a ticket or damage.

At your second/third school, you'll quickly realize just how bad of a driver you are. If you are able to take that with an open attitude, you'll become a great driver if you keep attending schools and trying to improve.

If I were you, I wouldn't go to a Professional racing school. You need to go to a Club High Performace Driving School (usually only $200-400 a weekend). There, you will learn in your own car with in instructor sitting beside you. Then you'll hop in your instructor's car and find out just how much better he is than you are.

Eventually, during the process, you'll find yourself realizing that street racing is a waste of time. Not only does it endanger yourself (calculated risk), but it endangers innocent people that might happen to get in the way. I have no problem if you kill yourself racing on the street, but when you run over some innocent kid who happens to be in the way, then I start to get pretty ticked off. Keep the racing on the track, where it belongs.

If you need to get in touch with local chapters of the BMW CCA to check into driving schools, check out the main www.bmwcca.com website to find links to your local chapters.

And, as always, if you have any more track/auto-x questions, we'll be glad to answer!

[Jim Bassett]

Originally posted by badmonkey

Do yourself a favor, go learn how to drive fast on a track, you'll first realize that street racing is 1) stupid, 2) you do not know how to drive fast, 3) street racing is stupid. "Street racers" usually make the worst students, so go with an open mind, listen to the instructors, leave the street racing mentality in the gutter where it belongs.


///badmonkey

What he said.

Here's the link to the Golden Gate chapter http://www.ggc-bmw-cca.org/
They have space in their upcoming Car Control Clinic, which is a pre-requisite for their track schools. And there appears to be room in the July 9th school at Sears Point.

The Street Schools that Thunderhill puts on are also very good.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. I've been participating in BMW driving schools for 4 years now, first as a totally novice student, now an instructor.

Cheers,
Jim Bassett

[Lynch]

could you tell me where I could get some more info on this place?

[Jim O.]

www.thunderhill.com

Jim

[badmonkey]

SCCA at Thunderhill is probably the best 1st timer HPDE. They have a school coming up in June, July, and August. GO.


NASA is rough around the edges, but I always had good instructors with them.

NASA


Driving Concepts is a little spendy, but lots of track time and good instructors.

Driving Concepts


Donutz Racing will have instructors available for begining group, a lot of track time available.

Donutz Motorsports



///badmonkey