Driving School Recommendations?? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

donv · 02-05-2006, 06:39 PM

One lower cost option is to check out your local PCA chapter driver's Ed and/or autocross programs. The ones in my area are well administered and a great way to learn the limits of the car and improve your skills with instruction by expert volunteers.

deliriousga · 02-05-2006, 06:46 PM

I'm with Don. You get to learn in your own car too. If you're not a member, go to www.pca.org, find your local chapter and check their site for the DE schedule. Join the PCA and you'll usually find a local dealer who will inspect your car for DEs for free and the program is usually much less than a driving school.

Uncle Bob · 02-06-2006, 05:56 AM

Thanks guys, I'll join up today and see what's going on. I may have to go up to Canada, not sure. There is a nice roadcourse just over the border in Mission, BC.

Perfectlap · 02-06-2006, 06:01 AM

I took this course, very good and lots of running time. Looks like they opened schools in Canada and will be in your state this Aug.
http://www.autocross.com/evolution/

Uncle Bob · 02-06-2006, 06:46 AM

I found a great group in my area with a DE in April.
April 9, 2006
7:00 AM Driver Ed
Location: Pacific Raceway Inc, Kent, Washington
Category: Driver Ed
Description: Information about the PNWR Driver Education program is available on the At the Track section, in the Driver Ed area. Pre-registration is strongly recommended, check the opening dates.

Thanks, PL. That looks like a good school. I actualy might have some time in August as well!

MNBoxster · 02-06-2006, 08:37 AM

Hi,

I think any opportunity to Drive and be critiqued by an Observer is beneficial. And, the Porsche DE's are good and certainly affordable, but they are limited. You learn by repetition, and these DE's simply aren'y available often enough to truly improve your skills.

The Evolution Schools are excellent and a good intro into Auto-X. This is one area often overlooked by many Drivers. It is a Fun, inexpensive way to to Drive your car as you never could legally on the Street. Plus, there are Car Clubs and Auto-X Groups meeting frequently (virtually every weekend here in Mpls. during the Temperate months). This allows you to keep your hand in it and improve over time.

You usually only need a Helmet to get started. I regularly see guys bringing their Daily Drivers just to learn and open them up a little. There's one Guy with an Accura RS who yanks the Car Seat out of the Back, but at least he's out there. I've seen everything from Saturns to purpose built Auto-Xers out there. It can be as competitive as you want to make it.

If you really catch the Fever, then Schools like Bondurant, Sharpe, and such are Great! Mrs. MNBoxster has given me several of these as presents through the years including the Indy Driving Experience (the Driving course, not the Ridealong). These are a great way to experience such tracks as Watkins Glen, Sears Point, Laguna Seca and IMS (Indianapolis Motor Speedway). But, these are fairly expensive and not available locally to many. Hope this helps...

Uncle Bob · 02-06-2006, 03:12 PM

Thanks, MnB. As an avid observer at various tracks I would love to find a place close enough for "Auntie Bob" to send me! I will appreciate the involvement with the local club but I completely agree that to have a trained observer will be a welcome addition to the void that is my practical experience driving on track! I welcome some classroom time as well. Well, food for thought!

slogans7 · 02-07-2006, 08:07 AM

I took the Skip Barber course some years ago, and learned more about driving in one day than I had the previous 15 years. They now have both driving and racing schools, although you'd probably have to come down to Laguna Seca - which isn't a bad drive for you, come to think of it!

Check out the site and be sure to watch the videos!

http://www.skipbarber.com/default.aspx

BuffaloBoxster · 02-07-2006, 08:22 AM

The TAG/EasyKart stuff is very very quick.. I know that Jim Hall was phasing out their shifter program for TAG because TAG is nearly as fast and nowhere near as difficult to drive than a shifter. The instructor ssaid that most people actually go slower their first day in a shifter because they don't have the shifting rhythm down.

Unfortunately TAG hasn't become popular in my neck of the woods, nor is there a lot of shifter or Yamaha classes either.

At any rate karting is IMHO the best and most cost-effective way to improve your driving, and undoubtably the most cost-effective way to wheel-to-wheel racing.

MNBoxster · 02-07-2006, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slogans7

I took the Skip Barber course some years ago, and learned more about driving in one day than I had the previous 15 years. They now have both driving and racing schools, although you'd probably have to come down to Laguna Seca - which isn't a bad drive for you, come to think of it!

Check out the site and be sure to watch the videos!

http://www.skipbarber.com/default.aspx

Hi,

Agreed! I took the Barber course and it is one of the more intensive ones I've been to. I already had been racing several years and had my SCCA Nat'l Competition License, so I wasn't expecting too much new stuff.

But, a couple minor points mentioned in the debrief allowed me to cut a full 8 sec. (an eternity in Racing) off my Best Lap at my Home Track...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99