I am planning on doing the three day Skip Barber racing school this year. Last year I did the two day PDE at Barber and in the past the high peroformance BMW M school. At what track should I take the school? The options are Daytona, Laguna Seca, Homestead-Miami, Moroso, Sebring, or Lime Rock.

Any suggestions would be apprecaited. Thanks.

 

I did the Skippy 3-day at Road Atlanta, and it was a blast. Pick a memorable track that you've always wanted to drive. The more variety, elevation changes, unusual turn sequences, etc., the more you will learn. Also proximity to pretty scenery, hot chicks, good food and wine. So many variables! I vote Laguna Seca.

 

first choice Daytona, Laguna Seca and Lime Rock next with Sebring great track but totally flat and rough. Homestead nice track and pits but not a great high speed track. and DONT do moroso the worst of all tracks, but fun for something like a DE.
Just my opinion!!
No matter what you will have a blast!

 

Thanks Tom - I certainly value your opinion with all of your track time.

 

Anytime, enjoy that school!!!

 

Have you considered the Master Program that Porsche offers? I also did the Porsche Driving Experience down in Alabama.... and i can not wait until i get a couple days that i can go down and take the Masters program. I did Skip Barber as well but I just had so much more fun with the Porsche guys...

 

I have and plan to in the future. This time around I just want some open wheel experience.

But... I am also waiting to see if the PDE keeps the big name instructors. Rumor is Porsche cut what they pay the instructors and some of the high level guys may be dropping out. Part of what made the PDE so special to me was being taught by Hurley, Donohue, etc.

 

You are 100% right that was the best part about the whole experience......... Hurley is a Beast out there!! but a great instructor. I really learned a lot about driving when i was there from those guys. And ill never forget the hot lap that they gave in the Cayenne Turbo the last day....

 

I sat with the mechanics one day at lunch and they said they get 200-300 miles from a set of tires on the Cayanne Turbos because of those hot laps!

 

Laguna Seca is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did a skippy race weekend there and had a blast!

 

I took my 3 day school at LimeRock...it is concidered one of the harder tracks...and if you can go fast at Limerock...you can go fast most anywhere...(Nurburgring aside..hehe). The instructors at Limerock are GREAT aswell...


Laguna was a great track aswell...I did a 2 day hdpe there...but I felt limerock was FAR more challenging...

 

great school that is lots of fun..
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laguna seca all the way.. followed by Road America and Road Atlanta..
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daytona would be cool but not with those cars..
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good luck..
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open wheel race cars are a blast..

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almost as much fun as motorcycles..

 

I did the 3-day Skippy at Seca in 05. Randy Buck was the lead instructor. He was great and the other guys were very knowledgeable. There was a hot blond in my class about 25 who had just bot a new Modena and said it was the best money she ever spent. After talking to her I found out she was employee number 23 at Google. Some people have all the luck.

I remember Randy telling me over the radio in the pits that I just wasn't pushing hard enough going down the hill into the hairpin turn 2. I think it would be a fair statement that I was probably the most aggressive/fastest driver in the class. He kept saying I was braking too soon. He used radar to clock us and had me at 93-95mph several times at the braking point going into the hairpin. As he rallied everyone to brake deeper into the hairpin people started going off the track at about 90mph, which is why he had the tow-truck right there to yank them out of the gravel. Remember, these Dodge-powered jalopies have been well-used; there is play in the steering and remember also that they have open cockpits so your head is sticking out up and out of the car taking abuse from the wind-force. Speed in that environment takes on an entirely different feeling as opposed to bouncing my leather-packed Stage 2 996TT up to 125mph without straining the car or any personal discomfort.

Finally Randy told me again in the pits over the radio (he was down the track w/ the radar gun) that he wanted me to brake even deeper and that I would learn something by losing control and going off. So the next lap I kept it pinned longer than ever and I knew I was in trouble. I went off the track and the tow-truck scrambled over and yanked me out of the gravel. Randy came over and said "good job" and said it was an experience I'd never forget and that it may be the one thing I would learn the most from in the school. He clocked me that time at 99mph, which was the high speed of the school at the braking point going into the hairpin.

I've also done the Porsche Masters. Remember that it a driving school, not a "racing" school, but that most everything you learn applies to racing. Can't remember the lead instructor's name, but I do remember him black-flagging me because he said I was "pushing the car too hard" and that I should concentrate on being smooth not how fast I could get the car around the track.

Fond memories, all.