Bondurant Racing School

[satyajitmenon]

A few weeks ago, I gave myself a bit of an early Christmas present. I spent a week in Arizona at the Bondurant Racing School in their 4-day GP Racing Program.

Was a lot of fun, and also quite tiring what with all the time spent on the track.I've written about it, and posted pics and videos in the link below (for those who are interested).

sierraalphatangoyankeealpha.blogspot.com

If I can get the time off from work, will try to do the "Advanced Racing Program" next year. I might explore the Porsche one too if time permits.

Anyone else on here done something like this?

 

[boomerang]

I did a weekend school at Mid-Ohio that was put on by Bobby Rahal's driving school. The school venture is now long gone and forgotten. It was bring your own car. It was a bad weekend in more ways than one. The weather made it the worst. It rained all day Saturday and in the morning on Sunday. The weather was about 20 to 25 degrees colder than normal too. Highs both days were in the high thirties in early May.

We were paired up with instructors and the guy with me hated Corvettes and guess what I had brought down? It could have been great fun and there is nothing that can be done about the weather but I should have asked for a different instructor right from the start. He made the whole situation far worse.

I have stories I still tell about that weekend.

 

[agent00f]

A few weeks ago, I gave myself a bit of an early Christmas present. I spent a week in Arizona at the Bondurant Racing School in their 4-day GP Racing Program.

Was a lot of fun, and also quite tiring what with all the time spent on the track.I've written about it, and posted pics and videos in the link below (for those who are interested).

sierraalphatangoyankeealpha.blogspot.com

If I can get the time off from work, will try to do the "Advanced Racing Program" next year. I might explore the Porsche one too if time permits.

Anyone else on here done something like this?

It's certainly a good idea for folks to invest in themselves instead of the untold sums spent on unrealized car performance. That said, an expensive course like this seems bit overkill for folks at that stage/level.

In terms of value, for those interested in improving their driving, it's best to ask about instruction at the good local kart track, and spend your first K or two there honing all the basic control skills and generally getting a feel for weight transfer and adhesion in the vehicle. Karts if anything tend to be trickier than large heavy road cars, which makes the latter relatively "slow" reacting frankly easy in comparison.

After a couple competitive seasons of rentals, and hopeful at least some time in a rotax or shifter to see much further there is go, students are ready to get the most of pricier experiences like Formula Mazda, which again aren't necessarily harder to drive but absolute speeds are higher and that series looks to have aero so somewhat different into the corners.

In any case, pretty awesome post.

 

[NutBucket]

Totally jelly! Wife and I were going to do something like that after we finished college but alas life happens. Maybe when the kid(s) are a little older

 

[satyajitmenon]

It's certainly a good idea for folks to invest in themselves instead of the untold sums spent on unrealized car performance. That said, an expensive course like this seems bit overkill for folks at that stage/level.

In terms of value, for those interested in improving their driving, it's best to ask about instruction at the good local kart track, and spend your first K or two there honing all the basic control skills and generally getting a feel for weight transfer and adhesion in the vehicle. Karts if anything tend to be trickier than large heavy road cars, which makes the latter relatively "slow" reacting frankly easy in comparison.

After a couple competitive seasons of rentals, and hopeful at least some time in a rotax or shifter to see much further there is go, students are ready to get the most of pricier experiences like Formula Mazda, which again aren't necessarily harder to drive but absolute speeds are higher and that series looks to have aero so somewhat different into the corners.

In any case, pretty awesome post.

Yup agreed. I've been autocrossing with SCCA, did endurance karting (cripes my back twitches just thinking about it) and a few chumpcar races too. Never really got any formal instruction so I figured it's time for some.

Having said that, the way they've designed the course at Bondurant, even a driver with no race experience can end up pretty competitive at the end of Day 4. The instructors have decades of racing and instructing experience and they tailor instruction to each participants individual driving strengths & weaknesses.

 

[agent00f]

I think it's interesting they used Vipers considering how much even the new hoods etc cost. Must have a lot of confidence in their students.

 

[jlee]

I think it's interesting they used Vipers considering how much even the new hoods etc cost. Must have a lot of confidence in their students.

Or Vipers aren't as ridiculously difficult to drive as those who've never driven them insist they are.

 

[agent00f]

Or Vipers aren't as ridiculously difficult to drive as those who've never driven them insist they are.

They're only difficult to drive for people who can't drive but buy fast cars anyway.

 

[NutBucket]

And what percentage of performance car buyers does that describe, 95?

 

[satyajitmenon]

Umm, the Viper (at least the latest gen) is surprisingly docile and easy to drive if you're not being stupid. Even when you turn off all the aids, it's still ok as long as you're not doing something silly like flooring it at 3k rpm in 2nd or something.

Was quite surprised at how well the nannies work considering that the impression I had from reading these forums was that the Viper was the modern day equivalent to the 1st gen 911 Turbos or something. Or maybe that's just the early model Vipers?

I could totally see buying one for myself as a weekend driver in the future.

 

[agent00f]

Umm, the Viper (at least the latest gen) is surprisingly docile and easy to drive if you're not being stupid. Even when you turn off all the aids, it's still ok as long as you're not doing something silly like flooring it at 3k rpm in 2nd or something.

Was quite surprised at how well the nannies work considering that the impression I had from reading these forums was that the Viper was the modern day equivalent to the 1st gen 911 Turbos or something. Or maybe that's just the early model Vipers?

I could totally see buying one for myself as a weekend driver in the future.

Vipers have very large tires which grip really well in prime conditions, with a vast discrepancy to what's available in that 0.1% of the time you don't. It's exactly that overconfidence plus various technical things like a short/square wheelbase or lowish rotational inertia which leads to "accidents", not any general lack of traction.

The earlier ones were worse without tractions or even abs, and it didn't help that they had an easily damaged $15k + hood which often totaled the car for any modest hit.

 

[JCH13]

Awesome!

 

[Viper GTS]

Umm, the Viper (at least the latest gen) is surprisingly docile and easy to drive if you're not being stupid. Even when you turn off all the aids, it's still ok as long as you're not doing something silly like flooring it at 3k rpm in 2nd or something.

Was quite surprised at how well the nannies work considering that the impression I had from reading these forums was that the Viper was the modern day equivalent to the 1st gen 911 Turbos or something. Or maybe that's just the early model Vipers?

I could totally see buying one for myself as a weekend driver in the future.

The older ones are pretty docile too unless you're a raging idiot. I'm in the NYC area if you want to check out a Gen 2. Much cheaper than Gen 5 and nice stable value. Perfect weekend toy.

Viper GTS

 

[Ns1]

Then, he offered to take us all around the track for a sighting lap. I assumed they’d just stick a bunch of us in cars with instructors as they drove around. Nope! We all piled into a Dodge Sprinter Van (bone stock van I must stress). And 14 of us were wheeled around the track at, umm, high speed. If you think a van fully loaded with passengers cannot put down a proper lap time, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

I wish there were video of this.

 

[satyajitmenon]

I wish there were video of this.

Yeah. That's the first thing I thought of when I jumped out of the Van.

Just remembered he also did a ABS maneuver with all of us in the Van. To show how stable it is while turning with ABS engaged in a "panic stop / accident avoidance swerve". A little poo came out.

 

[Ns1]

Yeah. That's the first thing I thought of when I jumped out of the Van.

Just remembered he also did a ABS maneuver with all of us in the Van. To show how stable it is while turning with ABS engaged in a "panic stop / accident avoidance swerve". A little poo came out.

LOL no new videos, but I did find some oldies:

The scariest part of the Bonduant shifter karts is the ride in the van around the track. A 15 passenger Chevy van is not supposed to be sliding around turns! Sorry the video is so dark. It would have helped if the driver actually had the HEADLIGHTS on!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXH76benZXA

I sat in the back with no seat belt and was sick for the rest of the day! It didn't stop me from driving though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCLqrsVdgGE

 

[Imported]

So jealous. I've always wanted to do one of these. I just looked up Skip Barber and it doesn't appear they have anything scheduled at Laguna Seca. Hope that's temporary!

If you opted for the insurance, how much was it?

 

[satyajitmenon]

So jealous. I've always wanted to do one of these. I just looked up Skip Barber and it doesn't appear they have anything scheduled at Laguna Seca. Hope that's temporary!

If you opted for the insurance, how much was it?

I think it was $75 per day. Although that still came with an 8k deductible.

 

[Ns1]

I think it was $75 per day. Although that still came with an 8k deductible.

Are you saying that if you wreck their viper you're out 8k?

jw

 

[satyajitmenon]

Are you saying that if you wreck their viper you're out 8k?

jw

Yup.

 

[Ns1]

Yup.

I suppose that's a good way to stop decrease stupid driving decisions.

 

[XavierMace]

I suppose that's a good way to stop decrease stupid driving decisions.

But it's a cheap way to total a Viper. LOL.