Have you ever thought about joining a racecar driving school? Do you feel confident behind the wheel? Do you catch yourself taking some risks on the road every now and then? If so, then it might be a good idea to apply to one of the driving schools available near you.
It is a great way to find out whether you can unleash the full potential of a race car. This is something that everyone can try. Even if you won’t become a professional racecar driver, you can learn a lot in the process.
Choosing the right racecar driving school is also important, as it can open the door to many opportunities in the future. Likewise, purchasing good-quality racing tires is also crucial.
What is a Racing School?
Racing schools give you the opportunity to become the next big name in the racing world. You might already feel like you are the next Michael Schumacher after a few adrenaline*pumping runs. However, the right way to go about it is to take some lessons from true professionals in the game.
At a racecar driving school, you can buy a membership and start driving right away. It is a place where you can explore racing tracks while being guided by teachers who have a lot of experience. Depending on the school, you either bring your own vehicle or get one right there.
These schools each have their own curriculum. The best ones know exactly how to turn you into a professional driver if you have some affinity for car racing.
What can You Learn at Racecar Driving School?
There are countless advanced driving techniques you can learn at a racing school or high performance driving school. The racing skills are usually taught by professional race car drivers. They are ready to help you polish your driving skills and to teach you about some advanced vehicle dynamics.
If you are an automotive enthusiast yourself, then you can apply to an all-purpose driving school. This way, you can hone your tactical mobility skills behind the wheel and in a controlled environment. Top performance driving schools run programs that include classroom instruction and on-the-track instruction as well.
First, they teach you the theoretical part of how a sports car operates during the drive. In those classes, you are able to analyze the momentum, speed, and design of a vehicle. By learning more about how certain factors affect the driving experience, you will be able to better understand car control and techniques.
The on-track instruction is where the racing discipline is built. During that part, you get driving lessons and competition classes to improve your skills. These skills include various braking methods, shifting gears, and ways to take turns at high speeds.
How Long do Racing Courses Take?
Performance classes at racing schools vary in length. Race driving schools that only want to give you a taste of high performance driving offer programs that last just two hours. If you want real racing scenarios, you better take a course that is at least half a day long.
Longer high performance driving lessons last three or four days. That is where you going to get your driving skills polished the most. It is also a fast way to get ready for a racing event and also get a certification from the school. You can also start with a one-day school course and try out longer ones after.
How Much do Racing Lessons Cost?
Racing lessons cost lower when you bring your own car and significantly more when the performance driving school provides it. Either way, it is one of the more expensive hobbies for sure. In better schools, you get behind the wheel with a one-on-one instructor who is actually a professional race car driver.
The classroom instruction together with the on-the-track instruction can cost anywhere between $2000 and $7000. School memberships in this price range usually offer you a car you can drive for hundreds of laps, numerous race tracks, and a professional driver to teach you advanced techniques.
What is the easiest racing to get into?
You don’t necessarily have to pay thousands to a performance driving school if you are interested. One of the cheapest ways to do so is to go to an autocross event. It is usually a big parking lot rented by an organization.
They use cones to set up a racing track and welcome people who are interested in trying out their skills. It’s easy, you only need to bring your own street car and drive as fast as you can. The main reason why autocross is cheap is that it doesn’t require you to modify your car.
You are allowed to apply some small changes, but the whole racing event won’t be particularly demanding on your car. The entry fee ranges between $25 and $50 for a full day.
The drawback is that you won’t get to practice as much, as each run is 1 lap, and you can get 5 to 10 runs per day.
The Coolest Racecar Driving School in America:
There are plenty of performance driving schools that can teach you how to control a vehicle at really high speeds. They offer outstanding race tracks for those who want to try themselves out in those adrenaline-fueled situations.
The biggest racing schools run multiple locations with several race tracks to choose from. There are also off-road driving schools and winter driving schools that teach you how to drive in extreme weather and road conditions.
Forget about the road course and try out some of the wildest racing tracks in the seat of a high performance sports car. Below, we are going to show you the top race driving schools available!
Skip Barber Racing School
The Skip Barber Racing School is a well-known breeding ground for professional motorsports drivers. Many of their students had great success in the world of motorsports after taking their lessons there. The school itself was founded by Skip Barber, a former SCCA road racing champion.
It welcomed its first students back in 1975 with two borrowed race cars. They wanted to prove that racing can be taught, and they were right. No matter which race track you choose for learning, you are going to go home as a more skilled driver after every lesson.
As a member, you get school supplied, high performance sports cars. Then, you have the chance to drive them on a skid pad, a threshold braking zone, or on an autocross course.
Dirtfish Rally School
The Dirtfish Rally School is a great choice for those who are looking for an off-road driving experience. It is one of those performance driving schools that offers a “Thrill Ride” in a super-powerful rally car with a professional driver.
If you like it, you can apply to their driving school that offers various rally driving programs. Dirtfish gives you the opportunity to try out high speed rough terrain driving on the craziest race tracks. The Subaru Winter Experience is another program of theirs where you can learn driving methods on snow and ice.
Exotics Racing Driving School
Exotics Racing is a performance driving school where you can choose from some of the best supercars in the World. Mercedes, Aston Martin, McLaren, Lamborghini, Ferrari, you name it. The school has its headquarters in nowhere other but Las Vegas.
They offer the best cars in one of the world’s most popular locations. They have their own car course called the Supercar Driving Experience. You need to complete it if you really want to have fun with their super beast cars in the heart of Las Vegas.
Bondurant racing school
The Bondurant Racing School has several comprehensive programs to offer. It was founded by Formula one driver Bob Bondurant back in 1968. Most of them focus on driving in extreme conditions, while they also have a women’s driving academy, and an advanced teen driving course as well.
It considers itself an all-purpose driving school, and rightly so. If you happen to take a trip to Arizona, then make sure to check them out and maybe even take one of their courses. It is going to be an unforgettable experience.
Bridgestone Winter Driving School
The Bridgestone Winter Driving school offers two different courses. One is specially designed for improving your winter driving skills, while the other is especially for high performance driving. The latter is also widely chosen by those who want to build their own career in racing.
Every type of driver can find their own class to go to in this versatile driving school. They put a huge emphasis on educating drivers who want to go pro and for law enforcement as well.
Richard Petty Driving Experience
The Richard Petty Racing Experience is a racing school program created by Richard Petty, the NASCAR legend himself. It has more than 15 race tracks at its disposal for those interested in racecar driving. This school offers a great opportunity for those who are curious about NASCAR racing.
Members can choose either to ride shotgun or to ride two-seat NASCAR racing car. You can try these with the guidance of a professional racing instructor, who is eager to show you all the ins and outs of racecar driving. After showing you all the basics, you can already run multiple laps on the race track of your choice.
This is one of the racing schools that is known for its exceptionally good programs when it comes to NASCAR racing. If you are looking for that thrill behind the wheel, you can definitely get it there.
Porsche Driving School
Porsche runs a performance driving school called the Porsche Experience Center. The brand has locations in numerous places across the U.S. We recommend this driving school not only because you can drive really fast Porsches, but also because they can teach you a lot.
The company has designed a special track for performance driving where you can learn the ins and outs of how to maintain car control. You can go through 8 different driving modules while experiencing various harsh driving conditions. These make the whole racing school experience more challenging.
