The August issue of Footnotes, newsletter of the Tarheel Chapter BMW CCA contained an interesting article entitled "Have You Attended One of Our Driving Schools?" by Peter Reinhart. Peter has graciously re-written it "for a broader appeal" [e.g., removed those big words only BMW owners can understand]. In case you haven't met Peter, check your mirrors…he may be that red M3 bearing down on you, although it could be his co-driver Chris Foster, so careful with those creative passing gestures. And apologies to Peter for my added comments…just couldn't help myself - coco

Have You Attended a Driving School?
by Peter Reinhart

A question that seems to come up frequently is - "I've heard Driving Schools are a lot of fun and teach me a lot about how my car handles, but what do I need to do to prepare my car and myself?"

The short answer is - not very much. For your first event you really only need to do four things:

(1) Sign up for an event, such as one of the events listed on Coco Strayer's outstanding site (http://www.trackschedule.com/) [Honestly! Peter wrote this in the original article with no prompting from me. ;-) ]. For many events you can now even download the application form directly from club websites. Keep in mind that for many events you will need to sign up early, as they can fill quickly. If you applied early enough this will result in you receiving a package of information from the Driving School Committee within a few weeks. For our own Chapter Driving Schools you can see a list of participants on our website.

(2) Organize your helmet. Once you know you're in for your first driving event borrow or rent a helmet. To work out your size measure your head circumference one inch above the eyebrows in front and at a point in the back of the head that results in the largest possible measurement. Inches are translated into sizes as follows.

Make sure the helmet is rated Snell 95 SA for motorsports applications (Snell 95 M is for motorcycle helmets). A good source for rental helmets is OG Racing (800-934-9112). They charge $25 for an open face helmet and $35 for a full-face helmet. You're responsible for shipping the helmet back to them. If you get into this more, you'll want to buy your own helmet. Use your first driving school to check out other people's helmets and ask them about their choice. [For a large selection of helmets that you can try before
you buy: The Simpson World store in Mooresville, NC is a great place to spend a rainy afternoon with your favorite
credit card!]

(3) Book your hotel room. The club has a headquarters hotel that usually has very reasonable rates. You won't be in your room much… [and you'll be dog-tired when you are there so don't be too concerned about that lumpy mattress or thin walls…you'll never notice after a day at the track!]

(4) A week or so prior to the event clean everything out of your car and have it inspected by your favorite mechanic. The relevant inspection form will be part of the package sent to you by the Driver School Committee, or you may be able to download it. One of my favorite places to go is Krause & England (919-781-1871) out on Rt. 70 near the RDU airport. Peter Krause always has a number of interesting cars in his shop. The inspection will be over before you've finished drooling over some of the Ferraris or Lamborghinis he's prepping.

That's it! Really!! There are a few other things you may want to take with you (see list below), but for the first school, people will help you out with anything else you might need. Once you've done a few driving events you may want to pack some of the items listed below.

Driving School Checklist

The last driving school I attended I forgot ….my helmet! Fairly embarrassing when you roll up to grid-tech inspection and the volunteer inspectors ask to see the Snell rating of your helmet. Ouch! Since then I've assembled a checklist of track items ranging from essential to desirable. Thought maybe this list would be useful for other folk as well.

A. Essential Items

• Helmet - don't leave home without it
• Tarp - keeps all you stuff covered when it rains
• Filled-out tech inspection, health, helmet forms and your hotel confirmation number - all the paperwork
• Sunglasses, suntan lotion, water-proof poncho, hat - keeps you covered when it rains and when it doesn't
• Cooler - keep all of your drinks cool. Bring lots of water.
• 3 quarts of oil - check your oil between every run
• Brake fluid - it's good to be able to stop
• Window cleaner and paper towels - it's good to see well
• 3 or 4 long-sleeved t-shirts - for safety reasons most events insist you wear long-sleeved tops.

B. Desirable Items

• Torque wrench, correct socket for your lug nuts, torque settings for your car
• Tire pressure gauge
• Camera - take pictures of those 'tough' corners during parade laps
• A few tools i.e. enough to bleed brakes, change pads...
• Spare set of brake pads - you never know when you'll run out
• 5 gallon fuel container - particularly if 2 of you are sharing a car
• Long-necked funnel - tough to get fuel into the tank without one
• Racers Tape - protect those driving lights, change your run group etc.
• White Shoe Polish - change your car number
• Folding Chairs - sit in comfort
• Comfortable driving shoes - thin soled with minimal edges are best
• Spare key - I always bring a single spare key. I hate the jingle of a bunch of keys when on the track, and it also saves you from getting locked out.

C. Track Junkie Extras

The list of equipment track junkies can bring to the track is almost endless. In part this is due to the fact that these people trailer their cars. Ergo - much more room to fill with stuff. Some of the more popular items are:

• 3-ton car jack and flat board to place it on
• More tools
• Set of track wheels with R-compound rubber
• Canopy for shade

To get you into the right frame of mind for your first school you may want to look at Going Faster : Mastering the Art of Race Driving : The Skip Barber Racing School by Carl Lopez and Danny Sullivan. This book has received rave reviews, which I can second. Even though there is no racing at driving schools, most of the concepts discussed in this book apply to driving in general. Approx. $23 online from http://www.buy.com . So sign up and see for yourself what a great resource these driving schools really are.

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