Have Fun With Your Car

As cars begin to awaken from their long winter slumber ready to frolic on dry pavement, one of the most exciting ways to get back in the seat is to give yourself the gift of a day or weekend at driving school.   I promise, you will have never had more fun at “school”.    Many car clubs: Porsche Club Of America, Audi, BMW and Ferrari offer driving events designed to educate and enhance one’s driving experience.  While they all sport different titles, in the Porsche Club (PCA) we call them DE’s or Driver’s Education events,  they all mean the same thing – time behind the wheel of your car on the track, learning.

Many clubs welcome non-members equally.  Often 30% of the cars at PCA events I’ve attended are not a Porsche.  The only requirement is a helmet and that your car is safe, no rattle-traps.  There are tech teams who will check, no worries. Here I am in the passenger seat with my very first driving instructor in her Cobra.   Lesson #1:  you feel like you are going 25 mph faster in the passenger seat.  This is a rule of thumb, applies to daily driving too.

I’ve never been on a racetrack.  Most people haven’t.  Take the word “race” out if it.  This is a place to learn about your car and improve your driving skills in a controlled environment.  Everyone has the same focus, no stop lights or idiot drivers.  Occasionally wildlife can make an appearance, which is fine, one is here to learn what to do when.  Idiot drivers get shut down very quickly by the instructors, no worries.

But I don’t want to race.   This is not racing.   This is time spent improving your driving skills with an instructor in a safe environment.  The only timer is for the length of track time for each run group.

What if I can’t keep up?   Driver groups are selected based on skill level and time on a track.  Novice drivers drive with novice drivers plus, there is usually a competent instructor in the passenger seat.   As one of my first instructors told me, “don’t even look at the speedometer, speed will come with skill.”   This statement holds a lot of wisdom.

Why do I need driving instruction, I drive every day?   This is fun.  Driving on the track with REAL driving instructors, many who hold an SCCA license, offers one knowledge and insight beyond what any high school teacher or strip mall driving school instructor did.   You will learn skills you’ve never imagined which translate directly to your daily commute.I was nervous my first time too.  I’m not was not a speed freak, “drives like a grandma”,  was how I started.  For women this is a phenomenal experience.  In my case it made me comfortable with my car in ways I had never imagined.   I learned how my car works and how to work with it.   For women who are “afraid of their cars” education to puts an end to this idea.

Competent driving = skill.  It is not a man or woman thing.  Over confidence and a testosterone fueled need for speed are not a winning combination.  The playing field is leveled on the track.

This is an unbelievable amount of fun, safe fun.  If you’ve never attended a driving instruction class on a racetrack, you are in for a treat.  A very addictive treat.  Check out local car clubs for what spring driving events are scheduled.  FYI: A  gift certificate to one of these makes a great Father’s Day, Mother’s Day or Graduation gift.  Got an 18 year old, you think is a little too full of himself behind the wheel, this works.  🙂