GVC Event:
Spring Driving School
Spring Driving SchoolFriday, Apr 29, 2016
to Sunday, May 01, 2016
LocationWatkins Glen
Event CoordinatorJim Dresser2016-Apr-29 00:002016-May-01 00:00America/New_YorkSpring Driving SchoolOur first driving school of 2016. Get the car out of storage and join us on the completely repaved 3.55 mile-long “GP” course at Watkins Glen.
All student levels (Novice through Solo) may attend this event.Watkins GlenGenesee Valley BMW Car Club
The Spring Ultimate Driving School is open to drivers at all levels, beginner to expert.
This school is our first for 2016, and it will be a special treat for all who attend. What’s so special? For most, this is the first opportunity to get the car out of mothballs for the track, a sure sign that spring has sprung. But this year there’s more. This will be our maiden voyage on the completely repaved 3.55 mile-long “GP” course at Watkins Glen, and the veterans among us are all looking forward to it with a combination of excitement and trepidation. “Excitement”, because the repaving has in essence created a “new”, hopefully ultra-smooth track surface with all of the vagaries of the “old” track obliterated. “Trepidation”, because none of the landmarks we have depended upon will be there to help us with braking and turning, and we will have to go through a possibly painful process of learning new features to replace the old. But come to think of it, how is that any different from adapting your driving technique to a new set tires, rain, or fluids on the track?
But I digress…let’s turn to more important issues:
Format:
Friday:
- Open track for instructors and Group S students who registered for Friday (Friday-Saturday or Friday-Saturday-Sunday options).
- Novice Track Day (NEW!): 4 half-hour sessions with assigned instructors for beginning drivers, intermingled with novice classroom sessions (3).
Saturday and Sunday: four student run groups and one instructor group:
- Group 4: Novice (D); SLIP L1
- Group 3: Intermediate (C, lower-level B); SLIP L1 – L3
- Group 2: Advanced (upper-level B, A); SLIP L3 - L4
- Group 1: Group S (Solo); SLIP L5 and up
- Group 0: Instructors
Track Time (Saturday and Sunday)
- The track is “green” (open for driving) beginning at 8:30 AM each day, closes 4:30 PM on Friday and Sunday, and 5:30 PM on Saturday.
- One-hour lunch break from 12-1 PM each day.
- Track sessions: each run group gets the following number of ½ hr. sessions each day of the event
Groups 2, 3 and 4: four (4) sessions
Group S: four “private” sessions, plus optional additional sessions combined with Group 2 (A/B) both days, as well as with instructors on Sunday afternoon*.
Instructors: two sessions Saturday, additional sessions combined with Group S Sunday afternoon*.
*Because many participants leave early on Sunday, run groups can be combined Sunday afternoon to provide more track time than is formally scheduled.
Group Exercises
- Organized group driving exercises are done in one or more sessions each day, all done at reduced speeds for safety.
- Exercises include close-quarters (side-by-side) lapping, and pairwise late-passing exercises.
Classroom
- Groups 2-4 attend three 30-45 minute-long classroom sessions each day led by a senior instructor
- The material taught and discussed is tailored to the skill level of each run group.
- Group 1 drivers (Group S) attend two group sessions each day facilitated by the Group S coaches working with the group. Sessions may include debriefing after a track session, discussion of advanced driving techniques, use of data acquisition to improve technique, and so forth.
Track Walk
- A guided tour of the track “on foot” led by the Classroom Instructor.
- Students carpool to selected corners and disembark to inspect the track and discuss techniques used to negotiate each corner.
- 5:30-6:30 Saturday only.