April 15-16, 2005 NHIS Driving School

[RSTPerformance]

Couple questions...

Is this a double driver’s school???

We should be sporting a new VW Golf (The VW in the SCCA booth at Race-A-Rama) from the RST Performance Racing stable with Tim Dugan behind the wheel... he is a good driver and proved himself in autocrosses, rally-crosses, BMWCCA ice races (he blew me away in my ITB Audi a couple weeks ago), as well as on staged dirt/snow rally type roads...

I think the car will be a bit slow with an old tired stock motor but we shall see how he can do in the VW on the track!!! All of you VW drivers get excited... another ITB VW has been brought to life http://ITForum.ImprovedTouring.com/smile.gif

Who else new is going???

Anyone from this website attending the school???


Raymond "Looking forward to supporting new faces this year http://ITForum.ImprovedTouring.com/smile.gif" Blethen

[Andy Bettencourt]

SINGLE school over two days.

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Andy Bettencourt
New England Region, R188967
www.flatout-motorsports.com (http://www.flatout-motorsports.com)

[Greg Amy]

Anyone have an email address for Alan Dunklee? I'd like to volunteer my services...

[RSTPerformance]

Single school, $375??? Is that correct??? I thought schools generally cost the same as a normal entry... I thought $375 would be a price for a double?

So a driver attending this as his/her first school can count on paying $375 and not getting their licence so should not plan on racing Sunday, correct? How much is a single day school (which would give you the same result, IE: 1 of the 2 required schools to get licence)?

Raymond "we might be changing our plans" Blethen

[bg43wex]

Raymond,

first off thanx for loaning us Tim's car at Race A Rama and your car for our Tech training session both were a huge help.

Second when did racing become cheap? I hate to sound like a regional butt swab but the start up costs are what costs the most. what percentage is the $375.00 compared to a new IT car or even the requires safety equipment?

last year NER charged $200.00 per day for the school and $375.00 for both we have maintained the same entry fee this year even though many of our costs have increased, track rental, ambulance services and food.

the format of a two day single was decided upon by the chief instructor, he felt that a student would benefit more from longer track time verses repeating the same school format each day ( class room, track tour, follow around ect.) as apossed to picking up were you leave off on the second day.

keep in mind we still have to rent the track for two days to opperate the single school and if a driver has experience they may still be signed off. ( no guarantees ).


please don't take this as an assault on you
I just sometimes get bothered by complaints about price structure. if you compair other schools you will find them all to be around the same price.

Greg, Alan Dunklee doesn't have a computer his contact info can be found on ner.org

Brian "sometimes I have to make finacial decisions also " Mushnick

[RSTPerformance]

Brian-

I shouldn't complain... I am helping someone looking to do just a couple events a year and who is on a very limited budget it will be a hard sell, but that is ok, not every event is for everyone...

I see a benefit to the two day school and I like it... Now to convince Tim that paying $575 to take two schools (and hopefully get his license) is better than paying $400 (for two normal schools) because they get more track time and a better learning experience http://ITForum.ImprovedTouring.com/smile.gif

We will work on it, thanks for the clarification...

Now who else is going???

Raymond

[Andy Bettencourt]

We will be there supporting 2 rentals at the school and then at the Regional.

Along with those 2 Miata's, Nick and Steve will be there in the 04 and 05 ITS RX-7's while Paula and I will be there in the 02 and 06 SM's.

http://www.flatout-motorsports.com/images/newsphotos/shelbyNHIS.jpg

AB

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Andy Bettencourt
New England Region, R188967
www.flatout-motorsports.com (http://www.flatout-motorsports.com)

[Matt Rowe]

Originally posted by RSTPerformance:
Now to convince Tim that paying $575 to take two schools (and hopefully get his license) is better than paying $400 (for two normal schools) because they get more track time and a better learning experience.
Raymond

You may also want to throw in the other costs for the weekend when you try to justify it. I know when I throw other expenses between towing costs, meals, and everything else; a slight increase in the entry fee for twice the track time looks better.


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~Matt Rowe
ITA Shelby Charger
MARRS #96

[29 ITS NER]

I will also be attending the scca driver's school at nhis. Considering my track experience is limited to BMWCCA HPDE (14 track events)I should look at attending the driver's school at lrp in May. As a driver who will be running on a limited schedule, I like the idea of one school over 2 days and its benefits and who knows maybe I'll get signed off. Looking forward to meeting you guys at the track.

thanks,

Domenic (hoping to get signed off @ nhis) Crugnale

[turboICE]

No problems with the price or schedule it is the same as the WDC one next week. But as someone licensed by another sanctioning body but still isn't counting on a one school sign off (but can always hope) - I sure wish there was at least one double school in the region. It seems every region has at least one spring double school except the NE. I would have gladly paid $750 and three or four days to knock it out in one punch so I could focus on the season instead of scheduling two seperate school weekends.

[dave parker]

Here are a couple of observations, be aware that I am not an official with NEDIV so I cannot speak for their mindset. I am an instructor with the DC Region for driver's schools.
1. You should do two driver's schools. The drivers school weekend is very busy, there are things that will overwhelm you and cause you to not notice stuff that will be hugely important later. WAY back when I went to my first drivers school one of the guys in my group got a waiver on his second school. In the first race of the season the following April he took out another racer because of a bonehead mistake(a mistake that if he had done the second school he would not have made). He later went on to make several more serious mistakes that cost himself and other people their cars.
2. Small regions put on double schools. This is a trend we have seen in the last five years or so, that smaller regions put on double schools because it is a better application of their resources. It is easier from a worker recruitment and monetary ($$$$) standpoint for a region with limited resources to do one school a year than to try to do two schools. Smaller regions also have the ability to keep on eye on the rookie racers and guide them better than a region that has 350 plus cars show up for a single regional.
3.Three and Four day schools are very hard on volunteers. If you are in a region that runs a three or four event schedule that is not a big drain. If you are in a region that runs a nine or ten event schedule you can forget doing a double school, your volunteers won't stand for it.
4. Remember it is the instructors that decide whether you are "ready to race". As instructors we talk about EVERY student. And it comes down to one thing, am I willing to race wheel to wheel with this student. If the answer is no, then you can bet another school is in your future.

I have yet to waive a students second school. I did two, and I think as a student you are better served if you do two schools. Besides, drivers school is a huge amount of track time for the money. How can you go wrong with lots of track time AND the guys you will be racing against coaching you???? Remember once you are "ready to race" I (and all the other instructors) are no longer your coach.
Have Fun and Learn Something at drivers school, that is what it is there for.
cheers
dave parker
wdcr ITC#97

[stevel]

Originally posted by RSTPerformance:
Single school, $375??? Is that correct??? I thought schools generally cost the same as a normal entry... I thought $375 would be a price for a double?

So a driver attending this as his/her first school can count on paying $375 and not getting their licence so should not plan on racing Sunday, correct? How much is a single day school (which would give you the same result, IE: 1 of the 2 required schools to get licence)?

Raymond "we might be changing our plans" Blethen


I don't get it either. I noticed that the format from last year is exactly the same, though it's just not advertised as a double school. So you can't just sign up for 1 day. Maybe that's why they did it this way. They want everyone to sign up for both days. Same amount of track time as last year with the minimum 6 hours of on track being met. So, new driver's could still get there license after this single school? Or no?

steve

[Andy Bettencourt]

You don't sign up for both days at this school...it is a 2-day, SINGLE school.

AB

[turboICE]

I should be able to make it to this school there is little that needs to be done on the 240SX after WDCR. Though given the schedule and location, I likely will be on a search for someone to help me out as crew. If not LRP will be a definite.

[dpc]

Andy, there must be an echo on this thread. See you at NHIS.