Quote:
Originally Posted by SergioK
Sometimes price shouldn't be the only factor. With no instructor sitting shotgun you get what you pay for.
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I've unfortunately seen my own fair share of crashes, it sucks.
That guy went in too hot. He should have just kept going straight when it was obvious he couldn't make the turn…..
That's a Speed Ventures event… they aren't cheap… they're pricey… I remember paying ~$200+ when I went with them (a year and a half ago? I don't do AutoClub much, I prefer Buttonwilow and Big Willow)
Crashes are unfortunately part of driving, be it tracks, canyons, freeways, streets, etc. We either run the risk of someone hitting us, we hitting an object, something coming in front of us, losing control, etc etc every time we get behind the wheel. Best way to prepare for it is to be alert, have your car maintained, don't have a big ego, and drive as skillfully as you can. Unfortunately though, there will be times where, no matter how great of a driver you are….. if someone is going to hit you (on track or off), there may be nothing you can do about it…
Can you name a HPDE event where EVERYONE gets an instructor for every session? I don't know of any… Would love to know. Unless you're referring to BMW CCA… which I haven't personally been to, but I haven't heard one positive thing about them from the people whom I've been tracking with these past few years. Apparently they're really restrictive on how you can drive, how fast, and the type of cars you can take….. but I've never used them personally so I don't have anything I can truly base their program on other than other people's opinions and thoughts.
At least with Extreme, you get free beginner's instruction, which is a nice help. I obviously haven't needed it for years, but when i first started, it helped me get my feet wet.
You're of course able to pay for private all day instruction. Not sure on the cost, you need to check the website. I did this when I first started tracking and it helped big time in getting the line down, when to brake, etc; I recommend this for everyone to do at least a few times. It really helps you become a better driver and learn the track better.
I myself have gone off at Big Willow before, and this was at an higher-end (mostly Porsches/Ferraris/GTRs and such) event with very little cars (35 the whole day? I forgot).
But this was due to my own misjudgment as I went session after session and didn't check my brakes before this last session... (it was after this event I went and bought a StopTech Trophy BBK with Endless pads).
Unfortunately, even had I had an instructor that day, it wouldn't have changed what happened at the turn. It is the driver's responsibility to keep track of his car and it slipped my mind and I had to pay for it. Fortunately though, damage was minimal and I was able to get things repaired for cheap; I don't recall it costing more than $1k (been ~2 years since then, hence why my memory on it is a bit fuzzy)