Performance driving schools are one of the very best things any driver can do for themselves, their family members or friends. Learning how to drive properly can make the difference between living or dying on the road.
There are plenty of track days and driver schools to attend, they they typically cost from $100 to $400 per day depending on the club or school. In Northern California:
https://www.trackmasters.com/Page.asp?Script=1
http://www.hookedondriving.com/index.cfm
If you want to learn how to be a competitive driver:
http://www.jimrussellusa.com/
There are car club track days too, but these tend to lack instructors and are more oriented for folks to take their car on track.
If you own a high power street car, check the ego at the door as a car like this can get you in trouble if you have never driven on track. Watch this BMW spin off (power yes, smarts & driving skill, no) after passing a Miata:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzXH2BFWkE4
Same BMW driver almost runs into the Lola:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OxDq7OOquE
Here is a Lola T91/90 S2000, race car about 135 Bhp, 1200 pounds on race tires and lots of grip compared to road cars:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2nrxJzi_-Y
I have spoken to many track instructors and many do not like the current generation of high power road cars with lots of electronic traction aids. They give the driver a false sense of security and promote bad driving habits. When these drivers take these cars to their first track day and exceed the electronic traction systems limit, really, really bad things happen. The very best cars to learn how to drive in are under powered cars with lots of traction, neutral steering and low weight. Power cars in general tend to teach bad driving habits. Power cars are very market desirable, it is also what car manufactures offer and know drivers like the idea of high power cars... even if they can never use the full potential of the car.
We also run a 24 Hours of LeMons racer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-KMAmPjNSk
What prompted me to write this was a dispute with one of the moderators on car safety. That was where I learned some are so entrenched with their opinion and stubborn that hard facts will not change their thinking. I LOATH Sport Utility Vehicles and any belief that a bigger, heavier car is always a safer vehicle. This is simply NOT true. Many times, the ability of the driver is a big factor in car crashes. These vehicles have poor active safety, chassis dynamics and do not have the agility to drive their way out of a potential crash. Over the years, I have seen so many SUVs, trucks and similar vehicles on their roof and the roof flattened with the emergency crews trying to cut the occupants out of the wreck. I watched a Toyota RAV4 hit a curb and roll going no more than 15 Mph, it was like watching a roll over in slow motion. Occupants were OK, but in shock over what happened.
These vehicles are rolling coffins with a false sense of security for their drivers.
Facts prove many times, driver error is the cause of car deaths. Learn to drive your car at the limits and learn what it does when the limits of traction has been exceeded, learn how to use every bit of performance designed into your car to save your life on the road and not rely on the crash protection designed into the car for survival.
Take each drive seriously, your life and the lives of others on the road depends on this.
Bernice
The list of accidents borne from drivers unprepared for their rides is a long
and tragic one. I lost a friend, a fellow Golf and Audio enthusiast, to such an accident.