I just spent Monday and Tuesday running my L at Watkins Glen. The event was put on by Performance Drivers Assoc. This was my first time at one of their events so I didn't know what to expect. We had four sessions each day of about 45 minutes track time. They pair you up with an instructor and you're put in either a novice, intermediate (mine), or open class. The instructors are not professional drivers, they are experienced drivers that just get free track use as a trade off for instructing. My biggest complaint was that some of the instructors don't have good teaching abilities. My first instructor was with me the first three sessions and was barking out so many instructions that it was hard to concentrate while doing 120 mph. I asked for a new instructor after the third session on the first day and it wat alot better after that. The track is fast. In one spot there are S curves. Each curve you take a little faster, the last one is WOT. Then you hit the straight. At the end of the straight I was doing about 125. Now that I know the track I could have hit 130. The second track day rained so I took it easy (110 top speed). One early 90's Mustang hit the wall spinning and got totalled. A jag with a V 12 hit the guard rail, and a $100,000 Porsche slid into the gravel pit. There's alot of guardrails on this track which is why I took it slower in the rain. I didn't want to drive home in a red L with a blue strip down the side. Spike - If you read this, the Kumhos held up very well. I think my biggest problen is the track at Nelson Ledges that I hit about 5 or 6 time each year is VERY rough in spots. Also, all instructors stressed that I was not taking the turns smooth enough. Smoothing them up helped save on the tires. Perf. Drivers offers track days at Poconos, Lime Rock, and several others in the North East. It cost me $440 for the 2 days. I would recommend it, but you have to keep in mind that it's non profit, so your not going to get the top of the line instruction that you will at the professional driving schools out there (like the one I took at Mid Ohio 2 years ago). Tom

 

Great info .. how much was the Mid Ohio one?????
I've been thinking about taking it just so I can
learn to drive a bit better

 

I took it in the summer of 2000 and it was $1200 for 2 days. They offered a 1 day course but there was alot of time spent doing autocross, skid control, slalom, wet track skids, and classroom, in additon to roadcourse track time. The second day was all roadcourse. If your going to take it, pay the extra money for the 2 day course. I used my L, so that saved me about $200 since I didn't use their car. Of course I would have used my L wether it saved any money or not.

 

I was at Poconos last year and had a blast! I know that feeling with those instructors. I had one that knew how to teach while a buddy of mine got one that was really bad. He had more fun after he got my instructor to go with him.


Andy

 

Thanks fo rhte info!!! I need to start saving ...

 

Tom,

Sound like you had fun! Someday, I hope to do Watkins Glen. I don't know when, but when I do, I'll have to plan a few weeks and hit several tracks as I drive across the country.

 

Nice, I was going to head to that, but the truck was getting wokr done on it...glad to hear it was fun!

Daniel