Driver’s Ed With an Edge – Take me to the track!

have you ever had the sleep to take your car (or ANY car) to a real race track and have the freedom to go as fast as you want? Well you can. There is a way to do that. And it’s legal… and safe. Best of all, you don’t have to have a big car to do it. they are called Driver education events.

Driver education events are organized and run by various car clubs across the country. They are generally open to anyone with a valid driver’s license. It is not necessary to be a member of the sponsoring car club.

The events take place on real race tracks. But these are NOT the oval race tracks so familiar in NASCAR. I’m talking about road racing tracks. Road courses have ‘S’ curves, carousel turns, elevation changes, banks and, yes, they have straightaways to feel the speed. In short, these are challenging AND exciting race tracks for beginners and experienced riders alike.

To see an example of a race track on a road course, visit the Putnam Park Race Course website (Google the name or find the web address below). The Putnam Park track is located in Indiana and several different car clubs (and motorcycle clubs) host driving events.

The price is reasonable for a weekend of (controlled) fun! Most driver education events are held over a 2-day weekend. A typical rate for the weekend would be around $300, which includes instructors provided for each driver. You bring your own car, along with a detailed inspection sheet that has been inspected by a mechanic. Safety is a big concern for everyone, so cars must be in good mechanical condition and have enough tread and brake pads.

When you check in to the actual event, your car also receives a technical inspection, though you still need to turn in an inspection sheet from your mechanic. Probably the biggest initial expense is your helmet. Every driver must have a helmet that meets a specific safety rating. That is checked when you register too. (All required forms for the technical inspection checklist plus a medical information form are provided by the car club usually as part of the online registration process, as well as specific information about the event and track.)

So what is driver education at a race track? The idea behind this is to give the participants the opportunity to develop better driving skills, mainly better control of the car. Learning those skills on the track translates well to improving your street handling and really makes you a safer driver. It’s also a lot of fun to experience driving in its purest form… with no road signs or speed limits.

All drivers/participants are separated into “race groups”. The race groups are divided by the amount of driving experience on the track, usually around 3 or 4 separate groups. Trust me, you do NOT want to ride in an experienced group if you are a novice at this. Otherwise you would always see other cars lined up behind you.

All but the most experienced groups are required to have classroom instruction as well as an ‘in-car’ instructor. Classroom instruction teaches you a lot about how to better drive and handle your car, as well as understanding the proper “line” for navigating corners on that specific track.

You are on the track with your group of runners usually 4 or 5 times a day in segments of between 20 and 30 minutes at a time. At that point, you ARE ready to rest from the mental focus required in track driving. Tracking time is mentally and physically exhausting! Your class time is in addition to your driving time, making it a very full day at the track that usually starts at 8am.

This is not a race! There are other cars on the track with you (your racing group), but overtaking is ONLY allowed when the car in front of you tells you to pass. The safety of the participants and their cars is the main concern. All participants are strongly encouraged to drive at speeds at which they feel comfortable and in control of their car. There are corner workers stationed around the track and anyone driving in an unsafe manner is immediately flagged off the track. Each instructor decides when and IF a student/participant is ready to “solo”, ie. drive on the track without an instructor in the car. It’s exciting and daunting at the same time, but once you get there, you can’t wait for your next race!

Before taking the plunge, a great start is to get out on the track and watch during one of the (free!) events. Walk around and see the diversity of people and cars involved. You’ll be genuinely amazed at the spectrum represented: from young to old, fathers and daughters, husband and wife, and all walks of life. Feel free to talk to people and ask questions.

The atmosphere is nice and we all like to talk about our experiences on the track. Once you try it, you may develop a thirst to continue. Truly, this is clean fun that the whole family can come and enjoy, even though maybe only one of you is driving. You definitely want someone to take photos of your experience…especially when you go alone!