[jmillet]

Our First Driving School Event of the 2011 season

April 28th, Thursday, is our first driving school event for 2011. It should be a terrific event.
As is our custom, we will have both a Car Control Clinic (CCC) $95.00 and a High Performance Driving School (HPDS) $195.00 running concurrently. To participate you must have a valid driver’s license, be a BMW CCA Club member or a member of another club we reciprocate with (PNWR PCA, NWARC, Audi Club NW, BMW ACA Portland, Puget Sound Mini Motoring Club).
The CCC is a prerequisite for the HPDS. If you have never done a CCC or the equivalent, this is a good time to sign up and give it a try. The activities include slalom, emergency braking, collision avoidance, wet skid pad, and handling oval, touring laps of the road racing course and rides with the instructor. You do not need a helmet or a tech inspection and convertibles/roadsters are welcome.
The HPDS is the real deal; this is about as exciting as it gets in your BMW! Instruction is provided for students of all levels. More experienced drivers can be signed off to drive solo for the day but this is the exception rather than the rule. These are, in fact, driving schools intended to make you a more proficient every day driver. You can register on www.motorsportreg.com; until April 22nd.
You will need a helmet and your vehicle must be inspected by an ASE certified mechanic. Starting this year your technical inspection is valid for the entire 2011 year.
One more opportunity is available to you. If you would like to learn more about this whole “track thing” but you’re not quite ready to sign up, come on out and volunteer to assist our staff. We need people to chase cones for the CCC. You can get a good look at what goes on and decide whether this is something your want to try in 2011.
For further information go to our club’s web site: www.bmwpugetsound.com and click on driving schools.
. Contact me if you might be interested in this. Join the fun!
--Rick Gulstrom, Driving Events Coordinator
rick@gmsarch.com

[atown88]

If I wasn't saving for mods, I would totally do this.

[jmillet]

Originally Posted by atown88

If I wasn't saving for mods, I would totally do this.

The most cost effective mod you can make to your Bimmer is improve your driving skills; best bang for the buck.

[jmillet]

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[67R60]

Just joined BMW Puget Sound. I look forward to a Car Control Clinic.

[anthoj]

I just signed up for BMWCCA + Puget Sound Chapter, and the CCC. Who else is going?

[SR-71]

I'll be there.

[67R60]

Question about tires at CCC. I have two sets of 18" wheels. OEM Potenza run flats that I don't use and set of regular (not RFT) Michelins that I love.

Do we burn through a lot of rubber at the CCC? Should I put on my Potenza RFTs since I don't care about them or just go with what I have on?

Thanks for your advice on this subject.

[BMWonderful]

damn, this looks really cool.

[awd]

Do you need to do the ccc before the track day?

[jmillet]

Originally Posted by 67R60

Question about tires at CCC. I have two sets of 18" wheels. OEM Potenza run flats that I don't use and set of regular (not RFT) Michelins that I love.

Do we burn through a lot of rubber at the CCC? Should I put on my Potenza RFTs since I don't care about them or just go with what I have on?

Thanks for your advice on this subject.

The CCC is not rough on tires as the skid pad is watered down. I would run on the tires you use for your everyday driving.

[jmillet]

Originally Posted by awd

Do you need to do the ccc before the track day?

If you have no prior high performance driving experience most marque clubs require attendance at a car control clinic or driver skills event.
http://www.pnwr.org/Track/
http://nwalfaclub.com/track/welcome.php
http://bmwpugetsound.com/driving_schools.html
There are also club membership requirements.
Keep in mind these are driving schools designed to make you a more proficient everyday driver. There are no timing devices allowed, no trophies awarded, and no cash prizes. Just the satisfaction of knowing you are a better and safer driver at the end of the day.

[anthoj]

Originally Posted by jmillet

The CCC is not rough on tires as the skid pad is watered down. I would run on the tires you use for your everyday driving.

Good to know. I almost bought a new (cheap) set of tires just for this thing. Thanks for the info.

So after you do the CCC, can you also do the HPDS event? Or is the CCC and all day thing? Can you explain please?

[67R60]

Originally Posted by jmillet

The CCC is not rough on tires as the skid pad is watered down. I would run on the tires you use for your everyday driving.

Thanks Jim! I look forward to the CCC.

[jmillet]

Originally Posted by anthoj

Good to know. I almost bought a new (cheap) set of tires just for this thing. Thanks for the info.

So after you do the CCC, can you also do the HPDS event? Or is the CCC and all day thing? Can you explain please?

The BMW Club CCC and HPDS are two seperate events held at the Pacific Raceways. The CCC is conducted in the large paved paddock area adjacent to the road course and the HPDS is conducted on the road course.
After the morning CCC exercises the students are permitted to take their cars out on the road course for several slow speed parade laps under the watchful eye of their instructor. In the afternoon CCC students can ride with HPDS instructors.

[jmillet]

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[anthoj]

Originally Posted by jmillet

The BMW Club CCC and HPDS are two seperate events held at the Pacific Raceways. The CCC is conducted in the large paved paddock area adjacent to the road course and the HPDS is conducted on the road course.
After the morning CCC exercises the students are permitted to take their cars out on the road course for several slow speed parade laps under the watchful eye of their instructor. In the afternoon CCC students can ride with HPDS instructors.

So, where can I get details of the event? I've never been to a CCC before so I'm shady on the details. I tried looking for info both on motorsportreg and BMW CCA Puget Sound website but was unable to find any. Also, if I have a friend who wants to come along, would we be able to share one car for the event? Or would he need his own car to participate?

[jmillet]

Originally Posted by anthoj

So, where can I get details of the event? I've never been to a CCC before so I'm shady on the details. I tried looking for info both on motorsportreg and BMW CCA Puget Sound website but was unable to find any. Also, if I have a friend who wants to come along, would we be able to share one car for the event? Or would he need his own car to participate?

Check driving events out here:http://bmwpugetsound.com/driving_sch...tml#EventTypes

Car Control Clinic - CCC

Attending a Car Control Clinic (CCC) is a prerequisite to attending a High-Performance Driving School, This is an interim step as you build your skill level.
It begins with a series of drill stations. Each station is designed to focus on a specific car control skill, offering students the opportunity to gain practical skills which they can immediately transfer to their every day driving. Stations include slalom, braking, skid pad, and a handling oval. Instructors will ride with students and coach them at each drill station. Drivers will learn the limits of their car and how to keep their car within those limits.

During the afternoon, drivers will have the opportunity to be exposed to the road racing track surface at Pacific Raceways.

The objective of the school is to make the student a safer and more confident driver. The driver will have a blast and have a whole new appreciation for their BMW! If you have ever been curious why they call these 'The Ultimate Driving Machines’--spend a day with us and find out what German Engineering is all about!

The Porsche Club conducts a very similar school at Bremerton Motorsports Park: http://www.pnwr.org/Track/driver_skills/default.asp

The Alfa Club also conducts a basic skills school at Bremerton: http://www.nwalfaclub.com/track/driving_school.php

Plenty of opportunities to participate in a great learning experience. After completing one of these schools you'll be amazed at how little you knew about operating a motor vehicle in a hostile environment

[jmillet]

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[jmillet]

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[jmillet]

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[anthoj]

So I took some pictures yesterday at the driving school...in case people were interested. I also have some videos of some of the exercises and one warm up lap through the track. The exercises look easy from where the video was taken, but if you actually did it (at least for us beginners), is quite challenging because we were trying to balance between speed and control to get through the exercises as quickly as possible. I have more pics but for some reason they are not uploading correctly to photobucket. The track video is kinda shaky, trying to keep up with 2 M3s in front of me.

This is me:
















Videos:

Again, this is me:

One lap of track: