First off my bad for putting this in the wrong place if i am,

but on to the question.

Along with several other people on this forum i agree that the P5 or the Protege, or hell just mazda in general is better for the auto-x/non-straight line racing.

im no expert, so excuse if im calling the driving style a wrong name.

but are there any schools out there that i can attend?

i mean i know there are, but i havent been able to find any. can anyone suggest a good one?

thanks in advance

and one that would be in Texas would prolly be too much to ask for, but somwhere that aint in 10 states away would be nice.

 

Where are you located and how much are you willing to spend?

 

you can get into high performance driving experience events (hpde) with nasa (www.nasaproracing.com)...they have several types of groups (novice, intermediate, advanced, and super-advanced) each with its own track time and class room instruction. You get an instructor to ride along (you can't go alone on a track until an instructor gives you the right to do a solo). All you need is the car in good working order, a helmet (snell95 or higher), and money for the event and your off and racing

usually when you are at the hpde event there are also other groups there such as the USTCC (www.ustcc.com) or spec miata or 944 cup...you get lots of experience and meet new people who are always helpful...i've done several events along with other track instruction and its well worth it

email nasa_racers@yahoo.com if you have any questions

 

oh sorry, im in dallas, texas.

and as far as price, i dont really know how much to expect, so i dont know where to set the limit.

thaks for all the info though.

 

if that's the case then i'd try autox for a little while to see if you like it and get some experience...it's easy and fun and cheap (scca membership $30 and usually a days racing [4 heats] cost $20)...all you need is a helmet or even borrow one

 

I agree that you should start out with some autocross racing. It gives you a feel for how your car handles at the limit- with out being dangerously fast.
For example, the first time you spin out and go off course would you rather be doing 45 mph in a parking lot or airport runway with lots of run off or 90 mph on a racetrack going into a sand pit and grass?

With that- I recommend starting out with some local autocrosses. Most local clubs hold novice driver schools- usually on a saturday before a sunday event and they usually cost about $20. You will probably get about 20 runs in your car, with and without an instructor.

The next step up from that is the Evolution Autocross School.
http://autocross.com/evolution/
for around $175, you get all day with a professional instructor. Lots of one-on-one and you really learn alot about autocross driving.

NExt you have Local Track Schools- I think Texas Motorspeedway does them and they are setup by your local SCCA club. These are reasonably priced, but keep in mind that the speeds will be alot higher than autocross.

The next step, and most expensive, is to do these professional track schools like Skip Barber, and such.

I would do some local autocross racing (may have to drive an hour or two to an event). There is a guy in your area, Jerry Terranova, drives a 90 Honda Civic Si, 2 time national champion, and an Evolution instructor. Find him at a local school and you'll get professional instruction for a fraction of the cost!

Good luck!

 

hey thanks jas00x

really cool info, ill definatly be lookin into that.

 

There is another local autocross club in the DFW area, Equipe Rapide (ee-KWIP rha-PEED). They have less expensive memberships than the SCCA, and allow more runs at their events if you run in Rapide Pax. Here's their website and the website for the local SCCA region:

http://autocross.com/er/
http://autocross.com/texasregion/

The next autocross event in the DFW area is a double-header on Saturday, Sept. 28th and Sunday, Sept. 29th, run by both clubs. It is being held at the Texas Motor Speedway parking lot. I may be there one day, but I probably won't attend both.

Good luck!

 

panoz runs a school out of TMS in Ft. Worth. it's expensive, but worth it IMO if you wanna learn to drive sports cars on track.
i ran with a driving school called 'the driver's edge' http://www.thedriversedge.net alot when i was living in dallas. they drive motorsport ranch in Ft. Worth, TWS in college station, and TMS occasionally.

 

Panoz also runs a very good school out of Road Atlanta and I think they have one at Sebring in Florida as well.

 

do yourself a favor, and check out www.russellracing.com
I took the trc course,,,and wish it never ended, its by far the best racing school out there for the money, plus you get to race at sears point, and your allowed to pass people,,,,,,,,