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Club Race School

Supported by the Boston Chapter

BMW CCA Club Racing has enhanced the racing program by developing a series of racing schools nationwide to serve as the perfect stepping-stone for the prospective racer. These intensive two-day schools are structured to take the experienced driving school participant and prepare them for the racing environment.

Historically, prospective race drivers have often been licensed without having an opportunity to develop the necessary skills and confidence to successfully begin an enjoyable, rewarding racing career.

In our racing schools, the student drives a “street prepared” car on track with other students in simulated racing conditions. Extensive classroom sessions (five hours per day) and four on track sessions each day are structured to develop the drivers’ race craft and to reduce the anxiety normally associated with the first taste of competitive driving.

The on-track portion of the program includes green flag starts, driving in traffic, drafting, driving off line, pace car restarts, qualifying and space management. Classroom sessions are presented by experienced race drivers who thoroughly explain racing preparation, driving techniques, race craft, and the mental and physical aspects of competition.

The racing experience has been so realistic that several students have repeated the course multiple times. Graduates from our program have proven successful in their Club Racing careers in both performance and safety.

All students are screened before being accepted into this school and, upon successful completion of the program, can be approved for licensing by BMW CCA Club Racing.

From: garybimmerscom (Gary Bossert)
I’ve been so busy since O’Fest that I haven’t had a chance to sit down and tell folks about the Club Racing School that was held in conjunction with O’Fest and the Club Races at NHIS. I really feel I need to say something because I saw it as a fantastic way to get involved in Club Racing. Not only was it a great time for the students but the amount of knowledge and experience these folks gained in taking the two-day course was incredible.

We had about 15 students all with various amounts of track experience driving fully set up J-stock cars to a new 740i sport and everything in between. Some were set in getting experience from the school and going right onto racing and some wanted to just see what it was all about and get their feet wet. Needless to say, everyone came away addicted to “passing in the corners” and getting competitive on the racetrack in a safe and controlled environment.

The program starts off with the basics and builds upon them in each classroom and on-track session. Lots of stress is put upon where your eyes are, as well as, being in control of your car at all times. Starts, setting up passes, off-line driving, flags, safety, and car and driver prep are also covered extensively with the emphasis on how all of these relate to Club Racing.

It’s a busy day, the students are either in class or on track and they are exhausted but smiling by the end of the day. You can take a street BMW or a race BMW and you don’t have to have a race suit, cage, or other safety gear. You just need the same helmet you use in the driving schools. This allows folks to come out and try it without having the outlay of full race gear and a car with a cage. I just recommend that in order to really get the most out of the school you should be in the advanced or instructor run group at driving schools and be somewhat familiar with the track in which you are taking the course. This will allow you to concentrate on the racing instruction and becoming a “racer” instead of learning the track and becoming a better “driver.”

Finally, if you know anyone thinking about going Club Racing or just even interested in making the next step from drivig schools, you should encourage them to try one of these schools, I can’t stress enough what a positive experience it is. I also can recommend the course to folks who are already licensed but don’t have a lot of experience yet and want to “brush up” on things or get some real instruction and feedback.
I just wish they had a school like this when I got into racing.
—Gary Bossert

The BMWCCA Club Racing School is an intensive 2-day course designed to transition the intermediate-to-advanced high-performance driving school driver from high performance driving events to open lapping days and/or club level racing.  It is also an excellent school for those students looking for a new experience and who are interested in developing their skills past the what can be taught at a regular Driving Event.  The club race school focuses on situations inherent to racing and open track lapping as the majority of the on-track sessions will be held with other cars next to, in front of, and behind you at all times.  This introduces the students to traffic, passing, and driving lines that they won’t get in the typical high performance driving school.  Exercises include driving the entire track for multiple laps both two and three abreast to develop spatial awareness, setting up passes coming into corners at speed and passing while exiting corners which develops off-line competency and confidence, as well as practice race starts and open track sessions which combines all aspects of the learned material.   

The method of track instruction is unique to the Club Race School in that instructors do not ride along with the students during the on-track sessions.  The instructors, who are primarily composed of seasoned racers, observe the students while driving their own cars.  This allows the instructor to develop a greater sense of how a student is improving with respect to spatial and situation awareness, different lines, and traffic.

The on-track sessions are supported by 4-5 hours of classroom time per day.  While the classroom sessions will support the on-track experiences, topics such a car preparation, mental preparation, physical preparation, qualifying, the benefits of practice sessions, car setup, etc. are also presented to the students for discussion.  The school is designed as a learning experience and not a speed contest. The emphasis is on driver development, so race-prepared cars are not required and neither are driving suits, racing seats or harnesses.  All cars must be inspected prior to the event and must also pass tech on the day of the event.  A driving school level helmet and a desire to learn and have fun are required.

Graduation from the BMW CCA Club Racing school does not automatically qualify you for a BMW CCA Club Racing license, but if you meet the experience and other requirements you will be eligible for a rookie license and the opportunity to join the ranks of BMW CCA Club Racing.

Please note that acceptance to the club race school is at the discretion of the registrar and is not guaranteed.  All students should be prepared to submit their driving school history and up to two references.  It is recommended that these items are submitted along with the club race school application.  All supporting documents can be sent to Will Howe at will_howe4yahoocom .
 
The club race school begins at roughly 7.30 AM and will end close to 5 PM on both days.  Due to this, it is not possible to attend other O’Fest activities during the day on Wednesday and Thursday.  It is not necessary to register for O’fest if you only wish to participate in the race school, the provided wrist band will allow entry into the track on Wednesday and Thursday, although a student will need to check in on Tuesday.  Students can sign up for the course at the BMWCCA Club Racing website – www.bmwccaclubracing.com under the ‘events schedule’ tab.  If a student wishes to participate in other O’fest activities on Friday/Saturday/Sunday, the registration process through the O’Fest website will need to be completed.  Please contact Will Howe at will_howe4yahoocom with any questions or concerns regarding the race school.

 

Schedule The race school will run within the normal driving school as their own run group. There will be a considerable amount of classroom instruction to enhance/reinforce the on-track experiences. Track Video Available at www.gvc-bmwcca.org/Movies/movies.aspx Track Map Available on the Watkins Glen website: http://www.theglen.com/seating%5Fcharts%5Fmaps/track/ Hotel Information Available at http://www.theglen.com/fan_info/. Restaurant Information Available at http://www.theglen.com/fan_info/.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Car uses the same rules as BMW CCA driving schools.
Minimum of 5 sign offs at various tracks.
Two chapter contacts for referral.
SUBJECT TO APPROVAL.

You must register for both days.