INDIANAPOLIS – In February, I had the opportunity to participate in Skip Barber’s Two-Day Advanced Formula School at Florida’s Sebring Int’l Raceway. I was excited to build on what I learned during the three-day school last September and continue to improve my road racing skills and techniques.
When I arrived at Sebring early on Feb. 7, I went through the process of getting my credentials, class and group information. They typically split everyone into color-coded groups, so you spend most of your time in the classroom, watching lapping sessions and/or on-track with the same people. This creates great bonding and camaraderie among those within each assigned group.
This time around, the school was led by Terry Earwood, Bruce MacInnes, Gerardo Bonilla and Carter Fartuch. I knew most of them from the three-day school I previously attended.
They all share a wealth of knowledge about all things racing, but especially how to become a better road racer and they articulate their expertise in a way that is easy to understand as a “newcomer.” The school’s common goal is evident: to help each driver improve.
Since this was an “advanced” school, there was lots of class time and lapping sessions packed into the two days; and, in the event of rain or a scheduling snafu, Skip Barber is really good about making sure you get your full value of the course.
Day One – Morning: After registering and getting our school information, we started the day in the classroom with a session on advanced vehicle dynamics that included trail braking, rotation and a line talk. Then, we went off to the skid pad area to practice these advanced car-control skills. This part was loads of fun!
Although we were driving street cars, which obviously aren’t as agile as race cars, it was great to learn the limits of the car(s) and implement the techniques learned in the classroom before taking them to the race track. One skid pad track consisted of a mock, smaller-scale road course that was to practice threshold braking, trail braking, carrying corner speed, looking for the apex of the corner and rotation, among many other things.
The second mock track was a smaller-scale oval. The car we drove around this track in particular had a “donut” tire on it that forced the car to drift, slide and over-rotate when carrying too much speed so car control was crucial. This exercise was by far my favorite part for obvious reasons. After we did this for about an hour, it was time for a lunch break.
Day One – Afternoon: After lunch, it was off to the track for lapping sessions that included instructor feedback for the remainder of the day. Since this is the “advanced” school, there are no rev limits. The school allows you to start at any pace/speed you feel comfortable and build from there.
This part of the day offered a lot of seat-time and the chance to build my confidence and work on areas of improvement. After each session, the instructors provided constructive criticism to help us improve for the next session(s).
Day Two – Morning: The second day started with a passing talk from Mr. Earwood. Then, we went out on the track for passing exercises to learn how to pass and be passed. This consisted of a controlled, on-track environment where there was a strategy in play and each driver was to “pass” and “fallback” at certain areas of the track when it was their turn.
This proved effective for those with not as much racing and/or road racing experience to help spot and be aware of passing points.
Day Two – Afternoon: It was back to the classroom for a session on race strategy and starts and restarts to ensure we would be ready for our first race. Once that concluded, we were back on track for more lapping and expert instructor feedback. That’s where we spent the remainder of the day, polishing our new skills.
As each session progressed and we continued to get feedback and implement it, I felt like I got to a great place with pushing the car, finding the limits, hitting my marks, carrying corner speed and overall running solid laps.
I am grateful to the Skip Barber team members for their advice and recommendations to help me be the best racer I can be. I look forward to the day when I can utilize the skills and techniques learned from my Skip Barber Racing School experience in an actual road race, but, until then, we’ll keep practicing.
My recommendation to anyone is to say yes to any and all opportunities offered to you (within reason) and never back down from a challenge. This was definitely an exciting challenge for me, but I enjoyed every second of it.
If you’re interested in the Skip Barber Racing School and/or any of its various programs, visit skipbarber.com.
THIS ARTICLE IS REPOSTED FROM THE MARCH 27 EDITION OF SPEED SPORT INSIDER
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