Advanced 2-Day 2 day advanced school at VIR

[ra64t]

I'll be attending the 2 day advanced school at VIR April 27-28. This will be my first skip barber program. I had some questions but browsing this forum answered most of them.

I guess the only things I'm wondering:

I'll be there on sunday to watch the pro races, including the skip barber national series which is running. Would it be worth it to stop by skip barber and meet some people? where and when would be a good time to do this?

Also wondering who will my instructors be?

thanks.

Mike

[dalyduo]

Welcome Mike,

Most likely some of the instructors for your school will be at the Nationals. Check the schedule and go by the hospitality area next to the Skip Barber trailer when they are between activities. It might be interesting to see up close how a National event is organized as very often the Skip Barber Nationals are the closest and hardest fought races of the entire pro weekend. They put on a very good show.

It couldn't hurt to stop by and say hi... But timing is everything. Don't be put off if it's crunch time and everyone is too busy to talk. Don't worry... During your two-day you'll have their full undivided attention focused on you.

Originally Posted by ra64t

I'll be attending the 2 day advanced school at VIR April 27-28. This will be my first skip barber program. I had some questions but browsing this forum answered most of them.

I guess the only things I'm wondering:

I'll be there on sunday to watch the pro races, including the skip barber national series which is running. Would it be worth it to stop by skip barber and meet some people? where and when would be a good time to do this?

Also wondering who will my instructors be?

thanks.

Mike

[cheekychica]

Originally Posted by ra64t

I'll be attending the 2 day advanced school at VIR April 27-28.

Also wondering who will my instructors be?

thanks.

Mike

You can always call your CSR to ask who your instructors will be, but it looks like you'll have some of the best:
Phil Lombardi, RB Stiewing, John Murphy, Bob Ziegel, and Nick Nick, are 4 out of the 7 listed.

They'll also be working the National weekend you're planning to watch on Sunday, but as for a good time to find them... If there's a scheduled lunch break, that's always good. Try to find the Skippy rig in the paddock, and you'll probably find an instructor. Look for clipboards, khakis, white polo shirts with the SBRS logo, and a red and black jacket (if cold).

[cdh]

Just curious, where did you attend another racing school for the basics? I'll be at VIR this weekend also, will be busy but could introduce you to instructors. I'll send you an email about meeting.

cdh

[7thGear]

Mike,

By all means stop by the tent and visit. I am not sure of the schedule, but in typical fashion our time slots will be earlly in the morning and last of the day, we are the street sweeping crew. Check the VIR website, they have a weekend schedule posted.

Your instructors will also be the coaches that are utilized on the National weekend. Looking at the schedule you'll have a great crew.

Phil Lombardi
RB Steiwing
John Murphy
Jonatan Jorge
Steve Welk
Bob Ziegle
Kieth Watts

Have fun, and welcome.

Don Harple
Skip Barber
OEM Events Chief Instructor

[cdh]

I do not see Don Vito Harpolini on the list, che vergogna

[7thGear]

not until Thursday the 30th for the Regional race weekend.

[cdh]

Originally Posted by 7thGear

not until Thursday the 30th for the Regional race weekend.

molto bene amico

[oldredracer]

I was gonna say that if you ever want your instructor's undivided attention for hours at a time you need only offer to buy dinner and pick up the bar tab as well. The advice will make less sense as the evening progresses, but you'll have a friend for life.

And yes, I'm kidding. If there's time during the Nationals they'll be glad to talk to you but you'll have much more to talk about during your school. At the Nationals, watch the interaction between instructors and racers. In the real world, there's as much helmet throwing as there is info sharing. In the Skippy world, it's all about getting better. I'd suggest listening in on those conversations but the participants tend to enjoy an audience more when things are going extremely well.

As you're obviously smart enough to know you don't know everything, you're gonna have a ball. Be sure to let us know how it goes, ok?

And welcome to the dark side.

[Rosso]

Originally Posted by oldredracer

I was gonna say that if you ever want your instructor's undivided attention for hours at a time you need only offer to buy dinner and pick up the bar tab as well. The advice will make less sense as the evening progresses, but you'll have a friend for life.

If the walls a Siebkins could talk...

Originally Posted by oldredracer

At the Nationals, watch the interaction between instructors and racers. ...
And welcome to the dark side.

I would suggest that you buy or borrow an inexpensive scanner and tune into the live race reports from the instructors out on the course. Some of those reports are classic.

[GriffDogRacer]

Originally Posted by 7thGear

Looking at the schedule you'll have a great crew.

Phil Lombardi
RB Steiwing
John Murphy
Jonatan Jorge
Steve Welk
Bob Ziegle
Kieth Watts

Wow... Nice crew. Wish I could be there! Have fun, enjoy the show and go fast!!!

[ra64t]

Thanks for all the responses, I'll definately stop by Sunday.

Doug, I've done the 3 day school with bertil roos.

[Yarab]

Harple ....chief instructor......
Isn't that an oxymoron ....

[dalyduo]

Here's an Oxymoron, an Oxicleanmoron... and chief instructor Harpollini.
I see no family resemblance anywhere, however one of the three may have some Tremblant luge road rash the other two don't... That's unconfirmed though.

Originally Posted by Yarab

Harple ....chief instructor......
Isn't that an oxymoron ....

[Mopar92]

Mike, come by the tent and make yourself at home... you ARE the family now. Come find me and I will introduce you to everybody. Phil Lombardi will be the lead instructor for your 2 day. Thanks, Keith W.

[Yarab]

Don't even get Mays involved in this !!

[7thGear]

Watts, great pic. And thanks for the link to Uncle Wally. I Skyped him the other month, he's doing great.

Sid...good to hear from you, are you going to be at VIR?

Daly...that's funny, and Harpollini my be at the track this weekend.

[dalyduo]

Right question, wrong person Don.
Had the same first response to seeing Sid in the avatar but it's Ron Yarab using Sid as his avatar.
We approve on principle alone, but were there any other compelling reasons Ron?

Originally Posted by 7thGear

Sid...good to hear from you, are you going to be at VIR?

[7thGear]

Copy, and WHY would you choose Sid's Pic? Ron? You may receive some targeted response towards Sid, carefull.

[Yarab]

Just miss the old koot
and those uplifting motivational speeches

[ra64t]

the school was a blast and I learned a lot. thanks to all the instructors. I'll be back sometime!

[cdh]

Originally Posted by ra64t

the school was a blast and I learned a lot. thanks to all the instructors. I'll be back sometime!

Sorry we couldn't meet on Sunday, my shooting sked and your visit just didn't coincide. Glad you had a good time, can you offer any comparisons between Roos and Barber?

Hope to see you at a track sometime

[ra64t]

Originally Posted by cdh

Sorry we couldn't meet on Sunday, my shooting sked and your visit just didn't coincide. Glad you had a good time, can you offer any comparisons between Roos and Barber?

Hope to see you at a track sometime

I was impressed by both programs. Its a little hard to compare all the details as I didn't do the same school at both places, but Roos offers a lot of open lapping seat time in their 3 day program. Roos doesn't do any passing exercises in their 3 day. From what I can tell from the classroom review what you learn in the classroom is basically the same stuff, but maybe presented a little differently.

I definitely felt like the roos cars understeered more, at least for the intro schools, while the skip barber cars for the advanced school felt much more neutral. Of course I've only had 5 days in a race car total so it could have just been me driving differently.