Advanced 2-Day Benefit of two day school after some race experience???

[GriffDogRacer]

Hello all,

As usual, I've been thinking about how to flatten the learning curve and was considering doubling back to pick up the ADV2 class I bypassed (I did the Advanced Car Control class and a lapping day or two to meet the race pre-reqs.). At present, I've done two race weekends along with lapping, practice, lead-follow, etc. I was wondering if anyone had done ADV2 after having raced - and if so, how beneficial it was. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Regards, gdr

[JuicyGirl]

At this point, I would recommend you invest your $3,199 into more lead follows with JP or another qualified instructor. You already have two race weekends under your belt and will find that the one on one seat time much more valuable than revisiting the auto cross as you will be doing in the first session of your two day.

If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would have gone with a lead follow and radio coaching.

[Slowhands]

Paul,

I'm with JuicyGirl. Lead-Follows are the best thing you can do at this point BY FAR. I avoided them for too long because I viewed them to be expensive and I mistakenly believed that it would not benefit me at that rudimentary skill level. I think that had I done them from the beginning, I would have developed better habits earlier, and would have shortened the learning curve and saved a bunch of money on seat time. I actually did go back and do a second ADV2 because I needed remedial work on the autocross as well as the practice starts, but you are already ahead of where I was at the time. Put the money and time into Lead-Follow. And be patient. It will come.

- Harsha

[dalyduo]

While I would never argue that lead-follow sessions aren't of great value I wouldn't throw the two day experience under the bus either. It gives you valuable practice with the 5-speed sequential box in the RT's. Autocross time that always helps with car control, along with hot laps with instructors that adds to racing confidence and close running under race-like conditions with multiple cars that lead-follows don't always include.

The value of a two day advanced course is the extra seat time, chalk talks and confidence building it will create in the RT. The course is specifically designed to prepare you for racing in the RT's. I don't think the content will be of any less value after two race weekends, in fact you may get more value from it because the cars will be less foreign to you so you'll probably enjoy the specific exercises and seat time more. Also, if the instructors know you've already done two race weekends they'll give you more leeway and challenge you more to up the experience.

If you can afford it do the Advanced two-day and then add a lead-follow at new tracks to accelerate getting up to speed at those tracks. The two-day will only increase the value you'll get from subsequent lead-follows.

My two cents.

[wbs]

I would agree that if you do it, definitely go to a new track.

[GriffDogRacer]

Great feedback guys... thanks! I have to admit that after listening to Harsha at least once before , I did a lead-follow at Road Atlanta and found it very beneficial - not so much in terms of added speed but more so in comfort level. I'm willing to bet that more of the same would show me opportunity to push the envelope out a bit. On the flip side, I also found the autocross in the ACC extremely useful as well. At Sebring, that allowed me to find the limit in an error-forgiving environment. Thanks again for the thoughts. Regards, gdr