As most Sports Car Club of America® competitors know, there’s always room for improvement when it comes to performance driving. And driving schools are great places to learn where improvements can be made.
Mark Baruth, a writer with The Truth About Cars, recently spent some time as a coach at a Central Kentucky Region autocross school. In an article he wrote about the experience, Baruth notes that, “Nobody is naturally great at performance driving. It’s a learned skill, just like anything in life. And while many of us might be hesitant to take a daily driver that’s currently on its 14th of 60 payments to the track, there is likely a place near you where you can learn some of the basics of enthusiastic piloting in a safe and friendly environment. Chances are that your local Sports Car Club of America region has an Autocross School with hotshoes who are ready to sit in your passenger seat to help you improve.”
“There’s a lot of reasons for a local region to offer a school like this,” Baruth continued. “Keeping new autocrossers from becoming frustrated with their lack of advancement helps ensure that they’ll return a second and third and twelfth time in the future, which, in turn, ensures the survival of the club long term. But there’s also some altruism behind it. Seeing people who are new to the activity experience that same sort of joy that I once had when I began autocrossing helped me remember how much fun it really can be to spend the day out with friends at the local parking lot.”
“If you have the chance to attend a local autocross school, I recommend it,” Baruth concludes. “For less than $100 and a Saturday’s worth of time, you’ll walk away a much more competent driver. And if you have the chance to instruct at a local autocross school, I’d recommend it, as well. Not only will you be helping others, but you’ll refine your own skills that much more.”
Take a moment and read Baruth’s full article, Here’s Why You Should Take an Autocross Drivers’ School (and Why You Should Teach One). And maybe share the article with some folks looking to get into SCCA autocross, or looking to become better autocrossers. And if you’re looking for an autocross school, check out the Tire Rack SCCA Starting Line class schedule. Tire Rack Starting Line schools are a partnership between the Sports Car Club of America and Tire Rack to give automotive enthusiasts a professional, all-inclusive entry into the world of performance driving. In addition to a full day of instruction, participants receive an SCCA membership, entries for future events, and subscriptions to both SportsCar and Grassroots Motorsports magazines.
Photo: Students receiving instruction at a Tire Rack SCCA Starting Line School
Credit: Curt Luther
