paulhus@euclid.DEC (02/28/85)
Advanced Drivers Training In reply to a request about post-highschool driver training: My first suggestion is to do some reading about advanced driving techniques. Since the principles are those used in racing (the proper "line" through a corner, awareness of other vehicles and predicting their future actions, control of your own vehicle), the best books are aimed at the would-be racers. My favorite, with lots of street sense, is: Sports Car and Competition Driving by Paul Frere More applicable to street driving techniques, but not as well done (too Readers Digest aimed) is: The Book of Expert Driving by E.D. Fales, Jr. After assimilating some advanced theory, practice good driving for a while (just thinking about your own driving will improve it) (most other drivers won't even be aware of your increased skills because they aren't completely aware of you anyway, nevermind your style, or lack of it). After a while of practice, you can really go for it with a course in advanced street driving, given by one of the better racing drivers schools. These are not racing schools - they are given in passenger cars, but the maneuvers practiced are hazardous so the courses are normally given at race tracks. In the East, I recommend Skip Barber Racing School Route 7, Building C Canaan, CT 06018 (203) 824-0771 classes at Lime Rock in NE Conn. On the Left Coast, you have Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving Sears Point Int'l Raceway Highways 37 & 121 Sonoma, CA 95476 (707) 938-4741 The Bondurant street school is very good, and well known (most of Ford's top people have been through it lately). Skip's street school is newly resurrected (I assisted in it back in the mid-70's, but the racing school has taken all the effort since then. I believe that the street school is new for '85, but with instructors with experience at street courses elsewhere). I wish more people were as concerned about their driving - it's been a politically tender item in the past. The current movement to get drunks off the road encourages me much - maybe we'll attack the real problem in the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Thank You Candy Lightner (sp?). two cents worth from: N. Chris Paulhus DEC-Maynard decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-euclid!paulhus