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Location:
Bayside Melbourne.
Registered:
May 2003
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High Performance Driving Course.
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Wed, 18 February 2004 13:29
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Hello all... I turned 22 last week and was asked what I wanted for my birthday. Dad suggested a 1 day Driving Course thingy at Sandown Racetrack.
Has anyone done one of these? What is it like? Is it a waste of money?
It sounds cool but I have an auto Cressida and that may make it not quite as fun for me as for some of you guys with souped up machines.
Basically I am looking for opinions on whether it is a waste of $350. 
Thanks. 
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Australia
Registered:
November 2003
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Re: High Performance Driving Course.
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Wed, 18 February 2004 14:33
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Do it dude.
You can never have too much control of your car.
It will make you a better driver furshur.
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Location:
Melbourne
Registered:
October 2003
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Re: High Performance Driving Course.
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Wed, 18 February 2004 14:37
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My uncle and aunty both took one of these together. You take your own car (incase some didn't know). So in their case it was the brand new SS com work car (as at dec 2003) - they couldn't say enough of the experience. And now both have more confidence in driving, particuarly my aunty. My aunt was quite intimidated by all the younger P' platers driving hotted up cars. And when a particular test came along all the guys failed, including my Uncle in the same SS commodore - My aunty somehow managed to negotiate her way round the cones and stop in the area. Much to the dissapointment of the young guys standing around.
In short - Do it, I will when I get my front brakes upgraded.
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Location:
Bayside Melbourne.
Registered:
May 2003
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Re: High Performance Driving Course.
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Thu, 19 February 2004 00:47
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Hmmm... I dunno still. It's a lot of money that I could spend on something else. And, the damn Cressida understeers all the time. Not much fun to drive quickly.
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I supported Toymods
Location:
sydney.au
Registered:
August 2002
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Re: High Performance Driving Course.
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Thu, 19 February 2004 00:57
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do it and learn to control and hopefully avoid understeerig your car
do it.
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Australia
Registered:
November 2003
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Re: High Performance Driving Course.
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Thu, 19 February 2004 01:01
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| SIMDOG wrote on Thu, 19 February 2004 08:47 |
Hmmm... I dunno still. It's a lot of money that I could spend on something else. And, the damn Cressida understeers all the time. Not much fun to drive quickly.
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Get more details on the course.
I can't see it being a "High Performance" course if they make you use your own cars.
I can see it being an "Advanced Driver Training" course which is a lot different to a High Performance one.
In general, High Performance courses they give you a car (I have seen courses with Monaro's, theres one with MGF's, and even one with Porsche's) and they put you through skid pans, teach you to drive sideways, tail out, and in general, like a hoon, but safely.
Where as the Advanced Driver Trainning courses focus more on getting you to behave better and react quicker in given situations (ie, flying around a corner, something steps in front of the car, you have to brake and go around it).
Either way, you will benefit greatly from doing one.
I plan to do one when I have the time/money
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Location:
Bayside Melbourne.
Registered:
May 2003
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Re: High Performance Driving Course.
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Thu, 19 February 2004 01:32
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Basically I think this course is like the ones where you are given a car... Apparently you are instructed to heal/toe and other driving techniques that are not taught when you go for your road licence. They do timed laps around the track as well as the accident avoidance techniques. Most of the latter are covered in the prerequisite course (Defensive Driving Program) so I assume it is more focussed on the fast driving. 
I forgot to add the link initially.
Here is what I am talking about: http://www.murcott.com.au/highperf.html
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Australia
Registered:
November 2003
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Re: High Performance Driving Course.
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Thu, 19 February 2004 01:41
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Hmmm, tough choice.
If they give you a Caterman to race in (like the one in the pics) do it do it do it.
If they make you use your own car, personally, I'd give it a miss and do the defensive driving one (if you haven't already).
It would be no fun trying to race my Cressida around a track trying to get faster and faster times, plus, I wouldn't want to put my car through that kind of punishment.
So, make a phone call, get some particulars, and make a decision.
But I see you train of thought now, spending $352 on something else may be a better way.
Like a full set of Kings lowering springs for instance, thats about $350 worth almost exactly
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Location:
Bayside Melbourne.
Registered:
May 2003
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Re: High Performance Driving Course.
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Thu, 19 February 2004 06:58
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Yeah I enquired about lowering my car a couple of days ago... $350 approx. I have already done the Defensive Driving Course.
BUT, it would be fun to see what the Cressida gets up to down the back straight. 
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Location:
Castlemaine Vic
Registered:
November 2002
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Re: High Performance Driving Course.
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Thu, 19 February 2004 07:18
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hey SIMDOG
iv done the course you are talking about, Jim Murcott one.
don't 2 actually, car control course 1, pretty boring, but it does make you think about driving on public road differently, not much driving more theory then driving.
extended driving program (level 2) was alot more fun, then wet one of the corners of the track and put to witches hats at one end, make you go 60km in to the corner and get it to through it side ways and then u gotta go through the hats at the end. done other stuff to but that was the best part
as for having shitty brakes etc, i reckon its better to do it with dodgy brakes (theres nothing to really hit anyway if u go off the track) but if you can control a car with shit brakes, imagine with a good brake setup, easy!
anyways, i say do it, like one of the others said, you can never know enough about car control i say.
re: auto, doesn't really matter, all the things that make you do is to do with braking and turning, so you don't need to accelerate quickly to do the stuff.
plus, some insurance companys like the idea and give you a littler cheaper insurance (young and cool is one of them)
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