Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Stunt Driving Schools

Can you count the number of times you've watched an amazing stunt in a movie and found yourself thinking "how on earth did he do that? "Not to mention the number of times we've wished we could perform tricks like that. What better way to grab attention that to drive a car of 4?

That's what stunt schools are for. To teach you how to perform those fantastic stunts you see on the screen. It does not matter if you're learning these stunts to take up a full fledged career as a stunt driver or just for the fun of it.

Most stunt schools offer various programs, depending on your needs. These programs are normally a combination of classroom sessions, one-on-one interactions with the driving instructor, and plenty of time behind the wheels of various types of cars.

Some courses count towards various types of license requirements needed for racing.
If you join one of these stunt driving schools thinking things are going to be all fun and play, I have two words for you - Wake up! Stunt driving is the farthest thing from the word easy.
Be prepared to be put through some rigorous driving sessions that'll have every bone and muscle in your body screaming for some relief. If you've never experienced the pain of calluses and blisters on your hands, now you will.

You'll learn a lot of things. Like the fine art of shuffle steering, for example or making the car skid 180 degrees to sit perfectly at a specific point. You'll also learn to perform a controlled 90 degree skid to place the car in a pre-specified position.

Reverse 180s are harder to master. It consists of going fast in reverse and then spinning the car around 180 degrees and immediately shooting out straight forward.

If you assume the only purpose for learning these techniques is to get into the movies, you're only partially right. The lessons learnt here will serve you well on the streets, where a split second's reflexes would mean life or death.

Once you're done with one of these stunt schools, you'll leave with a new respect for the car, car control, and precision driving.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Race Car Driving Schools

To help realize our hidden desires and long-cherished wishes, Race Car Driving Schools exist. Danger and immense pleasure, juxtaposed together, make up race car driving. Therefore, to drive a race car or to race, we have to attend a proper Race Car Driving School.
Many schools provide excellent Race Car Driving lessons to novices or even experienced drivers. Schools can be divided into several types, such as drag Racing Schools, NASCAR Racing Schools, kart Racing School, GT Racing Schools, and many more. Teaching comprises of a mixture of theory and practical classes. Such schools even provide all the necessary equipment and gear needed while racecar driving.

Using NASCAR-style cars, Finish Line Racing Schools provide a variety of courses all suited to different levels of students. The Buck Baker Racing School also belongs to the NASCAR-style category.

Usually it helps if a given school is accredited by the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America), as it enables the driver to participate in the competitive races organized by the club. Skip Barber Racing School, Russell Racing School, Bertil Roos Racing School, Derek Daly Racing School, Panoz Racing School, and Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving are the schools that have been accredited by the SCCA.

Russell Racing School provides courses that span from several hours to several days. Ranging from basic courses to advanced-level courses, it provides excellent driving lessons. Courses such as grand-prix racing, advanced driving and teenage race car driving can all be found at Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Racing School.

Derek Daly Academy and Bertil Roos Racing School use formula racing cars, and their courses also run from some hours to days, covering all the basics needed in driving a race car.
Besides the aforementioned schools, there are other schools which are recognized by the SCCA. The Mid-Ohio School, Pacific Rim Performance, and Driving Dynamics, among others, are examples of such schools. The advanced high performance course of Mid-Ohio School is especially commendable.