Bondurant: No Orange Cones Were Injured In This Exercise!!!

[skullandbones]

A friend of mine jumped on a great deal at Bondurant for an "Advanced Driving Experience". So a group of us Cob** guys did it along with about 200 other enthusiasts. We got to do a couple of hot laps with a pro driver in a very fast Corvette (500 +hp, I think). I could have gone home happy at that point. We did the go karts. I could have passed on that but still OK. Then we got to the Skid Pad simulating driving on slick surfaces. That was probably the most educational for me. I've done black ice and snow for years but getting real time feed back from a pro is helpful. Next we did the Accident Avoidance course which was a Hoot! It's harder than it looks not to put on your brakes. Then the final challenge was the AX. I had about as much fun as you can have with your cloths on.

I think I may be hooked on the AX. This was a very short course and probably nothing like what I will experience in the roadster but it was fun. We drove Cameros with about 400 hp and traction control. There was a long lead in to the first curve where the time started. There were only three curves but they were hair pins that were more than 180 degrees each. So the first was sort of wide radius that decreased rapidly into a very tight finish. Then there was a very short straight and then a 45 to the right. Another straight came where you could get a little more speed and then a tight hair pin (190 degrees) then a short straight and a mirror image of the last turn. Finally, the real challenge was to out smart the traction control to get some speed to the final cone. I couldn't figure that out so I lost a bit of time there. My practice run was lousy but I did better on the first timed and beat that by 1.5 seconds on the second one. My driving buddy got the best time in the group at 24.35....... and I was right behind him at 24.50..... The best time of the day was 23.8...... So it looks like I finished sixth or seventh. I could do that again in a heart beat! All day we kept commenting on how different it would be to do these courses in the roadsters. I missed the opportunity to do hot laps there when they had Cob** roadsters. I could have had first hand experience to compare the differences. Bob B did some of the hot laps then. I think he was still making cameo appearances. I think that's the only thing that would have topped the hot laps I did in the Corvette.

Got some good advice about how to hook up with the AX experience. There are some active clubs in the area that will allow guests to bring their cars when they have an event. I think that's where I will start. This experience was a good teaser as it gave me a feel for the format and some ideas on things I will have to do to prepare my car. I haven't had that much fun in a while!

See ya,

WEK.

[Gumball]

I'm a big fan of Bob Bondurant, the things he did in his career, and his school in AZ. In fact, I liked it so much I brought home a souvenir...

[skullandbones]

OK, I'm guessing is that a retired Bondurant car from when they ran Ford? Otherwise I'm stumped. Explain, please.

WEK.

[McObra]

I attended the Advanced Driving Experience a couple of weeks ago. Best Saturday I've spent in a long time. It was for AAA members and was incredibly inexpensive, when compared to what the same class costs over the counter. If they offer it again, I'm there!

[Gumball]

OK, I'm guessing is that a retired Bondurant car from when they ran Ford? Otherwise I'm stumped. Explain, please.

WEK.

Yep - I picked it up from them in 2008. It was a screaming deal - 2001 GT with tons of modifications by Roush that upped the cost to around $50k per unit. I bought it for $10k with around 7k miles and 300 hours on the clock (with a clean history). I sold it to a friend not to long ago, but it still winters at my place and I have first-rights if he ever tires of it.

[Tom Veale]

"Bondurant: No Orange Cones Were Injured In This Exercise!!!"

I "graduated" in 1988 from Bondurant's 4 day competition license school when he was still at Sonoma, CA (Sears Point Raceway it was know as back then). I then went back with fellow friends and racers in 1999 in AZ for a day or two of track time and deeper instruction. Both experiences were at the 5 star end of Excellence.



Back then Bob B. would take the neophytes around for a track tour in a 14 passenger van. First lap he'd slow for all the corners and explain what the corner was all about. Second lap was the Roller Coaster lap! You can just imagine a big Ford 14 Passenger Van squealing and drifting through Sears Point's corners with 13 wanabe racers aboard! The end of the fast lap was when he'd swing the van off the track and into the skid pad area which had this slippery goo on the asphalt. He did 720° worth of spins, scaring the devil out of 13 of the 14 people in the van! I remember the guy next to me leaned over and whispered.......

"I think I'm at the wrong school!!!"



I remember being most impressed with the accident avoidance/lane change exercise at the time. I was amazed that one could nudge a 3500# car over a lane or two and miss a baby carriage with relative ease when the same car could not be stopped before the baby carriage while staying in the same lane no matter how hard one tried.

I finally gave up my comp license 20 years later. That's 20 years that I'd never give back for anything. Bondurant School was the best money I ever spent on racing. My skill level jumped up so quickly it took me a while to appreciate just what had happened. The same $$$ spent on horsepower or anything else could never have accomplished what those 4 days did at the beginning of my racing. On a Cost per Hour for track time, it was very reasonable.


(NeanderTom at the wheel of my Challenge series car, Gingerman Raceway, MI)

Best regards,
Tom

[Avalanche325]

SCCA autocross events are very friendly. You can give them a try with a "weekend membership". Then if you join, part of that gets credited to a full membership.

I have my car torn down for bodywork right now. I kid you not, I have dreams of auto-crossing.

I would love to do one of those schools.

[skullandbones]

I would love to drive that Mustang on a hot lap!

The event was also a AAA sponsored one. I was the best deal, I've ever seen. When you look at the prices of the sessions, it is major sticker shock but after you take in all the surrounding infrastructure and cost of operating such an operation (day to day operational cost), it probably isn't too outrageous. I can't even begin to calculate the benefit to dollar ratio. I learned a couple of techniques that I will carry with me from now on. I was impressed with the number of cars they had and the garage that is used to do PMs and more urgent repairs. There was one car that started leaking fluid and was taken immediately to the garage. It was out and on the track in about an hour. Just the amount of oil and other fluids they go through and the track tires as well. So my bucket list has one more item as of Saturday!

Thanks,

WEK.