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Club Race School

Supported by the Boston Chapter

BMW CCA Club Racing has enhanced the racing program by developing a series of racing schools nationwide to serve as the perfect stepping-stone for the prospective racer. These intensive two-day schools are structured to take the experienced driving school participant and prepare them for the racing environment.

Historically, prospective race drivers have often been licensed without having an opportunity to develop the necessary skills and confidence to successfully begin an enjoyable, rewarding racing career.

In our racing schools, the student drives a “street prepared” car on track with other students in simulated racing conditions. Extensive classroom sessions (five hours per day) and four on track sessions each day are structured to develop the drivers’ race craft and to reduce the anxiety normally associated with the first taste of competitive driving.

The on-track portion of the program includes green flag starts, driving in traffic, drafting, driving off line, pace car restarts, qualifying and space management. Classroom sessions are presented by experienced race drivers who thoroughly explain racing preparation, driving techniques, race craft, and the mental and physical aspects of competition.

The racing experience has been so realistic that several students have repeated the course multiple times. Graduates from our program have proven successful in their Club Racing careers in both performance and safety.

All students are screened before being accepted into this school and, upon successful completion of the program, can be approved for licensing by BMW CCA Club Racing.

From: garybimmerscom (Gary Bossert)
I’ve been so busy since O’Fest that I haven’t had a chance to sit down and tell folks about the Club Racing School that was held in conjunction with O’Fest and the Club Races at NHIS. I really feel I need to say something because I saw it as a fantastic way to get involved in Club Racing. Not only was it a great time for the students but the amount of knowledge and experience these folks gained in taking the two-day course was incredible.

We had about 15 students all with various amounts of track experience driving fully set up J-stock cars to a new 740i sport and everything in between. Some were set in getting experience from the school and going right onto racing and some wanted to just see what it was all about and get their feet wet. Needless to say, everyone came away addicted to “passing in the corners” and getting competitive on the racetrack in a safe and controlled environment.

The program starts off with the basics and builds upon them in each classroom and on-track session. Lots of stress is put upon where your eyes are, as well as, being in control of your car at all times. Starts, setting up passes, off-line driving, flags, safety, and car and driver prep are also covered extensively with the emphasis on how all of these relate to Club Racing.

It’s a busy day, the students are either in class or on track and they are exhausted but smiling by the end of the day. You can take a street BMW or a race BMW and you don’t have to have a race suit, cage, or other safety gear. You just need the same helmet you use in the driving schools. This allows folks to come out and try it without having the outlay of full race gear and a car with a cage. I just recommend that in order to really get the most out of the school you should be in the advanced or instructor run group at driving schools and be somewhat familiar with the track in which you are taking the course. This will allow you to concentrate on the racing instruction and becoming a “racer” instead of learning the track and becoming a better “driver.”

Finally, if you know anyone thinking about going Club Racing or just even interested in making the next step from drivig schools, you should encourage them to try one of these schools, I can’t stress enough what a positive experience it is. I also can recommend the course to folks who are already licensed but don’t have a lot of experience yet and want to “brush up” on things or get some real instruction and feedback.
I just wish they had a school like this when I got into racing.
—Gary Bossert

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Car uses the same rules as BMW CCA driving schools.
Minimum of 5 sign offs at various tracks.
Two chapter contacts for referral.
SUBJECT TO APPROVAL.

You must register for both days.