What is a Driving School?

The purpose of a driving school is quite simple: to improve your driving skills. We will emphasize the relationship of driver and machine, making them function in unison and giving you, as a student, the opportunity to learn your limitations and expand your capabilities, thus creating safe driving skills and habits in a controlled situation.

We conduct the school on a racetrack under the close supervision of experienced and trained instructors. You will learn how to handle and control your vehicle at speeds not normally attained on public roads. This will help to prepare you for emergencies in normal driving. It will also allow you to explore your capabilities as a driver and those of your vehicle.

At no time will you be pushed or encouraged to go any faster than is comfortable for you. All participants will be organized into run groups in accordance with experience, skill, and type of vehicle.

What you learn on the track depends on your driving skill. Beginners are taught driving style (smoothness, consistency, the ability to read the track), more experienced participants continue to work on consistency, while developing new skills such as trail braking, and threshold braking. Every time you are on the track, you will have an experienced instructor in the passenger seat.

For the most experienced drivers, you can be “signed off” and drive solo when you have proven to your instructor and the Chief Instructor that you understand the basics of high speed driving, you can consistently drive the correct line, and you show proper etiquette on track. Maturity, good judgment, skill and significant experience will lead to being signed off for solo driving. Even if you are a solo student, you are still highly encouraged to learn new skills from your instructor. In fact, National BMW Club rules require an instructor be in-car for at least part of the event for all students.

Classroom

Your day is divided between driving on the track, classroom sessions, or free time. Yes, this is a school, and there is mandatory classroom time. All participants are required to attend classroom sessions to learn vehicle dynamics and driving techniques. Failure to attend will result in loss of driving privileges.

These sessions will continue throughout the day to help you understand the fine art of high speed driving. In the classroom, you learn high speed driving theory. You learn everything from 'why low-profile tires are better', to what is the difference between an early and late apex. Car physics, such as what is really happening when I brake or why my car understeers or oversteers is also discussed. Each classroom normally has a question and answer session.

What is a Driving School NOT?

Though you are on a racetrack, with 20-30 other drivers of similar driving skills, it is not a race. Passing in corners is not allowed, and you are not expected to shift at redline, or go screaming through each corner with the tires squealing.

Safety of the event is of the utmost importance. Driver conduct will be diligently monitored throughout the day by the staff, instructors, and corner workers. Infractions of the rules will not be tolerated, and will likely result in dismissal from the school.

Requirements

Registration

Please register using the Boston Chapter Online Event Registration system. Your online entry date determines your priority. When you use the online system to register for the school, you are not yet accepted for the school. The event coordinator and registrar determine who is accepted into this school. If you are accepted into this school, you will be notified by email.

Payment

We use PayPal for driving school registration fees. If you are accepted you will be sent an email containing payment details. Your date of registration will be your online filing date, provided you send payment via PayPal for the proper amount within three days of our request for payment. If your payment is more than three days after your online registration date, you will be recorded as having registered on the date the payment was made. Check your “MyBostonChapter” for your status.

Wait-List Rules

Due to applicant demand and instructor availability, we are uncertain as to the total number of students that will be admitted. If we receive more registrations than students we can admit, a waiting list will be created. Please indicate in your registration whether you wish to be placed on the waiting list. It is possible that we may resort to a blind lottery if we are oversubscribed. If your registration is not one of those initially accepted and you do not wish to be wait-listed, your registration will be considered closed. All other applicants are required to down load the appropriate Tech Inspection and Day of Event documents which contain important information regarding car preparation requirements and schedule at least three weeks prior to the school.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

In order to receive a refund of your entry fee, you must cancel by the date listed in the specific event description AND we must find another driver to take your spot. After this date there will be no refunds for any reason. After this date there will be no refunds for any reason. All cancellations will be charged a $30 processing fee regardless of when received.

Novice Student Price Incentive

As an added encouragement to attend our already exciting and rewarding Driving Schools, the Boston Chapter will offer a $100 discounted price to Novice students signing up for the first time at selected events. In order to participate in the discount program the student must have zero track experience and of course be 18 years old. (Note - Track experience does not include autocross, carting, driving simulators or video games). The student will be placed in our novice run group for the entire day and will be assigned a mentor to help acclimate them with the activities throughout the day.

Novices All drivers with no previous Driving School experience are strongly advised to attend an Advanced Driving Skills School run by the Boston Chapter prior to this event as the schedule allows. ADSS school dates are listed in the calendar and are all held in the rear parking lot at NHMS. Please note that the ADSS is designed to help you better understand your vehicle before coming to the track. There is an additional $70 charge for attending the ADSS.
Advanced Driving Skills School (ADSS) Info

Each Spring, a Ground School is held in the Boston area to introduce driving events, meet the people involved, and get inside tips. Try to attend if at all possible. You should also download and read the New Performance Driver's Guide to High Performance Driving Event. Check the events calendar for the date.

Driving School Sampler Program

If you're curious about all this Driving School business at Race Tracks but are not sure it's for you, then the Boston Chapter now has a great way for our club members to experience the track school as a non driving participant. You will have the opportunity to closely observe the action on the track from both outside the car, and inside, as a passenger of an approved instructor for one session. You will also attend our classroom sessions where discussions can range widely from track layout to car setup. A helmet will be required, some loaners MAY be available but if you have an SA or M2005 helmet bring it along.. This is a great way for spouses and/or those not sure of their interest level, to experience a driving school.

If you’re interested then email the registrar.

Tech Inspection

ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST DOWNLOAD A PRE-EVENT SAFETY INSPECTION FORM. You will be required to have a qualified individual/mechanic inspect your vehicle and verify its safety. This inspection should occur within three weeks of the event (also don’t leave until the day before the event). At the time of the inspection, the participant must sign the completed Pre-Event Safety Inspection Report.

The Pre-Event Safety Inspection Form must be presented to the Boston Chapter Tech Personnel at the track on the day of the event. The participant will not be allowed to drive the vehicle on the track without first presenting a signed and completed Pre-Event Safety Inspection Form. In addition, on the morning of the event our tech crew will perform a spot check of every vehicle

Note: Brake Fluid will be tested as part of the Pre-Event safety inspection. Brake Fluid must be no older than 6 months and not contain an unacceptable amount of water [greater than 2%] as determined by the chapter testers.  Track events will stress your brake system more than driving on the street and it is important that your brake system be in good working order.  Brake fluid with too much water in it will be a reason for not allowing the car on the track at the discretion of the tech inspectors) . See Tech Inspection form for details.

The Driving School participant is solely responsible for the condition of the vehicle to be driven to, at, and from this event. You are solely responsible for ensuring that your vehicle is safe before you come to the track.

Convertibles

Rules for CONVERTIBLES are as follows:

Definition for Convertibles and Cars with Removable Roof Sections
‘Convertibles’ are defined as cars with retractable tops, whether soft-top or folding hard-top.
‘Removable roof sections’ include targa tops and T-tops. These are characterized by part of a fixed body structure above the passenger compartment.

Participation Requirements - Convertibles
Convertibles are not allowed to participate in sessions driven at speed unless the car is equipped with the following minimum requirements:

• An approved roll bar or roll cage. Both driver and instructor sitting up right with helmets are below the top of the roll bar.
• Five (5) or Six(6) point harnesses for both driver and instructor where belts are properly routed.
• Arm Restraints

Participation Requirements - Removable Roof Sections
Cars with removable roof sections are allowed provided that both driver and instructor sitting up right with helmets are below the top of the roll bar or roof line.

Exclusions - Cars equipped only with factory pop-up posts or similarly activated rollover protection are not allowed.

Approval for Event
ALL convertibles must be approved by the Event Chair in advance. Please contact the registrar before the event to discuss your configuration. If the vehicle does not pass the on-site Tech Inspection with regard to the rules above, you will not be allowed to participate and no refund will be given. If you have an open convertible with an approved roll bar and we are not able to find an instructor who is willing to accompany you on the track, your entry fee will be refunded.