Good DE/Autocross or School in Mid-Atlantic

Ok, here's the thing. As ya'll know, I'm a complete noob, say dumb things and ask dumb questions. I admit it fully. Also realize I drive my car like garbage; I don't shift at the right time and I'm a mess with the clutch. I'm not a native manual driver, so this is school of expensive knocks for me. I'm being honest here, puttin' myself out there. I do however drink good beer, as I am currently enjoying a small-batch porter from Maine. I'm looking for a "school" or autocross/DE in the mid-Atlantic or East Coast/Northeast. Of course I'm a PCA member locally, but the thought of changing all fluids; new tires; lines flushed/etc makes me run away (sorry, being honest again) and I'm looking to learn to drive, not race (although perhaps with the latter comes the former). Any advice, noobish or otherwise, would be appreciated. I'm looking for good 1-2 day schools that will teach me to drive my car. Curious if you've had the experience of a pro course (non-PCA) or whether I suck it up, do my autocross and DE locally, and just get my car in shape. That or head to Alabama for the Porsche Sport Driving School....

1) Evolution Autocross school is the the best you can likely find. ( http://www.evoschool.com/ ) You don't say where in the NE/East you are located.. and that would be helpful. Lots of ACTIVE PCA regions with strong AX programs (NER/NCR, CVR, Metro NY, NNJR etc. ) 2) PCA AX events do NOT require a full TECH inspection.. Show up with some extra air in your tires and pay to enter. Done. Nothing special. In fact, same is true for almost all AX clubs, even SCCA. Worst thing they might find, if a at event techline is evident, is something WRONG with your car You do NOT need the Porsche school to learn to AX.. and in fact, they don't teach AX. For any respectable DE event (PCA or other), a TECH INSPECTION is a must. You DON'T want to find yourself at 100+mph and have an issue that COULD have been spotted with the car on the lift for 10 minutes. Plus, track driving does stress a car.. Making sure BRAKES (pads and fluid), tires, suspension components etc are up to the rigors is a GOOD thing. Plus, it will teach you more about your own car and how to look out for trouble, before trouble happens. If truly midatlantic, POTOMAC PCA has an AX event this saturday. I am sure others do too.. come on out!

Hi Peter, First Settlers region PCA is running a 3 day DE event at VIR May 20-22. Like racer said above, not sure if that's too far from you but worth the drive if you're interested. I don't have much in the way of expert advice as I did my first DE this past weekend at VIR in my 986 and am very very new myself, but I can say it was worth every penny! The atmosphere was really friendly and I didn't feel out of place or over my head in the novice group with no previous track experience. Plus I was paired with an extremely helpful instructor who had previously owned and DE'd a Boxster and knew how the car would respond to my inputs. I did opt for the Lockton Affinity DE insurance just in case and thought it was worth the money just in case. Plus I even had a good time prepping the week before, changing fluids and going over the car to check and double check that everything was in working order. I will absolutely be doing DE's more often and see what everyone meant by "slippery slope." Good luck and hope you give it a try!

+1 for Evo school. You can do a local one for less money, and it can be fantastic. It could also be of little use. The Evo instructors really are among the best autocrossers in the country, as well as having experience instructing and driving in a staggering number of different cars. The instructors are very good at adapting to the students level -- from true novice, average local driver, local hotshoe, to fellow national competitor looking for practice and advice from a real peer on a well known course. I highly recommend Phase 1 and possibly 2. Phase 3 IMO is best done after more experience. That's autocross. For DE info someone more local can give advice.

Thanks. Closest to Philly, but Delaware works too. It looks like I missed the local AX events, which all happened in April, but a beginner DE requires minor maintenance, and Racer, your comment at 100 MPH flaws is spot-on, and an excellent point. Heading to my local DE sponsor in two days' time to check out my car, and look into a proper helmet. I hear this is an addictive behavior. Boy, my wife's gonna be thrilled. By the way, Yomi your child is touching the engine hatch, and the picture is in perfect focus, implying that you are not shaking in mortal fear. Impressive.

There's a bunch I can recommend if you're willing to come down to VIR. Also, try to ride with experienced drivers or instructors. You will learn a lot. I'd offer a ride if I was coming up that way any time soon, but no immediate plans. Good luck, they're great fun and will make you a better driver to boot!

Have you looked at Skip Barber? They have 2 day HPDEs at Lime Rock, CT. http://skipbarber.com/highperformance.asp

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Riesentoter PCA, South jersey also has a PCA chapter as does Delaware. SCCA runs events at Warminster (sp?) Not sure if PCA still runs AX events. I know some Reisentoter folks make the trek to the Meadowlands to run with PCA (NNJR). I *think* delaware PCA is running AX events in Dover. Another 2hours south is Baltimore/DC area clubs (DC SCCA runs at Fed Ex Field - Reskins stadium - lots that are huge and with elevation. Most large PCA regions shoot for 1 AX / month. Then add in SCCA with 1/month and even some other clubs (like Mercedes Benz, BMW, or Audi) and when you become a real junky, check out HERE : http://www.autox4u.com/

Check to see if your local autocross clubs are doing any cone clinics. For a novice, that's going to be just as good as Evo or another school, and WAY cheaper for the seat time. And make no mistakes- it's the seat time that matters! Personally, I think autocross is more useful for learning the limits of your car than DE, simply because in DE, you always approach the limit but must be careful to never actually reach it because it's too dangerous. In autocross, you're expected to find that limit and drive right on the hairy edge, often going past it, recovering, and trying again.

Ya; tempted to stay with PCA AX in my club's area, but I don't see a monthly, just a yearly, which would be odd. Off to my club's DE sponsor tomorrow for a bit of advice, but all good points and all well-taken. Agree that for the money I'm better off starting in a PCA-sponsored AX, more frequently, than a one-time course with Evo or other, although the Evo courses might also be what I need to kick-start me.

Don't stick to just PCA events, check out SCCA and independent autocross clubs as well. Porsches are always welcome and usually come in force to autocrosses. On top of that, some of the best drivers drive corvettes, miatas, junior karts, etc, and you can learn a lot.