I'm looking to sharpen my skills since I've done a bunch of suspension mods (HIGHLY recommended - huge improvement) and really want to be able to put them to their full use. I'd love to find a school that either teaches with MINIs or where I can hopefully drive my own MINI.

Any recommendations from fellow SoCal folk?

Cheers,
Noah

 

Check into your local BMW club and inquire about their classes; my local club welcomes MINIs for their one-day "car control clinic" (no helmet reqd) and their two-full-day comprehensive driving-school (helmet reqd).

I've taken the former and it was the BEST $50 I've spent. Several club friends have recommended the full BMW two-day school to follow that and raved, even rating it favorably over the Wicks Driving School because they got much more personal attention and a more-organized training experience.

 

Try Danny McKeever's fast lane driving school. It's at Willow Springs. You can use your own car.

 

The Central California BMW chapter is having a HPDE class on Apr 9th at Buttonwillow. http://www.cccbmwcca.org/BMW/High_Pe...ng_School.html

The LA BMW chapter's HPDE is on May 15-16 at the Autoclub Speedway in Fontana. http://www.bmwclubla.org/calendar.php#165

 

Thank, all. I signed up for the April 9th class at Buttonwillow.

 

Damn, turns out it was full, and I will be out of town for the BMW Fontana dealie. *****. The official schools are a hell of a lot more expensive...

 

The Alfa Romeo Owners of Southern California has a very good driving school, usually once or twice a year at the Streets of Willow. Been there and done that. That was even before I got my Alfa Romeo. They allowed my in with my Chevy Beretta. They're real car guys.

It's about $200 for the entire weekend, plus your night's stay in beautiful downtown Lancaster. They have HP driving school, time trial school, and racing school. Your car has to be prepared for whatever level of instruction you are seeking. HP driving school needs street equipment; no roll bar for closed car, std 3-point seat belts. Car must pass tech inspection. Many shops in SoCal who do that for the club. YOU need Snell helmet, leather or Nomex gloves, and Nomex or natural fiber clothing covering ankles to wrists to your neck.

More Information at the website, arosc.org.

 

Hi Headlands,

Check out www.drivingconcepts.com. We do HDPEs with a huge focus on instruction. We have small class sizes so that you can have an instructor with you all day. We do most of the local tracks too. Unfortunately, summer isn't the best time for track days in So Cal, we don't have anything coming up.

As for the cost, you are right, official schools are more expensive, but you get a lot more high-quality track time and instruction for the cost. When you go with a group like Redline or Speed Ventures you can be out there with 20 other people who have no clue what they are doing, and instruction is typically limited to a few laps. But with the more expensive school they cap the events at much fewer cars, giving you a lot more space on the track, and a lot more time with an instructor. It is definitely worth the extra cost.