Quote:
Originally Posted by The HACK
In my rather biased opinion, you should consider first and foremost taking BMW CCA Golden Gate's car control clinic first before you consider taking any serious on track events. It will give you the very basics of how to handle your car in adverse situations, and give you a new perspective on your own driving skills. Once you have that baseline reset, it will be far easier learning how to drive fast on the track.
The second thing I will recommend, is for at least your first 3-5 events, to do it with a reputable organization that INSIST on putting an instructor in your car, and every other noob's car. Not some that will make it optional to you, because, in your first half a dozen events is where you will build the foundation in which to learn from, and if it's not set properly, you will find it progressively harder to progress as a driver later on because all the bad habits has set. In addition, if they only provide instructor to those who ask for it, what happens to those other noob drivers that don't? They're a danger to YOU as a driver on the track at the same time.
The third thing I will recommend, is to buy on-track insurance from a place like Lockton Affinity (not affiliated) for a car that you daily drive that's relatively new like the MZ4 Coupe, where you can not afford to write off any incident. No, it's not cheap (ranges from $120-250 per day/event and more based on stated value of the car), but neither is wadding up your car, be it your fault or someone else's.
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I did 3 car control clinics over 2 years time period, while I was also volunteering in car control clinics (course engineer, station director etc). When I decided that I was "ready" for my first HPDS, I was much better off than many people. Much more comfortable with my car, controls, smoothness, looking ahead, and with speed (not that I was fast, but you don't want to be the guy doing 20mph through a fast sweeper). Still I was a newbie, but a little better prepared.
The amount of stuff that happens around you, and amount of stuff you need to do is so much (and new), I'd be lost without an instructor. When I was signed off solo, it was a tense moment initially... getting into the track by myself, crazy!! But we have good instructors here (it was Jim Millet who signed me off solo), they know when they can sign you off solo...