"Skip Barber racers have won every single major auto race in the United States."

The Need for Speed

Most drivers consider themselves better than average. Some, however, have the diplomas to prove it. At racetracks around the United States, the pros at Skip Barber Racing School, the oldest racing school in the world, teach the art of driving for speed, driving for fun, and driving with brains.

Bob Green teaches advanced driving courses at Skip Barber's.

"People don't know what their cars can do," says instructor Bob Green.

"Skip Barber racers have won every single major auto race in the United States," says Dan Hubbard, a director of the program. "And these drivers took the same courses with the same instructors as the rest of our students."

Indeed, you don't have to be a pro racer to attend Skip Barber's. Most people go to the driving school (classes are offered at 5 of the 20 Skip Barber locations) simply because they have a curiosity about their abilities and their cars.

"People don't know what their cars can do," says instructor Bob Green. "They're only using about half of the car's capabilities."

For instance, he explains, most people don't understand the sophistication of the breaking technology in BMWs and Porsches - the brake systems are constantly correcting your moves to prevent you from losing control. Green helps students understand the capabilities of these vehicles, as well as maneuvers that can help you avoid a late night call to AAA. (Those who want to learn some tricks before going to a track can pick up the school's textbook).

On a recent rainy Thursday on the school's Lime Rock, CT, campus, Green lectured on the fine points of braking, g-forces, and tire pressure. Then his students went outside and actually practiced a 35-mph controlled skid,using the school's trucks and a specially designed track for just that purpose.

There are dozens of luxury cars available for the driving classes. It's a good place to test out cars without having to hopscotch from dealership to dealership - you can do a high-speed U-turn in a BMW, put a Porsche into fifth gear, and then buckle yourself into a racing-class Dodge Neon all in the time it would take to fill up the gas tank of an SUV.

"All cars have a different personality," says Hubbard. "If you're looking to buy one, driving them back-to-back can help you get to know which one is best for you."

So what happens after you pass this souped-up version of drivers ed? If you then take Skip's introduction to racing class (available at all 20 locations), you can come back and try out their fleet of racing-class autos - open-wheeled indy cars, trucks, Porsches, and more - or your own wheels, if you wish.

That's 18-year-old Renée Remmers' plan. She attended class with Green in the hopes of living out a dream of taking to the track like her dad, a racecar driver. But first, school rules dictated that she had to take Green's class in the basics. The class was a graduation present from her mom and dad - they aren't the first parents to send their reckless-driving teens to the school. You might say it was something of a bargaining chip to get her to practice her moves in a controlled environment. She says. "I can't wait for racing class!"

Posted on July 17, 2006