Here, instructor Tommy Thompson...
Here, instructor Tommy Thompson is going over how to apex a corner after a session on track. Listen to your instructor and ask questions if you don't understand. Then, during your next session you can practice what you've learned, making you faster.
You could drive around for 800 laps but if you're not correcting the problem areas you'll never get better. The mantra, "Slow-is-fast," is repeated over and over. If you learn nothing else that day, you'll remember that. Easy on the gas pedal, easy on the brake pedal, and easy on the steering wheel. The car is setup to go around the track. You simply have to learn how to guide it.
Not all of the students at the racing school are there to get experience for the next step in their career. Some are there simply because they are speed junkies.
Robert Porter from Houston, Texas, has been to several racing schools. Attending a school like the Buck Baker Racing School lets him get his racing fix without the need for owning or maintaining a car. He shows up to the school, gets his laps, and leaves with a wide grin.
Here, Thompson is telling...
Here, Thompson is telling the author that he was turning in too early in Turn 1, which pushes the car up in Turn 2. That scrubs speed off and keeps you from getting back on the gas early and slowing your backtretch speed. Worse case scenario is you push right into the wall.
William Smith usually is found on pit wall in the USAR series or an occasional Camping World Truck Series race. This was his first chance to get behind the wheel and drive. William liked the experience because it gave him a better insight to what the driver is experiencing in the car. "It helps the relationship between crew chief and driver," he said.
Whatever your reason for attending a racing school, you'll definitely enjoy the experience. For some it's a step up, for some its more knowledge, the rest are speed junkies looking to feed their hunger.
The Return Of An Old Friend
Built in 1946, North Wilkesboro Speedway became synonymous with NASCAR-first as a dirt track then as asphalt, after being paved in 1958. The last race was in September 1996 and it has sat silent since then. A few attempts have been made to purchase the track and revitalize it. Now Speedway Associates, Inc. has at least four race events planned for 2010. It's also in the process of renovations that it hopes will revitalize the track and bring racers and fans alike for years to come. On the weekend we attended the school, local fans came out to see the first action on the track in several years. North Wilkesboro mayor, Robert Johnson, is excited that the track is re-opening. As a boy he used to peek through the wooden fences and watch the action from outside Turn 4. His hopes are that the track "brings more to the economy and jobs and excitement to hear the engines roar. It means a lot to North Wilkesboro." For more information on the speedway visit www.historicnws.com.