Yesterday I was at the Race Track drooling over Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Porsches. I was back at the Speedway again today for something entirely different. I went with my 16 year old niece so she could participate in the Drivers Edge training program.

Drivers Edge is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to better prepare teenage drivers. Traditional drivers education teaches our youth to pass a test. Drivers Edge teaches them how to survive life on the road and not become a statistic. The class is open to anyone with a permit or license under 21. It is offered without cost and is supported by donations and several corporate sponsors. The half day session is limited to 80 students and consists of classroom and behind the wheel exercises. The information they provide would be valuable to drivers of any age.

I was very impressed with the program. What impressed me even more were the cast of volunteer instructors at the event. I would have been extremely thrilled to have any of them help me work on my driving technique. Most of the names I did not recognise, but their bios read like my dreams. Many of them were Skip Barber instructors. All of them had success in a varitey of racing venues: Go-Kart National Championships, Champ Car, NASCAR, 24 Hours of Datona, Rolex Grand Am, and the list goes on and on. There was one instructor that jumped to the top of the list for me. I used my niece as a pawn so I would have a better chance to talk to him and made sure that she got him as her instructor. Who was it you are asking? A clue - His father won the Formula 1 Championship in 1961. That's right, she got to go on the skid pad with Derek Hill, the son of one of my idols, Phill Hill. How fricking cool is that ?!?!

Drivers Edge is a great program. Check out their web site. http://www.driversedge.org/ . If you have any teenagers in your home, I highly recommend that you sign them up to participate if they have a date scheduled in your area.

John, you still trying to convince the judge that sweet young thing is your niece?

That is awesome to have that kind of opportunity, I hope she realizes it. When my 2 kids and 2 step children had there licenses fro a couple of months we sent them to the one day school a Skip Barber. They are aged 17 thru 22 now and have had opportunities to use some of the defensive manouvers and skills taught at those classes.
On the last child's class I took it with her. Not only is it a learning process but it was really fun,especially the Viper at the end of class. We still look for some of the instructors, who are also drivers.

I went to it.

Drove a bmw and a camaro. Lots of fun, lots of learing! Got vids of me doing a donut in the camaro, instructor wasnt to happy...

I wonder though... It's good that these kids get a chance to learn how their car handles, their limits and how to drive defensively. The problem I forsee is that every teenage hockey puck with a will to drive crazily or impress their friends will think they're a racer after a little intensive drivers' education. I'm not saying all of the kids who take the course will be like that, but there's always a few in the group who will be...

I do believe that it will teach them ot be spacially aware of the environment and the people around them, which is very good. My favorite is teenagers in SUVs that "dont see" the people they hit (yeah, about 4 feet below your line of sight) or don't realize they're driving a 3-ton brick of steel and don't pay attention because they're either on the phone, talking to friends, handling their kids. Another favorite is you get them into a little econ-car with a fart pipe and they excessively speed, cut people off and try to drag race at every stop light. Usually they're egged on by friends to do those things and "show off".

You can bet, though, as soon as my sister is old enough to reach the pedals, she's going to be spending a lot of time behind the wheel of either my 914, my dad's 964 or my mom's 911SC at DE events and AX events. Then again, we've been spending the last 4 years of her life conditioning her to be a good driver

John, with a wig and alot of makeup..............nevermind

Thanks for posting this, I just signed up wannateener (dylan) for end of the summer at Reno, right before he gets his license and just before his teener will be complete. I had no idea this program existed and it appears to be just what we were looking for. Miss Mari

Excellent Miss Mari. Thanks for supporting Dylan.
I hope you are able to go to the program with him. You are sure to learn something also.

They're going to think that anyway, at least this way they may have SOME skills.

I plan on sticking around and checking it out. Of course JT (Streetlegal go kart) thinks I need this class more than Dylan does. He says my driving makes him ill. I did manage to make the dog throw up once. I guess she wasnt thrilled with how I handled the curves. Mari