Ryan's Highway Survival Course

After a few minutes in the classroom to go over the basics with Instructor Jeff, it was time to hit the track (ok not really the track, but the parking lot next to the track). It was really cool to hear all the Indy cars zooming around the track as we prepared to get going.  They broke us into two groups and our group went with Instructor Kevin to the Accident Avoidance Station.  Also in my group were Katie, a new driver of only two weeks from Arizona, and her father.  Kevin first drove us in his car through the station, which involves driving at speeds of up to 35 mph and making quick lane changes while not braking (they set up two lanes of cones to simulate a sudden avoidance maneuver).  I can definitely see the fear in Katie’s eyes, and even though I’m an experienced driver of 10 years, I was feeling some butterflies in my stomach.  Then we each get into our own Ford Focus’ and show off our skills.  The first few times I took out a few cars (cones), but after a few tries I was weaving in and out at 35 mph and I was ready for my next career as a professional stunt driver.  Even Katie, our new driver, picked it up and could swerve in and out successfully without hitting the cones.

Next we moved to the skid car.  Whoa – Imagine the feeling of skidding on ice, and you have to keep control of your car.  The skid car was very frustrating, but I did learn that while in a skid, it’s a delicate balance of light braking, using the gas, and steering in the direction you want to go, that will lead to recovery.  The third station was the emergency braking station.  First, we got to floor it for about 100 yards and then slam on the brakes (which is the incorrect way, but still pretty fun).  Then we learned the correct way of gradual braking to avoid locking your brakes.  At the end, they set up an obstacle course that tested us on the skills we learned during the class.  I barely missed out on 1st place, coming in a close second behind an ex-police officer.

The class was both fun and informative, and I recommend it to any new or experienced driver.  After it was over, I was ready to work on some advanced skills.  Jim Russell has many other programs including High Performance Driving and Karting courses.  They also plan on rolling out the Teen’s Drive for Life Program, a course specifically designed for new drivers.  For more info on the school, please follow the link below. 

Ford Focus--car used for training

New driver Katie and her father

Infineon Raceway

Training Classroom

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