JohnoDrake Goes to Spring Mountain

Johnodrake

CorvetteForum

I have just returned from Spring Mountain Motorsports Resort and Country Club Ron Fellows High Performance Driving School and wanted to share with you my experiences.

I attended the Level 2 school for the second time and, as I did last time, I attended the last day of the Level 1 school as a warm-up. This was my fourth time at Spring Mountain. To say that the school is a blast is a gross understatement. I cannot imagine doing anything with a car that it more fun, exciting and informative.

Let me say a few things about the school – and there are pictures included! The facilities are without peer. Some folks elect to stay in town and some elect to stay in Vegas but you can do no better than stay at the facility. the rooms are terrific – clean, attractive and come with kitchen facilities and a big flat screen – like I had time for that, right! (but I did get to see the start of Le Mans on the morning I left). For those who want to take a significant other, there is a pool and spa and they even have a gun range!

View from Condo B

The Club House

The track is highly technical with each turn designed to teach the student something about the handling of the car. The Level two course is 2.4 miles and 12 turns including a Watkins Glen like “Bus Stop”. You can really get smokin’ on the back straight – upwards of 125+! The Level 1 course is the same sans the bus stop and loop but does include the most challenging set of turns – 8, 9, 10 that you can find anywhere. Just to let you know how improvement comes – I improved 5 full seconds over my last visit – and this was on a hot track in June. I hope to do the same level of improvement when I return in 2013!

Turn One

Turn Seven

The Straight

The Finish

The Cars

The instructors are peerless! The Director and Chief Instructor, Rick Malone, is one of the finest motor sport teachers I have seen and he is always looking for ways to improve the school but more importantly, he looks for ways to improve the student. He will do whatever it takes to make the student better – even if it means riding with the student lap after lap giving personal attention. The other instructors, both full time and part time are not only exceptional drivers – like Jeff Bucknum – who has driven the Indy 500 – but they are all exceptional instructors as well – giving you guidance without making you feel like an idiot in the process!

The Classroom

Finally a word about the staff – their goal is to make the experience a great one and they are successful at it – from the sales and administrative staff to the guys that maintain the cars – first class all the way and they are never unwilling to stop what they are doing to say hi and chat a moment.

Often you hear on the forum – what should I do to mod my car first. My answer will always be “Mod the driver” treat yourself to a course at Spring Mountain – If you think you can drive now, just wait and see how well you drive after a visit to the Ron Fellows School!

We did!