Old postNEQ DE Lime Rock School

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Taka:  I read your posts on the 200 20V page and I'm disappointed about your
dissatisfaction about the NEQ Lime Rock Park event.  While everyone's
entitled to their opinion, and each participant seems to have a different
outcome, I'd encourage you to try the event one more time.  The facility is
short (distance wise) and Lime Rock has a tremendous turn out which makes
"keeping everyone happy" a difficult task.  Each instructor handles several
students and other responsibilities during the event.  Additionally, each
field exercise (cones, braking etc.) is staffed by those instructors and
volunteers.
The quickness of those field exercise "sessions" is dependant upon how many
students negotiate the course without having the instructors and volunteers
reset the "cones" or other situations like:
1.  Lime Rock park short several corner workers for our group.
2.  The constant Rain.
3.  The spun out S6 Avant during the cone exercises and the many resets to
cones course needed as ~30 cars passed through.
4.  The coolant leak (as well as the piston rod through the block of the
Saturn I was driving.)

This (NEQ Chapter) driving school welcomes all abilities and each group has
several proficient students and some who are working on basis skills.  It is
our job to help students regardless of their ability level and we strive to
have everyone improve their own driving skills.

Just like driving on the open road, hold-ups are frustrating but sometimes
part of the "experience".  Please consider that your ability may be far
beyond some other drivers attending, but until the club can assess each
driver's skills to place them in different run groups (by ability or vehicle
performance) each "session" may have to be cut short for many different
reasons - some beyond our control.

The 85MPH speed limit for the front straightaway is completely reasonable. I
backed off at the start/finish line @ ~ 90MPH just because I didn't see the
need to press the car further into the braking box to "enhance" the track
driving experience.

While having a "limit" placed upon the participant may seem bogus to some,
wait until you've experienced (as a passenger/instructor) the white knuckle
ride of an uncontrolled spin or going off the track and then the limit seems
warranted.  Remember, no dents, no wrecks and safety is first priority here.

Please also consider that the Club granted all students and instructors the
opportunity to drive the Lime Rock park Track in (your own vehicle(s)) for a
fraction of the cost of other "driving" schools where usually there is no
"track time" just field exercises.

-Scott Downs instructor and speaking solely on my own.

 5. SCCA NER driver's ed- strongly recommend against going (TM)

From: "TM" <t44tq at mindspring.com>
Subject: SCCA NER driver's ed- strongly recommend against going
Date: Mon, 1 Jul 2002 10:13:32 -0400

Having gone to the so-called "high performance driver's ed" event two
weeks ago at Lime Rock, hosted by the New England Region of the SCCA, I
would STRONGLY recommend against ever attending this event!

We were promised 4 15-minute sessions, for a cost of $150. We received
2.5 sessions, because they started the sessions late, didn't have the
event very well organized and one person dumped coolant on the track
(that was the only unavoidable part).

Not only that, we were not informed about the passing regulations and
the speed limit (!) until two days prior to the event- passing only on
the front straight and 85mph speed limit.

I suggest anyone considering this event for next year think twice- do
you really want to go out there for a max. of 38 minutes for $150,
passing only on the front straight, 85mph limit, etc.?

Taka