Racing Rap by Jack Nerad for Driving Today

Take to the Track Yourself

Sunday, February 7, 2010

There’s no doubt that it’s entertaining to watch the top professional race drivers do their thing in person or on TV. But if you’re like most of us who love racing, you have certainly gotten the urge to turn wheels on a racetrack yourself.

Of course, there are many ways to go about that, most of them involving large sums of money. Which is why I’m happy to share with you Chin Motorsports, “the leading provider of non-competition track events for sports car enthusiasts.” They offer you the chance to drive on some of the best tracks in the country, and at the same time, mingle with other like-minded enthusiasts.

The Chin Motorsports High Performance Driver Education (HPDE) track days offer drivers who have never rolled onto a racetrack an opportunity to drive at some of North America's most renowned venues. And if you’ve done a little track driving in your day like we have, they also offer quality track time for intermediate and expert-level drivers.

“Chin Motorsports members range from entry-level drivers all the way to professional racers,” said Mark Hicks, general manager of Chin Motorsports. “In fact, a full 15 percent of the drivers in the Rolex 24 and Continental Tire races are also Chin members.”

During one of these track day events, entry-level drivers are paired with expert instructors for one-on-one advanced driver coaching. In-car instruction is provided while each entry-level driver pilots his or her own car on laps of some of America’s greatest road courses, including Road Atlanta, Sebring, Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio. As novice drivers progress during an event, instructors introduce more advanced driving techniques, like threshold braking and heel-toe shifting. Sessions rotate between novice drivers accompanied by instructors, intermediate solo drivers and advanced solo drivers. A longer, “happy hour” session frequently ends each day. In addition, many non-drivers attend Chin Motorsports events simply to admire the wide variety of cars and marques present at each event. More information is available by phone, at 770-378-1694.

-JR Nerad

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