Driving Schools

Article by: Chris Welsch , Star Tribune
Updated: May 25, 2006 - 4:41 PM

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Forty years ago, you could count America's high-performance driving schools on one hand. Now there are nearly 70 of them, focusing on a wide range of styles and skills.

"I think it's a reflection of people's interest in learning about their cars as much as anything," Skip Barber instructor Peter Stolz said. "Cars today have amazing capabilities, and people want to know how to take advantage of them."

The Skip Barber schools - founded 30 years ago - have permanent homes at five racetracks (the closest is in Elkhart Lake, Wis., about an hour northeast of Milwaukee). The school conducts racing workshops at 20 tracks around the country each year. The courses range from half-day classes on high-performance driving skills to a three-day racing school.

Anthony Torres, marketing director for Skip Barber, said most of the students in the racing classes are men, but that women comprise 45 percent of the students in the driving courses.

Tuition ranges from $500 for a half-day program to $3,700 for the three-day racing school. The one-day combo course I took (half a day on driving skills and half in race cars) cost $1,295. All insurance, gear and lunch is included.

More information, contact the Skip Barber Racing and Driving Schools, www.skipbarber.com or 1-800-221-1131.

Driving schools can be found to match a wide range of interests. Some of the most popular schools focus on a particular kind of car. BMW and Porsche have well-developed schools designed for owners of their brands, for example.

The website www.racingschools.com has a list of 69 schools. It may be the most comprehensive site for comparison shopping.