Yes, Go Kart Driving School. For Race's birthday present this year we gave him a half day driving school at the Jim Russell International Karting Center located at Sears Point (Infineon) Raceway. There were only 6 kids in the class and the instructors were awesome. Once the kids were suited up the instructors took them on a track walk to teach them the racing line. After some safety instruction it the classroom the kids were assigned karts, the drivers position was adjusted to fit them and they were taught how to start the karts, brake and accelerate. Race spun on the first session and decided to sit out the second session and have the kart readjusted to fit him better. He got some individual instruction in the pits and then we went in for a debriefing before the third session. The instructors had a debrief after every session that detailed what the kids were doing right and wrong and offering them some more training. Race spun again in the third session on Kramer, a wacky off camber turn that caught every kid at least once. One of the girls went straight into a tire wall and bent the steering on her kart in this session. After another debrief Race and the rest of the kids (including the quickly repaired wrecked kart) went out for their fourth and final session. Race began hitting the line and his speed came way up through The Sweeper, Monaco, The Last Turn (yep, that's really it's name), and even the dreaded Kramer. He's ready to go back for another driving school. The instructor paid him a big compliment, saying that Race was the only driver who followed all of his instructions. Way to go Race.
I am putting together a movie of his driving. Unfortunately the helmet cam didn't work, but we have some good video and a bunch of pictures for the DVD. Email me if you want a copy when it's done.
