Watkins Glen Spring Driving School

Format Friday: • Open track for instructors and Group S students who registered for Friday (Friday-Saturday or Friday-Saturday-Sunday options) • Novice Track Day (NEW!): 4 half-hour sessions with assigned instructors for beginning drivers, intermingled with novice classroom sessions (3) Saturday and Sunday: Four student run groups and one instructor group: • Group 4: Novice (D); SLIP L1 • Group 3: Intermediate (C, lower-level B); SLIP L1 – L3 • Group 2: Advanced (upper-level B, A); SLIP L3 - L4 • Group 1: Group S (Solo); SLIP L5 and up • Group 0: Instructors Track Time (Saturday and Sunday): • The track is “green” (open for driving) beginning at 8:30 a.m. each day, closes 4:30 p.m. on Friday and Sunday, and 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. • One-hour lunch break from 12-1 p.m. each day. • Track sessions: each run group gets the following number of ½ hr. sessions each day of the event 
­ Groups 2, 3 and 4: four (4) sessions
­ Group S: four “private” sessions, plus optional additional sessions combined with Group 2 (A/B) both days, as well as with instructors on Sunday afternoon*. 
­ Instructors: two sessions Saturday, additional sessions combined with Group S Sunday afternoon*. 
*Because many participants leave early on Sunday, run groups can be combined Sunday afternoon to provide more track time than is formally scheduled. Group Exercises • Organized group driving exercises are done in one or more sessions each day, all done at reduced speeds for safety. • Exercises include close-quarters (side-by-side) lapping, and pairwise late-passing exercises. Classroom • Groups 2-4 attend three 30-45 minute-long classroom sessions each day led by a senior instructor • The material taught and discussed is tailored to the skill level of each run group. • Group 1 drivers (Group S) attend two group sessions each day facilitated by the Group S coaches working with the group. Sessions may include debriefing after a track session, discussion of advanced driving techniques, use of data acquisition to improve technique, and so forth. Track Walk • A guided tour of the track “on foot” led by the Classroom Instructor. • Students carpool to selected corners and disembark to inspect the track and discuss techniques used to negotiate each corner. • 5:30-6:30 Saturday only.