Experience with Bertyl Roos or other racing schools?

So it's not looking favorable for me to get myself a cheap HPDE car. I had hopes of finding something for $1000 or less that I can take straight to the track. But unless I'm missing something, everything in that price range would need something done to it before I could hit the track. So I'll spend at least $1500 before I even pay for a track day. Just not in the cards this year.

I live fairly close to Pocono Raceway. They have the Bertyl Roos driving school there. For $500, I can do a 1/2 day racing school using their Forumla 2000 cars.

Any feedback on these schools? Money well spent? Other option I may try just for the hell of it is a 10 lap session in a NASCAR cup car at Pocono...similar price.

I'd recommend the 1/2 day school over the 10 lap NASCAR drive. You'll learn more in the school and probably have more fun. The NASCAR laps is more of a Disney ride sorta thing.

David

what kind of car were you looking for for $1K? if you have a way to tow a vehicle with a tow bar look for cars without titles. they are usually cheaper than others of a similar type and condition and if you can tow it registration doesnt matter.

maybe raze or duke of understeer could be talked into searching for you. they seem to find cool stuff around here all the time!

maybe start with something like this

http://www.copart.com/c2/homeSearch.html?_eventId=getLot&execution=e2s1&lotId=14067570&returnPage=SEARCH_RESULTS

itsarebuild wrote: what kind of car were you looking for for $1K? if you have a way to tow a vehicle with a tow bar look for cars without titles. they are usually cheaper than others of a similar type and condition and if you can tow it registration doesnt matter. maybe raze or duke of understeer could be talked into searching for you. they seem to find cool stuff around here all the time!

Anything that ran and drives that could be taken on track basically as is (with a change of brake fluid and front brake pads) and be fun to drive. Towing is a "maybe". We have a minivan rated to tow 3500lbs, but I've never tried towing with it, not sure how well it would do.

If I could tow, Copart is a great idea. Not sure why I didn't think of it before. I live less than 10 minutes from the yard where you posted that Miata...not to mention I work in the auto insurance claims business...I've worked with Copart for years.

Anyhow, one of the appeals of the Bertyl Roos school is the abilities of the cars. They can pull big time g forces and stop on a dime. Plus, even in the half day session, they allow passing, etc...(obviously you have to drive smart), and I don't burn up my own tires/brakes/tranny/motor.

Klayf, I hope you don't take this the wrong way...

I would suggest not taking ANY sub $1000.00 car to the track regularly. One weekend is okay (like with most challengers) but if you are serious about staying alive I would suggest saving up and buying an honest to goodness real dedicated race car. Expect to spend a minimum of $5000.00 for a safe car you can drive right away on track. Better cars cost more, competitive cars cost even more.

If you are looking for a nice "bonger" track rat, look for a retired Escort ZX2 or Neon, there were a few under $5000.00 and one under $2500.00 this spring on CL. Use SCCA as your search word.

I've done the Roos school twice, and brought a friend there. The 3 day class was great, as a learning and refresher. I previously did one of the Big Box schools, Roos was far better in regard to seat time and personalized instruction. I'll be going again, if the economy ever improves.

in response to john's comments..... i would agree that a 1k car is not what you want for regular track use. i am assuming that what he is looking to do is get in a feeler session on track to see if this is something he is serious about. and going with a reasonably safe 1k car gets him a car to continue to develope if he does decide to stick with it (as oposed to paying a simple fee for the service of a rental)

i just did an hpde at roebling in an E30 i bought for $500. granted it has more in it than that now, (Including a lot of donations to the sear jar during repairs) but i basically focussed on safety not speed. the tires are very good all season performance tires instead of r comps. the interior was cleaned out of any sharp objects, the brakes, bearings and suspension were examined VERY carefully and parts replaced as needed. as it site right now i probably have about $1400 in the car. i think this approach taught me more about driving on a road course than driving a well prepared road course car could have because i had to learn to do things right (line, braking points etc) to stay with the pack of better prepared cars. the downside (if there is one) is that i feel like i am better off doing HPDE 1 again instead of going to HPDE 2 at the next event because my car in its current state will slow up traffic in the more experienced classes. the up side is i get another session with a great instructor. and i think that is really the point of these events.... right?

$450 race car, prepped, ready to roll: http://york.craigslist.org/cto/1771733398.html around 3 hours from you in Hanover if you're near Pocono Raceway...

2 race cars (maybe have one + spares) in NY for $800, might need a little fiddling: http://buffalo.craigslist.org/cto/1771343768.html

Olds alero ecotec $1200 might be talked down, ready to go: http://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/1770580750.html

$550 race car, dunno more, inquire, in VT: http://burlington.craigslist.org/cto/1769396434.html

$800 Celica, good price if it's really running as claimed: http://altoona.craigslist.org/cto/1728415660.html

You need to be serious about cost, if you can get one running and with cage, alum seat, fuel cell, stripped, and or a few other odds and ends for sub $750 money you'd be hard pressed to buy a running POS and turn it into a race car for that, don't expect RWD for the money, but who cares, a beater is a beater is a beater, get something, run it, when it breaks, fix it, that's why you need a cheap FWD car that has a high volume production as spares and parts will be easily available at the junkyard for pennies on the dollar.

Enjoy!

No offense taken, John. I'm on board with what you're saying 100%. I've debated what to do for a long time.

To date, I have about 7 HPDE days and 50 autox events under my belt. But I haven't run at all since about 2006, as I took time away to start my family. I want to get back into it. But with young kids at home, both time and money are big factors. My goal would be to run 3 HPDE events each year. If I can get to 4, then lucky me...if I only get to 2, then that's just how my schedule works out. So I can't justify to myself (or the wife... ) spending big money on a real race car. Down the road...definitely...but for now, I just want to have fun and get some seat time. Hence why I'm looking for a "cheap" way to get on track a few times safely.

Raze, Thanks for the link! I work relatively close to Hanover. I've seen cars like that before on Craigslist. Do people really take those things to HPDE? I've always seen them as circle track throw away cars.

Edit - This is why I started looking at Bertyl Roos. I don't have to buy a car, they're cars are safe and are "real race cars". The downside is that it's more expensive and you don't seem to get quite as much seat time.

Klayfish wrote: Raze, Thanks for the link! I work relatively close to Hanover. I've seen cars like that before on Craigslist. Do people really take those things to HPDE? I've always seen them as circle track throw away cars. Edit - This is why I started looking at Bertyl Roos. I don't have to buy a car, they're cars are safe and are "real race cars". The downside is that it's more expensive and you don't seem to get quite as much seat time.

pick your poison

I think the Roos school is a good value. The formula cars are fun and incredible to drive, but be warned that they may make you feel that all production-based race cars are like trucks on the track.

-Chris R.

Raze wrote:

Klayfish wrote: Raze, Thanks for the link! I work relatively close to Hanover. I've seen cars like that before on Craigslist. Do people really take those things to HPDE? I've always seen them as circle track throw away cars. Edit - This is why I started looking at Bertyl Roos. I don't have to buy a car, they're cars are safe and are "real race cars". The downside is that it's more expensive and you don't seem to get quite as much seat time.

pick your poison

Yeah...poison to my wallet...

I'm sure I'd have fun either way. I wouldn't mind running a cheap FWD beater for fun...I've just never seen one of those dirt track 4 cylinder cars on a road course before.