Tarheel Chapter BMW CCA FAQ

A driver's school is a non-timed, noncompetitive learning opportunity designed to help participants develop advanced car control skills that may serve him/her well in the event of emergency situations on the highway in every day driving. Tarheel High Performance Driver Schools are based on the BMW CCA Driver School Standards. HPDS are conducted at regional road racing facilities. The reason race facilities are chosen is that they are closed circuits without oncoming traffic, but are similar in topography to normal roads we encounter in everyday life. They offer a microcosm of the real road situations we encounter everyday. To optimize the time spent on track students are divided into classes or groups according to their experience and the experience of the rest of the group. The idea is to group folks of like experience together. For example the A group is the 32 more experienced drivers in that particular school. Students may be classed in A one school and B the next, depending on the experience of the other drivers. Group is not a grade, just a sorting tool.

There are classroom sessions as well as on track sessions. The classroom gives theory and allows questions and sharing of experience. Classroom instruction also offers students valuable information on driving safety, improving car control, how different road conditions effect handling of the car, and so on. Each student is assigned an in-car instructor to guide him or her through the basics of car control. Among these is the feeling of a panic stop engaging the ABS, accident avoidance and weight transfer's effect on the handling of the vehicle. Each student grouping has three or four opportunities to drive and practice the classroom lessons during the day, with their in-car instructor. The goal of the grouping is to have students of similar skill level on the track at the same time to keep speed differentials and passing to a minimum. Remember that passing is only allowed if the person ahead of you indicates that he sees you and will remain on line while you execute a careful pass. This is accomplished by the car being passed giving a â€œpass signal.â€ After a student has attained a degree of mastery of the skill set for his/her group the instructor may elect to "sign off" the student, allowing them to practice their new skills with the in-car instructor looking on, rather than being in the car. Sign offs are always at the discretion of the student, his/her instructor and the Chief Instructor for the event. Sign offs are never offered to beginner students and rarely to intermediate students.

Driver's schools are usually held over the course of a weekend. Costs can vary quite a bit, but are generally in the $250.00-$400.00 range for a two day school. To restate: our events are for the purpose of learning car control. These are NOT race schools. Timing equipment is not allowed. Tarheel Chapter does offer race schools for those students who have successfully completed the levels of High Performance Driver Schools. The race schools are by the Club Racing portion of our Chapter and never coincide with the High Performance Driver Schools.

		What is a driver's school? What is an autocross? What is a new driver clinic? A Day at the Track Becoming an Instructor Miscellaneous Tarheel Chapter Bylaws

		What is a driver's school? A driver's school is a non-timed, noncompetitive learning opportunity designed to help participants develop advanced car control skills that may serve him/her well in the event of emergency situations on the highway in every day driving. Tarheel High Performance Driver Schools are based on the BMW CCA Driver School Standards. HPDS are conducted at regional road racing facilities. The reason race facilities are chosen is that they are closed circuits without oncoming traffic, but are similar in topography to normal roads we encounter in everyday life. They offer a microcosm of the real road situations we encounter everyday. To optimize the time spent on track students are divided into classes or groups according to their experience and the experience of the rest of the group. The idea is to group folks of like experience together. For example the A group is the 32 more experienced drivers in that particular school. Students may be classed in A one school and B the next, depending on the experience of the other drivers. Group is not a grade, just a sorting tool. There are classroom sessions as well as on track sessions. The classroom gives theory and allows questions and sharing of experience. Classroom instruction also offers students valuable information on driving safety, improving car control, how different road conditions effect handling of the car, and so on. Each student is assigned an in-car instructor to guide him or her through the basics of car control. Among these is the feeling of a panic stop engaging the ABS, accident avoidance and weight transfer's effect on the handling of the vehicle. Each student grouping has three or four opportunities to drive and practice the classroom lessons during the day, with their in-car instructor. The goal of the grouping is to have students of similar skill level on the track at the same time to keep speed differentials and passing to a minimum. Remember that passing is only allowed if the person ahead of you indicates that he sees you and will remain on line while you execute a careful pass. This is accomplished by the car being passed giving a â€œpass signal.â€ After a student has attained a degree of mastery of the skill set for his/her group the instructor may elect to "sign off" the student, allowing them to practice their new skills with the in-car instructor looking on, rather than being in the car. Sign offs are always at the discretion of the student, his/her instructor and the Chief Instructor for the event. Sign offs are never offered to beginner students and rarely to intermediate students. Driver's schools are usually held over the course of a weekend. Costs can vary quite a bit, but are generally in the $250.00-$400.00 range for a two day school. To restate: our events are for the purpose of learning car control. These are NOT race schools. Timing equipment is not allowed. Tarheel Chapter does offer race schools for those students who have successfully completed the levels of High Performance Driver Schools. The race schools are by the Club Racing portion of our Chapter and never coincide with the High Performance Driver Schools.



		What is an autocross? An autocross is a timed, competitive event, usually held in a large parking lot or other paved area. A course is constructed using pylons, generally only one or two competitors are allowed on the course at any one time. The focus is on car control. No instructors are required, and the participant's circuit through the course is timed to one thousandth of a second. Classes are determined by the car and it's level of preparation, though novices, ladies and street tire groups are often included. Autocrosses are generally a one day event and pre-registration is not usually required. Fees for a one day event are usually $20-$30.00. Autocross schools are events where an instructor may ride with the student to develop basic skills or improve existing ones.
		What is a new driver clinic? A new driver clinic is a non-competitive, non-timed event held on a closed course, generally a parking lot. It is specifically designed to help newly licensed drivers grasp the dynamics of car control. Classroom time is interspersed with in-car practice with an instructor in the passenger seat to make it educational and fun. Class size is kept small as are fees for participants. One in three 16 year-olds will have an accident in their first year of driving; these events are held with the idea of making sure that your new driver is one of the remaining two! As a CCA chapter we encourage our area coordinators to organize a Street Survival School. If not the area coordinator himself we will enable an enthusiastic member who is willing to be the organizer of a BMW Foundation sponsored New Driver Clinic. The foundation calls this program Street Survival and assist the organizers within the chapter with materials, money and advertising media. Curious as to how to get involved? Go to www.StreetSurvival.org for more information and contact Gilbert Reynolds gilbert_reynolds@bellsouth.net or Danny Staley at adstaley@wilkes.net Lets hold at least one Street Survival School in each Tarheel Chapter Area in 2006.
		A Day at the Track Okay, you made the decision to attend a performance driving school, sponsored by the Tarheel Chapter at Virginia International Raceway, in your BMW. This may be your first school ever or simply your first with Tarheel. The purpose of this document is to provide you with answers to some questions you may have about the event ahead of time. We’ll title this write-up as “A Day at the Track.” full article
		Becoming a Tarheel BMW Driving School Instructor MS Word
		Miscellaneous Question: If I'm not a member of Tarheel Chapter, but I am a member of another chapter can I have my second chapter affiliation be with Tarheel? If so how do I do that? Answer: Yes, you may do just that. Contact National and they will do the affiliation to Tarheel for a nominal fee. Question: If I am a member of Tarheel BMW CCA is my family also a member? Answer: The membership is for the individual, however many functions include the family. For a nominal fee each member of your immediate family can become an associate member with all of the privileges of full membership (discounted driver schools) except the additional Roundel and Footnotes. The associate number is yours with an A in front. Question: If the driver schools require the blue driver school application form from the footnotes as proof that I am a Tarheel chapter member, how does my spouse or 18 yr. old child also get the blue application. Answer: Just copy the blue application and attach it to your blue form. The membership numbers will identify them as a member. Question: I am a new BMW CCA member or new to the Tarheel Chapter and I want to participate in the upcoming Tarheel & Toe driver's schools. When can I expect the chapter newsletter (Footnotes) to start coming to me and what can I do to apply for the driver school as a chapter member prior to getting my footnotes? Answer: New members/new chapter members may expect a delay of up to 6 months in getting his/her first footnotes newsletter. The mailing labels are sent from National headquarters. Until then, contact Sandra Gordon tarheelregistrar@triad.rr.com or JoElla John jjohnmcoupe@aol.com and give your BMW CCA membership number and the date you requested to be part of the Tarheel chapter. One of them will check with National and confirm your information and then email you the application which can be returned by snail mail on the first mail in date just as if it were the blue footnotes copy. Question: I applied to the school prior to the date listed as full. How come I didn't get in? Answer: We can accommodate only 1 student for each 1/10th of a mile of track in each run group. Once a run group is filled, persons applying for that run group may not be able to get in due to lack of experience, or too much experience for the remaining slots in a specific run group. If it is close, our registrar will call to see if you are willing to run in another group. Question: Then why don't you post "D" group is full, etc.? Answer: Students do not decide what run group they are qualified for. The run group assignment may vary from school to school. Each group is developed from the students that apply, based on that school's population. This permits us to accommodate the greatest number of students. The purpose is to group like experienced drivers, both for the track time and classroom time.
		What questions do you have? Submit your suggestions for our FAQ here More detailed information on track events is available on the Schools page
		The mission of the Tarheel Chapter of BMW CCA is to provide an organization for discussion, education and enjoyment of BMWs and related activities for its membership. Questions or comments? Webmaster ©Tarheel Chapter BMW CCA, 2001