JAGIN Planning to Participate in High Performance Drivers Education Event

Recently, there have been some articles in the JAGIN newsletter about High-Performance Driving. If the thought of High-Performance driving has piqued your interest, as it has for some of our club members that I've spoken to, read on. What the heck, everybody read on anyway. The JCNA and JAGIN would like to see more of our club members learn about H-P driving and enjoy, what those of us that have tried it have found, a truly exciting and fun way to spend a day with your car. Mark your calendars for Thursday and Friday, May 22 and 23rd. Those are the days that JAGIN is targeting for our first High-Performance Driving Education (HPDE) Event. The Audi Club is the actual organizer of this HPDE event at Putnam Park, located about 40 min West of Indianapolis just off of US-40. They would be happy to have us join them. LETS SEE HOW MANY OF OUR FINE ENGLISH MACHINES WE CAN GET OUT THERE (to offset all those fine German ones). Depending on JAGIN interest levels, we may consider organizing our own event in the future.

This would be a great opportunity for JAGIN members to get our paws wet as a group. The Audi Club has contracted with an excellent team to put on their Driver's Ed event. I've spoken with their club's organizer, and the day will be something like this. Some classroom training to cover the fundamentals. Paired with your instructor, you next spend some time on the track going slowly, as they teach slalom, avoidance, passing rules, and other track-related techniques. The first afternoon, you take the car up to a faster speed as you gain experience with your car and the track. The second day, you progress even more and more.

To be clear, High-Performance driving is not racing. Rather, it is exploring the capabilities of your car, and of your own abilities in a controlled, and safe environment. My auto insurance company makes this distinction very clear to me. I'm covered as long as I'm not participating in a timed event, which this is not. I suggest checking with your insurance companies, as policies do vary a little. For safety reasons, open top cars will be required to have a roll bar, so that rules out the OTS's unless you've installed something. Regardless of car type, all participants must have a Snell SA2000 approved helmet. These are not supplied and are not cheap. I bought mine from Ray Skillman Performance Parts http://www.racing-mart.net/. Another good source is www.tracksidesupply.com. If we end up in different run groups there may be an opportunity to share. If there is interest, let me know, and I can check on the logistics.

The price tag for this two day experience is $315. The base price is $275, but for insurance purposes all participants must be members of the Audi club, an additional $40, for non-members. Enrollment will be capped at 50 students, and the Audi Club anticipates having 3 to 4 run groups. Each run group will get 20 to 25 minutes of track time per hour. For a well-run event like we're expecting this one to be, it adds up to a good amount of track time for the money, and it's in line with what I've paid for other track events. The price does also include a banquet dinner for those so inclined. Note: There is a $25 late fee if participants are not registered by April 22.

Entry forms and additional information about the track and the event can be obtained by going to the Putnam Park website (http://www.putnampark.com) and clicking your way to the schedule, then the May 22 date, then through the Audi events to the Putnam Park event. Ultimately, there is a link to the registration form.

Alternatively this link will take you to the Audi club calendar: http://www.audicarclubna.org/event/calendar.shtml

And this will take you to the entry form: http://www.audicarclubna.org/event/driver_form_02-03.pdf

Please send me an EMAIL at DWBALOGH@AOL.COM if you decide to sign up. I'd like to track our interest level and provide contact information to those interested in linking up with other JAGIN members.

One last thought, I drove with the Saab club last summer at one of these. You don't need a "sports car". There were simple 900's out there. I've seen a Saturn sedan, and even a VW Jetta diesel. Sure these were slower, but their drivers had as much fun as those in the sports cars.

Looking forward to seeing you at the track on May 22nd.

Doug Balogh
JAGIN HPDE Coordinator