Drive a Race Car For One Day

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Have you ever wanted to drive a real race car around a world famous racetrack? Have you ever wanted to experience the speed, the power, the rush? Well, all of this are now possible right next to you! How? Simple: racing courses and racing schools

What are these schools and courses offering?

First, of course Introduction to racing. Your adventure will begin with a short classroom and SkidCar session where you will learn the proper high performance driving techniques required to drive a race car. You will then be supplied with a racing suit, helmet, and gloves. After a brief orientation of the Spec Racer Ford, you will be strapped into your race car for the most exhilarating drive of your life!

When you will go forward to Techniques of racing. You know that the best way to learn racing is to spend lots of time behind the wheel. That’s why these schools maximize your track time during this day program. An ideal way to begin a career in racing or to just spend three days experiencing the thrill of driving a racecar. The Techniques of Racing Course teaches you the skills and gives you the opportunity to improve your speed and performance.

And if you really want to be an expert on racing cars you can get to Advanced Racing. This three-day program adds advanced driving and racing techniques to your basic skills and prepares you to enter your first race. Participation in the course is subject to verification of previous racing experience or graduation from Techniques of Racing Course.

What cars can you drive?

On Jim Russell’s Racing School you can drive:

* Formula Mitsubishi - for Test Drive and Techniques of Racing Course. The car specifics are: Dry Weight 1095 Lbs, Wheelbase 95.5", Bhp 125 @ 5500 rpm,Torque 119 ft. lbs. @ 5500,Height 42.5", engine: 2.0L DOHC 16 Valve Four Cylinder with alloy head and balance shaft and gearbox with 4 speed manual straight cut gears with dog rings

* Formula Russell - for Advanced Racing Courses and Racing Series. Car specifications are: Dry Weight 1150 Lbs, Wheelbase 94.6", Bhp 150 6250 rpm, Torque 148 ft. lbs. @ 5500,Height 42.5; engine: Twin Rotor Rotary Engine with dual ignition and full dry sump lubrication and gearbox with: 5 speed manual straight cut gears with dog rings.

On Bondurant, school for high performance driving you can choose from:

* Chevrolet Corvette C5. Car’s specifications:350-hp 5.7 Liter aluminumV8,375 ft lbs of torque at 4200 rpm,0-60 mph: 4.6 seconds, Lateral Acceleration: .93g, 6 speed Manual Transmission, 17x x 8.5x front, 18x x 9.5x rear aluminum wheels, Magnetic Selective Ride Control with Real Time Damping, Tour and Sport Settings, Active Handling System works with ABS, Traction Control, yaw rate sensor, and lateral accelerometer to assist the driver in maintaining control. Speed-sensitive, power-assisted, magnetic variable effort.

* Cadillac CTS. Car’s specifications: 3.2 liter V6, 24 valve, 220 hp at 6000 rpm, 220 ft-lbs or torque at 3400 rpm, 5 speed manual transmission (automatic are optional), 0-60 mph in 6.9 seconds, Stabilitrak stability enhancement system, Traction Control System in conjunction with ABS, Weight: 3509 lbs, High-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps for excellent light penetration.

* Formula Bondurant. Car’s specifications: 110 HP, 1.6 L Ford Cortina,Custom Jet Hot coated header, Nology ignition system, Crossle 35’s and 50’s, Halon fire suppression system, 1100 Lbs. Hewland 4 speed gearbox, Fuel Safe fuel cell, American Racing 15x7” wheels, Goodyear Eagle GT II tires, Custom Bob Bondurant designed.

Where can you race?

On Bertil Roos racing school you can race on:

* Pocono International Raceway - located in northeastern Pennsylvania, between Scranton and Allentown, three miles south of interstate 80 on State Highway 115.

* Virginia International Raceway: VIR is located in the scenic hills of Virginia, east of Danville and just north of historic Milton, North Carolina. The addition of V.I.R. is also an important step in fulfilling our long-term strategy of providing geographic diversity for our clientele. Due to the uniqueness of our school, we have traditionally drawn students from all over the country. Now our programs will be available a little closer to home for some of our customers.

* Beaver Run Motorsports Complex: located in Big Beaver Borough, Pennsylvania, near Koppel and a few miles west off Wellwood City. It is situated on approximately 384 acres of land strategically located just to the west of route 18, less than three miles north of the Beaver Valley Exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

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5 Popular Car BuySell Tips

Whether you are buying or selling a car, there are several tips that will help the process go a lot smoother. Buyers and sellers have one big thing in common - neither wants to be taken for a ride. In order to make sure the sale of an automobile is an honest one, both the buyer and seller are responsible for various activities to help close the deal.

Car Buy/Sell Tip # 1

Know the value. The actual worth of an automobile is one of the most important deciding factors in either buying or selling a vehicle. If you are the seller, you want to receive a fair price for your car. If you are the buyer, you want to pay a fair price. Kelley Blue Book, found online at kbb.com, is a popular website used to help determine a fair value for an automobile based on it’s condition, make, model, age, mileage and other features.

Car Buy/Sell Tip # 2

Understand the condition and performance of the automobile. If you are the seller, you must disclose any problems or defects to the potential buyer. As a buyer, you need to have some understanding of how the automobile is supposed to run and other mechanical performances. If you aren’t certain, as either a buyer or seller, take the car to a qualified mechanic who can determine an accurate condition for the automobile.

Car Buy/Sell Tip # 3

Whether buying or selling a car, search the classifieds. This is a terrific place to find a car to purchase or to find someone who may be interested in purchasing the car that you have. The classified ad section of a local newspaper is also a terrific way to find a local prospect rather than dealing with someone miles away.

Car Buy/Sell Tip # 4

Be upfront about the deal. If you are selling an automobile, be sure to inform the buyer of your preferred payment method. Many sellers prefer not to accept personal checks or, at the very least, will not transfer the title until the check clears. Most sellers prefer to deal in cash or a money order if dealing directly with the buyer. Buyers should be equally upfront with the seller by informing them of whether or not they intend to purchase, how and when they will be paying for the automobile, etc.

Car Buy/Sell Tip # 5

Make sure the automobile has a clear title. In addition, the buyer should order a CarFax report, which can be found at carfax.com. For a small fee, anyone can learn about the history of an automobile, such as whether or not the vehicle has ever been involved in an accident, a flood or other incident that may affect it’s performance. This is one of the best ways for buyers to make sure they are getting an automobile with no hidden background.

Find more about KelleyBlueBook, O’Reilly auto parts and many other car models and automotive industry news on http://www.AutoNews24h.com

Automobile Safety Measures

With rapid advancement in technology, cars have undergone a paradigm change in their appearance as well as the speed that they are capable of achieving. The inventor, Mr. Ford himself would be surprised at the way his invention has got along. It is speed more than any other factor that has necessitated car safety measures to be kept at a pace with the technological advancement in other spheres.

The automobile industry, fortunately, is very much aware of the need to prevent injuries and deaths caused to drivers and passengers alike due to rampant speeding which has become more of a rule than an exception.

Car seat belts did not serve the designed purpose till the time most of the states made it mandatory to fasten seat belts under threat of penalties under law. It even evoked some manufacturers to design seat belts that would automatically secure drivers and passengers after ignition.

The newer cars are nowadays equipped with another restraint system in the shape of air bags for the safety of all those sitting in the car. In many models these air bags are placed in a way that will inflate and protect the driver and the passengers both, in the unfortunate event of a collision. These air bags coupled with seat belts that can be adapted for child car safety seats provide sufficient safety to car users.

However, car safety should not only be the concern of the car manufacturer but also of the driving and traveling public. There is no way by which all accidents can be avoided but prevention is always better than a cure. It is incumbent upon us that we choose a car which is safe for us and our families and always make it a rule to use the restraint system available in the vehicle. A visit to www.nhtsa.dot.gov, the website of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will provide all the information about how different models rank with regards to car safety devices. The information that you may collect from there will prove helpful in making up your mind as to which vehicle to go for be it cars, pick up trucks, SUVs, or vans.

An informed decision while buying a new vehicle and adhering to the restraint devices installed in your car, will help to a great measure in ensuring the safety of your family and others traveling with you.

Discover a collection of articles about more transport and travel concerns at http://transport-planet.com