Sat, May 22 - Sun, May 23, 2010

NCC Spring Drivers' School

Shenandoah Circuit

About this event

2010 PRICE DECREASE! Shenandoah School is now $185/day! 

The National Capital Chapter (NCC) operates two types of driving schools: Drivers' Schools and Car Control Clinics.  While the methods of instruction and the target audience for these schools differ, they share a common goal of giving you the opportunity to develop and improve your skills as a driver and to strengthen your knowledge of your car's abilities so that you will be prepared for any situation you may encounter on the highway.

Our schools are not racing schools.  Our focus is on skills, not speed, and our overriding concern is with your safety and that of your car.  We select our school instructors very carefully, not simply for their technical knowledge and accomplishments as drivers, but also for their abilities to impart that knowledge to their students in a clear, concise, and professional manner.

Your BMW is an amazingly capable car.  At a National Capital Chapter driving school, you will be able to realize your car's capabilities, learn the limits of those capabilities under controlled conditions and practice the skills needed to control your car safely within those limits. 

Drivers' Schools

The primary goal of these schools is to develop and hone your car-control skills.  It is not to drive fast, although speed will come with improving skills.  We seek to produce not necessarily the fastest, but the most proficient drivers possible.

Each drivers' school consists of driving sessions on the track and at the skidpad, as well as classroom sessions.  During your on-track sessions, you will be driving the full track at progressively higher speeds throughout the school.  An in-car instructor will work with you to help you improve your driving mechanics.  Braking, cornering  and accelerating techniques are refined continuously during your on-track sessions.

Skidpad sessions will allow you to begin to master the skill of controlling your car at the limits of adhesion. You will learn how to control understeer (when your front tires lose adhesion) and oversteer (when your rear tires lose adhesion).  The skills learned here will not only be invaluable on the track, they may well save your car - and your life - on the highway.

Classroom sessions present the underlying mechanics of your car's behavior and how your inputs as a driver affect it.  We present basic driving theory, the physics of car behavior (i.e., the "why it works" of driving) and discussions of the techniques of advanced car control.

No single drivers' school will ever convey all there is to learn about driving.  In this sense, our drivers' schools are part of a continuous learning environment, one that requires several years of attendance at dozens of schools before proficiency is attained.  Even at that, there is always something more to learn, something additional on which to work.  Acquiring driving skills is a process that is never completed.

About Our Instructors

Our instructors come from two basic driving backgrounds: accomplished drivers' school students and successful amateur (e.g., SCCA) racers.  Regardless of their backgrounds, our instructors conform to a uniformly high standard of competence, professionalism and enthusiasm for teaching.

Candidates selected from our student roster have a documented record of achievement.  Candidates applying from a racing background must have comparable skills and experience.  We note that the requirements for a successful racer and those for a successful instructor are not necessarily the same, as the sole ability to drive fast is about the most minor qualification we seek in an instructor.  Therefore, as part of the qualification process, we apply a series of student instruction simulations (using our instructors as the "students") to ensure that the candidate understands not only how to drive, but how to teach as well.  We also ensure that candidates display impeccable attitude and driving etiquette and are successful in making the transition from "race-mode" to "school-mode."

Our current instructors' driving experience ranges from five years to twenty-five years.  Our "average" instructor has been driving on the track for 11.5 years and has been instructing for 6 years.  We draw our instructors from twelve BMW CCA chapters, the SCCA, PCA, and other marque clubs.  We select our instructors very carefully to ensure that every student receives the best possible instruction from the safest, most professional and most knowledgeable people we can find.  We are very proud of our instructor corps and we trust that you will share that pride.


Event requirements

 

Admissions Policy

Because of strong demand for space in National Capital Chapter (NCC) drivers’ schools, sometimes we are unable to accommodate all of the students who apply.  For schools where applications exceed our school capacity, we will admit students as outlined below.

Priority Assignment

Students will be admitted in order of application postmark date from among the following groups until school capacity has been reached.  Within each group, applicants for both days of a school will be admitted first, and then, if spaces remain, single-day applicants will be admitted.  Ties within groups will be broken by random drawings.  Priority order is:

  1. NCC member;
  2. Member of other BMW CCA chapters;
  3. Non-member;
  4. Those submitting applications postmarked outside of the registration period (either early or late.)

To expand the ranks of qualified instructors as quickly as possible, and thus increase the number of students that can be admitted to future schools, applicants who qualify for the NCC instructor training program (Instructor Academy; IA) or who lack a single IA qualification will be given highest admission priority.  Qualification for IA is based on performance in earlier schools.  Detailed information on IA can be obtained from the chapter’s website at http://www.nccbmwcca.org.

Unsuccessful applicants will be waitlisted.  If spaces become available, applicants will be admitted from the waitlist in order as described above.  Applicants who are waitlisted but not eventually admitted receive full refunds of their fees.  Waitlisted applications will not be “rolled over” to later schools.

Notes

“NCC member” priority will be given to applicants whose primary or secondary chapter affiliations include the NCC and to applicants with pending NCC membership applications.  The number of novice students admitted will be limited to one-third of the total school enrollment.  Every effort will be made to inform applicants of their admission status three weeks before the school.

  • Applications must now be submitted using the online registration form on MotorsportReg.com.  At a minimum, completely fill out your Name, Address, Email, Phone, Club/Chapter membership, Garage and Driving Experience information in your MotorsportReg.com account page.  Incomplete account information will slow down the registration process.  The National Capital Chapter will not use any medical information entered into MotorsportReg.com for our drivers' schools.  On-line (credit card) payment through MotorsportReg.com or a check postmarked within the registration period is required to complete your registration and prioritize your application.  Each applicant must submit a separate application using a different username and email address.  Admission priority will be determined by either your on-line payment date or postmark date of your mailed check.  If you pay by check, mail your registration fee made payable to the NCC BMW CCA to:

    NCC Drivers' School 
    c/o 
    Doug Verner 
    16205 Deer Lake Road
    Derwood, MD  20855-1983

  • Drivers must be 18 years of age or older and have full, valid driver’s licenses.  Familiarity with the car is essential and car sharing is strongly discouraged.  For two-day drivers’ schools, first-time students may register for the first day, or for both days, but not for the second day only.

  • Cars must be insured, street-legal, quiet and must have passenger seats.  Functional, securely attached lap and shoulder belts are required for both front seats.  The front seats must have equal restraint systems available (e.g., if the driver has a five-point harness, the passenger must have a five-point harness as well.)  Performance-enhancing modifications and R-compound (racing) tires inhibit learning and are strongly discouraged.  If roll bars or cages are installed, they must be fully padded above the level of the front door window sills.

  • Convertibles, SAVs, SUVs, retractable hardtops, T-tops, trucks, vans, motorcycles and rental cars are not allowed.

  • Cars must be inspected by a qualified service facility before the event.  A properly completed tech inspection form (supplied) must be presented at the track.  It is your responsibility to ensure that your car is safe and roadworthy.

  • Helmets must be certified to Snell M- or SA-standards, 2000 or later.  Full-face helmets with SA-2005 certifications are strongly recommended.  The Snell Memorial Foundation’s certification will be found on a sticker inside the helmet.  The chapter does not supply helmets.

  • Prior approval is required for students intending to share cars and for changes in car type after registration.

Refund policy

Student and instructor schedules are finalized and sent to the printer fifteen days prior to the school (that is the third Friday preceding the school weekend or the “Freeze Date”.)  We are not able to add students from the wait list after the Freeze Date.  The school costs are all fixed costs and tuition is priced as low as possible based upon full attendance.   

If you notify the Registrar of your cancellation prior to the Freeze Date, you will receive a refund of all amounts paid.  

If you notify the Registrar on or after the Freeze Date, and up until 9:00 p.m. the Friday immediately preceding the school weekend, you will receive a refund of one-half of your school tuition (regardless of the reason for the cancellation.)  Notification of the Registrar may be made by email to nccdsregistrar@me.com or home phone at 301.990.1315 or cell phone at 703.338.8128.    

If you fail to attend the school without notifying the Registrar prior to 9:00 p.m. the Friday before the school, you will forfeit your entire school tuition for that weekend.

The National Capital Chapter reserves the right to decline entry to any individual and to any vehicle deemed unsafe or unsuitable for track use.


Entries (72)

TS
Ted Staib
SK
Steven Kiernan
KL
Kenny Lyon
RH
Ron Hougham
SB
Sal Bezos
JL
John Lattanzio
AA
Austin Alder
DV
Doug Verner

Shenandoah Circuit

Summit Point, WV
Download track map
Download track map

Organizer

HPDE organized by

BMW CCA - National Capital Chapter - Driving Schools

More events from this organizer
NCC 2024 Summer HPDE - Summit Point (Main)
May
3
NCC 2024 Summer HPDE - Summit Point (Main)
Summit Point - Summit Point Circuit
NCC 2024 Advanced and Instructor Appreciation Day
Jul
12
NCC 2024 Advanced and Instructor Appreciation Day
Summit Point - Summit Point Circuit
NCC/NJ 2024 Fall HPDE - Summit Point (Shenandoah)
Sep
13
NCC/NJ 2024 Fall HPDE - Summit Point (Shenandoah)
Summit Point - Shenandoah Circuit
TRSS Coach/Volunteer SignUp - September 29, 2024
Sep
29
TRSS Coach/Volunteer SignUp - September 29, 2024
Summit Point - Washington Circuit

Event over!