End of Summer HPDS and Instructor Training School

The Boston Chapter is making our third visit of the year to Palmer Motorsports Park's Whiskey Hill Raceway for another High Performance Driving School plus our Instructor Training School.

This Saturday/Sunday event is open to students of all levels.

Additionally, the Boston Chapter will be hosting an Instructor Training School for qualified candidates. This 2 day program provides a transparent approach for the instructional skills of advanced drivers to be mentored and evaluated by a team of experienced instructors. Please contact the Chief Instructors if you are interested in applying for ITS. 

What is a Driving School?

The purpose of a driving school is quite simple: to improve your driving skills. We will emphasize the relationship of driver and machine, making them function in unison and giving you, as a student, the opportunity to learn your limitations and expand your capabilities, thus creating safe driving skills and habits in a controlled situation.

We conduct the school on a racetrack under the close supervision of experienced and trained instructors. You will learn how to handle and control your vehicle at speeds not normally attained on public roads. This will help to prepare you for emergencies in normal driving. It will also allow you to explore your capabilities as a driver and those of your vehicle.

At no time will you be pushed or encouraged to go any faster than is comfortable for you. All participants will be organized into run groups in accordance with experience, skill, and type of vehicle.

What you learn on the track depends on your driving skill. Beginners are taught driving style (smoothness, consistency, the ability to read the track), more experienced participants continue to work on consistency, while developing new skills such as trail braking, and threshold braking. Every time you are on the track, you will have an experienced instructor in the passenger seat.

 

For the most experienced drivers, you can be “signed off” and drive solo when you have proven to your instructor and the Chief Instructor that you understand the basics of high speed driving, you can consistently drive the correct line, and you show proper etiquette on track. Maturity, good judgment, skill and significant experience will lead to being signed off for solo driving. Even if you are a solo student, you are still highly encouraged to learn new skills from your instructor. In fact, National BMW Club rules require an instructor be in-car for at least part of the event for all students.

Classroom

Your day is divided between driving on the track, classroom sessions, or free time. Yes, this is a school, and there is mandatory classroom time. All participants are required to attend classroom sessions to learn vehicle dynamics and driving techniques. Failure to attend will result in loss of driving privileges.

These sessions will continue throughout the day to help you understand the fine art of high speed driving. In the classroom, you learn high speed driving theory. You learn everything from 'why low-profile tires are better', to what is the difference between an early and late apex. Car physics, such as what is really happening when I brake or why my car understeers or oversteers is also discussed. Each classroom normally has a question and answer session.

What is a Driving School NOT?

Though you are on a racetrack, with 20-30 other drivers of similar driving skills, it is not a race. Passing in corners is not allowed, and you are not expected to shift at redline, or go screaming through each corner with the tires squealing.

Safety of the event is of the utmost importance. Driver conduct will be diligently monitored throughout the day by the staff, instructors, and corner workers. Infractions of the rules will not be tolerated, and will likely result in dismissal from the school.

Registration Fees

For novice and experienced drivers, this is a two day event

There is a special, one-time discount available for first-time HPDS students. 

Drivers participating in the Boston Chapter's advanced Independent Study Group (ISG) may register for either or both days of the event.

The student registration fees for this event are as follows:

Registration Type	Through August 5th	August 6th through August 27th	August 28th onward
Saturday/Sunday First Time Student	$430	$490	$550
Saturday/Sunday Experienced Student	$530	$590	$650
ISG Driver - Single Day	$305	$340	$375
ISG Driver - Saturday/Sunday	$585	$650	$715
Non Member - Saturday/Sunday	$800

Not a BMW Club Member yet?  Get discounted registration for this event, monthly Roundel magazine and much more for just $48 per year.  Join here:  BMW Car Club of America

Wait-List Rules

Due to the limited number of student slots available for Boston Chapter driving events, it is common for us to receive more registrations than we can admit, hence a Wait-List will be created. Applications will be admitted from the Wait-List on a first come, first serve basis. 

Questions?

For questions regarding registration or Driving Schools in general, please email the registrar using the "Contact Host" button on the right side of this page.

NOTE:  If you're interested in purchasing HPDE insurance for this event, please contact Lockton about bundling this event with other events you may be attending this year, or contact one of the other HPDE insurance providers, such as OnTrack Insurance