About this event
SNOW. ICE. SKIDS. SMILES.
2027 North Atlantic Audi Club Winter Driving Schools
Team O'Neil Rally School - Dalton, New Hampshire
Picture this: you enter an icy turn and the car starts to slide. You brake, turn the wheel, and the car keeps moving toward the outside of the corner. What do you do next?
At the NAAC Winter Driving School, you get to find out in a safe, controlled environment - with an experienced instructor beside you. You'll learn how to recognize and recover from skids, control understeer and oversteer, brake more effectively on snow and ice, manage weight transfer, and keep your eyes where the car needs to go.
This is the place to explore the limits of traction on purpose - at low speed, on a closed course, with coaching.
See the school in action: WATCH THE VIDEO
If you would like to learn to control your car in slippery conditions, to handle every type of skid (including correcting understeer and oversteer), and to stop more quickly in snowy or icy conditions then join the North Atlantic Audi Club for one (or both!) of our premier winter driving schools, to be held the last weekend in January and February at the Team O'Neil Rally School in Dalton, NH. It's a safe, low-speed event on a closed course with expert instruction in a fun atmosphere. And, there will be ample opportunity to socialize with like-minded enthusiasts.
What you'll actually do
- Skid pad - learn what understeer and oversteer feel like, and how to correct both.
- Slalom - build vision, smoothness, weight-transfer control, and the right amount of steering input.
- Combined snow course - put the classroom principles together through a variety of corners and changing traction.
- Team driving event - finish Saturday with a little friendly competition.
- Sunday finale - consolidate your skills through repetition, then take on the optional time trial where smoothness and consistency matter.
New driver? Experienced driver? You'll have plenty to learn.
The school is designed to work at your pace. Novices focus on skid recovery, smoothness, vision, and consistency. Drivers who have mastered the basics can work with instructors on more advanced techniques such as handbrake turns, left-foot braking, threshold braking, trailing-throttle oversteer, and the Scandinavian flick.
Bring the vehicle you actually drive
Convertibles, trucks, front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, and all-wheel-drive vehicles are welcome - and they do not have to be Audis. This is a chance to learn how your own car behaves when traction is limited.
The same fundamentals that help you recover from a winter skid - vision, smooth inputs, balance, weight transfer, and understanding available grip - also translate directly to autocross and track driving.
Winter tire requirement
Front- and rear-wheel-drive vehicles must have snow tires on the drive wheels at a minimum. Look for the mountain/snowflake symbol shown here on the tire sidewall.
Make a weekend of it
The school officially begins Saturday morning, but the weekend starts Friday evening at the Hampton Inn. Join us at 7:00 PM for an informal gathering, refreshments, and a short session on preparing your car for winter driving and roadside emergencies.
Saturday evening we gather again at the Hampton Inn for drinks, conversation, and the traditional opportunity to compare notes - and perhaps brag a little - about the day's driving.
Schedule
| Social - Refreshments | Hampton Inn | Friday | 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM |
| Registration | Team O'Neil | Saturday | 8:00 AM - 8:20 AM |
| Classroom Training | Team O'Neil | Saturday | 8:30 AM - 9:45 AM |
| In-Car Exercises | Team O'Neil | Saturday | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Social | Hampton Inn | Saturday | 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM |
| In-Car Exercises | Team O'Neil | Sunday | 9:00 AM - 1:25 PM |
| Graduation | Team O'Neil | Sunday | 1:25 PM - 1:45 PM |
| Time Trial (Optional) | Team O'Neil | Sunday | 1:45 PM - 3:00 PM |
NAAC will provide sandwiches, snacks, and cold beverages for lunch Saturday and Sunday
Fees
- Under 21 with registering parent . . . . . . . $ 170 / 200 (ACNA parent member / all others)
- ACNA Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 340
- All others * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 400
* Not a member of ACNA click here and join. Your discount for this event will pay for your year's membership.
COME FOR THE SKILLS. STAY FOR THE SMILES. DRIVE HOME A BETTER WINTER DRIVER.
Event requirements
The Winter Driving School is open to drivers of all experience levels and is especially valuable for inexperienced winter drivers. Please review the following requirements and logistics before completing registration.
Driver requirements
- Participants must present a valid driver's license or learner's permit and sign a liability waiver.
- A parent must accompany drivers under age 18 and must also sign the waiver on the driver's behalf.
- If two people are sharing one car, each driver must register separately.
- Each registered driver must use a unique email address in MotorsportReg.
Instructors and volunteers
Instructor applicants: If you would like to instruct but do not have prior NAAC instructor experience, please submit your qualifications to the NAAC Instructor Committee for verification. mike.collier@naac-club.org - use the subject line: Instructor.
Volunteers: Expect a fun two days outside helping maintain the courses and coordinate the exercises with the instructors.
Course location and last-minute updates
Saturday registration and classroom training will be held at the Team O'Neil facility in Dalton, NH. Team O'Neil has two possible training areas - the North and South courses. The final course assignment will be based on snow and weather conditions in the days before the event.
Important: Course assignment and any weather-related changes will be communicated by email. Make sure the email address in your MotorsportReg account is one you can access during the event weekend.
Lodging - event hotel
Hampton Inn - 580 Meadow St., Littleton, NH 03561
This is the NAAC event hotel for lodging and the Friday/Saturday socials. A block of 10 rooms has been reserved at a special rate of $175 per night. Call the hotel directly at (603) 444-0025 and mention "North Atlantic Audi Club." The discounted block ends one month before the event date, after which the standard rate may apply. The Hampton offers a continental breakfast starting at 6 AM.
Other hotel options in the area include:
- Cabot Inn and Suites (http://www.cabotinnandsuites.com/)
- Coos Motor in (http://www.coosmotorinn.com/)
- Mountain View Grand (http://www.mountainviewgrand.com)
- Thayer’s Inn (http://www.thayersinn.com/),
- Franconia Inn (http://www.franconiainn.com/).
- There are also local Bed&Breakfasts
Looking for something more upscale? Mountain View Grand is an excellent option, especially if you are making the weekend a getaway with a spouse or significant other.
Food
NAAC provides sandwiches, snacks, and cold beverages for lunch on Saturday and Sunday. Dinner choices in the Littleton area are limited, so it is worth planning ahead. Browse local dining options on Yelp.
Questions about registration?
Contact buddy.gregory@naac-club.org if you have questions about registration or sharing a vehicle.
