Spring Mountain HPDE - Audi Club

Safety Protocols

Your driving school will comply with state and local health & safety requirements in effect at the time of the event.

The event focus is on SAFETY, FUN, and LEARNING. This is NOT a race, a racing school, an open track day, a test-and-tune opportunity, or practice for racing.

Your driving school is held at a private club featuring a closed road course. This is not because we are "racing", instead this avoids the many uncontrollable hazards found on the public streets, such as distracted drivers, pedestrians, unexpected obstacles, and opposite-direction traffic.

All activities are conducted under the supervision of experienced and trained Audi Club instructors. You will be learning the principles and practicing the art of performance driving in a fun, relaxed, and highly organized school setting, while observing practical safety protocols. Our training is designed to allow you to improve your skills as a driver while exploring the capabilities of your vehicle. It will help prepare you for emergencies that may occur in normal driving situations.

At no time will you be pushed or encouraged to go any faster than is comfortable for you. For your safety, all participants will be organized into run groups based on prior experience, demonstrated skill, and type of vehicle.

One-Day Options

While we recommend our most popular full weekend registration, we have provided single-day registration options for Saturday or Sunday for B-Novice and above drivers. Friday's advanced driver day, as always, is a single-day option. To ensure quality instruction and provide a comprehensive and effective learning experience, the First Time Beginner school is only offered as a two-day weekend package.

Venue

This Audi Club driving school will be held at Spring Mountain Motor Resort, a private state-of-the-art closed course road track and exclusive motorsports country club located at 4767 S Nevada Highway 160, Pahrump NV 89048 (800) 391-6891, only 55 miles West of downtown Las Vegas. With over six miles of challenging racetrack, additional track under construction, and a wide array of resort-style amenities, Spring Mountain delivers a world-class motorsports experience to driving enthusiasts of all levels. If you love cars and driving, Spring Mountain is truly a destination not to be missed. All Activities, including Check-In, morning Safety Briefings, and Meals, will be held at the Spring Mountain facility.

Weekend Course Configurations

We will drive the 3.4-mile Mansell C course configuration (with the Bus Stop but without the Loop) on Saturday and Sunday.

Friday Experienced Driver Day

Friday's optional HPDE practice day is an open pit lane format, so expect to get all the track time your heart desires! There is no formal instruction on Friday so this option is only for our instructors and C-Intermediate and D-Advanced drivers who have previously been approved to drive solo at an Audi Club driving school. We will drive the exciting and challenging 4-mile Andretti B course on Friday.

If you believe your prior experience qualifies you for Friday, please see the instructions in the Experienced Driver section later on this page. Are you a Racer eyeballing our event? Know that Friday is an HPDE Practice day and complies with the same Audi Club safety protocols as our weekend school. Passing is by permission only in designated passing zones. There will be a wide range of driver experience and car performance on track at any given time. Our events are not suitable for racing practice or test-and-tune.

Convertibles and SUV/CUV

Audi Club North America allows convertible cars with adequate roll over protection (for example, A4, TT and R8 cabriolets) and certain models of small performance SUV/CUV cars at our driving school (for example, Q3, Q5, and SQ5).

Helmets (NEW)

Your helmet must be certified to the Snell SA2015 or SA2020 standard.
As of 2022, Snell M-motorcycle helmets and SA2010 or earlier helmets are no longer valid at Audi Club high speed events. Audi Club SoCal has a limited number of SA2015 open face helmets for rent.  

Registration Fee

The weekend registration fee for this Audi Club SoCal High Performance Driver School includes everything you need for learning more about yourself and your car, including driving theory sessions for everyone, car control exercises for Beginners, on-track instruction on the weekend, and lunch each day at the track.

Audi Club is a non-profit educational organization. This year's affordable fees reflect Spring Mountain's substantial increase in track rental rates for 2022, as well as the expenses and limitations involved in running a compliant event. Please help us plan for this event by Registering Early!  Your card will not be charged until April 3rd. All program elements are subject to adjustment to accommodate local health regulations at the time of the event.

Audi Club Spring Mountain 2022
Registration Fees

Package	thru 4/9/2022
Friday Experienced Driver Day	$299
Weekend Driving School - both days*	$575
Weekend Driving School - 1st Time Beginner*	$599
Weekend Driving School - any single day	$299
Weekend Driving School - pre-approved Instructor	$269

Late registration is subject to additional fees. Registration closes on April 17, 2022.

*Only two-day weekend registrations include the Banquet Dinner in the Clubhouse on Saturday evening and an Event Shirt. Dinner and shirts are available separately for one day participants. We regret that registrations made after March 31st do not get shirts due to ordering, production and delivery constraints - this is yet another reason to Register Early! We will offer non-meat options at meals, however we are otherwise unable to support special dietary restrictions - please plan accordingly.

Audi Club Run Groups

Audi Club provides a run group for every skill level, plus separate driving sessions just for our trained and experienced instructors. Audi Club Run Groups are A-Beginner, B-Novice, C-Intermediate, D-Advanced, X-Instructor, Y-Instructor.  Run Groups may be adjusted based on the number of participants.

Preliminary Schedule

Tuesday
7:00 PM First-Timer Meeting via Zoom
7:00 PM Instructor Meeting via Zoom - Mandatory

Wednesday
7:00 PM All-Drivers meeting via Zoom - Mandatory

Friday
All Day: Experienced Drivers on Andretti - arrive at the Track by 7 AM
5:30 PM Meet-and-Greet & Check-In for the Weekend at the Spring Mountain Club House

Saturday
All Day: Driving School on Mansell - arrive at the Track by 7 AM
5:00-6:15 PM: NEW! Track Walk by popular demand!
6:45 PM Banquet Dinner at Spring Mountain Club House
5:30 PM Social Hour

Sunday
All Day: Driving School on Mansell - arrive at the Track by 7 AM

The track will be cold during lunch each day. A detailed event schedule will be provided at event check-in.

Lodging

Pahrump is very busy in the Spring, with snowbirds from all over the USA as well as hundreds of students at the Front Sight training academy. Hotel rooms are at a premium so make your lodging reservation NOW and avoid the long daily drive from the Las Vegas strip hotels.

Hotels

• Best Western Pahrump Oasis
  • Call (775) 727-5100 and ask for the "Audi Club 2022" rate available Thursday-Sunday nights $89/nite regular / $119/nite suite
  • UPDATE: The hotel will only hold the rooms and room rate through April 7, 2022. Reserve your room ASAP or you will pay the steeper rate, or worse have to scramble for a room at twice the cost, or worst of all drive from Las Vegas each day!
• Holiday Inn Express (775) 727-9100
• Nugget Hotel & Casino (775) 751-6500
• Saddle West Hotel & Casino (775) 727-1111

Housekeeping Cottages and Condos

• Wine Ridge RV Resort - Cottages (775) 751-7805
• Spring Mountain Motorsports Resort - Condos (800) 391-6891

RV Camping Are you concerned about staying in a hotel? Rent an RV and camp!

• Best Western Pahrump Oasis RV Park (775) 727-5100 landscaped
• Saddle West RV Park (775) 727-1111 asphalt
• Preferred RV Resort (775) 727-4414 landscaped
• Lakeside Casino & RV Park (866) 751-6500 beautifully landscaped but farther from the track
• Spring Mountain - Audi Club has arranged for overnight security at the track if you wish to RV "dry camp" in the paddock without hookups of any kind.

DRIVING SCHOOL

Your Audi Club SoCal driving school is much more than just a track day. We provide you with a balanced learning environment utilizing modern eLearning, live classroom, and on-track instruction via in-car instruction, lead/follow instruction, or track-side observation.

eLearning for First Timers includes an introduction to Performance Driving fundamentals via a discounted lifetime subscription to Performance Driving 101. Experience has PROVEN that if you complete the webinar before you arrive at the event you WILL learn faster and have a better time!

This self-paced professional online program has easy to digest modules on Vision, proper use of the car’s Controls (steering, brakes, accelerator, and shifting), and a simplified description of Vehicle Dynamics, then puts it all together to explain proper Cornering Technique. We will refund your course cost if you bring evidence of successful completion with you to the event.

EVENT REQUIREMENTS

Brief Summary of Driver Requirements

• Spring Mountain requires all drivers to be at least 18 years of age.
• All registered Drivers must possess and present a valid driver's license issued by their state of residence (not a learner's permit).
• Drivers must provide and wear an auto racing helmet certified to Snell SA2015 or later
• Drivers must wear a long-sleeve shirt, long pants, and practical closed-toe shoes while engaged in the car control exercises and during all on-track driving sessions. Clothing should be made of natural or flame-retardant fibers. And ladies, save those slick synthetic leggings for yoga class.
• Membership in Audi Club of North America (ACNA) is required by our insurance. Audi ownership is not required for ACNA membership. ACNA member benefits include the glossy magazine quattro with the inside scoop on all things Audi, membership in your local Audi Club chapter, preferred pricing on new Audi automobiles, and discounts from club sponsors. www.audiclubna.org/join
• Whenever there is a passenger in a car, at least one occupant must be an Audi Club approved instructor who is registered at this event.

Brief Summary of Vehicle Requirements

• All makes and models of coupes and sedans are welcome. You bring your own car. The club does not supply or rent cars.
• Your car must be in excellent mechanical condition.
• Your car must undergo and pass a safety inspection prior to arriving at the event.
• Equal safety restraints (seat belts, air bags, seats, etc.) are required for the driver and passenger.
• The driver must be able to give clear passing signals using a full-arm "point" out the driver's side window (see Passing, below).
• Competition tires (DOT R-Compound or racing slicks) are not permitted for SUV/CUV or Beginning and Novice group drivers, and are discouraged for Intermediate group drivers.
• Open cars and convertibles are allowed if equipped with club-approved OEM rollover protection or an aftermarket 4-point (or greater) roll bar meeting the broomstick test. (Note that the OEM rollover bar on Mazda Miata / MX-5 is considered two-point and is NOT approved for our events.) Arm restraints for driver and passenger are required for open cars or top-down convertibles.
• Sports Utility, Crossover and other high center of gravity vehicles are not appropriate for this high-speed driving event; however, select performance-oriented SUV/CUVs with street tires are permitted in the beginner and novice run groups. You may inquire via email about your specific convertible or SUV/CUV model.
• On Friday, and in the Weekend Instructor run groups, we will be joined by Spring Mountain club members who your club does not vet for prior experience. New: We strongly encourage drivers in these groups to have at least one securely mounted dash camera in your car.

BEFORE REGISTERING you may review Audi Club SoCal's detailed event requirements and the required Car Inspection Form which you may download at audiclubna.org/southern-california/driving-school/.

Point-by Passing Protocol

Passing at Audi Club SoCal high performance events will only occur in designated passing zones with the permission of the car being passed. The car being passed gives permission by use of a "Point-By" with the full arm out the window. Passing may be directed on either side. The car being passed is expected to enable/assist the pass by lifting throttle as necessary and avoid any surprises by maintaining a normal driving line. Cars with window nets must run with them down. Cars with fixed windows or open cars requiring arm restraints must have functional turn signals which can be used in lieu of a Point ("Blink-By"). These passing protocols apply in all run groups and on all three days of the event.

First-Timer? If this is your first time at an Audi Club driving school, we have a First-Timers Introduction and Preparation article on our website. We recommend that cars driven in the A-Beginner and B-Novice groups be street cars in stock condition, including a functional FM radio if needed for receiving remote instruction.

Experienced Drivers Are you an experienced driver but registering with SoCal Audi Club for the first time? Please make sure your External Driving History in your MotorsportReg.com Profile is complete and current. This will help us place you in an appropriate run group. Do you have questions about your driving or instructing qualifications? Please email your qestions and references to our Chief Driving Instructor at cdi@audiclubsocal.org.

Garages Day rental garages are not available at Spring Mountain.

HPDE Insurance Does my regular insurance policy cover my car at this HPDE driving school event? This article helps you find out: A guide to your personal auto policy. If you find your regular policy excludes coverage, you may purchase special HPDE insurance for your car while participating in this Audi Club driving school. Search "HPDE Insurance" online to see a wide selection of insurance providers.

Still have Questions? Contact Bill Vogel, the Spring Mountain eventmaster, at eventmaster@audiclubsocal.org

We look forward to seeing you at the track. We are going to have a Great Time!