My Driving School Experience

by Kim Scales

When my husband, Owen, signed me up for driving school I didn't think much about it. I had been to an autocross before. I could drive through a bunch of pylons and I hit 75 mph on the interstate all the time. Owen told me I would be a natural. My father-in-law, Dick Scales, who has been autocrossing for years, told me I would be fantastic. He told me stories of the legendary women in the Maverick Region and how I was destined to join their ranks. Oh yes, if other women could do this, I could do this. This would be no big deal. I wasn't overjoyed when we bought the Porsche, but if you can't beat them, race with them, right?

On the first day of driving school Charlie Davis was appointed our instructor. We all broke into groups to begin our lessons. Owen went first in our first station, the increasing/decreasing radius turn. I watched. It looked pretty easy. I hopped into the car to drive it for maybe the 6th time since we bought it a few months ago. I knew that I was in trouble when Charlie said the word "apex" expecting me to know what it was. The prophecy that I would someday need to know 10th grade geometry had just come true. Unfortunately, it had been long forgotten. I got through that exercise impressing Charlie with my ability to go so slowly. This was nothing!

The next exercise was throttle steering around a circle. This didn't look very hard either. Once again, Owen went first. Then as Charlie was about to demonstrate the technique to me while I rode, he began to explain the concept of steering without turning the steering wheel. This was somewhat confusing to me, but I figured I would wing it. We began to drive around the circle. Charlie kept increasing his speed. I was looking forward in what seemed to be a horizontal position. I knew that the car was going to roll over and we would die. And then suddenly, we spun out!

We did a 180 and the car came to a stop. I had just complained to Owen that morning that the car didn't have any "Oh Shoot" handles. I was really cursing that it didn't at this point. I had been desperate for a place to hang on to. Although the 180 scared me, I was so grateful that the car had come to a stop I didn't care. Then Charlie started around the circle again. Car sickness and fear overwhelmed me. This car would roll over at any time. We went faster and faster, I thought we would never stop. I thought to myself that they were crazy if they thought I was going to get out there and do this. I would be perfectly happy to proceed at granny speed around the circle and that's the way I planned my turn. I realized that I had been too ignorant about autocrossing to be scared of it. I knew at this point that I should have been afraid, very afraid.

I began to drive and Charlie encouraged (read between the lines "insisted") that I increase my speed. Then, it happened. Enlightenment! I felt that edge that had been described to me. I was actually doing "it". I was using the throttle to control the car and it felt great! My whole driving experience had just changed. I was no longer just circling pylons, I felt "it"! I almost even recognized "it". I had felt that feeling one time years ago when I got really aggressive on a clover leaf exit ramp off the interstate. Of course, Charlie couldn't be satisfied with the fact that I had finally gotten what he was talking about. He had to go and strike that competitive chord in me by challenging me to meet or beat Owen's speed. My foot pressed harder on the throttle, the car went faster and it felt even better. I met Owen's speed, but he beat me by 2 mph on his next turn, at which time he spun out himself.

Thankfully that experience happened early in the first day, it set the tone for the rest of the school. It really did change my point of view. I got a taste of what driving on the edge felt like and I really liked it. That first spin out with Charlie proved to me that I wasn't going to meet a disastrous fate. It was actually sort of fun. I proceeded to perfect my own spinouts twice that day.

We moved on to other exercises and although I wasn't perfect, I began to work really hard at driving. I felt good about learning the techniques. I felt even better for not hitting as many pylons as Owen in the slalom. Then, a whole new unnerving challenge was presented. The time trial track.

Once again, Charlie demonstrated driving the track while I rode. Once again I cursed the fact that my car doesn't have "Oh Shoot" handles. When it was my turn to drive, I once again impressed Charlie with my speed. I am sure that he had never experienced someone with such skill for driving so slowly.

On the second day of driving school we actually kept track of lap times. I know that my time would have been better if I could have just figured out where the gates were. By the way, I apologize to those folks at start/finish. That was a close call!

Later that morning the course was broken down so that we could practice a few different sections over and over. This is where I became brave enough to increase my speed - a little. I figured out that it was better to let Owen drive first while I stood on the track with Charlie who was critiquing. I learned a lot about finding the line during this time. Then, when it was my turn, I was able to find the line then try to get my speed up. I kept the car around the turns just on the edge of loosing control and scaring myself a little. Charlie said that was exactly where I needed to be.

I felt ready when it came time for lapsagain. I knew that I could get my lap time down. I had increased my speed that afternoon. I knew that I could increase it more and that was exactly what I was going to do. I took my practice lap easy so that I could find the line and find those pesky gates. I didn't want to endanger the start/finish people again. Then, it was time for my first timed lap. I took off with speed I had never had before. I made the first few turns, scaring myself just enough to feel good. My confidence was building. I floored it in the straight a way. I knew on the next turn I needed to throttle, hit the brakes hard and turn late. I kept repeating that in my mind, throttle, hit the brakes hard and turn late. Then, I did it, I throttled, hit the brakes, turned late and downshifted, sending me into a spin. I recovered and completed my final two laps, but never built up to the speed I knew I could reach again. I did shave time off my morning run though.

I cant say enough good things about the driving school experience. Thank goodness I was too ignorant to know what I was getting into. Otherwise, I may have chickened out. I learned so much. I even learned that I have more to learn. I cant wait to try a real autocross and begin to develop my driving more. After taking this driving school I will never drive the same way again. Now, I am a force to be reckoned with on the road. I will take many of the things I learned in driving school back to the real world. When people see my Volvo coming, they had better watch out!

[Instructors rebuttal: Kim was not too slow as she claims. It's much better to go slow so the instructor has time to instruct.much easier to get a slow student going faster than to get a fast student to slow down.]


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