Looks like everyone's experience was similar to mine. I did a 3 day F4 class and it was miserable for the most part. Everytime a student driver made even the slightest of mistakes the head guy/owner of SB would yell so loud that his face would turn red. He made my entire experience horrible and I paid $10k! Everything he said and told us to do and not do was lead with intimidation and anger and threats....wasn't encouraging or helpful at all. Seemed like most of the instructors were also scared of him so they didn't encourage us to improve. I asked my instructor about him and he said yeah we are all scared to do something wrong. What a horrible way to run a business! I would've done more f4 classes but not here, EVER! There are much better run race classes. Run from Skip Barber and never look back!! read more

From the arrival at the track to the finish of the session it was a bad experience. Upon arrival at the track it was controlled chaos to get everyone registered to race. We started 25 minutes late. The staff seemed like it was their first day there. Skip Barber describes their courses as "lead and follow". Let me describe that for you. The instructor leads and you follow. This is not a bad concept as long as the lead car is capable of the same speed as the student. The "lead" car on the day of my session was a completely stock Toyota Camry. If that sounds bad, it was. Now add 4 students in the "lead" car every session receiving "instruction" while you are driving a car capable of 150 mph and the result is a lap speed of well under 70 MPH. The same lap car was used for all cars that day. Therefore, Formula 4 cars and GT cars were restricted to the same speed behind the lap car. If driving an exceptional car well below it's potential is appealing to you, I highly recommend Skip Barber. read more

Redeemed my Yelp racing intro deal on Sunday, whoa that was fun. Driving a formula 1-style car on a famous racetrack was quite the adrenaline pumping experience. Can't say I got all that much out of the classroom hour, there was a lot of fluff time spent on instructor resumes, a photo/video sales pitch, and participant introductions... cut out the fat and you could get it down to 30 minutes, easy. The track time was generous and while I enjoyed every second out there, I was spent by the end. Once you left the classroom session everything was very efficient... moments later you were zipping around at high speeds (trailing a speedy pro) almost uninterrupted for a couple hours. The instructors were chill and very welcoming. They push you harder than you'd likely have pushed yourself, thought they do so gently in an unintimidating way. While I'm not sure I'm hardcore enough to do one of their mutiday classes, I'm sure it'd be fun... maybe someday. read more

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I purchased a one day training as a gift for my husband. The day was wonderful and exceptional. My rating is for the customer service. I purchased the video of him in the car. We received it and it was slow motion and had no sound. I contacted them and they fixed it, but the car he was in had no microphone. Watching a race video with no sound of the car is disappointing. So I requested a refund. They did give a refund, but the issue was one of my payments was on a gift card and others on credit card. They did not ask which card we wanted the refund to and they refunded the gift card. The gift card is long gone at this point and we are just out of luck. So my rating of 3 has to do with having the video equipment in the car and NOT checking if that student for the day had paid for the video package ($250) and making sure he was in a car that would be able to be recorded along with the customer service situation above. At this point we are just out $250. UGH read more

What a waste of money. We entered into the driving school/ academy only to have the fastest cars handed to a rich family each and every race. Even though the car picks were to be "random". So if you want to be competitive this school isn't for you, unless you have a famous last name, or really deep pockets. Had I known we would have choosen another racing academy to put on money towards. Such a disappointment. read more

My wife signed me up for Intro to Racing as an anniversary present. Yes, she is cool. The cars are hardcore. The course -- the real F1 deal with Laguna Seca's legendary "corkscrew" and all -- is even more so. It felt like driving a ski run at Aspen. Fast. I managed to spin out on turn 6 on my 3rd lap. No harm done, but definitely gives you an appreciation for what the pros are really doing out there at 100 MPH and scores of other cars on the road. The lecture hour is helpful, and after the track time I ended up wanting more class time (to ask questions now that I had some experience) followed of course by more track time. Insider tip for those like me who know nothing about racing: don't be scared to brake hard before the turns, even over-doing it so you are going quite slowly beforehand... which gives you tons of control and allows you to gun it once you're straightened out. I was coming from the video game school of racing, where you basically never use the brake - so anyhow, I think I would have been a lot faster had I been heavier on both brake and gas. In all, definitely one of those lifetime experiences I am not going to forget. And if I manage to stumble into money someday, I could see getting really into this (e.g., trying their 2 day class, etc.). read more

Skip Barber Racing School - from Skip Barber site - Driving Schools Near Me - Salinas, California

OK, 1st of all, I'll be completely honest. Anyone who can get me track time on Laguna Seca is gonna get at least 4 stars regardless of any other circumstances. Laguna Seca has been the racetrack of my speed-crazed dreams for years & years now. When I saw the Yelp deal for $350 off the price of a racing school session at Skip Barber Racing School, I knew the dream would soon be reality. After talking to the guys at Skip Barber on the phone, I was informed that the discount could be used toward any session in any program. Though I was more interested in a Mazdaspeed Intro to Racing session, I ended up reserving a spot on a Formula Car Intro to Racing session because it fit my schedule better. That session also, luckily, fit the weather better too, as it was on a dry day between 2 rainy weeks. The whole Formula Car Intro to Racing session is very brief. Altogether, it was about 3 hours. There were 6 of us in my session. During the classroom portion, we got suited up & went over the very basics of the car itself, vehicle dynamics, the racing line & how we should apply it to the track. Just to note some add-ons, we were offered while in the classroom: + Insurance for the race car, $75 for coverage with a $1000 deductible. It was, by no means, a hard sell & the instructor sort of assured me that I wouldn't need it. + Photos & video of our session, $120 for video, $190 for photos & a Skip Barber photo frame, $100 for digital copy of photos only. The video is shot by a camera mounted to the top of the roll bar on the car & displays an array of real-time drive data. The photos are shot from various vantage points around the track, including the Corkscrew. After all that, we headed out to the cars. The instructor went over the cars with us, reiterating some of the stuff we got in the classroom. Then it was time to get in, sit down, strap in, shut up & get ready to go like Hell. For the driving portion, we got to lap the track for 3 sets of 20-ish minute intervals. It was, essentially, follow the leader with an instructor out in front driving the ideal line through the curves. For what it was, a very simple & basic introduction to race car driving in a nimble but not too fast car, it was a blast. Ultimately, a racing school session like this is just to provide a taste of what it's like drive a race car. Truly, it's too short to come away with a whole lot of new driving skills. But the experience alone was well worth it for me, especially with the Yelp deal discount. No doubt this was a "bucket list" kind of thing for me. Drive a race car on Laguna Seca? Check. Thank you Skip Barber for the opportunity. Just a taste, however, wasn't enough & I will absolutely be looking for more chances to put the rubber to the road on Laguna Seca! read more

Attended 3 day racing school at one of the locations. Learned some useful things about racing, but this place has shitty business conduct. Highly DO NOT recommend!!! 1. The sales person is extremely irresponsible and would say anything to lure you in. In fact, 3 day school can only give you a quick intro on a list of racing techniques (basic skid pad, heel-toe shifting, etc).They also do the teaching by 6 person group. So you end up only doing ~15 minutes per exercise and spend most of time waiting on the side. It's impossible to learn any of those skills on the spot! You need to be already quite proficient on these techniques to be able to actually learn sth meaningful from the coach in such a short time. However, if I'm already quite proficient on them, why would I spend $6000 to get a 15 mins intro all over again? 2. The moment you pay any money to them, you will never see them back!!! They have an absolute no-refund policy no matter what happens. Straight gangster is the right description for this school. The weather is awful and the entire event is cancelled when you fly there, no refund! It starts to rain during the day and they cancel exercise on the schedule, no refund! (or "you should be grateful we are letting you do it"). If you can't quite get a hold on one technique and that affects your later training, not gonna spend even 1 additional minute to help you, and no refund! I paid for a $500 camera package, and never received any video from them (claimed they sent to me and deleted on their end), no refund! If life didn't already give me better things to do, I will be suing this place every day until it bankrupts (they already bankrupted twice before) If you want to learn about racing, start google right now. Everything they can teach is already online. If you want to learn from a pro, you will be much better off being friends with one of them and paying him that $6000 for consulting and personal training. read more

3 day racing school wasn't that great. Most of my time was spent waiting for my turn to drive in the hot sun. Instructors have supervisor come out to be rude to you and tell you what not to do to damage the car but don't tell you what to do. Very negative experience. read more

A friend of mine told me that a Skip Barber 3-Day Racing School would be the most fun I could have with my pants on. Sure, it's a bit of hyperbole, but it is surely one of the coolest things that I have had the privilege of experiencing. Is it fun? Hell, yeah! I couldn't think of a better place to do a racing school other than Laguna Seca. Okay, fine. Skip Barber uses some cool tracks around the country, but we're talking about a number of Nowheresvilles. The Monterey Peninsula is definitely not one of them. It's probably one of the prettier locations that one might find a racing school. Plus, there's plenty to see, and there are wineries around too. So, how cool is that? The views from the track's grounds are amazing as well. From the top of the famed Corkscrew at the turn 8a/8b complex, on a clear day over Monterey Bay, one can actually see Monterey Bay as one points the car through the apex of 8a before it drops off the cliff into 8b. Seeing stuff like that is a benefit of having the "high eyes" that the instructors recommend, but I don't think that's quite what they mean. They mean for one to keep one's head up, looking ahead to where one ultimately wants to put the car next, looking beyond what's immediately in front of you. Oh, and don't worry. If you don't see that scenic stuff while trying to hustle your little formula car around the track, you'll have plenty of opportunity to do so while supposedly observing your classmates hustling their little formula cars around the track. If I recall correctly, at the tippy-top of the hill, one can possibly see all the way out to Santa Cruz. Amazing. It was great to show up the first day and see all the cars lined up behind the school house. There were our Formula Dodge cars; the BMWs, Lexi, Porsches; and Lotuses for the high performance driving schools; the Mazda MX-5s for the MX-5 racing school; the Mazda 3s that the instructors drove around the track; and the big white Ford Vans that they use to shuttle us around to various locations on the track and also to show us the track. Let me tell you, it's a fun f'ing thing to be going around the track in a van driven by a racecar driver. I've never seen a big E-350 extended length van driven so aggressively and expertly. Of course, these guys are so skilled that they're chatting away on their radios while hustling the van around at speeds faster than they were having us drive the formula cars on the first day or two. It's really an eye-opening experience. Each day began with a little bit of classroom talk--about an hour or so. We'd talk about what we were working on for that particular session. On the first morning, we talked about the racing line and how to drive the racing line. I believe the first afternoon was devoted to practicing the line and also to the downshifting footwork. Again, it was a little classroom talk followed by lapping and doing whatever exercises they wanted us to do. If I recall correctly, the second day was devoted to learning threshold braking. The third day was devoted to starting a race and also passing exercises. The usual routine was classroom discussion for an hour followed by on-track lapping with the exception of some autocross driving to help familiarize us with the cars on the first morning. For my trip, rain dominated the first day. So, the usual rain talk that occurs on the third day, happened on the first day. What was great was that we got to practice driving in the rain and more importantly, getting around a wet track. It was the perfect way to start a 3-Day School. In fact, one of the instructors, Conrad Grunewald, said that his idea of a perfect three-day school was rain on the first day and sun for the next two. That's exactly what we go. It makes sense for rain to happen on the first day while they're asking us to drive the slowest and for it to be sunny on the last day when they're letting us drive the fastest. It was perfect. The quality of instruction is excellent. One guy in the class had actually taken it before--years ago. He came back for more--for a refresher, I suppose--as much as to drive Laguna Seca again. Anyway, these guys know what they're talking about even though it sound counterintuitive. For me, the fear factor kind of kept me a bit skeptical when they would say things like "full throttle." I know that I had a steeper learning curve than a lot of the other guys. So, I knew that I had to keep it slower than they. I was one of the least experienced guys in the group. So, I knew that my skills had a way to go before I could go faster. I tried not to get ahead of myself. In any case, one can definitely trust the instructors. What I didn't trust was my skills. These guys have been racing for years. Rene Villeneuve had just competed in the American Le Mans Series Race at Laguna Seca the weekend before our class. Yeah. These guys know what they're talking about, and they're cool too. Truly amazing! read more

Skip Barber Racing School - The formula cars being prepared for our arrival - Driving Schools Near Me - Salinas, California

Worst experience ever. Dangerous and poorly maintained vehicles, poor management that refused to credit for the bad experience. Now under "New" management hahahaha. They still wouldn't honor any credit. Stay away from them and find an alternative school. Don't fall for the "genuine" reviews, they are likely generated by a marketing company. Wait a few years and see if they clean up their act. Way too much money to risk having another bad experience here. read more

I did the 1 day high performance driving school, and it rained all day which to me was a plus, as I think it made car control at my speeds more interesting. Most of the instructors I found to be really nice and helpful. Randy Buck is pretty awesome, very knowledgeable and a good communicator. Which I could have spent more time with him. John Morely was cool guy and also a good instructor. I consider myself to be a good driver, and I learned a lot. Why not a higher rating then? One, for my $1,700 I didn't really want to hear that I had to pay for photography services to reserve a specific car for the only lapping sessions you actually do on Laguna Seca (20 minutes). It worked out ok, I got to drive the 997 because I was pushy, but I didn't like it going down like that. I would also note that they don't really advertise the fact that you are doing 95% of your day at the racetrack, but not on the track. Again, for my $1,700 maybe two lapping sessions would have been nice. read more

Just took the Intro to Racing course last weekend. It was awesome. The course is about 3 hours long and includes 1-1.5 hours of actual time driving around the track. The pre-driving instruction is limited to about half hour to 45 minutes, if I recall. Easy to sit through as I was concerned there would be too much talk and not enough driving. The cars were open wheel Formula Dodge cars (sort of mini Indy cars). It was great to be able to drive around the famous Laguna Seca race track in these cars that are so much more fun than a normal sports car. The instructors were great. Conrad and his team were personable and knew just how to communicate effectively to a wide range of ages. Definitely would highly recommend. I'm considering taking the 3 day racing school. read more

I have mixed emotions on this school. It was extremely fun and I feel like I learned a lot about the cars, car control, and learned the beginning of race craft. I took this school 12/21/15-12/23/15 and it rained the first 2 days, which provided the opportunity to learn to race in the rain, a valuable skill. The instructors were all experienced racers, so they were able to provide valuable feedback to go with the instruction. As someone who really wanted to learn about racing and measuring my progress, I felt there were some problems. First, they combined two classes into one, so there were 23 students to only 4 instructors. This limited the instructors being able to watch individuals and limited the feedback they were able to provide. I asked specifically for feedback, and I got a little bit more than I was getting, but there were many sessions were I received no feedback. Also, due to the lack of instructors, the driver I was sharing my car with ran out of gas at the start of an open lapping session and was not found stalled on the side of the track until the end of the session. I had even mentioned to an instructor twice during the lapping session that I had not seen my car at all during the session and the instructor never radioed anyone to go check for the car. Second, they did not have enough back up cars for a class of this size. People inevitably will crash if they are pushing their cars. For a class of 23 they only had 3 back up cars. When these cars ran out, lapping sessions were lost. I bent a tie rod on my car and this put my car out of commission, and because others had crashed earlier, I lost several lapping sessions as the instructors tried to figure out what to do. Third, for someone who wanted to measure improvement, I was disappointed to learn once I arrived that they do not time any of your laps. The instructors said this was something they used to do, but it caused students to compete with each other which lead to more crashes. While I understand how this can cause issues, lap times are needed to measure progress. Because of these issues, I feel like this was a very introductory race driving school. Their advanced school seems more like what I was looking for. Don't misunderstand me, this program was extremely fun and the instruction was very progressive and each lesson built on the last, helping you go faster as the days went on. I just expected a little more personal instruction so I could make more progress. read more

I did the 3-hour Intro to F-1 racing back in February 2012, and it was probably the most intense and exhilarating experience I've ever had. Ever since, I've been trying other extreme sports, but none so far has matched the intensity and concentration required to drive an F-1 around the fantastic curves of Laguna Seca without crashing or spinning out of control. This is a must for anyone that craves the thrill of driving fast. Class time was short and to the point, so we actually wound up with nearly 90 minutes of track time. Wish it was more, but I'll probably save my money and sign up for a 2 or 3 day F-1 program. My only criticism is that it would have been nice to get our stats and some extra tips at the end of our session. A small warning-- unless you are an already primed-up athlete or you chose to drive like a fuddy-duddy, you will be sore for a few days afterward in your core and arms. The G forces around the turns will push muscles in ways that they may have not been pushed before. But still, in the end, it's a good kind of sore... read more

Review is for the 1/2 day deal on Yelp. I had very high expectations for Skip Barber as it is often regarded as the premier driving school, but I walked away a bit disappointed and it probably has to do with the fact that I was in the 1/2 day course, which cuts too many corners on meaningful content. I have been to a few track events before and I did not learn any new mechanics from this course as they cover only the very basics, but I did get a lot of track time in their formula car and Laguna Seca is a pretty nice track. That in itself is worth the money for me but for someone with less experience on a track, you might want to reconsider - there's no way you can get comfortable enough in the allotted time to really enjoy yourself out there! At the end of the session they will try to pitch to you to sign up for additional classes at an "exclusive discount". Since then I have received multiple email offers with comparable discounts, so don't feel pressured into signing up on the spot. read more

Took the intro to racing class, which got me back onto a track after more than 2 years. In short? My hour of track time essentially knocked my addiction out of relapse and has me craving more track time and faster cars once more. The driving experience in their formula car on one of the tracks you dream about driving in real life from the moment you play Gran Turismo is just unparalleled. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is some of the execution. There were 6 of us out today, and only by sheer luck did all the faster drivers end up together. The classroom time is good, but a little too abbreviated. They went over vehicle dynamics a good deal, which is important given how easy it is to tear the rear loose coming off a straightaway at 80mph, but there probably wasn't as much time spent on what to do if you spin out (aside from hit the brakes so as to NOT hit the wall). Would have been helpful to hear what to do if we come across someone who's spinning out in front of us, or how to pass the other group out (to be fair, they might not have expected us to lap them twice in the same session). I'd suggest maybe having some pre-day materials for people to read over, who aren't as familiar with track days and pushing cars to the limit, but for me, I can't wait to hit up the track again. read more

VERY DISHONEST!!! Took our money in November of 2016 KNOWING that they were claiming bankruptcy. It is now August, I had been calling every month thinking that they were going to have classes in California at the Laguna Seca....the man, Scott, answering the phones was still claiming they would be giving classes just have not scheduled. He was taking peoples money KNOWING that they were in the process of BK. This is fraud!! I just received an email after numerous calls, letters, emails etc.... it stated: 800.221.1131 | skipbarber.com August 7, 2017 This is an important message. Skip Barber Racing School's assets have been sold. The buyer is analyzing potential strategies and, until a plan is established, is not sure whether he will operate the business or sell the assets to a party that will operate the business. As a result, events and programs have been suspended until further notice. While much can unfold in the coming weeks and months, operations may be launched again given the strength of the Skip Barber Racing School brand and 42 years of developing great drivers, racers and champions. WHAT A SCAM!!!! read more

I did the intro to racing class. It's 3 hrs, about 40 min of that on the track playing "follow the instructor" at increasing speeds as you gain skill and confidence. The classroom learning stuff is ok but a lot of time wasted with intros and bad jokes. Plus I think the vehicle dynamics stuff could be simplified at the end to: - Step on it and target the outside of the turn - Stay strait and apply brake 70% increasing until your turning speed is achieved - Smooth off brake and into your turn - at this point no gas and no brake - At apex start to straighten out and applying gas, swapping the two - Once straight again step on it and target the outside of the turn The Skip Barber Formula car is a lot of fun and will make you resent your daily driver. Laguna Seca is also awesome and has the same disappointment impact to all the roads you will take on your way home. The Skip Barber 'experience' is: - A thrill ride to see how you feel about going fast on a track (the intro class at $600) - Training you to drive in real races (the 3-day class at $5-6k). Also, the insurance for the intro is $250. I don't think it's worth 50% of the class cost but it's a personal choice. read more

Want to be a race car driver? This is the place ! They teach a 2,3, & 4 day racing class which will have you doing laps behind the wheel of a formula ford by the end of it. Its alot of fun! I started by taking their safe driver course and then moved on to the racing courses but you can just jump into the racing courses. They start you in a small car like the dodge neon or Maxda 626 and you get to crank around the track and get a feel for it. When I did the school it was sponsored by Dodge, and was able to whip around in one of those 12 cylinder monsters.. now its sponsored by Mazda and I dont know if they do the same.. Anyway, you will come out of it with much better road driving skills as well as an enjoyable adrenaline rush! read more

If you want to experience open Wheel driving, this is the place ! The track is great, (Laguna Seca), the training session is excellent, and these guys know what they are talking about. definitely a must if you are a drivers enthousiast. read more

Taste:N/a Value:5( because of yelp deal half off) Cleanliness: 4 Atmosphere:5 Wait time:3 Overall:3 1 being the worst, and 5 being the best This applys to the skip barber intro to racing school half day course, also i got this on a yelp deal so made the price great. Pros: You get to drive and abuse someone elses car( f1 for that matter) Dont have to pay for tires, They provided the suits and protective gear about an hr of track time Cons: We ran on all season bfg. A little bit weird that we raced on a track with all season tires, I expected to at least be on KDW2's. I do admit the tires were more than enough for most people. The class is good for beginners ONLY, I am not a pro by any means, but I felt that I did not learn anything in the course. The only thing I got out of it was the supervised track time in someone elses car. I was in the faster of the three groupes, and there was some limitations, we could only go as fast as the pace car, I wasn't able to blow it away or anything, but you in a car thats just over 1000 lbs, most of the guys in my class couldn't keep up with the bone stock mazde 3 that was leading. I would go back again but only for an advance class. I think for people that dont autox or do any HPDE this class is perfect. One important tip is that expect to pay about an extra 175 for insurance on the car. If not you are 100% liable if you crash. I think the insurance is a factor many people dont recognize when signing up for this. read more

I did the 3 day racing school, and it's a totally unforgettable experience. I'd only recommend it to those who have a real passion for driving since it's really expensive and pretty exhausting. I went with Skip Barber because I want to start racing competitively, but I have neither my own race car nor a truck and trailer to tow it. Compared with SCCA's racing school, Skip Barber is as arrive and drive as it gets. Plus it's always better to drive someone else's car. The instructors are all seasoned professional race car drivers, and not only did they provide a lot of useful constructive feedback, but they also tried to push the students to their limits. They encouraged everyone to make mistakes in order to learn and become better drivers. Getting the insurance is a good idea because you want to be able to play with the car's limits without worrying about an accident that will empty your savings account. For the high speed exercises, they used portions of the track with lots of run off room, so actually hitting a wall or significantly damaging the cars was pretty difficult. This allows you to drive outside of your comfort zone without endangering anyone else or yourself. The cars themselves were a blast to drive. The 2.0L engines probably don't make much power (less than 150 hp?), but they're quick because they only weigh around 1000 lbs. The combination of light weight and quick ratio steering gave the cars instantaneous reactions and extreme agility. Even though they put on all season tires, there was plenty of grip to carry lots of speed through corners. It's also better to learn on all seasons since they have more forgiving slip angles. The cars have sequential transmissions, which were pretty neat to use. You don't have to use the clutch for upshifts, but downshifts still require heel toeing so it's really beneficial to be proficient at driving stick beforehand. The lack of electronic nannies like traction control and ABS made them a handful to handle in certain situations, but they're really rewarding and fun to drive fast. At the end of the school, you can continue with the Advanced Racing School and compete in their racing series. There's also the option of applying for an SCCA Regional License if you have a car you want to race with in SCCA. There was a guy in my session that already races and just wanted to hone his skills. There's something for everyone here. read more

Actually 4.5 stars. I bought the bf a gift certificate for their 1 day intro to racing program. We got there around 9:30 and sat through about an hour of "instruction" where the teacher basically told us about "lines" and when to brake, when to accelerate, how to take corners, that sort of thing. It's not anything you can't get from reading, but it's important to know before you get on the track, if you're not the type who would have done your research beforehand. This course is essentially a "throw you on the track so you get hooked on racing and will pay big bucks for a future" course. After the hour of instruction, the attendees got into their racing suits and drove laps around the track for another hour and a half. They started off pretty slow, and got progressively faster and faster as people got familiar with the track and started perfecting their cornering skills. My bf had a great time with it. They send you around in groups of three or two, depending on your driving speed, and have a pace car ahead of you so you can follow their "lines." They even let me go around in a pace car, which was really neat, because I could get a sense, just from sitting there, what good driving was all about. Most people were going about 80 to 90 mph, but it probably feels more like 120 in a Formula 1 race car. I would say that it's probably worth it if you are interested in getting into racing. I got a good deal - a Christmas special so I got about 15% off, but it's still not cheap. A half star off for the upselling at the end. read more

Unfortunately, my current car isn't cool (or fast) enough for me to take on racetracks or join a race club. And until that changes (hopefully soon), I thought a racing school would be a good way to get some track time. The Skip Barber Racing School and the Laguna Seca racetrack might be the best combination out there. I scored a great deal on an Intro to Racing course from a guy on craigslist who was selling a gift certificate for more than 60% off the regular price. Woo hoo! He originally bought it for his wife who rejected it. He learned a hard lesson on gift buying for his wife and I was about to get a lesson on how to drive the crap out of a Mazda Miata (an F1-style car is also available). Before tearing up the track, our group sat through an hour-long class on basic car dynamics and track technique. I found it hard to concentrate with the sound of cars racing on the track. I wanted to go! Once we were on the track, the instructors broke us up into groups of four. It's lead-follow style instruction, but we rotated positions after each lap and had the opportunity to be directly behind the lead car. Oh ya, the lead car was a barebones, STOCK Mazda3. Whenever I had doubts about my speed approaching a turn or the corkscrew, I told myself that if the Mazda3 can do it, then the heavily modded Miata I'm driving should have no problem! To build confidence, they started us off slow and gradually increased speed. And it worked. After a few laps, they pulled us back into pit row, accessed our driving and broke us up into a fast group and a slow group. I was in the fast group =) An hour and a half later, it was over. The Intro class is definitely a teaser and the instructors encouraged us to sign up for the more expensive multi-day courses. If you can afford it, I would suggest skipping this Intro class and jumping right into something like the 3-day racing package. This was easily a 5-star experience from the staff, the cars, and, of course, the track. read more

Put your right foot up on the glass coffee table... did the glass on the coffee table break? IF Yes? Well then, you have a bad case of LEAD FOOTITUS, And Skip Barber Racing School is for you. They cover all the needed techniques of lead foots that want to know more about racing and auto-cross. At first you go with an instructor, who will give you the lowdown on how far down your lead foot will take you. (Unfortunately, flooring the lead foot on normal roads can get you in trouble.. but not here.. At Skip Barber Racing School, the symptom is encouraged, welcomed and desired.) Next you will cover safety, turning, shifting, lines, tracking.. and many other useful things you can apply to normal driving when no cops are around. Highly recommended for those that need to cure the lead footitus problems. read more

After my wife gave me a gift certificate of High Performance Driving at Leguna Seca, I was elated. After a year had expired I looked into the Skip Barber (SB) program and found that it was not offered at Leguna. When I inquired at SB they told me that the high speed driving was being offered elsewhere in the country. As I was not willing to outlay any more dollars I waited until SB offered credit towards a one day racing out West. As I was not comfortable with the racing school I requested a refund which was immediately rejected. I just concluded an email trail with Scott Hartinger at the new SB (post chapter 11). Scott offered a full credit of my certificate ($1695), as long as I spend an additional $1695 for a more expensive program. I informed him that I would no longer be a customer of Skip Barber and would endorse their competition. read more

Bought the intro to driving yelp deal as a gift to my fiancee on our anniversary and he really enjoyed it! Whats nice is that they didn't kick me out while he was taking his class or while they were driving around the track. Basically you come in, sign in, get your gear on, and they teach you some basic fundamentals of driving (as much as they can in an hour-ish), then they take you out and do 3 sets of laps. The pace car is a Mazda, and cool thing is, if you are the friend, girlfriend, fiancee, or family member who just tagged along, you are able to get into the pace car and go for a ride! Unfortunately I have been blessed with the ability to car sick easily, and I didn't bring along any medicine, so I did one set of laps and chilled out for the rest. But I was able to take as many pictures and video as I wanted. Of course, it is probably not as good as the professional photographer/videographer can capture (which they do offer a package as an additional fee), but heck, its free, and it will do for now. haha. From the sound of it, my fiancee loved it so much, he wants to go back and do the 3-day racing school. quick tip: I would be prepared to bring some snacks or eat breakfast beforehand. They have coffee and tea for you, but that's not enough to last until lunch. read more

I bought a yelp deal for the beginner class and went to Laguna Seca for a race class in their Formula cars. It was a real life-defining moment for me. It was the first time I've ever done any type of serious racing (go-karts don't really count IMO) and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I could give you all the details but you can refer to John M.'s 4/17/2012 review as it looks like he did the same thing as me and has all the details/prices. I'd like to reiterate a point that he made, which is this is really just to dip your toes into the pond of what it is to drive a race car. Fortunately for my ego, I was placed in the "fast group" with some autocross champions. Unfortunately for my ego, it immediately pushed me to my limit to try to keep up with them. It was still an absolutely incredible experience though. It was thrilling and a real rush of adrenaline to not be limited by a fear of traffic or police officers and to instead be limited by how brave you felt with your right foot. I could go on and on about the experience, but let me just touch on what's probably the sticking point for anyone thinking about doing this themselves: price. I admit its a bit of a steep price to pay for the experience, which is why I'd suggest trying to find some sort of a sale to start with. Yelp deals are great with almost 60% off the $800 intro class, and the company has some sales themselves that range up to 20-30% off even the more expensive classes. Once I finished my intro to racing class I could understand why they have to charge the prices they do, given that they need to gas and maintain the race cars (with mechanics on staff) and they need to pay the teachers as well as rent track time as well as classroom time within the building. Autosport is inherently not cheap, but it is VERY exciting. These classes are expensive but they're a blast. I'm looking forward to going again. read more

Did the half-day formula class around Laguna Seca. It was sooo awesome! Got stuck in the slow group for the first couple sessions but then was able to stretch out and get some speed! Staff was friendly and helpful. Would do again. read more

I and alon with a close autoxing buddy opted to buy into the $350 half day of intro to racing class put in at laguna seca. I have to say hands down beat money spent on a track event period. We recieved 60 minutes of lapping Ina formula Mazda racecar that has sequential shifting and non power brakes. What an experience, best weather I have had at LS in January ever, we truly lucked out on that one. I'd this deal comes up again or something similar I'm am all over it. read more

Only did the half day intro course so YMMV. The setup is 3 cars chase the pace car. The pace is only as fast as your slowest guy. It's a beginner's course. You'll probably only ever crest 100 just before breaking into turn 2. The great thing about the intro course is you get to slip into a formula car. It's kind of a trip if you've never been in one. Definitely would recommend trying that out over the Mazda MX-5. The instructors were very proficient at their craft. They each have a lot of knowledge and seat time. I wouldn't have minded a wrap up class room session. At the speed that we were going, I'm glad I did not opt for the insurance. We only had one guy spin out and he kept it on track the entire time. I was following, but I could see what was happening and avoided him without an issue. As far as value, I'm glad I got the Yelp deal. For only a half day, $800 seems a bit high. Sure you're whipping around on their equipment, but I doubt if I put on that much abuse in a half day. read more

What a blast! Driving Laguna Seca at 100+ mph in the straights is quite a thrill, and the scenic, iconic course is more than I had hoped for. I bought the special Yelp deal for my adult son and me in late 2011. When I called in Feb or March to schedule our track time, I was disappointed that only weekdays were available, but scheduled for mid-December 2012. Not sure, but I felt like this limitation was the trade off for the lower price. Was it worth it? YES! read more

Took the YELP deal for beginner class and loved it! The class is quite well controlled and it's a good thing... these cars are simple machines, well moderated power, nothing power assisted, everything immediately responsive in comparison to a road car; even ones like Lotus' and S2K's. Without the pacing of the instructors, one could find themselves in trouble at Laguna Seca really quickly. The class will give you a really good idea of the potential of driving fast; how the limits of adhesion are very sharp between feedback and loss of grip. As a beginner, they'll let you get up to a clip that is exciting but not terrifying. I loved the experience so much I signed up for a 3 day racing course and may go further depending on how I do. The yelp deal puts this experience square in the 5 star category, but like the dealer says, the first one's free (almost). read more

Chalk this up to one of the most amazing experiences of my life. With the yelp deal that appeared to be a steal ($350 for what would usually cost up to $700), it's hard to say no if this deal comes back again. Always a dream to drive Laguna Seca (let alone in a race car), the moment I was in the formula kart, inches off the ground, the adrenaline took over and I was in a state of euphoria going down the corkscrew. With the engine screaming behind you, fighting with the car's lack of power steering and brakes, and getting immediate satisfaction with every perfect heel toe downshift on the sequential gearbox, this is the closest thing to F1 racing as I'll probably ever get in my life. While I was going easily half the speed of the professionals, it's the overall experience that sucks you in and makes you wanting more. Getting into the details, I've done HPDE events with NASA in group 4 (open passing) on Thunderhill and Buttonwillow and definitely have experience on track (and autocross). Could I have gone much faster in the formula kart than what was allowed? Yes. Did that take away from the overall experience? Only slightly. Beginners and seasoned drivers like me would have a blast, especially at the price of $350. From what I've gathered, that isn't that much more expensive than taking your own car on the famed track, discounting brake wear and gas and general wear on the car. The day starts out with about a 1 hour instruction around general car dynamics and what to do in certain situations where the tires break traction. There are also safety briefings and an explanation of how the day will pan out (lead car led by instructor in a Mazda 3...don't be fooled, they can actually drive these pretty quickly), followed by us in 3 karts, changing positions after every lap. They provide helmets and full race suits and short briefing / advice after each of the 3 sessions. The total time on track is about 1 hour which will leave you sweaty and sore from driving the car turn after turn. From a safety perspective, there is room for error and I opted out of the $70 insurance they offered. As long as a 2 car gap is maintained between each car, you'd really have to screw up to go off track, let alone hit a wall to do damage to the karts. I'd be interested in doing another class with them someday if the price is right, but for now, I've gained enough confidence on that track to bring my own car there. A quick tip to note is that you can bring your significant other for support and have them sit in the lead instructor driven car. I can imagine that alone would be a blast! read more

AVOID THIS OPERATION! DISHONEST! A) The company will take your order/payment by phone, then sends you a confirmation with highly restrictive terms and conditions AFTERWARDS. Their terms lock you in when they cancel a class. B) They seem to have a history of cancelling classes and forcing reschedule without regard for customers' flight penalties, etc. See for yourself by researching other reviews. C) Owner M. Culver refuses prompt refund citing cash flow problems. Makes a promise for future refund by bank transfer and then doesn't refund, making another promise for future refund. D) Check out these better options with terrific customer feedback: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g33002-d9727704-Reviews-Allen_Berg_Racing_Schools-Salinas_California.html https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g31190-d3165488-Reviews-Bondurant_Performance_Driving_School_Day_Classes-Chandler_Arizona.html E) See Skip Barber's reviews: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g33002-d2267964-Reviews-Skip_Barber_Racing_School-Salinas_California.html read more

I feel bad writing this review - Skip Barber has been great in the past. They have wonderful instructors and are hands down the best racing school I've ever attended. However, their fleet of cars is falling apart. I attended a Formula Car race weekend recently, and almost every session was either cut short or severely impacted by repeated breakdowns. So many cars were out of service that they had to break us up into smaller groups, meaning we all had to wait longer between sessions (and one whole qualifying session got canceled). I know these are race cars that are subject to wear and tear. But, I've never seen anything like this - bolts were literally falling out of the cars in pit lane, one mechanic taped a part back onto my car with duct tape, etc. It's shamefull. If you're considering booking any of the schools or race weekends, I suggest you wait until these mechanical issues are resolved. By the way, I emailed the CEO and head of operations to see about getting make up time or a partial refund given how bad the weekend was. They apologized, but then stopped responding to emails. Very poor customer service, especially for loyal customers that have spent $25k+ with the company. read more

My husband got me the 3-hour intro to F1 racing as a birthday present. To be honest with you, I was very intimated at first. The only racing I did was go-cart racing although I have done performance driving back in the days. Scheduling was kindda tricky. Ours got rescheduled 3x although the guy in CT named Chris who was helping us with the schedule has been extremely responsive so I didn't really have a problem with that. Their email confirmation said be there at 9am. The first group was running late so it was more like a "hurry up and wait" kind of situation. There was a presentation about what to do, what not do when you spin out. That was pretty helpful except that the instructor seemed more like a comedian than a race car driver. Then came the photographer. I think they spent more time trying to sell us the video and photography package than talk about safety:)) They offered insurance as well in case something happens to the car. My husband and I bought it but in retrospect, we shouldn't have. Don't buy it, it's unnecessary. Interesting that they pushed the photography/video package more than the insurance. I got very excited when they gave us the go-signal to suit up and get ready to drive the car. At this point, I was hyperventilating! It took me a bit of time to understand how to work the shifter but once I figured it out, I was rocking! It was pretty exciting driving that fast in Laguna Seca. It was definitely a dream come true for me. I also really liked their race car instructors. They would normally do a pit-stop and give us feedback right away about what we are doing right or wrong. They were also very generous with their praises when they know that you are doing a great job. I have so much respect for them. I don't know how much my husband paid for it but whatever it is, it is worth the experience. My only complain is that there was not enough time but I understand that it's an intro course. If you want to pursue it, you gotta pay more. Nonetheless, I highly recommend it! read more

I did the Intro to Racing school. A 3 hour course from 8am-11am. I've got a good deal of experience driving on tracks (including Laguna Seca) along with autocross. Bottom line is it was awful. The classroom instructor was a big goofball that thought everything he said should be a joke. This is very poor prep before sending people out on track. On track, I couldn't trust the other drivers. I had a guy spin in front of me in the corkscrew. The other two class attendees on track did not understand that you're supposed to follow the line of the pace car. It doesn't get anymore basic than that...do what the car in front of you does. Thumbs up to the guys in the pits...these guys were first class...they not only prepped the drivers in the cars but also were the pace car drivers. These guys were solid. I can't recommend this class as I think it's more dangerous for most people than fun. I'd suggest that anyone seriously interested in learning how to drive their vehicles on track attend a high performance driving event (HPDE) put on by NASA. read more

I got my fiance (well, now husband) and three other of his best friends a half-day package with Skip Barber for a pre-bachelor party surprise and at least from what he told me, he thought it was a simply amazing time and that the car he was able to drive was one of the most memorable things he's done in years. A couple of my girlfriends went over to Laguna Seca to sneak a peak before we headed up to SF for our bachelorette party and we took some pictures of all of them at the crazy steep "corkscrew" turn on top of a big hill and I will personally say (and the photos confirm this) that his smile was bigger than I thought humanly possible. Sweetness! read more