July 2019

Race Report – X-Bow Cup USA

Simraceway hosted the first of four race weekends for the KTM X-BOW Cup USA on the final weekend of June. The inaugural event was a success, going down flawlessly with no mechanical issues or on-track incidents of any kind. All the competitors had a memorable time, and the event proved that the KTM X-BOW Comp R in Cup Spec really is the perfect platform for Simraceway’s ‘Arrive-and-Drive’ series. 

Race Day 1

Day one saw all Cup competitors immediately getting comfortable with their cars and setting fast lap times. The top four competitors were covered by a mere 0.624 of a second! Daniel Doerr qualified on pole for the first race of the weekend, his first ever pole position.

Adam Miller, who had never been to Sonoma Raceway and only driven one session by the time qualifying came, was already showing he was a strong contender for the podium in race one. After a hard fought battle throughout the field, Doerr came out victorious. Will De La Rosa finished in second in his first ever car race, and Adam Miller came close to taking a maiden podium.

Race two was gridded based on finishing position from race one and evolved into a battle of tire management. Miller and Doerr fought hard on track, but Miller managed his tires best, in addition to having the fastest race lap, and secured the win. Michael Kopper was the picture of consistency and showed impressive pace on aging rubber, finishing fourth after other competitors struggled late in the race.

Race Day 2

All Cup racers were given new tires for the second day of racing which dramatically tightened the competition. Qualifying saw the top four cars separated by only a second, and Miller nearly broke into the 1:49’s with a blistering time of 1:50.156.

Race three – the first race on race day two – showed that all the drivers had really found their stride and lap times were consistent and fast throughout the race. Doerr, Miller, De La Rosa, and Jastremski exchanged spots during the entire race in daring out-braking maneuvers, and Doerr and Miller had some truly exciting battles even going side-by-side through the Esses. While Miller set the fastest lap time of the race and even broke into the 1:49’s, Doerr won the race by only 0.191 seconds over Miller.

Race four was the final race of the weekend and was a true dog fight. Despite being tired from racing all weekend, every driver was unafraid to drive in each other’s mirrors, stick their noses in everywhere they could, and attempt some heroic late braking.

Jastremski showed his speed and was quickly hunting for the lead. Miller had a late-race spin which pushed him out of the lead and mixed up the order. Jastremski, Doerr, and De La Rosa continued to fight furiously, and De La Rosa and Doerr were inches apart toward the end of the race. At the checkered flag, it was De La Rosa who came out on top despite a last lap pass attempt in the final corner by Doerr, giving Will his first race win ever on his first ever race weekend!

After winning two of the four races, Daniel Doerr walked away with a commanding points lead in the X-BOW Cup. In second place was Will De La Rosa, who isn’t even old enough to drive on the street, but showed incredible race pace on his first race weekend. Rounding out the podium was Adam Miller who had great pace and kept a cool head among stiff competition.

More Great Racing To Come

It was wonderful to see that the formula of a full day of practice and two identical race days with two races each worked so well. The competition between all the drivers was tight and exciting, the cars worked perfectly, and most importantly, the series gave people the opportunity to drive competitively and safely. We’re excited for the upcoming race weekends, having even more cars and drivers competing, and for even closer racing!

Simraceway & Aurora Technologies on Bloomberg

Bloomberg recently dropped by to see how we train autonomous vehicle (AV) operators at Simraceway. 

While you may not be sharing the road with a production-ready autonomous vehicle quite yet, the technology is developing quickly and is well underway to making a profound impact on our future mobility.   That being said, everyone knows driving is a complicated activity and that our roadways can be dangerous. It takes clear, quick thinking, good judgment, and most of all, lots of practice. The truth is, even with those things, the best drivers can still have accidents.

Aurora Technologies aims to change that, and Simraceway is proud to serve them as their training partner. 

How Aurora Tech Shifts the Auto Industry into a New Gear

At Simraceway, we train the trainers whether they’re human or machine, and Aurora Technologies is a leading light in the space. 

Founded in 2017 by a group of engineers from Google, Tesla, and Uber, Aurora Technologies teaches computers how to drive using software that learns from the behavior of human drivers. The result is quite spectacular.

It turns out that teaching a computer and a person to drive both require one essential thing: a good instructor. Aurora’s AV operators are the driving teachers for self-driving cars. They are the ones who test out their computer system in the chaos of real streets and traffic.

Operators switch between driving the car and letting it drive itself. The computer uses an array of senses to see the street and make a map of traffic signals, lanes, cars, cyclists, and pedestrians. Using this information, it can navigate through various complex maneuvers.

If anything goes wrong, the system turns off and the operator regains control. The data is then collected and sent to a team of engineers who work on improving the program.

Simraceway Trains Autonomous Vehicle operators with AVOL 1 Certification

Because operators teach by example and must always be ready in the event of a system error, their needs to be an expert behind the wheel. Operators are hired based on their driving abilities as well as undergoing a complete 6-week training course. That’s where Simraceway comes in.

Good driving isn’t only about using your turn signal and braking smoothly. It’s about knowing how to handle the car when something out of the ordinary happens. For self-driving cars to improve road safety, they need to know how to act in an emergency.

The AVOL 1 certification from Simraceway gives each vehicle operator the technical driving skills they need to be good safety stewards in the transition to the future. The course includes advanced driving techniques such as high-speed emergency braking, high-speed accident avoidance, and skid recovery. It also focuses on the specific needs of AV operators and the particular awareness needed to work with self-driving cars.

Before any cars will be driving alone, they will be under the strict supervision of a human operator. Having proficient drivers is the key to reliable self-driving cars. Simraceway understands this importance and since 2009, we’ve trained more autonomous vehicle operators than anyone in the world.

Safety is the Future

Driving is a huge responsibility and the repercussions can be life or death. Before self-driving cars can make our roads safer, they need to be thoroughly taught and tested by human experts. With Aurora Technologies at Simraceway, the movement is gaining speed. 

Private Coaching – Accelerate your development

Are you looking to take your driving skills to the next level? As a T1 Club member at Simraceway, you have access to private one-on-one coaching with our senior and chief instructors. Whilst practice makes perfect, that is only true if you are practicing the right thing! –  As Chief Instructor Nico Rondet likes to correct, “Perfect practice makes perfect”! So whilst T1 days their included basic group instruction are a great tool for highlighting areas to focus on improvement. The structure, rigor and dedicated personal attention of a private coaching day is easily the best way to become a faster, better, driver, allowing you to maximize your time on the track and get the most from yourself and your membership.  

Learn from Professional Racers

Private coaching at Simraceway is performed by chief instructors with professional racing careers who have decades of experience. 

With decades of experience, there is nothing that surprises our senior coaches and unlike other instruction methods, such as our group courses, you’ll have your chief instructor’s full and undivided attention for the entire day. If you continue to struggle with a particular section of the track, your equipment or technique, they will work with you to overcome it.

Data is Truth

Instructors attentively watch your laps from track-side vantage points and feedback to you in real-time over the radio. If available with your car,  they will also review video and telemetry data with you after the session. If there are any gaps in your driving abilities, they’ll be able to quickly identify them and provide you with the means to improve. 

The knowledge learned from these sessions can be applied during the next T1 club track day or any other driving experience. 

Enhance Your Skills with Private Instruction

Whether you are still new to performance driving and track days, or if you feel like you’ve plateaued and are unable to improve your lap times any further, 1:1 private coaching is the perfect solution. 

It is oftentimes difficult to assess yourself in the heat of a fast lap, so having someone watching over you is a huge help, especially when you’re trying to shave stubborn seconds and milliseconds from your already respectable lap times.

If you have recently added a new performance vehicle to your stable, private coaching is an excellent opportunity to transfer what you already know to your new car. A Mustang will drive differently than a Porsche, so you can’t expect to drive them exactly the same. Our chief instructors make sure you understand the limits of your new vehicle so that you can quickly get up to speed and learn how to extract the performance it has to offer. 

if you are a current T1 Club member who would like to know more about investing in private coaching at Simraceway, please email [email protected]. If you are not yet a T1 club member and are interested in applying, you can do so at this link. 

July 4th Teen Safe Driver Sale – Celebrate Freedom and Family this 4th!

The day your teenager gets behind the wheel of a car for the first time is a challenging one. It’s stressful relinquishing control and the keys and letting them out on the road. While your teen is surely rejoicing over their newfound freedom, you may find yourself in a panic about all the things that could go wrong.

If like many parents you’re concerned about the safety of your new driver, there is something significant you can do about it. Simraceway’s Performance Driving Center has developed the Teen Safe Driver Program that’s specifically geared towards teens and increasing their driving safety. Let this summer be an opportunity to alleviate some of that stress. Here are three great reasons why the Teen Safe Driver Program is a solid investment:

1. Your Teen is in Good Hands 

Simraceway is home to numerous driving programs and events catering to nearly every driving ability. In the Teen Safe Driver Program, your teen will learn valuable car control and driving skills from the same people who train CHP cadets and some of the top executives at AAA. The Program has also received a five-star rating from TripAdvisor. In other words, they’re some of the best teachers and drivers in the country. The school utilizes safe, quality vehicles, and everyone involved takes driver-safety very seriously. This all makes for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for your inexperienced driver, and significant peace of mind for you.

2. It Helps Sharpen Driving Skills

This one day program is broken into two parts: classroom time, and seven instructive driving sessions. Numerous driving skills and techniques are covered like proper steering, accident avoidance, emergency lane changes, and skid control and recovery. Students will also have the opportunity to drive through a controlled slalom course and an advanced emergency lane change exercise. These specialized activities will make your teen better equipped and feeling more confident about getting behind the wheel.

3. You Learn Safety Precautions and How to Avoid Distractions

One of the main causes of accidents on the road today are distracted drivers. As part of the distracted driver module in the Teen Safe Driver Program, teens will explore how to avoid distractions behind the wheel and what it means to be a responsible driver. After a day of thought-provoking lessons and discussions, students will venture out and have the invaluable opportunity to practice these safety rules and techniques.

It’s an Offer too Good to Refuse -25% off

Now that summer is here and your teen likely has some extra free time, there’s no better time to take advantage of the incredible incentives happening for the Teen Safe Driver Program. For a limited time, Simraceway is offering an additional 25% off the cost of Teen Safe Driver gift cards!  CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE. be sure to sign up soon—slots are filling up fast!

Simraceway prides itself on quality instruction and imparting key important lessons during the Teen Safe Driver Program. After the course, you’ll be able to take comfort in knowing your teen has been properly armed with the right skills.

What’s Happening in July at Simraceway

The sun is shining on track all month long during July at Simraceway. When you’re not watching fireworks or barbecuing, you’ll find exciting driving experiences and racing throughout July at the track.

The spotlight this month is on Go Karts with the chance to practice on the Reverse Pro National Course on selected Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Turn 1 Club Karting is available on Tuesdays. Don’t miss the ROK Arrive and Drive Kart Racing Series on Saturday, July 13.

Go Kart Racing, Kart Rentals, Practice Days at Simraceway in July

Simraceway’s Karts run on California’s premier and longest Go Kart track. If you know an enthusiastic driver age 13 and older who’d like to try the excitement of Go-Karting at speeds of up to 70 miles an hour, they can sign up for the Kart Race School or try open practice on the Reverse Pro National Track. The fourth race in Simraceway’s 2019 Karting Arrive and Drive Series – which welcomes all experience levels, including first-time racers – is Saturday, July 13. 

Turn 1 Club members can schedule Karting time on Tuesdays throughout the month. If you want to schedule Karting time at the track, be sure to check the calendar: dates are filling fast and the Kart Track will be closed from July 25 through 28 for NHRA. You can rent an LO206 or ROK Powered Tony Kart, but be aware that the ROK Karts have to be reserved at least two days (48 hours) ahead of time.

July: A Great Time to Check Out Simraceway’s Performance Driving Program Series 

If you’ve wondered what it would be like to drive your own car in a track environment, Simraceway’s Performance Driving Program series offers a full day High-Performance Driving Experience (HPDE). The program takes place on Sonoma Raceway’s 2.52-mile track. All three stages of Simraceway’s Performance Driving Program are offered in July.

Stage 1 of the Performance Driving Program combines classroom instruction and in-car exercises along with car-control drills. After you complete instruction, you’ll practice on the autocross track before completing the day driving on Sonoma Raceway’s full track.

If you’ve completed Stage 1 or have comparable experience from another program, you are eligible to move on to Stage 2 of the Performance Driving Program. Stage 2 starts out with an autocross competition, then moves on to four 30-minute track laps on Sonoma Raceway. You’ll end the day going solo in open lap sessions, and then return to the classroom for targeted, supportive feedback from Simraceway’s expert instructors.

Stage 2 graduates and other experienced drivers can move on to Stage 3 runs all 5 of its sessions on the main track with instruction by radio from corners. This stage is designed to maximize your understanding of your car and capabilities as a driver. 

KTM X-Bow Experience And Other July Events at Simraceway

You can drive the incredible KTM X-Bow Competition R in July at Simraceway. This half-day experience offers the opportunity to drive the high-tech track car around Sonoma Raceway’s challenging course. 

As always, T1 Club members can take advantage of T1 driving days on select Tuesdays and Fridays during July. Prospective SCCA racers can sign up for the 3-day SCCA License School in the KTM X-Bow — but don’t delay — the F3 3-Day SCCA Race School is already full.

Alternate Title: Get Into High-Performance Driving and Karting Experiences at Simraceway in July

Meta Description: Go Kart Racing, Go Kart School, Karting Practice, Performance Driving Experience, KTM X-Bow Experience at Simraceway July 2019

T1 Club – Introducing Club Racing for Formula Cars.

Introducing club racing days, a new high-frequency race option for T1 club members driving open-wheel Formula cars. You can now request a race ON ANY T1 CLUB DAY!     

Is this for me?

Maybe you’ve been thinking about competing in the Simraceway Series but aren’t sure whether you’re ready? Or maybe you’re an existing racer who wants to drive competitively more frequently? Perhaps you’re already campaigning a professional program and want as much training and practice as you can get? If so, then YES, club races are for you.  T1 Club will offer these informal club races on any T1 weekday that 4 or more members request to race.  

What Are Club Racing Days?

Club Racing is a new opportunity for the T1 Club at Simraceway. This is a fresh new racing-oriented way for you to take advantage of your membership and give you the additional experience you need to find out if racing in a more formal series is right for you. We think you’ll love the fun, flexibility, freedom, and opportunity to develop racing experience in a welcoming environment with expert coaching that accompanies all T1 days. This new club racing program is currently open to Formula 3, Formula 4 and Formula Pro Mazda drivers. If successful as an offering, we will expand it to other classes and types of vehicles. 

This is an informal weekday racing program that doesn’t have the points, prestige, pressure or pricing of our main championship series. We encourage you to organize your own races with other T1 Club drivers. A minimum of four drivers are required. 

You can book informal club races with other T1 Club Formula car drivers on any one of the T1 days through the summer. All you need is three other drivers in order to schedule a race.

How Do I arrange a T1 Club Race?

We strongly encourage self organization, so please feel free to get your own group of racers together for a given date. We can book the race with as little as 72hrs notice (assuming your vehicle is prepped and ready to race) and subject to ALS availability. Though we recommend at least a week’s notice.  

Whether you’re a Formula 3, Formula 4  or a Pro Mazda driver, you can have an amazing time and gain experience competing on the track with fellow T1 club drivers without the pressure of a formal weekend of qualifying and racing. If you have a group of four or more, put your heads together, pick a date, and email or call us to make final arrangements. If you have three drivers, please contact us. We may have ideas for another driver who could make up the field for your race.

Costs?

Whilst your T1 days are included in your membership, there is a small surcharge for us to operate the race:  $495 per driver. This covers ALS and corner workers. Please be aware, this does not include timed scoring or data analysis. Though those are available through the addition of a private coach to the day. Consumables, support and coaching are charged in the normal manner.