[The HACK]

You read that right. CCA is back at Vegas with a 3 day event. October 1st (Friday) is only open to select A and B students. 2nd and 3rd are open to intermediate and beginners as well as A and B. 3 days on one of the more "fun" cities and tracks out west. This isn't the NASCAR track but the outside road course used by Derek Daly Academy, if you've never driven it, it's "like" Buttonwillow "without the elevation changes." Very technical, very tight at places, and a handful of corners you will not likely ever see at any other track.



This is a video taken AGES ago. The second to last "school" i took as a student.

Don't mind the 350Z. And don't ask about the banner across the windshield either.

I believe a free set of Bridgestones will be raffled away, with anywhere between 45 instructors and 80-100 students, you stand about a 1 in 150 chance of winning a ~$1,200 set of tires. Not saying winning the tires is a big reason to attend this school, because the real reason will be to accelerate your learning curve as a driver at one of the best teaching tracks in the west.

BMW CCA "Wheelin' in Vegas" 2010

Here's the break-down on the cost. If you've done A+, A, or have had a few B schools, all three days is $650. Or if you just want to do Saturday and Sunday, it's $475 (this is like the cheapest 2 day CCA school in years!). Or you can just sign up for Friday only (if you're local to the area or something) for $150, but ONLY IF YOU'VE DONE THE A OR A+ PROGRAM. If you've never done this before and wants to try, you'll probably want to do the car control clinic/driving school package for the weekend (Saturday CCC, Sunday track school) for $400. This is the preferred package if you're a beginner, have done one or two events but have never done a car control clinic. Car control clinics are held on both Saturday and Sunday for $75 each day if you just want to learn valuable skills to keep you alive on the street.

This isn't a commonly used public track so don't let this chance pass you by!

[satakal]

Before anything else, Mr. TheHack... Dibs on an A-ticket ride at some point that weekend.
I'll probably drive Friday then Car Control Saturday and Sunday. I'm getting stoked about this event.
No roval?!?

[The HACK]

Originally Posted by satakal

Before anything else, Mr. TheHack... Dibs on an A-ticket ride at some point that weekend.
I'll probably drive Friday then Car Control Saturday and Sunday. I'm getting stoked about this event.
No roval?!?

No roval. You want the e-ticket ride in the WRX or the MZ4 Coupe?

[satakal]

Originally Posted by The HACK

No roval. You want the e-ticket ride in the WRX or the MZ4 Coupe?

that's what I meant. E-ticket. IMO, whatever has better A/C. Wait... I meant whatever has stickier tires.

[The HACK]

That would be the MZ4 Coupe...

[aus]

Which chapter's are doing this? I think the e-mail said there were something like 7 chapters?

[The HACK]

Originally Posted by aus

Which chapter's are doing this? I think the e-mail said there were something like 7 chapters?

Los Angeles, Sin City, Sandy Eggo, Central California, Road Runner, Sonora, and Wasatch are the currently committed chapters.

The simple FACT of these events, as evident by the Golden Gate Infineon/Intel/Sears cancellation thread on BF.c, is that it's no longer financially feasible to carry these events with one single chapter be completely responsible for the logistics. And without other chapter chipping in and sending their members to the events it will continue to be harder and harder for us to hold these events at a reasonable pricing point.

[aus]

That's what I was afraid of. It's cool you guys have chapter's from Arizona and even Utah going.

At least for Infineon this year, it was due to the timing they got, which was a more expensive date vs. the November date they normally get... at least that's the story for now. They did mention they lost money on it in the past though.

These are such AWESOME event's, but people just won't go. I can't figure it out. I have many friends who have very nice cars, but they just won't go to the track. Instead they drive like idiots on the road???!!!

[The HACK]

Originally Posted by aus

That's what I was afraid of. It's cool you guys have chapter's from Arizona and even Utah going.

At least for Infineon this year, it was due to the timing they got, which was a more expensive date vs. the November date they normally get... at least that's the story for now. They did mention they lost money on it in the past though.

These are such AWESOME event's, but people just won't go. I can't figure it out. I have many friends who have very nice cars, but they just won't go to the track. Instead they drive like idiots on the road???!!!

It's simple. Before I first started doing this, a few of my friends always asked me to join them. I keep thinking, I'm already a kick-ass driver, why would I want to pay money for someone to sit in my passenger seat to tell me what to do? Especially pay good money I could throw on springs, shocks, chips, intakes...etc? And have to drive all the way out to the desert to drive around and around when I already know how to do it?

Then one of them got the brilliant idea of inviting me to a weekend in Vegas. Didn't tell me it was a track weekend, just told me I'd be free to go hang out at casinos and gamble and drink and stay in their room for free, and I don't even have to pay for the gas to go. I was like, SWEET. Sign me up.

We got to Vegas and they're setting their alarm clocks for 5:30am. I was like, okay, what's going on? Then they tell me the next morning they're going to Las Vegas Motor Speedway and I'm free to join them or go gamble or whatever it is I'll want to do. So being the insecure tool I was, I figured I'd tag along just to check out what the big hub-bub is all about. Sure enough, it was the most boring morning I've ever spent sitting under a big tent roasting in 100 degrees heat. Then one of them goes, "This is Scott. He's my instructor. Here's my helmet. Go get a ride from him."

The rest is history. Scott gave me a ride I will NEVER forget in a 1986 E30 with a stock engine, on street tires. And it happens to RAIN while we're out there for the first time in 7 months. Needless to say it changed my perspective on this driving thing. And since then every event has continued to change my perspective on this driving thing. Even after I was "made" it continued to change my perspective.

Such "paradigm" shift in perspective is hard to get over...That first step taken with an instructor giving me a ride, if I were to describe it to a layman off the street, or a friend who's never done a track event...It'll be impossible for anyone to comprehend if they've never done it. It's simple. You won't get it if you haven't tried it. So I can talk until blue in the face, none of my non-track friends understand it, and some of them never will.

It's like my wife trying to convince me to give this "church" and "faith" thing a try. I'm like, you want me to go believe that there's a supreme being out there and he gives a sh*t about what I think and how I'm doing? Really? She keeps insisting that it'll change me once I "give myself over to Christ". I remain skeptical.

p.s.: If you wonder how an Atheist and a Born-Again co-exist under the same roof in the same bed, it's a whole new discussion for an entirely different thread and forum.

[aus]

I thought you were going to say your wife was trying to explain to you why she needs 30 pairs of shoes and 20 hand bags/purses... But then I have 2 sets of wheels/tires and 3 exhausts in my garage.

The thing with my friends is, a couple have done the BMW School, so it's not the money or never being on the track, or even the travel.
They're afraid of messing up their cars and I keep telling them, unlike the BMW school, there's an instructor IN EACH CAR!!! And the first few times out, you're driving WAY under what your car is capable of that it'll bail you out if you mess up. They still won't go.

[The HACK]

Originally Posted by aus

I thought you were going to say your wife was trying to explain to you why she needs 30 pairs of shoes and 20 hand bags/purses... But then I have 2 sets of wheels/tires and 3 exhausts in my garage.

The thing with my friends is, a couple have done the BMW School, so it's not the money or never being on the track, or even the travel.
They're afraid of messing up their cars and I keep telling them, unlike the BMW school, there's an instructor IN EACH CAR!!! And the first few times out, you're driving WAY under what your car is capable of that it'll bail you out if you mess up. They still won't go.

Oh yeah. That's probably a better analogy. Except she's since sold most of her shoes and bags after our first born so I can't even make any excuse when it comes to shoes and bags...Mean time I've got a $56K 2 seater in the garage that I drive once a week with 3 sets of tires (okay, granted the Toyos needs to be swapped and one of my NT-01s is corded) for that ONE car, with probably about $500 worth of detailing supplies to go with it.

I am a terrible, terrible man.

Tell your friends to come out to Vegas and have fun there. In the mean time stop by the CCA school on the weekend to see how the school is run. That's how they GOT ME. I think if they have an opportunity to sit in the classroom, get a few rides, and see how much pride we put into providing a safe learning environment they may change their tunes. Or have them do a couple of Car Control Clinics or something.

[330MX]

Strongly considering this.

[J Tyler]

Fun little track! Not very technical, IMHO... pretty straight-forward.

Video...

[The HACK]

Got a little bit more information from the organizers.

They plan on going with the 5 run group format to retain the usual A+, B, C, and Novice D run group structure plus club racing. Club racing will run 3 sessions each day on Saturday and Sunday plus up to 4 practice sessions on Friday. Saturday will include a practice, qualifying, and an Enduro. Sunday will be qualifying and 2 sprint races (those will have to be clarified with CR, of course, but that's the tentative schedule I was presented). All races will be double point scoring races for BMW CCA CR.

A+ students will enjoy a 3 day, intense curriculum, with 4 full 25 minute sessions on Friday with ample classroom time, and 1 15 minute morning orientation on Saturday and Sunday plus 3 25 minute sessions each day for a total of 16 sessions over the weekend. Same "race school" type curriculum we've been running, two by two and three by threes, leap frog exercises, plus passing anywhere with a point rules. The A+ program is a great stepping stone if you wish to move on and take racing school and eventually go club racing, or if you've advanced past what the typical CCA curriculum can teach you and want to explore the boundaries further but safely.

B, C, and D will be run like it's always been run, except B will have expanded passing zones. C and D students only has the two day option, Saturday and Sunday, and D students will be required to attend Car Control Clinics on Saturday morning. This will prepare the novice and equip you with all the proper skills as the basis to explore real high performance driving. B students have the option to sign up for Friday as well, if you're confident in your skillset and are comfortable driving solo for multiple sessions. Check with your chapter's chief instructor and see if you are qualified for the Friday school.

The schedule will be tight, but it's manageable. If you've been to a few recent CCA schools, you know how it is. It'll be run similarly. Plenty of track time, lots of classroom, excellent in-car instruction, and a fun track...Plus it's Vegas so if you have friends or SOs that aren't into this type of stuff, they can come along and go do their own thing (clubbing, shopping, gambling, drinking...whatever it is they do). For beginners or those that have only done one or two events, this is a tremendous learning track and unlike Sears or Auto Club Speedway, there's only ONE WALL and unlike Buttonwillow...that wall is pretty hard to hit. The novice school with car control clinic is a tremendous value.

If you're thinking of signing up, do it now. I carpool with the club's treasurer and I believe the forms will be amended, and entry fees will be raised in September to cover the additional man-power and hassle of shuffling things around for those that sign up LATE. Unlike local schools like ACS or desert schools like WSIR and Buttonwillow, last minute sign-ups will cause havoc with this one, especially with so many chapters involved and so many different activities.

[2e9x's]

I am all signed up for ITS!!! Can't wait to do this event. It is going to be a LOT of fun!

[330MX]

Unconfirmed.

Edit: Pulled out.

[The HACK]

C'mon guys...There really is something for EVERYONE at this event. Whether you've never been on the track and have never experienced anything remotely high performance with regards to driving, or if you've done some auto-crosses and are looking into something a little more high-speed for more than a couple of minute at a time, or have had years of track experience looking to move on to club racing or time-trials, or even if you're a club racer already...There's something for you. Car control clinics, high performance driving school, A+ program for people who are looking to move beyond learning to drive at high speed safely and want to explore time-trials or club racing, to full on club racing for two days. This sort of event doesn't come around often and frankly, judging by the chapter financials and current sign up it will never happen again. So take advantage of a mistake by Los Angeles Chapter in committing to all three days at LVMS.

[aus]

Anyone else going here?

[The HACK]

I believe TODAY (Tuesday September 14th) is the last day to sign-up. So a courtesy bump is in order...

[aus]

We need 20 more to sign up or it may get cancelled!!!

[aus]

This event has been canceled.

If you have already registered and paid via PayPal, your refund will be processed and returned to you via PayPal. If you paid by check your check has been shredded.

We apologize for any inconvenience. Although entries were still coming in, we couldn't take the chance that enough people would sign up (and pay) and we couldn't take the risk of going too far into the red.

With the rising costs of putting on driving events, and the current economic problems our nation faces, Chapters are being forced to cancel events more and more. If you have suggestions that could help make track events more feasible (while still meeting the BMW CCA Driving School Minimum Standards), please share your ideas with your Chapter's Board of Directors and Driving Events Committee.

If you have questions about this event, or about your refund, please contact
event: bmwccaVegasDrivingEvents@cox.net

[The HACK]

I got the "notice" Friday afternoon. It would have been the difference between losing the deposit ($2,000) vs. losing up to $12,000 based on current roster projections.

While it was largely disappointing to me, it was the right decision...I had access to the current budget for the event and my carpool buddy is the chapter treasurer. The way he describe it, had we gone ahead and did Vegas and the losses from the event project out as is, that would have been the last L.A. Chapter driving event for a very, very long time.