Spring Mountain Impressions

[Super Saloon]

If you've completed the course at Spring Mountain, would you say it's worth doing twice? I am thinking about paying my way the first time, and then if I end up ordering a new car, doing it again. Just curious if you think there's enough value/drive-time to make it worth experiencing two times. Thanks!

I went recently and while it was a great experience, I think you would be better off saving the ~$4k for local track days and just going once when you buy a new Blackwing. If you decide you aren’t buying a new Blackwing you could always decide to go later. If I were upgrading from the 4 to the 5 I would go a second time, but I wouldn’t pay that much out of pocket to go a 2nd time. That would be a lot of local track days.

 

[The Hoon]

Signed up for April 17-18 in a manual CT4V and can't wait! They had a bunch of dates not on the website from the email blast that I got last week. Dates below:

April: 17-18, 28-29 (No CT5s for 28-29)
June: 16-17, 30-July 1
July: 5-6, 11-12, 30-August 1
August: 4-5, 29-30

 

[Brad_TX2V]

A thought - pony up now and do the Blackwing course then if / when you decide to go back ask about upgrading to one of their advanced driving courses - I had that convo with them a few years ago as an option, basically they would give me a credit of $X for the other course and I'd pay the difference.

 

[Deneed4spd]

A thought - pony up now and do the Blackwing course then if / when you decide to go back ask about upgrading to one of their advanced driving courses - I had that convo with them a few years ago as an option, basically they would give me a credit of $X for the other course and I'd pay the difference.

There is no advance class for Blackwing. Only for corvette.

 

[Brad_TX2V]

There is no advance class for Blackwing. Only for corvette.

And they do have other cars / programs. Radicals being one. Almost bought one way back. Yeah, I couldn’t / wouldn’t see them offering another level of BW class.

 

[TexasHawkeye]

I just got done with Spring Mountain (was there Monday and Tuesday, 4/28 and 4/29). Great facility, great instructors. I had zero track experience prior to the two-day course, and now feel somewhat competent, which is a testament to the quality of the instructors. My classmates were also great and there were some drivers in there! One couple has an H1000, which was fun to hear them talk about.

The instructors are all very positive and reassuring, and if you listen to them, you will get faster. I took about 9 seconds off my north track lap time from day one to day two. Our lead instructor was Richie Hearn, who raced for years in the IRL. The track time is by far the most valuable and most fun part of the experience (at least it was for me). Everyone would probably vote for more track time and less classroom, but for someone new with the car, I can see how some of the classroom stuff would be useful. I have been driving my 4BW for about 19,000 miles now, so I didn’t get a lot out of going over PDR, settings, etc.

The autocross and the wet figure 8’s were also a blast. It’s a great facility, the buffet-style food they give you is more than adequate, and the balance of in-classroom and behind the wheel is pretty good. I got to stay on property in one of the condos, which was a plus. They are a little dated, but you’re not there for five star accommodations. Just a place to crash after an intense day. It was comfortable and I would stay there again without hesitation.

For those of you that want a point of reference for slow little ol’ me:
North track best lap: 1:24.6 (my instructor did a 1:20 easily while carrying on a conversation - I was driving to the edge of my abilities to try and break 1:25!)
Autocross best: 29.28

4BW can definitely keep up with the 5’s on the north track. They killed me in the straight sections, but the 4’s can reel them back in during the rest of it.

Definitely go, let ‘er rip in someone else’s Cadillac, and do things you would never do in yours. Top notch experience and would do it again! And there were a lot of guys with guests there - so don’t be shy about bringing your significant other. They have a couple opportunities for ride-alongs with instructors, and there are amenities there that would be enjoyable if you’re not doing the driving class.

Highly recommend.

 

[BW56M]

I just got done with Spring Mountain (was there Monday and Tuesday, 4/28 and 4/29).

Just got back from there last week (23rd and 24th), but it was my son that took my place as the student (lucky dog). My self and grandson attended as guests. What a great experience. Learned a lot even as a guest. I echo all of your thoughts, except: 4BW can definitely keep up with the 5’s on the north track. They killed me in the straight sections, but the 4’s can reel them back in during the rest of it. Seriously though, I could be wrong, but Danny (instructor) took me for a ride along in both the 4BW and a 5BW for comparisons sake. Both cars were pants on fire , hang on to your hat, OMG laps, limited to 6/10 because of liability. Can't even imagine a 10/10 lap. He was still faster in the 5BW. I do agree that the students were just as fast, if not faster in the 4BW, as it's easier to tame. Damn that car can be tossed around like a rag doll. Anyways, I knew that both of these cars were fast, but, I had no clue that they were this fast.

Even though I have a 5BW 6 speed manual, there weren't any available for that week, so my son chose a 4BW automatic, which more aligns with his lowered and modified G70. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express 5 miles down the road from the race track. Friday, we went to Speed Vegas and my grandson drove both a GT3RS and a Lamborghini Huracan. I did a ride along in the GT3RS with a professional driver. OMG!

Anyways, I too would highly recommend that if the opportunity presents itself to go to Spring Mountain, just "do it".

 

[TexasHawkeye]

Just got back from there last week (23rd and 24th), but it was my son that took my place as the student (lucky dog). My self and grandson attended as guests. What a great experience. Learned a lot even as a guest. I echo all of your thoughts, except: 4BW can definitely keep up with the 5’s on the north track. They killed me in the straight sections, but the 4’s can reel them back in during the rest of it. Seriously though, I could be wrong, but Danny (instructor) took me for a ride along in both the 4BW and a 5BW for comparisons sake. Both cars were pants on fire , hang on to your hat, OMG laps, limited to 6/10 because of liability. Can't even imagine a 10/10 lap. He was still faster in the 5BW. I do agree that the students were just as fast, if not faster in the 4BW, as it's easier to tame. Damn that car can be tossed around like a rag doll. Anyways, I knew that both of these cars were fast, but, I had no clue that they were this fast.

Even though I have a 5BW 6 speed manual, there weren't any available for that week, so my son chose a 4BW automatic, which more aligns with his lowered and modified G70. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express 5 miles down the road from the race track. Friday, we went to Speed Vegas and my grandson drove both a GT3RS and a Lamborghini Huracan. I did a ride along in the GT3RS with a professional driver. OMG!

Anyways, I too would highly recommend that if the opportunity presents itself to go to Spring Mountain, just "do it".

Everytime I was behind one on the long straight (a 5bw), i was astonished on how hard it pulled away. Amazing cars, no doubt. Every time I saw it, I was like, “me want.” I was also amazed at how quickly I caught up once the straights were done. Just my observation, but I’m pretty positive it’s NOT because I’m such an awesome driver my first time on a track. Absolutely not the case.

To each his own. Enjoy your car. I know I will continue to enjoy mine!!!!

 

[Chipless]

Just recently returned from the V-Performance Academy as well, and the recent review by @TexasHawkeye is spot-on. FWIW, I paid my own way (since I am not yet an owner) and I feel it was 100% worth it.

The instructors were all fantastic. I have zero track experience (outside of the virtual/sim-racing world), and the instructors were able to take my lap times down from 1:36 on Day 1 to 1:19.2 by the end of Day 2 (not that the goal of the class is to be as fast as possible...but I loved the challenge of doing so!).

My driving ability is average at best, so this improvement is a true testament to the quality of instruction and efficiency of time spent on track...although I certainly would have loved more track time of course!

If anyone is thinking about going, just do it! The only thing I wish I would have done differently would be to hang back just a little (to give plenty of room to students in front) when not directly behind the instructor on the lead/follow track laps and use those laps to fully focus/push while only tuning into the radio traffic for any sort of safety announcements or direct logistical instructions. I sort of gave myself a little mental respite while not leading and only focused on certain corners, but I should have stayed focused the entire lap in order to get the most out of each track session. In short: Use every lap as an opportunity to improve on every corner...you can rest after the track session!

 

[techdude99]

Just recently returned from the V-Performance Academy as well, and the recent review by @TexasHawkeye is spot-on. FWIW, I paid my own way (since I am not yet an owner) and I feel it was 100% worth it.

The instructors were all fantastic. I have zero track experience (outside of the virtual/sim-racing world), and the instructors were able to take my lap times down from 1:36 on Day 1 to 1:19.2 by the end of Day 2 (not that the goal of the class is to be as fast as possible...but I loved the challenge of doing so!).

My driving ability is average at best, so this improvement is a true testament to the quality of instruction and efficiency of time spent on track...although I certainly would have loved more track time of course!

If anyone is thinking about going, just do it! The only thing I wish I would have done differently would be to hang back just a little (to give plenty of room to students in front) when not directly behind the instructor on the lead/follow track laps and use those laps to fully focus/push while only tuning into the radio traffic for any sort of safety announcements or direct logistical instructions. I sort of gave myself a little mental respite while not leading and only focused on certain corners, but I should have stayed focused the entire lap in order to get the most out of each track session. In short: Use every lap as an opportunity to improve on every corner...you can rest after the track session!

That's great feedback and insight.

I have 30 years of HPDE experience and was thinking of paying out of pocket to check it out.

 

[quikag]

That's great feedback and insight.

I have 30 years of HPDE experience and was thinking of paying out of pocket to check it out.

One thing I will say as a pretty experienced track driver too is the instructors LIKE to go fast. Me and a buddy (Andi) were put into our own min-sub group and the instructors rotated out of running us out there on lead-follow sessions. They were having fun as Andi and I were pushing the Blackwings pretty damn hard so the instructors got to drive faster than they normally would with students and everyone had fun.

So, in that regard, paying for the school as an experienced HPDE guy is worth the money IMHO. They will let the leash out much more than a typical school if you show them you can actually drive fast while being safe. So, you get to pound someone else's car for a few days and likely learn a few things and have a total blast.

 

[pkincy]

I bought my ATS-V as a CPO so had to pay full freight for my first trip to the V Academy. It was totally worth it. I had previously paid $1000 for my C7Z06 work at the Corvette School so knew it was worth it. To add to quikag's statement, a friend and I were also given a 2 person group so the instructors could have some fun. Both of us owned race cars and had competition licenses so they love to rotate the instructors through with faster students to give them some fun. I will say that running at 10/10ths with near 8 decades behind me did teach me it was time to retire and leave the very fast driving to others.

 

[techdude99]

I bought my ATS-V as a CPO so had to pay full freight for my first trip to the V Academy. It was totally worth it. I had previously paid $1000 for my C7Z06 work at the Corvette School so knew it was worth it. To add to quikag's statement, a friend and I were also given a 2 person group so the instructors could have some fun. Both of us owned race cars and had competition licenses so they love to rotate the instructors through with faster students to give them some fun. I will say that running at 10/10ths with near 8 decades behind me did teach me it was time to retire and leave the very fast driving to others.

I'm a bit older as well. My wife was asking what I wanted for a birthday present. I couldn't think of anything (other than another BW), but this sounds fun and less expensive

 

[AdamUCF]

Just recently returned from the V-Performance Academy as well, and the recent review by @TexasHawkeye is spot-on. FWIW, I paid my own way (since I am not yet an owner) and I feel it was 100% worth it.

The instructors were all fantastic. I have zero track experience (outside of the virtual/sim-racing world), and the instructors were able to take my lap times down from 1:36 on Day 1 to 1:19.2 by the end of Day 2 (not that the goal of the class is to be as fast as possible...but I loved the challenge of doing so!).

My driving ability is average at best, so this improvement is a true testament to the quality of instruction and efficiency of time spent on track...although I certainly would have loved more track time of course!

If anyone is thinking about going, just do it! The only thing I wish I would have done differently would be to hang back just a little (to give plenty of room to students in front) when not directly behind the instructor on the lead/follow track laps and use those laps to fully focus/push while only tuning into the radio traffic for any sort of safety announcements or direct logistical instructions. I sort of gave myself a little mental respite while not leading and only focused on certain corners, but I should have stayed focused the entire lap in order to get the most out of each track session. In short: Use every lap as an opportunity to improve on every corner...you can rest after the track session!

It was nice meeting you! I enjoyed hanging out with you and the other guys. Your lap times were super impressive with no track experience. The instructor only did a 1:21 in my car.

I had a bit of a different experience with the track instruction and left somewhat frustrated. I definitely picked up some stuff and improved my skills but not quite like I hoped. I have a little bit of track experience but it's been about 5yrs. I wish I had pushed harder the first day and second morning in particular. It was cold and I was the first one out behind the instructor and they were harping on the tires being cold so to take it easy. My fastest lap was 2secs slower than the other guys in my group and they shuffled people around for the last session based on fastest lap times. I got stuck in a group with slower cars (legit 10secs slower) and it really killed my last session. I just didn't care for how they handled the situation as well.

You really don't get that much actual track time. Four 15min sessions and a lot of that is in/out laps and whatnot. If you're in a group with two other cars as I was you really only get a couple laps behind the instructor each session. Makes it all the more frustrating if you're stuck with much slower cars. Autocross, skid pad, etc help make up for it some.

There was one instructor (I didn't catch his name and most weren't wearing name tags) that I didn't really care for and I was stuck with him the last two track sessions. He was just calling out corners and not actually giving any tips for improvement.

It's still a fun experience and I would do it again if I bought another Corvette/Blackwing but I definitely wouldn't pay for it. There's other options that will give you more time on better tracks with an instructor riding with you for less money. That said, some of the other activities like autocross were fun. The classroom stuff was hit or miss.

 

[kjt]

You really don't get that much actual track time. Four 15min sessions and a lot of that is in/out laps and whatnot. If you're in a group with two other cars as I was you really only get a couple laps behind the instructor each session.

There were only 12 drivers in my class. We all got 3 laps behind the instructor in each session (3 drivers in each group). I drove 61 laps over both days. That includes warm-up and cool-down laps. All recorded on the SD card.

 

[techdude99]

There were only 12 drivers in my class. We all got 3 laps behind the instructor in each session (3 drivers in each group). I drove 61 laps over both days. That includes warm-up and cool-down laps. All recorded on the SD card.

Thank you. That's more than I thought.

 

[AdamUCF]

There were only 12 drivers in my class. We all got 3 laps behind the instructor in each session (3 drivers in each group). I drove 61 laps over both days. That includes warm-up and cool-down laps. All recorded on the SD card.

I just counted from the AliveDrive app and got exactly 12 laps (counting out/in) in each of the 4 sessions so 48 laps total. Essentially a session less .

 

[rdollie]

Having been to Spring Mountain a couple of times and with a couple of decades of SCCA autocross and HPDE, my ONLY complaint is I wish they had an advanced course. Otherwise, I went for free and would still say it's well worth the money for anybody who doesn't have a lot of track time or needs to really learn the ins and outs of the Blackwing's settings/features (which most anybody who has tracked an Alpha platform car will already know).