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Anyone done Buttonwillow's PDS?

2K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  craigyirush 
#1 ·
Thinking about doing this performance driving clinic at Buttownwillow next month -

Performance Driving Clinic | Buttonwillow Raceway Park

Seems like a good mix of instruction (including skid pad) and track time.

Has anyone done this before? Would be interested in your feedback, good or bad.
 
#2 ·
no - have not. i am not sure 'who' button willow uses for their instructors. i did just instruct for vara at button willow this past weekend. the new track surface (re- pave) is great. if you have not been to button willow - you should go, its the best track south of sonoma....

personally i don't think skid pad is a much of a training tool in a car... it would be better to have a skid oval, so you can learn to enter hot, learn understeer and oversteer and how to track the car out straight.... but... that just my opinion :) if i ran a school, i would do it radically different from what is "typical" ...grain of salt tangent!

great track, very good facility, and i have no reason to be skeptical of the instruction you would get. button willow pretty much has their act together from what i can tell. and there is so much driving talent around here to pull from.

button willow is also a "safe track" and they do keep the run off maintained so there or no deep gullies to get hung up in. you can drive off just about everywhere safely.
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the feedback! Good to hear about the track and the re-pave. Not sure who the instructors are but they claim you'll get a lot of track time in addition to the car control exercises.

Wish I'd been at the VARA university. Thought it was only for vintage racers. My long term goal is to race my 68 MGB, but for now it's a non-runner sitting on my driveway . . .
 
#4 ·
i hadn't tracked the elise for years and just been racing the formula car... forgot how much fun the elise is on track - let me know if you go, maybe can talk some of the san diego elises in joining....

the thing i like about button willow is its probably the perfect track to test on, high speed, slow speed, elevations, esses, on camber, off camber. all in a "fun interesting' track. and not artificially difficult like willow is.

most tracks have open testing days at least once a month, button willow and willow do.... so you could always just show up for a free open test day. and have basically unlimited track time.
 
#5 ·
Barring something coming up at work or home, I'm gonna go. Always wanted to do BW, and I like having instruction available all day (as well as some car control) as I've never tracked the Elise. They also promise 3-3.5 hours on track.

It'd be great if some other LTers came out!
 
#6 ·
Buttonwillow PDC

Craig, I met you at Cars and Coffee in West Covina. I'm signed up and it will be my second track day. First will be Hooked on driving at Buttonwillow on January 30. Hope to see you there. Fitfan sent me the track diagram and VARA racing school packet. I can forward them to you if you are interested.

Fred
 
#8 ·
i 'might' go feb 20. if i can get back from a work trip in time to get up to buttonwillow
 
#9 ·
Hi Fred - hope to see you there (you too Alex!). Would be interested in fitfan's packet. You can PM me or e-mail at craigyirush@gmail.com

Fitfan - the PDS is on the 21st.
 
#11 ·
I know this is an old thread, but since I'm the OP, I'll revive it!

I did attend the PDS at Buttonwillow in Feb '15, but was not all that impressed with it as a driving school. We did get classroom time (for the newbies only; there were two run groups, one for more experienced drivers), and some seat time with instructors, but the former was really basic, and the latter was hit and miss (I find the quality of instructors to be the most variable thing about any kind of performance/track driving school). What's more, they advertised skid/car control exercises and also, iirc, threshold braking, yet neither happened! The skid pad was apparently open, but students were on their own (that is, no instruction was offered).

They are doing it again next month. I am actually thinking of going as it's a good way to get some track time with a proper/safe organization - e.g., they do a proper tech inspection, not this self-tech BS that many track day groups allow.

My two cents. Maybe others have had a different/better experience?
 
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