I am going to be a hater and state that I did the Skip Barber two day HP driving course at Laguna in 2006 and was very disappointed.
The problem for me was that there was not nearly enough behind the wheel time for the price. I paid $2800 for the course and likely did not spend more than 3 hours actually driving a car during the two day course.
The instructors were cool and the actual drills performed and techniques learned were worthwhile, but the course was no where near worth the price. I could have done several track days for what I spent on the course and developed more skills in the process.
Also, don't spend the $200 to reduce your insurance deductible on their cars. The on-track driving is always behind an instructor that is going at about 80% of a fast pace. There is no way you will wreck one of their cars.
deedie - sorry to hear that you didn't feel it was worth it... however, i do feel a driver will learn more about the fundamentals of driving/racing at a skippy course than just driving around in HPDE's (even w/ the help of the clubs "instructors"). i think we provide better structure, exercises to show/teach you the fundamentals, a taste of track driving, and coaches who are better qualified to teach a driver these techniques.
for example, if you were to hire a pro driver coach (using myself as an example), you would pay for the HPDE (@ MRLS about $400 per day = 2 day @ $800) + my coaching rate ($1000 a day x 2 = $2000), which would be close to or more expensive than the other option. The only problem is that we wouldn't be able to practice all the same exercises that you could in a Skippy course, which I feel is extremely valuable, and you have to use your own car/tires/gas/etc...
also, since i've worked a lot of HP programs at MRLS, i have seen cars crash on track and feel $200 is a lot better than $2000 if you just tear up the front bumper and fender of a 911. i've also seen a boxter that got totaled in the parking lot during a braking exercise!
edit: since LotinElite is just taking the regular Mazda School, the deductible doesn't really apply...
just my .02
