The students will attend a six-hour program that includes taking specially equipped “skid cars” that stimulate slipping and sliding to learn how to avoid crashes and come out of skids safely.

Teens will learn how to deal with a variety of real-world driving scenarios, including how to control a vehicle when things go wrong.   The teen safety course consists of introduction to ABS, accident avoidance, slalom car control in both dry and wet conditions, precision backing, cornering, seating position, dealing with distractions, emergency situation maneuvers, controlling emotions, and basic vehicle maintenance.  Spring Mountain offers a range of vehicles from its fleet for the teens to drive during the school, including Mini-Coopers, a Yukon suburban, and an automatic Corvette.

“This is a great opportunity for teens to learn how to drive in a safe environment and avoid accidents, plus build a foundation of safe-driving habits,” said John Morris, president of Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch.  “Our teen driving school is dedicated to teaching driving skills, car control, behind-the-wheel defense, and helping kids gain a positive attitude when they’re driving.”

Upcoming summer sessions for teens ages 15 and up are scheduled for June 13-14, July 25-26 and Aug. 22-23, and fall courses are available, too.  For information, reservations and future sessions, visit racespringmountain.com, call 800-391-6891, or e-mail sales@racespringmountain.com.

About Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch
Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch is a 193-acre facility for motorsports enthusiasts located in Pahrump, Nevada (only 45 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip).  The Nevada firm includes a variety of track configurations ranging from 2.2 miles to 3.5 total miles, and also includes a 5,000 square-foot administration building, an 8,000 square-foot building dedicated to the Ron Fellows Corvette Driving School operations, 80 garages for rental, and is home of the Advanced Driving School.  Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch also features the new Phil Wicks MINI Driving Academy, a Lotus Performance Driving School, a Racing school and an SCCA License Recommendation school.  In 2006, the firm launched Club Spring Mountain, a Private Motorsports Country Club with special amenities including an 8,000 square-foot exclusive resort-style club house complete with a track viewing tower, pool, fitness center, massage center, BBQ area and adjoining firing range and racquetball courts.  The Club membership also includes guaranteed track time for its members.  For more information visit www.racespringmountain.com or www.clubspringmountain.com, call 800-391-6891, or e-mail sales@racespringmountain.com.

GREENVILLE, S.C. (May 1, 2009) – To a driving enthusiast, it doesn’t get much better than an opportunity to learn from a professional driver.  Now, the Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch (SMMR), Nevada’s premier driving school, and Michelin North America have teamed up to offer consumers an ultra-high performance experience led by Ron Fellows, one of the most celebrated names in Corvette Racing.

The Michelin/Corvette pairing has already proven to be a success as the Michelin® Pilot® Sport PS2 TM ZP tires were chosen as original equipment for the 2009 Corvette ZR1.  As part of the Ron Fellows Driving Experience, consumers will experience the highly-capable Michelin® Pilot® Sport PS2 TM ZP tires which provide superior levels of cornering grip, straight-line traction, ride, comfort, noise reduction and extended tread life for confident everyday driving.

In addition to the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP tires developed for the Corvette ZR1, Michelin also offers replacement tire sizes for the C5, C6 and C6 Z06 models (coming in August 09 for the Z06).  All vehicles at the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School will ride on either Michelin® Pilot® Sport PS2 TM ZP tires or Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires.

“Our partnership with Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch and Ron Fellows is a natural extension of the relationship we have built with Corvette and Corvette Racing over the years,” said Nicolas Goubert, brand category manager, Michelin North America.  “We look forward to offering school participants an experience that is unmatched as two power performers like Michelin and Corvette come together on the track.”

The Michelin-Corvette relationship has proven to be a winning combination since 2004 through a highly-interactive partner-team relationship in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

With an overall series record of 51 victories out of 59 races in the GT1 series, Michelin has helped Corvette Racing dominate on the track by developing and delivering performance-proven products for the most successful Corvette race cars in the team’s history.

Spring Mountain’s purpose-built, 3.5-mile road course of esses, banks, blind drops, off-camber corners and straights challenges drivers with elements inspired by the world renowned Long Beach Grand Prix Street Circuit and the Mosport International Raceway.

Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America (www.michelinman.com) employs more than 22,600 and operates 19 major manufacturing plants in 17 locations.

I want to thank you all for the great response and kind words to my first Spring Mountain Driving Tip: Heel-Toe Down Shifting.

I also want to clarify one point (thanks to those who pointed it out). In the first post I stated,

“If you just down shift and let the clutch out, the engine RPMs will be much lower than that of the transmission. The result is the car lurching forward and a possible loss of control (you know, that “chirping” the tires make when you let the clutch out too fast).”

Actually the car does not lurch forward. You, your passengers and anything else not bolted down will lurch forward. This is because the quick release of the clutch causes the car to slow even more. It’s a similar to when you are braking at a certain rate, then suddenly “stab” the brake more. Make sense?

While I didn’t intend on making the Heel-Toe topic a 2 part post, I got so many questions that it just made sense. Most of the questions had to do with pedal or foot placement so that’s what I’m going to address.

To properly view this post, make sure your browser is set wide enough to see two pictures in a row.

Rather than use a real car’s pedals, I’m going to use a set of simulator pedals from ECCI (in a future post I’ll give you my thoughts on PC based racing games, wheels and pedals for home use).

A lot of you noticed how close the pedals are in the Lotus. Many complained about how far apart the Corvette pedals are. Some of you pointed out a few aftermarket mods that help alleviate the problem. I’m going to give you some tips that will help you in any car.

Optimal Setup

First let’s talk about optimal setup. Ideally when you’re at maximum (threshold) braking, the brake pedal is slightly above the gas pedal and the brake and gas are close enough so that you can just roll your foot onto the gas to “blip” it. Exact setup will vary based on personal preference.

The pictures below show how I prefer the pedals to be under maximum braking. Notice how the right foot is partially on the brake and partially over the gas. This is critical. You want to have your foot positioned on the brake so it won’t slip off under heavy braking and still be able to roll your foot to “blip” the throttle.

The next set of pictures show how you roll your foot to “blip” the throttle.

As you have already figured out, few street cars have optimal pedal spacing. Some of the more common problems include:

• Pedals too far apart
• Brake extends too far below the gas at maximum braking
• Pedals are too close together (rare)
• Brake extends too far above the gas at maximum braking (also rare)

In most cases, it’s a combination of these that cause problems. It should also be noted that the exact same setup can cause different problems for different drivers. This is due to personal preference, foot size, ankle/leg flexibility, shoes and seating position.

In this post, I’m only going to address the most common problems. At Spring Mountain we can address your exact issue and give you the one-on-one instruction and the safe, controlled environment that is necessary to become proficient.

1. Pedals too far apart, Brake extension good

This is solved by simply rotating your foot and using more heel to “blip”. The amount will depend on the size of your foot and the spacing of the pedals. Use the ball of your foot to brake and your heel to “blip”.

The first two pictures below show that you need to rotate your foot enough to cover the distance between the brake and gas. The next two pictures show rolling the foot to “blip”.

I don’t recommend using your heel to brake and toes to “blip”. This is because you have much less control of the brake due to the fact that you have to move your whole leg to modulate the brake.

2. Pedals too far apart, Brake extends too far

This takes a bit more flexibility. Not only do you have to twist your leg, but you also need to point your toes to while braking. A common problem is that your foot inadvertently hits the gas while you’re braking. Depending on the clutch position, it might result in a reduction in the braking force. This is because as you’re braking, you’re also pressing on the gas making the car want to accelerate.

The difference in these pictures is subtle, but you should be able to note the first two pictures below show the brake pedal below the plane of the gas pedal. In the real world, this is usually more pronounced.

In the setup below, the brake does not extend too far below the gas, so I can roll my foot over to “blip”. However, the the brake extends well below the gas then you might need to press down with your heel to to “blip”.

3. Pedal spacing is good, Brake extends too far

In this case the pedal setup allows your foot to properly cover the brake and gas, but at maximum braking, the brake is below the plane of the gas. This results in a situation similar to item 2 where you inadvertently hit the gas at maximum braking. This is usually solved by adjusting the position of your foot on the brake and using the side of your foot to roll onto the gas. If the brake extension is far beyond the plane of the gas, then you may need to resort to pointing your toes while braking as in item 2.

The first two pictures show the pedal position just before applying the brake.

These next two photos show the pedal position at maximum braking. Again, it’s subtle, but the right foot is actually pressing the brake and the gas at the same time causing the problem indicated above.

The next two pictures show the right foot adjusted so that at maximum braking, you miss the gas pedal.

And finally, the rolling of the foot to “blip” the throttle. You will notice there is a different part of the foot that contacts the gas pedal.

Shoes

I find that shoes can make a big difference. Driving shoes are designed to make heel-toe easier. Most have extra grip where your foot is supposed to hit the gas (see the picture below). They also tend to give you a better feel of the brake. But don’t assume a racing shoe is what you need. Racing shoes tend to fit more like a sock and are designed for an optimal pedal setup. For street cars, you will probably want a wider shoe, like Piloti. At the Spring Mountain Apparel Store we carry a wide range of styles and sizes. I absolutely love them. They are great for driving and are comfortable to wear all day. I wear mine as much as possible.

Finding the right foot positions

When I get ready to take to the track in a car I’ve never driven, I always check the brake throw and pedal spacing. To do this, I find a safe area, make sure the transmission is in neutral and set the parking brake.

Next I press the brake hard. How far does it travel? I note where it is in relationship to the gas. I then try to “blip” the throttle. How did that feel? Can I reproduce it? If not, I reposition my foot until I can. I keep trying combinations of foot position until I find something that works. Then I practice it a few times before I head out on the track.

Summary

While I did not cover all the variations, I hope this gives you a better understanding of the mechanics of Heel-Toe Down Shifting. Like everything else with performance driving, practice is paramount.

As always, you should never practice these techniques on the street, only in a safe, controlled environment (like Spring Mountain).

At Spring Mountain we are committed to making better drivers one at a time, we hope to see you soon!

Don’t forget about our Summer Driving School Specials.

Spring Mountain offers classes for all levels of drivers. Our performance driving schools give you the opportunity to learn from professional instructors and practice and master heel-toe down shifting along with threshold braking, car control, proper racing line, and a variety of other advanced driving techniques. So whether you’re interested in Corvette, Lotus, Radical or our new MINI Cooper school, you will learn and master the techniques to make you a better, faster and safer driver all in a safe, controlled and fun environment.

Spring Mountain is located just 45 minutes from Las Vegas in Pahrump, NV. In addition to our driving schools, Spring Mountain is the home for the exclusive Club Spring Mountain, the premier private motorsports country club. While a student, you will enjoy access to members only Club amenities including the 8,000 SF club house, men and women?s locker rooms, fitness center, pool, Jacuzzi, massage therapy, racquet ball court and indoor gun range. Spring Mountain is truly a unique experience.

If you have a topic you would like to discuss, let me know and I’ll see what I can do.

For more information or to sign up, visit www.RaceSpringMountain.com or call 800-391-6891