PSA: Shameless plug - Dirt Fish Rally School

[daveo4EV]

I've tracked for more than 10 years now - and by far the best instruction/skills I've received for track driving is Ice-Driving and Rally Driving - and one of the best Rally Schools is Dirtfish. If you are serious about your driving skills, and car control skills taking a Rally Course like the ones they offer at Dirt Fish is a great investment

Dirtfish has a HUGE discounts on Black Friday -

Quote:
Space is limited. This year's 20% off sale will run from November 24th - November 28th, or until all seats are filled. Once these classes fill, the sale ends - so act fast!

if you have ever thought about doing one of these schools…

1. yes - by all means it WILL make you a better driver
2. ProTip - do it when you can get 20% off

I doubt you'll regret it - and 20% off is fantastic deal for one of these schools…

I recommend the 3 day advanced course.

end of PSA.

I receive no benefit from this posting - I am not affiliated with DirtFish - other than via satisfied customer - but I've taken the courses, and friends & students of mine have all taken the courses - all agree "it upped their game"

Sponsored

 

[TDinDC]

I don’t know Dirtfish, but rally racing and rally schools are a fantastic way to improve your knowledge and driving skills, and perhaps most importantly, loads of fun. Nothing like doing 80 through a single lane winding through a forest and using Scandinavian flicks to tackle snowy and muddy turns to get your heart racing.

 

[MConte05]

Did the 3 day RWD school last year for myself and my employees as a company retreat, such a blast.

I'd been rallying for 15 years prior, and still learned some new stuff, and actually got me into ditching my open class AWD subaru's and buy up a Toyota GR86 to turn into a rally car.

 

[TDinDC]

Did the 3 day RWD school last year for myself and my employees as a company retreat, such a blast.

I'd been rallying for 15 years prior, and still learned some new stuff, and actually got me into ditching my open class AWD subaru's and buy up a Toyota GR86 to turn into a rally car.

I really like the Toyota GR86 and view it to be a bit like a modern-day 944.

I'm in the process of deciding whether to buy a new race car and start competitive amateur racing again (NASA, SCCA, PCA) or buying a simulator and e-race (iracing), but it would also be cool if they had an amateur rally series (although I really do like wheel to wheel racing).

In any event, here’s another good Rally School that I enjoyed: https://teamoneil.com/

maybe I’ll have to try dirt fish

 

[MConte05]

I really like the Toyota GR86 and view it to be a bit like a modern-day 944.

I'm in the process of deciding whether to buy a new race car and start competitive amateur racing again (NASA, SCCA, PCA) or buying a simulator and e-race (iracing), but it would also be cool if they had an amateur rally series (although I really do like wheel to wheel racing).

The American Rally Association (ARA, https://www.americanrallyassociation.org/) is the amateur rally series in the USA. While the big names like Pastrana and Block dominate the headlines, they are the top 3-4 level drivers out of 80-90 entries every event.

I started almost 15 years ago as a volunteer, then got a co-driving gig, then found a $5k car on Craigslist and started racing in a 1990 shitbox legacy. Eventually traded that up to a nicer legacy with a turbo motor and good suspension, and often would place top 10. Wasn't until a big wreck in 2016 that I stopped racing. Not so much because of the wreck, but because I knew if i wanted to keep racing at a high level, I needed to make my own money instead of being dependent on a W2 job.

That was the fuel that got me to start my own business, and 5-6 years later its quite successful (part of why I can afford a Taycan now) but rally has still been my main passion. Problem for me now is lack of time to get things done. To do a full event is a weeklong affair, between travel, recce, race, travel back, etc.

But I've done supercars on the track, tracked my own Lotus Evora GT, and nothing, and I mean NOTHING compares to the thrill of rallying on the edge, even in a 115hp FWD fiesta, still SO much more fun than the 415hp Lotus on the track. The teamwork, the challenge, the unknowns, the determination to just get to the end of the event, and the satisifaction of a weekend of rallying is so addicting. Though it's not for everyone.

I recently sold my Lotus Evora GT after doing several track days because I honestly got bored of it. I was able to buy a few rally cars to start restoring, and looking forward to building up the GR86 once I get my hands on it.

 

[TDinDC]

The American Rally Association (ARA, https://www.americanrallyassociation.org/) is the amateur rally series in the USA. While the big names like Pastrana and Block dominate the headlines, they are the top 3-4 level drivers out of 80-90 entries every event.

I started almost 15 years ago as a volunteer, then got a co-driving gig, then found a $5k car on Craigslist and started racing in a 1990 shitbox legacy. Eventually traded that up to a nicer legacy with a turbo motor and good suspension, and often would place top 10. Wasn't until a big wreck in 2016 that I stopped racing. Not so much because of the wreck, but because I knew if i wanted to keep racing at a high level, I needed to make my own money instead of being dependent on a W2 job.

That was the fuel that got me to start my own business, and 5-6 years later its quite successful (part of why I can afford a Taycan now) but rally has still been my main passion. Problem for me now is lack of time to get things done. To do a full event is a weeklong affair, between travel, recce, race, travel back, etc.

But I've done supercars on the track, tracked my own Lotus Evora GT, and nothing, and I mean NOTHING compares to the thrill of rallying on the edge, even in a 115hp FWD fiesta, still SO much more fun than the 415hp Lotus on the track. The teamwork, the challenge, the unknowns, the determination to just get to the end of the event, and the satisifaction of a weekend of rallying is so addicting. Though it's not for everyone.

I recently sold my Lotus Evora GT after doing several track days because I honestly got bored of it. I was able to buy a few rally cars to start restoring, and looking forward to building up the GR86 once I get my hands on it.

I so relate to this post. I had to stop when my kids were about 4 because it was taking too much time away from family. Now that all three are in college, I want to start again. I started with track days before racing, but I can’t really go back to that since it doesn’t really scratch the racing itch right . . .

Thank you for the info

 

[MConte05]

I so relate to this post. I had to stop when my kids were about 4 because it was taking too much time away from family. Now that all three are in college, I want to start again. I started with track days before racing, but I can’t really go back to that since it doesn’t really scratch the racing itch right . . .

Thank you for the info

Yep, in addition to starting the business, I also had my first kid. She's almost 5 years old now so starting to get to that point where leaving for a week won't be devastating on the whole work-life-familytime balance, maybe just one or two events a year at most to start.

 

[TDinDC]

Yep, in addition to starting the business, I also had my first kid. She's almost 5 years old now so starting to get to that point where leaving for a week won't be devastating on the whole work-life-familytime balance, maybe just one or two events a year at most to start.

I told myself the same thing but it didn’t work for me. It’s like waving Tequila, Bourbon or Scotch in front of an AA member. The whole “I’ll just take one or two sips” just doesn’t work.

You will be able to rally later. You’ll never have a chance to spend more time with your kids (and wife) again, so choose accordingly.

 

[charliemathilde]

Dirtfish is definitely on my list. But next up is Barber Motorsports Park with the Porsche masters program ….

Ice driving … #dreams

 

[bsclywilly]

I second this recommendation.

• The Black Friday deal is the biggest, and I think one of the only sales Dirt Fish has year round.
• 2 or 3 day course, you won’t regret it.
• RWD for the good handling characteristics over the AWD which has more power.

Did this a couple years ago and it was awesome. There’s also a pretty decent karting track nearby (PGP) for the evenings.

Yep, in addition to starting the business, I also had my first kid. She's almost 5 years old now so starting to get to that point where leaving for a week won't be devastating on the whole work-life-familytime balance, maybe just one or two events a year at most to start.

I’m in the same stage with my 4.5yo daughter. Just started doing a few HPDEs in the last couple years. I learned from some other dads that it helps to take a couple days off work to prep and attend events rather than consume evenings and weekends. Still thinking it’s going to be another 10+years before I could get back to doing more serious builds and racing. Great to hear you’re planning on getting back in to it. I remember the nervous excitement getting back on track after several years off. Actually, come to think of it, the Dirt Fish rally school was the first motorsports thing I did since she was born.

 

[charliemathilde]

I’ll second the weekday track approach. My boss has to give me days off if I have the accumulated time. Wife … not so much.

 

[porsche_coyote]

I enthusiastically second/third/fourth the DirtFish recommendation. I did the 3-day program with some friends about four years ago, and it was really fantastic. Lots of track/course time, great instruction, and a set of skills that I didn't know I needed but made me a better driver.

Sponsored