Bob Bonduraunt School of Performance Driving - In The Racer's Seat

Within the Formula Ford shop are a whole slew of the open-wheel racecars, ready for Grand Prix students to be like Andretti or Schumacher.

The red Corvettes in the foreground are used in yet another Bob Bondurant School course offering. These babies are the 505-horse Z06s.

This particular photo may be the best indicator of my progress thus far. The right rear tire proves I'm using the entire track. The fact that I'm looking ahead to the next apex confirms I'm racing the driving line on the course.

In the four-day Grand Prix course that I took, the instruction was superlative. Here, with me at the wheel, instructor Will Parker observed my progress and offered suggestions for becoming smoother and faster. He commented that I have a tendency to floor the accelerator and try to muscle the car around the track, instead of being smooth. He also said that I need to keep my hands at 10 o'clock and three-o'clock more to avoid wasted movement and time. After instructing me on how to be smooth and to drive the best racing line, Will demonstrated how the pros do it. Having Mr. Parker behind the wheel, I could feel the difference of how much faster we were throughout the course without all the drama

As I approached turned 2A, my face wore the expression of content concentration. I was running at the best of my newly learned ability and enjoying every lap on the track.

Notice the Formula Ford not far behind me? I've just passed him on the front straight, and we're approaching turn 1, also known as Corvette Corner. This tight turn was added to the track to slow down the high-horsepower Corvettes.

On day four, the four of us who took the four-day Grand Prix Road Racing course, switched from the Z51 400hp Corvettes to the open-wheel Formula Fords. Yeehaw! In this close-up photo, you can see that I'm still getting comfortable wearing the full-face racing helmet. I haven't put my sunglasses on correctly!

I blasted down the front straight in the Formula Ford. Our instructors permitted us to pass other racers on this section of the course, only if the other driver gave us a point by.