Bertil Roos Racing School is the nation's leader when it comes to European-style road racing and students have plenty of opportunities over the next couple of months to learn this highly intricate form of racing.
The school has been training students for over four decades and it uses Formula cars to teach the arts of performance driving and racing. Bertil Roos Racing School President Dennis Macchio explained that every technique important to racing and driving are more effectively taught in an f-car.
"Visual training, what we refer to as ocular driving techniques are best taught in the cockpit of a car that has no A pillars, no windshield, no rearview mirror, and no forward blind spot," Macchio said. "Car control, line correction and important advanced skills are much easier to learn in nimble, lightweight, Formula cars."
The school will be available at different tracks over the next couple of months, starting with a three-day school on April 9-11 at Pocono Raceway, followed by a two-day advanced school on April 12-13.
Those interested can enroll in a five-day road racing school with no prior experience required. Upon completion, you will have fulfilled all the requirements of a SCCA competition license and are eligible to enter the Roos Formula 2000 Racing Series.
The three-day school is the cornerstone of the racing programs with intensive training on how to drive a race car to its limits.
Day one starts with a brief introduction in the classroom, followed immediately by a track session in one of BRRS' patented slide cars. More classroom, on-track practice with street cars and discussion leads to two on-track sessions.
Day two begins with another classroom session, followed by another session in the slide cars or street cars. Drivers get an abundant amount of seat time, perfecting skills required to advance to day three.
Day three is when the new skills are put to the test to squeeze every last tenth of a second out. A slide-car session is combined with five track sessions in the race cars. You learn techniques like Ocular Driving, Rotational Turn-In, Line Recovery, Slide Control and Heel and Toe which sets Bertil Roos Racing School apart from other schools.
The two-day advanced school is for those looking for more advanced instruction. The techniques learned at the Bertil Roos Racing School help drivers in all forms of racing.
Jarett Andretti, son of former NASCAR and IndyCar star John Andretti, provides an example. Carrying on the Andretti family tradition of versatility behind the wheel, Jarett is competing in both sprint cars and sports cars this season.
"The first road racing experience I had after go-karts was the 5-Day Bertil Roos Racing School in March 2011 at Virginia International Raceway," Andretti said. "After graduating from Roos, I went back to my normal racing schedule, USAC Midgets. We won the Eastern Pavement championship in 2011 and competed in the 50th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Daytona in January 2012. Now, that I'm competing in the Pirelli World Challenge in addition to my sprint car schedule, I will be leaning on my Roos experience now more than ever."
You don't have to be an Andretti to experience what it's like to be behind the wheel at a Bertil Roos Racing School. The following dates are available, including a visit to the historic Lime Rock Park.
For more information, visit racenow.com or call 1-800 RACE NOW.