192, 119, Whatever It Takes

If you're a driving instructor, and this conversation doesn't make you shudder all the way down to the base of your spine, you're not paying attention.

Why was I on Reddit? Well, it had something to do with observing reactions to the Alex Roy prank. While I was there, I saw a thread talking about what a piece of shit the new Z06 was. That's contrary to what I've heard from Sam Smith, so I read through the thread with full attention. Noting that the original poster was "a racing instructor at a racing school," I watched his video and observed that his "racing uniform" was an open-face helmet, no gloves, no HANS, and a full Sparco suit. That's some cheeseball shit, so I asked him.

I don't think of myself as having a particularly thick neck --- 17.5" for a six-footer --- but I cannot say I've ever felt worn-out by wearing a full-face helmet. So I kept an eye on this dude and his posts afterwards, trying to figure out what kind of "racing instructor at a racing school" he was. Turns out he works at the Las Vegas Dream Racing Experience. The last time I was in Vegas I tried to fit some laps at Dream into my schedule --- I wanted to drive the Gallardo Trofeo so I could say I'd driven all the major Gallardo variants --- but it was not to be. They're sold out for months in advance.

However, to characterize Dream Racing as a "racing school" is to willfully misunderstand what a racing school does. A racing school teaches you to race and, typically, concludes with the awarding of provisional licenses to successful participants. For example, I attended the Mid-Ohio Racing School in April of 2007 and was given my NASA Provisional license as a result. The curriculum of the school was specific: these are the rules of racing. The on-track portion of the school was specific: we will have practice races and see if you are fast enough and safe enough to participate in real races.

Dream Racing, on the other hand, is an "experience" much like the Disney World Supercar Experience or the Xtreme Xperience at which I worked earlier this year. There is no pretense of professional instruction. The purpose is to "experience" the cars.

I have no idea how safe Dream Racing is, or how safe the facility is, or how good my gloveless professional racing friend is. I do know, however, that working at Dream Racing is a risky gig, and if you want to understand why, read the image at the top of this post a second time.

The driver who posted on Reddit didn't honestly know if he was doing 192mph or 192kph, which is 119mph. This is not because he is an idiot. He's not an idiot, not in any way that I can see. He can't tell the difference between 192mph and 119mph because he has no experience going that fast.

I do have experience going that fast and I can tell you there is a world of difference between the two speeds. My Accord can break 119mph on most American racetracks. 119mph is a speed well within the reach of most club racing series at many tracks. When I was younger and had my YZF600r I used to run it past 119mph all the time on the way to work.

192mph, on the other hand, is a battle with the laws of physics. You are at the mercy of the track surface, the wind, the air coming off the vehicles around you. Very small motions of the wheel at 192mph translate to big motions of the car. If, like me, you don't do 192mph very often, you will be able to easily remember the times you have done it.

Should a driver who has no idea of the difference between 192mph and 119mph be placed behind the wheel of a Lamborghini Trofeo race car, even if that car has been neutered through alignment, tire choice, and throttle mapping? If you had asked me that question five years ago, I would have told you that a quality instructor can ensure a safe outcome for every student.

Today, I'm not so sure.

And were I my professional racing friend at a racing school, I'd wear a full-face helmet, just in case.