[Fot] What did you do?

[Rocky Entriken]

All my kids, when they reach that magic age, get one full season of
autocross in the race car, all expenses paid. Starts in the spring, carries
through to a trip to the Solo Nationals.

I tell them I don't care if they do well, I don't care if they fall in love
with the sport or not, and I'm not trying to make race drivers out of them.
What I want is for them to become more skilled, more aware drivers, and to
have some idea of the car's capabilities and their capabilities in an
emergency situation.

I also tell them I don't care if they break the car as long as it happens on
the track -- it's a race car; it WILL break sometime, the only question is
when. But break something goofing off in the paddock they'll pay for the
repair.

If they do fall in love with the sport and want to keep doing it, they gotta
rent the car or buy their own.

Four kids down so far, two to go. Three are still doing it in their own
cars. One says she's gonna but hasn't done much. Youngest daughter just
turned 16 and looking forward to it. Youngest son is 13 and says he is
totally uninterested.

As for schools -- I'd recommend an autocross school rather than a racing
school. Many of the techniques are the same but the environment is more
real-world (street & highway speeds, not race track speeds). Cheaper too.
Look at www.evoschool.com and see if there isn't an upcoming school
reasonably near you. These schools you do in your street car.

--Rocky Entriken

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <alfetta95 at optonline.net>
To: <FOT at autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 3:23 PM
Subject: [Fot] What did you do?


> Amici,
>
> My daughter just received her driving permit.  I've taken her out driving
> many times before she received her permit.  I'm thinking about sending her
> to driving school for car control, confidence behind the wheel, not for a
> racing license, yet.  What have you done or what are you thinking about
> doing when your kid gets to this point?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Look out Northern New Jersey Drivers!
> Todd Redmond