Despite being delayed in New Jersey, missing our connection in Atlanta, and having to fly back to Newark, New Jersey, to get a couple hours of sleep and leave the next day for Phoenix, nothing could remove the perma-smiles from our faces. This was about to get good! Check out our explanation of the training sessions here, along with our evaluation of the 3-day Grand Prix at Bondurant.
Day One
Heel-and-Toe Downshifting After a classroom intro and a van ride around the course, the class jumps into the C5 Corvettes and heads to the shifting area on the pad, where two cones were set up with a nice, long straightaway in between. We will be practicing heel-and-toe downshifting for the next half-hour, the purpose of which is to get accustomed to braking and downshifting while blipping the throttle to prevent upsetting the balance of the car. When braking, you want to keep the weight of the car on the front tires for maximum grip, and use the transmission to help slow the car. By blipping the throttle with the heel of your right foot, while also applying pressure to the brake pedal, the weight is kept on the front tires. If you simply pop the clutch and downshift, the weight is transferred to the middle or the rear tires, upsetting the car and possibly even causing you to lose control. Blipping the throttle matches the rpm from one gear to another, thus making for a smooth transition. This is done in a straight line before turn-in, since the tires cannot be asked to do too much at the same time (both brake and turn) without inducing understeer or oversteer. The course has enough room to reach Third, and the heel-toe is done from Third to Second gear; several cones on the right-hand side mark braking and downshifting zones.
Throttle-Steer Circle Next up, we pile into our instructor's CTS and check out the throttle steering circle/skidpad area. A large white circle was painted on the pavement, and the object was to increase the rate of speed while maintaining the same steering input (going around the circle). This demonstrates the front tires' limited ability to turn and accelerate at the same time (i.e., increasing one input means decreasing another).
Emergency Lane Change Back in the C5s, we visit the accident avoidance area. Using cones, a single entry lane breaks into three lanes-left, middle, and right-a few hundred feet ahead of us. At the beginning of each lane is a traffic light, and after accelerating toward the center lane and reaching a set rate of speed, the instructor flips a switch and the lights turn green or red. The goal is to pick a lane and enter it without hitting a cone, but the catch is that you can't use your brakes and you have little time and less distance to react. The mantra for this exercise is "lift, turn, and squeeze." In executing the first step (lifting off the gas pedal), the weight is planted on the front tires. After turning, squeezing back onto the throttle (applying with finesse) returns the weight to the middle to prevent the rear end from getting loose. Five runs were made starting at 25 mph, with the speed increasing by 5 mph until 45 mph was reached on the last run, staying in Second gear.
Apex Oval While navigating the handling oval in the Vettes, each driver drills hitting their apex and choosing the best line. Cones are used on the inside and outside of the track to show where the turn-in should begin and end, as well as indicate the apex. At the apex, the steering wheel begins to be unwound and throttle is applied. Other skills honed are straight-line braking, trail braking, and heel-toe downshifting, depending on how much speed you carry through the corner to set it up. All braking is done in a straight line and begun at specified points on the outside of the track, according to the cones.
Located in Chandler, Arizona, right next to Firebird International Raceway, the Bondurant facility is a sight to behold. A full 60 acres of land contains a 1.6-mile, 15-turn, multi-configuration road course, a pad, the office, a museum, and the shop facility. | 
The 8-acre pad features a handling oval, a skidpad, and room for various other exercises. Our class spent lots of time here before we had the skills to negotiate the road course. |
Bondurant's fleet of C5s, used in the 3- and 4-Day Grand Prix course. | |