For someone who's never sat in a single seater, I must admit it is a very puzzling and disturbing environment. There is little, if no comfort, the car vibrates at a very high frequency when the engine runs, there is no windshield, no driving aids, the pedals are extremely close to one another, you don't see your legs or your feet, the steering wheel is very small and strikingly responsive, and you're sitting right in the middle of the car.
The cars are shod on Bridgestone RE-11 high performance treaded tires. For someone with limited experience in a race car, running on street tires makes the learning process much easier. Slick tires may look racier but they are tricky to drive. They stick well up to a certain point, and when they lose grip, they let go big time.
The RE-11s tell the drivers exactly what' the car is doing. It's quite easy to feel the beginning of a slide and to control it.
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| Photo: Bridgestone |
Jamie Fitzmaurice, the chief instructor, is very, very good. He is a fine teacher who makes constant comparisons between the Van Diemen and any every day road car. He does not talk for hours, but what he says is extremely important to understand fully.
The Bridgestone Academy does not limit the performance of their cars. From the word go, the engine can rev up to 6500 rpm. You -- the student -- are given the full responsibility of controlling that speed and your enthusiasm when you are out on the race track.
The group is divided into smaller sub-groups, and everyone's got the chance to follow the instructor who is also driving a single seater. This is called "Follow the leader", and this is a unique opportunity to learn the proper lines, the braking points, the apexes, and all. Lap after lap, the pace increases until the student starts making mistakes.
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| Photo: Bridgestone |
The Van Diemen is a handful to drive. The track has two blind corners, some negative camber bends, as well as fast and slow corners. The faster you go, the more difficult the car is to drive. The steering wheel becomes quite heavy into the faster corners and the G forces pull you from side to side, putting strain on your neck and forearm muscles. The track is quite bumpy, and since the Van Diemen are stiffly sprung, you get out of it with bruises all over your body!
The Academy is extremely safe, and it's been in operation for 25 years without a single injury.
I admit it is not cheap, but it is massively more fun and more informative than any computer game or racing simulator. If you have an accident at 100 mph, it is a real one! Driving a genuine race car is undoubtedly an item to add on your list of "Things to do during a lifetime". Enjoy!
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