WHO: presenting ROSS BENTLEYWHAT: OVR PCA ADVANCED DRIVERS SEMINAR II
WHEN: Saturday, March 3rd, 2012, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
It’s been several years since we did our first Advanced Drivers Seminar which was very well received so we have decided to do another one. Ross Bentley has graciously agreed to present his wealth of knowledge to us in a one day drivers’ seminar. Mr. Bentley is the author of the Speed Secrets series of driving techniques and skills books of which there are 8. I’ve read 4 and have 2 more on the way before Christmas so they clearly get my vote………..for what that’s worth (if you are counting that’s only 6 of 8. 1 is out of print and the other is on Autocrossing which I haven’t done in years). I have found all of his books very concise and to the point and VERY HELPFUL. They will make you a better driver whether you want to improve your street driving, are interested in doing a Drivers Education event with us, have done many DE’s, are an Instructor wanting to improve your skills or you are Club Racing – that covers everyone! This seminar will be a very full day of entertainment and intense learning for anyone who likes cars and wants to drive better – that should pretty much sum us all up.
There is a nominal charge of $50 that helps defray our costs for Mr. Bentley and covers lunch and snacks during the day. This will be a fun event even if you can’t stay all day, but you really should try to commit for the whole show. Plus, if you have not been to “The Garage” you will be amazed and impressed with the facility and the collection of Porsche cars. We will also have displays from U.S. Race Gear and Forgeline Wheels. All for 50 bucks – a steal of a deal. Be there!
Registration is on Club Registration.net. If you don’t have an account just go to the site and you will be prompted through the simple process of setting one up. After you are set up, search for Ohio Valley Region, Porsche Club, select events and find this one and register online.
For those of you who don’t know who Mr. Bentley is the following was shamelessly lifted from Ross’ website to give you a direct understanding of our speaker. Don’t just take my word for it, read on, my friend:
What drives me? What am I passionate about? Helping others perform better. That applies to elite-level professional race drivers, car club DE and track-day drivers, club racers, motorcycle racers, drifters, rally drivers, road racers, oval racers, and to people in all walks of life.
Yeah, I’ve driven and raced a lot of cars through the years. When I was a kid my dream was to race Indy cars. While I never raced a well-funded Indy car, I got there through a lot of hard work, sacrifice, and a commitment to learning to be better. And I learned a ton from running with the likes of Michael Andretti, Al Unser Jr., Nigel Mansell, Rick Mears, Bobby Rahal, Jimmy Vasser, Paul Tracy, and Emerson Fittipaldi. Okay, I didn’t win against these guys, but I observed stuff that very few have a had a chance to by being there. I learned things that could only ever be learned by being there.
Those few years of struggling to get results in a couple-of-generation-old Indy cars taught me a lot:
- How to get the best performance out of myself through the use of my mind.
- What works and what doesn’t work in the world of motorsport sponsorship/marketing.
- How to get the best out of the people around me, especially my team.
- What a driver needs to do to get the very last ounce out of a car
My time in Indy cars also led to being hired to drive sports cars. I drove some of the coolest prototype and GT sports cars, like the Ferrari 333SP and the factory BMW M3. I was fortunate enough to win the 1998 United State Road Racing Championship (the precursor to Grand-Am), and the 2003 Daytona 24-Hour race in SRP-II. And yes, I was getting paid to drive race cars.
Writing about driving has become a passion of mine. I learn so much from it. Experiencing something as a driver or as a coach, and then trying to figure out how to explain that in writing has taught me so much. Whether it’s my Speed Secrets books, or a driving tip article, I enjoy the challenge of finding the right way of putting into words what we so often feel through the seat of our pants.
I think everyone has their own sweet spot – what they do best. Mine is coaching. And it doesn’t matter whether I’m working with a brand-new driver just starting out, a professional, a young teen looking to make a career in racing, someone just taking up the sport late in life, road racers, oval track racers, or even motorcycle racers. All that matters to me is that the driver be open to learning.
If I can’t be at the track coaching or driving, I like to be talking about driving. The common denominator is that it’s about learning to drive or instruct better. Getting together with other people who have a passion for driving, conducting seminars and workshops, or presenting a keynote talk, is fun. And I guess I must be okay at it because people and groups keep asking me back.
I’m a pretty lucky guy to have found my passion, and be able to share what I do best with others.
Pretty strong, don’t you think! Now, if this hasn’t set the hook, I’m not sure it can be set. The 50th Anniversary Daytona 24 will have been run, Sebring will be coming up, our first DE is in April, so what else will fill the car fix between now and then. Join us for what promises to be another great ADVANCED DRIVERS SEMINAR.
Questions? Jim Briggs – jgbjr@msn.com