Audi Club Driving School @ Buttonwillow

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

• Course Configuration - we are planning on driving the #1 Star Mazda configuration on all three days.
  • Friday Experienced Driver Day: Star Mazda Counter-Clockwise.
  • Saturday and Sunday Driving School: Star Mazda Clockwise.
    • This is preliminary information and could change. We had hoped to drive Buttonwillow's new The Circuit track but it is still not paved and they don't have a paving starting date. 
• Passing - To promote safety, passing in all run groups is by permission-only in designated passing zones. The Point-By passing protocol is used at Audi Club SoCal HPDE events.
  • NEW: We are considering relaxed passing rules for Advanced and Instructor groups. As always, safety considerations will inform this decision. More information will be provided to advanced drivers closer to the date of the event.
• Convertibles and SUV - We remind you that Audi Club North America allows many models of convertible cars and selected sporty SUV/CUV cars (for example Q3, Q5, SQ5) at our driving school. Yes there are a few restrictions, so see the details on the Audi Club website. 
• Friday Experienced Driver Day - Our Friday optional practice day features an "Open Pit Lane" format. Friday is limited to previously soloed C-intermediates, D-advanced, and our Instructors. Formal Audi Club driving instruction is not provided on Friday, but participants are encouraged to make their own arrangements to drive or ride with our instructors.
• Not driving Friday? Show up early and you and your guest can get track familiarization rides with one of our instructors! You will need to be at the track Friday evening anyway for check-in and mandatory driver meetings, so we encourage you to arrive early on Friday to observe the driving action and get rides on track.

YOUR REGISTRATION FEE INCLUDES ALL THIS! (See the Registration Form for this year's fees)

• Student -  The student registration fee for the Saturday/Sunday Audi Club SoCal High Performance Driver School includes:
  • Training - First Time Beginners get car control exercises, driving theory classrooms, free online driving webinar, and a free helmet rental. All students are eligible for on-track instruction with trained Audi Club instructors, feedback sessions, and discounted professional online study materials.
  • Meals - Your registration fee includes Friday evening's meet-and-greet with heavy appetizers, Saturday lunch, Saturday night gala Banquet Dinner, and Sunday lunch. The Tower Cafe is open every day for no-host breakfast.
  • Swag - Every full weekend registration (Sat/Sun) includes a souvenir event shirt. First Time Beginners get a complimentary embroidered Audi Club hat.
  • The Club will assign Student-Instructor pairings, which will be emailed to you the week of the event so you can begin a conversation with your instructor prior to arriving at the event (if not pre-solo qualified).
• One Day - Single day Saturday or Sunday registrations are available for students with prior experience and include lunch. Banquet tickets, shirts and hats are available separately. Not for beginners.
• Friday - Additional fee for the optional Friday Experienced Driver Day. Includes lunch and more open pit lane track driving time than you or your tires can probably handle!

Racers and Time Trialers: please note that our event is NOT suitable for race car test-and-tune. All Audi Club HPDE rules will be in effect all three days, including: passing with permission only; no in-car timing may be visible to the driver; and only an Audi Club designated Instructor may be the second occupant in your car.

• Instructor - Weekend Instructor rate includes dedicated instructor Run Groups, all meals, and swag. Our trained and experienced Audi Club instructors volunteer their time and expertise and incur significant expense to teach at our driving school, so they qualify for a discounted weekend registration fee.

Early Bird - Please help us plan by registering early. We don’t charge your credit card until a month prior to the event, and we offer a reasonable refund policy for timely cancelations. Early full-weekend student registrations save $25. Early Bird cutoff is September 30th. Cutoff for ordering shirts is four weeks prior to the event, so register early!

Late registration - is highly discouraged and will be subject to an additional fee. Please register prior to November.

PREREQUISITES

BEFORE YOU REGISTER please review the following summaries of ACNA SoCal event requirements:

Driver Requirements All drivers must:

• possess a valid unrestricted driver's license issued by their state of residence.
• wear practical clothing made of natural or flame-retardant material and practical flexible closed-toe shoes while engaged in the car control exercises and on-track driving sessions.
  • We recommend long sleeve shirts, long pants, and a balaclava to protect exposed skin. Avoid slippery or yoga pants made of nylon or polyester.
• wear an approved motorsport helmet bearing Snell SA2015 (or later) or unexpired FIA certification. The certification label must be accessible for verification. Motorcycle helmets are not allowed. While we encourage you to buy your own helmet, you can rent an approved helmet from Audi Club for this event.
• be a current member of Audi Club North America www.audiclubna.org/join. This is a requirement of our insurance. Audi ownership is not required for membership in ACNA. The affordable membership dues are in addition to the event registration fee.
• Sign the SpeedWaiver before arriving at the event.

Vehicle Requirements

• All makes and models of coupes and sedans are welcome.
• Your car must be in excellent mechanical condition.
• Your car is required to undergo and pass a safety inspection by a dealer, independent shop, or other capable and qualified mechanic prior to arriving at the event.
• Cars must have functional lights and turn signals.
• The driver and instructor passenger positions must have functionally-equal safety restraints (seats, belts, air bags, etc.) Stock driver safety systems with OEM 3-point belts are fine for this event.
• Use of specialized track tires (R-compounds or slicks) is not permitted for beginning and novice drivers and they are discouraged for intermediate drivers.
• Open cars and convertibles are allowed if equipped with club-approved OEM rollover protection or an approved aftermarket 4-point (or greater) roll bar meeting the “broomstick rule”. Inquire about restrictions or see the lists on the Audi Club website.
• High center of gravity vehicles are not appropriate for this high-speed driving school; however certain performance-oriented sports utility vehicles are permitted with restrictions. Tires on SUVs must be UTQ wear rated at 200 or greater; i.e., no competition tires.

Experienced Driver? Are you an experienced driver but registering with SoCal Audi Club for the first time? Please update your driving history in your MotorsportReg.com Profile. This will help us place you in an appropriate group. If you have questions about your qualifications for Friday or the Weekend please contact our Chief Driving Instructors at cdi@audiclubsocal.org

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE

This event consists of an (optional) open pit-lane practice day, followed by a two-day driving school. Final details will be sent closer to the date of the event.

  Friday

Experienced Driver Day - At the track
7:00 AM Gate Opens
7:20 AM Experienced Driver Day Check-In (in the Tower Café)
7:40 AM Mandatory Driver Briefing (as long as it takes, in the Tower Café)
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Experienced Driver Day

Friday Evening Check-in & Meetings- At the track in the Audi Club tent
5:00 PM Meet and Greet, with heavy appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages served courtesy of the Club (byob)
5:30 PM Driving School Check-In begins
7:00 PM Mandatory Instructor’ Meeting & First-Timer’s Meeting
8:00 PM Mandatory All-Drivers Meeting, then Meet Your Instructor
Gate stays open and attended overnight

  Saturday

High Performance Driver School, Day One - At the track
We recommend you arrive no later than 7:00 AM. The Gate is open and attended 24 hours.
7:15 AM Late Check-in (Tower Café)
7:25 AM Mandatory Driver Briefing (in the Audi Tent)
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Instructed Driving
5:00 PM - Social Hour in the tent at the track
6:15 PM Banquet Dinner (in the Audi Tent at the track, byob)
Gate stays open and attended overnight

  Sunday

High Performance Driver School, Day Two -  At the track
We recommend you arrive no later than 7:00 AM. The Gate is open and attended 24 hours.
7:30 AM Mandatory Driver and/or Instructor Briefing (Audi Tent)
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Instructed Driving
5:00 PM Load up, Clean up, and Goodbyes
6:00 PM Gate Closes

LOCATION

ALL activities, including the Saturday evening banquet, will be held at Buttonwillow Raceway Park, 24551 Lerdo Hwy, Buttonwillow, CA 93206, (661) 764-5333.

Lodging - There are nearby motels, or you may camp in the paddock. There is no designated headquarters hotel for this event. Detailed hotel listings are in the Confirmation you will receive after you register.

MORE INFORMATION - The preceding information has introduced you to the basic nature of this driving school. If you are registering for the event please DOWNLOAD and READ the Documents on our website at www.audiclubna.org/southern-california/driving-school and www.audiclubna.org/southern-california/buttonwillow to fill in the details.

Still have Questions? We know this is a lot of material to absorb! If after reviewing the information above and downloading the linked documents you still have questions, please contact us at AudiSoCalRegistrar@gmail.com.

This Audi Club High Performance Driving School is presented by Toyo Tires