- How can I become
a better driver without
breaking the bank?
We send our new editors to driving schools to hone their skills. If
you can’t make the commitment that attending such a school
typically requires but you’re looking for more structure (and less
risk) than simply doing donuts in a snowy parking lot, there are
plenty of budget-friendly ways to become a better driver.TRY KARTING
Virtually all of today’s
professional race-car
drivers learned the basics
of high-performance
driving in a kart. It’s not
just fun for the whole
family, it’s also a proven
skill-enhancement tool.
Depending on the facility,
figure on a cost of about
$0.75 to $1.50 per lap.ENTER A LOCAL
AUTOCROSS
Roaring around a parking
lot in your own car on a
traffic-cone course is a
riot and also a great
learning experience. The
Sports Car Club of
America (SCCA) calls
autocrosses “Solo
events” and runs them
nationwide. They’re safe
and done at relatively low
speeds; you’ll rarely
exceed 60 mph. Begin-
ner-level Solo events cost
$40 to $50 for the day.
Plus, the SCCA also
conducts inexpensive
Solo driving schools.TAKE YOUR CAR TO A
TRACK DAY
Many of the country’s top
road courses offer shared
open-lapping sessions.
Speeds easily reach triple
digits, so you’ll need your
brakes and tires to be in
top shape—an inspection
at the track is usually part
of the deal. Single-day
track insurance is avail-
able, but it can be expen-
sive, so don’t crash.
Track-day fees range from
about $175 to $400.IF YOU’RE ELIGIBLE,
ENROLL IN A TEEN
DRIVING COURSE
This is not the driver’s ed
taught by the gym teacher
at your high school. Here
you’ll practice the key
elements of car control,
including how to correct
skids and exploit anti-lock
brakes. Many such
courses are available
across the U.S. from a
variety of organizations.
For instance, tire retailer
Tire Rack offers a greatone-day advanced driving
school for teens in
multiple locations for
$95. In our home state of
Michigan, the state police
conduct a teen defensive-
driving-skills program for
$75. And vintage-car
insurer Hagerty puts on
comprehensive one-day
courses for anyone
15 or older.IMPROVE YOUR
KNOWLEDGE
Theory alone won’t make
you a better driver, but
understanding it can’t
hurt. Try books from
famous driving instruc-
tors such as Bob Bondu-
rant on High Performance
Driving or Jackie Stewart’s
Principles of Performance
Driving. Or try video-game
driving simulators like
iRacing, Gran Turismo, and
Forza Motorsport. If
you’re a Twitch user, you
can watch our staff
lapping onscreen right
now. Just search Twitch
for Car and Driver.- How
should
I learn to
work on
cars?
THE EASIEST WAY is to take a
class. Many community colleges,
adult-ed programs, and technical
schools have courses that will
familiarize you with the basics
such as oil changes, diagnostic
skills, and minor repairs.
Ease in with something simple
(that usually means older) and
produced in large quantities to
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40 -year-old pickup truck—with
its straightforward layout, high
production numbers, and easy-to-
access guts—can be a great
learning tool. But look out for rust.
Body work is not a fun place to
start your education.
YouTube is an invaluable tool,
and chances are there’s a walk-
through video of how to do
whatever it is you want to do to
your car. Online forums are both
friend and foe to the shade-tree
mechanic. They are an incredible
resource for tricky problems, but it
can take time to sift through the
bad advice and conversation.
It’s always smart to purchase
the factor y ser vice manual for the
car you’ll be working on. If you
can’t get that, both Haynes and
Chilton manuals provide step-by-
step repair instructions for most
vehicles. Clubs with a focus on a
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and information. Of course,
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