5 Of America’s Best Driving Schools

America’s best driving schools promise to fix a car’s biggest performance liability, the driver. Enthusiasts willingly spend thousands of dollars to make their cars faster but neglected to improve the weakest component of any car, the driver. Instead of spending money on car parts or a faster car the best thing anyone who is serious about driving can do is attend a performance driving or racing school. We’ve compiled a list of 5 American Driving Schools, in no particular order, that we believe are worth your money.

Skip BarberThe Skip Barber Racing School has been offering high quality driving lessons since 1975. Their well-established driving and racing schools take place on tracks across the country and offer something for every level of driver. For the enthusiasts looking to master car control both on and off the track, Skip Barber offers the High-Performance Driving and Racing Combo. This new program combines advanced driving lessons where students will spend time on the road and track driving Porsche 911’s and MX-5 Cup Cars. This one-day session will run customers $1,095 and offers a glimpse into the different aspects of car control during high-performance driving. Although this session focuses on the basics due to time constraints, it offers a good basis for correct driving habits and exceptional car control.

BondurantLocated in Chandler, Arizona, Bondurant Racing School offers customers the opportunity to spend up to three days on their track learning every aspect of car control. Bondurant is sponsored by Dodge so students spend time behind the wheel of SRT versions of the Challenger, Charger, and Dodge Viper depending on the class. Students can choose between courses focused on racing, high-performance driving, and even Military Executive Protection. Their High-Performance Driving School teaches students advanced car control techniques for the road, accident avoidance maneuvers, and slalom on their 1.6-mile test track. Their facility, which was specifically designed for their courses, gives students the opportunity to spend most of their day on track after spending time in their pit side classrooms. Classes start at $1,299 for one-day of their Challenger SRT 392 Scat Pack Class and run $3,999 for a full three days of instruction.

Ron FellowsLocated at Spring Mountain Motor Resort in Nevada, The Ron Fellows Driving School is the exclusive driving school for GM and features both a Cadillac V Academy and the Corvette Racing School. New Cadillac V-Series and Corvette customers get a price break and learn to master their new performance cars in a controlled setting. For the rest of us, Ron Fellows offers a three-day Corvette Driving School aimed at teaching the fundamentals needed to drive a modern sports car with an advanced course for graduates. The 3 day Corvette Course will run customers $3,895 and consists of dynamic car control courses, track time, a cornering course.

Dirt FishIf track driving isn’t your thing, the Rally School at Dirt Fish is for you. Located in the woods outside of Seattle, Dirt Fish focuses on teaching you car control on any surface and educates both Rally Professionals and novices looking to have a great time. This school allows you to choose between a two-hour or three-day course and then between an RWD BRZ or an AWD STI. The main goal of Dirt Fish is to learn every aspect of successfully driving quickly on a rally stage. The extended Three-day course contributes toward a Rally America License and teaches students maneuvers used in professional rallying in addition to the basic car control taught in shorter courses. The two-hour course starts at only $475 and the extended Three-day courses is $3,900 with no difference in cost between the AWD and RWD options.

Team O’Neil Rally SchoolTeam O’Neil Rally School offers the one of the most comprehensive Rally Schools in the nation. They offer Courses ranging from 1 day to a full 5 days of rally instruction at their New Hampshire facility. Students can even learn winter driving in their own private cars or join their Cars and Guns course where your can channel your inner John McClane. The Rally School uses mainly Ford Fiestas to teach students the fundamentals of weight transfer and how to find the correct rally racing line. The extended five-day school teaches students how to handle jumps, laps on their road courses, and mastery of all types of drivetrain layouts. The one-day course will run you $1,200 while the full five-day course will set you back $6,000.