Audi Club SoCal - Buttonwillow HPDE

EVENT OVERVIEW

The primary focus of this event is SAFETY, FUN, and LEARNING in an enjoyable, relaxed, and organized school setting. This is not a racing school, a race, or practice for racing. At no time will you be pushed or encouraged to go any faster than is comfortable for you. For your safety, all participants will be organized into separate track sessions based on prior experience, demonstrated skill, and type of vehicle.

The school is held at a closed road course to avoid the many unknown hazards found on the public streets, such as distracted drivers and opposite direction traffic.

All activities are conducted under close supervision of experienced and trained Audi Club instructors. You will be learning the principles and practicing the art of precision driving in a safe, fun, relaxed, and highly organized school setting, while observing reasonable health and safety protocols. Our training is designed to allow you to safely explore your skills as a driver while learning about the capabilities of your vehicle. It will help prepare you for emergencies that may occur in normal driving situations. You will improve your own personal performance behind the wheel!

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

• Course Configuration - we will run the #1 Star Mazda configuration on all three days.
  • Friday (optional day): Star Mazda Counter-Clockwise.
  • Saturday and Sunday: Star Mazda Clockwise.
• Passing - The Point-By passing protocol is used at all Audi Club SoCal HPDE events. Passing in all run groups is by permission only in designated passing zones.
• Banquet - Join us for the reception and gala banquet on Saturday evening right after the event. You can win a registration for future Audi Club driving schools, but you must be present at the Saturday evening Banquet to win!
• The Tent returns! - If you've joined us at Buttonwillow the last few years you know that Audi Club’s big-top tent at the track is a hit. It will continue to be the location for ALL non-driving activities, including the Friday evening meet and greet, check-in, and mandatory meetings as well as the Saturday evening banquet.
• Convertibles and SUV - We remind you that Audi Club North America allows many models of convertible cars and selected small SUV/CUV cars (for example Q3, Q5, SQ5) at our driving school. There are a few restrictions, so see the Details below. 
• Friday Experienced Driver Day - Our Friday optional day with "Open Pit Lane" format is limited to previously soloed C-intermediates, D-advanced, and Instructors. Formal Audi Club driving instruction is not provided on Friday.
  • Not driving Friday? Show up early! You will need to be at the track Friday evening anyway for check-in and mandatory driver meetings, so we encourage you to arrive at the track earlier in the day to observe the action and get a track familiarization ride with one of our instructors.
  • Audi Club SoCal and PCA-AZ will be conducting a joint instructor certification clinic on Friday. The clinic is by invitation only. For more information please contact the Audi Club SoCal Chief Driving Instructor at cdi@audiclubsocal.org.

REGISTRATION FEES

• Student - $575. The student registration fee for the Saturday/Sunday SoCal Audi Club High Performance Driver School includes:
  • Training - on-track instruction with trained Audi Club instructors, driving theory classrooms, car control exercises for novices, feedback sessions, access to online study materials.
  • Meals - Friday evening's meet-and-greet with heavy appetizers, Saturday lunch, Saturday night gala Banquet Dinner, and Sunday lunch.
  • Shirt - Every registration includes a souvenir long sleeve event shirt.
  • Club assigned Student-Instructor pairings will be emailed to you the week of the event.
  • First-Timer? - Audi Club SoCall is all about education, so this event is perfect if this is your first time driving a car on a road course. Read the First-Timers Introduction and Preparation article from our website at www.audiclubna.org/southern-california/driving-school/. We include a complimentary weekend helmet rental.
• Instructor - $259, or $80 meal-only (no track time). Our experienced and trained Audi Club instructors volunteer their time and expertise to teach at our driving school; qualify for a discounted Saturday/Sunday registration fee; and have their own dedicated instuctor Run Group.
• Friday - $295 is the additional fee for the optional Friday Experienced Driver Day. Includes more open track driving time than you or your tires can probably handle! All Audi Club HPDE policies are in effect on Friday including: passing with permission only in designated zones; only an Audi Club designated Instructor may be the second occupant in your car; and no in-car timing may be visible to the driver. Includes lunch.

Please register early - We don’t charge your credit card until a month prior to the event and we have a generous refund policy for timely cancellations.
Late registration (after 11/1/2021) is highly discouraged and will be subject to an additional $50 fee.

Registration will close on 11/12/2021

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE

This event consists of an (optional) open lapping day, followed by a two-day driving school (not two separate one-day schools).
Additional 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 (Tower Café)
7:40 AM Mandatory Driver Briefing (Tower Café)
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Experienced Driver Day

Evening Check-in & Meetings- At the track (in the Audi tent)
5:00 PM Meet and Greet, with heavy appitizers served courtesy of the Club
5:30 PM Driving School Check-In begins
7:00 PM Mandatory Instructor’ Meeting & First-Timer’s Meetings
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
The Gate is open and attended 24 hours
7:25 AM Mandatory Driver Briefing (Audi Tent)
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Lapping Sessions
5:00 PM - Social Hour in the tent at the track
6:00 PM Banquet Dinner (in the Audi Tent at the track)
Gate stays open and attended overnight

  Sunday

High Performance Driver School, Day Two -  At the track
The Gate is open and attended 24 hours
7:30 AM Mandatory Driver Briefing (Audi Tent)
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Lapping Sessions
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.

Why do we hold our driving school on a closed road course, even though we are not racing? We do so to enhance safety, as it is a controlled environment with fewer distractions and unknowns than found on the public roadways.

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

PREREQUISITES

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

Driver Requirements All drivers must:

• possess a valid driver's license issued by their state of residence;
• wear an approved racing helmet (see below);
• wear a long-sleeve shirt, long pants and practical closed-toe shoes while engaged in the car control exercises and on-track driving sessions. Clothing should be made of natural or flame-retardant fibers;
• be a current member of Audi Club North America audiclubna.org/join.
  • Audi ownership is not required for membership in ACNA. Membership dues are in addition to the event registration fee.

Vehicle Requirements

• All makes and models of coupes and sedans are welcome.
• Your car must be in excellent mechanical condition.
• Cars are required to undergo and pass a safety inspection prior to arriving at the event.
• Cars must have functional turn signals.
• Equal safety restraints (seat belts, air bags, seats, etc.) are required for driver and the instructor passenger. OEM 3-point belts as part of the stock driver safety system are fine for this event.
• Use of specialized track tires (R-compounds or slicks) is not permitted for beginning and novice drivers; they are discouraged for intermediate drivers.
• Open cars and convertibles are allowed if equipped with approved OEM rollover protection or an approved aftermarket 4-point (or greater) roll bar meeting the “broomstick rule”. Inquire about restrictions or see the list 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 now permitted with restrictions. Tires on SUVs must be UTQ wear rated at >200; no competition tires.

Helmets Participants must wear motorsport helmets bearing Snell SA2010 (or later) or Snell M2010 (only) certification. This certification label must be accessible for verification for the helmet to be allowed. Snell M2010 helmets (motorcycle) are only permitted in cars without supplemental roll-over protection (without roll bars). Motorcycle helmets with only a DOT rating are not allowed.

DRIVING SCHOOL

"He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a compass and never knows where he may cast." — Leonardo da Vinci

An Audi Club SoCal driving school is much more than simply a "lapping day". We provide you with a balanced learning environment utilizing modern eLearning, classroom, and on-track instruction.

Classroom Sessions - This is a high-performance driver safety education school - it is not racing, or practice or a school for racing. It is not a contest. Lap times are not recorded. All participants will attend classroom sessions designed to teach vehicle dynamics and driving techniques. Classroom and driving time will be balanced to give drivers a better understanding of the principals and application of precision performance driving.

Car Control Exercises - Car control exercises are provided on Saturday morning for our beginning drivers, so you may practice the principles you've learned online and in the classroom in a safer environment before driving on the track with your personal instructor later in the day.

Speed Secrets Performance Driving 101 online seminar - Is this your very First Time driving on a racetrack? Audi Club SoCal wants you to excel, so you are invited to the Speed Secrets Performance Driving 101 online driving seminar prior to your arrival at the event. ALL Audi Club SoCal participants are entitled to a generous 50% discount on a lifetime subscription to Performance Driving 101 and Inner Speed Secrets 201. Enrollment details are in the confirmation you will receive when you register.

Event Policies - These policies apply on all three days of this event.

  Passing Protocol

• Passing will only occur only by permission in designated Passing Zones.
• Permission to pass in all run groups will be indicated by mandatory use of a signal from the car being passed. 

  Passengers

• If there are two people in a car, at least ONE must be an Audi Club approved instructor.
• If your guest would like a ride on the course, please have them visit the check-in/registration desk in the Tower Cafe to arrange a ride in the right seat of an Audi Club instructor's car.

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Experienced Driver? Are you an experienced driver but registering with SoCal Audi Club for the first time? Please make sure your driving history in your MotorsportReg.com Profile is up to date. 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 Instructor at cdi@audiclubsocal.org

Still have Questions? We know that is a lot of material to absorb! If after reviewing the information above you still have questions, please contact the event master eventmaster@audiclubsocal.org (714) 660-3453.