DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — There isn’t a racetrack out there that wouldn’t say they were not interested in making money during the “down time” between race dates. Fortunately, the Member Tracks of the American Speed Association are being given that opportunity with an innovative driving school program offered through DriveTech.
Recently named as the “Official Driving School of the American Speed Association,” DriveTech offers much more than just a classroom and track setting; they offer the experience of a lifetime without speed limits or artificially-enhanced timing slips.
DriveTech is owned by Mark Ebert who recently acquired the rights to promote ASA’s legendary Tucson Raceway Park. Founded in 1992 the school has been offering more and more driver training programs across the country, and most recently began a curriculum to train crew members.
Ebert stressed that this is not your traditional “follow the leader” type of driving school. Utilizing former NASCAR Nextel Cup race cars, DriveTech aims to give the student more track time than any other program, and allows passing on track if the students come up on a slower car.
“Our program is designed to quickly get people into the cars. That’s what they paid for and that’s where the fun and excitement is. Of course, we have to have a quick classroom session to cover s ome basics, but we try to minimize the indoor time. From there, it is into a street car for some laps with an instructor to get a feel for how the track looks from the inside of the catch fence and to show them the correct line. After that, we go right into the hot laps,” Ebert explained about the DriveTech philosophy.
The goal is to provide the best value in the driving experience industry by giving the students up to twice the amount of seat time compared to other schools, and Ebert is proud to say that there is no manipulation of the timing slips the students receive.
“There are some very well-known driving schools that tend to inflate some of the speeds of the participants,” he said. “The intentions are good because they want to get people excited and feel like they were really going fast. On the other hand, we prefer to let people drive more laps in the race car and tell them exact ly how quick they went. The DriveTech timing slips are actual, legitimate top speeds by the participants.”
Students in the program come away with nothing but positive experiences, such as that of Mike Adamson. He wrote to DriveTech saying, “I want to thank you for a most unforgettable day. The driving experience I had…was one of the most exciting, pulse raising, driving skills testing, confidence building experiences I have ever had. I can now truly appreciate the skill it takes to race, at any level, of auto racing. If I was younger I might even try racing myself.”
Another testimonial comes from Keith Davis. “I just wanted to send you a message on how much fun and what at great experience I had at the Kansas Speedway. The staff was very friendly and helpful, and exceeded my expectations on all aspects of the experience. It is hard to put into words how much fun driving a race car was. I most enjoyed the ability of being allowed to pass the slower cars. I would have been bored if I was stuck behind a slow car for the duration of the session,” he reported.
The DriveTech program is run on many racetracks across the country, including some of the most famous; Bristol Motor Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, The Milwaukee Mile, Richmond International Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway are among the 14 facilities that currently host the program. But soon, any ASA Member Track can as well in a unique program that will bring both revenue and excitement in between race dates.
As the “Official Driving School of the ASA,” Ebert will take his DriveTech program on the road… or oval for ASA Member Tracks.
ASA Member Tracks willing to take part in the DriveTech program will share in the revenue by receiving a percentage of the sales. Aside from helping to promote the school date(s), there is little else that the racetrack needs to do. Ebert will bring in the cars, the instructors, and everything needed to put on the DriveTech school program.
DriveTech will run their program during open dates at the ASA Member Tracks so there is no conflict with any scheduled activities, but will further utilize a dormant facility. The fans of the ASA Member Track will get an opportunity to do something unique and gain a completely new perspective on their favorite sport.
“I am excited about the ASA and the opportunity to work with the ASA Member Tracks by bringing the DriveTech program to their facility. We’ll bring in one of the most professiona l programs of its type and - with just a little extra promotional assistance - all the racetrack needs to do is count the additional revenue stream. I want to help the ASA Member Tracks succeed by offering more activities and different opportunities for their community. The DriveTech school is the type of thing that many fans in the smaller communities never get a chance to experience. We can change that together,” Ebert said.
“The American Speed Association is continually developing new and innovative programs for our members, and the partnership with Mark and DriveTech certainly fits that,” said Dennis Huth, ASA president. “He can bring in a professional program during a time when the racetrack would normally be closed and put on a school that will be talked about for years, as well as some additional revenue for the host facility. This is one of those ‘win-win-win’ type of things for the track, the fans and DriveTech. Heck, I would say that the ASA also ‘wins’ on this deal too.”
For more information about the DriveTech program visit www.DriveTech.com. To learn how to schedule a date for your racetrack, call (877) CAN-RACE (877-226-7223).
The ASA Member Track program is comprised of more than 35 short tracks around the United States, as well as a variety of regional and national touring series. For more information, call (386) 258-2221 or send an e-mail to info@asa-racing.com. For news and information from all the racetracks and tours involved in the ASA, visit www.ASA-Racing.com.
ASA™, ASA Racing™ and American Speed Association® are trademarks of Racing Speed Associates, LLC. Racing Speed Associates, LLC is not related to or a ffiliated with ASA Late Model Series, LLC.
