Here at HotCars, we like to bring you some pretty cool content. And this video of ours is no exception. HotCars contributor Michael Van Runkle recently had the pleasure of going to the Radford Racing School, the same Radford run by Ant Anstead and Jenson Button, to experience the first three days of safety drills and high-speed driving. The first part of his experience there is now live on our YouTube channel. Radford is the reincarnated Bob Bondurant School of High-Performance Driving, with the school now having a partnership with Dodge SRT to use the Challenger and Charger Hellcat. Let's look at a few things Van Runkle got up to.
Getting Started At The Racing School
The first thing Van Runkle got to grips with was a Challenger Hellcat to practice a bit of heel and toe, detuned to 500 hp for the beginner classes. After that, it was getting used to being smooth, hitting the apex of corners and getting used to the weight transfer of the Challenger. Another test Van Runkle took part in during day one was heading down a strip, that then splits into three lanes. This was part of accident avoiding, and Radford would either have Van Runkle slam on the brakes, or turn left/right into an avoiding lane. For our contributor, they had him slam the brakes on as hard as he could.
Classroom Time Before More Practical Teaching
A bit of classroom stuff was also part of that initial day, with a lot of technical track training before more track time came the following day. The next day began with a bit more cornering technique training, to try and carry as much speed through the corners as possible. Van Runkle comments on how all the tests he did highlight the importance of vision, especially the braking test and the skid pad, and making sure you keep your focus. The days run from 8:30am to 4pm, and they are pretty tiring days.
Getting To Grips With The Viper
The highlight of these first few days for Van Runkle was undoubtedly getting behind the wheel of the 2016 Dodge Viper GT, with 645 hp from its V10 engine. They warned Van Runkle it would take around five laps to get the tires warmed up and to give the maximum grip available. He is able to get to grips with the full track layout in the Viper, quite a challenge after swapping back to the Challenger and then into the Viper again. We will have more from Michael Van Runkle’s time at the Radford Driving School on our YouTube channel and site very soon!
Source: HotCars YouTube Channel