Driving well isn't easy. It's a skill involving quick judgment, cat-like reflexes, excellent hand-eye coordination and total concentration. OK, it's not rocket science, but it's harder than it seems, which is why Mazda's Rev It Up is an ingenious idea. Basically a traveling driving school, Rev It Up visits 15 cities across the U.S. offering quick one-day lessons in performance driving. Anyone with a pulse and a driver's license willing to spare 40 bucks and 5 hours could go.
In return, participants get to drive brand-new Mazdas and learn some useful driving skills without dipping into their child's college fund. The classes are even taught by professional racecar drivers from NASCAR, sprint and rally racing.
At the end of the day, participants test what they learned in a racing competition. Each competitor's time is converted into a score, and the driver with the best score from each city will compete in a national competition for the chance to win a new Mazda6.
It's a program that's perfect for novices like me.
The Brake and Turn
After a short wait in line I get into the 220-hp, 3.0-liter Mazda6. The plan is to accelerate at full throttle for 100 feet, smack on the brakes hard to activate the ABS and make a sharp left turn.
When the light turns green, I floor it, hearing the engine's deep growl. At the right moment I slam on the brakes, and turn the car to the left.
At the finish is a very nice Pro-driver there to critique my performance. "Gee, Ella, you played it very conservatively on that run," he says. "Your max speed was only half what it should've been and you braked 5 feet too soon."
On the second run, I go balls out.
Adrenaline pumping, I floor the gas, then, at the last millisecond, I brake just as hard and veer left. The car stops exactly where it should. The brake pedal shakes violently and I feel the ABS brakes kick in for the first time.
Oh, yeah baby. I'm hooked.
The Slalom
Knowing how to navigate a slalom course is useful in real-world driving situations, like swerving to avoid an accident.
The trick to doing well in the slalom, says Pro-driver Randy Tolsma, is to "anticipate not just your next turn, but the ones after that as well."
On my first run, I totally biff it. Everything I just learned flies out the window. Going into cone 1 is simple enough. I make a graceful turn and pick up speed, like Randy said, but then I'm not ready for the turn around cone 2. My speed is too high, so I brake as I leave cone 2, and screw up cones 3 and 4.
I regroup and mentally prepare myself for the next run. My second time will be better.
Nope. I biff it again. Made the same mistakes, too.
Maybe I'll do better in the competition course.
The Competition Course
Finally, the fun stuff.
After a couple of practice runs and a dozen or so dead orange traffic cones it's time to put it all together and race the clock. This course is the real, timed course, in which the fastest participant with the most points goes to Laguna Seca to race for a new Mazda 6.
I rocket through that course like I own it. Apexes, compromise lines and slaloms come together beautifully. The road, the car and I: we are one. And the cones? Cones, shmones. All are intact. My time: 41.03 seconds, good enough to place me in the "Silver Medal" category. My racing school certificate even says so.
The Final Word
The Mazda Rev It Up Performance Driving School is the best thing to happen to this California driver since the vanity mirror. I learned a lot of useful driving tips, tips I wish I'd learned in my high school driver's education class.
Remember, driving well is a skill and it takes lots of practice. If you're a car enthusiast and you've never taken a performance driving class, take one. Just watch out for those cones.
For more information on the Mazda Rev It Up Performance Driving School and National Competition, go to www.mazdarevitup.com.