When it comes to the pinnacle of motor racing, there are none who are greater than the drivers of Formula One.->ke662 If you are going to learn from a former racer, why not learn from one who hails from this greater level of skill and dedication? Allen Berg Racing Schools are the only programs in the United States that feature a former Formula One driver on the roster of senior instructors. Allen Berg is a Canadian driver with experience in Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Three, Formula Atlantic, Touring Car and Sport Prototypes.
In his teaching career, Berg has held positions with BMW,->ke178 Skip Barber, Derek Daly, Motorsport Racing School and Calgary Sports Club. Now Berg has set out on his own to create the premier formula car racing programs in America. As a bonus, Berg also ran his own team in the North American Toyota->ke88 Atlantic Series, giving him valuable insight into the administrative side of racing. This can be used to teach his students valuable lessons in how a race team is run.
With six different course levels and schools at five different facilities around the United States, Allen Berg Racing Schools offer some of the best programs available to anyone looking into open-wheel racing.
After the jump we collected all the information you need about the various courses and tracks used in this prestigious program. We even have prices so you don’t have to bother navigating the Allen Berg site looking for any extra information. Hit that break and learn more about this incredible racing school.
Continue Reading to learn more about Allen Berg Racing Schools
Locations
Auto Club Speedway
Just outside of downtown Los Angeles, a few miles east of the Ontario International Airport you will find the Auto Club Speedway. With a full two-mile-long banked oval, a technical infield course, multiple skid-pad courses and an autocross loop, the Auto Club Speedway offers plenty of great asphalt for student training. Since its construction in 1996, the ACS has hosted races for NASCAR and Indy Car. The Allen Berg Racing School makes use of the interior road course or the autocross course for its classes.
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
One of the most famous race tracks in the entire world lives in Monterey California, and Allen Berg Racing Schools can lay claim to its use for classes. With an illustrious history and one of the most demanding track layouts in the world, Laguna Seca has been a Mecca for petrol head for decades. Over the years, racers from CART, Can-Am, American Le Mans Series and Moto GP have tackled the menacing “Corkscrew” in bid for racing victory. The course is also home to the annual Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion that sees classic race cars fight for position every year.
If you want to get real racing experience on a demanding track, you will be hard pressed to beat the Allen Berg program that is conducted on this famous tarmac.
Willow Springs International Raceway
High in the California desert just north of Los Angeles sits one of the most historic racing facilities in America. Willow Springs is a speed lover’s destination with a full 600 acre facility that features eight tracks and a multitude of combinations for track layouts. Willow Springs was home of the world’s first Kart road race and the first California Sports Car Club race that ever happened on a purpose-built track. The facility has hosted races continuously since 1953, making it one of the longest continually running tracks in the state, and it prompted California officials to recognize the facility as an official Point of Historical Interest.
The ABRS program is primarily held on the facility’s “Streets” course that features a multitude of turns and elevation changes to keep students of all levels challenged for the whole course.
Arizona Motorsports Park
Just outside of Phoenix sits one of the best kept secrets of Arizona. Arizona Motorsports Park is a 148-acre facility that features a great 2.25-mile road course that can be split into two circuits, and the largest driving pad in the Southwest. The course itself is 40-feet wide, giving students lots of room to make errors, and each course layout is comprised of tight technical turns, long sweepers and fast straights. With lots of tourist attractions available within a short distance, coupled to great winter weather, EBRS suggests this is a great destination for vacationing while taking some great driving classes.
Thermal Club
Situated near a private runway near Palm Springs, California the Thermal Club is one of the premier private motorsports parks in the world. While traditionally only available to Thermal Club members, Allen Berg has secured the rights to use it for students. The facility features a large circuit and an adjacent skid pad that is used for various smaller courses and events. With a glass smooth track and plenty of fast, technical corners Thermal Club is perfectly suited for the formula cars of the Allen Berg Racing program.
As a bonus, the Thermal Club features its own Clubhouse and Village, plus it’s just 10 minutes from La Quinta. On the premises you will find a full classroom with all the amenities needed for students and a driver’s lounge with a racing simulator. This is the most luxurious track setting offered in the ABRS catalogue.
The Cars
Tatuus Renault Formula 1600
There is only one car used in the Allen Berg program, and it is a race-ready Tatuus Renault Formula 1600. With a full monocoque chassis made of nothing but carbon fiber, this car is far more race accurate that the tube-chassis cars used by most other schools. Behind the cockpit you will find a Renault sourced, 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine that produces 140 horsepower. This motor is mounted to a five-speed sequential transmission for quick and precise shifts on track. Keeping all four wheels in contact with the road is a monoshock pushrod suspension setup. This is the same setup used on both Formula One and Indy Car racers. Each car also comes equipped with a MoTeC on-board data-acquisition computer that provides a full set of race telemetry to help students see where they can improve.
As a bonus, each car also comes equipped with a GoPro video system to capture each and every race session.
Courses
One Day Program - $1,695 to $2,495
If you are new to the idea of road racing and have no experience with open-wheel racers, this is the perfect stepping stone for which to begin your instruction. This is the comprehensive starting point for all students that includes instruction in skills like hell-toe shifting, racing lines and vision exercises. Track time is split between open lapping and lapping with instructors. When the day is done, you get a real, hands-on explanation and debriefing using the on-car telemetry readouts.
Lapping / Advanced Day Program - $1,995 to $2,495
Graduates of the One Day program are eligible for the Lapping or Advanced Day Program. The day starts with a fitting for safety equipment followed up by a quick class on advanced racing theory and a chance to walk the track. From there the day consists of nothing but open lapping sessions, allowing drivers to refine their skills, practice their craft, and generally enjoy some extra wheel time. After lapping sessions there is a full debrief with the on-board telemetry to help drivers improve racing lines, braking points and lap times.
Two Day Program - $3,495 to $4,495
If you want to go all-in from the start, the Two Day Program is a great course. It is essentially a combination of the One Day and Advanced Day programs. The bonus is that you have no down time between the two classes so you will have to spend less time on day two doing remedial safety and racing theory in the classroom. As a bonus to students taking the two-day course, upon graduation you are qualified to apply for a Novice Road Racing License from the Western Canadian Motorsport Association (WCMA).
Three Day Program - $4,495 to $6,495
If you already know that road racing in an open-wheeled car is something you really want to do, and you want the best instruction you can get, Allen Berg Racing Schools offers a three-day class that covers everything you need. The first two days of the course are identical to the previous courses with time spent on racing theory, heel-toe shifting skills, awareness and more. Of course, there is still plenty of open lapping involved as well, but day three of the Three Day Program is where things get good. In day three, you move away from simple racing theory and lapping to actual race skills. Day three sees students get lessons in overtaking strategies, practice overtaking skills with instructors and then hit the track for more lapping. In the afternoon students will then take time to learn and practice race starts, followed by more lapping. As with every course and lapping session there will be a full debriefing using all the information gathered by the MoTeC onboard telemetry.
Fast Track Program - $695
You don’t need aspirations of professional racing to take a class from Allen Berg. If you have a car fan in your life, or if you just want a great one-day thrill ride, ABRS offers the Fast Track Program. This is close to a shortened and condensed One Day Program. Students will get a short introduction to racing, to the cars they will be driving and to the gear they will be wearing. Then it’s straight to the track for some lead-follow laps with instructors. After a short break there is an open lapping period for all students, and passing is allowed. The lapping sessions are only 25 minutes each, but with cars this fast that is plenty of miles around the circuit. The total class takes about three hours from start to finish.
Adventure Program - $399
If the Fast Track Program is a little too pricey, or a little too advanced for the type of driving you want to do, you can always try the Adventure Program. This is a short and novice-friendly option that sees drivers get 20 laps of experience behind the wheel of a real race car. There is a speed track orientation before drivers are let loose to experience the speed. The only requirements for this course are an active driver’s license and the ability to drive a manual transmission. If you do your 20 laps and decide that you want to keep going, there is an option for 10 more laps with passing you can add on after you start the class. This special class is conducted on Autocross circuits. As such it is only available at the Arizona Motorsports Park and Auto Club Speedway venues.