Next bucketlist check, a rally school. Help me decide which one...

So I've been on a few track days now, looks like I'll add Pitt Race this summer for another little decal on the Abarth.  I've decided they really aren't my thing, but I'll probably do one a year for fun...  Also did my first Challenge this year!

Next up on the achievable portion of my list, attend a rally driving school.  Maybe finally figure out what I'm doing out there?  Now to decide which one.  I know of two big ones, and a third I think:

We have Team O'Neil in NH, and Dirtfish out in WA.  I believe FL has the FIRM?  NONE of these are remotely close to Dayton OH, so that doesn't help decide.  I kinda know someone involved in rallycross that is affiliated with TO, and I know SCCA is in cahoots with DF now.  FIRM would at least offer other stuff to do on the way there/back/during/whatever.

Any opinions?  (The internet is all about opinions.)

I'm recommending team O'Niel, as they actually have more than just Subaru's, and thier courses are flexible so that they can work on the driving style that fits you, rather than just giving you the cookie cutter curriculum that everyone goes through. They also have a nice option where if you go and take, say, the three day school, if you go back in the future for another three day school they let you repeat the last day you did for free, and then keep building on what they already taught you. They also offer instruction for those that have coompleted the full school and are looking to keep refining thier skillset. I myself am intending on doing the three day school late next year.

From talking to Chris about this in the recent past, he recommended O’Neil, specifically 3 days or longer.  Got the impression he thought just one or two days wouldn’t be sufficient for improving Rallycross skills.

Another suggestion that was a bit out of left field was Crazy Leo in Ontario.  I think he could do some more custom tailored training.  No idea what it would cost, though.

In reply to Gaunt596 :

Wow, I didn't realize they had such a breadth of cars to offer! Pretty cool seeing those old Audis and BMWs there. 

I've only been to Team O'Neil, and only for two days, but I can definitely recommend them. They start you out in FWD Ford Fiestas, then work up to AWD and RWD. In 2 days I never got as far as bombing down roads, just the training areas, but I learned a ton. It also helps that I'm in Massachusetts, so they're nearby.

I've heard great things about Dirtfish. I haven't heard much about the training at the FIRM, for or against. That's pretty much all I know.

Definitely a worthy bucket list item, wherever you go. I highly recommend it!

There is also the school up in the Colorado rocky mountains, ice driving. GRM did a day or two with them last year I think.

Also not close to Toledo.

Can you do them all and give us the lodown?

Jerry said:

So I've been on a few track days now, looks like I'll add Pitt Race this summer for another little decal on the Abarth. 

Are you planning to run the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix? I'll be there again in 2018 with the 190 Cosworth. It's going to be a combined race weekend, including a BMW CCA Club Race.

Next up on the achievable portion of my list, attend a rally driving school.  Maybe finally figure out what I'm doing out there?  Now to decide which one.  I know of two big ones, and a third I think:

I don't know the other two, but the Team O'Neil school is awesome (if you can afford it...kind of pricey).

How far are you from the Ottawa area? There's a local club called the MCO and a bunch of the instructors are rally nuts. They run a winter driving and ice racing school during the winter months. I know a lot of those guys have gravel rally experience. Might be closer than NH and would likely be cheap (assuming you bring your own car).

In reply to LanEvo :

AutoInterests has a weekend event at Pitt on June 30/July 1 and I'm thinking of doing the Sunday event since I'll be off that whole following week thanks to work shutting down every year, and can go up on Saturday eve & stay someplace.

Rally Ready here in Texas is a pretty good facility too. They do a good variety of classes. 

Jerry, just throwing it out there, but you may be able to actually RENT a rally car and DO an actual rally for about the same price as one of the longer rally schools. Find yourself an experienced codriver/navigator (there are plenty of them out there looking for a free ride) and just go do it....

Not the same concept, but it's another option for the "bucket list" money with regard to rally.

In reply to irish44j :

Who was it that was renting out the blue BRZ in the last couple years?  Or whatever it was.  Maybe TRF (Thompson Racing Fab)?  They seemed to have a really nice setup for the price.

It was them:  http://thompsonracingfabrication.com/event-services/rally-car-rental

If you go for the Sno*Drift Summer event, I have a place you can stay for free :-)

Is there a school like this that us peasants can afford? Everywhere I look Is expensive. I live near dirt fish. Believe me, when I look at the price of a weekend of instruction, I start seeing myself buying a retired rally car and teaching myself, over and over and over again.  

I know a day of instruction fast tracks you, but several events a year has to account for something. 

irish44j said:

Jerry, just throwing it out there, but you may be able to actually RENT a rally car and DO an actual rally for about the same price as one of the longer rally schools. Find yourself an experienced codriver/navigator (there are plenty of them out there looking for a free ride) and just go do it....

Not the same concept, but it's another option for the "bucket list" money with regard to rally.

You may have added another item to my list........  But I'm thinking at least two days of instruction by very qualified people in an enclosed facility (much like a rallycross event would be) would be more helpful than renting a rally car and trying not to stuff it into a tree and figuring out techniques that allude me on my own, except now I'm paying for airfare, hotel, etc.

In reply to paranoid_android :

IDk offhand, but there are always cars to be rented. Broken Motorsports (Billy Petrow in NJ) usually has a couple rental cars available. You can rent anything from a Cavalier rally car to a fully built Evo (with crew, transport, and race fuel)...all depends on what your budget is.

I mean, hell.....for the price of some of these schools, you can probably BUY a rally car. Kevin and Matt's FWD Impreza (which has won several rallies outright and always runs at the front of the pack) is currently for sale for like $6k pretty much turnkey. And I've seen cheaper ones out there recently.

Jerry said:

irish44j said:

Jerry, just throwing it out there, but you may be able to actually RENT a rally car and DO an actual rally for about the same price as one of the longer rally schools. Find yourself an experienced codriver/navigator (there are plenty of them out there looking for a free ride) and just go do it....

Not the same concept, but it's another option for the "bucket list" money with regard to rally.

You may have added another item to my list........  But I'm thinking at least two days of instruction by very qualified people in an enclosed facility (much like a rallycross event would be) would be more helpful than renting a rally car and trying not to stuff it into a tree and figuring out techniques that allude me on my own, except now I'm paying for airfare, hotel, etc.

I mean, yeah that's probably the smart way to do it if you have time and money. Learning from the experts is always good. I'm not someone who has extra money, so I just did rallycross, did some stage rally crewing, built my car on the cheap, and I think I've done 5 or 6 stage rallies now, probably for a total of under $10k in the last 2 years, including travel, hotels, entry fees, tires, etc....

irish44j said:

Jerry, just throwing it out there, but you may be able to actually RENT a rally car and DO an actual rally for about the same price as one of the longer rally schools. Find yourself an experienced codriver/navigator (there are plenty of them out there looking for a free ride) and just go do it....

Not the same concept, but it's another option for the "bucket list" money with regard to rally.

Yeah, I'm with Josh on this one. My car cost less than the 5-day rally school. Even if you count in the cost that I will need to incur updating the co-driver's seat and both harnesses, I will be under that number and I'm talking Canadian dollars. Converted to US funds, I'm WAY under that cost. My car also came with a crap load of spares, body panels and 3 full sets of rally tires.