The school has commissioned 30 new Lola-built FJR-50s – Formula Jim Russell-50 years – a new race car based on Formula 3, the stepping stone to Formula 1. Photo Submitted.
As another school year comes to a close and the long days of summer settle in, heading back to the classroom is the last thing on anyone’s mind. But, the high-speed classroom of the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School at Infineon Raceway is enough to entice anyone back to school.
In late 2006, the Jim Russell Racing School was purchased by Emotive Group, and renamed the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School. Emotive Group, the driving force behind the Formula BMW USA Series and Audi Driving Experience, has invested more than $10 million into the school to ensure its place as the industry’s premier training ground.
Launched in April 2008, the re-engineered Jim Russell Racing Drivers School is ready to train the newest generation of racing drivers and deliver the experience of a lifetime to motor sports enthusiasts and thrill-seekers. Complete with all-new Formula cars, a talented staff of world-class racing instructors, and a luxurious new state-of-the art facility that sits trackside at Turn 1 of the road course, the school is ready for students of all ages.
First things first – and that means a new fleet of race cars to deliver the ultimate racing experience. The school has commissioned 30 new Lola-built FJR-50s – Formula Jim Russell-50 years – a new race car based on Formula 3, the stepping stone to Formula 1. Jim Russell is the only racing school in the world to use Formula 3-based race cars. And they are outfitted with the latest data acquisition technology to monitor and analyze each lap – providing drivers and instructors with valuable technical feedback.
A new 14,000-square-foot trackside campus at Turn 1 houses a lounge, café, technology center, multimedia theater, and classrooms. The new campus also features sleek new bays and a garage for the school’s new fleet of Formula race cars.
Designed to deliver an experience that is analogous to professional race-car driving, this innovative teaching method takes drivers through a steep learning curve that teaches car control and other fundamental skills up front, thereby maximizing on-track racing time.
Jim Russell Racing Drivers School has a team of world-class instructors who have proven themselves on the track. Most of their instructors are still racing professionally, or have recent professional experience. All are familiar with modern race cars, and several are former champions themselves.
Jim Russell Racing Drivers School offers a variety of courses and programs that appeal to the aspiring professional driver and thrill-seeker alike, including a one-day, one-on-one intensive course, a two-day group course that qualifies the driver for a regional SCCA competition license, and a three-day advanced course. A variety of karting courses are available for aspiring racers ages 8 and older.
The new Jim Russell Racing Drivers School is committed to providing an unsurpassed experience for all of its students – from the young driver with dreams of racing Formula 1, to the couple looking for a new twist to their weekend in the Wine Country. For more information about the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School or to schedule your driving experience, visit www.jimrussellusa.com or call 800.733.0345.
Sonoma team finishes sixth at Le Mans
The Flying Lizard No. 80 Porsche crossed the finish line sixth in the GT2 class at the historic 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car event in Le Mans, France, on June 15. It was a grueling race for the Infineon Raceway-based team, who saw their hopes for a top finish vanish just two hours into the race after a series of incidents took the Porsche temporarily out of the race for repairs.
The crew effectively rebuilt the car twice during the race, but the crew and drivers Joerg Bergmeister, Johannes van Overbeek and Seth Neiman stayed consistent over the 24-hour endurance race, which included several hours of rain.
Just before the checkered flag, the team was presented with the “Prix ESCRA” for 2008. This prestigious award is given by the French Academy of the Automobile Trade and the ACO for the best technical performance by a team during the race. The award is given to the team which ranks the highest in five areas, all weighted equally: presentation of the car at scrutineering, Pit Garage presentation, organization of work, quality of work during the race and quality/efficiency of repair work.
For more information about the Flying Lizard Motorsports team, be sure to visit www.lizardms.com.
NHRA drag racing returns in July
The fastest-accelerating vehicles on the planet will return to the Infineon Raceway quarter-mile drag strip during the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals, July 25-27. The 8,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragsters will headline the weekend, along with Funny Cars, Pro Stock Cars and Pro Stock Motorcycles. The drag strip at Infineon Raceway is one of the quickest and fastest in the country, evidenced by record runs in 2007. This event is one of the most popular on the Infineon Raceway calendar, as cars rocket down the drag strip at more than 320 mph. The event will also feature a round of qualifying under the lights on the evening of Friday, July 25. For more information, be sure to visit www.infineonraceway.com or call 800.870.RACE.
