A series of driving schools for operators of high-horsepower cars is
scheduled for January and February at the West Side racetrack off I-40,
which is to be renamed Sandia Speedway at the turn of the year.
The Charlie Fegan Performance Driving School bills itself as being
aimed at all audiences and age groups in an effort to enhance skill
levels and teach the handling and limitations of advanced machines, such
as BMWs, Ford Mustangs, Chevy Camaros, etc.
Students are required to bring their own vehicles.
“We want to instruct drivers how to enjoy their car and learn how it runs without the risk of facing red lights and speeding tickets. We want them to understand feet per second,” said Fegan, who runs the track. Over the past four decades, he has won two New Mexico state championships in motorcycle racing and one sprint car dirt-track competition. He also has won three world championships in top-fuel drag boats.
“These high-performance cars have 400 to 600 horsepower, compared with the 100 to 150 horsepower of a modern everyday car,” Fegan said. “The power of these cars has often well-exceeded the driving skills of the average person. They become a danger to society. We want to teach them what they have under them.”
Fegan said that while there are various driving schools around the country, those are aimed at preparing folks for racing. Fegan said his school is the first in the land for performance street driving.
At the first school session, which is scheduled Jan. 10-11 at the speedway, beginning at 8 a.m. both days, drivers will receive classroom instruction in the mornings, with track time in the afternoon to practice precision skills. There will be a maximum of 16 students per session, with a 4-to-1 student-to-instructor ratio.
On the track, drivers will negotiate the 1.7-mile asphalt road course, sometimes with an instructor in the passenger seat.
“We’ll take them out and put transponders on the cars, which records lap times,” Fegan said. “So, as they make three to five laps they can try different things. They’ll learn that going fastest into a corner isn’t necessarily the fastest way around the track. We’ll be developing their skills from the ground up.”
The cost for the two days of instruction is $995.
For more information, call Fegan at 505-400-0611. For a discounted rate for the school, information is available at racesandia.com.
Other schools are tentatively scheduled Jan. 24-25 and Jan. 30-31, along with Feb. 21-22.
FEGAN: Three time world champ in drag boats
Students are required to bring their own vehicles.
“We want to instruct drivers how to enjoy their car and learn how it runs without the risk of facing red lights and speeding tickets. We want them to understand feet per second,” said Fegan, who runs the track. Over the past four decades, he has won two New Mexico state championships in motorcycle racing and one sprint car dirt-track competition. He also has won three world championships in top-fuel drag boats.
“These high-performance cars have 400 to 600 horsepower, compared with the 100 to 150 horsepower of a modern everyday car,” Fegan said. “The power of these cars has often well-exceeded the driving skills of the average person. They become a danger to society. We want to teach them what they have under them.”
Fegan said that while there are various driving schools around the country, those are aimed at preparing folks for racing. Fegan said his school is the first in the land for performance street driving.
At the first school session, which is scheduled Jan. 10-11 at the speedway, beginning at 8 a.m. both days, drivers will receive classroom instruction in the mornings, with track time in the afternoon to practice precision skills. There will be a maximum of 16 students per session, with a 4-to-1 student-to-instructor ratio.
On the track, drivers will negotiate the 1.7-mile asphalt road course, sometimes with an instructor in the passenger seat.
“We’ll take them out and put transponders on the cars, which records lap times,” Fegan said. “So, as they make three to five laps they can try different things. They’ll learn that going fastest into a corner isn’t necessarily the fastest way around the track. We’ll be developing their skills from the ground up.”
The cost for the two days of instruction is $995.
For more information, call Fegan at 505-400-0611. For a discounted rate for the school, information is available at racesandia.com.
Other schools are tentatively scheduled Jan. 24-25 and Jan. 30-31, along with Feb. 21-22.
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