Think back to a happier time. Think back to a time when you got excited about something to the point that nothing else mattered. I remember as a six-year old, my first time going to Disney World. It was magical. Mickey, the rides, Epcott – the whole thing put me into an utter state of euphoria. At that moment, it didn’t matter what else was happening in the world. War. Famine. A nuclear holocaust. I didn’t even care that I managed to escape the tight clutches of my parents. I was invincible, and the only thing that mattered was taking in as much of this incredible place as I possibly could.
The older you get, these magical times become more and more infrequent. Things that used to excite you become commonplace. Take the first time you drove, for example. Your heart was pounding. Your palms were sweaty. Their was an underlying nervousness, but it was quelled by the rush of adrenaline you felt as you pressed the gas pedal for the first time. Now, most driving has become ordinary. You go to work, you run errands, you take your kids to school, but that surge of adrenaline that once existed is nowhere to be found.
But there’s hope. There is a way that you can rekindle that passion you once felt, not only as a driver, but as a kid, completely infatuated with the singular task in front you. It’s called the Mercedes-AMG Driving Academy, and if you’ve never experienced it in person, I’m going to tell you why you should. It’s an experience that’s unlike any other, and one that absolutely must be experienced to be believed.
Mercedes-AMG Driving Academy Overview
Before I tell you about the Mercedes-AMG Driving Academy PRO Training, let me give you a quick overview of the Mercedes-AMG Driving Academy as whole. In the U.S., starting this year, there are a total of three Mercedes-AMG Driving Academy variants – BASIC, ADVANCED, and PRO. In BASIC, drivers are introduced to the fundamentals of vehicle dynamics and controlled maneuvers in a one-day track program. You’ll start off with various focused exercises, including learning the basics of oversteer and understeer, threshold braking, slalom technique, etc., while the second half of the day is spent undertaking high-speed lead/follow exercises on the track. If it’s you’re first time attending a driving school or you’re new to driving on a closed course, it’s a fantastic introduction to more advanced driving maneuvers that you can utilize both on and off the track.
Once you’ve completed the BASIC program, the AMG Driving Academy progresses to ADVANCED training, which is a more intensive two-day program that takes what you learned in BASIC and applies it in much greater detail to the track. More focused exercises, high-speed lead/follow lapping and onboard data capture that allows analysis of select aspects of your driving are some of the highlights, and the event concludes with an autocross competition that tests your abilities to read race lines and to apply the other handling techniques you’ve learned in a timed event. If you’ve attended the BASIC program, one of the past AMG Challenges or a qualified driving school (such as Skip Barber of Bondurant), it’s the ideal next step in taking your driving skills to the next level.
And finally, once you’ve completed both the BASIC and ADVANCED programs, the highest U.S. Mercedes-AMG Driving Academy level is the brand-new PRO program. In Europe, Mercedes-AMG has been offering a variety of programs including BASIC, ADVANCED, PRO and MASTERS skill levels for the past several years, but this year marked the first time in history a PRO event has been held in the States. It’s a three-day program held at Road Atlanta, and after building on the skills learned in the BASIC and ADVANCED courses, it’s an event that culminates with timed open lapping on one of the greatest road courses in the country.
I was at Road Atlanta and attended the AMG Driving Academy’s PRO event, and I’ve got a detailed look at what’s in store for you, should you decide to attend. But regardless of the class you’re interested in, whether BASIC, ADVANCED or PRO, read on, as my time in the PRO training is still going to give you a lovely taste of all three programs. If you’re short on time and want the five second summary, I’ll make it simple for you: if you’re considering any of three, stop deliberating and just go. You’ll have a fantastic time, you’ll meet a lot of terrific people, and you’ll learn more than you ever thought you could about driving. Easy enough, right? Now, let’s get to what makes the AMG Driving Academy so great.
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