High Performance Driving School
BMW Car Club of America, San Diego Chapter & Los Angeles Chapter
along with our partners at Central California & Golden Gate Chapters.
Join us for the BMW Car Club debut at the newest road course on the West Coast!
Whether you are new to performance driving or a seasoned “track rat,” come enjoy a full weekend of high speed driving and learning! You’ll have plenty of track time in your own car, refining your driving skills, exploring your vehicle’s capabilities, and having fun with like-minded Club members.
Driving School: Saturday–Sunday
We maintain a well-managed environment for learning, and emphasize safe, smooth, and controlled driving. Our Chapter has over 30 years of experience providing safe and educational track events. Safety is our top priority! This is not racing or a racing school.
As enthusiasts, we support fellow club members to continuously learn and improve their driving skills. Participants will be grouped by experience so that your track sessions are with drivers of similar experience levels. Our trained instructors provide tailored coaching geared toward these various skill/experience levels. We welcome first-timers!
Beginner and Intermediate students will have an in-car instructor paired with them for track sessions throughout the day, along with dedicated classroom sessions (typically four of each.) You will use your own car and at no time will you be pressed to go any faster than is comfortable for you. Advanced/very experienced drivers may qualify to drive in the A-Solo group (without in-car instruction.)
Beginner/Novice Group(s) – Drivers with little to no track experience. Classroom sessions and in-car instruction are geared toward learning smoothness, consistency, the ability to read the track, and proper track protocols.
Intermediate Group – Drivers with experience at several driving schools. Classroom sessions and in-car instruction are tailored to continue developing consistency and more advanced skills
A-Solo Group – For the most advanced students, who can provide details of their track history, we offer an A-Solo group with no in-car coaching. More advanced topics will be covered in the A-Solo classroom. Advanced Data Coaching, based on data acquisition, is an available add-on option.
Advanced Data Coaching: This optional program uses in-car data acquisition devices to provide objective measurement and analysis of driver performance. One-on-one coaching will help drivers review their technique and develop goals for the next track session. ADC helps drivers to advance their development and to get the most out of their on-track sessions. ADC is limited to A-Solo drivers. Because this option is only open to a limited number of students, you'll be placed on a waitlist to confirm availability.
We believe that what you learn at a High Performance Driving Event (HPDE) will benefit you in your normal day-to-day driving, especially when confronted with emergency situations.
REGISTRATION FEES: Full weekend event (No single-day registration.)
Driving School Students: *Early Bird* price: $650 thru March 23, 2025. Regular price: $695 thereafter.
Advanced Data Coaching add-on: $75 (for A-Solo students)
T-shirts: We plan to have event T-shirts available! Cost is $25 but if you register early, the shirt is free!
You will not be charged until your registration is approved.
Vehicles: Any car make and nearly any model are welcome to join in our HPDE. Daily drivers, as well as fully track-prepared cars, are encouraged and welcome. High ground clearance vehicles, such as SUVs (other than BMW X models), and convertibles (soft-top or non-integrated hard-top) are not permitted at this event.
All cars participating in the Driving School's Beginner or Intermediate groups must have a front passenger seat. Equal seats and restraints are required for both passenger and driver.
Sharing a car: If you would like to share a car with another student, you will need to drive in different run groups.
Tech Inspection: Your vehicle must pass a Tech Inspection prior to the event. This inspection must be carried out by a qualified individual who is familiar with the make and model of the vehicle and must have been inspected within the four (4) weeks prior to the event. The Tech Form is required to be signed by the inspector and the participant and handed in at registration. NO on-site tech inspection is done by the Chapters. You can take your car to be inspected at your dealership or your favorite independent shop. It is your responsibility to ensure that your car is sound and in safe condition.
Download the Tech form.
Helmets: Helmets must be worn during all track sessions at speed. Helmets must be rated to the following Snell or FIA standards:
Snell SA2015, SA2020, M2015, and M2020 are allowed.
FIA 8860-2010 helmets are accepted until 12/31/2028; FIA 8859-2015, FIA 8860-2018 and 8860-2018APB helmets currently do not have an expiration date.
A DOT rated is NOT sufficient
A limited number of rental helmets will be available to reserve during registration.
Multipoint Harnesses:
Seats with Integrated Headrests. Multipoint (4-, 5-, or 6-point) belts ARE NOT PERMITTED TO BE USED WITH ANY SEAT HAVING INTEGRATED HEADRESTS UNLESS THE SEAT HAS PASS-THROUGHS FOR DUAL SHOULDER BELTS.
Seats with Harness Pass-Throughs. Multipoint harness belts, installed in accordance with harness belt manufacturers’ instructions, may be used with the following headrest configurations:
a headrest with pass-throughs for dual shoulder belts;
a headrest with two adjustable-height posts where the shoulder belts can pass between the two posts, or
a headrest with just one center adjustable-height post where the shoulder belts can ride just to the outside of the center post.
Track Configuration: The Circuit
Lodging:
The host hotel is the Vagabond Inn, located at 20638 Tracy Ave, Buttonwillow, CA, (661) 469-4146. Make your reservations early! (Standard rates apply.)
► Friday Registration Check-in: Plan to join us for light appetizers at the hotel on Friday evening, May 2, for our event Registration Check-in Mixer from 7:30-9:00 p.m.
Please bring your Tech Inspection form and SNELL 2015+ helmet to be signed off and pick up your registration packet.
Other lodging options in the area include the Best Western Heritage Inn, 253 Trask, Bakersfield (off I-5, 16 miles from track) (661) 764-6268 and Best Western Plus Wasco Inn and Suites, 1704 CA-46, Wasco (on HWY 46, 19 miles from track) (661) 758-1111.
Overnight (no-hookup) Camping Note: Camping at the track is available this year! We have contracted for overnight security to allow onsite camping (without hookups). This is an additional $1000 cost for the event, and we’re asking everyone planning to camp onsite to pitch in a modest fee of $50. Pending a minimum number of signups.
At the track: Plan to arrive at the track by 7:00 a.m. when the gates open. Get parked, unload, and check-in at registration to receive your packet (if you didn’t do it Friday night.) All drivers must attend the Mandatory Drivers Meeting at 8:00 a.m. on each morning. Additional details will be emailed to attendees confirming times and additional info shortly before the event as the schedule is not yet finalized.
Buttonwillow Raceway Park is located at 24551 Lerdo Highway, Buttonwillow, CA
FAQ’s about HPDE can be found on the BMW CCA website.
For registration questions, contact us at: info@sdbmwcca.com
Any other questions, contact Driving School Chairs:
Lisa Goehring, sd-drivingschool@sdbmwcca.com & Patrick Avakian, patavakian@gmail.com.
Event Requirements:
You must have a current membership in the BMW Car Club of America to register for and participate in this event. Not a member of BMW CCA? Join at www.BMWCCA.org or call BMW CCA National office at 1-800-878-9292. Use discount code: "SDCCA25" when signing-up for a membership!
Driver Qualification: By the date of the event, all drivers enrolled in the driving school are required to have a full operator’s license that does not require another qualified party to be a passenger in the vehicle in order for the license to be considered valid. Anyone under 18 may only participate if he or she and a parent/guardian have executed and signed the Parental and Minor Release Waiver.
Event Terms:
This is a high speed driving school, on a racetrack, under close supervision by instructors. While the overriding consideration during the operation of the event is safety, incidents may occur that could cause vehicle damage and/or personal injury. I may be driving in a class session with instructors whose vehicles may be uninsured or unregistered.
I am totally responsible for the safe operation and mechanical condition of my vehicle. BMW CCA, the local chapter, its officers, instructors, staff, and facility providers assume no responsibility in the event of an accident of any kind during this school. If this is of concern to me, I will contact my own personal insurance carrier for advice to determine what coverage would be in effect during this school.
I am a fully licensed driver.
Submission of this application is my acknowledgment of the above and agreement to attend under these conditions.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Cancellations by April 20, 2025 will be refunded less a $50 administrative fee. On or after April 21, 2025, refunds will only be made if your space can be filled with another student. Sorry, NO exceptions.