About this event
The Mercedes-Benz Club of America and Lotus Ltd. are excited to team up once again to host a High Performance Driver Education day along with the Performance Driver Experience at Watkins Glen International (WGI). We will be driving the full course. Please note that due to WGI regulations, you must be 18-years or older to drive on track.
Registration Options:
High Performance Driver Education.
The full-day High Performance Driver Education Event includes multiple run groups and run sessions based on driver experience. Instructors will be provided on an as needed basis dependent on skill level. Helmets MUST be SA2015 or later. No M rated motorcycle helmets are allowed. No exceptions will be made to the helmet requirement.
- Select "Instructed Student" registration if you have not yet been signed-off by Lotus, Ltd. or MBCA to drive solo.
- Select "Solo Driver" only if you have already been signed-off by Lotus, Ltd. or MBCA. If you have been signed off to drive solo with another group or wish to be considered to drive solo at this event, please send your driving resume and a letter from the current Chief Instructor of the group that has signed you off to solo to our Chief Instructor David Nagler at lotushack@lotusowners.com. Lotus, Ltd. reserves the right to do its own check out ride the day of the event.
- Select Instructor if you have previously instructed with us. If you are not planning on driving your car on track, you can choose "No Car." If you would like to be considered for instructing with us, please contact Chief Instructor David Nagler at lotushack@lotusowners.com
- Select "D.E. Experience" if you want to get an idea of what to expect from a full-day Driver Education program without committing to the cost and car preparation. For a reduced cost, you'll sit in on the morning driver meeting, novice classroom sessions, and have two 15-minute on-track sessions. For the first session, your instructor will drive your car at moderate speed in order to point out highlights of the track and talk you through the instruction process. For your second session, you will get behind the wheel with the instructor giving you the same type of instruction you'd receive as a full-day D.E. student. These laps will be at highway speeds with your instructor guiding you through safely and properly negotiating the turns. This is about familiarizing you with the concept of "the line" around the track and learning what to expect from instruction. You vehicle need only pass state safety inspection for road use and no helmet is required for this activity. No helmet means no passing is allowed and
the speed is limited.
Garage bays can be purchased separately. Registrations must be paid in full before you will be confirmed for the event and acceptance to the event is on a first come, first served basis.
Event requirements
All drivers must have a valid drivers license and must have a helmet rated at SNELL (SA) 2015 or later. Motorcycle (MA) helmets are not acceptable. Equal restraints are required for driver and passenger for any cars that will have an instructor or passenger on board. A technical inspection is required for each HPDE car prior to the event. Use the form provided and bring to the track with you. There will be a brief pre-inspection at the track as well. There will be no consumption of alcoholic beverages until after all cars have completed their sessions for the day. PDE cars do not require a pre-event technical inspection.
Car Requirements: Rollover protection required for convertibles. Open cars/convertibles require additional rollover protection unless the manufacturer certifies the open car as having rollover protection. The following open cars/convertibles have acceptable rollover protection in stock form: all Mercedes-Benz cabriolets and roadsters 1990 and on, Mercedes R107s with hardtops in place, Lotus Elise/Exige, Evora, all Porsche Targas, 914s, and Boxster and Carrera 1997 on, Ferrari 308, 328 and folding hardtops, later Honda S2000. Other open cars must have an SCCA-approved competition roll bar with forward or aft bracing and diagonal cross brace. The factory Lotus/Caterham "street" type roll bars are not sufficient.
Drivers with previous track experience will be asked to list their last three years of experience on the registration form, including dates (month and year), track, what organization put on the event, and what run group you were in. Drivers willing to instruct should contact Chief Instructor David Nagle (email and phone number in event description) or registrar Tony Vaccarro.
All open cars must run with the top up or must have arm restraints for both driver and instructor.
Technical Inspection form: 20240219_Watkins_Glen_FinalTechInspection.pdf
